Company News: Natalie Norcross Passes Away
We’re heartbroken to share that our founder, Natalie Norcross, passed away at the end of last month. She leaves behind a husband, three sons, as well as a remarkable legacy that continues through the people, clients, and community she built.
As we pause to let this news sink in, I want to share a concept from an author I follow closely.
It’s a concept that’s helped me make sense of difficult moments: the idea of the Gap versus the Gain.
Gap thinking is living in the past; you fail to notice the progress you have made, the beauty or the gifts that surround you every day.
This often shows up when people use the dangerous “E” word: enough. Gap thinking presents itself in a “it’s never enough” way more often than not. I’m not smart enough. Strong enough. I don’t have enough money or cars or clothes or jewelry.
Let’s transition across the aisle of this concept.
Gain thinking helps you recognize progress as you look to the future. It could be as simple as “10 years ago I used to ride the bus to work…now I drive in the comfort of my own car”.
Without stopping to recognize this Gain thought, you may never notice that you no longer sit next to people eating deviled eggs on your 7am commute to the office!
Now, back to this news about Natalie.
In all my years of work I have never actually worked with a colleague who died. There have been close calls but never this. So like everyone at ADP I am processing through this event.
As we all process this difficult news, we find ourselves reflecting on the immense Gain. The lasting impact Natalie had on each of us and on this community she built.
As hard as it is to focus, I find my mind focused on a celebration of her life.
I find my mind drifting back to celebrating all that she has personally achieved with this business.
Things such as:
Natalie started A Design Partnership from nothing. Not a single client. No staff. Nothing.
During the past decade, her creation has helped hundreds of designers, architects and brands.
So many, in fact, that this company surpassed 95% of all other businesses in the country with regards to size, scale and revenue.
Thinking of the people who work here, Natalie’s creation launched and grew people’s careers.
Finally, Natalie was able to build something that largely operated without her input. Amazing people such as Sarah, Nicole and others power the daily operations of this firm more so than Natalie did over the past few years (and continue to do so).
Even though it was cut short, I’m grateful to have spent the time I did working with Natalie.
If a moment comes to mind of you working with Natalie that you’d love to share we would be grateful if you would tell it to us. You can email that to hello@adesignpartnership.com or DM it to us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/adesignpartnership/
And finally, please keep Natalie’s husband, children, and family in your thoughts and prayers. Your kindness means more to them than words can express.