Yesterday... and tomorrow

I wrote this email to my team this morning. I wanted to share it with you too.

Yesterday was a sad and difficult day. If you couldn’t focus on work, well, that just means you’re normal. I couldn’t either. It was disgusting to see Trump and his henchman Giuliani urge an angry mob to “trial by combat.” To see police taking selfies with rioters while confederate flags were waving in the capital building without consequence... in the same country where a black child in a park with a toy gun is in grave danger if the cops show up. 

Protest is part of democracy. When Traction introduced our Days of Action policy almost four years ago encouraging you all to take two days per year to peacefully participate in our democracy, we were trolled viciously by people on the far Right, many who claimed we were promoting violence. 

The hypocrisy leaves a bitter taste. 

I’m proud of what Traction did. I am proud that we were a leader in the conversation around businesses providing civic engagement benefits. I was proud to see businesses large and small give employees a day off for Election Day. We helped influence that.

But what took place yesterday was not civic engagement. It was not supporting democracy. It was an attempt to tear down democracy and replace it with fascism.

It reminded me of the end of Die Hard when Hans falls to his death and Bruce Willis comes out of Nakatomi Plaza with his arm around Holly, smiling. Except, in this case, Hans is 2020 falling away. And here comes Karl determined to get one last lick in. That was yesterday. But Sergeant Powell didn’t let Karl win. And yesterday, democracy won.

I woke up Monday thinking about what I would write to you all this week. I felt a renewed sense of optimism i wanted to convey to you. We survived 2020! Traction reshaped our business model to emulate the success we’ve had with our best clients, and while we’ve had to face some setbacks 2020 left for us, we proved out that model works! While we are still battling COVID, vaccines are being distributed and an end is in sight! We have a new administration and, thanks to the people of Georgia this week, a senate majority behind him!

Yesterday, they tried to take that optimism away from me. They tried to take it from all of us. 

Not gonna let ‘em. Nope. 

We have much to look forward to. We are going to see positive change. I’m not na?ve enough think we won’t continue to face big challenges in our world, but i also believe that the future is bright! 

And that future begins today.