Coping During COVID-19

How are you? No, really. How are you dealing with the “new normal” of living through a pandemic? I hope you answered with, “I’m okay.” or “We’re hanging in there.” I wish you and your loved ones good health, safety, and security during these troubling times. As we get through this together, I wanted to share a list of ten things that have helped me cope during COVID-19:

1. Peloton: Those that know me well will be surprised to learn that I use my Peloton daily. It has been an escape and daily stress reliever during the pandemic—and quite the lifesaver! And it is not just the bike; the content includes outdoor programming, yoga, meditation, and family-friendly exercises. Peloton currently offers one month of free programming with its app; for $100 off of a bike, click here and use referral code NQNJH9.

2. Passion Planner: With a company value of “get one, give one,” this tool is so much more than a planner. It is how I organize my days, keep myself accountable, reach for goals, and journal feelings. In a world full of so much technology, it’s incredible to write down my thoughts and even be creative. Access an incredible library of free downloads here. If you’re looking for a digital tool for daily reflection, check out the Five-Minute Journal here.

3. Shutterfly: Staying closer to home has certainly lent itself to checking items off our to-do lists, including my goal to stay current with annual photo albums. I’ve enjoyed documenting memories and taking the time to appreciate life (even in COVID-land) through this process. Click here to start a free Shutterfly book of your own.

4. Reading: 2020’s new year’s intention was to read a non-fiction book each month. From Brené Brown’s Gifts of Imperfection to Seth Godin’s This is Marketing, I’ve liked getting out of my reading comfort zone to gain knowledge or hone my skills. (Now that it’s August, I’ve got five more books to check out this year. Any recommendations? Drop me a line!)

5. Streaming: It’s safe to say many of us are caught up on our favorite shows and then some. As an extrovert, I’m amazed at how much I now look forward to being home watching Netflix or Hulu—from nostalgic content like The Babysitters Club and Hallmark Channel-like Sweet Magnolias to edgier fare like Ozark and Spinning Out to favorites like Younger.

6. Tovala: Speaking of things to look forward to in the evenings, I now am pumped to fix dinner in this smart oven. It’s like a Blue Apron or Freshly service, except the healthy meal options are pre-prepared and convenient for my husband and me. Learn more about this high-tech kitchen essential here.

7. Happy Hours: Have you been on any great Zoom happy hours? I’ve been fortunate to experience both a virtual wine tasting from the vineyard and a bourbon mixology class. For an easy-to-plan networking event, consider shipping wine through a service like Winc to invitees, then hosting a virtual get-together to explore flavors.

8. Care Packages: This is a fun one: send friends, loved ones, and clients coronavirus care packages. I recently created a summer version complete with hand sanitizer, masked emoji cookies, Who Gives a Crap toilet paper, and a handwritten note. One of my clients responded with, “You are the BEST! Thank you so much for the gift basket.” Why not use this time to let your people know you care?

9. Hiking: I’ve always loved exploring far-off places, yet enjoying a hike through the great outdoors is a new joy for me. Did you know that America’s National Parks even have a passport program? Learn more here and hike to it!

10. Pool: What a refreshing pastime: ten feet of distance soaking up the sun! Add a chilled White Claw, and perfection!

As I bounced around the idea of this list, I wondered how I would position it. Would I send these ideas to friends only or post on my personal Facebook page? Then, I thought about my brand. My brand values are being open, fun, friendly…and to be helpful to my clients and community. In that vein, I share these ten coping mechanisms that I’ve relied on during the pandemic.

Personal? Yes. A bit different than my typical blogs? Certainly. Yet I hope these might spark some joy within your life and perhaps inspire something wonderful.

Menu of Services: May I Take Your Order?

Several of our clients have asked for a full menu of services. As a marketer, I’ve done everything from full campaign creation and execution to more specific project deliverables. For many clients, the added benefit of having a strategic marketing communications partner comes from the breadth of services we offer. We can either enhance your current team with high-level strategy and expertise…or fill in some gaps with our robust offerings detailed below.

Strategic marketing planning: What are your marketing objectives? This high-level planning helps outline deliverables, target audiences, specific channels, and desired outcomes.

Campaign creation and execution: Have an upcoming launch or effort that could use some extra love? We support full campaigns from creation to execution and can be your partner in throughout this process.

Brand identification and management: Does your perceived brand match the value proposition to your audience? We do brand work to streamline your “5 Ws”—Who, What, When, Where, and Why—into a compelling brand with an ongoing strategy into how to communicate it.

Strategic storytelling and copywriting: Need a writer who understands your story, as well as how to best present it? We’ve been told this is one of the best values we offer clients to best position their messaging in a compelling and articulate way.

Traditional marketing activities: Remember Marketing 101? We do and still like a good old-school (and appropriately-positioned) marketing piece when the mood hits. This includes content for press releases, direct mail pieces, brochures, articles, white papers, magazines, newsletters, postcards, testimonials, etc.

Digital marketing strategies: Do you tell a cohesive story about your brand across all digital channels? We can assist with messaging for web, social media channels, video scripting, mobile, e-blasts, etc. and offer full editorial calendar planning and digital posting services.

Event planning and management: Got a hot date on your calendar? We’ve planned happenings like sales meetings and customer appreciation nights, as well as done event marketing for fundraisers that brought in over $500,000.  

Analytics and reporting: Is there proof in the pudding? We believe it and can provide monthly analytics and reporting for stats like website traffic and social media channels.

All things to all people: Did we catch your attention? While we’d love to be able to do it all, we offer light website development/management and simple social media graphic design. We also have strategic partnerships with promotional product companies and talented webmasters and graphic designers.

Have a need not mentioned above? We can help you navigate the marketing landscape or even make a recommendation of a partner that can meet your needs. We like to think that we live our brand: bubbly, energetic, and full of ideas to help you meet your marketing and communications objectives.