For years, the rise of the online era has been sparking conversation about the future of communication and what it means to connect in a tech-driven society. But as the unforeseen circumstances of last year rushed the world into a new age of digital communication, it was being apart that forced people to find new ways of coming together.
Through countless Zoom meetings, phone calls and socially distanced gatherings, people learned a lot about their need to connect with each other and their surroundings. Below, these seven members of Rolling Stone Culture Council share some of the additional lessons they learned about community in 2020 and the importance of togetherness in business.
Shared Experiences Connect You With Your Audience
Lean in to your experience and trust the process. It boils down to: How can I use what I know? How can we get to the next moment, even with all these barriers? We understand what our ShearShare community is going through during this time, because we are going through it as well. So we’ve put our energies into providing them information that can help them weather this storm and come out ready to push forward when that time comes. – Courtney Caldwell, ShearShare, Inc.
Who You Surround Yourself With Means Everything
You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with. No amount of smarts, financing or connections will help carry you through a trying time like the pandemic. Only your team will. – Kim Kaupe, The Superfan Company
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
Music Can Bring People Together
People want to have a connection with their community. Radio has proven to be the ultimate source for connecting members of the community. Radio has the ability to lift listeners’ spirits and inform and entertain them simultaneously. – Benji McPhail, The Colorado Sound
There Should Always Be Time for Community Engagement
Continue to engage with your community. The pandemic brought unforeseen and unchartered challenges. As business owners, it’s easy for us to get so far down in the weeds of our company that we sometimes forget to continue community engagement and make sure we are still giving back where we can. – Lisa Song Sutton, Elite Homes
You Must Be Nimble and Tuned in to Your Audience’s Needs
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s been important to be nimble and responsive to the needs and interests of your audience. It may be difficult to be agile within cultural organizations, but it is necessary in our current environment. – Ashley Deese, Smithsonian Institution
Everyone Can Use Your Compassion and Patience
Have more patience and empathy. With everything people are going through in their personal and business lives, lead with a large amount of compassion and understanding. – Blake Beshore, Small Batch Foods
Companies Are Nothing Without Their People
You can’t control what you can’t control. Building a company and growing a team at any point in time can be difficult. During the pandemic, more unexpected challenges were introduced. The strength of our team and the individuals on the team has helped us succeed. We’re a technology company, but we are a people company, and one doesn’t exist without the other. – Dan Healy, PickUp
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