Moments of crisis often provide opportunities for clarity because we reexamine assumptions we had been taking for granted. We asked folks if they had any epiphanies recently and we’ve highlighted some of their responses below.

Mercedes Cool | Actor

The severity of Covid-19 took us all by surprise. Growing up with a parent in the medical field, I felt the knowledge I had attained placed me in a better position for what was coming but I never thought we would reach the point of a global shutdown. Its weird to think that just 3 months ago, the word “quarantine” wasn’t part of my daily dialogue, and “social-distancing” wasn’t a thing. At first, I underestimated the affects of quarantine. I fought hard to stay on track with the tight work schedules I created for myself but became stressed when I failed to meet my deadlines. Read more>>

Melanie Farris | Artist

At the beginning of 2020, I took on many new roles in my art career. Many of which had me spreading myself too thin and focusing on projects that did not allow creative freedom. I was spending less and less time on my own work and it caused me to feel overwhelmed and unfulfilled. Once Covid-19 hit, all of the extra projects I had taken on came to a screeching halt. The lock down made me very anxious about the state of the world. However, I was relieved to be able to put 110% of my focus into creating new art that fulfilled my purpose, During this new found time in my studio. Read more>>

Natalie + Sarah Knowlton | Co-Founders & Sisters

With 75% of our business being dependent on the events industry, the COVID-19 Crisis has forced us to think differently and focus our energy on our online sales / direct-to-consumer macaron products. During this pandemic, we’ve had our highs and lows…. at some point, we decided to shift our perspective and focus on the things that we HAVE and try to make the most of them. So we took an inventory of our combined assets and skillsets to dream up new streams of revenue and products/services we can offer. Read more>>

Caitlyn Juarez | Wedding Photographer & Entrepreneur

YES. After Covid-19 hit, my photography business completely hit a wall – all of my weddings and sessions were re-scheduled to later dates and I realized that I wouldn’t have income for at least 2 months. So of course I sat in my feelings for a couple of days, feeling a lot of self-pity and anxiety. But I slowly realized that I had put all of my eggs in one income basket, to speak. And being self-employed, that was a huge mistake. I needed to start thinking like an entrepreneur and that meant encompassing multiple streams of income and finding creative ways to make money during all of this. Read more>>