Position at the store: Founder/Owner

Store and location: Brave + Kind Bookshop ( a kids. bookshop nestled in the Oakhurst neighborhood of Decatur, GA. (Greater Atlanta)

Social Media Stats (FB likes, Twitter followers, etc): 23K IG

Link to your store’s press kit:
Brave + Kind Press Kit

Events and buyer contact info: 
Melissa Bloomfield, Events Manager

Number of years as a bookseller: 
Just celebrated 3 years!

Best part about being a bookseller?:
Helping readers find and share books that make them feel seen, feel included and feel like magic.

What book(s) are you reading?:
HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD: Inside the Mind of an American Family | Robert Kolker
In Every Mirror She's Black |  LOLÁ ÁKÍNMÁDÉ ÅKERSTRÖM 
Infinite Game | Simon Sinek

Reading with the Kiddos: With my 9 year old son, Confessions of an Imaginary Friend, Michelle Cuevas. With my 13 year old daughter, Becoming Michelle Obama (Adapted for Young Readers)

Favorite handsell of 2021: Amari and The Night Brothers 

Best thing you did this year at your store:
Favorite memory:  Helping to launch the newest Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls, 100 Stories of Black Girl Magic (a favorite series) on our 3rd birthday! It felt (Black girl) magical and full circle. It was our first on site event since the pandemic, we held it on the grassy knoll out back of the store. 

What are some ways you work with your community?
Helping to build intentionally inclusive school (and program) libraries. People connect with us because their values align with our values and mission. We consult, build lists, and fulfill.

Do you have any community partners you work with regularly?
Page Turners Make Great Learners, Rollins Center for Literacy and Learners, Wild Cumberland, 

Do you have passions that carry over into your bookselling life? 
As a woman of color (and parent of school aged children) I know the plight and struggle of building inclusive home libraries and helping my own kids to see themselves on the shelves. I bring that passion into the store every day. 

What e-commerce platform are you using, and why did you choose it?
We are using Shopify. Not a traditional choice, but what we were using when the pandemic hit for a handful of services and a landing page. Instead of building a new site, we went with what allowed us to pivot the most expeditiously.

Top priority for 2022:
1.More community impact.
2.Focus on learning more nuts and bolts of the bookselling industry for myself and for the team I am building at Brave.

Favorite SIBA programming benefit:
Reaching out to check in and see they can help and that we are doing okay. Education resources for booksellers