Interview with Mary Nishimuta, June 7, 2023

Partial Transcript: Alright to start off. Hi, I'm Sam Pfeiffer, and I'm interviewing Mary Nishimura here um about your experiences with life in Kentucky during the beginning and height of the COVID pandemic.

Segment Synopsis: Mary Nishimuta has been living in Frankfort, Kentucky for 20 years and owns a coffee shop cafe in downtown Frankfort. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also worked as the executive director of the Kentucky Democratic Party and has now transitioned into consulting. Mary has a 14-year-old child and is passionate about strong downtowns and their role in community development. She purchased her cafe 15 years ago from its original owners and believes in the potential for growth and improvement in Frankfort.

Keywords: Frankfort, KY; Kentucky Democratic Party; Owner; Small Business

Partial Transcript: So along those same lines, moving to more recently with COVID and all, how was, how was it finding out about COVID at the beginning, especially as a small business owner?

Segment Synopsis: During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nishimuta went through different phases of understanding the situation. She discusses of her awareness of the virus and its spread across the United States. The moment it became more real for her was when dine-in services were closed. This posed challenges for her coffee shop cafe, particularly in figuring out how to stay open and comply with regulations. Nishimuta discusses how she adapted to the ever changing scenerio. Despite the difficulties, her team worked together effectively, with some staff members choosing not to work due to concerns about their elderly parents. Overall, it was a period of rapid adjustment and problem-solving for Nishimuta and her business.

Keywords: COVID; COVID-19 (Disease); Owner; Pandemic; Small Business; Small Business Operations

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta's discusses how her business adapted to the ever-changing regulations of the COVID pandemic. She first established an online ordering system to minimize in-person contact. She built a website within 24 hours to accommodate their menu options. She also stayed in touch with the health department to understand employee safety requirements, such as social distancing and mask usage. Communication with customers and community support were vital, with many patrons purchasing gift cards and one time financial support. Initially, there was a significant increase in workload to develop new schedules, online assets, and implement creative promotions. However, staffing issues arose later as demand picked up when restrictions eased up while the labor market struggled to meet employeer needs.

Keywords: Community Support; Economic Relief; Employee; Employeer; Employment; Frankfort, KY; Government Mandates; Health Department; Local Economy; Masks; PPE; Safety Requirements; Small Business; Social Distancing; Work Schedules

Partial Transcript: So yeah, well, and when things first started to shut down, what was that emotional experience like for you, thinking about keeping your business open and maintaining your employees and such?

Segment Synopsis: The experience of navigating the challenges brought by the pandemic was emotionally difficult and stressful for Nishimuta. They adopted a mindset of focusing on getting through the situation and dealt with the emotional impact afterward. The workload and the pressure to sustain the business and meet financial obligations were significant, and it took some time for the emotional toll to become apparent.

Keywords: COVID; Emotions; Employment; Financial Obligations; Pressure; Small Business; Stress

Partial Transcript: Well, and you mentioned that it did work really well with your employees. Glad to hear that. But what did those conversations look like of trying to figure things out and how to move forward?

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta talks about how it was fortunate that the impact of the pandemic on her business allowed them to retain all their employees without layoffs or significant reduction in hours. This fortunate situation strengthened the relationships among the team members, they relied on each other's input, improvised, and worked collectively to navigate through the uncertainties, which ultimately brought them closer as a team.

Keywords: COVID; Employee; Employees; Employer; Full-Time; Part-time; Scheduling; Small Business

Partial Transcript: Yeah. Well, and at this point, as things have definitely died down from then, what would you say looks different in your business now compared to before the pandemic started?

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta explains how her small business is now operating at a similar level as before the pandemic. The main difference is the incorporation of online ordering for customer convenience. However, the transition to online ordering was not without challenges. While they have not resumed as many live music events as before due to customer concerns about COVID, overall, Nishimuta feels that the business has returned to a sense of normalcy with the exception of these minor adjustments.

Keywords: Changes; Frankfort, KY; Post-COVID; Small Business; online ordering

Partial Transcript: Sure. Yeah. I also, of course, want to talk about your other job that you were doing.

Segment Synopsis: While running her small business, Nishimuta also worked as the Executive Director for the Kentucky Democratic Party for three years before COVID hit. The announcement of the pandemic brought significant changes to her work life. From a staff management perspective, she had to ensure that everyone had the necessary equipment and support to work from home. They had to reschedule conferences, and conventions, and find ways to conduct the delegation selection process remotely while maintaining security and understanding among participants. Additionally, they had to address concerns from candidates about campaigning without face-to-face interactions with voters. It was a challenging and busy time for Nishimuta, both internally and externally, requiring extensive coordination and adaptation.

Keywords: COVID; DNC; Democratic Party; Kentucky; Kentucky Democratic Party; Outreach; Political Campaigns; Political Candidates; Precautions; Safety; Staffing; Voters

Partial Transcript: Were there any like tactics for campaigning or for outreach that you all started implementing during COVID that you hadn't used before?

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta's team relied on techniques they had used before, but on a larger scale. They emphasized social organizing or relational organizing, working with dedicated volunteers to organize programs such as texting campaigns to encourage voter participation. They also taught candidates how to utilize these tools for relational organizing since traditional door-to-door campaigning was limited. As the general election approached, they explored safe ways to conduct door-to-door outreach with precautions like masking. While COVID was a top concern for voters, their messaging focused on addressing various issues related to the pandemic rather than solely campaigning on COVID itself. They provided general messaging guidelines to candidates to address concerns and engage with voters effectively.

Keywords: COVID; Kentucky; Kentucky Democratic Party; Political Campaigns; Political Messaging; Relational Organizing; Social Organizing

Partial Transcript: So with having these two different positions that both got a lot more hectic at the start, how did that balance work out between those two jobs?

Segment Synopsis: During the initial news of COVID, Nishimuta and her partner stayed aware of the situation and discussed its potential impact. Fortunately, their home life was relatively unaffected as they were already homeschooling their daughter and had a dedicated space for it. Nishimuta enjoyed working from home, appreciating the flexibility it offered. Communication within her team relied on phone calls and messaging to stay connected. While the increased workload due to adapting to the pandemic affected their home life negatively, the balance improved as time went on and restrictions eased. They were able to spend more quality family time and go out together.

Keywords: COVID; Home Life; Homeschooling; Political Campaigns; Remote Work; Small Business; Work From Home

Partial Transcript: Well, and with your social circle during COVID, would you say that you were able to, like, see friends or family just as much, or did you stay in contact or did that was that lessened with the pandemic?

Segment Synopsis: During the pandemic, Nishimuta's ability to see friends and family was definitely impacted. However, they found alternative ways to stay connected. Nishimuta and their friends organized online trivia games, where each team contributed a suggested donation that would later be donated to a charity chosen by the winning team. Family gatherings shifted to virtual platforms like Zoom. When they did meet in person, they followed social distancing guidelines by standing six feet apart.

Keywords: Charities; Family; Friends; Games; Parents; Social Circle; Social Distance; Trivia; Zoom

Partial Transcript: There was a lot of politicization around COVID. Did you find that put any strain on your relationships with friends and family or did you tend to be on the same page about things?

Segment Synopsis: The politicization of COVID-19 did not significantly strain Nishimuta's relationships with friends and family. The main impact of the politicization was felt in Mary's work as part of the Democratic Party, particularly when dealing with rallies and other politically charged events. The focus was on how to address and communicate about these situations in Nishimuta's role within the party.

Keywords: COVID; Democratic Party; Family; Friends; Politically Charged Events; Politics; politicization

Partial Transcript: So I'd also love to hear about, just like your personal experiences during COVID, just you as a person.

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta experienced a sense of loss and uncertainty as her world was turned upside down. The increased workload and stress added to the anxiety she felt. However, as time went on, Nishimuta found moments of appreciation for the slower pace and more intentional approach to relationships that developed during the pandemic. She had a strong support system, including a close circle of friends and a friend who worked in the restaurant industry, with whom she could share her experiences. Mary also found support and resources within the network of other executive directors of state parties, who were facing similar challenges and could provide emotional and practical guidance.

Keywords: Anxiety; Building; COVID; Emotional Support; Intentional Friendships; Lockdowns; Maintaining; Relationships; Sense of loss; Small Business; Support Systems; Uncertainty; restaurants

Partial Transcript: So when COVID was first starting my talk a little bit more about your experience with public health and the government at this time. Did you first start hearing information about this?

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta relied on national news outlets for information, particularly on how different states were responding to the pandemic. At the state level, she closely followed the actions of Kentucky Governor Beshear and his team, appreciating their science-based approach and clear communication to the public. However, at the national level, she expressed frustration with the lack of coordination and direction during the Trump administration. When vaccines became available, Nishimuta felt relieved and saw them as a crucial tool in preventing severe illness and death. She was personally grateful that her vaccinated parents, who were in a high-risk age group, did not suffer severe effects from COVID-19. Reflecting on the experience, Nishimuta acknowledged that there are lessons to be learned for future pandemics. She emphasized the importance of emergency response systems, budget allocation for preparedness, and careful planning and execution to address different aspects, such as keeping schools open with appropriate safety measures. Nishimuta expressed optimism that incorporating the lessons learned from COVID-19 would strengthen future decision-making and response efforts.

Keywords: Communications; Elderly; Government; Governor Andy Beshear; Kentucky; Logistics; Mandates; Messaging; Political; Public Health Department; Science; Small Business; Vaccine

Partial Transcript: Well, and then back to a personal level, would you say that there's anything that you've taken away from your experience during COVID and or incorporated into your life?

Segment Synopsis: Nishimuta is at a loss for words, but believes taking time for herself was a big takeaway from the pandemic.

Keywords: Covid; Self-Care