Against seemingly insurmountable odds

INC. THIS MORNING Against seemingly insurmountable odds Good morning, As 2020 comes to a close, it’s tempting to want to forget the insanely stressful, uncertainty-filled days that characterized the earliest months of the Covid pandemic. I know I’m ready for a fresh start. So is the business owner who, earlier this week, told me that his team worked 20-hour days for a month straight. But it also feels like the right time to revisit and marvel at how some companies, against seemingly insurmountable odds, managed to pull off incredible achievements this year. In our May/June print issue, we wrote about Austin-based health tech startup Everlywell, which makes at-home diagnostic tests for common health issues like sexually transmitted diseases and vitamin deficiencies. In early March, founder and CEO Julia Cheek decided to offer at-home Covid-19 tests, too--inadvertently launching a roller-coaster saga involving conflicting and confusing guidance from the federal government, a national economic tailspin, and frantic pleas for help from the public. “I went outside for the first time in six days,” Cheek, who had also been working 20-hour days, told Inc. three weeks later. The fruit of the company’s sudden pivot: In May, Everlywell was granted the country’s first emergency use authorization for at-home Covid tests by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, beating out massive competitors like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp.  Read our story from the Inc. archives for an exclusive look into the lead-up to that breakthrough--and what it took for Cheek to emerge with her sanity intact. Inc.’s Best Workplaces. Apply today! Inc.’s Best Workplaces awards the company cultures that thrive in the face of adversity. Cultures that in response to a pandemic redefine the workplace and continue to enrich it. Cultures that foster employee growth and advancement at all levels. Apply today to be recognized as a place where people love to work, one that sets the standard for excellence in company culture. Regular rate deadline: January 15, 2020. Apply Now. HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: The new stimulus package would throw a lifeline to restaurants and hotels. Here’s what that would look like. --Inc. How to protect the mental health of your employees during a long, hard winter. --Inc. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will allow a new kind of direct listing, creating another non-IPO route to going public. --The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) Lyft has formed a coalition to provide 60 million rides to and from Covid-19 vaccination sites for low-income, uninsured, and at-risk communities. --USA Today From the resurrection of decades-old soda to a very on-the-nose pandemic card game, these are the six weirdest product launches of 2020. --Inc This simple but brilliant calendar hack from Shopify’s CEO will make your 2021 much more productive. --Inc. Starting today, Inc. is closed for the holidays. I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, January 4. --Cameron Albert-Deitch Reporter, Inc. How are we doing? Send me ideas and feedback for Inc. This Morning at calbertdeitch@inc.com or on Twitter, and sign up for daily text messages. Click here to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, Unsubscribe • Update Profile • View in Browser • Privacy Policy