United We Shine: How We Might Truly Evolve From This Crisis

Challenges. 

We can yell at them, curse at them, or blame the world for their timing. 

Or we can see them as an opportunity to grow in ways we never imagined. 

To evolve for the better. And not just better for one, but better for all.

This is the undeniable quest of the authentic challenger. 

A spirit that is in all of us, regardless of our age, gender, race or occupation. 

No doubt the challenge in front of us may seem daunting.

It’s forcing us all to rethink how we go about our lives, as well as how we do business.

It affects every single country, industry and business.

And despite how grim it may seem, we must always remember that challenges of any size only make us stronger and more united than ever before.

It’s times like these that act as a bold reminder that we are all connected by something bigger than our political beliefs and our own self-interests.

The opportunity for how we evolve depends on what we do now and the role we play.

For the people in our industry, there has never been a better time to evolve how we do business.  

How we can best serve our clients’ brands while serving the world around us. 

Last time I checked, we are a creative industry. 

We are the ones with the tools to inspire change. True change with sustainable and tangible impact.

This crisis has put before us an opportunity for immense growth, one that has challenged us all to look at innovative ways to continue to create and give back, not as individuals but as a community, as partners, standing together, united to help the world around us.

This is our time to rise above the “me” and band together as the “we.” And there are so many examples of this already.

It’s inspiring to see brands, celebrities, athletes, influencers, alongside small businesses and citizens around the world, doing their part to help their communities, to help the most vulnerable, to help the healthcare providers and first responders. 

They are stepping forward to make a true difference during this unprecedented crisis. 

And most notable is, they are not doing so because they want to be recognized or win awards. They are doing so because they understand that at the end of the day, we are all just people, connected in the grandest of ways.

I’m seeing it everywhere. I’m seeing people of all types rising above fear to create change for all.

I’m seeing agency cultures ushering in a new workplace and bringing people closer together.

I’m seeing companies unleashing the power of their brands to give back to those who need it most.

But the only way we are going to evolve as a nation or world is if we continue banding together long after the crisis is over. 

Imagine a brave new world that is this thoughtful and purposeful all the time. 

Imagine the impact we could have helping the homeless, the elderly, the veterans.

There’s nothing we can’t do together. And once we understand that, not only as an industry but as global citizens, we evolve. 

So when the storm leaves, and it will, let’s not revert to our old ways.

Let’s not look at this as a temporary adjustment to address the challenge at hand, but as an ongoing evolution that will usher in a better industry and a new world order.

Let’s inspire a global incubator of sorts that leverages the combined effort of people, brands and countries to activate their challenger spirit and rise above the old way of doing things.

Let’s take that authentic caring spirit and have it permeate through everything we do.

We have it in us already to be empathetic, brave and innovative. 

We have it in us to take on our biggest challenges and evolve from that.

Because as Carl Sagan suggested, this pale blue dot of an Earth is all that we have.

It’s what we do together, right now, that will determine its future.

And as all challengers know, “we” are stronger than “me.”