How We Grew During a Pandemic

Happy COVIDiversary

Twelve months. Did you think it would last this long?

None of us got through this by ourselves. Families came together, literally. Communities stepped up and stepped in. Businesses did all they could to support their employees and their customers. We all pivoted to the point that no one wants to hear the word pivot ever again!

But, today, we are looking back, which means we are making it through. Not without bumps. Not without bruises, but we are here. Many of us are better because of what we endured, because of how the pandemic forced us to change.

Four Leaf has been blessed through this crisis. The intentions Jill and I set at the beginning of our partnership, pre-pandemic, served our clients and us well at the height of the crisis. So much so, our clients weathered the storm, and the firm grew. You heard that right. Four Leaf added three new team members in twelve months. We also expanded scope to meet our clients' unique challenges and added new clients who needed trusted advisors.

Every week our team does an after-action review of the workweek. We get specific about what went well, what could have been better, and what roadblocks we see ahead. I thought it appropriate to do the same for this past year.

What Went Well

I've already mentioned the growth we experienced this year. I whole-heartedly believe it's because we executed and pivoted well.

Doubling Down on Our Why. We kept our team focused on why we exist – to empower world-changers with the financial tools and knowledge they need to increase their impact on the world. It's our true north. We did this by becoming experts in all the CARES Act provisions and changes. We held webinars, held space for questions, and held hands through it all.

Four Leaf also empowered our clients to move to a virtual environment. We've been a virtual firm from the very beginning and gave away all that we've learned. A couple of our clients were so successful in this transition they sold their buildings, adding much-needed liquidity to their organizations.

Communicating with Transparency. Nothing is scarier than the unknown, and so much has been unknown! One of our firm's core values is transparent communication. We made sure our team knew the firm's ability to continue providing services, so they knew their ability to continue providing for their families.

When our government was vague in loan requirements, tax credit provisions, and timelines, we were transparent about our inability to make recommendations based on a lack of information. We must have said, "I don't know, but I'll get back to you" a hundred times.

Pivoting to Meet New Opportunities. From the beginning of our partnership, Jill and I have used the term boutique to describe our firm. This means we are small enough to change direction quickly. We are capable of delivering a custom experience that capitalizes on our clients' differences. Yet, we are just the right size to have access to top talent, high-quality tools, and a network of experts. This served us well as we developed educational opportunities unique to the challenges our clients faced. We helped them change the way they paid bills and accepted donations. We provided recommendations for insurance providers and got ahead of the internal control challenges working from home created.

What Could Have Gone Better

Hindsight is always 20-20. I doubt we will think of that cliché in the same way again. The truth is everything could have gone better! Our leaders could have listened better and could have responded better. Our community could have cooperated better.

We could have been better prepared. As a firm, we could have brought in reinforcements to help our team's moms navigate their children's education. We could have come to grips sooner that this pandemic was going to last longer than anyone thought possible. We could have held more space and time for our clients and our team to come together and vent and mourn and share. We could have given a greater voice to the toll on our mental health.

That's ok. Now we have experience. Next time, we will be ready to go the extra mile to make sure everyone is heard and has the tools they need for success.

The Roadblocks Ahead

What do we see ahead? No one has a crystal ball, but it shouldn't be too hard to see the deep pit of debt our country is digging. This is not a political statement or a commentary on the effectiveness of stimulus strategy. It's math. We must be ready to meet the challenges this debt will bring.

Many of us will never be the same. We must also be ready to deal with the mental health effects of separation, hyper-vigilant germ awareness, and social discord. Our children have spent pivotal developmental time isolated and falling behind academically.

The aftershocks of the pandemic will be felt for an entire generation. The scars on our healthcare system, our education system, and our economy will be constant reminders.

We Are Stronger

We are weary, but I believe many of us will be stronger after living through this time. Hopefully, we will be kinder. Hopefully, we will be more tolerant. Hopefully, we will be wiser.

Four Leaf plans to incorporate what we've learned into new services and tools. We are taking steps to be more visible and finding better ways to empower more world-changers.

What has Four Leaf's response to the pandemic empowered you to do? Let us know on social media.