19 People around the World Share How They Prepare for a Post-COVID-19 World

 

impactmania has always turned to people who drive cultural, social, and economic impact since being founded in 2015. We need their inspiration now more than ever, which is why we asked 19 impact-makers how they are preparing for the new realities of a post-COVID-19 world.

Sarah Tiemeyer, born in Germany, studied and worked in France after graduating from school. She holds a Master’s degree in British language and culture and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Foreign Languages (LEA) – that allows students with an interest in foreign languages to work in the tertiary (services) sector which include inter(-national) business, tourism, management, logistics, human resources, and marketing. Sarah Tiemeyer currently lives in Italy and is a proud member of the Lamborghini staff.


April 9, 2020

Paksy Plackis-Cheng emailed with Sarah Tiemeyer who lives in Northern Italy where COVID-19 has hit especially hard.

 

What is your advice for preparing for post-COVID-19?

 

Go digital—develop more digital solutions to encourage interactions—conference calls, video calls, experiences, and all sorts of other exchanges. This could also help us to be more proactive and cut costs in the future, think: less business travel. As we have seen, this has already had a positive impact on the environment. Maintain social distancing for quite a while and get used to wearing face masks—out of respect for other people.

 

How is this crisis changing you? 

 

I am beginning to relativize many aspects of life we often take for granted. For example, simply being able to breathe easily, while this might be a problem for other people. It makes me feel lucky. During the lockdown, it is important to find a purpose on a daily basis to make you feel useful. I am building stronger relationships with my friends over the phone, making sure they are all right.

 

What will our story be post-COVID-19?

 

My greatest hope for post-COVID-19 is that people will learn from this experience and try to make the world a better place. That politicians realize it is wrong to cut costs on health care. Technology could make a great leap forward due to this experience, on many levels as medical aid, communication, and homeschooling. My hope is that people learn to appreciate each other more, be more helpful, and less egoistic.

 


impactmania’s past interviews and programs have been featured in international media, a number of universities, US Consulates, the UN, and have been cited by Harvard Business School, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, and Duke University Press. impactmania’s Women of Impact program was awarded the U.S. Embassy Public Diplomacy grant (2019).