May is Mental Health Awareness Month and here at FullStack, we’ll be highlighting ways business leaders can practice self-care during these challenging and uncertain times. We reached out to FairWinds Advisors to learn what Co-Founder and President Jenny Massey and see how she is maintaining positive mental health and hear about the resiliency of her clients during this crisis.
FairWinds Advisors, LLC is a nationwide site selection and economic development consulting firm that partners with clients to help define their project. This often involves long term planning and growth through new positions and capital investment. Some examples of their capacity are finding best-fit locations for clients (such as co-working spaces or a new building location), evaluating and negotiating local and state incentives, and ensuring agreements are filed properly and clients remain compliant.
With all the challenges companies are facing during this time, Jenny has seen some thoughtful responses from her clients. She has been highlighting some of FairWinds Advisors’ clients on their website. One that stood out is Radiological Care Services. “They’ve been thinking about viruses and their potential impact on us for a long time. In fact, their entire business is to eradicate ‘bugs’ on x-ray garments and protective wearables in healthcare situations. RCS is a forward-thinking company and we are really proud of the work they have been doing as well as the new work eradicating COVID-19.”
We asked Jenny what she’s been doing as a business leader to self-care during these challenging times. Although working from home isn’t a big change, she did mention the need to walk away from stressful situations and switch gears. “After 8 weeks of quarantine, my house is clean and organized, my garden is ready to go and my beekeeping hobby has become a Zen-like experience… At the end of the day, I’m thrilled to give bottles of honey to my friends and family and to share the food that we raise and meals that we cook; it’s fulfilling to me.”
Jenny sees the benefit in self-care and maintaining positive mental health practices. “By being able to live more fully in the moment and truly enjoy every day equally—meaning every day is much the same without judgment given to Monday or preference to Saturday – I am happier and more thoughtful in my interactions with everyone. I have more patience and creativity. I am more apt to weigh how I allocate my time and truly try to make the best use of different communication channels.” She goes on to say, “I do think that my work post-quarantine will have definite changes; I will blend at-home and in-person interactions keeping in mind that taking time for myself is important, not just for me, but for my family, friends and clients/colleagues as well. It’s easy to get ‘caught up’ in work but I find that it’s easier to step away knowing that there is time for it tomorrow.”
If you need some home beekeeping tips or are a startup or small company needing help applying for tax credits and incentives available to you, reach out to Jenny and FairWinds!