Shop Stories: Small Business Features

Defining the Non-Negotiables of Creative Success with Patrick Perkins

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October 26, 2024
Defining the Non-Negotiables of Creative Success with Patrick Perkins

When I first meet a creative person, I am immediately curious to hear about the things they are passionate about and when they first discovered that passion. Was it scribbling verses of poetry on scrap paper and turning it into a song? Or, perhaps it was cutting up an old jean jacket and transforming it into something extraordinary.

Changing the Narrative of Food Pantries with Shubbie Aishida

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September 23, 2024
Changing the Narrative of Food Pantries with Shubbie Aishida

Every individual has the capacity to impact the world in a profound way.

Creating a home for community through retail and restoration with Elena Fong & Naomi Phan-Quang

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July 10, 2024
Creating a home for community through retail and restoration with Elena Fong & Naomi Phan-Quang

Whether on morning walks together to the local coffee shop or setting up a park picnic with their husbands and children, two close friends bask in the feeling of being deeply seen and known. Though not sisters, the two share a likeness and harmony that is derived from having walked in similar shoes, and been in each others’ company through both the ligh…

Kindling the art and joy of a sewing community with Eli Dembele

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January 18, 2024
Kindling the art and joy of a sewing community with Eli Dembele

In 2023, the tree-lined blocks of College Ave between Russell and Webster Street welcomed a brand new establishment - a different kind of sewing studio and retail space. From the road, the shop’s front windows display a collection of vibrant and earthy-colored garments. The reflection of the glass sometimes creates a charming watercolor illusion, especi…

Meeting people where they are and reaching new heights with Ian Birnam

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November 21, 2023
Meeting people where they are and reaching new heights with Ian Birnam

An ibex is any of several species of wild goat that can be spotted on the continents of Eurasia and Africa. What makes them incredible is that they can scale nearly vertical surfaces. “They are these unassuming goats that climb massive and steep mountains,” he describes to me. “So,…

Building a deliciously joyful brand with Sierra Antroniese Young

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October 19, 2023
Building a deliciously joyful brand with Sierra Antroniese Young

Shine. The five-letter-word is both a noun characterizing the quality of brightness, and a verb describing the emittance of light. Metaphorically, it can describe the way a person enlivens a place with a certain contagious, positive energy.

Preserving ancient methods of winemaking with Jason Ruppert

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August 28, 2023
Preserving ancient methods of winemaking with Jason Ruppert

Scene: A grassy field. In the furthermost corner, two picnic blankets lay seam-to-seam partially illuminated by the three o’clock sun. Two humans sit cross-legged. Ponderosa pines tower behind.

Stories of gems with Ella Gilbert

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July 31, 2023
Stories of gems with Ella Gilbert

Setting afoot the shop’s inviting blueprint, it is immediately apparent that every surface is covered in gems, colored glass, jewelry fixtures, and mixed materials. Along its walls, antique cabinets, tapestries, and artwork dress the neighborhood bead store for utility and good measure. Its cent…

Rocking out to vintage textiles with Kylee Kienitz and Lou Lou Rosenthal

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July 13, 2023
Rocking out to vintage textiles with Kylee Kienitz and Lou Lou Rosenthal

There are numerous origin stories of Heads Or Tails Collective (H.O.T., for short), a vintage boutique and eclectic communal space perched on the second floor of an herbaceous-looking retail loft. It just depends on how far back you want to go.