Superhero Roll Call 2010

I’m spoiled rotten.

One of the perks to networking and traveling all year, focused on independent businesses, is that I get to visit some pretty stellar retail stores along the way. The happy memories are endless…All Good Things (Madison, IN), where real bubbles roll out from under the front awning…Man in the Moon Candies (Oswego NY) that continues a multi-generational tradition of selling “sponge candy”…Toy House (Jackson MI) that makes ToysRUs look like a wannabe…

Being a big believer in high fives, following is my 2010 list of businesses and individuals who redefine smart, savvy, and independent, doing it better than any chain or big box ever could. Please forgive the fact the list is incomplete; there were simply too many to fit into a blog post. Or ten. Or one hundred.

* * * * * Retail Stores That Rock * * * * *

Gourmet au Bay – Bodega Bay, CA
Bob and Sissy Blanchard, owners
Thank God I had the presence of mind to turn the rental car around, curious about the tiny little place with the clever name. For all the flashy tasting rooms and upscale gourmet shops in northern California, none provides the unique, cozy, “welcome to the family” environment Bob and Sissy do. Limiting their selections to only wines from small vineyards who produce stellar bottles, they’ve become the best kept secret on the PCH. Stop in for an afternoon wine flight (or, as they call it, “wine surfing”)…and be sure to ask about the sunken boat viewed from their tasting room porch.

Darling’s Fine Things - Newport, AR
Jamie Darling, owner
Not a lot of retailers can pull cosmetics, clothing, western boots, personal care products, jewelry, holiday ornaments, accessories, candles, frames, personalized gifts, and lingerie into a small space then make it work. Those who do it without creating a claustrophobic catastrophe are fewer still. Somehow, Jamie’s found the magic secret, turning a space adjacent to the family drug store into a shopping nirvana for eastern Arkansas. The quality of lines are top drawer; the service better still. Color me addicted to Olivine hand creams, thanks to Darling’s.

Diamonds and Gold International - St. Louis Park, MN
David Dumas, owner
I found this newly relocated retailer right under my nose in the Twin Cities while searching for a Chamilia dealer. What I found was not only a great source for my beads, but a family owned business that truly “gets” what it means to make the customer feel appreciated and special…and that they’re dealing with the most trustworthy people on earth. Imagine my surprise upon receiving a $1.00 check in the mail because the sales associate realized I’d been overcharged by that much. Seriously. Talk about doing business on the up-and-up. Color me impressed.

Diamonds and Dials - New York, NY
Jimmy Tarzy, manager
Yet again, I was on the hunt for Chamilia beads, this time to mark a particularly special day in New York associated with Small Business Saturday. Jimmy welcomed me as if I’d been a customer forever, determined to guarantee I walked away happy. To that end, Diamonds and Dials gives customers a $50 gift certificate for use on their next visit—a brilliant move, in my opinion. Each subsequent visit to D&D (this bead addiction is going to break me) has felt like a return trip home, complete with other regulars popping in to say hello. That kind of loyalty and warmth—in the heart of NYC and the shadow of Macy’s on Herald Square—is both unexpected and impressive.

Brookside neighborhood – Kansas City, MO
Downtown business district - Leavenworth, KS
Don’t think it’s possible for an entire community to pull together? Convinced you need endless big boxes and chain stores to financially succeed? Got a downtown area plagued by territorial infighting? Well, rent a bus and load it up, then head to these two communities that will prove you wrong. Within 90 minutes driving distance of each other, Brookside and Leavenworth may be the two most impressive multi-block commercial areas I’ve ever seen. The business owners work together to create a vibrant, upbeat, happy place that consumers enjoy. They raise the bar for one another, understanding that to be a destination, you need to provide something worth coming for. In Brookside, be sure to hit Foo’s Frozen Yogurt (order a German Chocolate Concrete and you’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven); in Leavenworth, be sure to pop into Soul Supply and Hardware, The Pot Rack, and Candle Queen Candles (that last one’s gonna bring out your inner bling-girly-girl, so be forewarned).

* * * * * Individuals Who Rock * * * * *

Tanja von Kulajta Winn, owner
RSVP – Plymouth, MI
No one will argue the fact Michigan was ground zero for some of the most pronounced economic devastation dished out a year and a half ago. When The 3/50 Project launched, Tanja recognized an opportunity to unite the entire downtown Plymouth business community behind the Project’s positive message…and unite she did. More than 30 businesses blanketed the town with flyers…then posters…then yard signs. The latter became so popular customers were asking for their own, turning the summer of 2009 into what looked like an election year. When the local library decided to pop Project bookmarks in everything being checked out, well…we knew Tanja and her friends had hit the mark. Just goes to show what one fired up person can light on fire when he/she wants to.

Penny Murano, owner
Unleashed New London – New London, NH
Every town, somewhere in its business community, has that one person who simply won’t take “no” for an answer. You know. The one who sees possibilities instead of limitations, opportunities instead of hurdles. Meet Penny Murano. Her boundless enthusiasm, contagious sense of humor, headstrong determination, and good ol’ fashioned passion for the area is the unstoppable force behind “Destination New London.” Uniting diverse types of local businesses without stepping on the toes of existing city organizations, she’s found a sweet spot in the sand (or, this time of year, snow) where everyone can come together to foster city pride…while running a retail store that’s as popular for its upscale pet offerings as the warm “where everybody knows your name” atmosphere customers adore.

John and Sarah Ranes, owners
The Frame Workshop - Appleton, WI
Where do I begin??? John and Sarah have made grand scale in-store events a new art form. They expanded into a significantly larger, free-standing building in the midst of an economic downturn, then made the business even more profitable. And, tapping his close knit network of framers, John single-handedly brought the entire framing industry into The 3/50 Project. He and Sarah are among the most fascinating, happy, creative people I know, always laughing, always thankful, and always re-setting the bar higher and higher, anxious to achieve new goals. Which they do.

Retailers Who Deserve to Be Named but
Won’t Be to Avoid Local Tension
I’m probably going to get myself in hot water with this next line, but it’s true: While there are endless lists of organizations who “get” the vital importance of a whole-community approach when it comes to the local economy, there are still, sadly, a small number who cling to members vs. non-members mentality (which, by the way, does nothing to inspire new membership). Now…before that last statement is misunderstood…I am not against membership-based organizations; just someone who is much more impressed by those who bolster their entire town, not just the doorways that pay dues.

Thanks to ingenuity, dogged determination, and an ability move forward on their own, a number of independent brick and mortars in us vs. them communities have begun working together with The 3/50 Project to get the word out, ignoring virtual fences that split a commercial district down the center. It would be my pleasure to shine a much deserved light on each of you, but…we all know what the local fallout could/would be, and I’m the last one who wants to make your uphill battle a harder one. You know who you are; please know how proud I am of what you continue to accomplish while keeping your businesses afloat at the same time, with a smile.

And on that note….

Jacque Pregont, President
Atchison Area Chamber of Commerce – Atchison, KS
While planning The 3/50 Project event slated for November, Jacque had a brilliant idea. Since the goal of the Project is to support an entire independent business community, Jacque asked herself: Why not engage all those businesses from the get-go, regardless of whether or not they’re Chamber members? To that end, she decided to sell event tickets through the Chamber office…and through all those lovely, independent brick and mortars, driving foot traffic through their front doors at the same time. To sweeten the pot, she lowered ticket prices for anyone who purchased from a local business, matching the lower Chamber member rate, regardless of whether the buyer was a member or not. You saved if you shopped with someone local. Brilliant! It was a sign of commitment to all of Atchison; she really “gets” the fact that if some businesses succeed while surrounding businesses fail, everybody loses. That kind of foresight is what builds communities—and membership—from the ground up. Well done.

* * * Two particularly amazing retailers making career changes * * *

Joya Helmuth, owner
Spark Fine Stationery – South Bend, IN
I first “met” Joya online, interviewing her about a shop local program she and a friend had spearheaded called ShoLo. Their approach was straightforward, clean, and impressive—especially when you realized she was juggling both that and her own retail store at the same time. Since then, she’s made a career change that necessitates a step away from both retail and ShoLo, yet one thing doesn’t change: She remains one of the smartest, most insightful independent business people I know (not to mention being a heck of a lot of fun to hang with, thanks to a slightly irreverent sense of humor). The retail community of South Bend lost a treasure the day they let this one slip through their fingers, but thanks to Joya, remaining businesses have solid ground to build on.

Debbie Dusenberry, owner
Curious Sofa – Prairie Village, KS
There are retailers, then there are magicians. Debbie is the latter, the rightfully crowned Queen of Wow. Turning a naked, antiseptic space once filled by a GAP store into a nationally recognized nirvana catering to everyone from “shabby chic” buffs to high end decorators, she redefined in-store events and turned holidays like Halloween and Christmas into trips through The Land of Imagination. Debbie’s story is one worth reading; this woman is the real deal. When Curious Sofa closes its doors on January 15, it will mark the end of an era we will likely never see again…our loss, without question.

As I traverse the country through 2011, speaking about The 3/50 Project, my eyes will be peeled for next year’s Superhero list. So very, very many amazing places to visit…this time around, my hope is to get a bit more diversity into the list, reaching beyond just retailers.

I’m a foodie at heart, after all. Eateries, here I come.