Dear PCN Members and Friends,

Thank you so much to everyone who just took part in our 2nd Zoom Meeting, the participants are not all shown in the featured image as we stretched onto several screens! However, you can see a short clip online.

During the meeting, I mentioned our next gathering which will be in 2021 in Croatia (see details) ... where Game of Thrones was filmed. I asked who had watched the series and many hands went up! What we are going through now is similar to ‘winter time’ in Game of Thrones – and many successful people do incredibly well in winter.

In fact, 65% of Fortune 1000 companies were born in recession or depression including Disney, IBM, Microsoft and Apple. Additionally, Isaac Newton discovered calculus while in quarantine and Shakespeare wrote King Lear while in quarantine! We too are learning new things, like how to use Zoom and how to unmute our microphones while in a meeting :)

The message here is that after night comes day. The situation we are in is temporary and we will be okay.

The transport and logistics industry is by its nature a problem solving business and you are all adept at tackling problems when they arise. Communication is so important right now (which is why governments hold daily news briefings on TV even if no new news) so let’s use this time to figure out what customers might require during this time. At the same, time, speak to suppliers about what they can offer you and assess operational aspects of your business. You can even create a pre-start checklist to ensure you’re ready to go as soon as life can return to normal.

We can really make the most of our time – we can think about developing new services or procedures that we haven’t previously had time for. We can ask our colleagues for ideas too (more communication!) - being productive is a great feeling at the moment. Just cleaning out my kitchen cupboards and shed has made me feel better.

Also, now that we don’t have to spend time commuting, what are we doing with the extra hours? I am learning guitar using Fender’s online lessons (really struggling with C chord), I am also cooking more and practicing yoga for an hour every morning. Sometimes I do nothing but sit in front of the TV – that’s okay too!

We heard updates from many of our Members from all over the world and it was good to hear that all companies are still operating and coping incredibly well under the new pressures.

We ended the meeting, with a film recommendation from each of the full time PCN Head Office staff which you may find useful while spending so much time at home….

Rachel’s recommendation

“Free Solo is about a rock climber called Alex who attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of Yosemite’s El Capitan's – a 900-metre vertical rock face. I am finding it hard to focus on anything on TV at the moment, but this is an intense film that is really gripping. You will forget EVERYTHING while you are watching it! It has many layers and the personalities of Alex and Sanni make it a captivating watch. It is also about endurance and not giving, up, which may inspire us at the moment.”

Sam’s recommendation

I’ll go with The Life Aquatic as it's a heart-warming movie telling the story of an eccentric oceanographer and his crew. With a great cast, it has many laughs throughout to keep spirits up and reminds us of the human spirit and how we are all 'in it together' at this difficult time. And it is also a homage to Jacques Cousteau!”

Judith’s recommendation

“Professor and the Madman: This film is the true story of how the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was compiled and the large contribution made by a Dr that was a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. It is a strangely heart-warming as the professor and the patient become great friends and thought provoking as I had never imagined what a mammoth task creating the first ever English dictionary was. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as I am not a fan of either of the main actors (Sean Penn and Mel Gibson) but they do such a good job I forgot who they were!”

Wendy’s recommendation

“I too am finding TV hard to watch at the moment but finding it a nice way to spend some time with my family. With my 3 children being different ages, we watch all different types of films from Disney, Comedy and Action. We all thoroughly enjoyed all the Avenger films, so I would recommend watching these concluding with the Avengers: Endgame.”

Remember, we also recently issued:

eZine: Coronavirus Special 1 which covers tips for working from home, mental health and exercise.

eZine: Coronavirus Special 2 which covers industry news and views and links to some podcasts.

Coronavirus (COVID 19): List of Helpful Online Resources

Thank you for your time and stay safe.

Kind regards,

Rachel Crawford FCILT
President/C.E.O.