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In this episode of Small Business, Big Life: Inside Fort Orange General Store, Joe Slichko and Erica Cubello take a step back from the day-to-day realities of retail and ask a deeper question:

What does success actually mean?

For both of them, the definition has changed dramatically over time.

Joe and Erica reflect on the different versions of success they grew up with, from hard work and financial stability to public perception and career achievement. They share how those early ideas shaped the paths they chose—both starting in education, pursuing stable careers, and achieving professional milestones that many people would consider the end goal.

But something was missing.

Joe talks about reaching one of his biggest career ambitions in education only to realize that achievement alone didn’t create fulfillment. Erica shares her own experience of leaving a successful teaching career to pursue creative work and eventually start her first business, even when it didn’t make sense to others on the outside.

The conversation explores how those experiences ultimately led them toward entrepreneurship and the decision to purchase Fort Orange General Store.

They discuss:

• How childhood experiences shape our definition of success
• Why achieving a goal doesn’t always create fulfillment
• The difference between external validation and internal satisfaction
• Taking risks when the traditional path no longer feels right
• Why entrepreneurship often begins with a moment of personal clarity

Joe and Erica also talk about how their definition of success continues to evolve now that they run a small retail business together. While early success at the store was measured in sales and margins, they’ve begun to see success in different ways—building community partnerships, creating new ideas for the business, and finding opportunities to innovate even during slower retail seasons.

Finally, the conversation turns toward family. As parents of four children, Joe and Erica reflect on what their kids are learning by watching them navigate risk, creativity, and uncertainty in real time.

Because maybe success isn’t just about reaching a destination.

Maybe it’s about having the courage to keep redefining it.

Keywords: redefining success, entrepreneurship journey, leaving a stable career, small business ownership, career change stories, entrepreneur mindset, Fort Orange General Store, small business podcast

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Fort Orange General Store – Downtown Albany, NY

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fortorangegeneralstore.com

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