Articles

To Enrich, Educate and Entertain

When Disaster Strikes: Heroes, Preparation, and High Hopes Prevail

Posted on: January 14th, 2025 by Ira Jackson

No matter how prepared we are, unexpected events happen that test our mettle. Some have the power to claim lives and upend communities, like the devastating hurricanes of 2024 and the recent wildfires that continue to ravage Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

I’m reminded of lessons learned from our own misfortune just over a year ago. On Sunday, December 10, 2023, destructive storms barreled across North Georgia, leaving residents, communities, and businesses with major damage to homes and buildings.

Perfect Image was not spared. Our offices and manufacturing plant were hit hard as the roof of our building failed under violent winds and torrential rain. Stormwater gushed in, drenching ceilings, damaging walls and floors, and leaving debris everywhere. These photos barely begin to tell the story...

Yet we were incredibly fortunate. We run an around-the-clock operation and were beyond grateful that none of our team members were harmed. And despite the destruction, none of our printing presses, servers, or other major equipment were damaged.

Still, the fallout had impact. Did it slow us down? Yes, but not for long, and I want to tell you why.

Heroes (a great team) really do save the day

The way I learned of our emergency made me reflect on the importance of having an informed and responsive team. As mentioned, the storm hit on Sunday. I enjoyed an uneventful day in the office on Saturday and didn’t go straight in on Monday due to off-site meetings. My first clue of the calamity came when I logged in to a call with our IT chief from a parking lot – and his repeated inquiries as to “How was I doing?” He had to break the news to me.

My distress didn’t last long. I learned that our team members were not only okay but had taken full initiative and control of the situation. They had triaged the damage, communicated with the building owner, cleared out debris, arranged for immediate remediation services and repairs – all of this before the news landed in my lap. They had done everything they could to sustain business continuity.

Here's to our Plant Manager, Ron Bedingfield (pictured right), and the Perfect Image team for doing what they do best – delivering when it matters.

These are the things every organization should do to prepare for dealing with the unexpected:

Empower your team members to act when something unexpected happens.
Get your team comfortable in working with partial information during an emergency.
Create a chain of command for when management is out-of-pocket.
Trust your team and they will rise to any occasion!

Preparation: Always plan for the ‘what-ifs’

After the storm, there were questions about who owns what. My company owns our space in the building and we’re responsible for our equipment and any improvements we’ve made to our space. Someone else owns the rest of the building and they’re responsible for the roof. We both have insurance coverage, and this is a textbook example of why we have it.

But what about all the other what-ifs? What if a major client or donor chooses a different partner, or the economy takes a dive, a key member of the team leaves, a major mistake is made, or an important deadline is missed? What if something completely disrupts business continuity, like a hurricane or pandemic?

History is a good teacher in helping us prepare for the unexpected. For example, we need to maintain revenue forecasts based on historical data, giving us benchmarks in the event something happens that impacts operational continuity. It’s critical to know where we’ve been, where we stand, and where we need to go. We need contingency plans, cash reserves, and a firm handle on contracts we hold with outside parties.

Leaders, supervisors, and managers must keep their perspective and know the power of their influence so they can set the tone for the entire organization. This is important when everything is going great and it's essential when circumstances take an unpleasant turn.

(Photo: Tony Rivers, Perfect Image Offset Press Lead)

When everyone on the team knows in advance how to respond to a situation, they’ll be prepared to jump into action when the unthinkable happens.

Today and always, be prepared for anything by working together toward a common goal:

Stay in the present. See every situation for exactly what it is. Clarity dictates action and success.
Stay focused on your purpose and goals.
Be open, honest, and transparent with team members to build trust.
Continually affirm your mission, vision, and values in every way possible, internally and externally.
Encourage leadership and teams to choose courage, not fear or the comfort of familiarity.
Embrace challenges with positivity and inspire others through words and actions.
Uphold accountability and performance standards, while respecting your team’s humanity.
Anticipate mistakes and course-correct when they happen. Perfection is the enemy of success!

Determination and high hopes made 2024 an exceptional year

My company entered 2024 battered and bruised but far from broken. Recovering from the damage took time and grit from our team. It wasn’t an inviting environment to work in while the roof and ceilings were repaired, all the lights were changed out, and the floors, carpets, walls, and work areas were restored. But despite the challenges, our team kept the business humming, met every deadline, and set us up for an unbelievable year.

During the past 12+ months, Perfect Image was chosen by Georgia's Cobb County Chamber of Commerce as the 2024 Minority-Owned Business of the Year. The Chamber also ranked us as one of Cobb County’s Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year for the second year in a row. I was honored with the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award from the Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia (PIAG), and we brought home multiple awards from PIAG’s 2024 Print Excellence Competition.

(Photo: Curtis Gaddis, Perfect Image Digital Press Lead)

Also in 2024, with an unwavering commitment to meeting our growth objectives, we welcomed new clients and onboarded Rumonda "Rod" Smith as our Executive Vice President and General Manager, bringing greater depth and strength to our leadership team. And we successfully recertified as a G7^® Master Facility Qualified enterprise for our advanced color management technology in print production.

What a difference a year makes!

Remarkably, we closed out 2024 by exceeding our revenue goals and giving our 42-year-old facility a much-needed and well-deserved makeover. Our reception area was transformed into a state-of-the-art workspace for client presentations and meetings. Offices, workspaces, and restrooms were also renovated, and we created a peaceful and restorative ‘quiet room’ for our hard-working team to take breaks from our fast-paced working environment.

Know who your real heroes are

Two more events happened in 2024 that impacted me personally. I turned 60 and I said goodbye to my father. Throughout my 33 years as President of this company, I’ve valued the blessings of being on the receiving end of my father’s entrepreneurial wisdom. And I have traversed the years with the most accomplished and tenured team of professionals at my side, without whom none of our successes would be possible.

The December 2023 storm wasn’t the first time our heroic team members came through and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Heroes, preparation, and high hopes are hallmarks of a great team of people who are smart, informed – and empowered to act.

It seems fitting to close with this African proverb in wishing you and your organization an internally united and prosperous New Year!