Okay Campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties, 'cause it's coooooold out there today! It's cooooold out there every day...

That's right, woodchuck chuckers - It's GROUNDHOG DAY!

And, apparently, Punxsutawney Phil did NOT see his shadow, and we have another 6 weeks of winter... surprise, surprise.

I don't know what Bill Murray had against our favorite large ground squirrel - first trying to blow one up in the classic 1980 film Caddyshack, and then going off a cliff with one riding shotgun on a death ride in the movie Groundhog Day in 1993 - but I do know that every time this man goes head to head with our burrowing buddy, we are in for some good belly laughs.

If you've never seen the film, I suggest you stop what you are doing and go watch it - I'm sure it's on a marathon right now! (just kidding, keep reading my email!) In summary, a cynical weatherman finds himself reliving the same day over and over and over again while on location in the town of Punxsutawney covering the annual Groundhog Day festivities. The movie is a classic example of the quote "Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know" - Pema Chodron. Once Phil Connors learns the lessons he needs to learn, the cycle is broken, and he finally moves on from the Groundhog Day loop.

For many of us, the Pandemic has felt like we are in our own version of "Groundhog Day" ... we went into this thinking the restrictions and lockdowns would be temporary. We thought working from home, networking over zoom, teaching our kids remotely was a means to an end. We thought there would be an end. Now, as we hear the "Sonny and Cher" earworm loop in our head, we wonder - when will this leave us? When do we go back to "normal?"

I wish I knew woodchuck chuckers. I really wish I knew.

But for now, I would suggest looking at the lessons that you are learning through this Pandemic. My husband and I just finished our financials for tax-prep, and we high-fived each other... we feel we are coming through the other side. Many of our friends in the Event Industry (my husband is an event DJ) were not so fortunate. How did we survive this? We've already been through our own version of Groundhog Day before. Only, it wasn't a world pandemic last time... it was a personal health crisis that landed my husband in the hospital for 30 days during his peak wedding season seven years ago. We learned a lot of lessons from that experience - and because of those lessons, we were much better prepared for this financial setback.

How can you move on to a new day? Here are some questions you may want to consider:

• How agile is your business? How quickly were you able to shift processes and procedures in your organization?
• What technology options proved most valuable to your business and clients
• What did you discover you could cut back, eliminate or reduce as a result of the pandemic?
• What did you discover about yourself as a business leader?
• If "hindsight were truly 2020" - what would you have done differently going into this pandemic that you would do differently next time? (I hope there is no next time - but hope for the best, plan for the worst!)
• How has this pandemic made you stronger?

I would encourage you to explore the lessons that this pandemic has taught because I believe it won't be our last wave, and unfortunately, it won't be the last crisis you face as a business leader. But as someone who has gone through having to press pause on her business a few times now - each time you come back from a crisis, you come back stronger. If you need any help in doing the work of this reflection or strategic planning - give me a shout - I got you, Babe!