A Little Meditation & a Strong Cup of Coffee

In April 2020, just a few weeks into a very strange new reality, I was interviewed by Julie Fogh of Vital Voice Training. We talked about how CMD was adapting during the early days of the pandemic, what it meant to suddenly run so much of the business virtually and how I was trying to take care of myself while figuring it all out.

Reading this post again more than six years later takes me right back there. There was so much uncertainty about what would happen next, both personally and professionally, and I was doing my best to stay grounded while keeping CMD moving forward. My strategy wasn't particularly complicated: restful sleep, plenty of water, regular meditation and, yes, a strong cup of coffee.

Finding Ways to Stay Grounded

I’ve always believed in meditation, but during that period I leaned into my practice even more. When so much outside of my control felt uncertain, taking a little time to get quiet helped me come back to what I could actually do something about. I was also trying to sleep well, eat well, take care of myself and allow for a little indulgence when I needed it.

I certainly didn't have some perfect quarantine wellness routine figured out. I was working a lot, worrying about the business and trying to stay connected with customers, friends, neighbors and my team. Taking care of myself wasn't about doing everything right. It was about finding a handful of things that made me feel a little more like myself.

Talking With Julie About Finding Your Voice

Julie’s work with Vital Voice Training centers around voice and public speaking, helping people identify and amplify their own unique voices. That made our conversation particularly interesting because so much of what CMD was doing at the time required me to show up in completely new ways.

Suddenly I was spending much more time connecting with people through a screen. We were experimenting with virtual shopping appointments, sharing more online and figuring out how to make personal connections when being together physically wasn't an option. I was talking to CMD customers all over the world, including people I might never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise.

You can still visit Vital Voice Training to learn more about Julie's work, or find Vital Voice Training on Instagram.

Learning to Pivot Without Losing Yourself

One of the biggest things we talked about was how CMD was adapting. Our annual Sample Sale had suddenly become virtual, FaceTime appointments were replacing conversations that would normally happen in the shop and the team was constantly figuring out new ways to keep things moving.

At the time, we called it pivoting constantly. Looking back, I think what mattered most was that we found ways to change how we were doing things without changing who we were. CMD has always been personal. I wanted people to feel connected to the jewelry, to me and to the people behind the business, whether we were standing together in the shop or talking through a screen.

A Little Meditation Still Goes a Long Way

A lot has changed since I had this conversation with Julie in 2020, but my answer to the question of how I take care of myself really hasn't changed all that much. I still believe in finding the things that bring you back to yourself, especially when life or business gets noisy.

Sometimes that means meditation. Sometimes it's getting enough sleep, moving your body, calling someone you love or giving yourself permission to step away for a while. And sometimes, a strong cup of coffee really does help.

Here’s to finding whatever brings you back to yourself,
Colleen

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Published: April 14, 2020
Updated: August 19, 2026