Kensie Kiesow
Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in full force last spring, causing the majority of the country to shut down for a month, many people have seen this break in the norm as an opportunity for change and self-improvement.
Wishing you had more time to read? Boom, you got it, and now your friends will finally stop nagging you to finish Harry Potter.
Wanna get shredded? A quick Google search will find you quarantine workouts for rock solid thighs sculpted right in your living room.
Does your list of home improvement projects look like a CVS receipt? Now, everything fits on just one Post-It! Well, as long as you write really, really tiny…
And, just like you, Volume One has been busy changing and self-improving, too.
Shortly after Governor Evers issued the Safer at Home order in late March 2020, local businesses, including Volume One and The Local Store, began to face major headwinds. The store saw less foot traffic, while the magazine—which, in part, highlights major regional events—no longer had many events to highlight.
Yet the Volume One crew viewed this difficult moment not merely as a setback, but as an opportunity as well.
For the last five years, a proposed Volume One redesign had been put on hold. The team was already swamped with expanding the store and improving their video and photo content. But in the stillness of the pandemic (not to mention the subsequent loss to ad revenue generated by events), Volume One couldn’t afford to sit on their hands until the world returned to normal. And thus, the Volume One Membership Program was born!
“With this outpouring of support, the editors and creators of Volume One finally had the opportunity to reprioritize and add even more meaningful content to its pages.”
Just when the summer of 2020 reached peak hopelessness, almost one thousand readers and citizens of the Valley (including the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild!) signed up to support their favorite community organizer and advertising partner. With this outpouring of support, the editors and creators of Volume One finally had the opportunity to reprioritize and add even more meaningful content to its pages. For the first time since 2006, the Volume One magazine and website not only got a facelift, but they added new article sections, renewed their commitment to local creatives in the Chippewa Valley, debuted a first-ever monthly podcast, and are bolstering their commitment to providing a platform to lift up marginalized voices across the region. With this new, expanded platform, Volume One will include recurring paid columns and multimedia content to share the stories and faces of diverse folks across Wisconsin.
“Though there are many exciting changes afoot, co-managing editor Eric Christenson, confirms that “the ethos is still the same: The Chippewa Valley is cool.” ”
Though there are many exciting changes afoot, co-managing editor Eric Christenson, confirms that “the ethos is still the same: The Chippewa Valley is cool.”
As part of this revamping, the new “Voice” section will include in-depth feature stories, a greater emphasis on local news, info on that cool new podcast, all while amplifying the local experiences of a more diverse Chippewa Valley.
And this transformation is far from over. Volume One continues to inspire the passion and love this community holds for the Chippewa Valley, and they will never stop innovating and creating. Eric Christenson says the changes are “indicative of the greater community – inclusive of everybody that calls this place home.”