Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020 - 6

May-June 2020

e d i t o r ' s

n o t e

CHOOSING THE GLASS HALF FULL

s of press time, I was still hunkered down in my home. But maybe by
the time you get this magazine, I will have ventured out little by little
to see what I have been missing. Maybe a lot of you will have.
The month of April was stressful for all of us - some much more
than others - but I also found a sense of peace and fulfillment. Our
masthead question in this issue is regarding what you may have
learned during your stay-at-home experience. Aside from becoming an expert at the game of Qwixx (you really should check it out), I also fine-tuned
my skills at the art of communication.
As a collective whole, the world has had to take time off from the hustle
and bustle of their lives and really think about what we have been taking for
granted. For me personally, I have been able to enjoy spending time with
friends and loved ones in a whole new capacity. Instead of a quick text, email
or Facebook comment, I actually spoke to them "in person."
I got to virtually visit with all my girlfriends from college, and I hadn't
gotten together with them since a reunion some 11 years ago. In just one
click of a button, there they all were, and the reminiscing began. I have had
a few friends come see me in my driveway - both surprises - and I was
thrilled. In the new normal, it is okay for people to drop by unannounced.
Who knew?

06
06_KBB_0520_EditorsNote.indd 6

 Celebrating our friend's 50th
birthday at a wine tasting the
weekend before we started
staying home

My dad and I talk every Thursday on the phone,
but we have added another day for a "Zoomie,"
which includes my stepmom and a few of their
good friends. We are all disappointed that we
could not keep our plans to attend "Hamilton" in
Atlanta in early May, but we hope to gather for the
annual birthday trip later this year.
So for me, there have been some moments I
would not give up during this trying time - as well
as some of those I'd like to forget. As an industry, I
know all the kitchen and bath design professionals, as well as the brands and showrooms that are a
huge part of it, have experienced some of the same.
Many of you have had to close shop for a while,
and some of you may have had to shut down altogether. Still others have taken the time to figure
out different ways of conducting business to stay
afloat in these turbulent waters - be it virtual consultations or e-design. Has any extra time you've
gained allowed you to learn anything new? Did
you take a class? Teach a class? Become certified?
Attend a virtual trade show? Update your website
and social media platforms?
Once the majority of this global pandemic
has subsided, I believe homeowners are going to
choose to resume work on any renovations that
may have been put on hold. And instead of just
wanting to redo the kitchen, they may also now
choose to add a significant pantry space or a home
office. Or even keep the wall in place that divided
the kitchen and dining areas in case we all have
to go back to working from home and no longer
benefit from the open floor plan.
Things have definitely changed, and we will
have to deal with that now and into the unforeseeable future, but business will go on. And if you
continue to build yours, the clients will come. Stay
safe, and stay positive.


CHELSIE BUTLER
Executive Editor
chelsie.butler@emeraldexpo.com
Twitter: @kbbchelsie

/ MAY-JUNE 2020 / KBBONLINE.COM / The official publication of NKBA (NKBA.org) and KBIS (KBIS.com)

5/5/20 1:28 PM

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Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Kitchen & Bath Business - May/June 2020