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Unemployment Talks: Salon Owner, Jessica Shattuck

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Meet Jessica Shattuck, Owner of The Shop on 7 in Latham. Before salons were legally shutdown, Jess made the difficult decision to shut down her business for two weeks in order to protect the wellbeing of her clients and herself. She felt that despite losing the income, she had to do her part to stop the spread. A few days later, NYS shut down all salons. Unsure of how long this would last and if there would be any unemployment benefits for sole proprietors, anxiety ensued. Luckily, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) was created to help people like her, but it took seven weeks of back and forth, answering questions incorrectly, and confusion before she received her first payment. Here’s her story…

When you did you first apply for unemployment and what was the process like?

I applied the second week of April, when I first realized sole proprietor’s could obtain some benefits. I spent one whole day filing and on the phone, I waited on the phone for seven hours. At this point, my employee who I had laid off when we shut down still hadn’t gotten through herself and she applied weeks before.

I finally got through and after giving some information, the person said my application was complete. Since I opened business Dec. 2018 and hadn’t yet filed for 2019, I got a letter saying I was approved for unemployment but for $0. Again, since I hadn’t filed for 2019 yet, my past four quarters showed I had no earnings. I filed my taxes the first weekend in April, right before applying, so I had to light a fire under my accountant to get those through and finally mailed, emailed, and faxed my 2019 taxes to the state.

What happened after you sent your 2019 taxes in?

One night, I got an email saying to apply for PUA. I started filling out the information and I felt like I was finally getting somewhere. I had gone six weeks with no pay at this point. It asked, “are you willing to work” and I said “yes,” then it asked if I was able to work, and I clicked “no” because legally, I could not work as salon owner. This caused it to automatically kick me out. Then, I got an email saying “since you’re not willing to work, you’re disqualified for PUA.” That obviously was not the case. There was no way to go back so I had to start the entire application process again and wait on the phone for additional hours.

Later on, I finally got call from unemployment and the way they were worded the questions was confusing and I kept answering incorrectly. The representative would say, are you sure you want to answer that way? The questions were ambiguous and I wasn’t answering the questions correctly to be approved. He was very helpful and patient. He finally told me I was approved, and I was coming up on seven weeks with no pay. He said I would receive back pay of unemployment and PUA in next 3-4 days, which I did receive in two separate waves. Finally.

People in my industry are resourceful and creative. We’re hustlers. We’ll bounce back.

Connect with Jess

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Cap Region Creatives: Marilyn McCabe

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Marilyn is a published poet, living in Saratoga Springs. Her main creative outlet is poetry, sometimes making videos that blend her words with images and sound. She offers writing workshops in conjunction with the Hyde Collection and writes book reviews for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

In this interview, Marilyn offers insight on what it means to be “an individual and largely unknown poet” during these unique times.

How did poetry become your main creative medium?

I have tried just about everything else — fiction, essay, plays — but it’s poetry that stuck. As an editor, it’s part of my make-up to get to the point and be concise. I love rhythm and silence, both of which are essential to the craft. Poetry suits me.

Marilyn, you’ve recently published an Award-Winning Chapbook, Being Many Seeds. Congratulations! What has that experience been like?

Ordinarily I’d throw it a little book party, do some readings and open mics. But I’m reliant now on the virtual networking. I’ve got an extensive email list of friends and acquaintances, as well as Facebook posts both to my own page and group pages such as NY Writers’ Compendium, and I also have a blog.

I created a video project using poems in the collection, so I can use this as a book trailer. I may also record myself reading a few of the poems. People enjoy poets reading their work aloud; it offers insight that words on the page may not. I enjoy readings, but I don’t enjoy the schlepping around. I often spend more in gas than I can recoup in books sales, so I confess I don’t wildly miss the reading shuffle. But I do miss the interaction with listeners and other poetry fans.

Do you feel like your creativity has been flourishing or diminished by being in isolation due to the quarantine?

My life has not changed all that much under quarantine. I do miss seeing my friends, casually stopping somewhere to meet up, and particularly I miss the library — but my creative work continues in its usual fits and starts. My “practice” is haphazard anyway, and I’m fairly distractible at the best of times.

How have you seen the creative community band together during this time?

It’s amazing to see how arts organizations are sharing information and creating new platforms. Virtual readings, gallery tours, fundraising for artist relief funds, virtual concerts — the outpouring has been tremendous. I think people around the world are grateful, and are perhaps newly aware of how art feeds us.

I enjoy ACE’s profiles. The Hyde Collection has invited local artists to post work. Jacob’s Pillow has brought dance to my computer screen, and innumerable other ways in which the arts have gone viral… If anything, the proliferation of arts online has made it a bit more difficult for a largely unknown poet like me to get “heard.”

Are there any specific resources/tools, etc. you’ve been using regularly that you can share with our readers?

Several Facebook groups of women writers, such as Binders Full of Women and Non-binary Poets, help me find publishing opportunities and discover new writers. The members have been great cheerleaders for each other, which is so encouraging. New York Foundation for the Arts has tons of resources on its webpage about funding and opportunities. The Adirondack Center for Writing has been great in engaging the already isolated community of writers across the Adirondack region. The Creative Writers Opportunities blog is regularly updated with calls for work from literary magazines, etc.

Are you thinking about ways that you’ll change the way you create/do business in the future due to this experience?

I’ll reach out more globally both in terms of promoting my own work and engaging with the work of others. The online world is small, and it’s rich to reach across geographic, cultural, and national boundaries. Ironically, social distancing has spurred me to bring the world closer.

Any last words of positivity for our readers?

The best of art and science has come out of active use of our imaginations, out of joyous play. Let’s use some of this wonderful quiet to dance around with wild abandon, figuratively and literally.

Marilyn is the winner of the Grayson Books Poetry Chapbook Contest: Being Many Seeds. She has two full-length collections of poems — Glass Factory, and Perpetual Motion — and another chapbook, Rugged Means of Grace. Her themes include science, spirit, memory and identity, and how people connect to each other and the earth.

Connect with Marilyn!

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Unemployment Talks: Freelance Editor Barbara Price

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Meet Barbara Price, an artist and freelance textbook editor with a number of large publishing clients. Right before the pandemic and shutdown, she had a couple of new contracts pending for work, which would’ve satisfied her income for the remainder of the year. Once businesses started closing, she couldn’t get in touch with anybody about the contracts and has been out of work since. We asked Barbara to share her experience filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) because she ran into quite the interesting dilemma that may impact other freelancers. Here’s what she had to say…

When did you first apply for benefits? What was the initial process like?

I applied online right off the bat on April 2nd. At that time, the first step for freelancers was to apply for traditional unemployment insurance, get rejected, and THEN apply for PUA (they’ve since streamlined this process, and freelancers now apply in one step). In early May, I got an email from the Department of Labor (DOL) asking me to fill out another questionnaire. I responded to them immediately.

But you didn’t get any benefits…what went wrong?

Whenever there was a question about my “employer,” I answered that I had “no employer,” assuming that I would eventually get to part of the questionnaire designated for freelancers and business owners. It turns out there wasn’t a section for that. I got denied benefits because I’d indicated that I did not have an employer.

According to the DOL, if you are self-employed, you ARE technically employed by somebody – yourself. You should answer questions about “your employer” as if YOU are your employer, otherwise you will get rejected!

My husband applied after me, so we were sure we didn’t make the same mistake twice. He applied in late April (he had to send his 2019 taxes in) and we are awaiting payment.

Is the DOL doing appeals for people who were denied and/or made a mistake on the application?

They are not doing appeals so there’s not even a way I can fight this issue right now, which leaves me without funds at the moment. I sent a message to my assemblywoman who called me and put me on an expedited list to talk to someone from the DOL and I still haven’t heard back. I tried sending a message to the DOL, but again, haven’t heard anything. (Note to readers: If you were denied, please click here for more information about denial/appeals.)

Did you apply for any other benefits/loans, etc. through the CARES Act?

Yes, I applied and received $1,000 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.

Any final thoughts for our readers?

I remain hopeful. I’m using this time for self actualization; to think about what I really want, how I want my life to look, and what’s really important to me. Networking is different now but making me notice people that think like I think. I see value in connecting with them and lifting each other up. 

Cap Region Cocktails at Home: Janesha “Jaja” Levons

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Photo: Konrad Odhiambo

Janesha “Jaja” Levons was born into a military family, and until her early 20’s, they moved every three years, across the U.S. and to Antigua, until finally settling down in Saratoga Springs, where her love for entertaining and creativity began.

After working as a mixologist, model, and other freelance jobs, she moved to Brooklyn, where she walked runways and worked in over 30 venues, rooftops, and restaurants as a bartender. Now, she’s back in the Cap Region, bartending at The Berlin in Troy (currently closed due to COVID-19) and reinventing her modeling career.

Photo: Konrad Odhiambo

Jaja says…

Every bar was a new challenge, every venue had new cocktails and a new culture to explore. No two great bars are ever alike. Maybe that’s why I never stayed in any one bar for too long… Once I conquered the cocktail program and culture (which never took very long), the challenge was over, and so was the allure. I had a Forbes 100 client contract me to bartend at a private mansion, where I created a cocktail list especially geared for him and his guests for two days. I’ve worked in London at a private lounge in a luxury residential building where I not only created a cocktail program, but also arranged private parties and gatherings. I just love to create and bring people together to enjoy life. And yes I’m pretty fond of alcohol too…

Everybody loves a nice sangria and daiquiri, especially as we start heading into warmer weather. I’ve put together these special recipes that you can make from the comfort of your own home.

Sangria by Jaja

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of frozen fruits (I like to use mixed berries)
1 Cup Rum (I recommend Bacardi Silver)
Simple Syrup (recipe below)
1 Extra Large Orange squeezed ( 1/4 – 1/2 cup of its juice)
1 Bottle of White or Red Wine (your preference)

Simple syrup
1/2 Cup boiling water (you can microwave it if you’d like )
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

Steps:
1. In a large pitcher or bowl place the frozen fruit (at least semi-thawed)
2. Pour the rum over the frozen fruit so the juices can start to marinate in the rum.
3. Pour the simple syrup in the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. With a metal hand whisk, mix all together with the goal of mashing the fruits as much as possible. You can also use a wooden spoon or muddler, I prefer the whisk. You can also use a blender. If you find it too difficult (or the fruit is too frozen), let the fruit sit in for a little longer and allow the rum to do its job!
5. Add the juice from the orange
6. Pour wine (750ml ) red or white (I use red) over mixture.
7. Place it in the fridge for four hours. Remember the longer it sits the stronger the berry flavor will be….it’s great to have it sit overnight too!
8. Once it’s ready, serve over ice in your favorite cocktail glass!

Daiquiri

Ingredients:
1 Cup Rum (Bacardi Silver)
Simple Syrup (same recipe as above)
1 1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries
2 1/2 Cups of ice 
1 lime

Steps;
1. In a large pitcher or bowl place the frozen fruit (at least semi-thawed)
2. Pour the rum over the frozen fruit so the juices can start to marinate in the rum.
3. Pour the simple syrup in the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. With a metal hand whisk, mix all together with the goal of mashing the fruits as much as possible. You can also use a wooden spoon or muddler, I prefer the whisk. You can also use a blender. If you find it too difficult (or the fruit is too frozen), let the fruit sit in for a little longer and allow the rum to do its job!
5. Refrigerate the mixture for four hours.
6. Add a dash of club soda and squeeze a large lime wedge into the mixture.
7. Serve over ice in your favorite cocktail glass.

Enjoy!

Contact Jaja!
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Unemployment Talks: Freelancer and Business Owner Kim Gilmour

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Follow FisheyeCeramics on Instagram!

Meet Kim Gilmour, Owner of FisheyeCeramics, a ceramic design studio on Main Street in Catskill and freelance audiobook producer. COVID-19 had an immediate detrimental impact on her work and she applied for unemployment the moment freelancers were able to. We asked her to share her experiences in applying and filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in hopes it would help other freelancers like her. Here’s what she said…

When did you start feeling the downturn in response to the crisis? What were your first steps?

I felt the downturn as soon as COVID-19 came into discussion in March. It was a horrible month. Once I found out freelancers were included in the CARES Act, I applied immediately.

Did you do some research on whether you’d qualify for unemployment? Where did you look?

I immediately went on applied to see what would happen. I did find some information on the NYS unemployment site that was helpful. I applied for unemployment about 15-20 years ago, so I know how the system works to a certain degree.

What was the application process like and what materials did you need handy?

I applied right online and had no problems. Since I applied fairly early, I had to apply for regular unemployment and at the time, the messaging about PUA wasn’t clear but I went ahead anyway. After filing the application, I got a response to call to complete it. It took three days of nonstop calling, hitting redial over and over again, and finally I did get through within 2-3 days. The agent asked additional questions and again, was unclear on how exactly the PUA worked. She instructed me to go online and claim benefits on a weekly basis. I know that weeks after I applied, there was a specific PUA application which made things easier for those who are self-employed, but I was fortunate it worked out for me so early on.

In terms of materials, I needed to fax them my 1099 and I also faxed them my 2019 tax returns, though not requested. A lot of what they ask you via application/phone isn’t proved via documentation, they take your answers in good faith.

I would rate the system a 4-5 out of 10.

Did you receive your benefits yet? Have you faced any issues in doing so?

During the first week of April, close to a month later, I received two $600 deposits. They came a week and a half apart. They didn’t send me any paperwork about what I would be getting or when. I still haven’t gotten anything other than those two checks. My understanding is that I will be getting retroactive checks to cover the weeks missed. I think a lot of us will be getting lump sum checks.

Have you applied for other assistance from the CARES act?

I did apply for the EIDL right off the bat and I received $1,000.

Do you see things going back to “normal” for you/your business?

Nothing is going to be the same. Ceramics is not a necessary business and it’s a luxury expense for some people. People need dishes and bowls, but do they really? Fortunately a lot of sales are online, so I don’t rely on having a physical space but I think its going to be very different. A lot of people are going to reinvent their businesses, if they haven’t already.

Any other advice for our readers?

A lot of people have said they’re not applying for benefits because they heard it takes so long. Have patience. Yes, it’s frustrating and may take a while but it will be worth it. If the funds are there for us, you should do everything you can to get to them. In long run, it will be better for you. It’s worth calling your bank too regarding grants/loans, etc. you never know what kind of options they have for you.

If you are a freelancer and would like to share your unemployment experience, please email Gabby Fisher, ACE Digital Marketing Manager.

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