Chapter 3: The Starting Point

Opening a used bookstore: March 2026—Chapter 3 begins. Stef finds a space. It's not what she imagined, but she's making it work. The Phoenix will open as a kids & teens bookshop—a place to get started. Plus: launching Phoenix En Plein Air, an outdoor book club using remainder stock to stay green. (Note: Audio cuts out halfway through—I come back with a new recording and continue the conversation.) In this episode, I'm so excited because I found a space. It's not what I thought it would be—not the big, all-ages dream store—but I'm making it work. And here's the big announcement: The Phoenix Used Bookshop will open as a kids and teens bookshop. Ages 0-16. A place to get started. This feels right. Kids deserve access to affordable books. Families need this. And starting focused lets me prove the model, build community, and grow from there. I'm also launching something new: Phoenix En Plein Air, an outdoor book club around Marin. We'll read and discuss books outside—because reading shouldn't be stuck indoors, and community happens in fresh air. To keep with our green mission, I'll be using remainder stock from big publishers—new books that would otherwise go to waste. I need your help: take the survey and let me know what books you want to read and talk about.  Current Book Count: ~13,000+ (and ready to get many of them into kids' hands) This is the starting point. Not the end goal—but the beginning.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com. Links mentioned: Phoenix En Plein Air book club survey: survey link