Episode 6: Beyond the Building: The Emporium as a Small Business Incubator

In this episode of Hoosier Hustle & Heart, host Jared (West Central Indiana SBDC) talks with Chris Godfrey, owner of the Emporium in Brazil, Indiana, about turning a real estate investment into a “mini mall” incubator built intentionally around synergy, mentorship, and a non-competitive tenant mix. Chris shares how he recruited early interest, underestimated the time required outside his nine-to-five, and applied lessons from Army leadership to stay in the trenches, host roundtables, and solve building-wide challenges like inconsistent hours through events such as “Shop and Stroll.” He explains how feedback and community complaints shaped marketing decisions, why philanthropic giving matters personally and professionally, and his long-term hope that the Emporium stays full, adds gathering spaces like a coffee shop and bookstore, and continues launching businesses into their own brick-and-mortar locations.