Seattle Business Networking Blog

From Kelly Madigan of Madigan Security Consulting & Investigations, President of Seattle Executives Association:

As the spring flowers are starting to bloom and the days are getting longer and sunnier, we in Washington are also starting to see some light on our journey to flatten the Covid-19 curve. From recent reports, it seems that our Stay at Home order is working and we are seeing positive results. I believe that in the coming weeks we will see some restrictions removed and some businesses will be begin to reopen. This is all great news!

While we continue our road to recovery, I am so happy that we have been able to connect virtually through our Wednesday meetings. On behalf of myself and the entire organization, I want to thank Dr. Dan Frank of MedNW, Lynell Smith of Banner Bank and Jeannette Adams Gorman of Socius Law Group for their recent presentations. The information provided in these presentations was vital to so many members during this time and we cannot thank you enough for taking the time to prepare and present your expert knowledge to the group. I also want to thank all those presenters that are coming up. We have a full slate of presentations throughout May that will help our membership navigate the Covid-19 recovery path.

The last few months have been difficult. There is no denying that. However, I am not focusing on the negative impacts of this situation. Instead, I have been inspired by the courage, strength, generosity, and innovation of the members of Seattle Executives. As I stated in my presidential speech, Seattle Executives is special and what makes this group special is the members and our relationships. Instead of just focusing on own businesses, I have seen the membership rally behind each other and try to come up with new and innovative business ideas for fellow members. I have heard pitches on how certain businesses can pivot and tap into new markets that are viable during this time. I have also heard many members reaching out to each other to simply just ask how are you doing and how can I help.

I am also inspired by the courage and strength that some members have shown when they realized that their current business was not going to work during this time. Suzanne Cameron of Cameron Catering had to let go of all of her employees. She also had to face the fact that large group gatherings were not likely going to happen for some time. Many people faced with these hard realities would just shut their doors. Not Suzanne! Suzanne is pivoting her business and staring a food take out program to bridge the gap until large events are once again safe.

Not only has our membership shown courage and strength during these difficult times, but our membership has also shown great generosity to our community. Andrew Didier of Agora Northwest started a food donation program to help feed local healthcare workers. In addition, Tom O’Connor of Market Fresh Fruit has created a donation platform to donate fresh fruit to hospital workers, first responders, and food banks.

Suzanne, Andrew and Tom are all excellent examples of why this organization is so special.

I truly believe that because of each one of you, Seattle Executives will continue to thrive and make a difference in our community. Stay strong, healthy and sane!