Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrew Colarusso. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Andrew, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
I’d been teaching at Brown University’s Literary Arts program for the past seven years. When my contract was not renewed in 2022, I came back home to Brooklyn. While looking for jobs and waiting to hear back from writing fellowships, I’d find myself walking several miles to the nearest indie comic shops and bookstores. I thought “wouldn’t it be nice to have a little shop right in the neighborhood?” That was in June of 2022. Fast forward to December and local gift shop The Brooklyn ARTery has expanded to a new location (across the street from their original space). Not having found a steady job in academia and no writing fellowships, I decided, on a whim, to inquire what the owners of the ARTery would be doing with their old space. Long story short, Meredith and Annie (the owners) responded enthusiastically when I floated the idea of a neighborhood bookstore. They put me and my family in touch with the landlord and by March of 2023 we were open!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I graduated from NYU with a BA in Comparative Literature and from Brown University with in MFA in poetry. I am, first and foremost, a writer (who often treats language as visual material). I’ve also had the privilege of teaching at the University level. So I approach literature as a teacher, a scholar, a close-reader, and a practitioner. This means I have an opinion—and as a bookstore owner, my critical faculty and sensibilities about what’s being published are useful when selecting our titles and making recommendations. There’s always a conversation to be had (about a conversation already in-progress).
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
We relied on a relatively small, but healthy GoFundMe campaign to raise initial capital and awareness of our bookstore. The community, which hadn’t seen a dedicated bookstore since the closing of Mostly Books in the late nineties, was super supportive and eager. We raised just enough to get started and we’ve been plugging along since.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
This has been a huge transition for me. For much of my adult life, I’ve been a writer and an academic. Never would I have imagined becoming a business owner. It still feels strange and I’m still very much adjusting to this lifestyle. Where once, my employers were responsible for managing aspects of my time, taxes, etc. I am now the responsible party. And that’s a lot! For you first time business owners, invest first and foremost in sustainability for your business. The temptation is to cut corners where possible and yes, being thrifty will be to your benefit. But the foundation you build upon should be stable and steady. Next, invest in an awareness of your work-life balance. The first year, as they say, is the hardest. But plan to take time for yourself so that you don’t burn out.
Contact Info:
- Website: taylorcobooks.com
- Instagram: taylorcobooks
- Twitter: taylorcobooks
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/taylor-co-books-brooklyn