Out of your Comfort Zone

April 1, 2020

This month's editor's letter explores the opportunities, revelations and improvements that can only come from difficult times.

As I write this, hunkered in my basement workroom that, amid quarantine, has become a makeshift office, I hear the surprisingly heavy pounding of my kids’ footsteps above me—all of them, eight feet total when you add them up, pacing, running, jumping, dancing, and anything else they can think to do to stave off the horrific boredom of being stuck at home with mom and dad for (gulp) a fifth straight day.

It’s likely been far longer by the time you read this. These are surreal times. The present state of our lives didn’t seem fathomable a few months ago. But here we are; what are we going to do about it?

That’s the question that keeps running through my mind, much in the same way it sounds like my 2-year-old is running above me right now: rushed, out-of-control, and … aimless. What are we going to do about it?

Well, let’s give some direction to it, and start thinking of solutions. Our sole mission at NOLN is to be your trusted resource for the information and strategies you need in order to improve your businesses. And as we all deal with the myriad challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re
more focused than ever on helping you and your teams during this stressful and chaotic time.

We know you have concerns. We know many of you are reeling from the uncertainty. And we know there is no SOP or playbook to follow in a situation
like this. That’s why we’re committed to helping you through it. Our team has already started to amass a wide range of content in various formats (go to noln.net to find it all), and we’re not slowing down any time soon.

There’s already too much hysteria, hyperbole and misinformation out there. We want to focus on solutions, and we want to answer your questions. Please let us know what’s on your mind. Email, call, whatever you can do—but please do it, and tell us how we can help. We’re as focused as ever on pursuing our mission here, and the only way we achieve our goal is to help you hit yours.

And you will.

It’s one of the many reasons I love being part of the team that creates this content for you, our readers, the small business owners and operators who
keep our communities and economy running. The unfailing, indomitable spirit you all carry into your businesses each day is motivating and inspiring. And I know it won’t slow down. I know we’ll get through this. Let’s do it together. Stay safe.

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