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Hosted by Stef Tousignant · 🇺🇸 US · EN · 43 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
What does it really take to open a used bookstore in 2026? Join me, Stef Tousignant, as I document the messy, inspiring, behind-the-scenes journey from the stacks of donated books in my office to the grand opening of The Phoenix Used Bookshop . This is a diary-style podcast — raw voice memos, real decisions, setbacks and small victories — for anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore but wondered what it’s really like.
Stef Tousignant hosts A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore, a arts show with 43 episodes published.
Balance is a myth. There's only what you're saying yes to today and what gets the no. Stef says yes to her kids, her cats, and the business. Everything else—the yard with vines, the water-filled pots—gets the no for now.
Stef has three second-location options in motion: one nonprofit-dependent (long-term), one with owners on vacation (on hold), and one in a shopping center (actively pursuing). The shopping center spot is 500 square feet—
Opening a used bookstore: Stef's Instagram is plateaued at 1,000 followers despite press coverage, and she realizes the problem isn't the plateau—it's that she's underplaying her wins and not talking about half of what s
Opening a used bookstore: Two and a half months in, and Stef's already hunting for a second space. She's rotating inventory strategically, designing a charitable book sale model with nonprofits, correcting the record on
Opening a used bookstore: Stef sits down with Marin Independent Journal for a complete interview covering all the questions anyone would want to know the answers to! In this episode, you get a different format: an interv
Opening a used bookstore: Stef faces the hiring question—why it makes her uncomfortable, why waiting will trap her in the business for years, why systems matter now more than ever, and why she's terrified that she IS the
Opening a used bookstore: Stef shares her pandemic backstory—everyone has one. Hers led from journaling to gratitude research to a master's program to a quantitative research project that's now calling her back, even as
Opening a used bookstore: Stef records in real time, early June 2026. She's learning her Wed-Sunday rhythm, launching provenance bookmarks, starting book buybacks, building community partnerships, and opening a new drop-
Opening a used bookstore: The Larkspur success proves the power of focused selection. But storage costs are mounting, next-location hunting is urgent, and Stef articulates her complete mission: Every book has a story. Bo
Opening a used bookstore: One week after opening—community reception is incredible, but regret lingers about not opening an all-ages store. Stef recalibrates: hire help, get her son closing shifts, and maybe... revisit t
Volume 1 — Before Opening: The anticipation is real. Will kids like it? How will people respond? How will they interact with the engagement pieces I've built into the space—the typewriter, the magnet wall, the reading no
Opening a used bookstore: Two weeks until opening—shelves collapse, live SKU-ing happens (beeps included!), boundaries get set, sparkle events and book swaps unfold, and Stef realizes the power of showing up even when th
Opening a used bookstore: Late April 2026—Three weeks to go. Stef creates pricing systems, curates shelves with intentionality, pushes the opening to May 13 (no more changes!), plans partnership events, and grapples with
Opening a used bookstore: April 2026—Books are on shelves. The space feels real. Stef shifts focus to kids and teens, remembers pop-up skills from a dream, builds inventory systems, designs community zones, and her body
Opening a used bookstore: March 2026—Chapter 3 begins. Stef finds a space. It's not what she imagined, but she's making it work. The Phoenix will open as a kids & teens bookshop—a place to get started. Plus: launching Ph
Opening a used bookstore: March 2026—Lease negotiations fall apart. The landlord walks. Stef faces her third rejection. Volume 1 captures the collapse; Volume 2 processes the grief, the exhaustion, and the stubborn belie
In this mini-episode I discover commercial leases can be a whole lot more complicated than I realized. If you haven't contributed a review for the pod would you be so kind and write something about this journey and maybe
Opening a used bookstore: Stef changes how she looks at the business—thinking like a VC-funded startup, expanding search criteria—and finds a space. This episode is about the real pain points a used bookstore solves: con
Opening a used bookstore: One year in—Stef travels to Philadelphia, visits The Last Word bookshop, connects with the owner (25 years in the business!), navigates the emotional rollercoaster of rental space hunting, and r
November 2025—A 4-minute mini episode. The landlord decides. The David and Goliath story resolves. And with holiday pressure mounting to get books out into the world, Stef faces a new question: what's the vibe? Light, br
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A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore is hosted by Stef Tousignant. The show is categorised under arts (books) and has published 43 episodes.
A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore has published 43 episodes.
A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore regularly covers arts, books, business. It sits in the arts category, with a books focus.
A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore is accessible for guests with genuine arts expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
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Episodes of A Bookshop of My Own: The Diary of Opening a Used Bookstore average 13 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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