T2 founder Maryanne Shearer, as well as Mash founder Tash Menon and Career CEO founder Andrea Clarke, see the COVID-19 crisis as an opportunity to ‘recalibrate,’ transform and reignite their business passion.
COVID-19 and the subsequent economic crisis is a “slap in the face reminder to do what you’re passionate about and what you’re good at,” says Tash Menon, founder of MASH. She started her business 18 months ago when the concept of coronavirus would have seemed like a sci-fi movie.
Menon’s company offers an alternative to brands engaging marketing and creative agencies on briefs that include brand strategies, digital, design, content and social media. They receive a brief from a company, including retailers, restaurants and celebrity chefs, then hand picks a team of highly-skilled specialists (or ‘Mashers’ as she calls them).
“One of the core reasons for MASH’s success, and optimism for the future, is that we only work with specialists who love what they do and are highly experienced in that sector. Our business to-date has been driven through word of mouth, which I feel is a huge testament to our Mashers who demonstrate that – if you’re passionate about what you do, have a specialist skill and the experience to match – the work will flow. This is the power of reputation and referrals,” she said.
Menon believes the current crisis will see more professionals work for themselves in search of freedom and fulfilment.
“We’ll move from long term employment to freelancing, working from the office to working from wherever, constant monthly salaries to getting paid for actions and results and we’ll go from seeking stability to fulfillment,” she said.
Menon’s comments are echoed by one of Australia’s leading entrepreneur’s Maryanne Shearer: “COVID-19 is an opportunity to recalibrate”. The T2 founder, retail consultant and entrepreneur believes that businesses and individuals should “reconnect with what they love and the money will flow”.
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Shearer says this in context of discussing the future of the retail industry post COVID-19.
“This is a line in the sand moment. The world of retail will thankfully change as we’ll see more individually owned businesses, versus large chains, share their passions with passersby. Retail will become more of an experience that stimulates the senses and ‘shopping’ will live online,” she said.
Andrea Clarke, former news reporter, author and founder of CareerCEO says COVID-19 will accelerate new ways of working by around 10 years.
“COVID-19 is an extraordinary case study of how adaptable Australians can be. Businesses have been spending huge amounts of money and time on ‘transformation’ projects. Now, they are being forced to transform at superspeed and with this will come a different mindset on how we do business.
“Social distancing is an opportunity for many of us to reach our full adaptive potential. We need to hone our ability to be alert and engage with the new world around us, activate optimism for change and release anything that might be holding us back. For some people right now, that could mean letting go of ego or being humble enough to cut our losses,” said Clarke.
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