Amalyn Consulting is a locally owned employee benefits agency. Owner Amy Shuckhart has made it her agency’s mission to help employers offer customized benefits plans that support their business goals. The Amalyn team strives to be a valuable business partner for their clients.
Shuckhart empowers her team to think like their clients and put themselves in their shoes. It is with that sentiment that Shuckhart and her employees made a dramatic shift in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic. While her first instinct was to change gears, adopt a conservation mindset, preserve cash, and plan for a major downturn in business, Shuckhart also had a revelation that it was time to lean in to doing what she could to support not only her clients, but the community as well.
"When this pandemic happened, I just asked myself, 'how can I help?' I began trying to rally my network to support the businesses I knew well, and the response was tremendous. I got to know my clients even better and have stayed in touch with them regularly so that we would know how to help them when the time was right."
Amalyn Consulting decided to support local small businesses by buying gift cards from different businesses who had to change their entire distribution strategy and who were pivoting their operations to stay afloat. Shuckhart purchased over $5,000 in cards and vouchers, then wanted to donate to people who were on the front lines. Unfortunately, there wasn’t an easy way that she could get the cards directly to doctors, nurses or firefighters.
"I was frustrated and wanted to do my part. One day I had a delivery from a local big-box warehouse store and saw the delivery woman didn’t have a mask or gloves. I realized at that moment what I wanted to do. Our grocery stores are literally our lifeline when it comes to our food supply, and these workers are out there every day serving our community. While I have the option to do my job virtually, these workers do not, and they are committed to coming in to work every day."
Shuckhart swiftly called the manager of her local Safeway store to tell her that Amalyn Consulting would like to donate gift cards to every member of the staff.
"I wasn’t sure how she would react, but she was really excited to have her team recognized for their hard work and dedication. After the donation, the manager said the team was shocked to be recognized like this."
From that good deed sparked new motivation, with Amalyn's next project for giving back, being a partnership with an assisted living facility.
"These facilities are in the spotlight with their high-risk residents, and the work they do is vital to our society and our elderly loved ones. I want to recognize the risks they take every day and thank them for their important work. The coolest part of this next round of support is that I’m not doing it alone! This time, I have another insurance brokerage owner, Dawnyel Smink of Canyonlands Insurance, who will be donating with me. I’m hoping that this effort will inspire others to join our cause or start their own campaign of helping where they can."
Shuckhart has one piece of advice for other businesses currently struggling with the unknown -- “deal with the real” and give everyone extra grace.
"It’s important to focus on what you can affect. If the leaders in a company need help, there is no shame in asking for it, because we are all in this together."
