It feels like it’s been years. Oh, wait. It has been years…
Sitting face to face with my clients, surrounded by the work we’ve done, meeting some in person for the first time. The energy is palpable, even after day-long (or sometimes days-long) brainstorming sessions.
Now that I’ve booked it, this trip just feels better than I thought it would.
[For the moment, let’s put aside a few potential hiccups... The wardrobe stress of those pandemic pounds. If my Lyft app is updated. Wait--did I lend a daughter my travel suitcase?]
2D Suffices, But It’s Nothing Like 3D
When COVID-19 hit, I didn’t have to adapt to things like remote meetings. We’re a “distributed” company, and I’ve been using Zoom since 2016. My first thought: no biggie! This will be a seamless transition; easy breezy.
But, not so.
I didn’t realize how much I’d miss the option of getting together face-to-face. There’s nothing like eye-to-eye contact, body language, and no mute button that brings all of “me” to the party. With the anticipation of this upcoming meeting, it’s all coming back to me.
Now, for the work.
Raising the Stakes
When I first met this client in 2019, we were deep in the struggles of marketing strategy: setting priorities, channel analytics, and timetables. There was also the business of applying left-brain thinking to a right-brain visionary’s creative process.
“This trip just feels better than I thought it would.”
After digging in, the data spoke volumes. But, the “hard truths” needed some massaging to come to terms with.
It was--as it is with many of my clients and Strategy Lab participants--working from the ground up.
Now, 18 months later--after a banner 2020--the stakes are even higher. Strong results are inspiring; a reason to celebrate all the hard work. But, they do beg these questions:
- The processes are in place, but it’s time to turn to the brand. Gulp.
- We’re asking: how high is up?
- As Q3 looms, we acknowledge: 2022 is around the corner!
For the time being, I’ll just revel in the packing details, peruse a Sausalito restaurant or two, plan to see my adorable nieces, and layout the game plan.
It’s a six-hour flight anyway…
