Since the beginning of the pandemic, leaders have been trying to find a way to communicate the steps to take to slow the spread of the virus. As we all know, in March, most of the country shut down in order to “flatten the curve.” That worked to slow the spread, but it shut down the economy as well. Now that we are nearing the end of 2020, the predicted ramp up of cases is upon us…and leaders all over the country (and the world) are working to slow down the spread.
That goal is what led Ohio Governor Mike DeWine to meet with local officials in Coshocton County via Zoom. He implored our local leaders to get creative and do what they can to help communicate the message that we need to be safe. After the meeting, officials from the City of Coshocton and Coshocton Regional Medical Center reached to us to help spread the word. We discussed creating a video, including many local officials, entrepreneurs and healthcare leaders to send a unified message to our community. The theme became simple.
We need to “Step up…and Mask up!”
The work on that script and video began immediately and I am proud of what we created. But it was important to us to create something that sustains the message after the initial bump. So rather than just create a video, we worked to create a campaign. Next up, we reached out to government officials to step up as well. We sent out script (that I will include below) and the first person who recorded his version of the video was Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. He applauded the efforts of Coshocton County and encouraged everyone to “Step up…and Mask Up!”
Excited about this participation, we worked to keep the momentum going. We will continue to share the message from leaders and government officials, but we also wanted to add something tangible to the mix. So what better way to encourage people to “mask up” than to provide masks with the message? We agree. The design was created (as you see in the video) and the masks are ordered and are on their way. In addition, we have created re-positionable stickers that are being printed and will be given to businesses that want to promote the message.
We are excited about the positive momentum that has been created so far…and are happy to use our powers for good. So how can we keep this momentum going? Here are a couple of ideas. First, if you are in our area and you want to participate, let us know. While we think these items will go quickly, we can try to get you a sticker and a few masks to help spread the word. We know that some people find this message divisive (I don’t get that and I talk about it here), but we feel it’s the right thing to do.
If you are not in our area, maybe you can create a campaign like ours in your community. In the interest of helping, here is the script we created that you can modify and use.
Step Up…Mask Up Script
In Coshocton County, we are proud.
We take care of one another, and look out for our neighbors.
We believe in supporting small businesses.
And we celebrate our heroes in healthcare.
We are kind…and we are proud to give back.
That is why we want to urge you to “mask up.”
Wearing a mask is not a weakness…it’s kindness. Mask up.
Wash your hands. Keep your distance. And mask up.
Step up…and Mask up.
(Multiple Leaders on screen). Step up and Mask Up
Let’s all do our part. Be kind. Support small business. Help keep each other safe.
That is who we are Coshocton County.
Let’s step up…and mask up.
Special thanks to our local leaders for not only wanting to do what’s right…but stepping up and working together to make it happen.
Here’s to keeping each other safe. Step Up. Mask Up.
When scrolling through Facebook the other day, I came across a post that caught me off guard. Well, to be clear, the post itself did not catch me off guard. It excited me. The response to the post, however, really surprised me. Let me explain.
The post included several pictures of construction being done on several sidewalks coming into the city of Coshocton. It showed the machines being run, the progress being made and talked about the improvement this would be for the entrance to our town. To be honest, I was excited. I saw progress. (It still has to do with “What you see.”)
The comments, on the other hand, had a completely different tone.
There were complaints about the mess. Some complained about the noise. One complained about what time the work was being done. I was blown away by the level of complaining about the project! (We all need to complain less…here’s why).
My friends, let me let you in on a little secret.
In every area of your life (and my life) progress takes pain.
Growth takes discomfort. Improvements are hard and are mostly not convenient. This is not new. This a constant rule of life.
If you want to grow muscle, you first need to break it down so you can build it back up.
Proper home renovation nearly always starts with demolition.
Improving your habits takes breaking down old habits to be replaced.
And yes, replacing a sidewalk (or a road) begins with taking out the old one so there is room for a new one.
So yes, progress can be frustrating. It’s slow. Progress can (and will) be painful. It takes work. And whether you are building a community or a book of business, it will take longer than you think. That is the bad news. Progress takes pain.
But here’s the good news.
Progress is worth it.
Stop complaining. Put in the work. Be a part of the solution. Keep showing up.
Fact > OpinionHere’s a troubling thing about social media and our culture today. We have blurred the lines between opinions and facts.I tell you this and it’s a FACT! Careless Whisper is a terrible song! I mean, what kind of lyric is “Guilty feet have got no rhythm,” anyway? It’s so bad!Though I stand by that statement, it’s my opinion. It’s not a fact. And one of the biggest challenges I see to real truth telling in the world today is that (ever more) blurred line. It certainly starts with our traditional media. At one point, our news was brought to us at 6pm and 11pm and was designed to be informative in nature. Here are the events of the day But what media companies have discovered is that controversial opinions move the needle on viewership…and eyeballs mean advertising dollars. So more and more of what you see on the “news” is simply someone’s opinion on the events. It’s a line that has become difficult to see if you are not looking for it.But it’s not the media’s fault, my friends. It’s ours.Why? Well first of all, the media is a reflection of what interests us. If we stop watching, and ratings plummet, they will change. They are a business. So if we continue to gobble it up, they will continue to serve us. That’s part one.But maybe more importantly is what we do with the information that is served to us. What do we do with it? So often, we take the information at face value, with no research or thought, and we regurgitate it. Hateful and deceitful and, at the very least wildly biased messages get shared again and again. That, my friends, is not the media. That’s us.And you might say that “it’s the same for both sides of any argument.” You would be right…sort of. The fact is, more and more today we can shut out any voice that does not agree with us. We can block them on social media. We can watch only the the networks we agree with. We can attend only the events that rally our emotions. It becomes an echo chamber and that sort of distorted information channel is dangerous.What does this mean for you? It means, most likely, you have really strong opinions on most matters. They might even FEEL like facts. But have you really listened to both sides? Have you really dug in? Have you really done the research to understand the specifics? If so, cool. Let’s talk about it. I will probably still view it as your opinion…but at least it will be an educated opinion. If not, do us all a favor. Keep it to yourself.It’s time to get educated each week! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret MeadThe morning started like any other. I went through my morning routines (coffee, workout, and content) and took a moment to look at my calendar for the day. Quickly I was reminded of a morning event that I was scheduled to attend. My initial reaction was to be annoyed. It was, of course, throwing off my routine. My comfort zone was being interrupted and challenged. But I decided to “suck it up” and honor the early morning commitment. I was so glad I did. The event that morning was Manufacturing Day in Coshocton County (you can read about it here). Over 250 students gathered to learn about the many manufacturing jobs in the community. The mood in the room was festive and the energy was contagious. What really struck me was the group of people that worked to put on the event. The Coshocton County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the event in conjunction COTC, The Coshocton County Port Authority and Ohio Means Jobs. In addition, many local manufacturers sponsored the event as well. And though the financial support is amazing, I was most taken back by the excitement and energy in the room. These were people that were positive, excited and passionate.I left the event feeling energized myself. That’s what happens when you surround yourself with good people working toward a common goal. It has a tendency to lift you up. It excites you. It can often re-ignite a passion. The fact is, even the most passionate of us can lose our drive now and again. The quickest antidote I have found for frustration and boredom is to get around awesome people.On a related note, today is the Hasseman Marketing Trade show in Coshocton Ohio. Each year we fill up the largest venue in the community with some of our very best supplier partners and customers…and the energy is awesome. If you want to learn more about that event…click here.And if you want inspiration and motivation coming into your email box once a week, sign up for our VIP newsletter. You can do that below.
“Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness.” Al CaponeI am a believer in the power of positivity. I always have been. It’s not just some “pie in the sky” ideology (though that is probably how it started), it’s science. As we get to understand the human brain, studies are showing us that our minds function better when we are happy and not full of stress. So it’s not that I just want to think about rainbows and unicorns. Science tells us that we can do more when are brains are happy.But positivity is not easy. It can be hard work. Positivity takes strength. But if you put in the work…it’s worth it. Positivity Takes Intention: Most of what we see in the world is negative. As a matter of fact, studies tell us nearly 90% of what we see in the world and in the media is negative! It’s not that people are bad…it’s science. For thousands of years, our brains have been trained to do it to keep us alive. It’s biological. But that constant need to find “the bad” is not serving us well today. There are not tigers around every corner. Now we need to train our brains to look for the positive. We need to seek it out. The good news is, once we start to actively look for the good, it will show up more often. It’s like when you buy a red toyota and then it seems you see them everywhere. You have told the subconscious mind that they are important. So it starts to point them out. That’s what happens with good things. When you start to look for them, you see them everywhere.Positivity Takes Strength: Because most of what you see is negative (and the same is true for everyone) it takes strength to be the one that points it out. We have, what feels like, the whole world working against it. From the 11 o’clock news (seriously why does anyone watch that anymore?) having story after story of fires and shootings, to your social media filled with complaining, you will feel like you are swimming upstream. You have to choose, every day, to look for the good. It’s hard work. And the reality is, there will be resistance. There will be the people, that when you post something good that you see, will argue with you. They will push back. They will rain on your parade. It takes strength and perseverance to keep spreading the positive message when it seems that no one wants to hear it. Positivity Takes Teamwork: And that’s why it takes teamwork. When you decide to be more positive in your life, you might feel alone. It might feel like everyone is working against you. I get it. But there are others who want the same thing. Connect with them. Build them up and let them do the same for you. We have this in Coshocton County right now. We have a great core of people working to move the community in a good direction. But with any progress, there is pain. And when that pain comes, there will be a group of people that want to tear that progress down. It’s frustrating…but it’s natural.That’s why the teamwork is so important. When you are creating a positive future, you are not alone. It might feel like it…but you are not. That’s why it takes strength, not weakness, to be kind.Keep up the good fight my friends. No matter where you are, pushing out positive is hard. It takes strength and perseverance. But it’s worth it.Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for the Hasseman Marketing VIP newsletter here.
