We are business writers and promoters, and feel obligated to speak out on what is becoming an ongoing threat to business: Reoccurring shutdowns. If everyone had honored the original shutdowns back in March and honored the mask requirements, if we had a national policy to that effect, and if we had adequate testing and tracing, we could have had at least the economy now enjoyed by the countries that did!
Blew It!
BUT, NO! We had no national leadership and the shutdown power was relegated to the states. Now, the Supreme Court says that Governors have over-reached in their attempts to control the spread of the virus. This will presumably create a chaotic defense against a virus enemy that is well organized and waiting to take advantage of any scofflaws. In other words, unless we all shut down for a short period of time and all wear mask at the same time, we will get attacked again and again.
Groundhog Day
The way things are right now with our undisciplined and poorly coordinated closures, we will be seeing shutdown after shutdown, and businesses will be paying a needless price as they open and close over and over. No wonder we look so silly to the rest of the world! Our undisciplined approach is making it Groundhog Day again and again.
Chaos
Certainly, some businesses have figured out how to operate without physical contact. Others have just gone online. But many others have closed permanently. Now, many of the schools and colleges reopened because it was the traditional time to do so, but the virus doesn’t care about traditions. So the students got sick and the schools couldn’t handle it, so they sent the sick students home. Fasten your seat belts, here we go again!
Bite the Bullet
This scenario will play out again and again until we all just bite the bullet as a nation and get serious about controlling this virus. Do it right before we lose many more businesses (and lives!). During WWII, we did not get to choose if we were going to fight the enemy – we all had to! We all lost some of our freedoms. But we were able to end it. We have to have the same resolve if we are ever going to reopen businesses permanently!
Recognition of scientific facts and adherence to scientifically proven remedies are the only ways to keep businesses open in the long run. We are all tired of this. Let’s do it right. Let’s do it now! Haven’t we had enough Groundhog Days?
Who We Are
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.
Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.
They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.
Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.
To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.
