In the NBC drama series, New Amsterdam, the question, "How can I help?" is a well-beaten drum by Dr. Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) as he and hospital staff put their heads and skills together to overcome the challenges of serving their patients and a demanding board. Often, the team finds answers after Max realigns efforts with his mantra once again.
Asking, "How can I help?" can be transformative!
We've all been there in our personal lives. We see the lady struggling to get her husband's wheelchair into the back of their car. There's the guy in front of us at the grocery store who fumbles to find some change. A colleague shows up to work who is noticeably troubled.
Business, especially for entrepreneurial startups, can be similar. We observe the leader with great ideas but lacking the experience to put plans into action. Another has a mature product but begins losing customers in an increasingly crowded market space. ...
How many people have we let down or promoted to failure by simply refusing to approach and ask, "How can I help?" Understandably, we can't help everyone, but we can make a difference for someone!
How can I help?
—Max Goodwin, New Amsterdam
When we ask, "How can I help?"...
- We are offering our time.
- We are offering our resources.
- We are offering a personal connection.
When we are willing to receive help...
- We multiply our effort.
- We claim new resources.
- We grow our team.
Through the initial slowdown of Covid and the halting of film/video production in Los Angeles in the Spring of 2020, cashflow dropped to zero, but rather than focus on our losses, we decided to look beyond our books and began asking others, "How can we help?" hoping to use our newly freed time and skillset to make a difference for others who, without a personal boost, could easily have thrown in the towel on their work and their influence in their communities. Much of our experience with video equipment, editing, and live production was brought to the table.
Numerous companies and nonprofits found themselves in need of hosting live broadcasts immediately, so we stepped in to help with equipment recommendations/build-outs, promotion, editing, and even filled the Director's chair for a local congregation that opened up their first weekend of live broadcasts to over seven thousand viewers. Too, for an established app builder with over 50,000 users, we were able to help them "downscale" from on-set to remote interviews via OpenReel, providing insights for proper lighting and in-app settings.
Call us crazy, but, rather than sitting in a crazed stupor with our eyes focused on the bottom line, the past eight months have been extremely freeing by looking for ways to fill the gap with our talents. Motivation for each day now begins with thoughts of connections and the differences we've been able to make throughout California, along with others in Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Ohio, and Texas! AND we look forward to new conversations as we venture together!
Returning to it, "How can we help?" Is there some burning question or need you have when it comes to telling your story well or in promoting and connecting your brand with others? Point Light Pictures is here to help you to discover and to illuminate your world!
Too, we would be remised if we failed to ask our readers to do similarly—to take a moment and to consider what type of a difference you could make in someone else's life by simply stepping outside of your comfort zone and asking, "How can I help?"
