The Phoenix Rises

Opening a used bookstore: Its March 2025 and we have finally hit 2,000 books through steady estate sale work, come along as Stef navigates Mill Valley's unpredictable rental market, and reveals the intentional meaning behind The Phoenix Used Bookshop.

In this episode, a month has passed since the pivot, and the work is paying off. The book count has climbed from 500 to 2,000—not from one big score, but from consistent scouting, sorting, and showing up to estate sales week after week. I'm deep in the rhythm now, learning which sales are worth the drive and which ones are just overhyped Ebay wanna-bes. I'm also learning a bit more about how to list books on Amazon, so I can build inventory across multiple revenue streams.

I also start seriously exploring rental spaces in Mill Valley. I walk you through what this town actually looks like—the quirky corners, the new kids' spots popping up on Miller Avenue, and yes, the old remnants of a used bookstore I keep stumbling across. There's even a surprise discovery: I had no idea there was a bookstore operating in the basement of the Mill Valley Library.

But the real heart of this episode? The name. The Phoenix Used Bookshop—or PUB for short. I finally share the intentionality behind it: rebirth, the circular life of stories, the idea that every book carries energy that gets passed forward with each reader. I'm playing around with slogans that capture this concept, testing language that feels true to the mission.

Current Book Count: 2,000

The Phoenix is rising 🐦‍🔥

🐦‍🔥 Follow along as The Phoenix Used Bookshop continues to rise—subscribe to A Bookshop of My Own and get updates at phoenixusedbookshop.com