For over a year now we have lived out a “new normal.” We have made our homes into our offices, spent holidays with our families over Zoom, and watched the latest blockbuster film from our own living rooms. With immunity on the horizon and many of us clamoring to return to the way things once were, it can be hard to get perspective on this once-in-a-lifetime event. It wasn’t that long ago that I walked and talked like a New Yorker, folded my pizza before I ate it, and jammed myself in like a sardine on a packed MTA subway train. Today I trade the subway for a bicycle, a folded pizza for the sweet-savory taste of Spam Musubi, and the quintessential New Yorker “I’m walking here” for the much gentler Hawaiian “Aloha”. This dramatic change in scenery could not have been possible without an event like the COVID-19 crisis. While there have been many hardships we have had to face this past year, the constraints and lockdowns have also brought their fair share of opportunities.
I sat down (over Zoom calls) with some of our advisors and staff here at Island Wealth Management to learn about what positives they have found in these unprecedented times. For Troy, our Office Manager, the pandemic turned out to be a great opportunity to be closer to family. “After relocating back home from New York, I realized how much I missed spending time with family. I also picked up gardening as a hobby. It’s been very fulfilling putting in all the work and reaping the rewards.”
Our President and Founder, Brian, writes: “From a business standpoint, 2020 has been a catalyst for Island Wealth Management’s virtual delivery model. We conducted our first virtual review meetings via Zoom. We began monthly webinars and ‘Meaningful Monday’ coffee talks as value-added services. I am very grateful for the relationships we have with our clients and, looking back at the past year, I am very proud of the work our team has done with each and every client.”
Our Relationship Manager, Lori says the pandemic has given her more time to cook and bake new treats with her kids and family. “Since my kids were in virtual school for the spring and opted out of summer school, we decided to cook once a week with their Popo,” she shares. “They made almond cookies, learned how to wrap wonton and bake an apple pie!” While unable to travel abroad, she’s been having fun with her kids rediscovering Hawaii’s local sites and the islands’ plethora of outdoor activities, from hiking to water-skiing.
As for me, the pandemic allowed me to make time in my schedule to learn Chinese, to reconnect with family, and to begin an exciting new chapter in my life. What have your takeaways been? Schedule your next appointment and let us know!