Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mandi Fugate Sheffel . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Mandi , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
Read Spotted Newt was founded in January 2020. The idea was born out of a love for books and the community a bookstore provides. Bookstores stimulate all the senses, the smell of new books, the anticipation of scanning the shelves, and the conversation that happens when book lovers unite. I spent a week at the Appalachian Writers Workshop in the Summer of 2019. This experience left me with a desire to replicate that writing community in Hazard, Ky. This type of space exsisted no where else in eastern Kentucky. Read Spotted Newt would be the first independent bookstore in Hazard’s history. The City of Hazard was on the cusp of a downtown revitalization. Navigating a post coal economy and investing in its greatest asset its people. Providing a place where readers and writers could come together and share the magic that happens when you truly love a book was something our region needed. There were definitely naysayers. People who believed print was dying and that readers had turned to audio and digital format. But for me this space was so much more than somewhere to buy a book. By focusing on Appalachian Literature it would be a place where young readers could see themseleves on the page for the first time. Introducing young readers to the wonder and amazement a bookstore can provide, leaving them with a relationship they can foster throughout their lives. Independent bookstores give book buying a personal touch that buying online can’t match. Appalachia is a region rich in storytelling. Readers and writers alike now have a place to call home.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
My path to businees ownership is not a traditional one. I’m a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University but my major wasn’t business, in fact it was the furtherst thing from. I have a master’s of science with a focus on occupational health and safety which I completed in the spring of 2018. The job market in eastern Kentucky was slim for this line of work so I was always open to other ways to contribute to the communtiy. I’m a life long reader and I had dabbled in writing, attending the Appalachian Writers Workshop beginning in the summer of 2019. The downtown revitalization efforts happening in Hazard, Ky coupled with the community I found at the writers workshop sparked my interest in creating a space for Appalachian writers to call home. Although there has been a increase in online shopping I think consumers are eager to support local business. Read Spotted Newt has given residents of the region that option when it comes to buying not only books but locally made gift options. At Read Spotted Newt they get an experience that online shopping doesn’t provide. I get to know my customers and their interest. I buy books based on what I think my customers will enjoy. I’m also able to hand sell titles from authors I know personally and in turn they will visit the store on their book tours to give readings and sign copies. This is a personal shopping experience and I think that’s something people remember when they are in the market for their next book.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Seven days after Read Spotted Newt opened there was two feet of water in the store. Due to the landscape, flooding in eastern Kentucky is a common occurance. I was fournate that this wasn’t a flash flood and I had time to prepare. Moving all the merchandise to higher ground I waited and watched as the water from the North Fork of the Ky River crept higher. After a couple of days the water recceds and I can asses the damage. No merchandise was lost but the moisture and mud inside the building was still a very real threat. Myself along with many communities memebers packed the books up and moved them to a climate controled environment. The owners of the build were great and they had everything cleaned up in a matter of days. The store was clean and back open within a week. This is not the way I envisioned my first week of business playing out. After a successful opening day and lots of excitiment downtown. There was a complete shift in emotion. But I was commited to making this work and I knew the value and richness it would bring to downtown Hazard. There wasn’t a moment where I considered not moving forward.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When people ask me when I opened the store and I respond with January 2020, there is an immediate reaction.The year that brought us the Covid pandemic. During this time we saw an end to many buisnesses. It’s hard to imagine that a small independent bookstore in central Appalachia would not only survive but thrive in this environment. But that’s what happened with Read Spotted Newt. When Kentucky shut down all in person shopping in March of 2020 I had to shift my entire business model. At that time I didn’t have an online presence so I had to figure out what I could do to stay afloat. I relied heavily on social media,using Facebook and Instagram as a platform to display merchandise. From those post people would place orders. I shipped books all over the U.S. to friends, family, and former resisdents of Hazard and the surrounding area. There was an outpouring of support and commit from so many to ensure this bookstores survival. For people in the surrounding counties I quickly shifted to a drive thru bookstore, even going as far as delvering to anyone within the city limits. Read Spotted Newt not only survived the pandemic but continued to grow. So much so, that in November of 2020 I moved to a larger location just off Main Street. The people of this region immediatly saw what a bookstore can bring to a community. It’s a unique space and I owe its success to a lot of commited shoppers.
Contact Info:
- Website: readspottednewt.com
- Instagram: @readspottednewt
- Facebook: @readspottednewt
Image Credits
Headshot by Arden Barnes Bookstore Street view Kenneth Jones Mandi selling books Natosha Via All other photos Mandi Fugate Sheffel