Page 77 - BusinessWest September 28, 2020

Ecosystem
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mentors for that program, which has thus far created dozens of effective matches.
Leah Kent and Melissa Paciulli comprise one such match. The for- mer is a writer and book designer who also helps other writers with the process of getting published, while the latter is director of the STEM Starter Academy at Holyoke Com- munity College. Kent described the relationship as an intriguing, and effective, collision of science and creativity.
“We can understand each other quite well, but we bring different strengths,” she explained. “That com- plementary pairing has been so fan- tastic. In my work, she’s really honed in on the way that I help readers finish their manuscripts and get their work published.”
The two were part of the cohort that launched last March; the kickoff gathering was on March 12, and the next day, schools were shut down, and much of the business world ground to
Agencies
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They’ve continued the calls to check in and to remind clients about policy renewals.
a halt. Kent’s original mentor was not able to continue participating because of the pandemic, so she was reas- signed, if that’s the right word, to Paci- ulli, whom she credits with taking her
preneurs and they’re coachable, and they take action on your direction, because it’s an iterative process of find- ing your product, getting it to market, and pivoting when you need to ... it’s
phy-Romboletti said it’s been a contin- uous run of challenges that have tested them — and her agency — in every way imaginable.
In many ways, COVID-19 and everything it has thrown at these businesses only reinforces what she pretty much already knew.
“What always inspires me about entrepreneurs is that, if you tell them ‘no,’ they just say, ‘OK, let me find out a way to make this work,’” she said.
Many have been doing just that, providing more evidence of their resiliency and more reminders of the importance of the entrepreneur- ship ecosystem to this region and its
future.
The pandemic has slowed some
things down and added to the already- long list of hurdles entrepreneurs have to clear, but it certainly hasn’t stopped people like Nicole Ortiz — and count- less others — from getting down to business. u
George O’Brien can be reached at [email protected]
return to their respective offices, the spaces are all being reconfigured to fol- low the current pandemic safety guide- lines. Temperature checks, hand sani- tizer, and other precautions are all part of the new normal.
Still, according to Long, one thing that doesn’t change is the role of the insurance agent.
“Our job is to protect your potential financial loss as best as we can,” he said, while cautioning against looking at insurance protection as a commod- ity. “It’s not about getting the cheapest insurance; it’s about getting the most value out of your insurance.”
Helping customers achieve that goal hasn’t been easy this year, but it’s a task that continues at all area insurance agencies — if sometimes a bit differ- ently than before. u
Cardillo is planning a series of recog- nition ceremonies for her staff in the coming weeks.
“We had people who got very
sick, and our staff did some beautiful things,” she said. “Sometimes it was just sitting with a resident and holding their hand. Their families were really touched by it.”
With the pandemic still a daily real- ity, Cardillo said she and her colleagues are better prepared if there is another flare-up of the virus.
“We hope it doesn’t happen, but we’re ready if it does.” u
“When you’re working with entrepreneurs and they’re coachable, and they take action on your direction, because it’s an iterative process of finding your product, getting it to market, and pivoting when you need to ... it’s a super-cool experience to be part of one’s journey in that way.”
As valuable as modern tools are to keeping in touch, certain personal dynamics get lost dur- ing a pandemic. In the past, Long would often get together with other managers in Axia’s offices across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and he has missed doing so since the pandemic.
outside her comfort zone and helping her set the bar higher professionally and personally.
Paciulli said Kent is her second match through WIT, and one of many business owners and students she has mentored over the years. She finds the work invigorating and rewarding, espe- cially when the mentee is coachable and open-minded — like Kent.
“When you’re working with entre-
bringing a new employee on board. “You want to invite someone into
the culture of your company, but they can’t be there to experience it,” he said. “Part of a new job is the work, and part
a super-cool experience to be part of one’s journey in that way,” she said. “When they’re coachable and they’re action-oriented — and she is — it’s awesome.”
Where There’s a Will...
Summing up what the past seven months or so have been like for entre- preneurs and small businesses, Mur-
re-entry to the office. She acknowl- edges some families need at least one parent at home for schooling reasons, but her greatest concern is that every- one becomes too comfortable staying
“
are not rushing this. When the time comes, we need to get back
Right now we have a re-entry date of mid-November, so we
because we still need to have a presence in our office.
”
“We have a culture of being
a close-knit organization, and when you are not in contact with people on a regular basis, some of that culture seems to dissipate,” he said. “We use videoconferencing, but it’s not quite the same.”
Trudeau cited another culture chal- lenge resulting from the pandemic:
Senior
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Winter Is Coming
Seven months into the pandemic, and with fall and winter coming, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs is allowing senior-living facilities to per- mit indoor visitation to specific areas of the building.
Moran said the Atrium will use office space in its main building to screen visitors and supply full PPE. She plans to limit visits to 30 minutes and restrict visitors to meeting in the front areas of the building.
A similar visitor policy will be in effect at Rockridge, which is about to
of it is walking around, meeting people, and creating the feeling of a social con- nection with your co-workers.”
Gradual Return
Calling it a “soft approach,” Vas- sallo is talking with her staff about
install an air-purification system to
use in common areas. The idea is to monitor air quality to make sure those areas are safe, especially as they begin to open the dining area and allow more visitors
“We are trying to find the right balance between mitigating risk and enhancing the quality of life for every- one here,” Tamilio said.
As the weather gets cooler, Cardillo is looking forward to bringing activities such as exercise classes indoors. There will be limits on the number of people who can participate at any one time, but that’s just part of life in these times.
She reflected on the challenges
home.
“Right now we have a re-entry date
of mid-November, so we are not rush- ing this,” she said. “When the time comes, we need to get back because we still need to have a presence in our office.”
As staff from all three agencies
facilities like hers faced with the sud- den arrival of the pandemic back in March, and how far they’ve come. “At the beginning, we were all learning together at the same time. With all that we’ve learned since then, we have a much better handle on things now.”
She said residents are in a much better frame of mind these days, with no COVID-19 cases reported in months.
All the administrators we spoke with said a spirit of cooperation — with everyone pitching in and constantly doing more than expected — has
been a true highlight of these last six months. To acknowledge that spirit,
BusinessWest
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SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 37