375 days. That’s about how long it’s been since Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued the executive order mandating the first round of quarantine for incoming travelers from other states. “It’ll just be two weeks”, many of our team thought.

A lot of brands have some form of a crisis strategy, but a global pandemic wasn’t probably a part of it. Even if a company did have a plan, no business was truly ready to face what has since unfolded. The reality is, we’ve never seen anything like this before, and everyone is struggling.

Hi everyone, Amanda here at Integrate. As you know, I’m writing this article amid one of the biggest — if not the biggest — global crises of our lifetimes: COVID-19. The virus has ravaged communities’ ability to feel safe and stay healthy.

An earlier version of this article appeared in InnovationMap. The reality for business owners is that everything you say matters; your words are reverberated and felt throughout the company and all of your stakeholders. During times of crisis, your voice is amplified to the max, and people listen to every word you have to say.