Looking Back – One Year Later

CEO Corner : Article

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 was a crazy day.

It started with Dr. Fauci testifying before Congress that we would soon see the 647 cases of COVID-19 in the United States increasing.

Later that day, at what was supper time here in Boston, Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson announced they had contracted COVID-19.

Then, after dinner, the NBA announced it was suspending the season after Rudy Gobert had tested positive.

By the end of the next day, both my college-age daughters were heading home for the semester, my high school age son was heading for a semester on the couch, and we had made the decision to close our offices at Virtual for “at least two weeks.”
While it hasn’t been a year that I’d want to live through again, it has been a year of tremendous growth for me personally, professionally, and for Virtual as an organization.

I shared some of those lessons in my recent webinar “COVID-19 Business School,” but beyond those lessons there are even deeper learnings.

In a word, it’s about one thing: Appreciation.

Appreciation of good health. The loss of life and suffering the past year has been unfathomable, and evidence of how quickly life can change.

Appreciation of the world. I make a habit of going to the “touristy places” every time I’m in a city. I’ve stood in front of the White House scores of times. I’ve walked down Broadway to Times Square just as often. I walk to the see the Eiffel Tower every night I’m in Paris. I’m fortunate to have had these opportunities and will cherish the chance to do it again.

And appreciation of relationships. There’s nothing like sharing a laugh across the table from a friend.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, a year spent working in your attic can sure make you more appreciative.

So with that, one last note of appreciation. Many thanks to all of the folks in our world here at Virtual that have been part of this past year. To our clients and our team members—thanks for the great work, endless patience, and friendship.

Here’s to a better March 11.

 


Featured Author: Andy Freed, CEO, Virtual, Inc.

As Virtual’s CEO, Andy oversees the company’s client teams, along with the organization’s overall service quality and management practices. Virtual’s clients are making their mark on the world in technology, health care and more. Their clients include organizations that are led by Microsoft, Facebook, Google and many of the leading names in technology. Outside of Virtual, Andy serves on the Board of Trustees of Melrose Wakefield Healthcare and the Harvard Club of Boston. He is a graduate of Harvard University, and he received his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

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