A Bend in the Road

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless we fail to make a turn” — Helen Keller

What a profound observation by this history maker.

All around us, we see people’s lives and livelihoods, and the certainties we all relied upon crumble around us. The changes brought about in our lives by the unprecedented Coronavirus has challenged so much of what we understood to be reality. So many well understood and proven business models are now shrinking or unviable, such as international tourism, professional sport, traditional retail, the beauty industry, gyms and the list goes on.

Like a bend in the road, as described by Keller, during these times many of our careers and businesses have suffered in ways which are completely out of our control. When faced with this situation, what can we learn from Keller’s powerful statement? Is the Coronavirus really a bend in the road wanting us to make a turn?

Heroic examples of individuals and businesses adjusting to their new path can inspire us all to realign and to find new ways of bringing useful service to our customers in this new world.

When the Corona lockdown happened, Charlie Carrington – founder of the once thriving Atlas Dining restaurant – saw everything he had created and worked for disintegrating around him, along with his sense of identity. Whilst initially despondent, Carrington saw the bend in the road and was able to pivot his business.

He created an in-home cooking experience which remained true to the restaurant brand, transporting people to other destinations through food experiences. Pre-recorded and live Altas Masterclasses became available to customers accompanied by pre-packed boxes delivered to their homes, enabling customers to create masterpiece meals in their own kitchens in just 15 minutes. Carrington’s agility led him to be responsive to the new needs of his marketplace, and therefore he continues to thrive.

The bend in the road, by its very nature, will necessarily require us to slow down and realign as we navigate the bend.

But if we do choose to follow the inevitable bend as Carrington did, it will not be the end of the road, and the pathway will continue.

I interviewed Zara who was recently stood down after a 6-year career as a successful first-class flight attendant. When COVID hit, she saw the writing on the wall, quit her job and has found new job satisfaction as a disability support worker. Zara is now providing indispensable service to the family who have employed her, whilst at the same time completing her Cert III qualifications in a part-time capacity.

Praveeta, an old high-school friend, was an accomplished architect specialising in commercial high-rise buildings. She has shifted her focus away from this dwindling sector to the healthcare industry. To help her transition, she has teamed with a colleague experienced in healthcare who will advise, oversee and review her work whilst she upskills in this new area of focus.

We have also seen numerous service-based businesses transition online successfully, such as WIDAC. This originally event-based business who supports and empowers women in the construction industry has moved their events online, providing useful and targeted content for members.

We need to search deeper and to innovative further than ever before.

A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless we fail to make a turn. We need to decisively divest the now-irrelevant parts of our offering and to bring fresh solutions to the people we serve and to create new value that our new world needs.