How 8 entrepreneurs are redefining success and connecting to their customers during the pandemic

Founder and brand strategist, a big idea

How my definition of success has changed: I think the crisis has opened my eyes up to how I've been spending my days and, specifically, what I stripped from the everyday in hopes that it would make me more "productive." The tiny joys, the ongoing connection, the ability to create without concern — these are the things that fuel me and make me feel fulfilled, and I've started to rediscover and reincorporate them into my life. Seeking productivity and conventional "success" results in placing a degree of pressure on myself that's ironically counterproductive.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: It's affected how I manage my time and structure my days, it's increased my ability to embrace imperfection, and it's deepened a desire to serve, be useful, and help brands navigate this time.

Vice President, Capalino

How my definition of success has changed: In the past few weeks I have thought about success in relation to the impact I can have in my unique role of connecting business and government in a meaningful way. I have always been committed to scaling the most innovative ideas and technologies that champion place-based innovation and enhance aligned policies. Now more than ever, I am able to see why the work I get to do is so critical.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: My new definition of success has inspired me and my team to think proactively about industries that can collaborate successfully with the government to explore and implement real solutions in the face of a global crisis. From autonomous vehicles to telemedicine, we are seeing startups and established companies innovate quickly to serve the needs of governments and the constituents they serve.

Startup advisor

How my definition of success has changed: I've learned not to be so attached to superficial outcomes. If you caught me a month or two before the crisis, I'd be showing you my 2020 vision board with a lot of things on it that no longer mean anything in today's context. I now look at every little step I make as my own little success: got out of bed in the morning, was fully present on a conference call, did a virtual workshop that everyone enjoyed, etc. None of these things would get me a 40 Under 40 nomination, yet they seem a lot more uplifting and relevant in these trying times.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: I speak less and listen more. I always turn on my camera when I'm on a call. I am more honest about how I am when someone asks me. And I am quicker to offer help without questioning whether my help is needed.

Vice President, SAP.iO Foundries North America

How my definition of success has changed: Throughout my career, nothing has given me more fulfillment than to see the fruits of my labor having an impact. That goal post has not changed since the crisis; what has changed is my definition of impact. It was narrowly defined to innovation before, but includes longevity now.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: I love creating things — the adrenaline rush from seeing early results is addicting. Business builders like me typically like to stand things up, pass them on to others to maintain once it reaches a certain level of maturity, and go on to the next project. Now, maintenance is the key to success to riding out the crisis — with the depth of disruption so great, cash management is paramount to survival. We are figuring out how to pare things down and cut muscle if we need to, and to take advantage of opportunities, all while giving back to communities.

CEO, The Superfan Company

How my definition of success has changed: I have realized success is less about how packed your schedule is, how many awards you've won, and the big client names on your roster and more about who you are working with. The clients that have checked in, reached out, or been supportive have shown me that success is having people care about you beyond the work or services you provide for them.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: I am thinking deeply about what work we want to dive back into instead of thoughtlessly going back to what we were doing previously. Digging deep and asking "What is the work we want to do more of? Where can we make the biggest impact?"

Founder and CEO, Mountainist

How my definition of success has changed: Our business is tied to travel and tourism, so we saw a big drop in orders following the wave of shelter-in-place orders. But our mission — to get women off the sidelines and into the outdoors — has always been our compass. So even with our rental operations on hold, we knew we had a responsibility to help our community feel connected to the outdoors and to each other.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: While community engagement is an integral part of our brand, we became hyper-focused on community quality during the COVID-19 crisis. We created a Facebook group where our customers and fans could find daily activities, exclusive at-home workouts (developed by fitness coaches in our network), and make new friends. When the stay-at-home orders end and our members start posting photos of the adventures that Mountainist helped them plan for — that's when we'll know we've succeeded.

Founder, The Big Whisper

How my definition of success has changed: The coronavirus has actually validated the updated definition of success I had arrived at over the last 18 months — a life and business optimized for meaningful connection. This past January, after over a decade of living in New York and shedding layers of an old vision I had for my life, I left to live with my parents in the Jersey Shore hometown where I grew up, to be physically near loved ones, my roots, nature, and the ocean — all important for me to feel connected to myself and the essence of what I'm building. The pace of things had already been a bit slower living out here, and is even more so now because of COVID-19, but free from a more chaotic environment and the financial burden of high rent and cost of living, I am able to focus on how I can more deeply nurture meaningful connection in what I'm creating. That feels like a much more fulfilling, and in time more sustainable, metric of success, than growth for growth's sake.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: COVID-19 has held me accountable to my metric of connection, motivating me to dig deeper to cultivate that much more of it at every touch point of what I'm doing — which feels like a more sustainable approach to growth in general even beyond this time of uncertainty.

Founder and CEO, Well Traveled

How my definition of success has changed: My founder and I recently launched a travel company and we weren't sure whether we should launch given the current environment, but after a lot of careful consideration we decided we wanted to try to be a bright spot in people's day. We soft launched with an open, honest, and heartfelt message to our community and it turned out to absolutely be the right thing for us to do. They loved the happy break from the news and the opportunity to sit back and reflect fondly on a recent trip, or daydream about a trip they'll take when we can travel again safely. While it wasn't the splashy launch we had planned, it was thoughtful and resonated with our community.

How my approach to work has changed as a result: Our goal is to help our members explore the world from their living room. We're adjusting our content strategy to ensure the content we're putting out is timely and relevant to what our members are going through right now. Rather than talking about summer trip planning, we're talking about our favorite trips of summer's past or building a travel bucket list. During this time of uncertainty, what we still know for sure is travel inspires us, connects us, and humbles us, and we want to keep that spirit alive for our members.