(upbeat music) - [Narrator] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] "It's Your Business" with Michael Aikens is brought to you by WCTE PBS and the Tennessee Tech Center for Rural Innovation with funding provided by the Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge and the Tennessee Rural Development Fund.

- Welcome to "It's Your Business."

We're glad you've joined us as we dive into the world of entrepreneurship and bring you helpful tips and information from entrepreneurs and business resource professionals around the Upper Cumberland.

If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, we'll help equip you with the tools you need to make the dream of owning your own business come to life, as well as learn from the success and failures of others who have stepped out and made their entrepreneurial dreams come true.

(upbeat music) When you think of a full service garage, you're probably not thinking about paintbrushes and ceramics, but at the Arts Garage in Smithville, Tennessee, that's exactly what they're thinking about.

Karyn and Rick Walker have built the perfect full service arts and DIY garage right downtown.

And they are happy to pass on their passion for the arts and they get excited each time they can help bring out the artist in people of any age.

(lively music) We're here in Smithville, Tennessee talking to Karyn and Rick Walker, owners of the Arts Garage.

Karyn, Rick, welcome to the show.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, appreciate it.

- Let's start out with the basics.

What is the Arts Garage?

What do you do here?

- The Arts Garage is as we like to call it is a full service art and DIY studio.

So we sell artwork of course as you can see.

We have different crafts that folks do, there's DIY projects that have been made and are available for sale, art supplies, but we also offer classes, painting classes.

We're gonna do some woodworking classes coming up in the future, more DIY things.

Paint parties, birthday parties, ceramics, things of that nature.

Painting ceramics, not necessarily firing them, but that's pretty much it for the time being and, but we've got some visions for the future as well.

- Well, that sounds like a lot of fun.

How did you get the idea for the Arts Garage?

- Well, I've been an artist forever and I've been doing paint parties in a local restaurant here.

And then I had a little shop, an antique shop down the road and this building came up for sale.

We kind of outgrew that and the other one, and we looked in here and.

- We drove by it several times.

And at first I wanted nothing to do with this building because- - It needed love.

- It, yeah, let's just leave it at that.

But one day I drove by it and I thought, you know, let's talk to the owner.

And things worked out.

We bought it in October of last year.

By January we had it remodeled.

And then we launched in March and here we are.

- Now it's the Arts Garage and it's your all's home for your business, which is so exciting.

So in downtown Smithville, why here?

Why did you choose this of anywhere else?

You could have gone to Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville in Urban Market, but you're right here in Smithville.

- You know, you could go somewhere else and open a business, but if you go into Nashville, we would've paid so much for this building compared to what we paid here.

Have that drive to deal with and all that.

And it's like, let's do something here in our community.

I've been in the service, she's been painting, we've served in our church and our neighborhood for years, and we wanted to serve our community and we thought, what better way than to help people and draw out that creative spirit that's in everybody and give them something to do right here in town.

- So what does it really mean to you to be here in Smithville and be able to provide that to the community, especially from a creative aspect?

- I mean, the county's known for artistic endeavors and I think that's one other reason we were drawn here, but I think the biggest thing is there's people that need something to do and there's a creator inside of them, and we really feel it's important to bring it out.

I mean, just last week a little boy came in with his grandma and he said he was doing a ceramic project and he said, Miss Karyn, I hated art but now I love art.

'Cause I guess he had a bad experience.

So, I mean, and I see so many women coming in and they don't think they can do something and then they give it a try and they come back again, and again, and again.

And they just find something that they can do, not just here but at home as well.

- So you all are selling art, you're doing DIY classes, you're doing all kinds of really cool stuff.

How are you really marketing yourself?

How do you put the word out?

- Karyn is pretty much our social media genius here.

She does the majority of our Facebook, Instagram, website information.

We're part of a collective of businesses down here, also called the Smithville Merchants Alliance.

She's been doing a lot with that.

And word of mouth, - Yeah, - is really starting to pick up now.

And we knew it would take a little while for people to figure out what is this garage place downtown so.

- Who's Art?

- Yeah, who's Art?

They've asked us that.

I've claimed to be Art a couple times just to help them along.

- So let's talk a little bit more about the actual business of art.

So you've been open as of right now for about six months.

- Mm-hmm.

- So tell me a little bit about your experience opening your store and where you are now.

- Well our grand opening was really successful.

We had a lot of friends and family come.

And the first month was pretty good.

You know, there was, there's excitement and buzz and then, and that was in March.

And early in the year, it's a little more challenging in retail because everybody's still reeling from Christmas and that.

But we launched with a vision of product and classes and we've seen over the past few months how that's morphed a little bit.

And we always are reevaluating and looking at at what we wanna do.

It's an experience for people.

People are coming in, they're having a great experience in two hours and they like what they're doing or they can walk in off the street right now and do a project where you couldn't do that a few months ago.

And so those things we're really starting to focus more on that.

We wanna bring in a few more DIY projects to get people get their hands dirty so to speak, with drills and screwdrivers and hammers, stain and paint, and see where that goes.

So six months, you know, time to reevaluate, look what was doing well, look what wasn't, capitalize on what's doing well, and then introduce some new things as well.

And that's where we're at right now.

- Well, and I think too it's important anybody that comes in the door that they have a great experience.

As soon as they walk in, welcome to the Arts Garage.

And then, you know, while they're here, you know, you feel them out.

You know, it's like some people just wanna shop around, but if they do something, a class or just make something while they're here, it's just important that they have a great experience.

And I think that everybody downtown here understands that, that we just want everybody to have a great experience.

- Now how did you prepare for owning a business?

Did you have business experience previously?

- Well, we have some business experience.

I had a very successful failure, so I learned a lot in that endeavor.

And it's okay to have a successful failure because, you know, calm seas a captain does not make.

So you've got to go through those trials and errors.

And we do a lot of research, we've taken some classes.

We probably should have taken more and should do some more.

But we're always researching and looking into that too.

And I think our backgrounds as well and the jobs we've had and the businesses we've done have prepared us for that also.

- I would strongly urge people to do what other people have done and take advantage of what the Biz Foundry has.

I wish we would've done that.

We did it the hard way, - We did.

- but we did it.

And we're still here and we're still learning.

- So tell me a little bit about the dynamic.

You're married couple, you own a business together, I'm willing to guess, you all have collective strengths and probably complimentary strengths.

Tell me a little bit about your all strengths.

- I think we're able to laugh.

- Yeah.

- And that was one thing that we liked about each other in the beginning was our senses of humor.

So that has been able to get us through a few situations.

I see things more linear, straight lines, organization, organized.

She's a bit, I don't wanna say.

- Curvy.

- Curvy, yeah.

More bohemian in a sense.

So we come at it from two different angles and we're able to put it together in something that's a mix of both.

Sometimes when one of us is trying to be a little too strong in our opinion on it, it does create some friction and it doesn't quite fit the vibe.

And we have to work through that and get through there.

But we've been married roughly 34 years, so we've figured out how to make it work, how not to take things too seriously.

And we have our ups and downs, of course, like everybody else.

But I've been working from home since 2016 as well.

So I think that has made it easier 'cause we didn't jump right in this together.

It makes it easier for us to get through some of those times where we see things differently.

- Yeah, and I mean also we rely, like I said earlier, downtown here, all the entrepreneurs, it's more like a family.

And we really do help each other and share ideas.

And sometimes you don't like their ideas, but other times they have great ideas.

And I think that's just working together as a team and a family that helps tremendously.

- So when we think about art and business, sometimes there's a real misconception that, you know, those two things don't really jive.

What are some additional tips or life lessons that you all have learned as artists slash business people?

- Be you, just be you.

Don't try to be somebody else.

'Cause number one, it's too much work and it doesn't work.

You know, you get tired after a while.

So I think the more we embrace who we are, it just gets easier and we're getting more successful.

- Yeah.

And find people that are better than you - Yeah.

- at that.

Or have a different talent and either research them or go and talk to them and find out what it is.

Like, you know, I play guitar.

When I play music, I like to play with people that are better than me, 'cause I learn.

They challenge me and they bring me up to the next level.

But then also, people that are in business and doing business, like Karyn mentioned earlier, we'll go and ask them questions or get advice from them from a marketing perspective or a merchandising thing.

But always, you know, look for whether it's one mentor, a specific mentor, or just people that you can ask an information of.

Or for example, like get involved in a business association, a chamber or something like the Biz Foundry that their sole purpose is to help you be successful and help the community grow.

That's what I would encourage them to do - Mm-hmm.

- regardless of what your field of expertise is.

- My last question for you.

You know, you're making changes, you're learning, you're doing great things, what does the future hold for the Arts Garage?

- We wanna do some outdoor events.

We wanna do some live music in here.

We wanna possibly rent it out for events.

So there's a lot of things that we have in mind.

And again, it's just a matter of when we get to that spot, trying it out, see what works, what doesn't, and then going from there.

- One step at a time.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Well thank you all so much for being on the show.

This has been a great conversation.

- Thank you.

- Thank you for having us.

(lively music) - In the world of LED screens and electronics, there are still many people who prefer the feel of a good book in their hands.

There's just something about flipping the pages and smelling the paper that stirs the soul for eager readers, young and old alike.

And that is the mission behind Plenty Downtown Bookshop in the historic west side of Cookeville to bring people back into a cozy little bookshop where they can step into another world within the physical pages of an exciting book.

(upbeat music) We are here in Cookeville, Tennessee talking with Lisa Uhrik, one of the co-founders of Plenty, The Downtown Bookshop.

Lisa, thank you so much for being on the show.

- What a great invitation, thank you.

- So we have so much to talk about today.

- Yeah.

- Let's start with the basics.

Tell us about your business, tell us about Plenty.

- Well, Plenty is a mission with a business, if you will.

Plenty is a nonprofit bookshop.

And people go like, how is that a thing?

But we are here to create book culture, to support book culture, and to connect with the libraries with WCTE, with all the people who are trying to get our children and our adults reading.

So we're a bookshop and we curate lots of books for people who come in and most of the folks who come in come in like a confessional they're like, I don't really read a lot, I'm not reading.

You know, so we're here to connect people with books and help engage the community in a new way.

- [Michael] Well, I'll be honest with you, what I think is so cool is that this is a real actual bookshop with books that you can see, - Yeah.

- [Michael] you can touch, you can take them home.

- Yeah.

- You know, there's so much digital media and Kindles and all that out there today.

Why did you decide to really have a shop that has actual books?

- Well, this is part of a side story, I guess.

My husband Dave and I, as an economic development initiative found Franklin Fixtures, which is a manufacturing company that makes eight to 10 bookshops a month across the country.

And what we've seen is that bookshops are experiencing a renaissance across America because people want the walkable downtown, they want connection, they want a sense of community.

And when you put a bookshop in a place, the other businesses elevate more than other retail.

It has the power of elevation.

So we have always wanted to do that here.

And during COVID, we had one order that didn't go to New York as planned, and we thought the bookshelves are behind you.

And we thought this is a good moment to found a bookshop here.

So that's what with the help of manager Ashley Michael, and Dave and I have, we've done that, and the help of an amazing group of people here.

- [Michael] Why is it that reading and books in general, why are they so important?

- Oh, wow.

I have found this so interesting.

And the deeper I dig into this, the more interesting it gets.

I didn't know that in our community, and in most communities in Tennessee and across America, three in 10 adults cannot read a book to a child.

Three in 10 adults can't read at a level that they can read a child a book.

And four in 10 adults can't read at a level that they can register a child for school or open a bank account or participate in society.

And I think about what kind of fearsome thing that would be, how scary that would be.

There's also something that happens with a physical book that doesn't happen on a screen.

They've done these MRI studies where you can see what happens when you physically hold a book that your brain lights up all over.

Like when you're in love or like when you're really excited about something, it's like your whole brain gets (imitates electricity zapping) activity.

As opposed to you're on your phone and you're looking at Facebook, you get like the same points open up that open when you open a can and use a can opener.

People who read on screen absorb about 43% less than people reading in a physical book.

People who struggle with ADHD say that the best way for them to focus is by holding a book and reading a book and it's a focus.

People who struggle with depression, there's studies that show that reading fiction helps alleviate depression.

At any age, regular readers live 12 years longer and are 2 1/2 times less likely to get dementia.

And you know, experience joy and such.

And children hit their developmental milestones.

It's amazing what happens with a physical book.

- So you're literally saving the world one book at a time.

- I think that's the secret.

So I'm a part of it.

And I, you know, our mission is to help everybody understand how simple it is really if we, that we have a solution to so many of our problems.

- Well, what an amazing story.

What an amazing place you have here, Lisa.

- Well, it, I am amazed with it.

And I'm especially amazed with my co-founder and husband Dave, who has another aspect of this story.

We've been, this has been a mission for us for a long time, a dream for a long time.

And we are so blessed to work with Ashley Michael, who is the manager and has really brought this to life.

It's been her long-term dream too.

She's got some really interesting things to say.

- Well, I can't wait to talk to him.

Let's bring Dave on.

- Okay.

(gentle music) - Now we're talking with Dave Uhrik, Lisa's husband, co-founder, passionate about book culture.

Dave, tell me about your role and your passion with this bookshop.

- My passion with this bookshop spreads beyond this bookshop.

I love the whole book culture.

We do in a company that makes bookshops around the country about eight to 10 a month.

So this whole thought that the bookstores are dying and it's all digital.

Actually digital came out, it took about 15% of the market and it hasn't changed since.

It's about only about 15% of the market.

What do I love the most?

I was an avid reader all my life.

I've had, you know, one for in the morning, one for lunch, and one at night.

I personally love poetry, love to read it, write it.

And we have a poetry night here once a month.

It's like, I try not to miss.

I mean, only reason I've ever missed it was because of illness or travel.

- So I'm curious to know a little bit more about Franklin Fixtures, not necessarily what you do, because you've already talked about that, but I'm really curious to know, what have you learned with that business that has been brought over to running a nonprofit?

- Opening up our own bookstore when we're selling bookstores was my biggest education.

I'm putting myself into my customer's position.

And there's things you don't think about like, you know, when you're starting a bookstore, whether it be profit or nonprofit.

You got to rent a space and it's empty, you're not making any money out of it.

You got to hire a staff and you're not making any money out of it.

You got to buy your first delivery of books that could be 30, 40, $50,000.

Then you got to buy bookshelves from us.

And all that, you haven't sold anything yet.

You know, so I can understand why they're very upset when we're late, you know?

'Cause it's costing them, it is.

And my heart goes out to them now, right?

And I intellectually knew that, but when you feel it, it's different.

It's totally different.

So I think that has prepared us to own our own bookstore in a different way.

- So in your role as a leader, as a founder, you know, I think that there's probably a lot of leadership and development, people development inherent with that, would you agree?

- Yes.

I think that's the goal really.

I mean, when I was a young man and first in the industry, I was told that if I was not replaceable, I was not promotable.

So that takes a leap of self-confidence to work yourself out of a job all the time.

But that's really the way of advancement.

And we've seen it in throughout the decades.

People just, they flower, they live up to your expectations.

Someone, you know, an example of leadership development and people development would be Ashley, the store manager here.

Before I even met her or knew anything about her, there's a trade publication called Shelf Awareness that I read every morning diligently.

Well, she's been doing it for the last nine years to the point that I think she has them printed out in a binder,.

But she's just a natural for this and she just does a fantastic job and I really should probably tell her that more.

- Well, I can't wait to meet her.

And Dave, thank you so much for being on the show and what you're doing for this community.

- Thank you.

- Yup.

(gentle music) Well, now we're here with Ashley Michael, manager of the book shop.

Ashley, welcome to the show.

- Yeah, I'm so excited.

- So tell me just a little bit about what does it mean to be a manager here?

- I have managed projects.

I have not, this is my first time stepping in and saying, okay, I'm gonna just make sure that all the things are happening.

And there is so much involved, but I love it.

It's like this rush of trying to make sure that we're doing all, but you know, there's the curating and the buying of books and trying to think through what would people in our community love.

We're trying to do a lot right now with getting into our schools and seeing how we can help with that.

And so, book clubs, all kinds of things.

Story time, a lot, it's fun.

- So really my next question for you is, is why were you drawn to this?

- I just don't understand how you could not be drawn to this, but I've always loved books.

I would get in trouble for reading books in class when I was a kid.

I had stacks of books in my desk.

That's just who I was and I've always loved them.

And I never really planned necessarily to have a lifelong career, but I hoped for a lifelong career in books.

And like Dave mentioned earlier, you know, researching and really thinking, boy if I could have this dream one day, I wanna be prepared.

And then Dave and Lisa came along and said, hey, what do you think?

Why don't we do this?

And I just thought, well, I cannot resist.

This is amazing.

- And here you are.

- Yeah.

So it's very much a dream come true for me.

- So speaking specifically about the bookshop, looking to the future, where do you see that going?

- I think just as we grow, it's gonna be a lot more in ways that we're involved with the community.

We really so much want to just help people love to read of any age.

And so just growing, I think our events and especially in schools and different things like that.

So I think that part of us will really grow and I'm excited about that.

- Very good.

Well, thank you so much for being on the show.

Let's go look for a book.

- Okay, that sounds fun.

(gentle music) (upbeat music) - Hello, I'm Tyler Asher, center director for the Small Business Development Center here in the Upper Cumberland.

As we know, many business owners face grueling challenges when operating their business.

Whether it's finding employees, running the business, marketing their services, or looking for ways to expand.

These are very difficult tasks for a business owner.

Business owners are good at the core area of their business.

Each one normally specializes in a certain area and moving to add or assign tasks sometimes make it difficult for the business owner to let go.

Working alongside a business, our job here at the Small Business Development Center is to give a business owner the tools they need to think differently.

Working on your business not in your business.

Figuring out ways your business can run, sustain, and fully operate without you in the picture to allow your business to be more efficient.

There's a multitude of services that we can provide, whether it's helping with accounting, bookkeeping, developing financial projections, looking at cash flow outlay, coming up with a marketing plan which would allow for growth or a new product line, looking for additional capital for the next expansion.

These are important things that we can help the business look for.

But most importantly, we believe our biggest job and asset is listening to a business owner.

Sometimes business owners just need a shoulder to lean on.

They need someone that can hear what it's like to run a business.

Normally, they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders.

They have to make sure all the things are done right.

Did payroll get made?

Did the bills get paid?

Do we have business coming in?

Sometimes they just need to hear it from someone who's been in their shoes.

Our center staff has owned a business before.

Most of them understand the struggles that each one faces when it comes to running a business.

Are you making the right decisions?

Is this marketing plan going to work?

What social media platform should I use?

Are you serious, wee should be doing TikTok?

I thought that was for young kids.

How do you get funding when a business doesn't have any assets?

Where do we go to get funding?

Are there other funding opportunities out there other than a local bank?

Should I be a woman-owned business?

Should I be a minority-owned business?

These are the questions that we help you answer here at the Small Business Development Center.

So come see us.

(upbeat music) - Thank you so much for joining us, and we hope that you've learned that entrepreneurship doesn't have to be a scary venture when you have the necessary resources for success at your fingertips.

If you'd like to know more information on today's topics, please visit the WCTE website.

To learn more about free small business resources and expert assistance, visit the Business Resource Collective website.

Until next time, I'm Michael Aikens.

(upbeat music) (bright music) - [Narrator] "It's Your Business" with Michael Aikens is brought to you by WCTE PBS and the Tennessee Tech Center for Rural Innovation with funding provided by the Rural Reimagined Grand Challenge and the Tennessee Rural Development Fund.

(gentle music) - [Narrator] This program was made possible by contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you.

Thank you.