Kate Fitzgerald | Velvet Antler Productions | March 31, 2022

S2E17

 

Join Yukon Entrepreneur Kate Fitzgerald, co-owner and creative director of Velvet Antler Productions as we discuss what has been happening with them since our last interview in April 2020 near the very start of the pandemic.

 

(1:42) Kate shares their first memory of the pandemic. They specifically remember Friday, March 13th, 2020, and the rumblings of uncertainty at their work on whether a staff function planned that night was going to happen or get canceled.  They remember thinking something is about to happen and feeling like everyone was not looking far enough ahead.

 

(2:42) Looking at their business model, Kate has learned that applying the adaptability they have as an artist performing on stage to their real life and business helped to keep them going, along with their loyal client base that has stuck beside them.

 

(4:14) Thinking about leadership, as a business owner, Kate has learned the importance of listening when you’re leading.  They share the significance of taking time before heading in a direction and although they have had to pivot quickly and make quick decisions, they make sure to remember there is always time to take a breath and trust the people around you.

 

(5:09) Kate discusses some of the adaptations they are most proud of in their business.  When we last spoke with them, they had to cancel their classes and stop planning a show.  Being a performance and event-based business left them in a tough place when everything had to shut down.  They were able to keep teaching their classes by keeping their numbers small and have now since signed a lease for their own studio space that they have happily been in since November 2021.  When businesses were all going virtual, they went against the stream to open a brick-and-mortar location of their very own.

 

(8:58) Kate shares the most challenging public health measure being the more recent mandates in January of 2022 when the government essentially shut everything down.  Because they function as a recreational class, not as a gym, there were different rules which did not allow them to be open at that time. Prior to that, they kept it simple with small classes, wearing masks, and implementing a vaccine mandate when the cases spiked in summer of 2021 before it was mandated territorially which worked out well to keep them functional.

 

(13:40) Kate shares that they opted to not use any of the government related supports as in the beginning none of them fit what their business did, and then they had a fear of what would happen after they collected the money and then needed to pay it back.  Being a small business owner, they felt it would be easier to recover than worry about when the government is going to want their money back.

 

(15:20) Thinking about their business differently, Kate sees opportunity in growing the number of people and variety of ways to use their space.  They have been doing their registered classes, but they are looking into the possibility of memberships to the space, along with bringing their performances back.

 

(16:57) Kate shares that over the last couple years, they feel they have developed and strengthened skills without even noticing it, especially problem solving, adaptability and decision-making due to having to take ownership of many things.

 

(18:30) As the Yukon economy rebuilds, Kate hopes that we can all find safe and healthy ways to reconnect with one another in a real brick and mortar sense.  That people can connect collectively in spaces with other like-minded community members.

 

(19:20) Kate’s advice for emerging entrepreneurs? Try. Just do it. It will be hard, and you are going to work all the time, especially in the beginning.  Trust yourself and take a chance. If it is something that makes you happy and brings you that joy in life, do it.

 

(20:21) Kate reflects on a shift in their worldview during the pandemic. They share that they are a cynical person at best and the pandemic has not helped that in any way.  They do see a lot of wonderful people doing good things to connect and support each other on an individual level, however they share their disappointment in the collective.  We’re on the edge of a potential international war, climate disaster, economic downfall, failing justice systems, etc.  They share that they hope we learn something from it all.

 

(23:12) What wellness practice keeps Kate grounded?  Finding moments for themselves, even if just an extra thirty seconds before they get out of their vehicle to take a deep breath and say a kind word to themselves.

 

(24:16) Kate considers the wild ride the past two years have been and how it’s nice to reconnect and reflect on where we started and where we are at now. They express their gratitude for their great team and community that has helped them to get to where they are now.

 

Thank you for watching!

 

To learn more about Kate and Velvet Antler Productions, visit their website at:

https://velvetantlerproductions.com/