Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1237002
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT 14 R eality is necessary in times like these. In Zoom meetings with the staff, I do not gloss over the facts as I see them. As a veteran of navigating the business through 9/11 and the Great Recession, I have found that folks want to hear the truth: Will there be furloughs? Will my salary be cut? When do you think things will return to normal? The former two have affected our company. As for the latter, I don't know when any normalcy will occur, or even how to define it. All I can promise the team is that I'm building a model for a successful business on the "other side" of this. In daily calls, I ask for what the market is telling us. I tell the team not to sugarcoat what they are being told — I need unedited comments in order to inform my decisions based on reality. Information in crisis is critical. Weeks ago, as the office was shutting down, I advised the staff to stay informed. Personally, I consume about four hours or more of news each day. I wake early with coffee and an update on my top websites: CNN (for top-line stuff, while cutting through the hyperbole), The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. I check in with Fox to round out what all sides are saying (while navigating around their clickbait). In my home office, the TV on the wall is in my line of sight, slightly off-center from my computer — very similar to a heads-up display (HUD) in advanced aircraft cockpits. CNBC is constantly on, albeit muted. If I glance and see that Steven Mnuchin, some chief economist, or the CEO of Chase is being interviewed — unmute. The TV in the kitchen is always airing a news channel, albeit muted. Eat breakfast, grab a snack, get refill of coffee — unmute. End of day, website update, again. Information is key; reality is key. However, there is nothing wrong with a little escapism. I leave that to our creative team. This month, they have taken their normal approach but have installed a COVID-19 filter: artists and photographers interpreting the times, how restaurants are coping, Zen style, and more. For years we had a slogan: PaperCity. Deeply Shallow — Read It! Now, perhaps, it should be: PaperCity. Escape a Bit — Read It! Jim Kastleman President jim@papercitymag.com SIMON GENTRY Jim Kastleman