What makes a town feel like home? It’s more than houses and businesses. It’s the people, shared spaces, local traditions, and those little places you keep coming back to.

In this episode of Cosmos & Commerce, Janis Francis and Michele Cook sit down with Pam Good and Peggy Portier from the Pickerington Village Association to talk about the past, present, and future of Olde Pickerington Village.

We explore how the Village is evolving while holding onto its small-town charm, the connection between a thriving downtown and the surrounding community, and why local events matter so much to small businesses. Pam and Peggy also share some of the Village’s hidden gems, upcoming developments, favorite traditions, and ways residents can help support its continued growth.

From local restaurants and walkable parks to Shop Hops, the Holiday Gathering, and dreams for the businesses that could come next, this conversation may make you want to spend an entire day rediscovering Pickerington Village.

If you enjoy conversations about community, entrepreneurship, real estate, wellness, and the people shaping Central Ohio, subscribe to Cosmos & Commerce for more.

Follow the Pickerington Village Facebook page to learn about upcoming events, and don’t forget that shopping small today helps create the kind of community we’ll want to live in tomorrow.

#CosmosAndCommerce #PickeringtonOhio #PickeringtonVillage #SupportLocalBusiness #CentralOhio #SmallBusiness #CommunityDevelopment #OldePickeringtonVillage

What does it actually take to run a two-location public library serving 54,000+ people? Library Director Tony Howard pulls back the curtain on the business behind the books — and why demand is exploding.

In this episode of Cosmos & Commerce, hosts Janis Francis and Michele Cook sit down with Tony Howard, Director of the Pickerington Public Library, for a conversation that reframes what a modern library really is: part small business, part community hub, part economic engine. Tony breaks down the operational reality most people never see — budgets, boards, facilities, HR, and the data-driven decisions behind a major expansion.

We get into the numbers driving the growth (a nearly 200% jump in homework help in a single year), the fight against Ohio's proposed $100M library funding cut, the new branch and just-opened Discovery Pavilion, and the "hidden gems" hiding in the Library of Things — from memory care kits to a knee-high karaoke machine. Tony also shares what leadership, intellectual freedom, and serving a community with dignity look like from the director's chair.

Whether you're a Central Ohio business owner, a Pickerington resident, or someone who thinks libraries are just quiet rooms full of books — this one will change how you see the space down the street.

⏱️ Chapters 0:00 — Welcome to Cosmos & Commerce 0:40 — Meet Tony Howard, Pickerington Library Director 2:09 — The path to becoming a library director 4:28 — How the Army taught him to love reading 6:56 — The "this is it" moment with teen programming 11:34 — What running a public library actually involves 15:24 — The numbers behind the growth 17:38 — The "4:45 difference": libraries and the local economy 22:56 — What's coming: Discovery Pavilion & the new branch 27:00 — Data-driven decisions and listening before building 34:58 — Fighting Ohio's $100M library funding cut 38:43 — Hidden gems: the Library of Things 43:20 — Serving every stage of life 49:21 — Intellectual freedom & the freedom to read 52:28 — The future of libraries in an AI world 55:21 — The one thing that should never change 59:16 — Tony's 5-year vision for the library 1:00:21 — Speed round (books, coffee & one perfect cocktail) 1:06:00 — Where to find the Pickerington Public Library

📚 Books mentioned

• The Anxious Generation — Jonathan Haidt
• The Red Badge of Courage — Stephen Crane
• Harry Potter series — J.K. Rowling
• Elephant & Piggie / Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus — Mo Willems

🏛️ Connect with Pickerington Public Library Website: https://www.pickeringtonlibrary.org Locations: Pickerington Main (across from Pickerington Central HS) & Sycamore Plaza Branch (across from Pickerington North HS) Email: THoward@pickeringtonlibrary.org Mobile app: Search "Pickerington Public Library"

🎙️ Cosmos & Commerce Where Central Ohio's community meets possibility. Hosted by Janis Francis & Michele Cook, spotlighting the business owners and leaders shaping Pickerington and Fairfield County. ▶️ Subscribe for new episodes

What happens when you stop competing with big-box stores and start creating something people can actually feel?

In this episode of Cosmos & Commerce, Janis Francis and Michele Cook sit down with Kasey Anklum, owner of The Molt & Moon, an eclectic, family-owned shop in the heart of Pickerington Village.

The Molt & Moon is part vintage shop, part boutique and part community gathering place. Inside, you’ll find curated clothing, handcrafted goods, crystals, art, home décor, astrology-inspired items and plenty of unexpected treasures you didn’t know you needed.

Kasey shares how a season of letting go created space for a completely new chapter, why she chose to open a storefront in her hometown and how small businesses help give a community its personality.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The meaning behind The Molt & Moon • Opening a retail shop without losing your unique voice • Why small businesses shouldn’t try to compete with Amazon • Creating an experience customers can’t get online • Running a family-owned business with your spouse • Balancing business, family and community involvement • The growth of Pickerington Village and the Elevate District • Collaborating with neighboring businesses instead of competing • Astrology, energy, creativity and a little bit of “woo” • Why Kasey believes opening the doors already made her successful

Kasey also shares her best advice for aspiring boutique owners: Know your numbers, know your voice and don’t be afraid to start.

Visit The Molt & Moon in Pickerington, Ohio, and follow the shop on Instagram and Facebook to see new arrivals, community events, shop hops and everything happening around the Village.

Subscribe to Cosmos & Commerce for more honest, fun conversations with local entrepreneurs, creators and community builders who are making Central Ohio a more interesting place to live.

#CosmosAndCommerce #TheMoltAndMoon #PickeringtonOhio #PickeringtonVillage #SmallBusinessOwner #ShopLocalOhio #WomenInBusiness #FamilyBusiness #BoutiqueOwner #CentralOhioBusiness #CommunityOverCompetition #EntrepreneurPodcast