The experience of 2020 will stay with us for decades to come. There will be no shortage of summarizing, reflecting, and studying what happened and why. At this moment, I leave the ruminating to historians, as I step into 2021 carrying with me an expanded perspective.
The reality, of course, is that COVID-19 isn't going anywhere for now. The economy will continue to shift under its weight. The impact will affect us all. We will grapple with the circumstances at hand. Regardless, we have reason to feel confident that more familiar ways of living are near. In the meantime, we will adapt. Most of all, we have each other.
I say “more familiar" because this year has been marked by unfamiliarity. Some of the changes we’ve made in our personal and professional lives will stick. Some will only be temporary. Either way, I’m struck by the opportunity we have here. Yes, our nation has experienced unfathomable hardship and division. But it’s given many of us deep, lifting insights that can help us for generations to come, if we let them. Seizing these insights and using them to generate positive momentum is one of our most inspiring choices.
Insight One: Compass
Early into the COVID19 pandemic, there was uncertainty everywhere. At EnvirOx we consciously redefined our compass to help find our way through, together. We summed up our priorities with three words: “lives, livelihoods, and sustainability”. As an essential business, we felt our responsibility to make and ship the cleaning and disinfectant technology that our country needed more than ever. We also felt protective of our team’s personal safety and mental wellness through this challenging time. We knew that as a community we could lift one another. We knew that people were the top priority. This reminder of our highest purpose crystalized what has always been here. Lives, livelihoods, and sustainability are why EnvirOx exists.
We learned so much about our team this year. We overcame obstacles and achieved feats that had never been imagined before, much less practiced. We learned how creative, resourceful, committed and inventive our team truly is. We recognized these traits before, but when faced with adversity, individuals and groups worked differently to solve challenges, overcome obstacles, change course, and manage through dilemmas over and over again. And even more remarkably, through it all, we cared for one another, lifted one another, and created connections in new ways. We are so fortunate to be on this journey together.
Insight Two: Connection
As a company, we believe in helping and supporting people in everything we do. The early days of the pandemic were marked by hours upon hours of customer conversations. Our Client Relations Team worked with our Regulatory Department, Marketing, and Sales Team to expand their knowledge. They checked CDC and EPA updates and helped custodial managers, supervisors, school superintendents, purchasing agents, and distribution partners through the daunting task of cleaning to mitigate the spread of a pandemic. It’s true that it was an exhausting time, however deeply satisfying. We had the opportunity to help so many people find clarity, comfort, and make sense of often conflicting messages. This is what we aim to be, the ones who answer the phone and work through the challenges with you.
Information, recommendations, and regulations changed daily for months; they’re still changing. Our Marketing Team worked to meet people through multiple sources with the information they needed. We created videos, webinars, blogs, E-books, and info-sheets about COVID-19 and a range of other topics critical to cleaning and disinfecting. So much of the information out there was confusing or inaccurate. Our goal was (and is) to connect with the people doing and directing the work of cleaning. We are the source for accurate, honest, simplified, and accessible information.
Insight Three: The front line
2020 has opened everyone’s eyes to the importance of cleaning and disinfecting, as well as recognizing our frontline cleaning professionals. Let’s continue to celebrate and highlight essential workers well beyond 2021 by protecting them. EnvirOx is focused on what else we can do to support custodial work and make it safer. The harmful human and environmental impact of increased disinfectant use hurts our nation’s custodians first. Within the challenges presented in 2020, there are also opportunities to keep front line workers healthy. It’s our objective to make shared spaces safer for everyone. We’re here to work with you to achieve this goal.
Insight Four: Knowing what we’ve come through
It’s a new year. There’s no doubt there will be challenges ahead. But 2020 has given us a precious gift. It’s a powerful reminder that people are the purpose and that we are here to help you create a safer, healthier, cleaner future.
Happy New Year,
Diana Stewart, President of EnvirOx