As I age it becomes apparent; “my narrative” becomes visual with “bright lights” shining on it… but at-the-time(s) frankly it was very unclear, “foggy” indeed “fuzzy”.

I’ll tell you about today soon but for brevity let’s go back to FEB 25 and 27 in 2020 when COVID was about to crash-into my 30-year “live” event/conference business. COVID and the restrictions shut-down my business cash-flow. By March 15 it became a huge problem.

By March 31 I needed to become a “happy TVtalkshow host” using ZOOM to keep-up relations from across the country, and then I realized that my survival would be a challenge… indeed, my “new” business needed to become something very different… I needed to focus on creating awareness, creating new connections, and from conversations and exchanging emails and linkedin messages building a relationship(s) and establishing a rapport … across time and space, across borders and cultures, across industries and silos, across generations.

I began my self-education by watching tv news programs, observing how the news readers and the “special guest” commentators exchanged info while on-camera. I paid attention to eye-contact, voice tone and pacing, clothing, colors displayed, hair, and more.

 I began watching youtube, especially the “historic” news shows and compared style, lighting, imagery with the current programs. I became a note-taker.

I decided to NOT set-up a “toll gate” on GlobalTVtalkshows … making it global-free-access and promoting that feature.

From history… meaning the past print publishing days, I reached-out to the old advertisers, began talking about what I was experimenting with. A few of them decided to be my guest speakers (free). On the programs we discussed their business culture, how they were working-from-home. We exchanged ideas. A couple of them decided to advertise, to support my programs, and to be frequent guests on the programs.

So let me quickly review what I could not “do” now:

On FEB 25 in Manhattan, indeed I was right in the middle of Times Square, high-up inside the NASDAQ building, I was presenting a corporate conference inside the spacious offices of a big-time tax firm.  A sold-out event; my keynoter was the Head of Talent for CONDE NAST, the publishing house known for top-quality information and top-luxury brands. 100+ were seated within the meeting space; nobody wore a mask; to my knowledge no one was ill. The meeting went on; nobody (it seemed) wanted to talk about COVID.

Next day I took the train down the coast into DC.

FEB 27 it was clear and sunny but 32-degrees and very windy in Washington’s northwest situated along “Embassy Row”.  My conference was staged inside the historic home of US President Woodrow Wilson, an elegant mansion steeped in history. The meeting space was tastefully-designed; 20-feet-high windows were draped in purple silk curtains; the tables and chairs were fine furniture atop “Oriental” rugs. The audience represented some Embassy staffers from buildings down-the-street and around-the-corner, some DC/government agencies, several corporates from the nearby Beltway, and a variety of services-providers. The meeting was serious, new connections were made all-around.

A very successful event.

But… what was coming towards me/us?

Enormous change.

When the event concluded I taxied over to Reagan, checked-into Southwest for the long flight back into San Diego. News coming across my mobile and on TV in the airport bars was non-stop with medical bulletins and warnings that business closings and government actions due to the spreading disease were imminent… but details not yet announced. After I finished the drink I got on the plane that would 1st stop in Houston before going beyond, another 1200 miles to San Diego. It was strange; I was almost all-by-myself on that last part of the flight… very few passengers. I got really good service from the flight attendants; lots of peanuts, beer and scotch.