At first of March, Paige Pozos, proprietor of Without end Flawless, was on high of the world. She was swamped at work. Along with tattooing continually, she traveled everywhere in the nation attending tattoo conventions and instructing seminars on everlasting cosmetics. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced all of that to a crashing halt.
The thrill, creativity and stability she had labored so exhausting to ascertain was changed with frustration, nervousness and uncertainty. Like so many others, Pozos was pressured to shut her enterprise because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pozos and the opposite two tattoo artists in her store, Matthew Campbell and Kaleb Grosso, had been pressured into non permanent unemployment.
At first, she was not frightened.
Then, the governor prolonged the closure and he or she began to consider the finical implications.
Pozos was frightened that her financial savings wouldn’t have the option cowl her bills each personally and professionally. She started researching options to make sure she wouldn’t lose her enterprise she spent the final 5 years constructing.
Pozos utilized for the Small Enterprise Administration mortgage however nonetheless has not acquired any response. She did, nonetheless, discover some help within the type of a grant from the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce.
“They had been wonderful so far as serving to me discover assets that work with my sort of enterprise. The Chamber of Commerce was the one one which got here by way of, and that stimulus examine actually saves our a–, ” Pozos stated.
As a single mom Pozos additionally did most of her socializing at work. Her evenings had been devoted to caring for her daughter, Avalon Pozos.
To fill the social void and herald some extra earnings through the closure, Pozos began a tarot card studying web page and did readings for individuals over the telephone. The sum of money was nominal however the interplay was helpful.
She would typically spend between an hour to an hour and half with every shopper. Some days she would solely do one studying. Different days she would do as many as six or seven readings. After a time although, this started to provide Pozos nervousness.
Lots of her tarot shoppers dwell in bigger cities in different components of the nation. Listening to concerning the impression COVID-19 had on their lives involved her.
“What we see in Wyoming doesn’t mirror what’s occurring in the remainder of the world,” Pozos stated. “The issues which might be occurring within the greater cities may be very scary. I believe that for a number of weeks individuals right here weren’t taking it very severely.”
To cope with the nervousness throughout this era, she did quite a lot of meditation, Buddhist chanting and assisted her tarot shoppers in these practices.
“At first of a studying, I might stroll individuals by way of grounding, clearing chakras and specializing in the current second. Eliminating all of the negativity and knocking down positivity from above you and beneath you and actually grounding your self, and that shifts the entire dynamic of how that particular person is pondering proper then. I’ve discovered that to be actually useful for different individuals and myself,” Pozos stated.
On the house entrance, the transition from conventional education to dwelling education was the one actual hiccup. Pozos and her daughter Avalon have at all times been very shut.
“There have been days, although, that I needed I may ship her to a associates home to play,” Pozos stated.
The mom-as-teacher was a troublesome position to tackle. It started to be damaging to their relationship. To treatment this example, Pozos inspired Avalon to be a little bit extra unbiased in doing her faculty work.
“You need to hover over them the entire time to ensure they don’t make any errors and are doing all the pieces completely or I do anyway, so I’ve to take step again,” Pozos stated.
Now she compiles an inventory of what’s anticipated, then permitting Avalon to finish what she will after which makes certain the work is getting performed. Pozos may be very pleased with how Avalon’s trainer is dealing with communication and classwork.
“David Williams, her trainer at Meadowlark Elementary, is totally wonderful. He’s so good with them. He offers them assignments primarily based on their pursuits to maintain them engaged. He communicates with them on their degree. He’s in all probability the most effective academics she has ever had, and his type interprets effectively to the house education, too,” Pozos stated.
On Might 1, companies together with tattoo retailers and salons had been allowed to reopen underneath sure tips. For Pozos and others working at Without end Flawless, the modifications are minimal. Earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic, tattoo artists would repeatedly sanitize their work stations between every shopper, and most tattoo artist have coaching in blood-born pathogen prevention.
At Without end Flawless, all the pieces is single-use and sterilized.
The one actual change is that now shoppers are required to sanitize their arms upon getting into the store they usually should put on gloves and a masks, each of which the store gives.
In the interim, Pozos and her coworkers will function on an appointment-only foundation. Pozos is a workaholic. As such, she is so excited to return to work.
“I might have performed no matter they instructed me to do to return to work,” Pozos stated. “I’ve by no means been extra grateful to have the ability to work.”