From the President

New Normals

The only thing constant is change, they say. And while most people exclaim that they love new things, new challenges, and learning, most seem happy to be stuck in their routine. I am the poster child of this paradox. I don’t fear change in the least and new challenges feel like a normal day to me. I get bored easily and can’t sit still ever. But, I wake up at the same time, could probably eat the same thing every day for every meal, and if my wife let me get away with it, I would have a closet filled with the same pants, same shirts, and same shoes to wear every day. I do this because when I find something that works, why would I change it? I value things like stability and confidence in consistency. However, it seems that the world has changed and the new normal is that nothing remains the same. Some might argue this is just a “phase,” and I suppose if you look through a long enough window of time, humans walking the Earth is a phase too. This feels different. It was almost two years ago to the day that COVID entered our lives, and the world changed. As I look today, those early actions to keep us “safe” seem logical and restrained compared to the random chaos we deal with today. And while this precedence has been set, I can’t confidently believe that our “normal” lives will return. But it doesn’t stop there. Everything from lumber prices at record highs to lows, back to record highs, to “happy” long-term employees suddenly jumping ship for their “dream job” because everyone in the world is hiring today creates an environment of instability. I believe it is leadership’s job to create this stability and a calming vision of the path forward. However, it seems that leadership today benefits more by adding fuel to the chaos. Whether it is California enacting drought restrictions while having a record seasonal snowpack or Russia staging to invade a neighboring country, the new normal seems to be about constant and uncertain change. The byproduct of this is felt in society; everyone is a bit more stressed, less patient, and plans for the future less. I noticed a long time ago that the quality of products being produced tells me that we’ve become a disposable society. In the sea of Amazon deliveries that litter our porch, there isn’t a product that would last a year, much less a lifetime. While cars are built better now, we keep them for months instead of years. Forever homes are now flipped, and family traditions are acted out on FaceTime. If nothing of value is ever created, then what are we left with? There is, however, opportunity in times of constant change. “While we must adapt and improvise to this changing world, we must also remember that the values of our foundation are what have gotten us this far, and there's only so much we can change before we lose ourselves.”

Who would have thought that empires would be created simply by impulse entrepreneurs who figured out ways to produce things like masks, gloves, and sanitizer that have become today’s staple of everyday life? Will we be celebrating their 100-year anniversary of serving their clients like we are this year? Probably not, but perhaps those days are gone, too, along with the shift to impulse and disposable lifestyles? Maybe this also is part of the new normal. Think about being in school and being asked to write a business plan to create a business that will be around in 100 years. It’s hard for me to envision what our lives will be like in 20 years!

But, in this new world of constant extremes, I remind myself that not everything has to be black or white. We hold true to our values while also experimenting with trying new business initiatives. I don’t dwell on the crisis when employees leave but have celebrated the fresh ideas and talent of new hires that will help us on this changing journey. And perhaps, I might even try something new for breakfast a day or two!

More than anything, it is the consistency of the people and their values in this industry that we serve that gives me comfort. Through all of this, all it takes is a meeting or phone call to remind me of the true value in our lives in the relationships that we have forged with family, friends, and those we serve.

While we must adapt and improvise to this changing world, we must also remember that the values of our foundation are what have gotten us this far, and there’s only so much we can change before we lose ourselves.

Patrick Adams, President | 526 Media Group, Inc.