Going The Distance: Amie & Jolie Sikes

With the sudden onset of COVID-19 across America, the impact throughout the entire Western industry has been substantial.  From closed doors to cancelled events and exploded marketing plans, the crisis has had an effect in every far reaching corner.  COWGIRL wanted to explore the impact by asking three simple questions to women who not only live, but work the Western way of life:

• What did you do to continue being productive in the face of COVID-19 shut downs?
• What is the most positive effect of your efforts to adapt to the restrictions?
• What is the most negative result these shut downs had on you?

A&JS: “When the pandemic first hit, our primary objective was to make calculated, thoughtful, and productive decisions for the business. After ensuring our employees were taken care of financially, we doubled down on social media engagement.  We got creative.  We began doing weekly, sometimes daily lives on Instagram and Facebook. We had a virtual prom in which over 7k people joined us from across the globe! It was all about positive energy and providing people with an escape from what was happening in the real world. We began hosting virtual markets that provided an instant boost to revenue. We have been amazed and beyond grateful for the support!  Because we had to pivot our business structure in order to survive during this time, we have discovered new and effective platforms for our business that we intend to continue even after the pandemic is behind us.  The hustle is always fun; it’s an adrenaline-fueled energy that reminds you of the mojo you had when you first started your business.  The pandemic relit a fire in us that has fueled our creativity our love for this business and our customers even more.  The uncertainty in the world is not ignorable. It’s reality and no one knows what tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year will bring.  Being small business owners, there is always some level of anxiety but there has certainly been heightened stress levels during this time. Shutting down the Wander Inn and the store was not ideal but what we felt we had to do to ensure the safety of our employees, our community, and our family.”