The pandemic may have broken many things, but it did not break the resolve of our people. We have been blown away by the countless stories of small business owners, artists, creatives and folks in every profession. The resilience and the ability to pivot to survive has been beyond inspiring and below we’ve shared stories of how folks have adapted their business models and ways of operating.

Cecilia Claudio-Torres

The event and wedding planning business took a serious hit during the pandemic. A lot of weddings postponed multiple times, some were canceled. Many vendors, especially those with perishable products like food and flowers closed their doors, some temporarily and others permanently. In our case, we worked with our customers to either revamp their wedding event to a mini-moon (our pivot moment!) or to honor the contract in good faith and help them re-plan their weddings when things were better. Read more>>

Sheila Shokraee

I have started my business at the most uncertain time during pandemic. The desire to try and thrive in building a business which I was passionate about, made me go for it. Ironically, the norms and necessities of COVID created a road map for me to shape the features of my product offerings. Read more>>

Paul Rowan

My entire business changed from Covid. My regular 9-5 job went to a Hybrid schedule, allowing me 2-3 free days each week, which opened a lot of doors. Before Covid, almost all my art jobs were painting and caricature commissions, which were not as steady. I hadn’t done much of any digital work the prior few years, and once Covid hit, I had time to be at a desk working digitally and switched to full-time digital art. Read more>>

Wendy Woo

Before the pandemic musical opportunities were drying up. I had been playing in Colorado for 25 years and I think things just slowed down. I was looking for a new career path and I went and got my EMT license. Unfortunately, after I graduated there was no EMT work to be found. No one was hiring anyone without 2 years prior experience. So I went back to bartending and waiting tables at the age of 49. Read more>>

LaAlishia Gilbert

Before the world shut down due to Covid, I had decided to expand my business. Business was booming, and I never turned a customer away. The only downfall was the lack of a social life. I taught group yoga 4-5 days each week, scheduled microblading sessions afterwards, and still found time to include private yoga classes. Keep in mind, I still had a full-time job! Needless to say, I was on a mission! I had no days off. Read more>>

C.R. Defuoco

As a Chef and Culinarian, I have seen a major change in a restaurants ability to survive. There’s always been the challenge of profitability and keeping up with the trends while maintaining the highest quality product and guest experience. Right now, the biggest challenge is staffing. I know this has become a redundant topic but it’s become a serious problem in our industry. There are too many other careers that aren’t as hard on the mind and body, so only the most dedicated are left. Leaving a huge hole in most kitchens. Read more>>

Cameron Capri

We opened up our restaurant 3 weeks before Covid shut most businesses down. The good news is, we didn’t have a chance to get used to the business model, the bad news is we wasted a lot of time creating a model we never go to use. Quick back story, I opened this new shiny restaurant in the small town I grew up in, but hadn’t worked in since I was in high school. So for me this was a homecoming of sorts. The plan was a small intimate BBQ joint to help bring family, friends, and community together. See, to me food is a multicultural language that helps bring people together. Read more>>

Susan Deetman

I remember it well: the day the Pandemic hit the Residential Real Estate market HARD. March 17th, 2020 I pulled over curbside to ponder, as I was tuned into news on my car radio. Governor Newsom put into play: that because Housing was essential, Residential Realtors were to be considered “Essential Workers.” Same time he mandated there could be no public Open Houses. This was put into effect immediately and mandated for roughly 15 mos–thru July 2021. Read more>>

Sherry Gangel

Covid has changed Bee Organized San Diego in many ways. Professional Organizers are in the client’s home working in close proximity and cannot always socially distance. Therefore, Bee Organized San Diego takes every precaution to ensure we are not exposing our clients to Covid or other airborne illnesses. Upon the client’s request, we wear N95 masks, and ask that the client do so as well. We also ensure that all our employees are fully vaccinated and boosted. Read more>>