Tl;dr: as we re-emerge from pandemic lockdowns, we will have to adjust and readjust to working with others in real-life.

I’ve been the CMO of Gtmhub for 14 months and during that time, with one exception, I had no physical contact with any member of the team, anywhere.

Most of the company is based in Bulgaria (a fascinating country in eastern Europe about which I will blog in a future post).  Four of my marketing team members are there as well and two of them have been with me since day one.

So, imagine having a manager that you worked with for 14 months, but had only interacted with through Zoom.  And the same for your direct reports.

On the one hand, you know each other kind of well and have learned many of the quirks and nuances.

On the other hand, you hardly know each other at all. You have never really had a chance to just sit, have a cup of coffee, and talk about…whatever.

So, since I’m the CMO (and, truth be told, I kind of wanted to go to Bulgaria and explore), I decided that I needed to go.

All kidding aside, with more than 60% of the company based there, I felt like it was time to “take the relationship to the next level.”

I’m very glad I did, but I have to say, it was so surreal when I emerged from the baggage claim/customs area of the Sofia airport to see Gaby and Marta waiting for me.

It was as if I surprised to find out that they weren’t only 2-dimensional avatars that existed purely and solely on a computer monitor.

All three of us felt that way as we took the first opportunity to sit and just chat, despite the fact that we “knew” each other really well.  It was a traditional working relationship, but in reverse.

After a few hours, the surreal experience was gone and we were in the flow, but the whole experience made me aware and conscious of the things that we once took for granted and, which now, may be new and foreign to us in the post-Covid world.