What a week...and it's only Tuesday.
Yesterday brought unprecedented changes to our lives. Though I had taken this outbreak seriously, I could not have foreseen how quickly it would change my life and the lives of those people I care about. In the last two years, Laura and I have worked to make Fretless Marketing a business that supports those in our business community who we thought had a positive impact by helping with their digital communication strategies. We love our clients and many of the people involved with those businesses have become friends.
It is for us and them that I hope that everyone is ordering delivery, doing curbside takeout and buying as many gift cards as possible.
Specifically, I hope you grab a growler and some bacon from Northbound, pick up or order some pasta to be delivered from DeGidio's, try some Bourbon or Fresas from Copperwing (available at many liquor stores or at the Distillery) and book a stay-cation at the AC Hotel by Marriott West End.
That all being said, all of our lives are probably going to be affected in the coming weeks by this. Those of us who have small businesses in, or are servicing those in, the restaurant, hospitality, entertainment, and related fields are all going to be hurting. There’s a lot of fear regarding current events, I have felt it today in ways I was not expecting and it’s hard not knowing what tomorrow might bring.
My ask to anyone reading this is:
If you have financial stability right now, find something or someone to buy from or help out. That might be purchasing your favorite local musician’s album on their website, or it might be grabbing a gift card for a local restaurant. Perhaps you order some corned-beef from Northbound and pick up a growler instead of buying a 12-pack of Guinness tonight?
For myself, I’d ask that if you are in a position that you need social media, live-streaming, A/V, web-design, graphic design, or need general marketing strategy work done, that you’d reach out to myself or Laura.
In times like these, when we all are separated by physical distance, the value of digital communication becomes all the more important as a way of solidifying our social and cultural framework. I love telling the stories of these great businesses and I know that together we will all make it through this. The creativity shown by the business community in our state has both humbled and amazed me and I know that the underlying current of innovation that makes Minnesota’s food, beverage, and hospitality industries so special will not be stimied as we move through these dark times.
P.S. - I also have many friends in the event industry, and if there is one thing that I know, it’s that those folks know how to adapt to changing circumstances, but also need support. These are tough times but I know we will make our way through them together.