Despite the record-breaking amounts of rain here in the Northeast last week, I had a pretty great vacation. Somehow, my friends and I managed to dance between those many, many raindrops to do almost everything we had planned to do before we knew what the weather would deliver.

I'm still kind of surprised, to be honest. I chalk it up to being flexible and not married to any particular plan for how the week should go.

I was also surprised how "back to normal" so many places in New England are. While things have loosened up a lot here in New York City, it's still the practice to wear face masks inside stores and supermarkets, and to see waitstaff in them whether dining inside or out—at least wherever I've been.

This was not the case anywhere we went in New England. And, I'll admit, it seemed strange.

I'm all for a return to more normalcy, but the cautious optimist in me knows that normal isn't the same now as the before times and that it's important not to throw away all the safety protocols we've developed that got us to this point as though the pandemic didn't happen and isn't still happening in far too many places here and abroad.

As you get back into the full swing of life "unmasked", I'd like to encourage you to consider what the past year+ has taught you about what you need, what you want, and what you're made of.

• How can you apply the lessons learned to protect yourself and your business from future external threats and circumstances beyond your control?
• What changes have you made out of necessity that actually serve your clients and your business better than before?
• What would you do differently to be better prepared to weather a similar storm?

We're on the backend of 2021, so it's a perfect time to get a little reflective and some perspective on how you're doing, what you're doing, and why you're doing it.

And no matter where you and/or your community are on the reopening spectrum, I hope you continue to do what's right for you and makes you feel safe. There's no one way or right way to go about it—just the way that's right for you and your loved ones.

If you missed it, last week I drew some inspiration from a beauty of the sea and history—you can read it here.
Until next week, I hope it's nothing but sunny skies and comfortable temps for you!

Your success is our strategy!