Quarantine Chronicles II: Virtual Board Games and Ducks…?

Hi everyone –

I met Markita 11 years ago when we worked together in Boston, and I have always valued her adventurous spirit, sense of humor, & insights on a whole range of topics. Not to mention, she’s always been so supportive of my board game company, Bundle. (Case in point, my text to Markita a few months ago: “Hi Markita, do you want to get on a Zoom call and play Bundle with 7 random people?” Markita’s reply to me a minute later: “I’m there.” Yep – no questions asked. She shows up and this is why I love this girl.)

So when Markita asked me to do a blog post for Life. Breath. Words., it was a no-brainer: yes! I’ll talk specifically today about what’s like to run a business during COVID from my apartment in Manhattan.

As a bit of background, my sister, Jackie, and I started our company, Bundle, back in 2017. We create customized board games for people – where each game is full of a person’s own memories & inside jokes. (The eclectic mix of life stories we hear from people as we’re creating their games is one of the best parts of running the company.)

When COVID hit, I was given a crash course in how to adapt. Up until this point, all of our games were played in-person: whether it be at family reunions, bachelorette parties, or baby showers. But when in-person gatherings stopped nearly completely in late March, we had to think of a way that Bundle could still connect people – even if they weren’t physically together. So Jackie and I decided to make “virtual versions” of each game that could be played over Zoom. We had never done this before (in fact, we always took pride that our games helped people to get away from screens), but the world was changing fast & we needed to as well. We launched our virtual Bundles in early April, and by the time Mother’s Day rolled around, we got some momentum and were glad that our games could play a small part in making the day special for mothers and daughters who were apart due to COVID.

Running Bundle from my apartment in COVID has come with challenges. Now to be fair, even pre-COVID, the majority of Bundle was run either from my apartment or Jackie’s – but being in quarantine does add a new layer of complexity. For one, my boyfriend, Mark, is also working from home (we work side by side - literally), so you can imagine how important it is to time our conference calls carefully. (There have been a few times we’ve been on calls at the same time, and I had to mute/unmute at just the right time. 😊) 

Another challenge is building in structure for myself and having a clear demarcation of the “end” of the day. Pre-COVID, Jackie & I were pretty structured with our time – we’d show up to & leave each other’s apartments at the same time each day. We were in a flow. But now, what signaled when my Bundle work day began, or ended? It all started to flow into each other, and I felt out of balance. Through trial & error, I’ve found little ways to bring balance back in. For example, around 6pm each day, I’ve started to take walks to Central Park to visit the ducks. (Yes, I know it’s weird – but trust me, it’s relaxing!) It gives me an excuse to get dressed (#quarantinelife) and is a good delineator between my work time & non-work time.

More than anything else, I’ve been inspired at business owners & customers looking out for one another during COVID. It reminds me of the Ubuntu philosophy I learned in City Year with Markita: I am, because you are. We’re all connected, and we grow only through the growth of others. I feel grateful to all the customers who’ve supported us during quarantine, and in turn, I’m grateful that we at Bundle can continue our mission of bringing people together, through both the happy & tough times.

Cassie

Cassie Collier is the co-founder and CEO of Bundle a personalized board game gone virtual. She began the company along side her sister, Jackie, from their home in Manhattan and have been rocking it ever since! Keep an eye out for these amazingly talented and gifted women!