The Social Impact

Opening a used bookstore: October 2025—Stef experiments with a tiered rent LOI (Letters of Intent) to align landlords with her mission, battles frustration over the pace of progress, learns an expensive Canadian shipping lesson on The Art of Books platform, and gets an email that validates why she's documenting this journey—because mattering matters.

In this episode, recorded in October 2025, I'm trying something new with the rental search: I sent out a Letter of Intent (LOI) with a tiered rent structure. Instead of working against landlords, I'm testing whether I can persuade them to work with me—to see the bookstore as a community asset worth supporting with flexible terms. We'll see if it works.

But honestly? I'm frustrated. I want to be in the learning-on-the-ground phase—making mistakes in the store, figuring things out with customers, problem-solving in real time. Instead, I'm still stuck in the waiting phase, and it's not happening the way I hoped.

I also made a mistake with 'The Art of Books' platform that I need to share so others don't repeat it: I messed up Canadian shipping. It cost me, and I learned the hard way. If you're using the platform, pay close attention to international shipping settings—it matters more than you think.

But here's the win that turned my whole week around: I got an email from a woman in Washington state who's opening a used bookstore and loves the podcast. She told me it's helping her. And suddenly, I felt like I matter—like I'm contributing to something bigger than just my own store. This is community mattering in effect.

It also dovetails perfectly with my best friend's research on accomplishment and mattering. We've been talking about how mattering isn't just about being needed—it's about adding value and feeling valued. That email was both. It reminded me why I'm doing this, and why documenting the journey matters as much as the destination.

Current Book Count: ~9,000+

Sometimes the biggest impact isn't the one you planned. 

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

Links:

• The Art of Books platform for bookstore owners: theartofbooks.com
• Sign up for a free Little Free Library refresh: phoenixusedbookshop.com