RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2021
4
Eliana Barriga
eliana@retailobserver.com
To a balanced life,
APRIL 2021, VOLUME 32, ISSUE 4
CELEBRATING OUR 32
ST
YEAR
AS THE RETAIL OBSERVER
PUBLISHER/MANAGING EDITOR
E LIANA BARRIGA
DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING
MOE LASTFOGEL
ART DIRECTOR
TERRY PRICE
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
KRISTEN CARD
RENEE GALIOTO
WILLIAM GLADE
MARIO JUAREZ
GENNA MAJUTA
STEVEN MORRIS
MELISSA STENSON
JOHN TSCHOHL
RICK WEINBERG
ALAN WOLF
DEADLINE FOR JUNE 2021 ISSUE:
MAY 1, 2021
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THE RETAIL
I
ndependent retailers and small business owners juggle the challenges, as
well as the benefits, of working with family and friends day in and day out. It's
these close knit relationships and the level of trust and loyalty formed
throughout the years that impact the state of the business at any given time.
I have worked from home 90% of my adult life and know all too well the
struggles of juggling both family life alongside running/keeping a business
healthy and strong. It's a huge challenge to say the least!
And if that wasn't challenging enough… enter 2020 — the year that our entire
world changed. Every business, family and person on the planet has been
deeply impacted, turning many lives upside down.
It was sudden and immediate. Problem. Reaction. Solution. Businesses were
shuttered. Assembly lines stopped production. Corporate closed their offices,
requiring many employees to implement a work-from-home model. Solution
strategies were implemented virtually overnight, with minimal time for businesses
to efficiently plan for a smooth transition. Communications broke down in the
transition to home offices due to security and privacy concerns. Frustration is
high even to this day as many businesses are still limping along with broken and
inefficient systems. The way we have had to do everything over the last year has
changed not only how we do business, but how we do life.
As stressful as it has been, there is a silver lining many of us are discovering
on this journey. For many, this has been a time of soul searching during this
transition period. We're discovering the ability to get more work done in far less
time without the water cooler distractions, allowing us more time for life's little
pleasures. Th sire to go back to the old way of working is losing its allure for
some, as we find a greater sense of balance and quality of life.
Running a family-owned business reminds us each and every day that
relationships are what matters most. The need and desire to connect by coming
together with both family and friends, as well as our customers and clients is
more important now than ever. Honoring humanness is the key to success. It
not only makes us better in business, ultimately it makes us better as people.
So, yes, sometimes our businesses may temporarily suffer because of how
closely our relationships are interwoven with them. But most of the time, these
relationships are the foundation — the very reason why we flourish.
BALANCING
WORK, LIFE & FAMILY
Elle's View As I See It
