Today we’d like to introduce you to Kara Bowersock.
Hi Kara, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
For most of my adult life, when asked what I did for a living, my answer was always “I’m a mom”. My chosen path in life was to raise our 4 kids. However, those kids quickly turned into young adults and I found myself with an empyting house, time on my hands, and a desire for something all my own. With my husband Damien’s encouragement, I began exploring how my interests might translate to something bigger for me. I’ve always been a reader, and romance books have long been a source of enjoyment for me. When I began dreaming of the kind of bookstore I would open, it was one that celebrated romance in all it’s forms. I wanted a place where anyone that walked in could find a story that speaks to them and they felt no judgement for exploring all the ways they find romance or love in their lives. I wanted some place that brought joy and an escape from the everyday, a place where all words are valuable, and where we could all take things a little less seriously.
Just over two years ago, my husband and I decided to take the leap and open our first store. I’m not a huge risk taker, so I chose to start in the very smallest space inside a multi-vendor boutique. Within 6 months, we had grown into a larger booth space twice and opened a second booth inside a second multi-vendor boutique. Last fall, we opened a mobile bookstore that allowed us to pop up around the KC metro at various events and private functions. The community that we were building grew exponentially!
Having our own brick and mortar was always the bigger picture. It’s been important to me since we opened our first tiny shop that I eventually have a space where people could gather to celebrate the love of romance books. Our new location was love at first sight for me and it’s proving to be exactly what I had dreamed of from the begining.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I think the biggest struggle we’ve faced has been name recognition. Because we went about building our buiness in an unconventional way, people have assumed that we’re new to bookselling & that our business came about as a copy of the other romance bookseller in town. In actuality, we were the first romance bookstore in the metro. We just looked diffferent than what people expected when looking for a bookseller. We’ve grown very organically and have depended on word of mouth to grow our customer base.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Through my life, I’ve enjoyed finding new ways to express my creativity. I’m always willing to try my hand at a new skill. When we opened our first shop, I chose to make many of the sidelines. From bookmarks and glassware, to book sleeves and tote bags, I made all the little extras that make a bookstore more than books. As we’ve grown, I’ve turned from creating to curating. It’s important to me that I support other small business makers, many of them local women, when I select which sidleines our shop will carry.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was the shy one, the one that didn’t fit. I enjoyed reading, listening to music, crafting, really anything that let me be with myself. I found friendship with others, but always felt on the outside.
I think that’s why it’s been important to me to build an inclusive space. All are welcome in our store, & I’m honored that each customer chooses to spend their time with me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.smittenbooktique.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/smittenbooktique
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/smittenbooktique
