Cookiers Helping Cookiers in the Time of COVID-19, Part 2: A Live Zoom Chat

Let’s get together! Please join me and Julia on May 30, 10 am central time (CT) for the SECOND chat in Cookie Connection’s “Cookiers Helping Cookiers in the Time of COVID-19” series. This time, we’re changing up our usual text-based chat format and doing a live Zoom meeting! We would love to actually SEE and TALK to you all!

The situation we are all facing at this time seems to be changing every day. Our lives have been upended personally and professionally. We checked in last month to see how things were going - how you were doing emotionally, what challenges you were facing, and how you’ve adapted to the situation. We were inspired to hear how so many of you had quickly pivoted your cookie businesses to help manage through the pandemic. (Read our past transcript here.)

We’re meeting again to see what has changed since then. Our Cookie Connection family is still here to offer support and encouragement. Are we facing the same challenges that we were one month ago? How are you feeling as more stay-at-home orders are easing and local businesses are opening back up? Are you making yet more adaptations to your businesses or have you found a new normal? Let’s get together to vent, share ideas, lend support, and encourage one another. You may feel alone, but you’re not!

In the call, I’ll be asking you a series of questions. I would love for you to contribute actively to the discussion, so I’m providing the questions now (at the end of this post) to allow you time to give them some thought.

But, first some meeting logistics! To keep things orderly in the meeting (which can be tough in the Zoom format with lots of people), I’ve got a few ground rules:

1. Prepare for the meeting by getting acquainted with how Zoom works (and the features we'll be using) by reading this post. It's truly easy!
2. To enter the meeting, just click on this link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86291502869) at the appointed time (again, May 30, 10 am CT) and wait to be admitted to the room by our moderator, Julia. Room capacity is 100, so we believe we’ve got plenty of space. We expect the chat to run about 1 hour, and, because we have a prepared agenda, we hope you will be prompt. Interruptions mid-meeting may be difficult for Julia to handle.
3. All microphones will start on mute, so we don’t begin by talking over one another!
4. The meeting will also be recorded so we can post the recording on Cookie Connection when the chat is over. If you don’t want to be seen, then do not opt to turn on your device’s video before entering the room, just its audio.
5. I’ll start with some welcome remarks and by asking you to introduce yourselves. Julia will assist by opening up your mics one at a time, and calling on you round-robin style.
6. Then we’ll proceed through each of the questions in the same round-robin style, with you raising your hands (using the Zoom hand-raising feature) and Julia calling on you (i.e., unmuting you) in the order hands were raised. Please try to limit responses to a minute or less, so everyone has equal air time.
7. Once all of the questions have been asked, I’ll open up all of the mics for a more free-form discussion, to make sure any additional questions or comments get raised.
8. If mayhem breaks loose anywhere between points 1 and 7, we’ll just adapt, and that will be part of the fun!

Now, here are the questions we will be asking during the meeting . . .

1. What's your name, where do you live, how do you participate in cookies (i.e., as a hobbyist vs. professional; by selling cookies, teaching, and/or designing or selling cookie products?), and how long have you been involved that way in cookies?
2. How, if at all, has the situation where you live changed in the last month with regard to stay-at-home orders, businesses allowed to be open, how businesses are allowed to operate, etc.?
3. Has your business changed in the last month? If so, how? If you are not in business, has your cookie making changed in the last month, and, if so, how?
4. Has your outlook on the situation changed? Are you feeling better or worse than you did a month ago?
5. Have you done anything during this time to benefit your cookie making or business (i.e., learned new things, practiced skills, worked on aspects of your business, etc.)?
6. Do you think the cookie community will return to normal in a few months, or that it will be fundamentally and forever changed? How, if at all, are you planning ahead, professionally and personally, for the future that you envision?
7. Do you have any words of encouragement to give to your fellow cookiers, personally or professionally?
8. Do you have a question for me, Julia, or the group?

We can't wait to REALLY see you on May 30 at 10 am CT on Zoom! Again, just click this link (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86291502869) to enter the Zoom meeting room at that time. And, please review this link BEFORE the meeting to get acquainted with Zoom mechanics and features.