Zaina Gohou on entrepreneurship and travel during COVID-19

Zaina Gohou

With the second winter wave of COVID-19 approaching, many people are beginning to feel the same anxiety they experienced during the first round of lockdowns. With everyone planning how to navigate any potential upcoming quarantine orders, Zaina Gohou reflects on the decisions she has made since the onset of the pandemic.

Last winter, before countries restricted travel, the fashion, and technology entrepreneur was in New York City planning future travel accommodations. As soon as the fear of the pandemic reached the city, Gohou, somewhat haphazardly, booked a one-way ticket to Heidelberg, Germany. Little did she know this would prove to be a crucial decision.

As Gohou is a free-spirited person, she has chosen a life of creativity and passion; Gohou is a model, actress, and eco-activist. Due to her many jobs and interests, she is used to constant travel. Despite some challenges adjusting to the ‘new normal' during the beginning of the lockdowns, Gohou scheduled activities that would benefit her mental health. Luckily the strict lockdown orders did not last long, as the restrictions in many European countries were lifted earlier than expected in response to declining numbers. Gohou was glad to get back to work noting the negative global effect that the restrictions had on businesses and countries.

"The numbers in Europe got significantly lower, and countries like Spain and Italy who depend on travel and tourism for their economy were eager for reopenings," Gohou said. "Millions of businesses were almost destroyed by the regulations. People needed to get back to work, including myself. Countries quickly evaluated how to control the risks of exposure and constructed guidelines accordingly."

Just because she was anxious to get back to work, that does not mean Gohou did not take COVID-19 seriously. Of course, before she took any business trips, she tested herself and took the proper precautions. In June, she flew to Spain for a photoshoot, where everyone followed all the recommendations and guidelines. While she was, and still is, worried about the risk, Gohou had no real choice but to get back to work. Her growing career was on the line.

As countries open up and travel begins to normalize, Gohou's workload is only increasing. Gohou does exercise her risk judgment when deciding which job to take on next, however. Gohou is continuing to incorporate all the necessary actions she needs to take to maintain her career during these times like quarantining in between every job and getting tested multiple times. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, Gohou has been to Madrid, Corsica, and Croatia for various projects.

Gohou realized that many people were not allowed to work like she was. Since she was able to work and she longer worried about her finances, Gohou felt driven to help her loved ones in any way possible. When vacation travel restrictions lightened up, in accordance with safety guidelines, Gohou thought she would put use her negative test results and travel safety skills to use.

"My friend from Ibiza, had just finished renovating his grandmother's house with a lot of love," Gohou said. "After investing all his savings into the place, he planned to rent out the rooms in the summer. Then the pandemic hit. So in August, when travel was more accessible, and cases were still low, some of our friends came to rent out the whole place and support him during this difficult time. The group took precautions, especially since one of my girlfriends had just beat cancer."
Gohou intended for the trip to serve both as support for her friend as well as a wellness retreat for everyone involved. Gohou wanted to curate an environment where everyone would be able to free themselves from the anxiety and ambiguity caused by the pandemic. Beyond working on their mental and emotional health, they took active steps to build their immune systems and physical health as well. They frequently engaged in daily workouts, adventures, a form of holistic healing, healthy home-cooked meals, and late-night conversations centered on introspection and reflection about recent life experiences.

Gohou believes it is always important to learn how to optimize one's wellbeing in any situation. For Gohou, quarantine was a practice in making the most out of one's situation. Gohou has used this time to focus on the activities that connect her to her true self like purchasing organic and local-grown foods, connecting with nature, and overall slowing down. At the end of the day, Gohou believes that if everyone attempts to use this time to connect to their values, the world will come back more unified.

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