In March of 2020 there was a moment of widespread panic – it wasn’t just about public health, it was also economic. Would our economy survive a prolonged pandemic? A few years in the answer is clear – it did survive and it was able to because of the spirit and the resolve of our people. Hard working mom and pops working overtime to implement new revenue streams for the businesses, artists and creators finding new ways to collaborate and share their art with their fans and folks from every neighborhood in the country finding ways to adapt and carry on. We wanted to honor those stories by creating a space to share those stories and you’ll find some of the below.

Rachel Sellick

Prior to COVID-19, I ran an independent artist management company, called Scarlet River PR. I worked with one or two artists at a time, and was responsible for the everyday happenings of those artists, and it was a lot – I have a lot of respect for managers, that’s for sure! Once lockdown hit, I was fascinated by the transition to online promotion. Read more>>

Tisha Taylor

Covid made me change my business in a way I never imagined. Before Covid my business consisted of me being a FacePainter and Balloon and I only worked on the weekends. While working a second job during the week. Once Covid hit I couldn’t work either job. So I had to figure out a way to make money . That’s when I decided that I had to paint again. Read more>>

Damon Duster

COVID impacted everyone, every industry, and every Country. From 2020 to present it has slowed the turn around time down for vinyl records. There is multiple reasons for this. First off, the world shutdown but demand for products didn’t which helped contribute to the world wide supply chain issues. Orders where piling up for records while materials were either dwindling or simply not available. Read more>>

LaTasha Benn

Love Your Beauty, LLC originally started as a makeup & skincare business. I started doing makeup in 2005 and became a licensed esthetician in 2012. At that point, I launched Love Your Beauty, LLC with a mission to encourage women to feel confident and beautiful with or without makeup. Read more>>

Mike Kukuris

I was working an 8-5 at a place I was really unhappy at. I was helping increase sales by creating short commercials and advertisements to run for their products. Although I wasn’t happy there, I was good at it. Read more>>

Chelsi Nason

Covid changed my esthetician business model tremendously – due to various factors related to suite relocation and spa employment opportunities, I shifted my esthetician business to a virtual focus. This allowed me to use my license in a new way by exploring business opportunities apart from the traditional treatment room. Read more>>

Joely Vargas-Anderson

COVID definitely changed my business for the better. During COVID I was managing a bakery in downtown Chicago. We were forced to close down for two months and stay home. Well, I had a small business that I started 10years before but my customers were mostly friends and family as I was always too busy to take on too many orders. Read more>>