Jennie Lennick, in front of her store Jenny Lemons located in the Mission District, San Francisco (photo provided by Jennie Lennick).
Jennie Lennick, the owner of Jenny Lemons, a small-batch clothing line and retail shop offering craft workshops, was taking COVID-19 precautions seriously even before San Francisco residents were urged to Shelter In Place and the March 16th order for all non-essential businesses to close their doors. She knew the pandemic was going to change things, and fast.
She reached out to Ingrid Marthy, the program director of the Renaissance Women’s Business Center where she had created her business plan and received past coaching and support. Immediately, Ingrid found and connected Jennie with resilience coach, Gwendoline Wright. Jennie and Gwendoline discussed moving both her retail business and her crafting workshops online, something that Jennie had wanted to do for a while but hadn’t had the time for. She also applied for the city's $10k COVID-19 grant once that became available.
Jennie’s been using social media to keep customers informed as the situation progresses, and has seen a strong response from the community. She’s noticed a particular demand for the art kits that she offers and is rapidly trying to restock from small makers around the country. The ability to move her classes from the studio to an online setting has helped to continue diversifying her revenue options beyond retail and engage her creativity. “I have a lot of interests,” said Jennie, whose shop offerings reflect her many talents as a creative, maker, and teacher. While the circumstances aren’t ideal, she is seeing the opportunities for growth, or at least, sustainability.
She’s also used her time and the fabric scraps from her clothing line to host a free online class on making fabric protective masks, and has donated supplies to over 400 people around the country to make their own. The class was hosted by The Ruby, a club for creatives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since our interview, the City of San Francisco has extended and tightened shelter-in-place laws through May 3rd. But Jennie has made promising moves and is keeping customers engaged by offering a bright spot for creativity and fun in an uncertain time.
The Pivot Profiles are our series on women business owners pivoting their model to meet these unprecedented times. Have a story to share? Let us know!