We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arlene Kasselman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arlene below.

Arlene, 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.

We are that family. The type who loves to travel. Our trips always include lots of coffee shops and usually a bookstore or two along the way. We have favorites in Oklahoma City, Denver, London, Oxford, Venice, Cape Town, San Antonio, Dallas, and New York. We browse, we buy, we make mental notes, and when reflecting back on stories from trips, we most often mention the bookstores we went to. From favorite shop cats to special little corners or ladders to the high shelves, we have taken in the details for years. School book fairs, summer reading clubs, story time, author signings – they are all a part of our story. While in New York one summer the courage bubbled up and the words were spoken “that’s it, let’s do it. We are going to open a bookstore.” It’s my We Bought a Zoo moment. You remember the one when Benjamin Mee says: “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery.” And so here we are. Our friends and family have been the best cheering section you could hope for. Every time we have followed a statement with, “this is crazy right?” they have leaned in closer.

I mean why wouldn’t one open an independent bookstore during a global pandemic when life is precarious? As much as this statement has elicited nervous giggles, it has pushed us to answer the question. Honestly, it’s the perfect time. We need hope. We need to be writing good life stories. We need the power of story. And we need each other like never before.

So Abilene, Story Book Capital of America (it’s a real thing, google it, friends) we believe our community and our downtown needs an independent hometown bookseller. We care about representation and inclusion and we believe a bookstore needs to feel comfortable for veteran book nerds and newly emerging readers. You have choices when it comes to book buying and we want you to choose us. Let us welcome you in and serve you and share our well curated inventory of books and good things.

Arlene, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I married my high school sweetheart, David, one of the owners of Grain Theory Brewery in Abilene, TX, in 1986 and we have two adult children, Ky married to Jesse, and Spencer married to Claire. TBH I claim at least 100 others as my “own.” I’m passionate about relationships and connection and all the layers that make up being present with people. I hold a BA in Bible and Ministry and an MS in Organizational Development. My work background is in Higher Education with a focus on student advocacy, mental health, and finding ways to help students thrive. I am a native of South Africa, so I am not kidding when I say I am dead serious about a good cup of tea. I’m a big fan of shenanigans and biscuits to dunk in my tea. I love good/any food, travel, coffee shops, cat tik toks, and digging in deep with conversation. When thinking about design icons for the bookstore, a comfy chair, a tea cup, a candle, and a book sum up everything I hope for Seven and One Books and life.

I am thrilled to see that two years in our community calls our store, Abilene’s living room! Our dedication to creating a space of warmth and welcome, inclusion and safety is something that I am so proud of.

In a nutshell the easiest way to understand me is: Strengths finder: Woo/Strategic/Positivity/Connectedness/Adaptability. ENFP. 7w8

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Some of the books that have impacted me most are about hospitality. Our desire to be a place of welcome has been shaped significantly by Simon Sinek’s books, especially “Getting to Why”, Chip and Dan Heath’s book, “The Power of Moments”, “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guida, and “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker.

The challenge to elevate what we do to make moments and experiences exceptional while always being intentional, and mission focused have helped us cultivate a culture among staff and customers.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

While planning I was naive about only wanting to sell books with little to no sideline items. I was determined that I wanted a purely bookish bookstore and not a gift shop. A wise business mentor advised me that I would need to incorporate sidelines to increase my profit margins. Having to pivot that idea and add items was a hard shift for me but it has been a huge part of our business and I am grateful. I was also somewhat naive about how event driven we would need to be to keep people coming in the door.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sevenandonebooks.com
• Instagram: seven.and.one.books
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seven.and.one.books/
• Other: tik tok: sevenandone

Image Credits

personal headshot: Lyndi Felan