Putting 2020 Into Sharp Focus

It was January 28, 2020. I was not only an attendee at our annual kick-off meeting for the Caribbean & Latin America region of Marriott International, but I played a key role in bringing the meeting to life -- including developing the theme/vision/tagline that would be our rallying cry for what promised to be an exciting year. We had just come out of 2019 on fire and feeling extremely positive about the future. In the last few months of the year, we had announced an All-Inclusive platform that would redefine the customer experience in this space, acquired a boutique hotel chain that would help in this effort, boasted a luxury pipeline that positioned us as a global leader in this segment, launched an innovative new loyalty program and had just celebrated the one-year anniversary of the history-making integration of Starwood Hotels & Resorts -- and we were carrying this momentum with us as we entered the new year and decade. And, from a personal standpoint, I was fortunate to have been a part of these milestones and also looked toward my own future with hope and optimism.

As our regional president, Tim Sheldon, took the stage that morning at the beautifully hip W Fort Lauderdale hotel, I was excited and a little nervous. The unveiling of our 2020 theme -- which I created and pitched to the regional leadership team at the end of 2019 -- would be the culmination of several weeks of hard work that included the development of the very presentation that was about to be shown to dozens of our region's top leaders. Then the moment came and the logo (pictured here) appeared on the giant screens behind Tim: 20/20 Vision: Sharpen The Focus, which is meant to play on the concept of having perfect vision while also helping our associates and hotel teams stay focused on the priorities and initiatives that would enable our region to achieve its goals. I looked around the room and saw smiling and nodding; the enthusiasm was palpable. It seemed that I was not the only one energized for the year ahead.

At the end of the presentation, Tim pulled out his CALA 2020 sunglasses (same as the ones used as the cover image of this blog), put them on and asked those in the room to join him in looking ahead toward our bright future together. Then a few of us dropped off glasses at the tables for everyone to wear. Tim not only nailed the delivery (like he always does), he did something else that -- to this day -- left me in a bit of shock. He publicly thanked me and recognized me for the work I did in creating this theme for the year. It's not that Tim isn't good about praise or public recognition -- he is. It's just that, oftentimes in my role, I am the "behind-the-scenes" guy or "the man behind the curtain" to borrow a phrase from the Wizard of Oz. And I am very much comfortable with that. For those of you in internal communications, you know the drill very well. So when he shined the spotlight on me, it was a proud yet unexpected moment (and among the most gratifying of my career).

On January 31, 2020, three days later, I found out my position was eliminated. This isn't something I have broadcasted before but it was difficult news to hear. It wasn't a total surprise. I knew it was a possibility and I had prepared for it (somewhat) and there is no need to delve into the details here...but I have to say the timing was, at the very least, ironic and in fact made it all the tougher to swallow. In 72 hours, from one of the biggest highs in my career to unquestionably the biggest low (to date -- but 2020 was just getting started).

I was disappointed but was by no means bitter. I was thankful for the experiences and grateful for the relationships created during my three years in CALA, but most of all I was fortunate and excited to have landed a job within the Global Consumer Operations group, based at Marriott's corporate headquarters in Bethesda but working remotely still in Florida. My role was going to be leading communications and change management efforts for a number of highly visible and important initiatives focused on data security and customer privacy. I was beyond appreciative of the opportunity, especially being able to obtain it in relatively short order, and I was thrilled to continue my journey with The World's Favorite Travel Company. So, after a slight hiccup, I was once again confident about the future. I felt this was the start of something new. Something big.

Two weeks later, Covid-19 started to wreak havoc on our industry and a month into my new role, Marriott, like many hospitality and travel companies, had to make extraordinarily tough decisions (decisions I do not envy) and began furloughing thousands of associates. At the time, I optimistically assumed I’d be back at work by May. June latest. But as I would soon find out, this sadly would not be the case. (I also assumed my kids would be back in the classroom and on the ball field by then too, but as they prepare for their first day of school -- tomorrow in fact -- virtual learning continues and fall sports are a no-go).

So, that leads me to present day: August 2020, nearly eight months after the 2020 kick-off meeting and an invigorating start to the year and I find myself still out of work. I also find myself thinking back to that January morning filled with such promise and positivity...and almost shake my head in disbelief that this is where we are now. I have gone through the full range of emotions these last several months. I have blogged about a lot of it: coming to terms with the fact that the Marriott chapter of my career is over (at least for now) and at the same time looking ahead with continued optimism at the next chapter (whatever it may be), while also taking a moment to step back and enjoy this time with my family (including a two-week road trip earlier this summer). I've had some interviews as well, including a couple that seemed promising; one that felt as though it was the perfect fit and after weeks of going through the recruitment process, well, it just wasn't meant to be.

So now it's back to the drawing board. And make no mistake. I am not feeling sorry for myself. I am not sulking. I am not suffering in the depths of despair. Are there days I look up at the sky and think, "why me?" Sure. Of course, I think it's only human to do so, but I also know this is not about me. At all. Over the last few weeks, I have seen announcements and read stories of many others whose Marriott journeys have come to an end as well, presumably not the way they once envisioned when their own careers began. This list includes Tim Sheldon, who announced he would be retiring after 35 years with Marriott. Two former bosses and dozens of colleagues who have served as mentors to me and many I've been fortunate to call friends are also among those no longer with the company. There are no adequate words to truly express the sorrow and heartache I feel for so many great people, including those from another former company of mine, Carnival Cruise Line, whose careers and livelihoods have been put on hold. It is simply devastating to see.

As a quick aside, Tim is one of three "presidents" I have been fortunate enough to work closely with and support from a communications perspective throughout my career thus far (Christine Duffy from Carnival Cruise Line and Hervé Humler from The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company being the others). He's about as genuine and authentic as it gets and I wish him all the best in his retirement. I know his family, including several grandchildren, look forward to having him around more often. Cheers, Tim! (Here we are during a community service event shortly after I joined the team in 2017 at Feeding South Florida).

What is the point of this post? I wasn't really sure when I began typing. But perhaps, like someone with 20/20 vision, it's starting to come into clear focus. And that is, one can never predict what is going to happen to them. No one can see their own future, because, as Doc Brown from Back to the Future reminds us (and yes for those keeping score this is the second time I've referenced BTTF in one of my recent LinkedIn blogs!), "your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has."

What's more though, and as we have seen these last few months, in many cases, we cannot control what happens to our future either. And while this can be a sobering conclusion to come to -- as if our careers, our futures, and in many ways our entire lives are out of our control -- I am reminded of the poignant words of Conan O'Brien when he delivered his farewell speech as host of The Tonight Show after just seven months on the job. If you aren't familiar with what happened here, look it up. Talk about someone who had reason to be bitter. But these words below resonated with me when he first delivered them in January 2010 and certainly resonate even more 10 years later:

"Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and for seven months I got to do it. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. All I ask is one thing, and I'm asking this particularly of young people that watch: please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism; for the record it's my least favorite quality. It doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

So while we cannot necessarily control our future, we can at least influence it and it starts with this simple yet powerful notion: work hard, be kind and amazing things will happen. There is great comfort in this, for me anyway and perhaps for anyone else who stumbled upon this post thinking, "just what the heck happened this year?" The world becomes a scarier place by the day if not by the second. But as I look into the eyes of my three children every night as I help put them to bed and see their youthful innocence and boundless exuberance for life, I remain hopeful and, yes, still optimistic and confident that the best is yet to come. Thus, I will put on my own pair of 2020 sunglasses and I ask you to join me: let's look toward the brightness ahead with passion and enthusiasm, just as I did eight months ago, knowing that "amazing things will happen."