Category: The Clairemont Team

Coping with COVID: Generous Interpretations

Cherith AndesBlog, Inspirational, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

A personal essay

“The new normal.”

By this point, the phrase isn’t so new anymore. In fact, many large brands quickly adopted this mantra (along with a pervasive “we’re all in this together” motif) within days of the COVID pandemic hitting America.

Normal. It’s not new. It’s not even normal. Stay-at-home orders and the ever-shifting pandemic has reshaped our society in ways we don’t even know yet. During this time, what lessons are you taking with you?

I’m not necessarily talking about new ways of doing business (although those are key), new work methods or new apps. (But can I get an “amen” from those of us that caved to TikTok?) I’m referring to personal learnings that can range from big light-bulb realizations to quiet, evolving resolutions.

How will you come out of this season changed as a professional, spouse, parent, child, student, leader or friend?

Generous Interpretations

Researcher, speaker and writer Brene Brown weaves a theme through much of her work known as “generous interpretations.” In her book Rising Strong, she defines this as the ability to “extend the most generous interpretation possible to the intentions, words and actions of others.” In essence, when we are hurt, angered, confused or simply rubbed the wrong way, we choose to assume that the other person is doing the best they can and extend the most gracious assumption about his or her behavior until we have more information. Surely difficult in practice, this ongoing art can alleviate much conflict and unnecessary judgment in both professional and personal dynamics.

While Brene interweaves this concept with several other larger ideas, generous interpretations can stand alone. And I’ve learned that during COVID.

A Not-So-Generous Example

Let’s go super simple on this example, shall we? Not too long ago, I was on a WebEx conference call. (Shocker, I know.) The speaker was trying diligently to run through her talking points while one of the 28 people on the call was typing away noisily — rather rudely, I might say. Seriously. If you’re going to multi-task, at least have the courtesy to put yourself on mute. How basic is this principle, people?!

I was starting to form a miffed grudge against one lady in the group — the clear culprit — … only to realize 60 seconds later that the culprit was ME. (For the record, I was taking notes. But regardless!) A generous interpretation would have been to assume the other person simply forgot the mute button and was taking good notes. (The added kicker, of course, being that I was said culprit.)

Generously Putting It into Practice

Brene does clarify that “generosity is not a free pass for people to take advantage of us, treat us unfairly or be purposefully disrespectful and mean.” But whether it’s the coworker that “dropped the ball,” the in-law that seems to overcorrect your parenting or the neighbor that never mows his lawn, extend your most generous interpretation to their situations. Perhaps the neighbor got sick and can’t get out. Perhaps the coworker is working feverishly and is in the midst of researching additional information for the project.

Start from a place of grace, because as Brene also says, “Grace will take you places hustling can’t.”

What learnings are you taking with you this season? 

Looking for more? We’re sharing our tips to cope with COVID.

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Working Outside My Comfort Zone

Clairemont InternBlog, Professional Development, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

I thrive outside of my comfort zone. Whether it’s backpacking through the mountains with my brother, moving to Florida to work at Disney for a few months or hopping on an international flight, I am always seeking one-of-a-kind challenges and experiences. Although my semester interning at Disney came to an abrupt halt this past March, I have remained determined to try new things – even if I’m going no further than my backyard. I’ve been able to learn a valuable thing or two while trying to pick up new hobbies during this time such as if you’re craving dumplings, attempting to make them from scratch may result in floury, sticky dough all over your kitchen … and yourself! 

During my first three years at NC State, I took advantage of a variety of experiences and interests, both within my marketing and journalism studies and in other areas. By going outside of what was comfortable, I discovered rock climbing, met and interviewed scientists about their groundbreaking research, and even started leading a Bible study! While it’s in my nature to try (and sometimes fail) at new things, I have always struggled to pin down exactly what I wanted to pursue in a job or career. As I considered what I wanted the summer before my senior year to look like, I felt overwhelmed with the thought that I needed to magically know what my “dream job” was going to be. 

I knew I wanted to be kept on my toes. 

I knew I loved to write and travel.

I knew I wanted to get creative and be challenged.

I knew I wanted to work with people.

Once I identified these core aspects, narrowing down my job search was simple. I am so excited to jump into my next big adventure this summer: an internship here at Clairemont Communications – a place that I’m certain will address each of these important pillars while gaining experience in public relations, working on a variety of projects and leveraging my love for writing, creativity and people in a new way.

My sister and I supporting my brother and the Wolfpack at his college graduation.

Fun Facts:

  • My favorite place to spend time is outside in my eno hammock. You can catch me in my eno reading a book or taking a relaxing afternoon nap!
  • I am always eating cookie butter. I will put it on anything … or just eat it directly from the jar!
  • I am a middle child! I have an older brother and a little sister. We also count our cat, Floyd, as an additional sibling. 

My advice? In addition to working outside of your comfort zone, explore your sense of creativity and additional concepts by checking out the Creative Challenge section of this blog.

By Clairemont Intern Anna Beth Adcock, a rising senior at NC State.

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COVID Coping: The Power of One Wave

Cherith AndesBlog, In Our Community, The Clairemont Team, ,

A personal essay

In times of challenge or crisis, we sometimes find ourselves concentrating on the small things, the tiny non-issues that aren’t essential for basic survival. Rather than fear the crash of the economy, we worry what we’ll do now that our hair salon is closed, or we mourn the loss of March Madness. It’s quite natural — a way to cope with the weight of a hefty situation that otherwise threatens to engulf us. While we know that this involuntary practice doesn’t diminish the seriousness of a situation or negate the critical actions we must take, it somehow provides comfort. I get it. In the middle of chaos, we dial things down into manageable bits that we can understand and process.

My secret, small non-worry? The gym. This regular outlet provided structure and a healthy cornerstone in my daily routine.  Like my other health-nuttish-friends, when my gym closed, I rushed to order resistance bands and even sprung for a set of adjustable dumbbells. I then commenced hopping around my small living room, tangled in bands and heaving questionably-constructed weights, in an effort to boost my heart rate. Sadly, I think the greatest value so far has been free entertainment for my roommate.

So I turned to the next option on my exercise log — running outdoors. And after lacing up my shoes, I found an unexpected benefit to my runs beyond cardio.

I found people. People … everywhere. Moms pushing strollers. Dads taking sons on bike rides. Retired neighbors strolling and chatting. Couples refreshing their front yard mulch beds. I found two brothers doing a body-weight HIIT workout in a park and an elderly man walking his overly excited Pomeranian. Rain or shine, my neighbors came out in droves, spurred no doubt by the same cabin fever that irked me. And every time I passed someone, we would meet eyes, nod and wave — all within a safe distance, of course.

Those waves were so much more than requisite social greetings. They morphed into shared moments of meaning and engagement. An acknowledgment that “I don’t know you, but I see you, and I know you’re feeling the same concern and weight I am.” A silent encouragement, a touchpoint of hope forged through shared connection. We knew why we were all outside instead of at the gym, on the couch or wherever else our normal routines would have slotted us. And in those moments, we somehow gleaned great comfort simply knowing that we were not alone.

It’s just a simple wave. But it’s a meaningful one. A knowing one. One that binds us together in a time where connection is more vital than ever. So next time you’re out, take a moment to lift your eyes, smile and nod in your neighbor’s direction. Small moments like these will keep us connected, keep us encouraged, keep us strong.

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COVID Coping: You Get What You Get

Dana PhelpsBlog, Raleigh PR Agency, The Clairemont Team

A personal essay

The first time I visited Asheville, my host recommended a cafe that had quickly become a local favorite. She described the food, the chefs and even the decor. Almost as an afterthought, she said, “Now, listen. They sometimes get things confused, so you might not get what you ordered. My advice is to just eat what is put in front of you, because I promise it will be good.”

Similarly, when visiting San Francisco, a friend recommended a family-owned restaurant in Chinatown. When I asked what menu items he thought I’d like, he smiled and gave a little shrug. “They’ll probably tell you what you’re going to have,” he said, “And don’t try to argue.”

I’m reminded of these experiences as I have become a customer of online grocery and delivery services. In early March after traveling for a week, I developed a respiratory illness with a high fever, just as our country was starting to realize that the coronavirus was no longer a problem that existed only abroad. Without the availability of a COVID-19 test for a couple of weeks, I stayed home and away from people. This was before we were using words like quarantine and isolation. But it wouldn’t be long.

This was also when online grocery shopping was at its best. Oh how I loved the pre-COVID Whole Foods delivery through Amazon. I picked my items online and in just a few short hours, those EXACT items were delivered to my doorstep. It was beautiful.

As more area companies moved their employees to working from home and the phrase social distancing began rolling off our tongues as frequently now as the terms quarantine and self-isolation, lockdown rumors started. People became fearful and panic shopping ensued. Due to a lack of inventory, I could no longer place my grocery order on Amazon.

I turned to InstaCart, and soon I learned about the world of substitutions and limited delivery times. But hallelujah, I was able to get groceries, albeit now days later. I eagerly awaited my first delivery only to learn, much like all aspects of life, things had changed dramatically in an incredibly short amount of time. I didn’t get all my items. In some cases, I got everything I needed for the meal except for the main ingredient. And once, I got ONE, small, random red potato. Which put to rest my plans for cooking a mess of green beans with bacon and potatoes.

Let’s stop right here so that I can pull out one of my all-time favorite mom phrases: You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.

Has there ever been a time that those words were more true? Now is the time to stop and count our blessings. We no longer find comfort in a daily routine of going to an office and sharing physical space with our colleagues. But we adapt. Look at how we already have! Zoom and other online collaboration software companies have dramatically spiked in users in just a couple of weeks. We find a way. We make it happen.

Yesterday I got bored bumping around between my furniture as if my house is a living pinball game. I took a break in my front yard. As I was yelling across the street to my neighbor in a friendly conversation, he lamented the loss of televised sports. Not being a sports fan or much of a TV person, it hadn’t occurred to me how disappointing that could be. But alas, he has Tiger King.

Lost play dates and canceled school activities make way for family game night and Monopoly marathons. Indefinitely postponed first dates create opportunities for perfectly grown adults to talk on the phone for hours, just like teenagers. At least those of my generation.

You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.

Last night I cooked a sirloin steak (that was the replacement item for the roast I attempted to order online) along with brussel sprouts. My plate felt incomplete. Then I remembered that lonely little red potato. It was delicious.

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Dana Phelps Kicks of Storytelling Series

Kelli FletcherBlog, In Our Community, The Clairemont Team,

Monday, Raleigh Convergence and Transfer Co. Ballroom are hosting the first event in a new community storytelling series, Converging Stories. With the goal of building empathy, understanding and community in Raleigh, the series will host 10-minute stories with different interpretations around a theme.

To kick-off Valentine’s Day week, Monday’s event theme is first love and our very own Dana Phelps has been selected to share a story along with three other Raleighites. As communicators, we love a good story. We’re excited that with Dana’s participation, our Raleigh PR agency gets to play a role in the first Converging Stories evening!

We’re looking forward to hearing the love stories of our neighbors and encourage you to join us!

Interested in attending? Purchase tickets here.

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