A Booktender Blossoms - by Shirley Sokol
When we’re children, we are inspired by people, places and art. Sometimes, the inspiration is an act of kindness, or perhaps the way something or someone made us feel. When we discover a spark that ignites us, we may tuck it away for later as it may be one of the first signs of our true path. Whether we act on the glimmer or not is tied in to many decisions we make along our journey. At a certain point and at a certain age, the trigger of inspiration may pop up and remind us that it’s time to take action and return to our true path. The transition often takes us on an uncomfortable ride through a series of unexpected events. As we experience this time of chaos, it is the perfect time to stop and be aware of what is happening around us and assess our true self and the direction we want to go.
A wonderful example of finding one’s self at a career crossroads is the recent journey of Jennifer Trottier. She is an inspiration of strength, sheer will and commitment to what she knows deep down is her true calling.
When Jennifer was a young girl in Utah, she found the spark of her true path from her grandmother who introduced classic literature and books that would send her imagination on adventures. One day, her grandmother took a step further and presented the black and white 1940 classic movie, “The Shop Around the Corner”, starring Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart. The film is listed as one of the top 100 favorite movies of all time. It is a romantic comedy based on a 1937 Hungarian play. When the story was retold by Nora Ephron in 1998, the modern and colorful version entitled, “You’ve Got Mail”, featuring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks reinforced the feeling. There was a true nod to the original story when Meg’s character was introduced as the owner of the small community bookstore called “The Shop Around the Corner”, a place where visitors felt welcome. This version created another dose of inspiration as Jennifer was in her impressionable twenties at the time. To create a shop where a warm welcome is felt as you enter and neighbors feel safe enough to share their journey stayed close to her heart. She would tuck that feeling away for another time…..and another place.
Jennifer started her family at a young age. She worked hard as she saw her mother do and shared each of her children’s lanes with a nurturing guidance that she wonders now may have been a bit too protective. She tried to protect their falls and discovered later on that sometimes falling is how they must learn. She stayed active remodeling their home and extended her activities to help other people close to the family. She began working as an operations distributor for a national medical lab. The company was very busy processing blood work for doctors and hospitals. She worked long hours and gave everything she could to see that she was successful in her role. Three years in to the job, when she thought the next step would be a promotion, the company brought in a gentleman with no experience in the position or in the industry. It seemed clear to her that it was not only a case of gender inequality, making her feel diminished in a job that she had been proud to do, it also triggered a flag that it was time for a change.
Jennifer’s children were older now and it was time to go back to college. She had started years earlier and switched her focus to spend more time raising the kids when she was younger. A decision she does not regret. However, she knew it was time to return to her studies in business, to earn a degree and a place at the table of promotions and title. She had witnessed an example of a degree coming before hard work, skill and dedication and decided that she was going to become a double threat and carry both strengths with her ….so she went back to school. Family obligations took precedent when the kids were young and they played a part years later in her determination to earn a degree.
Unfortunately, around the corner, life also brought traumatic challenges to her and her family. Through this period, she and family members were faced with their own mortality, which lead her to assess her own health and self-worth. It was a time of clarity, where she realized, she was important too. She understood that it was time for her to step off of everyone else’s path and determine her true journey.
It was time, after eight years without a break, she was ready to take a vacation and open up her thoughts. She and her supportive husband Darrell drove to Arizona. They focused on Holbrook where a potential business opportunity awaited them. They initially landed in this small town in northern Arizona’s Navajo County, where the elevation mimics the population at just over 5,000 ft. The destination once dubbed the town of railroaders, cattlemen, outlaws and rugged lawmen, where it was thought to be too tough for women and churches is now promoted as too good to miss. Leaders now position Holbrook as, “The gateway to the stunning Petrified Forest National Park”. The town is on the Historic Route 66 and coincidentally promotes, “The Adventure You Will Find Begins There”.
While on the trip to the mountains of Arizona, where ancient history is carved in layers of rock along the highway, Jennifer said she put her faith in the universe, tried to relax and appreciate nature along the drive. She also dove in to six books that she had packed within a three day period. She had rediscovered that diving in to books filled her with peace and relaxation. Since she was on a roll, she told her husband that she needed more paperbacks to immerse herself in to! With that, Darrell headed an hour south to the larger town of Show Low. A place where the main street is called Deuce of Clubs, a place to take a risk perhaps? A larger community full of mountain locals, southern Arizona retirees and second home weekenders who drive up from and out of the Phoenix and Tucson heat. Just off the main road they spotted a quaint little shop called Books n Treasures. It was a small used bookstore, perfect for popping in to find affordable reads and maybe a local treasure or two. As they entered the shop, they saw a sign that said “For Sale”, they past it without a care and found ten books to hold Jennifer through the remainder of the trip.
Jennifer and Darrell hopped back in their vehicle and headed up the main drag towards the highway. According to Jennifer, eight minutes later, she turned to Darrell and said, “Let’s turn around; we’re going to the buy the bookstore.” Supportive as always, he said, “Yes dear” and return they did. It was not love at first site with the small store, however, she was overwhelmed with a feeling that this is what she was supposed to do. The thought just popped in her head and with the combination of getting out of her daily routine, taking time to read to her hearts content and being drawn to this little bookstore around the corner……..her true self rose to the top and was heard.
You may be wondering, did she actually go through with it? The answer is “yes”, but it has been a challenging transition in terms of timing, commitment, passion and pure will to see the move and the project through. Jennifer and her family have lived in the Show Low area for a year and a half now. They recently moved the bookstore across the main street to the Uptown Building where they have expanded the books and the treasures. They are putting their touch on the space and bringing in the spirit of a warm welcome and a safe haven for community and visitors alike. They not only have tons of lightly used books at very reasonable prices, they also exchange and appraise books. Jennifer recently appraised a Scottish book published in 1818. She has had a lot of experience over several years (prior to owning the bookstore) of learning how to evaluate old books. She learned a lot about antiquated books from her grandmother. Jennifer is also an ace at locating limited publications and book series for collectors.
In a serendipities journey that lead to a shop around the corner, Jennifer and Darrell are developing an experiential place where people are not judged, “Books don’t judge….”, she points out. She hopes that the books they carry will not only take people on adventures but also inspire them and awaken their perspectives. She says that her shop around the corner is about the customers. It’s a place where they can share their story, which is why she calls herself a booktender, in line with a bartender….and their story is safe with her. She has always felt that when she gives of herself, it enriches her soul. She continues to trust in in the universe to provide what they need as a family and to grow the business. She quickly discovered how seasonal the business is and is working to build other areas of service and an on-line list of inventory. One of her favorite things to do is to support and showcase local artists. She currently offers several one of kind; handmade treasures from pens made of wood and other organic materials, to quilts, vintage tile necklaces, jewelry and shadowboxes with scenes crafted with repurposed vintage/mod jewelry and ornamental treasures.
Jennifer recommends that if you feel the longing to start a new adventure or have come to a crossroads in your career, it can be challenging. She hopes that you will stay true to your heart and ensure that those who share your path are committed and supportive of the change. She and Darrell believe if one of them rises with their dream the other one will get their chance to rise as well. With Darrell’s continued support with Jennifer and her dream, she now supports his goal of building a technology based company. They are a true team and have offered the residents and visitors to the Show Low area a wonderful place to escape and find treasures from books to art. It’s important to remember that small businesses are the heart of a community and supporting them keeps the population and area sustained.