The eerie, high-pitched singing of billions of cicadas is once again permeating the Washington, D.C. area, and for me, their amazing return is a fitting symbol of rebirth─after the lifting of the COVID-19 shutdown, the blooming of new spring flowers, and the exhilarating feeling of finally being able to hug our friends and families again. The last time the cicadas emerged from their sleep, it was 2004. My mother had just passed away after a long battle with breast cancer, my family moved into the new home where we still live today, and our beloved Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. Fast forward to June 2021, and it is another year full of major milestones. My youngest daughter is going off to college, my husband and I will become empty nesters, and the health care PR firm I founded is already turning five. Inspired by the song of the cicadas, here are five things I am happy to sing about.
- I am thrilled (and humbled) as The Reis Group marks its five-year anniversary of charting a new course. The energy of the team, our clients, their issues, our partners, and their support have made the past five years incredibly successful, and the momentum is growing.
- Summer hours have begun! Rotating in two teams, we take every other Friday off. This summer is particularly special because our entire team is vaccinated, and we are bursting at the seams to take long-delayed vacations!
- Health and health care continue to be among the most pressing problems facing our nation. Health and well-being, equity, and mental health are key parts of our public health conversation, and these issues also fuel our personal passions and inspire the work of our small, woman-owned business.
- Our entire team is coming back to the office in September! A third of us are already back a couple days a week, but our team finally will be fully back together─and not soon enough. We will implement a hybrid schedule, working from home on Mondays and Fridays and being together in the office the rest of the week.
- The pandemic presented an opportunity for self-awareness and self-care. One of the few bright spots for me was an opportunity to reflect and meditate more: To take stock of what is important to me and to my family, and how I want to show up in this world. To savor the gift of time, many free weekends at home, and an opportunity for some personal growth and personal transformation.
When we opened our doors five years ago, I said something that still holds true and that I keep near my heart. “To give it my best—to really make it shine—I need to work with the best people; people who share my values and my commitment to excellence. I have to work in a culture of support, in which our team members see that a major part of our work is to build each other up and help each other succeed.” I’m very grateful to know that The Reis Group’s voice is enduring, just like the cicadas, and will continue….
