FRAGILE
Ten women-owned businesses in Charleston SC coming together. One story.
An artistic depiction of the woman entrepreneur’s journey through COVID-19.
Like many great art projects, this one started with an over-caffeinated text message to Jenny Broe, owner of Dance Lab Charleston, after a weightlifting class on a Tuesday.
“Hey, do you wanna make a badass music video with me about women entrepreneurs eating $#!t through COVID-19?”
I don’t know about you, but our business face-planted when COVID-19 hit.
Making it through the first few weeks it was surreal, the ups and downs and then the next rounds of ups and downs…Navigating the Paycheck Protection Program, handling reschedules of client projects and learning how to maneuver clients wanting to cancel, calling up every non-essential vendor (often friends) and saying we needed to pause or cancel our services indefinitely. Throwing everything overboard.
I know this isn’t just my story.
I wanted to produce The Fragile Project to depict what it's like being a women entrepreneur through the COVID-19 pandemic, from being on top of the world to face-planting in dog poo. Emotionally, mentally, financially— having to downsize, let go, restructure.
As a woman business owner, you’re often the lynchpin that keeps it all moving — not only for yourself but for the lives of your employees, your clients, and the friends and family who depend on you to be that rock in their lives.
This is my first year being a part of the Dance Lab Bad Girl's Club community, and our Spring show canceled due to COVID-19. I watched Jenny Broe shape-shift to stay afloat through COVID-19.
If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting this beautiful soul named Jenny Broe- let me just tell you about this woman.
She has created this phenomenal inclusive space in our Charleston community for hundreds of young women, teens, and grown @$$ adults alike find their sense of creative expression, pieces of themselves they never knew before, and a new way to move through the world from the business she dared to build.
And now, in the COVID-19 days, I watch her pivot - offering virtual live stream dance classes, then on-demand dance classes, once masked social gatherings were opening up — she's in the studio posting videos talking through people's concerns of dancing with a mask ("Will I die?") and encouraging people to come together.
“Seeing Jenny Broe, amidst so many amazing Charleston women entrepreneurs showing up day after day after day, doing their best with what they could do for their services, inspired me to keep going with mine. ”
To continue moving in the face of uncertainty.
To see Tiffany Jackson, one of the most vibrant naturopaths and healthcare practitioners in Mount Pleasant, continue to see clients and get creative in her "Tea With Tiffany" stories she began sharing on social media.
Tiffany Jackson, an amazing woman entrepreneur in Charleston and Naturopathic Practitioner, owner of EcoHealth and Wellness in Mount Pleasant pivoted with her business during COVID-19 through hosting “Tea With Tiffany” phone calls talking with clients and other healthcare professionals to continue to support her client base.
To watch Lisa Staff continue to make people laugh on her social feeds as she continues to feature local businesses.
Lisa Staff, Photographer and Co-Founder of Sprout Connectors, a content creation agency continued to support her clients through setting up a remote podcast series and continuing to interview local businesses and business owners through COVID-19.
To see Jessica Rueger * somehow * continue to be the rock she is for so many of her clients.
Jessica Rueger, self-mastery coach offered pro-bono, discounted solutions, and group coaching calls for her clients through COVID-19 to continue supporting them through the chaotic uncertain times.
To see how creative Andrea Serrano became with the way she's promoted local businesses from home.
One of the greatest challenges Andrea Serrano, stylist and blogger, Charleston Shop Curator, faced was balancing raising her boys and continuing to run her business from home through COVID-19.
To watch Allston Shore go through an entire rebrand, shift with her online sales model with her business partner entirely.
Allston Shore, jewelry designer and co-founder of Snafflebit Bracelet Company and and candle-creator at Private Label by PCC went through a rebrand and a total systems restructuring through COVID-19.
“Fragile is a depiction of the strength I’ve seen in so many women entrepreneurs in Charleston. Juggling childcare, new offerings for clients, new ways of marketing, new ways to be of service.”
We may not look the way we did before COVID-19, we may not do business the way we did before COVID-19, but we’re better because of it.
We’re stronger because of the resistance and challenges we’ve gone through, and as women I think if there’s anything this time has shown us —it’s that we can absolutely handle anything life throws at us.
My favorite weight-lifting instructor/life guru Emily Oswald always says the quote by John Lennon, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end. ”
This has been something I’ve been living by.
“If it aint good yet, then it aint over. ”
Keep going. Keep moving forward. Even if it doesn’t look the way it looked before, we’re here now and if there’s anyone who’s got this— it’s you, my friend.
COLLABORATORS WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN
This creative collaboration would NOT be possible without the following brilliant, shiny souls and businesses who partnered with me to turn this dream into a reality:
The Cedar Room + The Indigo Road Hospitality Group
https://www.thecedarroom.com/ https://www.theindigoroad.com/ - A HUGE thank you to Kara and the crew at The Cedar Room and The Indigo Road Hospitality Group for coordinating with us and opening up such an iconic Charleston space for us to create art in our local community! We couldn’t ask for a better space to let our creative vision come to life. You guys are the best! Thank you for tolerating us playing “Fragile” on repeat for 5 hours during your work day! : ) You ladies are CHAMPS!!
Dance Lab Charleston
https://www.dancelabcharleston.com/ - This amazing community of soulful, incredible humans - YOU SPICE UP MY LIFE! A HUGE thank you to the AMAZING DANCERS who practiced and rehearsed into the wee hours of the night to make this thing happen. And for anyone who’s never danced (but secretly wants to)— GO BOOK A CLASS RIGHT NOW!! BEST DECISION OF YOUR LIFE!!!
Dancers:
Jenny Broe https://www.instagram.com/dancelab_843/
Jade Amani https://www.instagram.com/_jadeamani/
Latasha Weinmann https://www.instagram.com/littlebitfit1/
Christine Aicardi https://www.instagram.com/chrisaica133/
Laura Bland https://twitter.com/itinerantpunk (Those nails girl… they MADE the shoot!!)
ACTRESSES / AKA / Amazing Local Women Entrepreneurs you should support
Thank you ALL for being SO BRAVE and daring to get in FRONT OF THE CAMERA and play the part!!! Each of these women is BEYOND talented — go support their businesses!!
Lisa Staff // Photographer https://lisastaffphoto.com/ - One of our all time favorite girl boss photographers who’s led the way and inspired us on what it means to be a P O W E R F U L woman in business and life!
Jessica Rueger // Self-Mastery Coach https://www.jessicarueger.com/ - Specializes in transforming the storyline of YOUR life and how you perceive the world around you! You are the master and creator of the life you want to live!
Andrea Serrano // Charleston Shop Curator Blogger + Stylist - Forever the promoter and ambassador of all the amazing things around Charleston in style, fashion, and taste you need to know!!
Allston Shore // Jewelry Designer + Candle Creator Snafflebit Bracelet Company - Where southern chic meets boho — if you go to their site you WILL end up purchasing something, their stuff is AMAZING +
CANDLES — Private Label by PCC https://www.plantationcandlecompany.com/ - Create your own private label signature scent or choose one of their amazing creations with their line of hand crafted soy + wood wick candles made here in Charleston
Tiffany Jackson // Naturopathic Practitioner http://tiffanyjacksonnd.com/ - This woman has helped me transform my personal health 180 degrees and is an absolute PARTNER in helping you reach your goals to feel your best!!
Production
Concept Development // Jenny Broe and Shelby Ring
Director of Photography, Steadicam Operator // Shelby Ring
Production Assistant, Photographer // Jeff Wright
Producer // Ruby Riot Creatives
Set Assistant // Naquan Villega
Set Assistant // Kirstie Rawl
Video Editor // Shelby Ring
Catering // Verde - https://www.eatatverde.com/