Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Jon Henry

We recently had the chance to connect with Jon Henry and have shared our conversation below.

Jon, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What is a normal day like for you right now?
I wake up about 6 am and make coffee and start checking company emails. From there, I get going turning lights on in the store and await staff to come and help get going.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the proprietor of Jon Henry General Store. The General Store opened in 2018 in New Market’s oldest building from 1802. The building had been a general store up until the 1860s. We are open all year with a strong focus on local products like eggs, milks, jellies and meats. We have a side of gifts, too, that are quite unique and useful for everyone.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before opening the shop, I was an adjunct art teacher working at some local universities. It was an interesting experience leading into the shop as it was more visual focused and no training around spreadsheets, margins, etc. I was lucky enough to know about the Small Business Development Center to get free trainings and such to prepare for the store front.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
COVID was quite a moment at the shop with a fear of the pandemic yet a major demand from our community for food and supplies. Our reliance on small and local suppliers allowed us to not experience supply chain issues like larger retailers.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I enjoy feeding folks. That was a value instilled over generations in my family. On weekends, I volunteer with with the local food banks. Food banks are also our major non-profit partner for donations.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
Lots of folks are surprised to learn that I live above the shop. Even on my ‘days off’ I am at the shop.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
I took them myself

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