The Social Sunday

This is the first newsletter where I’ve not known what to say.  Usually I think about a conversation I’ve had this week, but the number of important conversations that have taken place have been too many to count.  Black Lives Matter, protests, the social media ‘black square’ and not to mention Coronavirus still playing a big role in our day to day lives.

This week we’ve thought carefully about what we’ve posted on social media. I haven’t wanted to add to the noise.  I’ve had brilliant conversations with clients about how we can do more in our businesses and every day lives.  Tom and I put together some resources on local charities and initiatives that we found useful and shared them with others so that we can support globally AND locally with our money and voices.  We’ve watched others leave space and amplify black voices so that we can continue to listen and learn everyday, and we’ve been inspired by the action many are taking. We've spent a long time looking at Barry Magazine, our online community magazine to see how we can be more inclusive and diverse. There is still a long way to go but it’s a start and we acknowledge that it might not happen overnight. 

Social media can be an overwhelming place to be and no one knows when is the right time to continue ‘as normal’, knowing our normals will never be the same again. Why would we want that anyway?  This isn’t just a trend. We have an opportunity, to be mindful of others and use our social media platforms and influence for good, no matter how big or small.  When the world feels like a scary place the community spirit that we see in Barry Magazine shows us that there are good things to shout about and we can share positivity that is useful and informative too.  If you’re worried about posting, look at what you’re putting out into that space. Is it part of the problem? It’s good to show up even if it’s imperfectly and we can all be open to change.  Trust your instincts as a business owner and someone who won't always get it right. Ask for help. If there’s anything we’ve learnt over the last few months it’s that community really is everything.  If you'd like to read the latest edition of Barry Magazine click the button here.