The May 6th event with the management team of Kepler's Books on the future of independent bookstores drew an unprecedented crowd of highly engaged booksellers, publishers, and book industry people from as far away as Italy and France. The Kepler's business model, which prioritizes paying living wages to its employees and community service in its programming, pulled the company from the brink of bankruptcy into a financially stable organization that has seen a 75% increase in employee wages across the board. The Kepler's team of Praveen Madan, Jean Forstner, and Amanda Hall describe the journey they took to re-invent the bookstore and offer some perspective on how others can apply the process to their own businesses. What they have to say will enlighten and inspire, even -- or maybe especially -- in these uncertain times.