『A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore』のカバーアート

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

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

著者： Stef Tousignant
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What does it really take to open a used bookstore in 2026? Join me, Stef Tousignant, as I document the messy, inspiring, behind-the-scenes journey from the stacks of donated books in my office to the grand opening of The Phoenix Used Bookshop.

This is a diary-style podcast — raw voice memos, real decisions, setbacks and small victories — for anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore but wondered what it’s really like.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. アート マネジメント・リーダーシップ リーダーシップ 文学史・文学批評 経済学
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  • The Decisions Ahead

    The Decisions Ahead
    2026/07/09
    Opening a used bookstore: Two and a half months in, and Stef's already hunting for a second space. She's rotating inventory strategically, designing a charitable book sale model with nonprofits, correcting the record on her credentials, and taking her first family vacation since opening. I'm wrestling with a question to start out the episode: Is this normal? Do people open a store and then two months later start looking for another one? Probably not. But the Larkspur store is doing so well, and if I can hire the right people, it can run without me present. The complications I'm managing now aren't the store itself—it's the contributions. They're overwhelming. Mostly coming in on Wednesdays (our slowest day, which is great). If I open another location nearby, I can distribute the donation load and relieve some of that pressure. Inventory Strategy: I'm rotating genres monthly—sometimes twice a month for middle readers because I have SO many. I pull books from shelves that have had their moment, keep the popular series (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dog Man), and rotate in fresh titles. It keeps the store feeling alive and gives books second chances. The Charitable Model: Here's what I've been thinking: quarterly $2 book sales benefiting local nonprofits. I run the book swap (already doing them with the Reuse Alliance—next one August 15th in Bryn Mawr). They get 90% of proceeds, I take 10% for storage. Better yet: if they have warehouse or property space, they give me storage in exchange for running the sale. Win-win. The Marin IJ Article: It dropped Sunday in the feature section—front page of local news. Photo of me stocking shelves. Overall happy with it, but there's an important correction: the article said I have a Master's in Psychology. I don't. I have a Master's in Applied Positive Psychology—the science of well-being. That's a critical distinction. I'm not a clinician. I don't work with mental illness or deficit psychology. I work with thriving, gratitude, community mattering, and engagement. They also left in all the "ums" and "likes" in my quotes, which was weird. Phoenix En Plein Air: Officially launched! Good signup for the book club. First meeting August 11. Tartufo by KIra Jane Buxton. If you want to join but live elsewhere (Portland? anywhere?), I'll mail you the book for $20 and you can send questions for the discussion. Community is location-flexible. The Pause: I'm closing July 12-18 for a family vacation to Connecticut. My family needed this. I'm nervous about the hit to the bottom line, but since I'm already closed Mondays and Tuesdays, I'm only really closed four days. It should be okay. Store Upgrades: New shelving in the back room (the metro shelves weren't working), new wallpaper on the back wall. Spending a tiny bit of money to invest in the space feels right. The community loves this store—parents, grandparents, nannies. It's thriving. Current Book Count: ~15,000+ (and still arriving) Two months in and already thinking expansion. That's either genius or insane. We'll find out. 🐦‍🔥 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 (August 11, Tartufo)Reuse Alliance Book Swap (August 15, Marin City)Marin Independent Journal articleSubmit a book request.
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    12 分
  • The Interview

    The Interview
    2026/06/25

    Opening a used bookstore: Stef sits down with Marin Independent Journal for a complete interview covering all the questions anyone would want to know the answers to!

    In this episode, you get a different format: an interview. Fly-on-the-wall POV as Marin IJ asks the questions that have probably been on your mind since Episode 1.

    How did this actually happen? What were the biggest obstacles? What's next? How does the mission work in practice? All of it.

    Current Book Count: ~15,000+

    Sometimes the story is best told by answering the questions directly.

    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:

    • Marin Independent Journal
    • Submit a book request
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    34 分
  • The Threshold

    The Threshold
    2026/06/18

    Opening a used bookstore: Stef faces the hiring question—why it makes her uncomfortable, why waiting will trap her in the business for years, why systems matter now more than ever, and why she's terrified that she IS the success variable.

    I'm at a threshold. Hiring now versus later isn't just a staffing question—it's a scaling question. If I don't hire soon, I'll get sucked into working in the business instead of on it. Three years will disappear, and the store won't grow beyond what one person can manage.

    But hiring makes me uncomfortable. Why? Control. The brand matters so much right now. I've built something intentional, and I'm scared that if I'm not doing it myself, it won't stay true.

    I talk about trial and error—what works for one staff member won't work for another. Training takes time and money that feels like sunk costs while I'm still learning. But that's the work.

    Game meets game: I went to Sunsets thrift shop and met two guys in their 20s who are killing it—already selling on WhatNot in addition to their brick and mortar. They offered me a crazy deal to share their seller network. I'm not excited about it yet, but it's a first baby step. And honestly, it's part of the hiring conversation too.

    I'm using AI as a resource tool for onboarding—looking up state and federal regulations, building checklists, creating systems. But here's the real fear: What if the success variable is me? What if removing myself from the equation makes the whole thing collapse?

    That's the founder's trap. And I can feel it.

    I need MORE systems. Better ones. Systems that let other people execute the vision without me present.

    On a lighter note: Phoenix En Plein Air is officially launched. The community voted, and our first book is Tartufo by Kira Jane Buxton - Funny, literary, community-focused. Perfect.

    Current Book Count: ~15,000+

    Time to build systems, not just a business.

    🐦‍🔥 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 (next read: Tartufo)
    • Phoenix on Whatnot
    • Sunsets Thrift Shop
    • Submit a book request
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    15 分
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