We were lucky to catch up with Ash Holland recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ash, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
The idea for this pop-up bookshop was borne out of discouragement and dissatisfaction with a previous job that seriously impacted my mental and physical health. I discussed my feelings with my wife and sister, and they brought up the idea of pursuing my dream of starting a bookstore. Having other folks speak that dream out loud and believe in me enough to advocate for it made something click in my mind. I took the plunge, quit my job, and set up my first pop-up with only about 25 books on the table. From there, the bookshop has grown into something I couldn’t ever have imagined. It’s a risk that — when combined with hard work and the unwavering generosity of my community — has fortunately paid off.
Taking risks requires having a solid foundation from which you can leap into the unknown. My wife and sister provided that foundation for me, giving me the tenacity to try something completely new to me and trust that I was resilient enough to navigate the twists and turns along the way. It wasn’t the first time they’ve given me that foundation, and I doubt it’ll be the last. With their support, I feel more and more equipped to take risks in my life, and I’m eternally grateful for that gift they’ve given me.
Taking risks is inherent to being a queer person, as well. Staying constantly vigilant amid a world that actively works against you means that just stepping out of the door is a risk. Being married to my wife, living openly, standing up for my community — they’re all risks. But they’re well worth taking. Starting this bookshop — which prioritizes queer, trans, and BIPOC voices — has been another way of taking the risk of advocating for my community.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m the owner of The Lucky Fox Bookshop, a traveling bookstore based in Portland, Maine. We bring books to the people, popping up at markets, festivals, coffee shops, breweries — wherever there’s space for a pile of books! We prioritize books representing queer, trans, and BIPOC characters and/or written by authors from marginalized backgrounds. As a fantasy lover, the shop skews toward fantasy and sci-fi, but you can find thrillers, horror novels, romances, and a few memoirs on our tables, as well.
Running the bookshop is a true delight. It enables me to engage with my community, connect with local businesses, and feel the energy of book lovers across Maine. Most rewarding, however, is seeing queer people from all walks of life find books that resonate with their lives and experiences. As these texts are actively being forced out of schools and libraries, we see our table of books as a safe space for marginalized readers to find exactly what they’re looking for — and sometimes find gems they didn’t even know existed.
It’s an incredibly joyful experience to see the queer community thrive as readers, critical thinkers, and connectors. It’s through books and media that we see ourselves and empathize with others, something I think queer readers are particularly great at.
In addition to our regular pop-up schedule, we also hold author events, book clubs, book fairs, and collaborations with other local bookstores. Through these events, we’re able to connect with others and help foster a sense of safety and community.
On top of running the bookshop, I also write and edit professionally. Being surrounded by words is a dream come true!
You can find your next great read on our online shop or catch us around Maine slinging books in person. And we encourage readers to reach out — we’re always up for chatting books!
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?
To be a bookstore owner, you have to know a thing or two about books AND a thing or two about business. But both of those things are learnable. The qualities that I think have been most impactful in my journey so far don’t have much to do with either. They are:
– Creativity. I used to think that business owners just simply knew all the rules to running their businesses. But what I’ve learned along the way is that, apart from taxes and licenses, there really aren’t many rules, and that opens the door to be as creative as possible. If you can think of it, you can likely do it, which leads me to my next quality…
– Bravery. Creativity only comes to life if you’re willing to act on it and equally willing to fail. While not every idea will get off the ground, trying it all out is key to iterating and finding the sweet spot between what you want and what works.
– Compassion. Books have taught me that everyone has a perspective — including myself. Listening to myself and to others with empathy has been essential to my bookshop, and it’s created a connective foundation for trying new things and continuing to build my business. Compassion, I think, is the most underrated skill. It’s both the crux of a life well lived and the apex for what humans are capable of.
I’ll pass on the best advice that another pop-up bookseller gave me: ask. When you’re starting something brand new, without a brick-and-mortar to rely on, you need to connect with other people to get off the ground and thrive. And the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that simply asking others for help, for a place to pop up, or for collaboration can be an invaluable way to build momentum. The Maine community is incredibly generous, and these folks want you to succeed. Every time I’ve asked someone for a hand, they’ve given it. And it’s made all the difference.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Learning to focus my energy on the things that bring me joy has been my biggest area of growth over the past year. Previously, I focused my time, effort, and skills on achieving the highest mark, moving constantly upward, and always being the best. But somewhere along the way, I realized that those things weren’t making me happy. It was an ever-growing mountain I was climbing, with no arrival possible at the top. When I shifted my time and skills to being the best wife I could be, prioritizing joy (rather than accomplishment) in my life, and slowing down, I immediately felt happier and healthier.
I’ve tried to carry this lesson into my work with the bookshop. Rather than focusing on some arbitrary timeline or goal, I’ve tried to allow the store to unfold organically by focusing on little steps at a time. Some days that’s tough. But when I connect with readers, talk with authors, and see the business growing seemingly on its own, I’m reminded that there is no end in sight. Instead, it’s about embracing every moment as it occurs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theluckyfoxbookshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theluckyfoxbookshop/?hl=en
Image Credits
Katie Kelley
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