Incubator’s Ewing: Good Time to Redefine Your Business

Barb Ewing, chief executive officer of the Youngstown Business Incubator, is hanging tough. You can read more about the incubator at its website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life?

In every way possible. First, YBI is a family, so just not seeing each other and going through this together has been hard. I miss my co-workers. While I think we’re all doing great working remotely, we’re a team, and teams function better when they are together. We’ve always used Slack to communicate. We have regular team meetings, as well as our weekly “Stand-Up” meetings with our entire staff so that we’re staying in touch. And, we may occasionally have a virtual cocktail party on Fridays.

We’ve also seen some major shifts in our work loads. So many small businesses are struggling right now. Our entrepreneurship team has looked at our work to figure out what role we can play. We did numerous webinars and hundreds of counseling hours helping companies find their way through the SBA process. Our accountant did a Facebook live post on managing cash flow; we have one this week on market validation. We need to be where our customers are, and right now, that’s helping them figure out how to survive.

And, our additive team has been involved in developing the supply chain for Personal Protective Equipment to keep our first responders and front-line medical staff safe.  We’ve always been an “all-hands-on-deck” kind of an organization. I couldn’t be any prouder of them; they have really gone above and beyond in helping our community in whatever way we can.

How about your personal life?

We were boring before COVID-19; we’re still boring. I miss my family, my friends and sports, but have rediscovered my love for gardening and am trying to read and even write a little bit. It has highlighted something for me, though. I’ve never had any regrets about staying in the Mahoning Valley after college. But, now that I see what life is like when you can’t be with your family on a regular basis, I fully realize how “right” the decision was to stay here. Until COVID-19, we had Sunday dinners at my mom’s house every week. I’ve watched my nephews grow up, and their children growing up. Watching remotely is not the same thing.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

I’m trying to keep things as routine as possible. I get up at the same time and get ready for my day like I would at any other time.  I’m making it a point of meditating to center myself, and to get as much exercise as I can.  I also try not to let myself get caught up in social media or the 24-hour news cycle.  This pandemic can consume you in more ways than one.  We owe it to ourselves to find ways to define our lives by more than just COVID-19.  

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

Go outside! Get away from the television, your phone and any other electronic devices. Take a walk, plant a garden, sit in the sun, listen to the rain. It doesn’t matter, just enjoy the Earth’s energy and the beauty of nature.

What advice would you give to businesses or other organizations right now?

Start redefining yourself today. The world has fundamentally changed. Markets have shifted; some have closed while others have opened.  New talent will be available, new opportunities will come up.  If the Mahoning Valley is going to come out of this stronger than we went in, we need everyone to be thinking about how they can reposition themselves to draw money into the local economy. 

Great new businesses have come out of every economic crisis.  The same will happen this time.  We need to be at its center, rather than sitting on the sidelines watching it happen.