As some of you know, at that time I was working as a Franchise Area Director for Wendy's International and was responsible for parts of Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, and the vast majority of Louisiana. Our Regional office was in Atlanta, Georgia but or Corporate office was in Columbus, Ohio. I was in the air about four legs a week and at least two times a month.
On 9.11, I was helping to facilitate a Crisis Management Workshop for some of our franchise community. At the time, this particular workshop took the Owners and Operators from the moment a crisis happens (robbery, food born illness scare, etc.) to the recovery process thereafter with a huge emphasis on being interviewed with the media. (By the way - when I say I have a job in "Corporate America", this is they type of thing that I still do)
I had gone to the conference room early to make sure that all of our equipment, etc. was ready to go and had not been able to pay attention to the mornings news.
I was sitting next to my Vice President and started reading the news on my Palm Pilot and sliding the card over to him. I still have the card...
The note (below)...
- all air travel on hold in US
- plane hit world trade center
- Boston/LA jet highjacked
- Pentagon now hit not sure if it airplane or bomb
- I am scared MM. Lets break.
We took a break and the hotel brought us a television. We were all riveted and in that moment it brought all of us closer... so much so, I emailed each of them today. Needless to say we concluded the Workshop and as our Franchise Partners started to leave I packed my car and drove home with my Vice President. We were so lucky to have driven.
Ten years ago my company was very different... I created the company because I needed someone to take care of Remy and could not find what I was looking for so I created it. I was not insured at the time an had no idea what I was really doing. I also had very few clients... most of them friends and friends of friends. 9.11 changed one thing for sure...
I only had one New Orleans Pet Care client working in New York that day and for eight days we heard nothing. On the ninth day we heard she died in in a hospital after attempting to escape the World Trade Center. I know I say this all of the time (especially to all of you single parents) please make time to have a plan in place for your pets... you can't imagine how difficult it was to place sweet darling C (a beautiful New Orleans rescue mutt!) without a written plan. I think about her often and I hope we made the right decision when placing.
9.11...Never forget.
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