November 2021 – Earlier this year I wrote an edition of The Opening Line ⊠about my analogy between event production and icebergs â i.e. the bulk of the work involved in producing an event is not what you see on top, but what lies beneath.
There was quite a response to that newsletter â It resonated with a lot of people, including many who were âunder the waterâ so to speak.
More recently, during a team meeting where we debated the pros and cons of a clientâs preferred event format, Dave said:
âMaking it look easy is never easy.â
This speaks to me on both a personal and professional level. It makes me think of all the parents who act like itâs easy staying up half the night with a newborn, or the people who walk around with a scary disease pretending they are not totally freaking out.
I think about the people who, after 19 months of a pandemic, are still getting up every morning not knowing where the next dollar is coming from but put on a brave face because âweâre all in this togetherâ.
I think about iSPARKâs overwhelmingly positive vibe on social media in 2021 that, on some days, feels like weâve scraped the bottom of the barrel when it comes to generating the upbeat content weâre known for.
Although I had planned to do a company year in review to reflect on our accomplishments in 2021, I find myself heading into the final weeks of Q4 with an overwhelming desire to EXHALE instead.
So, Iâm take a quasi-digital detox in December, taking time off (and encouraging our team to do the same), and feeling no shame in finding a quiet corner to accept and fully acknowledge that âmaking it look easy is never easyâ (especially over the last 620 days, 2 hours, 45 minutes and 3 seconds – aka THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC). I may have even bought a comfy new chair as an early Christmas gift to myself where said quiet corner reflection (with a side of lemon) will take place.
Will you join me in exhaling this holiday season?
Happy Holidays!
