What are your hopes? Fears?
Our hopes are that we will get through this thing
quickly and not see a resurgence of it. I guess
that’s my fear, is listening to experts talk about
the possibility of this circling back around maybe
in the fall or something of that effect. Also the
concern that maybe we’re just on the front side
of it here in south Georgia and maybe there’s
a wave coming, I don’t know. We have seen a
few increases in the number of cases locally.
Hopefully, that’s contained, and we won’t see
that escalate. Hopefully, they can find some sort
of vaccine for this going forward. But, you know,
my fear is that normal is different now. We keep
talking about returning to normal, but I think we
all know it’s a different normal now, and it affects
everything; our travel, our going to the store,
even trying to buy toilet paper, meat and those
types of things that have become somewhat
difficult to find. So, that's my biggest fear is that
it's a drastic change in how we all live our lives
going forward.
How has this changed your outlook?
Well, you know, we're trying to avoid the fears
and just operate sensibly, to walk by faith
through this whole thing, and to care for one
another as we should, to look out for our team
mates, for our customers, for our community as
we try to do what’s best for each other. I think
as an organization we’ve stepped up, we’ve
learned to do things more efficiently, and we have
adapted quite well to it.
Sco Phillips,
New Image Salon
How has the COVID-19 pandemic
affected your business?
COVID-19 has totally changed
everything. We are having to
provide education to our clients
about hand washing, 6 ft spacing
for social distancing, how to sneeze
properly (into your elbow), and that
we should all be wearing masks.
Now, even non-healthcare related
businesses like ours have to screen
our employees before work and our
clients as they enter the business.
Before the virus, our clients would
be offended to be asked to sit in
their cars while waiting to be seen,
but now it is the “new normal,” I
suppose.
What have you learned to
appreciate during this pandemic?
I have learned to appreciate our
team and our clients even more than
before. It was very difficult, both
financially, and emotionally to have
to close our doors for nearly 4 weeks,
and so abruptly. I have also come to
appreciate the extra steps we take
in making sure detailed sanitation
occurs for the benefit of everyone.
What are your hopes
for the future?
My hopes are that this virus will
leave and be gone for good. I also
hope that during this time we as a
community look at how we all pulled
together and beat a pandemic which
is unheard of in the past 100 years.
I hope we will be ready and more
prepared if we ever have to face this
challenge again. My fear is that a
second wave of the virus is coming
and businesses like ours will have
to close again. I also have a fear
that some small businesses will not
survive the struggles we have faced
this past few months.
Did this pandemic
make you stronger?
Dealing with this pandemic most
definitely made me a stronger
person, father, friend, and
entrepreneur. I will be ready if ever,
or whenever, another pandemic
might occur. The pandemic has
helped me realize that when things
get tough, the people in our area will
pull together and fight. I believe not
only has it made me stronger, but it
has made our community stronger as
a whole.
TALKING TO LOCALS
16 TOOMBS COUNTY MAGAZINE