Rebuilding My Business with EO

In January 2011, a series of floods hit Brisbane hard, severely impacting numerous businesses, including my own. The water had entered our building to a height of 2.4 meters. Our warehouse was a mess of mud, plaster board and soggy carpets. The immediate impact on my business was significant. We had two weeks of reduced revenue and many of our customers were impacted. Getting my business up and running would take a lot of help, and in true EO form, members offered their assistance.

The vigor with which EO members and complete strangers responded was overwhelming. As one round of members finished a shift of relentless cleaning, a new group would turn up. Two members even brought their staff to help!What’s more, Jude O’Linger from EO New Orleans contacted me to share his Hurricane Katrina experience, and EO Brisbane’s Chapter President Ivanka Menkin and Chapter Administrator Rebecca O’Gorman contacted other members to assess their situations. A spreadsheet was created to record what affected members needed and what other members could offer. EO Brisbane engaged as one during this time, and several other chapters and Elumni also offered their support.

Today, our warehouse is back in a working state. We have been overwhelmed by the support of our staff, customers, vendors and EO  contacts. My chapter and Forum mates supported me the entire time, even encouraging me to make a Forum presentation just 10 days after the event. Thanks to EO, my business, family and staff survived the financial quarter from hell. Bring on the next challenge!