We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Colleen Benson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Colleen below.
Colleen, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
My generosity comes from a deep appreciation for the life I’ve been given and desire to share what I’ve earned, worked for, and been provided, with others. I was raised by a selfless, nurturing, and compassionate mother. I attribute my generosity, empathy, and mental strength to the environment that she created for my brother and me. We only have one life and we are not guaranteed our time on Earth. I think we should spend whatever time with have sharing our gifts with others and appreciating their gifts.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My shop offers a pretty decent illustration of who I am as a person. The environment that I’ve created is one of warmth, energy, compassion, curiosity, and learning. The products and services that are offered allow my customers to make purchases that align with their sustainability goals, feel a sense of confidence in what they’re bringing into their home, and spend their time and money supporting small businesses with similar values that they hold. Village isn’t your typical “eco store” or “refillery” and that’s something that was done intentionally. Depending on who you ask, Village General Store & Refillery means something different to each person and I think that’s one of the best things about my shop. No matter where someone is on their journey to understand the impact of their consumerism, Village meets them where they’re at and offers a helping hand, a nonjudgmental ear, and safe space to ask questions. One aspect of my shop that I am most proud of is the space we hold for the children in our community. Children are empowered to help their parent with refilling of their repurposed containers, practice open ended play in our kids corner, read a book from our free little library, or play a board game with their siblings. It has been one of my greatest joys to experience the excitement from children of all ages coming back week to week.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Resourcefulness, the ability to read and understand contracts, and research skills have been a few of the qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey. Developing these skills requires some overall life and work experience prior to starting on this journey. I worked in commercial real estate for around 6 years before my journey of entrepreneurship which helped me further develop these skills. Getting outside your comfort zone and doing things (hobbies, jobs, volunteer work) that you’ve never experienced before will also further help the development of these skills. I believe the underlying values here are a natural sense of curiosity and drive to learn.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed (often, haha) I try to take a step back and break down what’s weighing on me into bite size pieces. This might be a brain dump (a stream of consciousness to-do list) then prioritizing the list in order of urgency, low/high effort, or what’s feasible based on my current mental state. I don’t have people to delegate my work to and asking for help is something I struggle with. I take these opportunities to asses what I need to have taken off my plate and reach out to those in my circle for assistance. Maybe it’s something as simple as getting a load of laundry going before I get home, or asking my mom to spend an hour with me at the shop organizing my storage room. Refocusing my priorities for the day, communicating my needs, saying “no” to certain responsibilities are strategies I often use to help me process the overwhelming days.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.villagegeneralstore.co
- Instagram: villagegeneralstore.co
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleenbenson/
Image Credits
Photo of me: Britney Tezanos-Pinto, Your Creative Counterpart Other photos: Emily Owens
