Laughter Dominates Networking Event

By Cynthia Price, professional development chair

In between introductions and sharing about remote working and quarantine tips, VPC members reconnected and shared many laughs via a Zoom gathering in mid-August.

“What a treat to ‘see’ everyone,” said longtime member Nancy Wright Beasley. “I always come away from our meetings feeling energized.”

Diane Thieke, who was attending her first meeting said, “It’s easy to see why so many of you remain loyal to VPC.”

Members introduced themselves and provided highlights of their career paths before sharing tips on working from home.

Pam Stallsmith said it was important for her to establish boundaries. She works from a room on a first floor and does not take the work upstairs. She also encouraged members to make the space in which they work as comfortable as possible.

Michele Cook recommended having set hours. She has worked jobs where her clients and customers were in other time zones, and she said it’s too easy to remain on the clock until midnight or later. That can happen when working remotely, too.

Getting out of the house for some exercise and fresh air was a popular suggestion.

And while we are working from home, it may still be prudent to pack your lunch. “Anyone else experiencing the Quarantine 15?” Sunni Brown asked. “Having constant access to my fridge or pantry is dangerous. I don’t do it every day, but when I can, I pack my lunch as if I were going to work. It’s so helpful.”

Julie Grimes said she needed to set boundaries for her animals, but they don’t often listen as evidenced by her dog in her lap for the call.

Quarantine also has led to self-discovery. “I’ve learned that social media is not a luxury, it’s my outlet,” Gail Kent shared.

While most don’t miss commuting, there are aspects of commuting that are missed. “I have learned that my main catch up time with my girlfriends was on my morning or afternoon commute,” Brown said. “Now that I’m not commuting, I have to carve out that time elsewhere because that is so important.”

Beasley learned she has “an enormous capacity for chocolate,” which led to lots of head nods in agreement.

Cook said she’s become closer to her community, and also noted that she isn’t a fan of Zoom, which led to a discussion about the pros and cons of the service.

Brown said, “I never thought about Zooming just for fun calls pre-COVID.”

Julie Campbell also found a benefit. “I have used it for all kinds of webinars and presentations that probably wouldn’t exist if not for the pandemic.”

Martha Steger said she was surprised by how much she is enjoying Zoom. Added Kent, “I LOVE Zoom! My writing group is online, my exercise coach, my friends — I am having a blast!”

The next event is Sept. 18 at noon with VPC’s Communicator of Achievement, Christy Coleman. Coleman is the executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and former CEO of the American Civil War Museum. The full fall conference series lineup can be found here. Members are encouraged to make a small donation when registering for the individual speaker events to help cover VPC’s ongoing expenses, including the email service and website fees. Learn more at vapc.org/fall-conference-series.