FRP: One Year Later

One year ago today.

I’ve been thinking about that phrase a lot lately. And today marks the actual day that everything changed for us.

One year ago last Friday, my son’s school closed down for what we thought would be two weeks. We dropped off a 1-and-half-year-old boy at school that day with no real concern at all. And picked him up that afternoon for the last time for what would be several months.

The following day, we thought, “Let’s bring him to work. This won’t last long. We’ll figure it out.” But by this time a year ago, the entire Forever Ready staff was moving computers, hard drives, and equipment home. They’d first set up kitchen tables as their desks, assuming this would only be a two-week thing. It quickly became apparent this was going to be something we’d do for the long haul.

It was trying. It was hard. It was heartbreaking.

I remember project after project was getting cancelled. We were afraid for our future. We were worried our loved ones might get sick and die. There was so much uncertainty, and we had no idea that it was only just beginning.

Here we are a year later. With a light appearing in this dark tunnel. Some of our kids are back in school. Some of our friends and family are vaccinated. Some of our work has returned. But we’ve also lost people. We’ve lost time. We’ve lost connection. There feels like so much to catch up on in a year that caused us all to pause.

In the back half of 2020 though, my team worked hard to serve and shift and make miracles happen. Their work was recently recognized through four Emmy nominations and one Emmy win. Two of the projects shot entirely during COVID quarantine and shutdown.

So, for a moment, I’d like to stop and thank them. They are part of what personally got me through the year, and they are a big reason why we are continuing to serve today.

Scott Ready gets the first shout out. Being that he’s my business partner, our director of live services and my husband, it’s probably fair to say that I’m a little biased in all that I say about him. Over the last year, he’s both helped make sure we could pay all our employees, keep all our staff, and continue to adapt to new technologies. He also helped roll out a county-wide livestream kit program for local churches; helping small churches reach their members with high quality and easy-to-operate live gear. In addition to holding more than his fair share of work with our son at home.

And then there’s Brody Kuhar, our creative director. Not only did he come up with new ways to serve our clients but he created some amazing pieces of work along the way. At one point he was shouldering all the projects we had because they were all graphics and animation, and that’s his wheelhouse. Always eager to help make it happen, even when it felt impossible. His resiliency, creativity and desire to continue to serve was inspiring.

Leah Beth Bolton, our director of client experience, is the glue that kept us all together. Proposing new ways to serve clients, guiding them in uncharted territory. Even at times uncertain exactly how it would turn out, she put them at ease with her ability to take on tasks she learned working in broadcast news, but never thought we’d use this quickly. Leah Beth is responsible for helping us execute and produce more than eight virtual events in Memphis.

Allison Wong, our executive producer, took a chance on us in January of 2020 when she moved to Memphis with Charlie Grant to learn the “Forever Ready way” before heading to Chicago. She was only here six weeks before the pandemic took hold and she found herself working from a studio apartment in a city she couldn't explore. And yet she stuck around. By the summer, she had launched a new office in Chicago, in the middle of the pandemic. Learning new things, applying old skills, and most importantly, building relationships with some wonderful non-profits in the area. By the end of the year, she had produced and executed more than four virtual events for nonprofits in Chicago and around the country.

And then there’s Charlie Grant, our director of photography. Mentioned above, he too moved to Memphis for what was supposed to be a fun six months of learning about our work, our process, and our wonderful city. And yet, when we launched in Chicago, he was ready to really make a difference. He worked quickly to adapt to clients needs, even when it wasn’t always how he’d expect to spend his time. He helped Allison execute those events, produce videos for those events, told new stories for Chicago, and built relationships in his hometown.

And of course, there was you: the people who trusted us to tell your stories, help with your fundraisers, announce your cancellations, and share how you worked safely while continuing to serve. We saw you adapt too. We learned from you, were inspired by you, and were reminded that we’ve all got something. We’re really all a lot more alike than we are different.

One year ago, you couldn’t have told me that this is how the year would turn out. And yet, in December I sensed a glimpse of hope as we captured the moments frontline workers at Regional One Health received their first dose of the vaccine. It was as if we were headed towards the light, despite all the loss. And so, here we are. Stronger, more resilient; with a better understanding of what matters most.

Here’s to better days. Lessons learned. Memories sustained. And continued support for each other.