From This Collection

This northern Michigan retailer is banking on a summer with lots of foot traffic

May 14, 2021
Annie Lang Hartman, owner of Compass Paper Co., is preparing for a busy post-pandemic season.
Annie Lang Hartman's Compass Paper Co. shop. She says tourists have already come to the area, even though it's still early in the season.
Courtesy Annie Lang Hartman

Raising prices helped this greens farmer stay afloat

May 11, 2021
Scott Snair raised his prices before the pandemic shut down travel. When things got tough, that decision helped him stay in business.
Scott Snair purchased his Hawaii produce business in late 2019, shortly before travel dropped off and his restaurant clients stopped buying.
Courtesy Scott Snair

How one primary care doctor found her role in the fight against COVID-19

May 3, 2021
Physician and writer Suzanne Koven deleted an email requesting volunteers before changing her mind.
A sign in support of healthcare workers in Boston, Massachusetts on April 04, 2020. “I know this sounds really strange, but I can think of fewer happier times in my career,” said Dr. Suzanne Koven, a writer and physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Admins' Day is a pandemic bright spot for this florist

Apr 20, 2021
Last year, a busy Administrative Professionals' Day assured florist Miles Johnson that his business would survive the pandemic.
"When the new post-pandemic order settles in, we'll definitely be back and having more weddings and events," said Miles Johnson, owner of Fiori Floral Design.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

At this toy shop, the kids are finally coming back

Apr 7, 2021
Irene Kesselman, owner of Ali Cat Toys in North Carolina, describes what she's seeing this spring.
Ali Cat Toys made over 50 Easter baskets, Irene Kesselman said, with "a lot of stuffed bunnies and rabbits and lambs."
Courtesy of Irene Kesselman

An epidemiologist reflects on her pandemic child care decision

Apr 5, 2021
“I think I made the best decision I could,” said Whitney Robinson, a professor and public health expert.
When schools and day cares shut down last spring, epidemiologist Whitney Robinson faced a choice.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images

“Dog and human alike, we just have to figure it out”

Mar 26, 2021
Dogs returning to pet-care facilities are acting differently than before the pandemic.
Tara Robertson, owner of PupStars Pet Care in Chicago, works with one of her canine customers.
Courtesy of Tara Robertson

For public good, not for profit.

For this stationery retailer, it's been a sympathy card kind of year

Mar 23, 2021
A Michigan stationery retailer saw a big sales trend last year: sympathy cards with a "We're in this together" message.
"Our 'Thinking of you' or sympathy cards just took off," Annie Lang Hartman said. "Ours are kind of more cheeky and funny, kind of like 'We're in this together.'"
Courtesy of Annie Lang Hartman

Seattle retailer reflects on a year without in-person shopping

Mar 9, 2021
Things still feel strange for Cat Wilcox, co-owner of women's boutique Velouria. She misses day-to-day interactions with customers.
A store owner opens her clothing shop in Germany on March 9 as lockdown measures ease.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images

For this fly-fishing outfitter, demand is outpacing supply

Feb 26, 2021
Has fly fishing become too popular during the pandemic? A Georgia outfitter shares his story about keeping up with demand.
People "go fishing a lot more than they used to," says Gary Merriman, who owns a fly-fishing store. "Everybody wants to be outside."
Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images