A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore

Opening a used bookstore: Late April 2026—Three weeks to go. Stef creates pricing systems, curates shelves with intentionality, pushes the opening to May 13 (no more changes!), plans partnership events, and grapples with volunteer recruitment by reframing contribution as community mattering. (Apologies for car noise in both volumes—I'm recording between tasks!) Volume 1: With three weeks left, I'm deep in pricing strategy. I'm building a pricing matrix—a system I can use over and over, and any employee can understand. It's all trial and error. I'll learn and adjust as I go. I talk about shelving and curation choices—the intentionality behind what goes where. The nonfiction section is organized by theme, not type or age, which makes pricing more complicated than the rest of the store. Volume 2: POS update and the never-ending SKU-ing. I'm allowing myself to move the opening date once: from May 6 to May 13—and that's it. No looking back. Head down time. Marketing plans: Strategic partnerships via events and social media influencers are key. Here's what's happening: Sunday, May 3, 6-8 PM: Bedazzle Your Books with Sparkle with Amanda at Mystic Mill Valley! Space is limited. Bring a favorite book or browse a curated selection. Tickets just $5 thanks to co-sponsors Mystic and The Phoenix. RSVP here. Saturday, May 2, 1-4 PM: Reuse Alliance Repair Fair Book Swap in Mill Valley. I'm the book swap organizer—bring your books and swap them for free! More info here. I also talk about contingency plans if I don't get all the books SKU'd in time, and how hard it's been to get volunteers. I'm learning to hone my messaging around contribution and community mattering—how investing in your community helps you feel like you matter. That starts with contribution. Current Book Count: ~12,000+ (and counting down to opening day) Three weeks. Head down. Let's go.  🐦‍🔥 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: Bedazzle Your Books event Mill Valley Repair Fair Book Swap Phoenix En Plein Air book club survey

Opening a used bookstore: April 2026—Books are on shelves. The space feels real. Stef shifts focus to kids and teens, remembers pop-up skills from a dream, builds inventory systems, designs community zones, and her body starts pushing back from all the box-moving. In this episode, it's a catch-up from early April, and shelves are filling. It feels like a big deal—books are actually on shelves, and the space finally feels achievable. My focus has shifted fully to kids and teens books for now while I patiently wait for the next space for all ages. But the mental energy shift is real—I'm all in on serving this age group well. A dream reminded me of skills from past pop-up work: flexibility and the ability to tolerate other people's views and philosophies. These translate directly to knowing my customers and being adaptive based on their needs. Store updates: Learning Square POS and SKU systems Inventory has started—two shelves of board books done! Building a pricing matrix I can print and use to train staff Documenting grading strategies (fair, good, excellent) for each book Pricing intentionally affordable so people will talk—using affordability as free word-of-mouth I'm also designing the space with community activation in mind: a typewriter for kids to leave notes, a magnet wall, a reading nook. Intentional spaces that invite participation. And finally, my body is pushing back. Low back pain from moving boxes is real, and I'm starting to realize I'm going to have to hire someone for the more physical tasks. Current Book Count: ~12,000+ (and two shelves already on display!) This is the fun part. Building it, piece by piece.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

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

Opening a used bookstore: March 2026—Lease negotiations fall apart. The landlord walks. Stef faces her third rejection. Volume 1 captures the collapse; Volume 2 processes the grief, the exhaustion, and the stubborn belief that she has to let the right opportunity come to her now. (Apologies for road noise in Vol. 1 and caution lights in Vol. 2—I recorded this while processing in real time.) Volume 1: Lease negotiations have become unpredictable, weird, and unreasonable. I get into the nitty-gritty—the back and forth, the bizarre terms, the growing sense that this isn't going to work. And then it doesn't. The landlord walks away from the table. This is the third time I've been burned, and I'm so dissapointed. Volume 2: I sleep on it and come back with some perspective. Suffering makes the good times better—contrast is necessary for light to shine. I get that. But I'm so tired of being resilient. I'm also grateful for the pressure cooker that happens every time I'm about to sign a lease. The ideas I get in those moments—I wouldn't get them otherwise. The clarity, the pivots, the problem-solving—it only comes under pressure. I have the support. I have the community. I know what I need to do, and I can do it. I just need to let it come to me now. I'm disappointed. I'm sad. But I'm still here. Current Book Count: ~11,000+ The name of the game is resilience. Even when you're tired of playing.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

In this mini-episode I discover commercial leases can be a whole lot more complicated than I realized. If you haven't contributed a review for the pod would you be so kind and write something about this journey and maybe even if you have always wanted to open a used bookshop of your own? Thank you. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

Opening a used bookstore: Stef changes how she looks at the business—thinking like a VC-funded startup, expanding search criteria—and finds a space. This episode is about the real pain points a used bookstore solves: consumption, affordability, climate. Plus gratitude for the whole journey, hard stuff included. In this episode, I have a breakthrough. I've been thinking small to big—find a tiny space, grow slowly, minimize risk. But what if I think like a VC-funded startup? What if I go big to small instead? That shift changes everything. I expand my search criteria, and almost instantly, I find a space. I walk through why this space could work, what it offers, and how it aligns with the mission. But more importantly, I talk about the real pain points this business addresses: The consumption crisis — we buy too much, waste too much The affordability crisis — new books are expensive, reading shouldn't be The climate crisis — reuse is one of the most impactful climate actions we can take The Phoenix isn't just a bookstore. It's a response to systemic problems. And that clarity feels powerful. At the end, I reflect on gratitude—for this whole journey, even the hard parts. The rejection, the waiting, the frustration—it all led here. Current Book Count: ~11,000+ Sometimes you have to think bigger to find what fits.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com. Links from this episode: Gary Vee on why analog is the next business frontier Korty's Fish Camp for those of you with kids San Anselmo Food Truck on IG

Opening a used bookstore: One year in—Stef travels to Philadelphia, visits The Last Word bookshop, connects with the owner (25 years in the business!), navigates the emotional rollercoaster of rental space hunting, and realizes word-of-mouth marketing is building momentum. The work is paying off. In this episode, I hit the one-year mark of this journey, and it feels surreal. I travel to Philadelphia and visit my favorite used bookshop: The Last Word. And in a moment I didn't expect, I meet the owner—someone who's been running a used bookshop for 25 years. We talk shop, literally, and he offers to be an email buddy. I can't even express how much that means. To have someone who's been in the trenches willing to share knowledge? That's gold. Back home, the rental space search saga continues with highs and lows, highs and lows. It's exhausting. But I'm holding on. What's keeping me going? The small business owner connections I've made along the way. The support, the shared frustrations, the advice—it's a community I didn't know I needed until I was in it. And here's something that's making me so happy: I check my email and two or three times a week now there are people reaching out to share their books with me. Strangers. Neighbors. Friends of friends. Word of mouth is building. And in the marketing world, word-of-mouth marketing is the GOLD standard. You can't buy it. You can't force it. You earn it. All the work I've been doing—the podcast, the Little Free Library refreshes, the community presence—it's kicking in. People are starting to know The Phoenix, even though the doors aren't open yet. Current Book Count: ~11,000+ One year in. Still standing. Still rising.  🐦‍🔥 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: The Last Word (Philadelphia) Sign up for a free Little Free Library refresh.

November 2025—A 4-minute mini episode. The landlord decides. The David and Goliath story resolves. And with holiday pressure mounting to get books out into the world, Stef faces a new question: what's the vibe? Light, bright, and airy—or cozy, candlelit, and readerly? Current Book Count: ~11,000+ The reframe is real.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

Opening a used bookstore: November 2025—Stef meets with the landlord and then gets hit with breaking news: there's another bidder. Cue the David and Goliath showdown. Now all she can do is wait, hope, and trust that community matters more than raking in the dough. In this episode, I finally meet with the potential landlord. I lay it all out—the vision, the plan, the commitment to Mill Valley, the community impact. And then: breaking news. There's another bidder. And they're bigger, safer, offering more money. Classic David and Goliath. All I can do now is wait and hope the landlord chooses what's best for the community—not just what's easiest or most financially secure for them. I have to trust that my vision matters, that a used bookstore serving this town is worth the risk. My books and I are ready. We have a floor plan. Shelves are ready to order. Partners are lined up. I just need someone to believe in me. I also take a moment to express gratitude toward my commercial agent, who has been advocating for me through all of this. Without her, I wouldn't even be in the running. And I can't help but wonder at the movie-like quality of it all. This whole journey—the failed acquisition, the pivot, the 10,000+ books, the perfect space, the competing bidder—it feels like a story someone wrote. Except it's real, and I'm living it, and I don't know how it ends yet. Current Book Count: ~10,000+ David versus Goliath. The Phoenix versus... well, we'll see. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

Opening a used bookstore: November 2025—Stef breaks down the nuts and bolts of pursuing a commercial space: the Letter of Intent (LOI) with tiered rent, personal guarantees, required paperwork, P&L fundamentals, multiple revenue streams, and why cost of goods matters. Plus: her other business (a free parenting blog) and a sneak peek at the potential space. In this episode, I get into the weeds—the practical, unglamorous stuff you actually need to know when leasing commercial space. I have an LOI out on a space that's big, expensive, and has everything I need. I walk through why I structured it with tiered rent—a way to align my growth trajectory with the landlord's revenue expectations while protecting myself in Year 1 when cash flow will be tight. I also explain what a personal guarantee is (spoiler: it's terrifying but standard), and share the paperwork you need to have ready when you're seriously pursuing a property: financials, business plan, credit reports, references, proof of funds. The P&L (profit and loss statement) comes up again because it's the backbone of everything. I talk about why multiple revenue streams are critical to a used bookstore's survival—in-store sales, online sales, products—and how cost of goods and wholesale purchasing work in retail. The margins are thin, so every decision matters. I also mention my other business: ParentingwithGratitude.com, a free blog for parents. I do it for the parenting community, not profit—but I'm worried the potential landlords won't love hearing that I run a business that's intentionally unprofitable. We'll see. And for those who want to see the space I'm excited about, I have a reel that shows it click here. Current Book Count: ~9,000+ Sometimes the unsexy work is the most important work.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

Opening a used bookstore: October 2025—Stef experiments with a tiered rent LOI (Letters of Intent) to align landlords with her mission, battles frustration over the pace of progress, learns an expensive Canadian shipping lesson on The Art of Books platform, and gets an email that validates why she's documenting this journey—because mattering matters. In this episode, recorded in October 2025, I'm trying something new with the rental search: I sent out a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a tiered rent structure. Instead of working against landlords, I'm testing whether I can persuade them to work with me—to see the bookstore as a community asset worth supporting with flexible terms. We'll see if it works. But honestly? I'm frustrated. I want to be in the learning-on-the-ground phase—making mistakes in the store, figuring things out with customers, problem-solving in real time. Instead, I'm still stuck in the waiting phase, and it's not happening the way I hoped. I also made a mistake with 'The Art of Books' platform that I need to share so others don't repeat it: I messed up Canadian shipping. It cost me, and I learned the hard way. If you're using the platform, pay close attention to international shipping settings—it matters more than you think. But here's the win that turned my whole week around: I got an email from a woman in Washington state who's opening a used bookstore and loves the podcast. She told me it's helping her. And suddenly, I felt like I matter—like I'm contributing to something bigger than just my own store. This is community mattering in effect. It also dovetails perfectly with my best friend's research on accomplishment and mattering. We've been talking about how mattering isn't just about being needed—it's about adding value and feeling valued. That email was both. It reminded me why I'm doing this, and why documenting the journey matters as much as the destination. Current Book Count: ~9,000+ Sometimes the biggest impact isn't the one you planned.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com. Links: The Art of Books platform for bookstore owners: theartofbooks.com Sign up for a free Little Free Library refresh: phoenixusedbookshop.com

Opening a used bookstore: September 2025—Stef navigates rental heartbreak, battles online listing systems, rides the wave of trending Little Free Library refreshes, makes a huge children's book haul, and prepares to manage books at the Santa Rosa Reuse Fair. Plus: why she needs little red wagons, and some tea about the store from Chapter 1... In this episode, the rental drama continues. Every week I'm planning, envisioning, falling in love with a space—and then losing it. The heartbreak is real, and it's wearing on me. The tech struggle is also ongoing. I'm using 'The Art of Books' as my online listing platform (link for other bookstore owners: theartofbooks.com), but the learning curve is steep and progress feels slow. On the bright side? Little Free Library refreshes are on fire. Like, #trending levels of demand. People are reaching out, the service is resonating, and it feels like the community-building piece of this business is already working. I also make a massive haul of children's books while attending a Positive Psychology conference in Sacramento—worlds collide in the simplest way, yay! And I have a request for listeners: I need little red wagons. I've decided they'll make the perfect $1 book bins outside the shop—easy to move, fun to look at, and a pop of color that says "come dig through me." I'm also gearing up for the huge Santa Rosa Reuse Fair, where the Reuse Alliance diverts tons of waste from landfills by collecting items in the morning and curating a warehouse for people to "shop" for free in the afternoon. I'm in charge of the books—and I get to bring any remaining books home. It's a perfect mix of values and inventory needs. And stick around to the end, because I share a little juicy gossip (or ☕, if you prefer) about the store from Chapter 1. You'll want to hear this.  Current Book Count: ~9,000+ Red wagons, reuse fairs, and a little bit of drama. 🐦‍🔥 🐦‍🔥 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: The Art of Books platform for bookstore owners: theartofbooks.com Sign up for a free Little Free Library refresh: phoenixusedbookshop.com Reuse Alliance: https://www.reusealliance.org/

Opening a used bookstore: Late August 2025—Stef grapples with online listing technology frustrations, watches more local businesses close, analyzes her P&L (profit and loss statement), and pivots from buying books to sourcing startup supplies. Plus: her first Little Free Library refresh and a Rite Aid liquidation win. In this episode, I'm hitting a wall—and it's technological. I've been struggling to find the right tools to make online book listing easier and more fun. Despite having a huge lead time, I feel blocked. The progress isn't happening the way I need it to, and the frustration is real. The rental space search continues with a decent prospect on the table, but I'm also watching more businesses close in the area, which makes me nervous. It's a reminder that I need to stay disciplined about the numbers. Speaking of numbers: the P&L (profit and loss statement, for anyone new to this) is telling me something important. I need to slow down on book acquisition and start focusing on finding admin and startup supplies at estate sales instead. Office supplies, cleaning materials, organizational tools—the unsexy stuff that adds up fast if you buy it new. And then I score big: Rite Aid is going out of business, and I load up on exactly what I need at liquidation prices. I also did my first Little Free Library refresh as part of my commitment to equity and community access to books. And immediately got another sign-up. This service feels right—it's about making sure books reach everyone, not just people who can afford to buy them. If you have a Little Free Library that needs restocking, sign up for a free refresh at phoenixusedbookshop.com Current Book Count: ~8,000-9,000 (but acquisition is slowing down intentionally) Sometimes progress means knowing when to stop and redirect. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com. Sign up for a free Little Free Library refresh: phoenixusedbookshop.com

Opening a used bookstore: Three months later, we are in the summer of 2025 and Stef hits 7,000-8,000 books, watches local bookstores shut down their used departments, doubles down on finding the lowest rent possible (even if it means going small), and explains why online sales are critical—and why she's actually in the book processing business, not just retail. In this episode, it's been three months since my last recording, and a lot has happened. The book count has jumped to somewhere between 7,000 and 8,000 books. The bulk deals are flowing thanks to the network I built in the first half of the year—books are coming in freely now, and the system is working. But there's stress, too. Local bookstores are shutting down their used departments. Some are closing entirely. It's a reminder of how tight the margins are, and it's motivating me to stay laser-focused on one thing: finding the lowest rent possible. Even if that means opening with a smaller footprint, I'll shuffle my business structure to accommodate it. The key is not overextending myself. I also dive into something that's been on my mind: mattering. Mattering is about adding value and feeling valued. I want The Phoenix Used Bookshop to be a place where the community feels like they matter—but also where employees feel like they matter. That culture has to be intentional from day one. And then there's the business model reality: online sales. This revenue stream is critical to the success of a brick-and-mortar used bookshop. The truth is, I'm not just in the retail business—I'm in the book processing business. I acquire books, assess them, price them, and move them through multiple channels: in-store, online, bulk. Retail is just one output. Current Book Count: 7,000-8,000 The summer was slow, but the work never stopped.  🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

Opening a used bookstore: Stef hits 4,000+ books but enters the messy middle—slow progress, tedious work, and a feeling of inefficiency. She gets help with graphic design, encounters her first bust of an estate sale, and answers listener questions about the real obstacles to opening a store. In this two-part episode, I'm deep in what I'm calling the messy middle. The book count is climbing but the pace feels slow, tedious, inefficient. I'm taking it one book at a time because that's all I can do right now. The doldrums are real. I'm working on graphic design for the store, trying to capture that local bookstore vibe that feels authentic to Mill Valley. I also drove to Alameda for an estate sale that turned out to be a total bust—sometimes you win, sometimes you waste gas. Part 2 dives into FAQs I've been getting about opening the store. The biggest question: what are the obstacles? I break it down simply: Money — tight People power — also tight When both are constrained, the exchange is time. This won't happen quickly, but it will happen. Right now, timing actually matters—I kind of don't want the rental space yet. There's too much to do and not enough of me. I'm training my kids to help, and I share some of the unspoken rules for children of business owners who work in the family business (spoiler: it's different than being a regular employee). I also talk more about tariffs and how they're going to push more people into the resale business. The circular economy is about to get crowded, and I'm hoping I have enough of a head start to stay competitive. Current Book Count: 4,000+ This is the part of the story where it's not glamorous. It's just work. 🐦‍🔥 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

Opening a used bookstore: Stef locks in a crucial book source with rock-bottom 'cost of goods', navigates a home drowning in 3,000+ books, discusses tariff-proofing through reuse, and considers making her bookstore cat-friendly. In this episode, the final piece clicks into place. I've secured an important intake option for books that gives me an extremely low cost of goods—this is the kind of source that makes a used bookstore financially viable. Meanwhile, my house is officially overrun. We're talking 3,000+ books and counting. Stacks everywhere. My cats are thriving—they love the new jungle gym situation. It's chaos, but it's purposeful chaos. I also talk about something that's been on my mind: tariffs. In a climate where import costs are unpredictable and supply chains are vulnerable, reuse businesses have a massive advantage. We're tariff-proof. Every book I sell has already been in circulation—no overseas shipping, no customs fees, no waiting on containers. It's local, circular, and resilient. And speaking of cats—mine are so happy with the book stacks that I'm genuinely considering making The Phoenix a bookshop-cat kind of place. We'll see. But the idea is growing on me. Current Book Count: 3,000+ The foundation is solid. The pieces are coming together. 🐦‍🔥 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

Opening a used bookstore: Stef completes business registration, develops SKU and pricing systems, redoes her P&L, and explains why growing up in small business gives her confidence—plus a magical evening with Kate DiCamillo and Ann Patchett. In this episode, it's paperwork time. EIN, Seller's Permit, city registration—all done and I'm thrilled to actually have my ducks in a row this time. But the work didn't stop there. I realized I couldn't keep inventorying books without SKUs, which meant I needed a SKU algorithm, which meant I needed a pricing strategy, which meant redoing my entire P&L. The truth? The numbers work, but I have to sell a lot of books. My number one priority is finding affordable rent—everything else is flexible. I also share why I feel confident opening a bookstore despite never running one. The answer: I grew up in small business. My family owned five childcare centers—a brutally low-margin business with government ratios, healthy snack requirements, and yes, cat poop in sandboxes. I was the cheap labor who learned to find space in tight margins. Between that and my peek into bookstore finances from the failed acquisition, I'm ready for Year 1 mistakes and all. I picked up How to Start and Run a Used Bookstore by Stephanie Chandler for the operational shortcuts, and had an incredible night at the Charles M. Schulz Museum with Kate DiCamillo and Ann Patchett. They signed books for the store, and I got a photo with Ann Patchett that's going up in the shop. Current Book Count: 2,000+ (inventory paused until systems are finalized) 🐦‍🔥 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: How to Start and Run a Used Bookstore by Stephanie Chandler Kate DiCamillo | Ann Patchett Charles M. Schulz Museum

Opening a used bookstore: Stef makes it official with an LLC, launches a landing page, and announces The Phoenix Used Bookshop to her neighbors—who immediately start donating books. Plus: a Costco revelation, a serendipitous book encounter, and the Strawberry Parable. In this episode, things are getting real. The LLC is formed. The landing page is up. I make the announcement to my neighbors, and suddenly books are showing up on my doorstep. The community is already stepping in, and it feels like validation that this store is needed here. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Mill Valley Library about potential partnerships, but in the meantime, I'm having fun—balancing business admin with inventory work, and it's energizing in a way I didn't expect. I also share a store differentiator I gleaned from an unlikely source: Costco. Yes, Costco. We all love Costco, right? There's something about how products find you there—the serendipity, the discovery. I want The Phoenix to work the same way: a place where books find you, not just where you hunt for specific titles. And speaking of books finding me: I was found by Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit. Inside it was the Strawberry Parable—a Zen teaching about presence, beauty, and survival. It was the third time that month I'd encountered this parable, and I knew I had to share it with you. It's real. It's grounded. It's not about toxic positivity—it's about finding sweetness even when you're hanging on. I'm also gearing up to organize TheArtofBooks.com so I can start selling online and building another revenue stream. The inventory engine is humming, the business structure is solidifying, and the store is taking shape. Current Book Count: 2,000+ (and climbing with neighbor donations) 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com. Links: Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit  The Strawberry Parable

Opening a used bookstore: Its March 2025 and we have finally hit 2,000 books through steady estate sale work, come along as Stef navigates Mill Valley's unpredictable rental market, and reveals the intentional meaning behind The Phoenix Used Bookshop. In this episode, a month has passed since the pivot, and the work is paying off. The book count has climbed from 500 to 2,000—not from one big score, but from consistent scouting, sorting, and showing up to estate sales week after week. I'm deep in the rhythm now, learning which sales are worth the drive and which ones are just overhyped Ebay wanna-bes. I'm also learning a bit more about how to list books on Amazon, so I can build inventory across multiple revenue streams. I also start seriously exploring rental spaces in Mill Valley. I walk you through what this town actually looks like—the quirky corners, the new kids' spots popping up on Miller Avenue, and yes, the old remnants of a used bookstore I keep stumbling across. There's even a surprise discovery: I had no idea there was a bookstore operating in the basement of the Mill Valley Library. But the real heart of this episode? The name. The Phoenix Used Bookshop—or PUB for short. I finally share the intentionality behind it: rebirth, the circular life of stories, the idea that every book carries energy that gets passed forward with each reader. I'm playing around with slogans that capture this concept, testing language that feels true to the mission. Current Book Count: 2,000 The Phoenix is rising 🐦‍🔥 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

Opening a used bookstore in Mill Valley: After a failed acquisition attempt, Stef maps Marin County's book deserts, launches her book-scouting operation, and commits fully to building 'The Phoenix Used Bookshop' from the ground up. In this episode, the silence says everything. After submitting a low offer to the sellers—no response. Not even a "thank you, we'll get back to you." Nothing. And honestly? That non-response becomes the clarity I needed. This is where the shift happens. I'm done waiting. I'm done second-guessing. I'm all in on opening my own bookstore. So I do what any strategic, slightly obsessive founder would do: I make a map. I plot every single bookstore and library across Marin County, looking for gaps, opportunities, and underserved areas. And what do I find? A book desert—right here in Mill Valley. Coffee shops everywhere, but no used bookstore serving this community the way it deserves. I also start doing the math: How many books does it actually take to open a bookstore? What does inventory acquisition look like at scale? The book-scouting engine is officially running, and my energy is high. Estate sales, thrift stores, online marketplaces—I'm sourcing, sorting, and building. And yes, I tease the name of the store in this episode… though if you've been paying attention, you already know it. 🐦‍🔥 Current Book Count: 500 This is Chapter 2. The story is no longer about what didn't work out—it's about what I'm building instead. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, everything comes to a head. While venting my frustrations to the sellers’ agents, they unexpectedly add the owners to the email chain—whether intentionally or by accident, I still don’t know. What follows is a full-blown fallout. The owners are furious, I’m mortified, and it becomes painfully clear that their agents aren’t helping anyone navigate this deal with any professionalism. Listening back, it might sound like I’m circling the same complaints—and I am. That’s exactly what it felt like at the time: stuck, confused, and convinced I was trying to buy a business with shifting rules and missing pieces. I wanted the store and felt like I was getting screwed. I make amends with the owners and write them a low offer… but then: crickets. No response at all. And that silence becomes the message I need. This is the moment I accept it’s time to move on—to find my own space, start sourcing inventory through estate sales, and shift fully into a new plan. It’s messy, emotional, and imperfect. But hindsight makes one thing clear: I had to walk away from that deal in order to be standing right here now, one step away from opening The Phoenix Used Bookshop. (Any bleeps in this episode are intentional—to protect confidential business information.) 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as the story continues—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, the back-and-forth over the bookstore sale gets even messier. I push the commercial agents to fix misleading disclosures—changes they now have to make for any future buyer, not just me—and request a revised P&L because removing online sales means the entire expense structure has to shift. Then comes the confusion around back stock: the sellers plan to leave books but take some with them, and I’m left wondering why. What quality are they leaving behind? Why split it unevenly? What exactly am I buying if the core inventory walks out the door? This episode dives into the gritty reality of deal mechanics—operating losses, incomplete disclosures, unclear inventory, and the constant renegotiation of what’s actually on the table. I also talk about Bookshop.org’s short-lived experiment with letting used bookstores list inventory through Book Loop, and end on the role of hope in future planning, agency, and staying committed when everything feels uncertain. (Bleeps in this episode are intentional and used to protect confidential business information.) 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, I finally sit down face-to-face with the owners of the used bookstore I’ve been trying to buy. I walk in hopeful-I walk out disillusioned. The owner tries to convince me I can turn the business around—even though it’s in the red—but the “levers” he suggests are either already in place or too small to matter. Privately, I talk through the real levers: pricing, store flow, organization, systems, layout, customer experience… all the opportunities they’re missing. But even with all those fixes, the price tag still doesn’t make sense. After a lot of deliberation, I finally name what I’m really paying for: the customer base and the reputation. Not the business as it stands. And that realization pushes me toward making a low-ball offer and biding my time. (As always, bleeps in this episode are intentional—to protect confidential business information.) 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues its rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, things finally move: after weeks of silence, the business owners get back to me with answers to my long list of questions. I get real insight straight from the source—everything from which genres sell best to how their hours actually impact foot traffic. But then comes the gut punch. What I’m calling “The Hidden Dealbreaker.” After all this time, I learn the business is not being sold with their online sales platform—information that was never disclosed upfront. It’s a major shift in the deal, and it forces me to reconsider what I’m actually trying to buy… and whether the purchase even makes sense anymore. I also reference their P&L (profit and loss statement) several times, and you’ll hear bleeps throughout the episode—these are intentional, to protect confidentiality around the business’s proprietary financial information. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to take shape—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, something shifts. Whether or not I get the bookstore I’ve been pursuing, I realize I’m doing this—I’m going to open a used bookshop. The morning starts with uncertainty, so I pull a tarot card to help ground myself in intuition. I get The Wheel of Fortune, and the message couldn’t be clearer: what’s meant for me will find me. By the afternoon, I’ve made up my mind to reach out directly to the owners and finally get some clarity about the business sale. There are cats everywhere in this episode (of course), and I start thinking about the kind of culture I want to create—using the VIA Character Strengths framework (viacharacter.org) to build a workplace rooted in purpose, values, and authenticity. I talk about systems, handbooks, and the quiet power of getting organized for what’s next. 🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe and share (!) to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this episode, I’m still waiting — and waiting — to hear back about my offer to buy the used bookstore. What begins as cautious optimism turns into frustration as the commercial agent goes completely MIA. I talk about the endless email maze, a little numerology (because sometimes you need signs when logic fails), and my growing decision to reach out directly to the owners after weeks of silence. Along the way, I reflect on Rebel Bookseller: How to Improvise Your Own Indie Store and Beat Back the Chains by Andrew Laties, a book that helped me feel less alone in the struggle. With Inauguration Day approaching, I find myself thinking about what it means to stand for free speech and sustainability — and how creating a green, community-focused bookstore can be its own quiet form of resistance. 🕊️ Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to unfold — subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

In this episode, I step back from the chaos of logistics to look inward — developing my why for opening a used bookstore. I make lists of what I’m good at versus what I actually enjoy, what brings me joy, and what I truly need. Through that process, I talk about Self-Determination Theory and how understanding autonomy, competence, and relatedness helps me find motivation on hard days. There’s also an unplanned kitten cameo — because of course there is. This episode is about honoring intention while being realistic about your own abilities — learning that sometimes what you can do isn’t what you want to build a life around. 🕊️ Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop takes shape — subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com.

In this episode, I dive into the part of the story no one glamorizes — the logistical nightmare of trying to buy an existing used bookstore. Referrals, agents, lawyers, endless emails — it all turned into a quagmire that left me questioning whether the deal was even meant to happen. But somewhere in the waiting, I found something unexpected: gratitude. The slow timing gave me space to shore up my life for the changes that were coming, and to start trusting that maybe everything was unfolding exactly as it should. 🐦‍🔥 Want to follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop takes shape? Subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

In this first full episode, I share the story behind A Bookshop of My Own — how I grew up surrounded by small business life, why bookstores have always felt like home, and why they matter so deeply to all kinds of people. This is the backstory of how it all started: the moment I decided to write an offer letter to buy an existing used bookstore, what that process looked like, and why it set me on the path toward creating my own. It’s personal, it’s honest, (and it’s explicit sorry!) — because this story deserves to be told exactly as it happened Want to follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop comes to life? Subscribe to this podcast, and sign up for updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com

Before the shelves are built, before the grand opening, there’s a story: I thought I was going to buy an existing used bookstore...that didn’t work out. So instead, I decided to open one of my own. This preview episode introduces A Bookshop of My Own, a diary-style podcast documenting the messy, hopeful, behind-the-scenes journey of starting a used bookstore from scratch.