In the latest Coping with COVID-19 video, OBJ talks with one of Ottawa’s highest-profile serial entrepreneurs, Steve Cody.
Over his 30 years of business ownership, Cody has done it all, from window cleaning to equipment rental and party supplies to software. These days he is best known as the co-founder of Ruckify. OBJ asked Cody to discuss leadership and resilience in tough times.
This is a short clip of the discussion. For the full interview, please watch the related video.
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OBJ: Steve, there are business owners and entrepreneurs out there who are feeling completely overwhelmed. We should first acknowledge that’s a valid feeling at this point in time. What would you say, Steve, to businesspeople who are feeling completely discouraged?
CODY: Well, first of all, I think we’re all scared. None of us really knows what’s going to happen. I think it’s important for business leaders to break things down to 30-day or 60-day windows. We don’t know what’s going to happen one year from now. We might not even know what’s going to happen in less than that. Look at shorter timelines for now … You also need to break your problems down. You need to figure out the best-case and worst-case scenario. If you don’t do that, you’ll find yourself lying in bed at three o’clock in the morning with all these thoughts just spinning in your head and nothing settling down. So, depending on the kind of person you are, put them on a spreadsheet or make notes on your iPhone. Best case. Worst case. Things that you can do something about. And you need to take care of yourself. Go for a walk, do some exercise. Mental health is a huge problem here. I’ve been through it.
