Our world looks completely different than it did this time last week. We have been searching for the words to express all that has transpired in our community and specifically, in our industry. Like many others, we have had to make a lot of tough decisions in light of the ever-changing pandemic. We are sending all of our love to our Whim Family who has poured their heart and soul into creating the business we are today, our clients who have shown so much grace and understanding despite uncertainty and evolving plans, and lastly, our hospitality community with whom we are standing in unity with in the midst of the obstacles we are facing. In efforts to capture how so many of us are feeling currently, we are sharing some much-needed #whimjoy from our Director of Brand.
Coming off what may be the hardest week of my life both professionally and personally- I packed up my stuff and headed home, with (truly for the first time) no idea what next week will bring. As I did, I grabbed my planner to which (those of you know me well know) I do not ever stray more than 5 feet away from. On the cover it reads “make magic happen every day.” I got this because not only is it our reality in the world of hospitality, it’s my goal in everything I do. For those in the industry, I think we can all relate…we truly make magic happen every day.
We always joke that hospitality professionals are a special kind of crazy. We work the insane hours. The sky is the limit. There is no challenge too big. We never fail to make the impossible, possible. We have bleeding hearts for our clients and friendors and are the contagious sparks that light up a room. We are the infamous “ducks”- appearing cool and calm topside while paddling furiously underwater and behind the scenes to make it all happen. We show up every day with a smile on our face and a “how can I serve you?” attitude despite whatever struggles we may be dealing with at home. We make magic happen every day.
We are salespeople and account specialist who would import the Egyptian pyramids if that meant making our client happy. We are caterers and bakers who pour our souls into creating shared experiences around the dinner table-all while modifying for the guest with food allergies at table 16. We are rental teams and delivery crews putting in the muscle to transport 85 mirrored tables which truly should be illegal because they are so heavy, but boy do they look good in photos. We are photographers who stand in the pouring rain balancing on one foot while getting spit on by alpacas in order to capture the perfect moment. We are planners who could literally catch on fire while walking a bride to the aisle and the guests would be none the wiser. We are servers and bartenders who sometimes become therapists with a warm welcome and listening ear in some people’s otherwise dark days. We are team players, who don’t know the phrase “that’s not my job” ready to assemble bouquets, jump on the buffet line, clean barf from a hotel room, and pretty much anything and EVERYTHING in between. We make magic happen every day.
Above all else, we have the undeniable need to take care of others. This reason (among so many devastating others) is why I believe this week has hit us so hard. For the unforeseeable future we have been stripped of our ability to bring joy to our clients and do the job that we can’t help but love. For someone who has their cup filled by celebrating all things in life, seeing weddings, parties, proms, and graduations all canceled has left me so deflated. Standing beside people I care about so much as they lose their jobs and everything they’ve known overnight is completely overwhelming. In this time of uncertainty, I heard “hope is lost for hospitality” and to that I beg to differ. Giving up it is simply not in our DNA. Special kind of crazy, remember? I am aware the ugly reality of what that looks like is so different for each of us and I am not naïve to the extreme struggle that is to come for so many. My heart is breaking for all of our people and in true hospitality form I would do anything to fix it. My only sense of peace in all of this is to remember that friends, we make magic happen every day.
Despite how crappy it may feel right now, it looks like it just might be time to execute the best rain plan ever. So, give yourself grace. Cry when it sucks and laugh when that’s all there is left to do. Love on one another. Support your competitors. Have empathy for leaders as so many hard decisions are having to be made. Believe me when I say we are all hurting in this. And above all else keep making magic. Whether that’s finding one good thing in each day or being the joy in what feels like such an uncertain and scary time. Because this too shall pass and when it does, you can bet there will be so many of us with unwavering smiles ready to say, “How can I serve you?”
