What do you wish you had known when 2020 started that would have made the March transition any easier? Who have you been looking to for guidance? What pivot points have you made, and will you continue to implement them? What have you learned about yourself through this time? How quickly have you become a tech expert with Zoom, GoToMeeting or other pieces of technology?
Shannon Sauer-Zavala
“All of the uncertainty around dealing with this pandemic is a natural trigger for anxiety, whether it’s worry about contracting the virus or fears about the future of one’s business,” said Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky. She has been providing therapy for a decade, but recently had her first experience with telehealth, using the secure business version of Zoom. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to replicate the in-office therapy experience online,” she said.
Sauer-Zavala is conducting a clinical trial on personalized treatment for anxiety and depression “to help people suffering from these conditions to feel better, faster,” she said. They are currently recruiting applicants for the trial, with no cost for services to those who are selected to participate (tips.as.uky.edu/participate).
“All of the uncertainty around dealing with this pandemic is a natural trigger for anxiety, whether it’s worry about contracting the virus or fears about the future of one’s business.” —Shannon Sauer-Zavala, Ph.D.
Mandy Eakins, a certified professional dog trainer and owner of Manners Matter Dog Training and Daycare in Nicholasville (mannersmatterky.com), moved all private lessons and group classes to an online format in March.
McClure Photography
Mandy Eakins
“I wish I had put more into my online offerings, but it was never a big request,” she said. “I’m spending time on setting up online options versus actually being able to market them. I need to do a better job of helping my clients understand how dog training truly works. It’s not about me working with their dog specifically. It’s about me teaching them how to teach their dog.”
Eakins and her staff made adjustments to drop-off and pick-up procedures to halt public traffic into the building. “Luckily our business is considered essential for animal care and we can continue to operate, but we have taken a hit,” she said. And although not having a clear end date to the mandates has made it hard, the experience has taught her that she’s stronger than she thought. “I have been proud of myself and my ability to change in a moment of panic,” she said. “I’ve also learned what a comfort myself and my care team are to our clients.”
Kayti McMyermick started getting postponement and cancellation emails on March 12 for Cosmic Charlie’s (cosmic-charlies.com). She is the operations manager of the independent live-music venue on Loudon Avenue. “The livestream was an idea I ran with immediately utilizing a phone (and laptop webcam) to start with, and quickly moving into high-quality video and audio,” she said.
From left, Cosmic Charlie owner John Tresaloni, operations manager Kayti McMyermick, and sound engineer Eric McMyermick pose outside the music club, which is live-streaming performances online.
With the building closed to the public, the company is losing the majority of its business revenue from bar sales. “The revenue from these shows, split 50/50 with each night’s artists, will hopefully continue to be just enough to keep our essential bills paid until we can reopen,” McMyermick said. In the meantime, the staff is out of work, including those who run the online concerts.
“This time has really lent itself to the DIY attitude,” she said. “There’s something about being able to make it work during a crisis. It’s something I’ve always strived to be able to accomplish. If nothing else, make it work.”
Adcolor (adcolorinc.com) is a manufacturer of printed graphics, with the equipment and expertise for converting plastic materials into custom parts by way of die-cutting and digital cutting. “We are redeploying this experience and technology to manufacture face shields for the first-responder and medical communities, as well as to help with corporate requests,” said CEO Dave Messner.
Adcolor customer service representative Linda Kersey demonstrates one of the face shields the company is manufacturing for healthcare workers.
On the first Friday of April, Adcolor shipped out 5,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, in the form of polycarbonate face shields, to hospitals, convenience stores and universities in different states. Because of its relationships with customers in the defense sector, Adcolor is considered to be part of the Defense Industrial Base Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce, according to Department of Homeland Security guidance. “We have been asked to continue to operate and keep supply chains uninterrupted,” Messner said, adding of the production, “It’s a satisfying thing that we are able to put them in the hands of people who need them.”
As a campground and event facility on a 100-acre holler near Berea, HomeGrown HideAways (HomeGrownHideAways.org) has been a seasonal business since 2008, slowing down only in winter. Until 2020, that is. Owners Jessa and Nathan Turner were planning a summer concert series and had been collaborating with local educators for on-farm workshops that, along with lodging bookings, are on hold for the time being.
Nathan and Jessa Turner, owners of HomeGrown HideAways in Berea
“It’s both heartbreaking and inspiring to see how our friends with small businesses have been handling these drastic changes with grace and hope,” she said. “One thing is certain, we probably wouldn’t have used our tax return to build a dance floor in the pavilion, but at least we’re ready to throw one hell of a party as soon as we get the all-clear.”