Change of Plans Change of Plans

In our final episode of the series we feature De J. Lozada, founder of Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn, who tells the story of how the coronavirus forced her to reimagine her Soul Food-inspired popcorn brand while staying true to her company’s core values. De J. openly shares the unique challenges she has encountered while shifting from in-person experiences to online sales, and how she's been able to stay connected to her fiercely loyal and active customers through authenticity and vulnerability. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/de-j-lozada-soul-popped

When Covid forced farmers markets to shut their operations, Jennifer Chan’s pop-up sorbet business, Banato, was on the verge of collapse. Instead of wallowing in despair, Jennifer chose to lead with love and serve her Chicago community hope (and sweet treats) during hard times. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/jen-chan-banato

When the global events industry dramatically collapsed in the wake of Covid-related shutdowns, Jeremy Fleming and his team at Sydney-based Stagekings faced a disastrous outlook. As a company that specializes in building state-of-the-art stages (think Formula 1 and a Shakespeare’s Globe replica), they had to think fast — and look to a whole new industry — after suffering mass cancellations. In this episode, Jeremy recounts the importance of keeping his team employed, and how a fear of having to let staff go motivated nimble action. He shares the fantastic story of how an idea from a friend inspired the team to use their existing skills and technology to quickly meet a new market need, and how his staff came together to launch a beautiful new product within just days. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/jeremy-fleming-stagekings

Dr. Michelle Dickinson is a nanotechnologist and founder of Nanogirl Labs, which helps kids around the world find their passion in STEM fields. When New Zealand went into lockdown to combat Covid-19, her in-person science theater events were all canceled, forcing Michelle to get creative at warp speed. In this episode, she tells the story of the pivotal Monday that changed everything — from losing the business' entire annual income, to juggling live interviews with national press and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern — and the inspiring week of teamwork (and tears) that followed to launch a new digital platform. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/dr-michelle-dickinson-nanogirl

2020 has been a pivotal year of growth and change for Jasmine Tiara, founder of The Black Wallet. From coronavirus throwing a wrench in her work and family routine, to the Black Lives Matter movement surging her business to new heights (and audiences), Jasmine has boldly faced each challenge head on. In this episode, she shares how a T-shirt led her to build an app for Black entrepreneurs and Black-owned businesses, and how the business has evolved. She also discusses the role of compassion in navigating challenges, the importance of keeping momentum going during a moment of awakening, and why supporting Black-owned businesses is important both to changing perceptions and to our collective success. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/jasmine-tiara-the-black-wallet

When New York-based Scott’s Pizza Tours was forced to stop offering in-person tours thanks to Covid, pizza expert Scott Wiener got creative quickly to keep connecting with his pizza-obsessed audience around the world. With pizzeria visits off the table, Scott shares how their unique virtual courses and cooking lessons keep both staff and customers engaged, with deep dives into pizza making, and pizza’s surprisingly fascinating history. Scott also introduces us to his non-profit, Slice Out Hunger, which has pivoted in an incredible way. Learn more at changeofplanspodcast.com/episodes/scott-wiener-scotts-pizza-tours