The Messy Middle Of Change - Part Three
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
- Serenity Prayer
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Redefining how accountants get work done.
In March, I told you about my messy middle of changing two of my workhorse apps, and the messy middle of changing up a system and automating it (or lack of) to accommodate my new niche.
I am happy to report that I am on the other side of these, and things are going pretty darn well. But I am in the messy middle of another area of my life.
My husband and I had a few fall weeks of timeshare right on the beach at Estero Island Beach Club. It was a vibey, flip-floppy ocean-front timeshare where you had the same weeks and units every year. I have been going there for over 35 years, as my parents have had it since the late 1980s. Then Jeff and I bought it from them fifteen years ago. We made deep friendships with people who shared our weeks, and being with them at Estero was a highlight of our year. We also had favourite shops and restaurants, bartenders, musicians and the like. We would go other times of the year to hang out as my parents had a home close by that they bought in 2009, and we had all made a lovely little winter life for ourselves in Fort Myers.
All this came to a screeching halt on September 28, 2022, when Hurricane Ian came roaring in as a Category 4+ monster with sustained winds of 160 mph (260 km/h) and a storm surge of over 15 ft. Most of Fort Myers Beach, including our little slices of happiness, was destroyed.
It was devastating for the people who lived there and lost their lives, businesses and homes. It was heartbreaking for those of us who vacationed and wintered there. Many of us lost homes as well, including my parents, whose place was wiped off the map that day. It has been a frustrating process dealing with insurance companies (who have not paid out many claims), FEMA and the various permitting entities.
Even through the frustrations, it has been a fabulous demonstration of community, creativity and resilience.
Our tight little group of Estero Beach Club friends regrouped and for the last couple of years, have vacationed together on what would have been our regular timeshare weeks.
The community where my parents lived banded together to help and support each other in the rebuilding of homes that could be remediated and information sharing on permitting and contractors for new builds.
One of the dearest stories demonstrating community was of Margaritaville (the TPI resort was under construction when Ian rolled in), and Gulf Marine Yachtworks aiding in the crane removal of the shrimp boat fleets.
The boats had been piled upon each other in a tangled mass, and along with the government, these businesses aided in disentangling them, craning them out, moving them to a staging lot for remediation, and then returning them to their moorings.
Bars and businesses have reopened as creative sea-can and tiki structures, musicians are back, and there is a market with tents where the little downtown of Fort Myers Beach used to be.
The rebuilding of the Sanibel Causeway is a wonder, and seeing the speed of the FDOT's progress is an inspiring story of resilience.
Last winter, my husband and I rented by the beach, ran or walked it every morning and marvelled at the progress being made in restoring life and property there. We also noticed, though, that some properties have made very little progress while others are well along the rebuilding journey.
So I wanted to share a few lessons I observed from the remediation of this area, and ask you to consider how they relate to your business.
One: Watch for future issues and be prepared to mitigate them
While no one predicted the utter destruction of Hurricane Ian, Florida was prepared to restore power lines, and FEMA was poised to descend. In the days before the storm made landfall, over 40,000 line workers staged in Central Florida. I have seen the staging of power trucks on several occasions, and its intensity makes me cry in awe every single time.
What are you doing to predict and stay ahead of possible issues?
Two: Prioritize logically
There was an enormous amount of sand and debris (wreckage of homes, cars, boats…) to clear so the other work could begin. You could not get down the roads at all, except by ATVs and off-road vehicles. Nothing—except for rescuing folks—could begin until the sand and debris were cleared. Much of this had to be started before the power lines could be restored.
So the order was:
Search and rescue
Clear a lane from sand
Move in the power line workers
Restore the other infrastructure, such as cell/internet/water services
Sift sand for debris and push back out onto the beach
Clear the back roads and mangroves of debris
From all appearances, FEMA, Florida, Lee County, Fort Myers Beach, and various law enforcement agencies were well organized, coordinated together, and had their priorities clear to execute the clean-up quickly, safely and in a logical order.
Do you have your thoughts for growth and processes in logical order?
Three: Stay ahead of being organized
Some places are doing better than others in the rebuilding process. Luckily, one of them is our timeshare. Our finances have always been in great and up-to-date shape, our Owners Association and Property Management company are transparent with a distinct hierarchy, and for the most part, our goals as owners are aligned (in any community, there will always be the dissident fringe). However, many timeshares and condo buildings have not even begun the rebuild (or tear down) process due to chaotic association structures, infighting, and poor finances.
Have you documented your processes, and are they accessible and understandable? Do you have your own financial house in order?
Four: Even the best guardrails can fail
Many of the businesses and homes destroyed by Ian were brand-spanking-new. They were built with all the recent codes, but they still didn’t make it through. There will always be events that even the best of planning and execution cannot mitigate.
Five: Accept defeat and move on
Sadly, this is a hard but necessary lesson. My parents' property is for sale; they are not going to rebuild. The permitting process is daunting and slow. The new property taxes, re-build costs, and mandatory insurance (even though it did not pay out for the loss of their home - sigh) are astronomical. They are now a bit excited to explore new places this winter and then see what happens after that.
What do you need to let go that is holding back growth or building a business you love? Is it clients that no longer fit, the wrong team members or having the right ones in the wrong seats, or you not delegating…?
Six: Take delight in the wins along the way
Now that the worst is behind us, we are revelling in the small steps that are moving everyone back to a life they can feel is normal. Every beach business that reopened, every bartender that is back, and every musician that is playing again brings a tear to my eye (more than one, I am still a cryfest over this) and such great moments of joy.
Do you look back and experience joy in your achievements, or are you stuck in the micro-day of your business? Stop right now, look back and think of three accomplishments you are proud of.
We are smack-dab in the messy, messy middle.
We don’t know what the future holds for our timeshare building.
The timeshare building permit has been pushed back to us a few times now. Our Owners Association continues to make the requested changes, and hopefully, we will overcome the obstacles we are facing.
The plans for the new building are stunning, and though we will miss the flip-floppy vibe of our old resort and of the whole island, if everything comes to plan, the end run of this change will be joyous.
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I'm excited to attend Xerocon Nashville, an unmissable conference for accounting and bookkeeping leaders from the United States, Canada, and beyond. This event promises fresh features, innovative apps, and creative ideas. Attendees will discover new Xero enhancements and connections designed to streamline and grow their businesses. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals and immerse yourself in the vibrant Xero community.
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Simply yours, Kellie :-}
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