In just three weeks since the pandemic spread across our country, 17 million workers have filed for unemployment, including over 500,000 from Georgia. Business models built around in-person interaction are being upended. But as Endeavor Cofounder and CEO Linda Rottenberg likes to say, “When economies turn down, entrepreneurs turn up.”
Two inspiring examples of entrepreneurs “turning up” during this crisis are right here in Atlanta; Mark Wilson, CEO and Founder of Chime Solutions (and Endeavor Entrepreneur), and his son Ryan Wilson, CEO and CoFounder at The Gathering Spot (TGS). Both father and son worked relentlessly to keep over 90% of their workforce employed even though both companies are built around in-person interaction. Their inspiring stories show the power of the entrepreneurial mindset in times of crisis.
The Gathering Spot spans 25,000 sq. ft. and is complete with a bar and restaurant, co-working space, private dining, conference rooms and event space (pictured above).
ENTREPRENEURS LEADING AMIDST THE CRISIS
Ryan Wilson officially closed the doors to The Gathering Spot on March 16th in support of Atlanta’s stay-at-home-order. TGS is a private, members-only club, community and event space. Ryan knew he had to act quickly to support his team and the community of TGS members. “Internally, I wanted to ensure my team members were cared for. Externally, I needed to ensure that The Gathering Spot members continued to receive valuable content and support.” Through TGS Connect, TGS Link, and the “We All, We Got” campaign, Ryan and Co-Founder TK Petersen ensured an unmatched membership experience during the crisis.
In 2019, TGS hosted over 2,400 events for companies like Netflix, Google, Spotify, and Coca-Cola and many curated events for its members. With social distancing the new normal, TGS took its existing digital content platform, TGS Connect, and offered it free of charge to its entire membership. It now serves as members’ number one content source. TGS hosts nearly 100 pieces of curated content, including expert advice and interviews with American film producer Will Packer, nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner and Grammy-award winner Anthony Hamilton.
TGS Link, an initiative created to connect community prior to COVID-19, has now turned digital. “TGS Link is based on a simple proposition, those that in need of assistance (e.g. project-based) and those that can fulfill these specific needs submit to TGS and our team links them.” The TGS team has successfully linked 500 of its club members amid the crisis.
Ryan mentioned that this experience gives communities the opportunity to care for one another. “Care for your neighbor and be radical in your support of small business owners. The goal is to see these small businesses thrive on the other side of this crisis.” In line with his idea of radical support, The Gathering Spot announced their pledge of $15,000 to support local small businesses within their community through the We All We Got campaign.
Aligned with his son’s spirit, Mark Wilson CEO at Chime Solutions, immediately reflected on how the oncoming crisis would affect his team internally. “Chime’s leadership team immediately discussed how to continue to service clients while keeping the Chime team employed.” Chime is a high-touch customer contact call center serving large enterprises with three large call centers in Atlanta, Charlotte and Dallas. Mark knew he had to act quickly with shelter-in-place orders being enacted. “We connected with our IT team, learned more about what tools would be necessary to take our team remote, invested in the technology and moved forward with deploying hundreds of employees across all three locations.”
CULTURE GETS YOU THROUGH
In less than four years, The Gathering Spot hosted some of the world’s most famous figures including presidential hopeful Joe Biden, award winning artist Drake and Twitter’s Jack Dorsey. Ryan and the team are now tasked with bringing the exclusivity and culture that is The Gathering Spot digital. “Although the setting has changed, the spirit of the business is the same. We never got into business to solve a space problem, we always wanted to solve a community problem. The community and culture remain in a digital world and I’m confident that once we’re back in person the connections made will remain.”
Mark also spoke very highly of Chime Solutions’ dedication to culture. “Our team culture allowed Chime to make a project that usually takes several months to plan (deploying over 1500 team members to work remotely) happen in seven days. Due to the community and family unit that we are this was able to happen.” Mark also mentioned Chime events that have gone digital. “We hosted an Instagram Live party. It was very similar to our holiday party where we hired the same DJ and gave out tons of prizes. I also host Q&As with the entire company that allow me to utilize talents I wasn’t able to necessarily use before, like coaching and leadership development.”
When asked about the lasting effects the massive work from home shift would have on Chime, Mark said, “We’re blessed that we’ve had the support of customers necessary to transition more than 90% of our team to work remotely. Our leadership team really drilled down on emphasizing that point to employees because it serves as a growth opportunity. We’re focused on protecting our people. We’ve leaned in on the conversation around black and brown communities being less likely to work remotely. 90% of our team is made up of black and brown people and we take pride in the fact that we were able to provide them with the opportunity to work remotely. We see working from home as a stepping stone for incoming employees. We’d like to have new employees start inside of our Chime offices then be promoted to remote work depending on performance. We see this as something that will be a long term benefit to our people.”
THE TRUE TEST OF A LEADER
Coronavirus has presented the most challenging environment many businesses owners will ever face. When asked about this stress Ryan commented, “We are entrepreneurs and have operated in stressful times before. We have this muscle that allows us to make things happen and that is what I encourage my fellow entrepreneurs to do, make things happen.”
He insisted on the importance of reframing the current crisis, “This is a significant interruption, but do the best that you can to keep moving forward.” Ryan says, “I’d rather spend my days pouring into what I can control as opposed to obsessing over what I can’t.” In closing, Mark says, “We don't want to be oblivious to the impact that this is having on the global community-at-large, but having said that, there is room for excitement, optimism. and encouragement.”