Founder Erin Joy going live with local leaders every Friday to provide information and inspiration for businesses being disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

St. Louis, MO—Erin Joy, Founder and CEO of Black Dress Circle®, a St. Louis-based business consulting and coaching organization, has launched a new initiative called State of St. Louis Business: Weekly Call with Local Leaders. Joy will be going live on Facebook and Zoom with local leaders every Friday, beginning March 20, 2020, to address common challenges the business world must now face in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each week, representatives from several leading local companies will come together to synthesize information surrounding best business practices in today’s tumultuous environment.

The lineup for the first call includes the St. Louis Regional Chamber, Cortex Innovation Community, Enterprise Bank & Trust, Anders CPAs & Advisors, Edward Jones, RedKey Realty Leaders, Gerard Craft of Niche Food Group, and Parameter Security. With a diverse group of leaders in various industries, “State of St. Louis Business” is a free resource for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives wanting information and actionable tips during this unprecedented time.  

The virtual meetings will be accessible to anyone from anywhere. Topics such as appropriate customer and client messaging will be discussed as well as remote team management and leveraging technology to continue working productively and more.

“Keeping a pulse on the state of business in St. Louis is one of the most important things you can do as a business owner or executive in these uncertain times,” said Joy. “Less of an interview and more of a constructive dialogue, these conversations are intended to act as a source of information and inspiration to keep people focused on proactive steps they can take to move forward. This is an opportunity to hear from leaders who are plugged in to the pulse of what’s really happening in our region.”

The virtual sessions are intended to bring clarity and offer support to those who are feeling isolated and confused about this unique situation. The idea for a collaborative, centralized conversation was born from a similar initiative launched earlier this year. Joy’s new book, The Anatomy of Accomplishment: Your Guide to Bigger Better Bolder Business Results is a curation of different authors who provide value with unique outlooks on business.

“I believe there is power in shared knowledge,” said Joy. “We are all navigating uncharted territory here, and could all benefit from listening to one another as we each face a unique set of challenges. The need for communication has never been greater.”

For information on tuning in to the virtual sessions via Facebook or Zoom, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1312872662234747/ every Friday. Calls will be hosted from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. CST. For those who are unable to attend, recordings of weekly conversations can be sent to those who request them.

About Black Dress Circle

Black Dress Circles® are monthly, facilitated, results-driven roundtables for female entrepreneurs. There are two variants—BDC Emerge and BDC Evolve. Both provide a forum to discuss issues, frame decisions, and share experiences with other women who understand the unique challenges of managing emerging and evolving companies. Erin Joy created this peer-directed, proven model to address the common challenges faced by women leading dynamic and developing organizations. For more information, visit erinjoy.com.