APRIL 12, 11:15am – It has been one month since the opening of the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo in New Orleans, but it feels much longer than that – as it must for all those reading this.

We – meaning the staff of Village West Publishing – are luckier than most in that our work is done on computers – designing, writing, editing – and one-third of our workforce does so at home anyway. But the present rule mandating that we stay at home is still very disruptive, as are the lines at the grocery store.

As for work, I miss not being able to run down the stairs to the production department six or seven times a day to check the status of the magazine’s design. It’s just not the same seeing an opening spread on a screen.

That’s about it. As I said, we’re luckier than most.

The Pandemic Times

In case you haven’t seen it, go to hearthandhome.com and click on the orange square on the right. That will take you to a new feature we call The Pandemic Times. Its purpose is to find those people (retailers, manufacturers, distributors, or reps) with interesting ideas for getting through these tough times, and to help them share those ideas with others.

If you have done something that fits that description, please send us an email – wright@villagewest.com – and let us know what it is and we’ll have a writer interview you.

Women in Charge

When a female co-owner of a hearth shop mentioned that some of her male customers would request a male salesperson to help them, even though she explained that she knew more about hearth products than anyone in the store, that gave us an idea.

First, we sent out a survey to all our hearth retailers asking if they were, or knew of, a woman in an administrative position in a hearth shop. We defined that as someone who is an owner, co-owner, CEO, president, or general manager.

About 50 women responded. Our writer, Mark Brock, interviewed 20 of them, and asked a somewhat-short series of questions. The women opened up and talked about being a boss in a male-dominated business. What those women had to say was so interesting that Brock decided to tell the story strictly in their words. (See "Yes, We Can!")

Selling to Women

Our writer, Lisa Readie Mayer, explains how women shop and buy, and how to reach them. Given that women buy most everything, this is an article you shouldn’t miss. (See "Understanding the Sheconomy".)