Biz Forward: Road To Recovery by Renaissance Publishing

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LAW FIRM

Litigating at a Distance In unprecedented times, adaptation and collaboration are key

SI NCE 1 9 8 9 , CHEHAR DY SHER M AN W I L L I AM S,

L.L.P., has served the Greater New Orleans region with integrity, professionalism and experience. The firm’s attorneys provide superior legal consultation in a variety of practice areas, ranging from Business & Corporate Law to Healthcare Law, Personal Injury to Estate Planning, and all types of Litigation. The attorneys of Chehardy Sherman Williams Law Firm strongly believe in the community and choose to give back by serving in charitable groups and educational institutions, on various councils and as regional leaders. They believe that giving back provides opportunities to become even more aware of the area’s assets and growth, effectively enriching their lives and providing needed services, assistance and encouragement to others. In what ways are you thriv ing and pushing forward as a business during COVID-19? Having litigators like James Williams, George Recile and Fred Herman as part of our litigation team has given Chehardy Sherman Williams national recognition as a top-tier litigation law firm. However, a significant number of our 58 attorneys practice non-litigation, “transactional law.” In the early stages of the pandemic, it became apparent that businesses would have numerous issues with government regulations and stay-at-home orders and the different types of government relief programs, including the CARES Act and various SBA loan programs. Therefore, we immediately created teams to focus on the issues facing our business clients.

Our attorneys have done their best to become experts in the ways the stay-at-home orders and PPP loans affect businesses. We have been proactively communicating with our business clients, keeping them up to date on a myriad of COVID-19 related issues through regular email newsletters. A large percentage of our business clients are healthcare providers and members of the tourism industry. Our attorneys had to become quickly educated regarding COVID-19 issues in those sectors. Are there any lessons you have learned? Any new technology you’ ve embraced? The Greater Metropolitan New Orleans Area is blessed with many excellent law firms. Recognizing this, Chehardy Sherman Williams has tried to distinguish itself by providing superior client service. The foundation of our client service during this unprecedented time was our willingness to meet with clients anytime and anywhere. We pride ourselves on being available 24/7 and offering to go to our clients rather than have them come to our office. We have always believed so strongly in face-to-face meetings, but during this time, we have learned to embrace web meetings and video conferencing. The pandemic has taught us that remote meetings utilizing the web and video conferencing can be equally effective, when necessary. Do you anticipate your business w ill change in any way when the community opens back up? If so, how ? Chehardy Sherman Williams believes that even as our community opens back up, COVID-19 issues will continue to affect our clients for a prolonged period of time. We believe that many clients will want to continue utilizing remote meetings as opposed to face-to-face, whenever remote meetings will be as effective, because they are perceived as safer, convenient and more economical. Internally, we are considering leasing additional space to enhance social distancing by our clients, attorneys and staff. Most attorneys I know believed, as did I, that the practice of law could not be accomplished remotely. The pandemic has taught us that while face-to-face interaction is still critical, there are many instances where remote interaction is just as effective, and if that is the only way to serve our clients, we will embrace it.

FROM LEFT: JAMES M. WILLIAMS, LAWRENCE E. CHEHARDY AND DAVID R. SHERMAN

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We pride ourselves on being available 24/7.

DAVID R. SHERMAN Partner

CHEHARDY SHERMAN WILLIAMS, L.L.P. 1 GALLERIA BLVD., SUITE 1100 • METAIRIE, LA 70001 • (504) 833-5600 • CHEHARDY.COM

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DMG Design+Build Puts the Customer First No matter the circumstances, the company prioritizes innovation and relationships

“ TH E CUSTOM ER ’ S CONTR A CTOR ” I S A L A BEL

DMG Design+Build has worked hard to earn. Ryan McCroskey, the company’s founder, saw a need for what he describes as a single place where a team of professionals can take a client’s vision from conception to completion under one roof in the Greater New Orleans area. DMG Design+Build has been an award-winning company year after year. In 2019 alone, the team garnered several notable honors and distinctions, including: placement in the Remodeling 550 and Qualified Remodeler Top 500, as well as being named General Contractor Magazine’s #1 pick for kitchen remodeling and an Inc 5000 fastestgrowing company. DMG has received two prestigious Chrysalis awards, and Ryan McCroskey has been recognized in PRO Remodelers’ 40 under 40. Even though 2020 is off to a rocky start for businesses worldwide, this team continues to push forward with new and exciting ideas to embrace the social and economic changes. In what ways are you thriv ing and pushing forward as a business during COVID-19? We are launching a new division of DMG Design+Build called 11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs. This new division is proving to be a hit amongst first-time home buyers and investors alike, but with people watching their money more closely during COVID-19, we want them to take advantage of this opportunity to achieve their goals. DMG’s 11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs benefits the clients who want to build a home that fits their family and lifestyle while saving time

and money. We will have 11 plans for clients to choose from. It also allows those same clients to focus their attention and budget on customizing their chosen plan by working with our Designer to hand-pick the selections, materials, and finishes. Are there any lessons you have learned? Any new technology you’ ve embraced? One of the tools we use to accomplish successful communication is with our cloud-based Client Portal. The Client Portal is utilized throughout the entire project. This form of communication provides transparency between the client and DMG Design+Build with milestone logs during development of the project and daily logs once production is underway. The convenience of monitoring your vision come to life every step of the way could not be simpler, with 24/7 online access. Our Client Portal has allowed us to provide updates and communicate with our clients while social distancing. Do you anticipate your business w ill change in any way when the community opens back up? If so, how ? We are known for custom design, home construction and remodeling but we expect to see a continued move with our 11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs whereby we may add more semicustom options. Our 11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs allow a client to choose a plan that meets their expectations from our library of designs. As the home builder, we work with our client to customize the home’s selections, materials, and finishes. Our 11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs offer clients the best of both worlds. They are able to achieve the vision for their new home without the timely investment to fully customize it. Since you are not beginning from scratch, there is both time and money saved. DMG’s core values remain the same: Through communication, build not just quality projects but quality relationships; Achieve excellence through teamwork; Honesty and accountability. We believe this new division will prove to be a much-needed benefit to our community. At the end of the day, the goal is to build the home you have always envisioned for you and your family. The home where holidays are celebrated with your family. The home where memories will continue for generations to come. The home where every detail is uniquely you.

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11 Semi-Custom Value Home Designs is proving to be a hit amongst first-time home buyers and investors alike

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RYAN MCCROSKEY, CEO

DMG DESIGN+BUILD 2345 METAIRIE RD. • METAIRIE, LA 70001 • (504) 275-6664 • DMGNOLA.COM

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A Polish is Worth a Thousand Words For Marion AlejosPuente, inspiration knows no borders

NE W O R L E A NS BA S E D A ND L AT I NA - O W NE D,

Passport Polish was born from founder and owner Marion Alejos-Puente’s love for both travel and nail polish. Each handmade product is inspired by a different country, and AlejosPuente determines the exact colors and shades by identifying a unique aspect of the polish’s namesake: everything from flags and national flowers to local agriculture have been represented in her extensive line. She’s constantly inspired by new cultures, cuisines and experiences and has traveled to 13 countries on her quest to find her next source of inspiration. Passport Polish is certified by Leaping Bunny cruelty-free standards, as Alejos-Puente carefully creates her ten-free, vegan polishes without formaldehyde, toluene, camphor or other harmful materials. As her business grows, she’s passionate about remaining environmentally and socially conscious, which led her to create a small business grant at the start of the COVID-19 crisis. It’s all part of an effort, she says, to keep our communities vibrant. In what ways are you thriv ing and pushing forward as a business during COVID-19? When the news of the state shutdowns began, I thought my business was over with. I sell handmade nail polish. Who is going to want that during a crisis? However, with nail salons being shut down, my business began to thrive. I recently started to offer press on nails, and those took off immediately! I then shifted my strategy to offer nail kits with easy-to-follow

instructions for sizing and application so that people could do their own nails at home. It is a form of self-care and a tiny piece of normalcy for my customers during these uncertain times. Are there any lessons you have learned? Any new technology you’ ve embraced? A major lesson I have learned throughout this has been that you should always be ready to change your strategy at the drop of a hat. My initial plans for Spring 2020 were to expand to a full range cosmetic brand offering a wide variety of products. These last two months, I instead have spent most of my time making press on nails more than anything, and I have really enjoyed it! I know each set is going to bring some comfort to the customer it is being made for. A product that didn’t even account for much of my sales before has become a brand new baby that I have enjoyed watching grow. As far as new technology, I have done one-on-one Zoom tutorials with customers to teach them about nail care and give tips on making their nails last. I will also admit that I joined Tik Tok (like every other 30-something year old) to connect to a bigger audience (the kids are hilarious, too!) What has been your ex perience w ith the change to remote working? Passport Polish started in my parent’s dining room, so I was familiar with working from home; however, meetings with my vendors and customers are now all on Zoom. Product photoshoots are also home based now. I do a series of backyard photoshoots to display current items for sale, and I post more videos of myself on social media announcing any updates. I usually like to display my work and not myself, so having more of an online presence has been a major shift, but I am happy to discuss my company! Do you anticipate your business w ill change in any way when the community opens back up? If so, how ? I do expect my business to shift once nail salons open back up. I will go back to B2B sales with nail salons and then expand my cosmetic line. My hope is the customers I gained during this time will stick with us to see the new products that we have to offer!

MARION ALEJOS-PUENTE, OWNER OF PASSPORT POLISH

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...you should always be ready to change your strategy at the drop of a hat.

MARION ALEJOS-PUENTE Owner

PASSPORT POLISH CUSTOMERSERVICE@PASSPORTPOLISH.COM • INSTAGRAM @THEPASSPORTPOLISH • PASSPORTPOLISH.COM

BIZ NEW ORLEANS

JUNE 2020

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Maintaining Secure Connections In times of disaster, RentA-Nerd, Inc. stresses the importance of cyber security

DAR R IN PIOTR OWSKI FOUNDED R ENT-A-NER D, INC. in 1997, hoping to provide New Orleans with access to a network of knowledgeable and honest computer technicians. The business was born out of his one-bedroom apartment, but within a few years had grown to include a physical storefront and several employees. Even after Hurricane Katrina, Rent-A-Nerd, Inc. quickly resumed operations and helped residents restore their technological needs as they returned to the city. Thrice named Top Information Technology Company by New Orleans CityBusiness, the Nerds are no strangers to enduring and overcoming periods of crisis, and Piotrowski has a few essential tips for business leaders shifting operations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In what ways are you thriv ing and pushing forward as a business during COVID-19? Initially, we stayed busy helping our clients transition to working remotely. We are now back to providing local businesses with all their technology needs. We have also spent this time focusing on self-improvement, doing everything from attending virtual classes and webinars to studying and taking tests for new certifications. We are fully staffed and eager to help other local businesses return to their full capacity as well. How have you maintained a sense of company culture? We continued with our weekly staff meetings, though now they are held remotely via Microsoft Teams. We take this opportunity to share our

“wins” for the week and then discuss any issues, make announcements and problem solve. I added a weekly catch up meeting on Friday afternoons, which are less focused on work. We talk about what we are cooking and any new (or resurrected) hobbies. In a way, sharing our personal lives has made us an even closer-knit group. What has been your ex perience w ith the change to remote working? As a technology company, we had an advantage, as we simply brought our laptops, monitors and desk phones home with us, and not much has changed in terms of how we do our work. Yes, we literally took the phones off of our desks—we use a VoIP (voice over IP) system, which has many useful features, like allowing us to replicate our office configuration remotely. Because technology is so important to all businesses, I want to stress the importance of protecting your data, both from disasters and cybercrime. Backup and recovery processes are vital, but business continuity — limiting downtime no matter the circumstances — can save businesses from expensive downtime in the event of a disaster. Rather than recovering data, data and access thereto is retained in near real-time. As for cybersecurity, hackers are more active than ever before since they know that people are tied to their computers and smart devices. It’s crucial to have the tools in place to offer protection from attacks, but it’s equally important to train your staff so they don’t open the door to cyber criminals. Your system is only as secure as your least proficient employee. Do you anticipate your business w ill change in any way when the community opens back up? If so, how ? With more people working from home, there will be an increased need for cybersecurity in the home. Many residences are using consumer-grade firewalls which are not effective versus cyber threats. Also in the home, there are many devices with low security measures in place connected to the same network as your office computer such as TVs, lightbulbs, cameras, etc. Prior to COVID-19, there was already an awareness for better cybersecurity in a business. The home is now an extension of the office and will need to have the same protections in place.

DARRIN PIOTROWSKI, PRESIDENT

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The home is now an extension of the office and will need to have the same protections in place.

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DARRIN PIOTROWSKI

President

RENT-A-NERD, INC. 2200 TULANE AVE #302 • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119 • (504) 454-6373 • RENT-A-NERD.NET

BIZNEWORLEANS.COM

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Meet Adversity with Action Change is inevitable. The decision is yours to not only survive, but to thrive

S O C I A L D I S TA N C I N G P R OTO CO L S H A V E

presented an unprecedented disruption to businesses worldwide, but for The Stewart Lodges and countless others, it’s meant operations have been at a complete stop. The company prides itself on granting businesses a refuge from their busy lives in a setting that earns top marks for rest, relaxation, connection and contemplation. They’re just as eager to open their doors as much as businesses are ready to check in — but before they do, President & CEO Jennie Campbell is set on doing things the right way, at the right time, for the right reasons. To do so, she’s using her years of hard-earned experience and wisdom to inform her every decision. Ar e ther e any lessons y ou hav e lear ned? Both as business owners and individuals, we are always faced with challenges and adversity. Over the last 30 years, I’ve overcome both personal and professional adversities that initially made me feel hopeless and afraid of the future. Inadvertently, each incident left me with the wisdom and the guidance on how to handle lifechanging decisions and situations. Right now, the best way to move forward is to shift to our analytical minds and simplify the information around us. This is a time for business owners to reposition themselves to streamline their expenses and make decisions on the infrastructure of their organizations. It’s a time for spending with intent and purpose. Most importantly, it’s a time for being honest with yourselves about any obstacles that lie ahead and communicating openly and

honestly with your employees, clients, potential customers and stakeholders. How hav e y ou maintained a sense of company cult ur e? Our company culture has always been built around a core of trust and integrity. Business is people, and people are business. At the end of the day, the two will always be linked. As a company, we have continued to invest in our people. Whether you’re a business leader or an employee facing adversity, you have the opportunity to rise to the top by having solid integrity. That means doing what you need to do and should do before what you want to do — and doing it when no one is watching. For our company, that means showing up for ourselves and each other, whether or not we’re together in one room. This has been a time for strengthening our relationships by working together. As a business leader, go the extra mile and give your services back to your employees and the community, especially in areas of need. Show appreciation on all levels. Show patience and kindness in conjunction with strong decisions and leadership. Do y ou ant icipate y our business w ill change in any w ay when the communit y opens back up? If so, how ? Information is power. In this unprecedented situation, it becomes crucial for business owners to constantly evaluate, analyze and act based on the information available in their respective areas. As we reopen, do we see a correlation between business activity and the amount of COVID-19 cases, and if so, is that relationship positive or negative? Depending on what the numbers tell us and how our communities are impacted, we have to be willing to pivot our strategies. Anticipate that business will change — but do we know how? We can decide right now, definitively, that we will make the most socially responsible decision for both our employees and our clients. We can’t be paralyzed by fear of the unknown. We can, however, balance the impact of managing and mitigating the disease against economic viability until a vaccine is developed, implemented and tested. Moving forward for us is about looking, learning and making responsible decisions accordingly.

JENNIE M. CAMPBELL, CMP, CMM, PMP PRESIDENT / CEO STEWART STEELWOOD INVESTMENTS, DBA “THE STEWART LODGES”

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Right now, the best way to move forward is to shift to our analytical minds and simplify the information around us.

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JENNIE CAMPBELL, CEO & President

STEWART LODGES AT STEELWOOD 32311 WATERVIEW DRIVE EAST • LOXLEY, AL. 36551 • (251) 602-1300 • STEWARTSTEELWOOD.COM 44

BIZ NEW ORLEANS

JUNE 2020

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See a Need, Make a Change United Way continues to focus on supporting vulnerable communities

UNI TED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUI SI ANA,

founded in 1924, is built upon a model to identify, assess and monitor the needs of our region. The nonprofit then funds programs, supports collaborations, convenes experts, advocates for change and fosters new and needed community services to address issues related to its mission, eradicating poverty. United Way works tirelessly to provide access to quality health and human services throughout its seven-parish service area and measures results to ensure an impactful and meaningful difference is made. As our communities adjust to life with COVID-19, that unwavering mission is more important than ever. In what ways are you thriv ing and pushing forward as a business during COVID-19? COVID-19 has affected low-income households more than any. United Way’s mission is focused on eradicating poverty, so, in the immediate, we’ve increased our efforts to help families become more financially stable. The ALICE® (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Report, a study of financial hardship we began funding before the current situation even began, tells us one in two households were struggling to make ends meet pre-COVID-19, and those numbers are going up dramatically now. Hospitality workers represent a large portion of the demographic within ALICE population, so we immediately refocused our efforts to launch the Hospitality Cares Pandemic Response Fund and raised over $2 million in a matter of weeks. We pivoted to offering emergency assistance to struggling hospitality workers through the fund, and we’re on track to help more than 4,200 hospitality workers with one-time $500 emergency crisis grants. The fund is just one example of how we didn’t pause for a

minute. In light of everything, it’s been gratifying to know how quickly we can play a significant role in helping the families who need it most. Are there any lessons you have learned? Any new technology you’ ve embraced? When something of this scale and magnitude happens, we know ALICE households are already one check away from a crisis. This crisis reminded us our work is focused on the right issue, but we always have to be prepared to move immediately into relief, and ultimately, long-term recovery mode. We, like so many others, have jumped head first into collaboration through the Zoom universe. Our team switched into crisis response, which often requires a 24/7 work ethic, and looked for ways in which we could shift to continue to provide support to the community while following social distancing measures. For example, we rolled out a weekly financial education series through Zoom and Facebook live, developed innovative data storage procedures to help manage our child care provider assistance program, and transitioned our Kay Fennelly Summer Literacy Institute to an entirely virtual footprint to continue to offer much-needed supports to summer camp providers. As we transition into long-term recovery, we have plans to introduce additional virtual resources to individuals and families to support their health and educational needs. Do you anticipate your business w ill change in any way when the community opens back up? If so, how ? We’re an impact business that thrives on relationships: our staff spends a lot of time connecting personally with the campaigns they manage and partners we serve. That’s a big question mark for us now. People are craving those connections, but the rules and guidelines will be different. Fundraising, community impact work, and advocacy will change, and a lot of nonprofits like us will be thinking of more efficient and cost effective ways of doing things. We always have, but now in a different way. There are a ton of questions, but what we’re really focused on is staying on mission and on message. Regardless of what changes in the community, we are always ready to continue to generate an enormous amount of impact, virtually or otherwise, with each and every dollar we raise. The bottom line is; United Way is built for long-term recovery. We’ve been in existence for 95 years and will be around for 95 more years. The community can rest assured that our United Way is certainly up for the challenge of COVID-19 and is focused on what we can do to accelerate our recovery.

UWSELA PRESIDENT AND CEO, MICHAEL WILLIAMSON, PREPARES MEAL KITS FOR DELIVERY TO HOMEBOUND OLDER ADULTS AND INDIVIDUALS

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The community can rest assured that our United Way is certainly up for the challenge of COVID-19 and is focused on what we can do to accelerate our recovery.

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MICHAEL WILLIAMSON President and CEO

UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA 2515 CANAL STREET • NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119 • (504) 822-5540 • UNITEDWAYSELA.ORG BIZNEWORLEANS.COM