Behind the Mask

IT’S OCTOBER, WHICH means the masks are coming out, ghosts are appearing and people are once again paying good money to have strangers jump out and scare the living daylights out of them.

This got us thinking about the other kinds of masks and ghosts we have become pretty comfortable with lately.

We’ve all felt the sting of feeling invisible while shopping or reaching out to someone and hearing absolutely nothing back. We send the email, send the text, ask the question, send the estimate, offer the idea, or walk into the store and then nothing … no “hello,” no “yes,” no “no.” Not even a “got it.”

We start questioning ourselves. Did we do something wrong? Did they see us? Was our response off? Was it even real? The strange part is we don’t always disappear anymore. Sometimes we pretend something didn’t happen while standing right in the middle of it.

We are experiencing a crisis of connection.

The desire for connection doesn’t stop at how we communicate with one another. It extends to the experiences we create and the way we make people feel when they interact with a brand.

Consumers are telling us human interaction still matters. PwC’s 2025 Customer Experience Survey found that 86 percent of consumers say human interaction is moderately or very important to their brand experience. 2026 research from The Harris Poll found that 73 percent of adults ages 18–64 prefer products or retailers that engage them through in-person experiences or local events. We have more ways to communicate than ever before, yet people are still looking for reasons to connect with one another in the real world.

Changing that behavior starts with something really simple: being a kind human again. 

A simple act of connection. Answer the message. Return the call. Say “no” when the answer is no. Admit you forgot. Have the conversation instead of pretending it didn’t happen. Give the person, colleague, friend or customer in front of you the one thing technology still can’t manufacture: your attention.

When we do, there is an amazing shift. We feel seen and respected. Trust begins to grow just from paying attention, and that trust will grow beyond the interaction or transaction.

Let’s stop treating every day like Halloween. Let’s drop the masks and stop disappearing when things get uncomfortable.

Remember — humans need humans to feel human.