Jenny Eisenhauer
2020 TPPA President

Sophia Lane, a past Texas School instructor, posted on her Facebook page this week, “What has been the best thing AND the worst thing for you since the start of COVID?” For me, the best was the fact that the family now eats at home. Sure, I could say I love to cook and we eat near gourmet meals (or did at first when we could find meat to buy at the store) or maybe that we enjoyed saving money from not grabbing quick meals while racing from one event to another. Honestly though, it is sometimes overwhelming to know that two teenage boys are expecting to NOT be hungry at the end of the day, and I prefer that they not mow through six boxes of Lucky Charms each day. But we are together, at home, and sometimes they cook for me. Life can be pretty darn amazing.

So, if the worst part of this “2020 Pandemic” could also be the best part of the pandemic, how are you managing? Have you taken time to refocus, rework, and possibly change your business model in these changing times? Have you used this time to update, revamp, or catch up? Did you find yourself keeping the computer off and spending time with family, cleaning, and making improvements on your home and studio?

My hope for you is that you are not just surviving, but thriving. 2020 may be the year of the pandemic but it may also be the year of the family. More people have purchased bikes, gone camping, spent time at the lake, started home improvement projects together, learned to play an instrument, gone on day trips, and spent more time with their family than probably ever before. May we as storytellers be ready to etch these moments for all time. May we be mentally prepared to do our best for our clients. May our skills be sharp, our equipment be dusted off, and our batteries be charged.

I have come to hate the word “pivot.” Seeming overused in these changing times, it doesn’t do justice in my mind to our industries business owners. Some have planned for such a time as this. Others have been imaginative with how to boost sales online. Many have lost weddings, events, and volume business as people just can’t be together. Whatever your situation, now is a great time to reach out to your TPPA fellow members and ask questions, find solutions and make adjustments to your business to prepare for the future.

Wishing you joy and peace as we all do our best to navigate these trying times.

All the best,
Jenny Rhea Eisenhauer
TPPA President