Friday, May 15, 2020
If you have been following the Friday newsletters, then you know that I started walking in the mornings. And now I could use some help from you. I have found that my pace is absolutely driven by my playlist. In the beginning my pace was a little slower and I averaged 2 miles a day but now I walk about 3 ½ miles a day and my pace is faster. I rely on the playlist to get my heart rate up and to get me moving. I know it is time to bump it up a notch.  The Greater Fort Myers Chamber Business as (Un)Usual Virtual 5K   is coming up next weekend and I need suggestions of songs from you to add to my new “Business as (Un)Usual 5K Playlist.”

I like all sorts of music, from Lynyrd Skynryd, Luke Bryan, Shinedown, Post Malone and my new fave is Cory Marks. My usual walking pace includes: Up Down by Morgan Wallen, When it Rains it Pours by Luke Combs, Unforgettable by Thomas Rhett, Love Shack by the B-52's, DJ Got Us Falling in Love by Usher & Pitbull. My faster pace - right now I can only do a few of these at a time: U Can't Touch this by MC Hammer, Can't Hold Us by Macklemore.

If you have a minute, send me a suggestion to colleen@fortmyers.org  and I will test it out. I will share the list next weekend so you can see the outcome! Or even better, sign up for the walk and add to your t-shirt collection. 
Last week our Women In Business virtual event focused on how to stay engaged while working remotely and included tips for enhancing our home cyber security. It was presented by the team from Entech , including Jake Spanberger, President and Stephen Tracy, Director of Managed Services. They reviewed best practices and shared how businesses can navigate the virtual landscape while facilitating a secure and engaged workforce. For those of us who are new to working at home, the reminder was there that we are working and should be dressing accordingly when in virtual meetings and on webinars that are interactive. Comfy clothes and pajamas are not acceptable attire in the workplace in our offices so why would we participate in virtual meetings that way?

They also discussed the consistency of meeting dates and times. Having the structure supports our efficiency and a consistent work product. We also covered the options when working with Microsoft Teams. We did record the session – here is the link to access it at your convenience.
On Tuesday we had a very successful Leadership NEXT and our speaker was Kelly Legaretta , an actress from Broadway Palm Dinner Theater sharing her experience on supplementing her income with “side hustles.” She covered everything to the passion you should have for your hustle, to business tips on being successful and how sometimes it doesn’t work but you learn from it. Kelly is the owner and therapist at Healing Pawsabilities Canine & Equine Massage . We also asked up and coming
entrepreneurs who also have full time “day” jobs, what they were doing, and this is how to connect with them: 

Amanda Soisson: portrait artist   
   
Megan Garner: Color Street Independent Stylist

Kim Wallace: Young Living Essential Oils

Chelsea Scomack: Simply Level Up, LLC
On Wednesday, Linda and I participated in a call hosted by the Florida Chamber and the topic was the updated CDC and EPA guidelines . This page  https://www.epa.gov/coronavirus  has a list of approved disinfectants and is updated weekly as they add newly approved products. I also found their Guidance for Cleaning & Disinfecting (public spaces, workplaces, businesses and homes).
So, lets talk Phase 2 of the re-opening process. Here is the link to the White House opening document . Assuming our health metrics are in line, we expect to hear from our Governor today that we will go into Phase 2 on Monday, 5/18. Please understand that the specifics of Phase 2 will be in the Executive Order, which we may not have on Friday.  

We are continuing to compile re-opening resources (e.g. cleaning supplies, PPE, etc.) and you can find them in this folder . If you have information to add, please email it to Linda.

The Chamber will continue to host virtual events vs. “in person” events through May, and some into June. Please take advantage of our webinars and know that although we miss seeing all of you, we are more comfortable with limiting our in-person events for the time-being.   
I am very excited to announce that we will be hosting Dr. Jerry Parrish from the Florida Chamber Foundation on Thursday, May 28 at noon for a virtual presentation. Dr. Parrish will go through the Florida Scorecard, a  data-based information scorecard that shares everything from COVID19, unemployment statistics to 3rd grade reading level. He will explain the data behind the numbers and then dig deeper into the Lee County numbers . This scorecard is a data based representation of our area and a great tool we can use moving forward. Register here for lunch with Dr. Parrish (bring your own lunch!)
Thank you for the Mother’s Day wishes that I received last week.  

Stay Safe, Distance Socially & Spend Locally, 
Colleen   
NEXT WEEK: BUSINESS BEFORE BREAKFAST
Join us on  Thursday, May 21 at 7:30AM  for Business Before Breakfast from the comfort of your own home! We will be hearing from Cole Peacock of  Seed & Bean Market ,  and taking some time to catch up with one another in a moderated conversation.

This event is free, though registration is required to receive access to the login.