Our hearts ache for Houston this evening. U.S. Coast Guard helicopters buzzed the skies over Houston today, 12,000 Texas National Guard troops were deployed across the Gulf and thousands of rescues took place here in the metro area. Some were even supported by Louisiana’s Cajun Navy and simply plain old regular joe citizens like you and me. We are simultaneously humbled by mother nature yet so darn proud of the efforts by so many people here in the great state of Texas.

However, reality kicked in as we viewed a stark press conference this afternoon by Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo detailing how one 34-year veteran of the city’s police force was killed in the line of duty early Sunday morning on the Hardy toll road. Officer Perez unknowingly entered high water while on his way to service his city and drowned. Other devastating stories continue to pile up, yet the acts of courage and outpouring of selfless service that we have witnessed are what will sustain us in the days and weeks ahead.

Our emotional rollercoaster these past few days puts us in a reflective mood. The Corda team, scattered mostly across Houston and with additional offices and personnel in Austin and Dallas, has prepared for contingencies and disasters in the past, yet we hadn’t ever expected one to be as colossal and widespread as this one. So the can do attitude and nervous anticipation we all had as we launched into our workday last Friday was suddenly challenged by the fact that our building owner called for a hard noon shutdown and the doors were to be locked down. Either get out or be locked in till the following week. Nonetheless, as we prepped and reviewed our hurricane checklist and made last second preparations, one could only wonder what was ahead. Little did we anticipate what truly the future would bring. Fast forward about 96+ hours later, and here we are reflecting, just deeply reflecting…..about the city, the state, the damage, the loss of life, the flood waters, our clients, colleagues, and our own families. And yes, even N. Korean missile launches and what’s next for the local economy as well as the national economy and things like interest rates and other mundane items in general. Blah! Although it’s scary when you start to do the math, and we like to do the math on just about everything around here! But alas, we see a ray of sunshine, literally, out to the west, right here right now as we gaze outside our windows. There must be some semblance of something right and good in the Universe, yes?!

The Corda team is one to be proud of. Despite the frenzy of the hurricane and its aftermath, we have sustained our business and haven’t missed a beat serving clients. Our team, truth be told, can be similarly compared to the grit and grittiness of the Houston/Texas citizen, with various backgrounds, education, family histories, and many from places outside of the state! The key however – all fully embracing the spirit of what makes the state of Texas so special. The make-up of the Corda team consists of people from the following cities:

Dallas, TX
Ft Worth, TX
Houston, TX
McAllen, TX
San Antonio, TX
Miami, FL
Detroit, MI
Chicago, IL
Milwaukee, WI
Manchester, CT
New York, New York
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Vernal, Utah
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Melville, Saskatchewan
Haifa, Israel

That’s quite the list – our team from locations both close and some far away. That’s how we’ll proceed with tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. Keep those who are close or possibly far away in your thoughts. Situations can change suddenly and without warning. Sometimes it takes moments when things seem bleak to find that once you get to the other side you experience the world in balance again and things aren’t so bad after all. Maybe, just maybe, the pain and heartache exposed you to the beauty and positives that life and living offers.

So, carry on Corda peeps, clients, stakeholders, and anyone reading this. Be hungry for change, challenge, and new experiences, it’s what forces a perspective for gratitude and a mindset to be in the moment no matter what the circumstances.

Tally Ho.