Meet Stephanie Perry

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

Stephanie, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?

Despite the root being ‘self’ none of us exists in a vacuum; the people we’re surrounded by, our physical environment, those impact who we are, and how we develop values, morals, habits, etc. They provide context for how we perceive the world and ourselves.

I say all of that to say; I was held accountable by my family and peers very early in life. My audio had to match my video, I had to walk the talk, my pudding had to contain the proof and my work had to speak for itself. When the people in my life held me to high standards, it became second nature to have them for myself. It created a sort of feedback loop; I perform well, because people expect me to perform well because I have a history of performing well. I’m so fortunate to have individuals in my life that put their trust and confidence in me.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m an accountant for a non-profit affordable housing developer according to my W2. According to local book lovers in the Twin Cities area, I’m the owner of Grumpy’s Bookshop LLC; a mobile pop-up bookshop that specializes in the curation of stories and narratives that center the experience of Black women and femmes across multiple genres.

Growing up, my family didn’t have the most flexible spending available to buy books. I practically grew up in the library. I’m able to emphasize with book lovers who may not have a ton of money for book purchases so for better financial accessibility, my selection for the most part comprises of $10 for paperback and $12 for hardcover. I may raise the price a couple of dollars for limited edition/special covers. I’m able to provide this price point because almost the entirety of the stock is gently used secondhand.

My selection is heavily weighted towards Black women and femmes because when I was younger, I was hard pressed to find books in multiple genres that mirrored my own demographic, unless it was Urban Fiction. Absolutely no hate for the genre, but I was (and still am) big into Fantasy, and would’ve been thrilled to read about someone who looked like me in a magical school.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Going to business school before I ever thought of Grumpy’s Bookshop in an solid fashion was such a huge boon for my understanding of how to start and maintain a business. It’s not necessary to have a business degree, but taking at least a couple classes could be the difference between success and failure for many people.

I love solving puzzles and challenging situations where analyzing data is integral of figuring things out. I feel like in another life, I would have been a Private Investigator. I enjoy discovering new insights and cracking a good case.

Empathy and compassion are soft skills every business owner should have. If you can’t emphasize with the people you hope will part with their hard earned money in exchange for something you provide, you won’t last very long. Minimum wage is close to $15 an hour in Minneapolis (that’s what the grapevine tells me but check me if I’m wrong). According to some internet article, to afford the basics, a single person needs to make closer to $22 an hour. That’s just the BASICS. If I want this individual to essentially give up an hour of their life at work in exchange for a book or two then I need to have a product that they find value in, that they actually LIKE since books aren’t a necessity. I’m competing with the cost of living to be honest. I’ll never get offended if I lose in that race but I’ll always be immensely grateful someone choses a book I hand pick to find joy in.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Sometime in the future, a little further in the timeline we currently navigate, I would love to throw a book festival in collaboration with other bookstore owners. Nothing huge like the State Fair or anything but something intimate but inclusive, with amazing food, great vibes, fun events, local author talks, and a quiet reading area for people who want to exist in community but also do their own thing.

Nerdy book loving folks who also have a fondness for building community and figuring out logistics would be my type of people to collab with in this effort.

In that future timeline, I can always be reached through my website and even my book focused Instagram page.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.grumpysbookshop.com
• Instagram: @grumpybookwyrm