We caught up with the brilliant and insightful BERNIE MANGIBOYAT a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

BERNIE, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I’ve owned the Dragon’s Lair Comic Book store for over 30 years and 99.9% of the time I’m a very happy business owner. The 1% is when I gotta do admin stuff like paying bills etc. During the 2000’s Gulf War times got difficult as a local business owner because out Clientel was hit from the deployments. I was playing in a local popular band that was in deman and I was dividing my time between that, owning the shop and starting to raise a family. I had a good solid manager who could run the store so I to supplement the income I took a pretty good decent retail job on the post that had benifits. I worked that and even though the income and benefits were good I saw the shops profits declining. I stayed on trying to make more money with this job, but when I was forced to leave because of cuts I started to put my time back into my own business. I learned the store had lost many customers not because of product, but because of personality. I realized the identity of the business was lacking and I was the face. I started to go to work again and this time build up the comic book community even more. It reignited my passion for owning my own business. I’ve learned customer service by treating people with respect and showing you really care. Them knowing you just aren’t a dollar bill to them goes a long way. I’ve made some lifetime friends which makes me love owning my store.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I had been going to the Dragpn’s Lair since I was a 12 year old kid when it was started in a flea market. After a few years I stopped collecting because my interests turn to music. After I graduated from Highschool my goal was to go to Los Angeles and become a rockstar. I was driving by the store and decided to stop in. I bought a book and was bitten by the hobby again. As I was doing my day job preparing to save to go tp LA. I stopped in on my day off and the manager asked me if I could help out getting some books ready for customers that week. I started helping out weekly. I was playing in a band and one night we are playing in a club and the first missles were launched for the first desert storm. After that dynamics changed in the music scene in NC. Then the music I loved coming out of LA shifted to Seattle and the sound that became known as Grunge. Not digging that and meeting a girl changed my ideas in life, When the soldiers returned from the war the lack of customers really hurt the Dragon’s Lair and the owner wanted to sell. A few people tried to get the capital, but could not. My mother who owned a successful Nail salon ( one of the first in Fayetteville) negotiated a deal with the owner John Hancock to see if I could turn it around save it and if so we would purchase it from him. John was a good man and agreed. After a few months I and a few friends turned it around to the place we loved growing up going to. We then purchased the business. God rest his soul, but I own John Hancock for a lifetimes of great memories and everything that came from this. I’m very proud to have made with many friends the Dragon’s Lair what it is today. It is a staple of the comic community. We give back as much as we can to the Military and local community in many different ways.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Just being Genuine. Listening and learning what a customer likes. You can learn by just listening. Showing them I really care and going beyond to help them find something they really like. I may not have what they like at that time, but I’ve sold myself and the store so they will come back. Having customers return is the key.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met the founder John Hanck when I was a kid riding my bike to his store every Saturday. I shopped with him for a couple of years and then took a hiatus. After I graduated HS I got bit by the hobby again and started going frequently. I got to know John since I was older. He was a good man with a love for teaching, He was coaxed into starting the store with a business partner then was left with it. John’s passion was not in comics. Eventually he sold it to me and after a few months of turning it around, My proudest moment was when he came in looked around and saw what I had done in the few short months, he put his arm around my shoulder and said “I knew You could do it.” God rest his soul. I’m thankful he took a chance on me.

Contact Info:

• Website: dragonslairnc.com
• Instagram: dragonslair_comicsnc
• Facebook: dragonslairfayetteville

Image Credits
I have rights to all these images> Bernie Mangiboyat, Andy Burchfield, Michael Ferrer, Logo David Garcia and Kirk Lindo