170: How You Can Serve and Thrive in a Crisis [Podcast]

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How you can serve and thrive in a crisis? This is a question being asked by many people.

While the current COVID-19 crisis has created a lot of panic and financial stress, this is a great time to rethink how you can serve more and thrive doing it.

I have heard many pundits, podcasters, and coaches telling us they will teach how you can serve and thrive in a crisis – but I often hear generalities about retooling. What does retooling mean? How do I do that? 

So if you have lost your job, find yourself too dependent on the paycheck, or just realize this is the time to act – this is the podcast for you. 

How You Can Serve and Thrive in a Crisis [Outline]

Step 1 –  Get Control and Get A Plan

1. Get control of you – your mental state.
   • Wake up on time to work.
   • Get ready for work. Your job NOW is to find people to serve.
   • Make a schedule for the week – including workouts and work (get to that later)
   • Realize you CAN make this work. Others can – you are not helpless.
   • Go for a walk or do something physical for 20-40 minutes)

2. Get a plan together.
   • Make a list of 10-20 people you have served – people who paid you before, including their number or email. 
   • Define what “need” you served before? Why did they pay you? What pain did you relieve?
     1. Cut hair
     2. Clean house
     3. Do office admin work
     4. Yards
     5. House repairs
     6. Physical Therapy
     7. Gym pro
     8. Teaching classes
     9. Etc

Note: Many high paid professionals do not have answers to this (a lot of corporate people do not have a clear answer.

Step 2 – Evaluate the Situation

Talk to those you serve. They are STILL your customer if you can still serve them.

1. 1. Call your customers and find out how they are coping – what needs are unmet. Call 10 of them and ask:
      • What is the biggest challenge they are having related to (what you did to serve them)? For example, a haircare person might as “What is the biggest challenge you are having with your hair right now?”
      • Why are you having this challenge? (Do not assume it is because they cannot get you to do it – the answer might be different.)
      • How do you feel about it? (Let their words speak to you.)
      • What do you think you need? (Do not put words in their mouth – let them speak it)
   2. You MAY learn things like
      • Hair going crazy and I feel ugly now and ashamed.
      • Nails need to be done – I feel unkempt.
      • I cannot work out and I feel fat and scared I am never going to be in shape again.
      • Now having to teach my OWN kids – going nuts – I cannot do this.
      • I do not know how to do things I SHOULD know. I feel stupid.

Step 3 – Look for Alternatives to Retool

1. Review notes from all your calls. What do you see they need?
2. How can you provide that need NOW?
   • Haircare and makeup needs (for those who did hair, nails, sell makeup, etc)
     1. Show them how to cut their own hair over a FaceTime and charge them for coaching.
     2. Sell them what they need to cut their hair (find tools online and either buy them and resell or become an affiliate.)
     3. Provide virtual hair/makeup consultations for people now on video meetings every day, or even professional tv personalities missing their hair/makeup crew.
   • Product help – what to buy and how to use (Salespeople who now have stores closed.)
     1. Teach me what I need to buy using Amazon. Find the best deals for people in my product space. (Can do affiliates also.)
     2. Teach me how to use the products.
   • Admin Work (for those who worked in offices.)
     1. How do people working online need to organize life? Now they need to organize files on computers and MAYBE have physical copies scanned and or filed. How can you do that for them from your home?
     2. Setting up Zoom meetings for them or calls.
     3. Managing calendars.

Step 4 – How to Receive Payments from Your Customers

• PayPal account
• Fresh Books
• Zelle
• Venmo
• Square Cash
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay

Step 5 – Be Aware of the Future and Not Afraid of it

• You may think that if I teach people – they will not need me again – NOT TRUE OF MOST.
• You might find a NEW way to be real and serve people more.
• Your new NORMAL will likely be a mix of the way it is now and the way it was. We may NEVER go fully back.

Step 6 – Planning for When it All Comes Back

• You are a leader.
• What changes?
• What stays?

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Schedule Your 45-Minute Discovery Session with Dale.
• Contact Dale Callahan
• PayPal account
• Fresh Books
• Zelle
• Venmo
• Square Cash
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay
• Finding Your Path and Doing What You Love
• Master of Engineering Management in Information Engineering and Management