Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian Reed.
Hi Jillian, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always had an entrepreneur mindset but put those big ideas on hold for a bit to start and nurture a family. In 2020, I found that while family is everything, this mamma needed away to also nurture my personal connections with others in the same boat. As a way to stay connected, I started a book club called The Get Lit(erary) Bookclub. We drank a lot and read a little! The goal of this was to build a community in an era where a community was scarce and unpredictable. Our group has grown to about 20 amazing women but for me, that wasn’t enough. Our whole community was lacking a literary hub, so I set out to spread the “word”. LIT bookbar is still in its infant stage we attend events, do pop-ups and even have a free bookbar at Blockhouse Coffee & Kitchen. Our goal is to move into a brick and motor soon so we can continue to serve the community as a safe space to share ideas and connections.
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?
Honestly, it has been fairly smooth. It seems that people and places are coming into our lives to help support LIT at exactly the right times. Our biggest roadblock so far has been finding the perfect space. We found it but it was swept from under our feet. We had been working with the landlord and an architect for weeks to ensure this space was doable but the day we put in our official offer someone else did too and the landlord chose the other offer. So we are back on the market for a charming location.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a pop-up independent bookstore with a boozy side on the brink of growing into the next hotspot in Richmond, TX. We sell new and used books as well as place custom book orders.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love the diversity and the camaraderie I have stumbled into among business owners. Naturally the traffic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.litbookbar.net
- Instagram: instagram.com/litbookbar
- Facebook: Facebook.com/litbookbar
