We were lucky to catch up with Beth Orsini recently and have shared our conversation below.

Beth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I had been a middle school ELA teacher for a number of years, and, in the 2019-2020 school year, I moved into my dream position teaching a 6th grade reading class. I had the opportunity to design it my own way, and I focused on creating an environment that celebrated literacy and reading culture. It was a huge success and the happiest I’ve ever been as a teacher. One of the ways that teachers can expose kids to different genres and authors is to do something called “book tastings”–or book “speed dating”. This isn’t something I made up, but it was one of my favorite activities, because students had to pick books from different genres, and the process forced them to sit down with a book for a couple of minutes and take the time to read a little about it and evaluate whether they might want to read it or not. And more often than not, kids were scrambling to take out books by the end. I realized this is an activity that adults would probably enjoy too.

Around the same time, I had been daydreaming out loud about starting a bookstore that would cultivate the Danish concept of “hygge”, which translates loosely to “cozy” but is more like being content in the present moment. It’s that feeling that’s conjured up when you think of fuzzy blankets, a warm fire, candles, or being curled up with a good book. Ever since I had heard about hygge years before, it was something I embraced to get me through the long New England winters. So this bookstore would be a cozy spot for people to gather, with books and warm drinks and board games and comfy seats. I even went so far as to look into rental spaces in my town.

That’s when the bubble burst, in a number of ways. First, I quickly realized I couldn’t afford a brick and mortar store front. Second, this was in early February 2020, shortly before the country shut down. So, at first it felt like the dream was over before it began. But then I did more research and learned more about pop-up shops. I had seen that this was a concept that was becoming more popular, and sure enough, in other parts of the country, bookstores were popping up here and there without physical storefronts.

So, as we were in lockdown, I continued to think about how to merge my two ideas: hygge and book tastings. As a suburban mom, I had been to a number of home parties, like Thirty-One Bags, Pampered Chef, etc. So I thought we could bring hygge to people’s homes by bringing a small curated selection of books to “taste”. I still had the added complication of Covid, but at least I had an idea that I hoped could be implemented when things got back to normal. And, it turned out, by the time we could actually do it, people were truly craving being together. My “product” wasn’t, or isn’t, just the books, but the hygge of it all: slowing down, enjoying each other’s company, taking part in good food and drink, and sharing books.

Things have changed with my model a little bit at this point, but it’s still all about that feeling of hygge and allowing ourselves to take the time to “taste” what books have to offer.

Beth, 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?

Up until this September, I had been a middle school ELA teacher for 15 years. Before that, I was a proofreader and copy editor. So, you know, I love reading and writing and books. It’s sort of always been my thing. I used to dream about being a professional writer, but somewhere along the way the dream turned into owning a bookstore. I think probably because, as a teacher, I have seen how crucial literacy is. Not just knowing HOW to read, but being exposed to different cultures and worlds and perspectives is so important. I just love getting kids excited about reading. But the thing I am most proud of is that my ultimate mission is to build better book access for kids in lower-income areas. I started off knowing I wanted to give back, and I had discovered The Cincy Book Bus, which is a traveling pop-up bookstore that puts sales toward buying books for kids in need. When I saw that, I knew that’s what I wanted too. This past summer, I attended the Lit Equity literacy conference, and one of the panels went into detail about book access and the research behind getting books into “book deserts” across the country. There are organizations like the Coin Laundry Foundation that bring books to places like laundromats or barbershops. That’s when the lightbulb went off for me: my mission is now to raise money to build Hygge House Book Nooks in book deserts, starting in the Worcester, Mass area. Because I believe that everyone deserves books and the feeling of hygge, regardless of socio-economic background.

So, right now I am really excited about where Hygge House is and where we’re going. The pop-up shop idea came from not being able to afford a brick and mortar, but, honestly, I love the freedom it provides. I started off doing at-home book tastings for people–which I still do and absolutely LOVE–but I have expanded in a number of ways too. I’ve been able to partner with a lot of local organizations and businesses to do some pretty unique and fun events. One that has really taken off are my beer & book tastings. I go to local breweries and “pair” a flight of beer with different books, and participants get to take a book of choice home with them. I also partnered with a beautiful local winery to host a local author series this summer. I’ve been doing some grown-up book fairs at breweries–so basically this is books, but also all the stickers, posters, gel pens and toys you remember from elementary school. And also, beer, so those are really fun.

The thing I love about the pop-up concept is that it can really go in so many different directions. I have done some pop-ups at Farmers’ Markets and things like that, but I have found that it is most successful when I am able to curate my selection for the group. For the book tasting concept, I bring a small amount (maybe) 30-35, so that it is not an overwhelming bombardment of options.

Since I resigned from my teaching position, I am working on scaling up the business. I am currently approaching schools to consider using Hygge House Books for their book fairs or fundraisers rather than one of the big companies–I can give a diverse option of books and this can help out our local economy. I have also done a couple of corporate events, and am putting together a proposal for businesses looking for a unique team-building experience or a creative way to get people back into the office. Hopefully, companies with social missions will see the value for not only their employees, but for building up local literacy. I’m also planning to expand by recruiting some Hygge House Book Ambassadors (or book sommeliers!) to help me out. I have had a lot of people tell me they would love to run a beer & book tastings, for instance, so I am hoping to put together a team that can help Hygge House grow.

I really believe that kids having book access at a young age can make a difference in their lives–which is good for all of us.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I am actually in the midst of pivoting right now! I made the tough decision to resign from my teaching position at the end of last year, and I am trying to make this “book thing” more than just a side hustle. However, through this point, the bookshop has yet to make any money, let alone give me something to live on. This is a little stressful considering that my husband also owns his own business and I held the insurance. So, I decided to make a pivot by starting to offer literacy workshops and tutoring under the umbrella of Hygge House Books. I will still continue to grow the book business and run fun events, but I am also excited to do both one-on-one and group writing and reading coaching. It’s slow going so far, but I have just begun promoting my first workshops. I feel like this can be the best of both worlds, and I am glad to continue teaching in some capacity. Also, I want people to equate my brand with literacy and book access, so offering this type of service will only strengthen that connection.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Again, this is sort of where I am at right now. Since August 2020, it has been a side hustle, but has slowly grown to the point where I am now trying to make it full time. I started off doing backyard book tastings, starting during Covid, first at my sister’s house, then at friends’ homes, then through word-of-mouth at other homes.

One major milestone was when I began doing pop-up events at some local businesses. The first was with a local thrift store. I brought wayyyy too many books and merchandise. I then did some at local breweries and other shops, and spent the summer of 2021 at many farmers’ markets and holiday fairs. I’ve learned to bring less, but I still tend to go overboard.

This leads me to another important milestone: realizing that some types of events are more worth it than others. I am now being more choosy about what I sign up for–I find that people are more likely to buy books at a curated, more private event. Most of my events now require a fee with preregistration. This ensures that I am at least making some money for my time.

Another important moment was when I became an American Bookseller Association (ABA) member and opened by bookshop.org storefront. This means that my store benefits when people purchase online, giving me some passive income. Another great site is libro.fm, which also supports indie booksellers. Although I have these avenues, I am still working on increasing my online presence and sales.

As is, I am still a one-woman show, and it will be difficult to scale much more and still be present for my family (or keep my sanity) if I go it alone much longer. My next step is to recruit some help from fellow book lovers and literacy advocates. I am finding such an incredible network of women around me who are willing to help each other. And I really believe that if I can scale this up with the help of others, we can really make a difference in providing literacy equity and book access to those who need it most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hyggehousebooks.square.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hyggehousebooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hyggehousebooks
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/beth-orsini-117655157
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hyggehousebooks
• Other: https://linktr.ee/hyggehousebooks