Octane CEO Bill Carpou sat down with Lucy Dunn, CEO of the Orange County Business Council (OCBC) to discuss several key topics related to COVID-19 businesses. They talked about adapting businesses to the new normal of working in a virtual world and their challenges.

A key point Lucy brought up was the importance of good health equals good business. The only way to achieve a positive business model in the COVID-19 climate is by following CDC protocols of wearing masks and socially distancing.

At the beginning of the pandemic, OCBC began doing things that the business council wouldn’t normally do. They were keen to help Orange County and its community get through this pandemic. Some of the changes included sending more newsletters outlining important topics as it related to COVID- 19, such as childcare, mental health care, and other COVID-19 related news.

The first part of the change in their process was adding more COVID-19 related news. This was to ensure that OCBC was able to get important facts and information out to people who need them daily. Second, they emphasized that mask’s must be worn to keep a business open. Lucy reiterated that wearing a mask was not a political statement, it is merely good business.

Soon after OCBC implemented sending out additional newsletters, they noticed that news began to lose some of its trust. If people were coming to her organization for information, it needed it to be accurate. Lucy was determined to keep her newsletter credible.

The conversation shifted and began to focus on in-depth discussions of the COVID-19 vaccine and the logistical challenges of distribution. Ensuring that the OCBC distributes the correct information will play a key role in keeping their newsletter & information credible.

The conversation concluded with the topic of keeping employees in California. Since COVID-19 has shown that employees can work from home, they discussed the challenges of keeping employees in California, mainly because of living expenses. Bill Carpou explained that one of Octane’s top priorities is to keep employees here and how important that is for the future business ecosystem in Southern California.

This is a great discussion to listen to if you want to learn more about how organizations in Orange County are trying to survive in the face of a global pandemic.

Watch the full interview below.