When was the last time you were kind to a stranger?

Image Credit: www.futurestarsacademy.com

As we remember 9/11, twenty years later, I am old enough to remember every detail about that day.

Where I was and what I saw. I was standing on 57th street and looked down 5th Avenue in New York City and saw smoke coming from downtown, filling up the air.

I also remember how America and our friends from around the world felt. We felt as one.

We mourned for every life lost.

We showed compassion for those that survived and we were determined and resolved to stand as one nation undivided. We emerged out of that historical tragedy as a country - kinder, gentler and more empathetic for our family, friends, neighbors and community.

As we have never forgotten those lost that sunny September day; for those of us who lived through it, we will never forget the love we showed each other; and, how we all realized, we have more that brings us together than separates us. 9/11 brought us together.

As we walk slowly through another historical tragedy, the COVID 19 pandemic, it has done nothing but tear us apart.

We will all remember the nightmare of the shutdown; the blame, the fear; and the loss of lives, the loss of jobs and the loss of living as we knew it. We are getting back to school, business and our lives but hate has emerged; and, there is division in our country.

We are meaner.

We are ruder.

We are less understanding.

While we cannot blame everything on the pandemic.  In my opinion, it is driving a large part of negative feelings that presents itself as anger, fear and hate.

There are families broken, friendships lost and neighbors on the other side of the fence. People are arguing about masks and vaccines, not willing to just agree to disagree and to respect the other.

I am no PollyAnna but we have to get back to treating strangers, service people, neighbors, family and friends with kindness, compassion and empathy.

My daughter was tasked by her school to read The Kindness Formula:  Caring + Character = Success by Jim Olayos. Everyone should read this book.  Its theme is kindness and how he has lived a life with kindness as his compass; teaching his children the same.  Let’s all come together and force this pandemic to bring us together to treat one another:

Image Credit: the kindness formula facebook

Nicer.

More courteous.

With more empathy.

We’ll never forget this time but consider making the feeling that you felt when you remember this period; a good one towards your family, friends, neighbors and strangers.  Please be kind.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.  She is also an author and her books can be found on AMAZON.

Are you on your “back-to-school” schedule, yet?

Photo Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Are you on your “back-to-school” schedule, yet?  Or, is it just me that does that?

The challenges during the pandemic have taught me many things, but the one important lesson l have learned is that I need a schedule. The back-to-school season has, in my life, marked returning to a schedule, getting serious and back to business. No more dog days of summer or half-day Fridays. Since dealing with the pandemic, nothing more can be truer in ushering in this season. I believe we are all conditioned as children that September brings an emotional feeling of getting “back” to it with a sense of urgency and a full commitment to doing better and being better.

My teenage daughter started back to school this week, full time and in-person, after experiencing remote learning for most of the past year and a half. She was looking forward to getting back in the classroom, participating in sports and school activities. Most importantly, she was looking forward to getting “back” to socializing, camaraderie and meeting new kids.

While she was looking forward to it, we were too.  My husband and I are excited for a schedule of focused and uninterrupted work time since both of us work from home. There I said it. It sounds selfish but we adults need a schedule too. If you are anything like me, a schedule serves to help stay organized, be focused, proactive and productive. It works for me and my family.

 “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”  Benjamin Franklin

This year my daughter entered high school.  I think about how busy she will be. I mean super busy, between classes, practices, games and let’s not forget the social life of a teenager. So, my motherly advice to her is take advantage of any “scheduled” free time like study hall and the gap between the end of school day and practice. If she adheres to her schedule it will force her be organized with school work, focused on what needs to be done, proactive in consistently staying up on assessment tasks; and, ultimately productive in her life academically, athletically, and socially. 

During these trying times, it is a welcome opportunity to reset as school begins and get “back-on” a schedule.  Cheers to a full commitment to doing better and being better.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.  She is also a book author and her books can be found on AMAZON.

What brand makes you feel nostalgic?

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

I was recently in New York City and as I walked from an appointment, I looked up and saw a Fresh Direct delivery truck.  I was immediately flooded with memories of living in the City, ordering fresh grocery items and having it delivered back in the early 2000’s.  I started thinking about that period of my life and was interested enough that I googled Fresh Direct; and found out that they were established in 2002.  As I think about our current times, I realize that Fresh Direct was an early pioneer of fresh grocery delivery.  If you have not lived in and/or worked in New York City you probably have not heard of Fresh Direct.  I was a customer of Fresh Direct for several years (2002 – 2005) and at that time, they primarily delivered in New York City.  They now deliver to Philadelphia, Washington DC and even make seasonal deliveries to eastern Long Island, New York and the New Jersey Shore.

I remember that the Fresh Direct deliveries always made me feel good.

When I received my Fresh Direct deliveries, I felt like they were special.  I always felt like my groceries were hand-picked.  The products and produce were packaged like they cost a million bucks in a clean Fresh Direct box.  The produce was almost always too gorgeous to eat without any blemishes on them.  The food tasted as good as it looked! 

Yes, I remember that Fresh Direct did online grocery delivery “right”. They sourced products and packaged them up in their facility in the Bronx, New York.  From there, deliveries were loaded onto a truck and delivered to customers during the time period selected.  Compare that to our current timeframe:  Now many companies are providing home-delivery out of necessity, because of the pandemic.  But Fresh Direct was doing it back in the day, almost 20 years ago.  Talk about being a pioneer! The Fresh Direct brand is a pioneer; not just because of the online retail business they established, but because of the quality products and service the brand delivered/delivers.  I guess you could call me a pioneer too – as an early adopter of online grocery shopping and delivery.

Fast forward, I moved to Connecticut and thought I would try a regional grocery store’s online grocery delivery service that I had seen advertised.  The City had spoiled me and I did not really enjoy physically going grocery shopping.  I felt like customers knew where everything was and in their rush to get to their favorites, I literally got run over by a number of angry grocery shoppers with their carts (picture cart wars :)).  I had such a good experience in the City, with online grocery delivery, why not try it here?  It was convenient and saved me time.  This was in 2007 and it didn’t seem like many friends or neighbors in my area used online grocery delivery.  After my first online grocery delivery, I experienced a possibility for why.

• I did not feel like I was receiving a special delivery.

• I felt like I was receiving groceries in a plastic bag with blemished produce and all.

• I felt like the delivery people were rushed and my grocery bags were one of many in a dirty delivery truck.

The pandemic forced grocery shoppers to use more online delivery services.Supermarket News cites that the “growth represented a 43% jump in online grocery sales at the one-year mark of covid-19 pandemic.”I too, was one of the shoppers forced to do online grocery shopping due to the global pandemic; and, come to think of it – not one experience made me feel like the Fresh Direct brand made me feel when I had received their deliveries in the past. 

Fresh Direct delivered the optimal branding experience.

Branding is an emotional connection you have with that service/product.  The nostalgia I felt recently from seeing the Fresh Direct Brand is the branding strategy and implementation that I strive to deliver to my customers.  Close your eyes and think about a brand that brings that special feeling to you. Now, take a moment and enjoy that memory.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.  She is also a book author and her books can be found on AMAZON.

July: Celebrating Independent Retailers!

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Did you know that July is the month where we celebrate and applaud Independent Retailers?  If you have been following me, you know that independent retailers are near and dear to my heart.  They truly are the cornerstone of our communities; these local businesses are often composed of families for generations that are committed to the town, its people and its services. 

My family went up to the Catskills this past July 4th weekend for the holiday; and, the number of independent retailers that anchor that town is admirable.  From the local coffee shop (no Starbucks in town and while I like Starbucks, I loved the locally owned coffee shop).  Our coffees were made without the hustle and bustle.  The owner paid close attention to all of the details; and then down the road of course is the Woodstock, New York local hardware store; not to mention the cupcake shop which was voted “best cake” by the FoodTV network.

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

It goes without saying that independent retailers give to our communities and drive our economic prosperity.  The Census Bureau and Small Business Administration claim that independent retailers employ 51% of the US workforce.  That is truly substantial.

When you go beyond the economic contributions; you can surely look at the social contributions too.  While I do not know the number, rest assured I am confident that independent retailers probably contribute a much higher number than the 51% to local community programs and sports teams.    In addition, the Independent We Stand organization reported that for every $100.00 you spend at a local independent retailer $68.00 stays right there in that community versus $43.00 that you would spend with a big box chain store!  Your money goes back to work in your community; you can’t beat that!  Here is a list of what happens when you shop local from Independent We Stand.

My town is missing an independent hardware retailer.  I previously wrote an entire blog about it; and, while we have an independent paint retailer and a big box, I do feel like a hardware store would thrive in my area.  Luckily, someone noticed and we recently had an Aubuchon Hardware open a store in nearby Monroe, Connecticut.  It is nice to have a true independent, family-owned hardware store to shop nearby. 

Another area that independent retailers thrive and local citizens’ count on them include specialty retailers like bakeries, gift shops and nurseries.  I am so thankful of the region we live in because there are so many independent farmers too.  They sell fresh homemade baked goods, ice cream, hand-picked strawberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees.  All of these independents are mostly family-owned businesses who know that the shoppers are their family, friends and neighbors and it is a great shopping experience to be treated as such.

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

So, as we celebrate and recognized independent retailers in this month of July and every July – please celebrate them all year-long by shopping their stores, getting to know them and investing in them because they are our family, friends and neighbors.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com.  She is also a book author and her books can be found on AMAZON.

Sunshine & Retail Brands Vacation

My family recently went on Spring Break.  We drove from Connecticut down to Bethany Beach, Delaware.  We had never been there and we had decided, for us, it was still too early to board a plane; so, we took I95 south down to Delaware.  It was a beautiful area, absolutely gorgeous!  The beaches were unspoiled and pristine and the people were super nice. 

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

As an entrepreneur and retail strategist, I love getting to know retail brands.  And, as many of you know that follow me, I love walking the store floors.  See my previous blog here about loving to walk store floors and casino floors; and, their similarities.  Even on vacation, I was aware of the retail brands in the area.  I was intrigued and surprised by the number of retail brands that were unknown to me. 

Here are some of the brands in the southeastern tip of Delaware that were new to me and appeared to be good retail operators:

Image Credit: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

andThat!

andThat! is part of the Christmas Tree Shops and has fun finds for home décor and seasonal items that are affordable.  After visiting them I could feel/see the resemblance to the Christmas Tree Shops.  They have stores located in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Virginia and New Jersey.

Image Credit: GiantFood.com

Giant

Giant, a food retailer with 150 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.  This food retailer reminds me of my big regional player Stop & Shop even down to the colors in the logo.

Image Credit: Redner’s Warehouse Markets

Redner’s Warehouse Markets

Redner’s Warehouse Market is 100% employee-owned retail food company with 64 locations throughout Pennsylvania. The parking lot was packed here; so, it must be a regional favorite!

Image Credit: Supermarket News

Weis Markets

Weis Markets, a food retailer based in Pennsylvania with 196 stores Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Delaware.  These stores are beautiful!

It is great to experience strong regional players.  We all have them and sometimes forget that the places we shop, particularly the food retailers, are not necessarily national chains.  As you travel this summer, make it a point to check out retail brands that you are not familiar with from your area.  Pick a store, take a break and go in and walk the floor.  I know you will enjoy the experience! 

Cheers to a great summer!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com. 

HR ISSUES: RACISM IN RETAIL: MY PERSONAL SHOPPING EXPERIENCES

THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN

HARDLINES HOME IMPROVEMENT QUARTERLY Q1 2021

The notion of racism and the identification of biases that are built in, not just to personal attitudes, but on a more widespread, often subtle, basis has made the term systemic racism a watchword in both Canada and the U.S.

Dealers are challenged to examine their own attitudes and how their businesses communicate to, and deal with, customers and staff of a wider range of races and religions more than ever. We invited Sonya Ruff Jarvis, a former Vice President with the National Hardware Show and founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer SUMMIT , to share her experience as a woman of colour in America. We believe her story will resonate on either side of the border.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, Managing Member, Jarvis Consultants LLC and Founder, eRetailer Summit

Retail and racism go hand-and-hand. It is an unfortunate truth.  I can attest to it. I have experienced racism while shopping throughout my entire life.  Even now, because I am a middle aged African-American woman living in the U.S., it still happens.  

As a shopper, I am treated “less than” in stores. Not all stores, not at all times; but enough that the stories would make you frown in disbelief. I can share countless times when I have been followed around the store by sales associates who watch me as if I am going to shoplift.  I have a college degree, a master’s degree and my own business, but these aspects of me aren’t physically visible. I can’t wear those accomplishments or status for everyone to see.  Many retailers see only the colour of my skin and bring their racial biases to the situation.      

I am not talking about raw in-your-face individual racism, the kind that is blatant and violent.  I am talking about the subconscious bias type of racism.  These are biases that we may not be aware of or may not want to acknowledge, but our resulting actions sometimes disqualify others because of their differences or because someone doesn’t look like us.  We all do it. If brought to our attention, we can recognize what we are doing; admit that it is wrong and make adjustments, knowing that we can change how we negatively interact with others due to those biases.

There are a number of phrases being used during this time in our history, such as structural racism, institutional racism, and systematic racism. In fact, they all mean the same thing. They describe the awful feeling of inequality that results because of inappropriate treatment on account of one’s race. When an individual or a group of people are considered inferior because of their skin colour, we all lose.  We lose because inequality denies our communities of opportunities for our friends, neighbours and businesses—and that includes retailers.

In light of the current state of affairs in the United States, it is important that we take time to exhale and really examine our hearts and our values to determine if they align with our actions, and specifically, with our day-in and day-out contributions to our society. When considering the presence of racism in retail, a recent Gallup Survey revealed that 22 percent of African-Americans felt that they were extended less courtesy in stores. Another 20 percent felt that they received less respect during their shopping experiences.

There is no mistake that retail and racism are connected and many incidents are being called out through smart phone videos that capture bad behaviors.  Have they occurred in the past?  Yes, they just may not have been captured for the world to see via social media. Do you remember the Starbucks video that went viral where police were called to arrest two African-American men waiting for another person to show before starting a meeting?  These men were targeted because of their race while others were not approached for sitting in a Starbucks without making a purchase.  It was a public relations nightmare resulting in Starbucks shutting down all its US stores to conduct mandatory training around diversity, equity and inclusion (which is another buzz phrase, now too).  

I believe that most people exhibiting racist behaviours do not realize the implications of their conduct.  They probably are not racist, but their conduct is racist and produces the same negative results.  Many non-minorities may only experience contact with minorities in the retail setting. That fact is powerful.  While racism in retail is an unfortunate reality, my hope is that retail leads the way in knocking out racism. This period in history has given us a chance to exhale, to examine our hearts and our values to ensure that our actions contribute positively to our communities and to the world.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis is an entrepreneur and founder of Jarvis Consultants, LLC, a marketing, events and branding firm that helps businesses create innovative approaches to navigate the world of marketing. Sonya has been a part of the B2B retail industry for more than 25 years and is the founder of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. Follow Sonya on Twitter @jarvisconsult and @eretailersummit or contact her directly at sonya@jarvisconsultants.com. 

Guest Blogger, Denola Burton: Is Stress Taking Over Your Life? 5 Steps to Managing Your Stress

Did you know that the month of April is, “National Stress Awareness” month?  Well, I am sure that most of you will agree that we have had a lot that could cause stress over the past year, months, and even days.  I know that I would never have imagined that some of our recent events in history could EVER have occurred.  

Who would have ever imagined: a Pandemic?  Quarantine?  Cancellations of events, business and school closures? Illness and deaths of so, so many?  Events that have created racial unrest in our local communities and across the county? A controversial presidential election and fallout from the election? And so much more?

So many events that had national impact have occurred, but I am sure that many of us have also experienced our own personal events that have caused stress in our recent history!  So, for me, the next question is, what can we do to alleviate the stress that these events may have dropped on our doorsteps and stayed with us day in and day out?

Here are my suggestions to help alleviate and manage stress in our lives:

FIVE STEPS TO MANAGING YOUR STRESS:

1. SELF-CARE: What can you do to reduce stress that is really, really personal? Take care of yourself. As you have heard if you have ever flown, the flight attendants always tell you to place your oxygen mask on first and then place it on anyone you need to help. It is important to take care of yourself before you give everything you have and don’t have anything left for yourself! How do you take care of yourself? It may be as simple as finding quality time to read a good book!

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.

2. ENJOY FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Even during a pandemic and prior to getting back to “normal”, we still need to ensure that we spend quality time with our family and friends. Our immediate family, or those closest to us, can sometimes create stress, but more importantly they can be great stress reducers. Even when we are not able to gather in large groups, there are so many digital ways to keep in touch. I love seeing social media posts about families having “Family Game Nights”! We found the most fun creating puzzles together. The kids were so good at this! Also, remember that a hug goes a long way and can especially help us feel more secure and loved.

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.

3. EAT A BALANCED DIET: Stress can cause “emotional eating” where we crave and eat high sugar, high fat foods. It is important to establish healthy eating habits and avoid those cravings and foods that can add weight and even make us tired and cranky. I know that I get mad at myself after binging on some fat filled foods and really regret it. Now I try to ask myself whether the calories gained by the food I am craving is really worth it in the long run. Many times, I can talk myself out of eating it.

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.

4. REST AND RELAXATION: Please make time for plenty of rest and relaxation. Some people include exercise as a part of their “relaxation”. Well, if you’re anything like me and aren’t committed to an exercise program, take baby steps. Start with short walks or small work outs and build up to a regular program, remembering that something is better than nothing. I’ve heard that the more you exercise, the better you will be able to relax. My favorite method of rest and relaxation is to ensure that I focus on me in our backyard hot tub. Hot tub time is the best!

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.

5. POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS: The way you look at yourself matters! Learn how to talk to yourself in a compassionate and loving manner. I try to create specific affirmations that apply to my current circumstances - really focusing on how to be positive each and every day. I use this Mirror Of Affirmations exercise:

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.

Look in your mirror as if you were looking at your best friend with love, compassion and no judgement. Complete the following sentences: 

- Say your name first – “Denola, I am ….” (2-3different things that you are becoming. Maybe you haven’t achieved it yet, but you are in the process and therefore “you are”.) 

- Say your name first -- “Denola, I love that I have …” (list 2-3 different things you have accomplished and are proud of or can celebrate. 

- Say your name first – “Denola, I commit to you that ….” (2-3 different things you are going to do.)

If you do this exercise (and really are honest with yourself), you will make breakthroughs in your life and will be able to impact others and demonstrate significance to others. 

The key to relieving stress is to realize that stress is a part of life.  We can’t always control our circumstances but we can control how to respond to them.  How will you respond to your stress?

Denola M. Burton is the Founder and CEO of Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC. Denola holds the Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Biology. After beginning her career as a scientist, she transitioned into Human Resources and maintains certifications as a Professional in Human Resources from both the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-CP), and the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI-PHR). She is a Certified DISC Behavioral Coach through Innermetrix North America and is a Certified Speaker, Trainer, Coach with the John Maxwell Team.

Through Enhanced DNA: Develop Nurture Achieve, Denola develops and nurtures individuals and organizations to enhance their Leadership, Communication and Performance “DNA”.  Denola is an author and a publisher and is a member of the Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA).  In 2019, Denola created the Enhanced DNA Publishing Division of her company and now assists new and newer authors in publishing their books to meet the IBPA standards. 

Denola retired in December, 2017 from Eli Lilly and Company where her career spanned over 27 years.  She has been married to her husband, Phillip, for over 27 years and they have two daughters, Danielle and Ciara.  Denola is a member of the Recorder Women’s Auxiliary, which is an elite organization comprised of professional Women with a heart for the community. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for Steward Speakers, Denola also serves as a mentor and member of the Board of Directors for Pass the Torch for Women Foundation.

It’s a Wrap! 5 Takeaways from the 5th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit ...

We just wrapped up the 5th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. As a safety precaution, the Summit was an online-only affair. The presentations and panel discussions touched on a host of topics that included distribution and brand management, best practices to reduce shortages and delays, and lessons learned during the health crisis.

While last year showed huge surges in online sales due to the pandemic; all signals point to ongoing growth in online sales of home improvement products in a post-pandemic world. 

Here’s 5 Takeaways:

1. It’s always Day 1 when operating in an ecommerce environment -

In the discussion about online retail, digital is very fluid and each day is new.  “It’s always Day 1 when operating in an ecommerce environment,” said Jimmy Barber, VP at OneStone, our marquis sponsor of the Summit.

2. It’s by the numbers, data and analysis -

Joe Derochowski, Vice President with NPD Group, shared his organization’s latest data on consumer trends, shopping trends, and home-improvement trends.   Derochowski stated that demographic markers—such as when people are marrying, buying homes, and retiring—favor home improvement purchases. “The population is hitting key life moments driving the growth of the home-improvement industry.” Derochowksi also identified various factors during the pandemic that has been driving home-improvement spending, ranging from “boredom and stress” and “working from home” to “craving outdoors.”  One new trend cited was expanding the garage space for entertainment and play within social distancing guidelines.

Over the past year, the online share of total sales exploded across virtually all retail categories. But online purchases of such products as vanities or faucets seem more aspirational than urgent. And in the five home-improvement categories that NPD analyzed, sales at bricks and mortar stores also grew, and those stores continued to capture a higher percentage of impulse purchases. These findings led Derochowski to conclude that home improvement retailers must do a better job at “connecting the dots” for consumers by marketing specific projects with products, and perhaps even providing online project instruction.

 NPD also found that:

• Adults 55 or older index higher for home-improvement purchases and online sales growth, whereas in-store sales growth is led by the 25- to 34-year-old cohort.

• Every Census region in the country saw increases in online sales last year. “Your marketing agility is critical,” said Derochowski.

• The online buyer penetration for NPD’s home-improvement product group was 37% last year, 8 percentage points higher than in 2019.

• While in-store spending is three times higher versus online, and purchasing frequency is four times higher, the spend per occasion is bigger for online—$40 vs. $25 for in-store—in part, said Derochowski, because online purchases are usually plan.

3. Relationships matter - now more than ever -

Indeed, one of the event’s big takeaways was how relationships played a major part in keeping online and hybrid retailers above water during a pandemic that nearly submerged the industry’s supply chain. 

Relationships in business are always important but during the pandemic many of the retailers and suppliers participating in panels said that relationships related specifically to product accessibility, surcharges, and vendor confidence in the retailer’s ability to make it to post-pandemic times.  Specifically:

• Product Accessibility – vendors had to decide who they supply the “available” product.

• Penalties and Charges – if you didn’t have a relationship with the vendor most likely you were incurring surcharges.

• Vendor Confidence – vendors shipped to who they thought would be around post-pandemic.

• The clear message here is if you don’t have and/or nuture deep relationships with your partners, please start building them now!  Forging long-lasting relationships between retailers and their customers and suppliers is now imperative to successful expansion.

The pandemic showed that you never know when you might need them!

Talking relationships, the Summit’s second day highlighted one-to-one supplier/retailer meetings.  Steve Wright, VP of Sales at Columbia Aluminum Products said “the one-on-one lightening rounds were an exceptional touch:  15 minutes, quick introductions, cut straight to the chase, establish mutual interest, and follow-up meetings as appropriate. Super useful, saving thousands of dollars and time vs. traditional on-site sales calls.”

4. It’s not hyperbole – words are important -

 There were common words that became themes with many of the speakers using words like “adjust,” “trust,” “efficiency,” and “supply chain diversification.” These words, will surely carry forward into our future online business planning.

5. eCommerce is getting attention in the board room -

As the pandemic limited in-store shopping and forced consumers to buy online, retailers and their supply chains were under new pressures to deliver. Clearly, online retailers experienced growing pains during the pandemic. While brick and mortar stores still retain the lion’s share of retail sales, it is no longer viable to ignore the encroachment of online transactions. More companies are having discussions about ecommerce, and ramping up for the first time with real investments in their online sales, marketing and logistics departments with an eye toward future growth.

In wrapping up the 5 Takeaways from the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit earlier this month; overall, every point positively indicates deeper market penetration of online into total home improvement industry sales.  I hope you enjoyed the 5th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit wrap-up.  Enjoy using the relevant takeaways. Looking forward to seeing you in person in 2022!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

Trust is More Important in Retail, Now More Than Ever

Trust is usually the first thought when choosing the right fulfillment service to deliver purchases. As we adapt to a new normal post-Pandemic, trust is even more important than ever.  US ecommerce penetration experienced a decade of growth in just 90 days due to Covid-19 which means that the entire landscape has changed and we need to be prepared, be able to pivot and know that we need to win at supply chain and fulfillment.

Image Credit: Enhanced DNA

While no one could have expected our current situation with COVID-19, Laura Heller, Forbes Contributor, forecasted these key points at the 4th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. She stated that “optimized digital assets are trusted more than copy/text” and to sum up what she believed retailers should focus on when winning over consumers, she chose the word TRUST. This was covered in Sonya’s blog Who Do You Trust To Deliver Your Stuff?

 From July to September 2020 (the latest period for which data were available), consumers spent $199.44 billion online with U.S. retailers, up 37.1% from the same quarter the prior year, according to Commerce Department estimates. That meant nearly $1 in every $5 spent came from orders placed online during last year’s third quarter. When the Commerce Department publishes its fourth quarter 2020 estimates, the numbers are highly likely to show ecommerce capturing a sizable share of consumers’ spending, especially for Christmas purchases.

While online retail has seen an enormous uptick in growth, I would suspect that the experience has increased the trust among consumers, that it can be easy, convenient and safe from a privacy standpoint.  Retail delivery solutions had to unexpectedly step-up and supply an immediate high-demand from consumers sheltered in place. 

The Gap announced yesterday 2/24/2021 that it plans to open a state-of-the art 850,000-square-foot Customer Experience Center in Longview, Texas, to deliver its online sales quicker and more efficiently. This will be a $140 million investment and create more than 500 jobs by the end of 2023, which will grow to more than 1,000 jobs by 2026. Construction is scheduled to begin in April, and the facility will be fully operational by August 2022. This will be The Gap’s seventh distribution center.

Ahold Delhaize, whose business units include the Stop & Shop and Food Lion supermarket chains, is expanding its micro-fulfillment technology through a pilot—announced last week—with the GIANT Company supermarket chain in Philadelphia. The project is being run by Peapod Digital Labs, and its purpose is to driven digitalization and personalization. The pilot is being scaled to fulfill about 15,000 online orders per week for delivery to customers’ homes via a planned ecommerce fulfillment center in Philly. 

Whether it is standard shipping, one-day delivery, same day delivery, curbside pick-up or just pick-up in store; retailers are currently being challenged everyday like never before.  For retailers this is a time period to build trust from consumers that they can count on you during the worst of times. 

It is imperative that retailers and suppliers stay on top of the latest ecommerce market trends. During the upcoming discussions at the 5th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit, we will focus on adapting to this new normal, and maintaining trust with our customers through supply, demand and volume, and the learnings that have been realized over the past year.  While buzzy tech words like AI, AR and Driverless Delivery make headlines in ecommerce, there are actionable steps manufacturers and suppliers can take with digitally enabled retailers and wholesale partners to move projects faster and loosen pinch points – and if done well, establishes trust with customers. 

The 5th year of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit will be conducted as a virtual event March 16-17 and for the first time will be open to all retailers and dealers. Retailers and Dealers can register here.  

Taking direction from the Summit’s Advisory Council, comprised of an hybrid of online retailers, brick & mortar retailers and a third-party fulfillment company, the overall event will include panel discussions and presentations with chat opportunities following each session. Through industry experts and the shared learning from their experiences, retailers/dealers and manufacturer/distributors can learn how to establish or maintain trust in their businesses. Manufacturers and Distributors can request an invitation here.  

We hope you can join us at the 5th Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. We promise you will receive real information that you can immediately use to make your ecommerce business more efficient delivering on your committment to your customers.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

When You Get Knocked Down, You Get Back Up!!

I believe that the hospitality, event and travel industries have been some of the hardest hit during the pandemic. State regulations, understandably, have made it difficult to produce face-to-face events. Event organizers, hotels and businesses that feed off of these industries have had to do furloughs and pivot their businesses. Yes, I used the word pivot, which I believe during these unprecedented times, is the most overused word; yet, it perfectly explains this period in time.  Businesses hit the hardest have to survive and ultimately figure out how to thrive because, unfortunately, the pandemic is not leaving anytime soon! 

Covid-19 has shaken the confidence of business travel. There is not an overwhelming desire to crowd into a convention hall with tens of thousands of other attendees with the pandemic still active. While I am not trying to be a downer, I am being realistic. While I believe nothing, and I mean nothing, replaces face-to-face events, virtual events are the best alternative at this time.  

Credit Image: eRetailer Summit, 2019

Credit Image: eRetailer Summit, 2019

What’s the saying, “When you get knocked down, you get back up”? Every time the hospitality, event and travel businesses get knocked down, they get innovative and get back up to serve their guests, attendees and passengers.  

The Home Improvement eRetailer Summit which would have celebrated its fifth consecutive year in 2020 will now go virtual in 2021.  It was just announced. Read the press release here. Relevant conference sessions and facilitated pre-scheduled meetings between potential partners will proceed. This topic is so relevant that we could not let another year pass by without addressing some of the major issues that we are experiencing. 

From July to September 2020 (the latest period for which data were available), consumers spent $199.44 billion online with U.S. retailers, up 37.1% from the same quarter the prior year, according to Commerce Department estimates. That meant nearly $1 in every $5 spent came from orders placed online during last year’s third quarter. When the Commerce Department publishes its fourth quarter 2020 estimates next month, the numbers are highly likely to show ecommerce capturing a sizable share of consumers’ spending, especially for Christmas purchases.

While none of us know what lies ahead, we all can claim that the pandemic taught us something. One session at the upcoming eRetailer Summit will focus on lessons learned from our Advisory Council Members, who include —Elizabeth Ragone of BOSCOV’s; Mike Hargrave of Goedeker’s; Asa Farquhar of Spreetail; Brian Fricano of Sustainable Supply; Jay Patel of Zoro.com; and Curt Vitale of Firefly Buys.  Michael McLarney, the publisher of HARDLINES, will moderate this session.  We are grateful for these ecommerce professionals helping to shape the Summit and for their willingness to share their experiences and learnings with our virtual attendees.  

Credit Image: eRetaler Summit, 2019

Join the Summit’s Advisory Council members and me for Home Improvement eRetailer Summit’s Virtual Event.  We got knocked down and we got back-up and will host an awesome 5th eRetailer Summit.  Registration opens next week, don’t miss it!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

What have been your firsts?

There were a lot of firsts, yesterday. Watching the Inauguration reminded me of the first time (years ago) when we took our daughter to our nation’s capital to understand the significance of history and what it means to all of our lives. 

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Regardless where you stand politically, there were a lot of pioneers yesterday to inspire people and cause moments of pride and admiration.

 Kamala Harris:

The first African-American, Asian-American Woman Vice President of the United States.

 Alex Padilla:

The first Latino Senator from California.

 Raphael Warnock:

The first African-American Senator from Georgia.

 Jon Ossof:

The first Jewish-American Senator from Georgia and the youngest-ever Senator elected.

History is made every single day, but yesterday a lot of history was made, showing progress.  The timing is amazing because just several days ago we recognized Dr. Martin Luther King’s efforts in pursuing equality for all marginalized by gender, creed, or color. I reflected on that and thought how poignant and meaningful this period in American history represents. These elected officials were judged on their character, experience and solutions that they can bring to their constituents and to the overall country. Their ethnicity, race and gender (while I’m sure were barriers) did not defeat them. As our world continues to change, perhaps it even helped them. Only time will tell and history will reflect the true meaning of this time.

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Whether it is the Senate Chambers, the Oval Office, a Boardroom or a Retail Floor - we know through data that diverse voices and representation helps to reflect constituents and customers’ experiences and viewpoints. We know that businesses thrive when there are different genders, race, ethnic thoughts included in business strategies and tactics.

In so many ways, citizens are so much more willing to stand up and make their voice heard through voting. Corporations are still trying to figure it all out.

Social injustices that have overcome the breath of the nation have forced some of them to look in the mirror and put practices together to be more inclusive companies.  Not at the bottom but at the top of the organizations - leading. Being forced to be diverse and inclusive is always difficult. Responding with knee jerk policies is always difficult. Doing the right thing in a thoughtful right and process building way is always difficult; but, it will yield the greatest positive results for your customers, your brand and your bottom line.

While there were a lot of history-making firsts yesterday; let’s all take a breath and think what have been our firsts; and, do we have the ability to contribute to any additional history-making firsts? Now, exhale and let us all commit to doing our part in making firsts for our legacies.

 
Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

Guest Blogger, Denola Burton: Are You Experiencing Mentoring Moments?

Credit Image: Enhanced DNA Publishing

January is National Mentoring Month, an annual mentoring campaign nationwide dedicated to celebrating and elevating the mentoring movement. What a perfect time to celebrate the importance of mentors in some #MentoringMoments.

Credit Image: Enhanced DNA Publishing

Mentoring Moment 1:  in 2019, I had the privilege of working with 14 remarkable women to create an amazing mentoring tool, an anthology titled, Mentoring Moments: 14 Remarkable Women Share Breakthroughs to Success. In this motivational self-help book, I wanted to provide a tool for women contemplating the direction in which they wanted their career to go, for example, women in the workplace who were trying to decide whether they wanted to enter (or leave) corporate America, mid-career hires with little or no direction, and entrepreneurs who were ready to break out on their own. I wanted them to realize that if they had direction and support, that they did not have to feel as though they were doing it alone, and that if others could succeed, so could they.  This book has been a great tool for women across the nation and was named a Finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards sponsored by the American BookFest. Stay tuned for the audiobook in 2021!

Credit Image: Enhanced DNA Publishing

Mentoring Moment 2:  Early in 2019, I had the opportunity to become a mentor with the Pass the Torch for Women Foundation.  Pass The Torch For Women Foundation was formed with a vision of a world where ALL women are equitably represented at all levels of leadership in business and government. The mission of the organization evolved to address the needs of women throughout their career lifestyle.  As a mentor with the Legacy Leaders, I was able to develop a mentoring relationship with an experienced executive and through that relationship, I have had the opportunity to learn from her (probably as much as she has learned from me).  As a result of this rewarding relationship, I decided that this was an organization that I was passionate about and in early 2020, joined as a member of the Board of Directors.  I love the fact that women of all stages of their life and career have the opportunity to benefit from mentors and I am proud to be one of the mentors making that difference.

Credit Image: Enhanced DNA Publishing

Mentoring Moment 3:  My most impactful mentoring moment was when I reconnected with a former colleague at a conference in which I was a speaker.  We worked on the same team back when everybody was preparing for Y2K (a huge IT project for the business-related changes needed to flip to the year 2000).  She made a point to thank me for everything I did since she was new to the company and in her first job.  She said that I made such an impact on her personally, in her career and really helped her adjust to a new city as well as the organization. I never knew that I had that impact and it was very touching to hear that. She is now a wife, mother and a very successful leader in a different company.  Lesson:  You can be a mentor without even knowing it!  

As we enter into 2021, see what mentoring moments you can have in your life, career and future – whether as a mentor or as a mentee.  Find an organization that can assist you with mentoring resources and begin making a difference to other women by mentoring, investing and connecting with other women.

Denola Burton is the Founder and CEO of Enhanced DNA:  Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.  Through Enhanced DNA, Denola develops and nurtures individuals and organizations to achieve their Leadership, Communication and Performance goals and objectives.  Denola is also an author and publisher and created the Enhanced DNA Publishing Division of her company where they assist new and newer authors in publishing their books according to the Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA) standards.  Denola retired from Eli Lilly and Company after 27 years where the majority of her career was focused on Employee Relations/Human Resources.  You can connect with Denola on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIN and Twitter at Enhanced DNA Develop Nurture Achieve or on her website at www.EnhancedDNAPublishing.com.

Happy Holidays!

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

It’s almost the end of the year. This is usually a time that many of us cherish. We look forward to celebrating the holidays with annual traditions, spending time with family and taking a chance to rest and reflect. All of these things allow us the ability to exhale before we welcome in a new year. 2020 has brought us additional reasons to look forward to flipping the calendar and hoping for healthier and happier times shared by all.

One of my family’s tradition is our annual trip to Jones Family Farm in Connecticut to pick out our freshly cut Christmas tree. It’s truly a wonderful sight to see when you drive up the hill and see the farm and fields of trees. We always select a tree that has already been cut down and there are so many wonderful choices. Walking into the barn to choose our tree, the aroma of the smell of pine trees is a nice overwhelming scent - an immediate scent, that starts to relax us and begins to dissolve the stresses of the year.

Credit Image: CCTGA

Once we find the perfect tree, we head down the hill to get cider and cookies. Jones Family Farm also has a specialty shop that sells their own homemade wines from grapes they grow. We pass a very old John Deere tractor on display and other novel items that decorate the farm for the Holidays, also reminding us of the magic of the season.

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Once the tree is tied on our jeep rack, we head home to get it ready. We left a lot of stress from the year at Jones Family Farms and we are relaxing a little more. Once home, we put the tree up and let it rest and fall out for a day. More stress falls away from a challenging year.

Credit Image: Jarvis Consultants, LLC

Next, it is time for holiday music, sparkling cider and decorating the tree. More stress falls away. Now, we are fully in the holiday mood and ready to celebrate the Holidays!

While this has been a challenging year we are grateful that we are still able to do some of our annual traditions such as spend time with our small family and exhale the sweet scent of pine trees allowing us to relieve the stress of the year.

As you celebrate your holidays this season, my hope for you is that you can continue to enjoy some of your own annual traditions including spending time with your family; and, that the joy of doing these things will help some of your stress fall away from this challenging year.

From my family to yours, Happy Holidays to a healthy and happier 2021!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

Happy (different) Thanksgiving!

Ruff family Thanksgiving celebration 2013 - last time my Mom was present - Bermuda Run Country Club

The entire world has changed since last Thanksgiving.  It seems a life-time ago when we were free, without worry, to gather with family and friends around the same table; and, share food from the same plates without having to worry about spreading the covid-19 virus.  Looking back and ahead, I cannot help to think about how differently we are celebrating Thanksgiving today (covid-19 style).

This past year has given us a lot to lament about and it is all justified.  Our feelings matter. 

• Missing gathering with friends and family, matters. 

• Missing life events, matters. 

• Missing watching our kids’ sports games, matters. 

• Missing entertainment, matters.

• Missing supporting family and friends face-to-face and in-person, matters. 

Ruff family Thanksgiving celebration 2013 - Mom, my siblings and me - Bermuda Run Country Club

While we have been doing a lot of “missing” lately, we have faith that things will start getting better; and, that our misses will be blips on our life journey.  We will recount the “covid-19 style” days and hope that our children will tell their children who will tell their children; and, 100 years later when another centennial pandemic hits (because history shows us that it will) our great-great grandchildren can talk about the time when their ancestors lived through this horrible world pandemic too. 

Ruff family Thanksgiving celebration 2013 - Mom & grandchildren - Bermuda Run Country Club

We are, indeed, living in a historical time that others will reference when the next pandemic hits.  So, while missing matters, it is how we respond to all of the missing parts of life that we are experiencing.  That matters too.

We take the spirit of Thanksgiving and recognize that it goes beyond sharing our love over a feast with family and friends.  It means taking that same essence of Thanksgiving and relying on it, even when we cannot see our family and friends.  It means being concerned for our family and friends enough that we skip this year’s huge Thanksgiving gathering.  We have been encouraged to make it a point, to gather with those that only live in our household.

Next year, when we are gathering with family and friends around the same table and sharing food from the same plates in a huge celebration, we will look back and remind ourselves, what a difference a Thanksgiving makes.  Happy (different) Thanksgiving and blessings for your family, friends and whoever you are able to share Thanksgiving with, this year!

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

Guest Blogger, Denola Burton: An excerpt from: If You Really Knew Me: The Life, The Lessons and the Legacy titled, "Instant Love!"

Credit Image: Adoption.com

November is National Adoption Month and in recognition of all of the birth mothers who have ever had to give a child up for adoption and to all the families who have adopted, I’d like to share our adoption story.  This is an excerpt from one of the chapters from my book, If You Really Knew Me:  The Life, The Lessons and The Legacy titled, “Instant Love!”. 

Credit Image: Denola Burton, Enhanced DNA

“Something” came over me!  I’m not sure what it was but out of the blue, I wanted to be a mother!  WHAT?  I was 42 years old!  What was I thinking? Why not 5 years earlier?  Or for that matter, 7 years earlier when Phil and I got married?  OMG!  What was I thinking?

I couldn’t get it out of my mind!  I thought about it.  I prayed about it.  And I listened to God!  God opened doors and confirmed that “it” was for me!  But, it wasn’t all about me and my wants.  It was also about my husband, my partner, my teammate, my soulmate.  He had to agree.  He had to want to be a father as badly as I wanted to be a mother.  I thought that would be a “hard sell” since Phil said from the very beginning of our relationship, that he did not have to be a father.  We had that conversation early in our marriage because I was 35 when we got married and I told him that if he wanted children, we needed to have them “right away”!

So, I was scared to have this conversation!  We talked about the pros and cons. 

Pros:  We really enjoyed our nieces and nephews and especially our youngest nephew who spent many weekends with us.  We were settled in our careers and were relatively stable financially.  We owned our own home and had space to grow.  We had so much to give on so many levels – emotionally, spiritually, physically and financially.  We were ready to love.

Cons:  We were “older” which would mean that there would be a generation between us (all our friends had kids earlier in life and by the time our child was in high school, theirs would be in college or even married).  We would need to adopt.  I was 42 years old by gosh and there wasn’t any way that I would be “birthin” any baby!  LOL! 

At the end of the day, we weighed the pros with the cons and OUR passion was so strong (once I talked to Phil, he very quickly wanted a family, too) and we began to inquire about the adoption process.

We met with the Children’s Bureau to get a better understanding of the adoption process.  We attended an all-day adoption preparation class.  We had decisions to make.  What kind of adoption did we want to pursue?  Infant vs older child?  Open or closed?  Local vs national vs international?  We completed a “home study” through the agency which was the process used to determine if we would be successful parents.  We were approved and we decided that we wanted a national search and we wanted an infant.  Still lot’s to do.  We reviewed a packet of birth mother’s from around the country.  We selected several that had a profile that would be acceptable to us (closed adoption where there is no contact after birth, healthy and we specifically requested a girl).  After the initial selection of birth mothers, we provided a profile to those birth mothers who then had the opportunity to “pick us back”.  The final decision was the birth mothers.  Over the next five months, we matched with three different birth mothers but once it was time for the baby to be placed with us, they changed their mind.  We were devastated!

August 1, 2000, we received a call from the agency.  That morning, a birth mother walked into a hospital in Houston and stated that she was in labor and wanted to talk with a social worker about adoption.  She had her baby that day.  She had a girl.  She saw our profile.  She wanted us!  The agency asked if we were interested.  What?  Were we interested?  That was OUR baby!  Of course, we were interested!  We waited the 24-hour period.  We got the call.  She was ours!  The papers were signed!  We could make our flight arrangements! 

The next day, we flew to Houston and picked up our daughter right from the adoption agency.  It was late at night and as we walked up to the agency door, all we saw was a little bundle with a head full of hair.  Our hearts were full and we shed so many tears of joy!  We completed paperwork and took her to the hotel.  After a short stay in Houston, we brought her home.

I look back on this experience and realize that God had a plan for all of our lives and that we were positioned in the place that we needed to be in to have the child that He wanted us to have. 

Credit Image: Denola Burton, Enhanced DNA

Four years later, we began the process to adopt for the second time.  We used the same process for this adoption where we went through the birth mother matching process.  We were matched quickly and since she lived in the same state, we actually met with the birth mother prior to being matched.  Since it was late in her pregnancy, we didn’t have long to wait.  We were invited to the hospital the day after the baby was born.  We went to the nursery and were instantly in love!  The birth mother signed the papers for the placement to be official and we went to meet with her before she was discharged from the hospital.   She had one final visit with the baby and then placed “Ciara” in our arms.  Here is what she told us:

“THIS CHILD will never go hungry!

THIS CHILD will never be on welfare!

THIS CHILD will never be homeless!

So, I give THIS CHILD to you out of love!”

What a love story!  This selfless, unconditional, sacrificial love is the love that I think of daily – every time I look at my girls! 

***************

 If you want to hear more about my adoption experiences in my Ted-type “Walk the Talk” speech that I gave on the title  “Letting Go”, click here.

Denola M. Burton is the Founder and CEO of Enhanced DNA:  Develop Nurture Achieve, LLC.  Through Enhanced DNA, Denola develops and nurtures individuals and organizations to achieve their Leadership, Communication and Performance goals and objectives.  Denola is also an author and publisher and created the Enhanced DNA Publishing Division of her company where they assist new and newer authors in publishing their books according to the Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA) standards.  Denola retired from Eli Lilly and Company after 27 years where the majority of her career was focused on Employee Relations/Human Resources.  You can connect with Denola on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIN and Twitter at Enhanced DNA or on her websites at www.DevelopNurtureAchieve.com or www.EnhancedDNAPublishing.com.

October is breast cancer awareness month: My Breast Cancer Journey: Post III

Image Credit: Unknown

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Throughout October, I have been sharing my breast cancer journey with you, through these posts.  As I said before, I believe that this experience had a tremendous effect on the woman I am today.

I was single, moving up in my career, owned an apartment in one of the best neighborhoods of New York City and thought I had it all, which included a great boyfriend.  Who knew that a breast cancer diagnosis would be around the corner and bring me to my knees?

As you know from my previous posts, I pulled out my breast cancer diary and these memories have stimulated the desire to share some of my story with you.  I have never been this open before, other than with my network of family and friends.  The pages of my diary back in 2000 are filled with prayer after prayer; and biblical reference after biblical reference; as well as examples of gratefulness after gratefulness.  It was hard, but with prayer, my bible and being grateful for each and every moment I was able to get through it, stronger, not only physically but through my relationship with Christ.

When I got to the other side – meaning after surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments; I decided that I wanted to work at getting my body back.  I was a runner prior to my cancer diagnosis and felt that having a goal would get me back in shape.  I decided that I wanted to run the 2001 NYC Marathon.  I signed up and didn’t get in - you may know how hard it is to get accepted to run the NYC Marathon.  Well, I appealed to them with my post-breast cancer goal, and they welcomed me to participate.  It was an amazing experience and I will save that journey for another blog post that I look forward to writing through the eyes of a breast cancer survivor.  But there is a diary entry that sums up my feeling of standing on the Staten Island Bridge waiting for the 2001 NYC Marathon to begin.  Here is one of my earliest entries that I would like to share with you.

Image Credit: Scott Jarvis

March 9, 2000 diary entry:

“My testimony … I believe that God has been preparing me for this season in my life.  Over the past six years, God has truly been working in my life to mature me in HIM.  I became a Christian at age 13 and over the next decade,  would grow very slowly and would only seek God when I was in need of something.  Like anyone, I was shocked when I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  After 12 hours of hearing the news, I called on God, my family, friends and my church family.  Prayer is awesome and God is Good.

I prayed and meditated on God’s word.  I can honestly tell you that God has been carrying me.  It’s been two months since my diagnosis and I don’t wonder how I got here because I now it’s through God’s grace.”

 And, I still feel the same way.

In awareness of breast cancer month, I shared my journey through my blog post I, blog post II and now this third and final blog post.  While it is not complete it does give you a snapshot of those early days of diagnosis and who I have become today.  Please be aware of breast cancer 365 days a year over the 12-month period and not just in October.  Take care of yourself both body and mind.  And always, be aware and celebrate the remarkable women in your lives – those that you have lost to this terrible disease and those who have survived. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

October is breast cancer awareness month: My Breast Cancer Journey: Post II

Image Credit: Meridian Hospitals

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  In my previous blog, Post I, I started sharing a little bit about my breast cancer journey.  It’s a glimpse into some dark days of my life, that by the grace of God, I was able to get to the other side.  Pulling out my “breast cancer journey” diary and reading through it has brought back so many memories.  Some good and some bad.  Breast cancer diagnoses and struggles affect more than the patient.  It affects families and friends too.

I have one sister and four brothers.  My sister and I weren’t very close growing up because she is five years my senior.  Now, as adults, we have become closer; and, she really evolved into one of my biggest cheerleaders and has always there for support; and, I hope that I reciprocate.

My sister’s best friend fought breast cancer for years and had appeared as though she had beat it.  She was going on her 6th year of surviving when I was diagnosed; a year later the disease overcame her and she died.  My prayer through those early days was that God wouldn’t take my sister’s best friend and me too.  I thought that would be too much for my sister to bear.

Here is one of my earliest entries that I would like to share with you, there is no date indicated but captured the period prior to my first surgery:

“My mother and sister came up during this time and it allowed us to bond with Christ being our central focus.  We read scripture and each prayed on the eve prior to the surgery to remove the tumor. I hold onto the thought this is only a trial to make me a better child of God; that I will not die from the disease but will survive and be able to draw others closer to God.”

I read that entry and remember the wonderful time that my Mom, sister and me fellowshipped, prayed and supported one another.  They both stopped their lives and came to New York City to be with me.  My mother stayed even longer.  I appreciated that network and knew that it helped me get through a difficult time.  For example, the friend I mentioned in the previous post that took me shopping at Costco also sent me flowers on my chemotherapy days.  (She is now the godmother of my daughter)! 

Since my family was far away, I was thankful for my friends.  They would bring lunch to my chemo treatments and sit with me while the medicine was being administered into my body.  Others would meet me at the end and make sure I got home and make dinner for me.  Others would call just to check on me.  I was thankful for their acts of kindness; and, grateful for their time.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I will continue to share my breast cancer journey in the next October blog post.  In the meantime, please start making it a habit (if you haven’t already) to self-examine your breasts at least every month.  Please encourage the women and men in your lives to do the same thing.  If you feel something, do something and don’t put it off.  See your doctor.  Early detection makes a huge difference. Be aware and celebrate the remarkable women in your lives – those that you have lost to this terrible disease and those who have survived. 

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

October is breast cancer awareness month: My Breast Cancer Journey: Post I

Credit Image: Essence Magazine

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  The entire month is devoted to increasing awareness of the disease and encouraging both women and men to be proactive in the awareness of breast cancer.  Breast cancer is personal to me.  Many who know me, know that I am a breast cancer survivor. But long before I was a breast cancer patient and then a survivor; breast cancer was personal to me. 

I always ran the annual Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 5k in New York City’s Central Park.  By running, I celebrated all who were affected by breast cancer.  The bright pink hats that I would see and, the signs on the backs of runners honoring loved ones whose lives were taken by the disease; as well as, those who survived.  Signs were held with personal sentiments for their Moms, Sisters, and Aunties (and let’s not forget that men are also affected by breast cancer).  I ran in those races for years. 

Then the year came when I ran in it and I wore the bright pink hat denoting “survivor”, and I was celebrated with gifts from sponsors; and, VIP tents with goodies because the Susan G. Komen foundation knew how to celebrate breast cancer survivors.  More importantly, whether running or walking, we saw each other’s fight in each other’s eyes and on our backs with signage.  We had gathered as a community, fighting together against something that was so much bigger than any one individual; or, for that matter even bigger than our communities/groups but together we were fighting back! 

There are so many emotions that stir up when reading the signs sadness, hope, definance and honor are just a few…

Now 20 years later, I look back at that time and am reminded of bright colors, energy, kindness and togetherness; and, yes a lot of pain and grief for all of us diagnosed and those of us lost to breast cancer.

I have a membership into a group that I did not apply for; but, I know the experience has helped to shape me into who I am today.   Because of this disease, I have had the opportunity to meet some beautiful souls; some, who are celebrating survivorship and others who we celebrate their remarkable lives with our memories.

I was diagnosed young.  It did not run in my family and genetic testing showed I was not pre-disposed to the breast cancer gene.  The cancer was suspected in December 1999 and confirmed in January 2000.  So, going in the 2000 New Year; I felt a little like the Prince song “Party like it’s 1999” because I wondered if this would be my last party?  The months would be hard to endure but I got through them.  I hadn’t looked at my “Breast Cancer Diary” since my last entry two decades ago, but I pulled it out and opened it to write this post and share a glimpse of my story during October Breast Cancer Awareness month.

My boyfriend at the time (who is now my husband), family, friends and my church family helped me through that dark year but prayer got me through those dark days.  Here is one of my earliest entries that I would like to share with you:

Monday, March 20, 2000

“Four days after my second chemo treatment, it hit me around 8:30 PM on Thursday.  I felt like I was hit by a mac truck.  On Friday, I conducted business from my bed; and, was able to do a conference call.  I had a good night’s sleep on Friday night and went to a women’s luncheon on Saturday at church. God gave me the strength and clarity of mind to go and give my testimony.  On Sunday, I went to the early church service and then went to Costco with my dear friend Gigi.  I came home and crashed.  Today was another day of faithfulness.”

In awareness of breast cancer month, I will continue to share my breast cancer journey in my upcoming October blog posts.  In the meantime, please don’t put off having your mammogram and for all of the young women reading this; your breast may be dense at this age.  In addition to having a mammogram please have an ultrasound.  Heading into surgery, the mammogram still didn’t show the cancer I had – only the ultrasound. 

Please celebrate the remarkable women in your lives – those that you have lost to this terrible disease and those who have survived.  Most importantly, celebrate you by being aware and taking the precautions necessary for healthy breasts and early detection.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

These days, does anything go?

My daughter and dog photo bombed the webinar!

We are living in an age where words or phrases like “unprecedented”, “uncertain”, “the new normal”, “uncharted waters”, all are used to describe the state of our current living experience.  I am sure you can add some of your own words or phrases to this list.  The point is clear that our time right now is different for everyone; not just a certain demographic of the population or a region of our country or the world.  Generally, when there is an outbreak or something big happens, we are all accustomed to it affecting a certain demographic, a region or area; but not all of us and certainly not all at once.  Whether you are a parent with children still in need of an education, a working person, a care-taker or a person being cared for; this pandemic has us all on our heels.  Unprecedented, uncertain, new normal and uncharted waters, forces us to establish new ways of educating our children, working, taking care of loved ones or the response of those being cared for.

When we are doing these activities under new pressures these days, does anything go?

Certain activities or circumstances that we would have been previously horrified by nine months ago; or, at the very least would make a good family story, seems absolutely normal now.  We tend to take these new normal situations with stride. 

There are so many examples in my own life, but one in particular comes to mind that I would like to share, primarily because it resonates with so many of us.  I participated in a recent webinar hosted by HBS+Dealer.  Post-webinar, a colleague texted me and said how happy she was that she was able to see my daughter (and my dog) at one point behind me.  She was surprised to see how tall my daughter had become and exclaimed how much she is growing.  I had purposefully left the door to my office open to receive more light into the room for production reason.  For one nano-second my response was horror.  I was literally horrified that I appeared unprofessional; then, I thought about it.  During these pandemic days, anything goes, which includes opening up our lives for others to get a glimpse of, when we are working from home.  It’s acceptable and, yes, anything goes.

Parents working and being surprisingly disrupted by their children is not new.  For example, Huff Post ran a great post of 14 Times Kids Hilariously Interrupted the News back in 2017.  We laughed, and may have even been critical, then, but now, it is our new normal.  We accept that stuff like this is going to just happen. 

A colleague complained recently to me that she was on a zoom call with her boss and the boss’ kids were running around the house.  It sounded as though they were being very disruptive and the boss was just going with the flow.  I shared my recent webinar camera bomb story of my daughter and dog.  I expressed that we are all doing the best we can under the present circumstances.  We are forced to go with the flow because the pandemic gives us no other choice.  I encouraged her to be kind and gentle because right now, anything goes.

On the opposite side, another consultant shared with me that she interviewed a woman who was obviously in her car.  She said that in the past she would have marked that as a reason not to consider her for the position.  These days, when everyone is home the consultant said “I’m sure that was the only way she felt she could get peace and quiet”. 

Yes these times, covid-19 days, are unprecedented, uncertain, the new normal and uncharted waters. If you are like me, one thing you can be sure of, is that we are doing the best we can to keep it all together.  My advice for all of us, including me, is be kind, be gentle because these days, anything goes.

Sonya Ruff Jarvis, is the Managing Member of Jarvis Consultants and the Founder of the eRetailer Summit and JC Event Group. An expert in her field, Sonya has been published in numerous retail industry b-to-b publications.  Sonya shares her experiences in her book series Mindful Minutes:  A Marketer’s Journey Through Business.  In addition, Sonya collaborated in publishing an anthology, Mentoring Moments:  14 Remarkable Women Share Their Breakthroughs to Success. Purchase Sonya’s books here.

Sonya has a M.B.A. in Marketing. She is married and has a daughter and they live in Trumbull, Connecticut.  

Follow Sonya on twitter at @jarvisconsult or @eretailersummit

Guest Blogger, Joy E. Mason: Finding Purpose in Life Transitions

Every woman that I’ve talked to is going through some type of transition. It doesn’t matter if she’s a woman in college, early in her career, late in her career, a new mom, newly divorced, becoming a grandparent, losing a loved one, or becoming a caretaker. Women tend to share more and as we share, I discover a common theme - a sense of losing and needing to re-find life’s purpose.

Sometimes women ask me “what’s next” as they reflect upon and reevaluate previous notions of their life purpose. I often reply with an analogy to a trapeze artist who is gripping two rings with both hands high in the air, and as she swings across to reach for the next ring with her right hand she releases the ring in her left hand. She hasn’t quite grabbed the second ring but she has let go of the first ring, leaving her body suspended in the air not knowing for sure what’s next. A question for you.

What if this is all there is and your purpose does not require a “next”.

I posed this question to a friend and she thought this was an awful consideration. To the contrary, this question brought a sense of freedom and joy to me. Don’t get me wrong. I am 52 now and I have gone through many transitions. (I know there are many more to come.) Some have been fun and some have been rather painful. But I have learned that life is lived one day at a time, and actually one moment at a time.

So, while you are suspended in the air during your life transition, I encourage you to trust and know that you will emerge from each transition wiser, more grateful, and more centered. You can find peace in knowing this.

Joy E. Mason, Author, Motivator, Accountability Partner

Joy E. Mason retired from corporate life at the age of 50 and quickly leveraged her new chapter by writing a book describing her inspiring and courageous journey to find her purpose,. While her faith, her family, and her loving husband have been her foundation, a painful lawsuit and the discovery of a brain tumor which can cause blindness have also been a part of her journey. These highs and lows sparked Joy's renewed commitment to live a more purposeful life.

Joy is the CEO/Founder of Optimist Business Solutions and is the author of "Purpose: A Shift from Driving It to Embracing It", "Purposeshift Journal: Healing with Nature" and "The Optimist Workbook: 5 Steps to Sustainable Solutions for Women in Business".