Disaster… maybe not in the Hurricane Katrina sort of way, but for me – a business owner launching a new company name, brand, and website – well, for me, that disaster came in the form of a broken email link … on the day of the launch. So all of you who immediately sent notes of congratulations received a response saying there was a fatal permanent error in my new email address.
Yes. Just like that, my euphoria over the launch and everything that it stood for dissipated in a matter of seconds. But I have to tell you that unlike in years past, my panicked reaction to this disaster lasted only minutes, instead of days. I said a silent prayer that you all would understand that sometimes, no matter how many times technology is tested (and believe me, we tested it A LOT), *&it happens!
I knew that my competent technology team was on top of it instantly, and worked feverishly to get everything up and running.
This experience has given me huge takeaways, and these lessons I can pass along to you all. In the event of a disaster:
- Stay calm. Amazingly, when I think back on it, freaking out has never helped me before. So I took those lessons seriously and followed through on my promise to myself to be calm.
- Trust your team. This was completely out of my hands, and I needed the experts to do their thing – my need to control things made no difference here.
- Believe in yourself. I knew (or at least hoped) that no one would think less of me as a person or a professional because of this small glitch. The embarrassment I felt (and still do, to an extent) will dissipate with time.
- Think positively. For a lifelong uber-realist, this last one is usually difficult. But knowing that the letter was from the heart; the rocked; and my friends, colleagues, and clients are THE BEST helped me to believe that, despite the challenges of yesterday, today and all the tomorrows that follow will be AMAZING!
“The gem cannot be polished without friction nor (wo)man without trials.” ~Confucius.
I’m continuously working on polishing myself. This has helped.
