Government restrictions imposed because of the pandemic has closed businesses and left many without jobs, but one Boca Raton woman is using the situation as an opportunity to start a new business.

“I’ve been in the event industry for a little over a decade. My most recent position was with a well-known hotel brand as their director of events,” said Ashley Brown.

Coronavirus had other career plans for Brown.

“When coronavirus hit, I was unexpectedly furloughed until further notice and then eventually laid off,” said Brown.

Instead of looking for a new job, Brown decided to create one. She’s launching The Event Collective, an event planning business.

“I didn’t have a choice. I lost the income, I lost the job, I lost the security of that weekly paycheck, so everything that was holding me back for so many years, I had no choice but to jump and I said, ‘if not now, when,” said Brown.

It may seem like a bad time to be in event planning with weddings being canceled left and right due to COVIS-19. Brown says that makes her job even more necessary; she has to get creative to get people hitched.

“Here’s what’s happening in your town, here’s what’s happening in your community, you can do up to 50 people here, you can do 20 people here. Let’s take it back, let’s look at the silver linings,” said Brown.

And coronavirus could mean a culture shift in how weddings operate, bringing about a new normal.

“People are offering a small wedding now, when things get better, whenever that is, you know, a bigger wedding then. So you’re getting two celebrations. I try to let my clients look at the bright side of all of this after getting them over the hump of all that fear,” said Brown.