Liz Ritzcovan and her team have been really proactive about reaching out to their customers well in advance, before their customers need them.

Learn more in this clip where Liz explains why focusing in on the relationships and reinforcing connectivity and being a friend during these times is so important.

Carole Mahoney:
What are some of the other ways that you have found in your past experience and now of how to empower others, or even rise up as a leader in their groups, in their organizations? How do you empower them?

Liz Ritzcovan:
Yeah, I mean, for us specifically, we're in the ecom space, which right now, given everything going on, it's become more important, even though it was important before it's been the only venue to get things potentially, if hopefully you're those that are practicing safe distancing and staying at home, which we all want to do so that we can get back to it as quickly as possible. But yeah, it's what I've realized and what my team and I realized is that, as you said, life does go on.

So for example, birthdays are happening. People are still having anniversaries. And by the way, these are global efforts. People are having anniversaries. They're celebrating special moments in their lives. And they're going to continue to do that, whether it's with their family at home, or if they happen to be in an apartment in Manhattan or in London, they're video chatting with their friends and having that celebration with their families.

And so what we've been doing is really saying, Okay, let's really reset maybe some of the audiences that we're talking to, grocery stores. I mean, we have got to figure out a way to get more food into your home, if you're going to a restaurant and you're picking it up, but who really wants to do that every day. Right? I think a lot of people are cooking more. So how can you make sure that we're working with them to give healthy tips and tricks?

And ultimately we've just been really proactive at reaching out to our customers and saying, how can we help you? How can we be there for you before they have to call us and say, "Hey, this is such a tough time." We're trying to do it well in advance. And I think by setting forth a strategic, "Hey, we're all in this together." If we need this, they need this. So let's think about them.

And for our employees, thanks to our people team, we've sent some great packages to people's homes of snacks and have them deliver it to everybody's house with just a note like we're in this together, it's okay. Now we're not doing that all the time, but we've done that once just to do an outreach and something that's really special, that feels globally inclusive.

So I just think we need to try to reinforce the connectivity and getting in front of these things and communicating with people about they are living their lives, we know they are, but to really reach over and be a friend for them during these times. It's really what they need the most.

And I would say finally, I sit on a few boards as a board member. And one of the boards I sit on is the New York Pops, which the New York Pops plays at Carnegie Hall. And it's interesting because we obviously didn't have our gala this year, which is, when you're a non-for-profit and you're taking care of these musicians and all the great talent that comes through the New York Pops doors and sits on stage in Carnegie Hall, we were devastated not to be able to have it, but it's the reality.

Also, we're not going to reach out to anyone and ask for a donation because that just doesn't seem like the right strategy either. So we came together and said, "You know what? We're not going to do anything this year. We're going to go ahead and plan our gala for 2021." And we're doing that. But at the same time, the board, we decided we're going to match every single dollar that is donated over the next few weeks for next year, just so we can do more and create more of an excitement around if you do this, it's going to go so much further to help others. They do so much for kids education. We do so much for learning and creating such great environments around the world. So it's just an incredible organization.

Carole Mahoney:
So, I mean, relationship building always seems like this is something we all know that we should do, but it sounds like what you're seeing and hearing is that it's become even more important now, like those little things, sending cards, and by the way, those gift baskets, I'll give you my address later for your people team.

Liz Ritzcovan:
Absolutely. The jalapeño lime chips are delicious.

Carole Mahoney:
Oh, you're speaking my language. Absolutely. But I mean, I've gotten those surprise, you don't know that it's coming, gift baskets. I've gotten some from people that I don't even know. It's just sent anonymously, but it does so much to brighten your day or just hearing from people without any reason or any agenda, just say, "Hey, I just needed to hear your voice, human to human." It's funny how it takes a pandemic for us to realize this is what's really important. And I hope that's a silver lining that we all take away from it. Let's do this all the time.

Liz Ritzcovan:
Absolutely. Look, I mean, we've had so many people in our company and even friends of ours. Babies are being born. I mean, life goes on. What can we take away from this experience? Let's remember how special these moments are.

Yes, life is chaos and it always will be, but prioritize people first, because if we can do that, I think we can go a long way as a species. I don't know what else to say.

Carole Mahoney:
Yeah. And I know for me personally, I live in an area where we're in the middle of the woods. Isolation is nothing new to me. But I think it's the fact that I'm not able to just go out and see someone that it's brought me back to what can I send them? How can I reach out to them? How can I let them know that I'm thinking of them. In a way that I can do it anytime, but it's not until I can't do it, that I'm realized how much I need to do it. And I think that's one of the things that we can definitely take away from this is that as a leader, as a salesperson, as a manager, we need to be able to make those small little things that make people realize they're appreciated, that they're missed because you get that kind of a camaraderie with your team and with your customers, then they will take your call when you actually do call them.

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