Starting a Business During the Pandemic

This past year and a half has been interesting. Vaccinations have changed life dramatically. Being able to hug my grandkids with more gusto, probably much to their chagrin, since everyone has received their shots. Seeing book club friends for the first time in years brought smiles to my face and tears to my eyes. Resuming my volunteer work also feels so wonderful! Most of us are now adjusting to our new normal, including our grandchildren.

Young adults, like the older generation, were split in their reactions to the past year and a half. Some didn’t change their behavior at all and continued their large gatherings near and far without masks. Others were more mindful and followed the science, wearing masks, but possibly being a little too trusting of close friends in very small gatherings. I’ll never know exactly what our four grandkids did, but I do know they were careful around us.

How Our Grandkids Adapted

Remote learning was not an easy thing for two of our grandkids. They needed more of a focus and visuals, rather than a screen. They adjusted and still received good grades, but it was a challenge. A third grandchild worked on internships and had a wonderful time.

Our fourth grandchild is an entrepreneur and was able to adjust without missing a beat. When not in class, she zoned in on her creative talents and ran with her thoughts like a horse running wild in an open field. This granddaughter started her career by stitching designs on T-shirts. She asked if I had any requests. I told her I like flowers. I like splashes of color. I like the Black Lives Matter (BLM) campaign. I thought those ideas would give her a range of topics to work on and fill up her time, however, to be honest, I wasn’t sure she would create anything. I never knew she even knew what to do with a needle and thread as I was the grandma who sewed on buttons and hemmed clothing in a grandchild’s time of need.

Much to my surprise, within a week I had three T-shirts—a blue one with five white flowers on the front, a gray shirt with a stitched multi-colored Nike swoosh on it, and a light gray shirt displaying the BLM symbol. I was pleasantly surprised with her ability to create my new wardrobe, thrilled for her learning a new skill and excited to see her enthusiasm for her accomplishments. Her beaming smile from ear to ear was priceless and will forever be etched in my mind.

Starting Her Own Business

During the pandemic, our granddaughter has started her own company with a website and Instagram account. Her Etsy sales are slow but growing. Obviously, I’m not familiar with those social media methods. I am familiar with seeing her display her creations at her booth at Omaha’s Junkstock event. She’s moved beyond T-shirts to earrings, jewelry plates and more. Fortunately, I was able to assist her for several days running her booth. During that time, I observed her interacting with her customers and helping with their purchases.

She may never be a “Martha Stewart” nor would I want her to be, but she does have passion and a drive to create fun and creative items which sell. Creating a small start-up company is a huge feat. Doing so during a pandemic is nothing short of a miracle. Yep, she’s my granddaughter. I’m not creative, but I’ll take some credit just because I’m her grandma!