Category: Baltimore
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It never hurts to ask
It never hurts to ask! When Lou Flemming was a 17-year-old teenager in Baltimore, he spotted the owner of Faidley’s Seafood running a food stand at a festival. There was a long and winding line of customers waiting for their crab cakes, so Leo walked over to the owner, Bill Devine, and asked him whether he needed…
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Everyday is a new day
Nova is a shopkeeper at Lexington Market in Baltimore. He shares his advice for dealing with the vagaries of business. “Every day is a new day! Don’t be discouraged. Just because something didn’t go right one day doesn’t mean it won’t go right tomorrow. Come back, and try again.”
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Food Stamps
Many stalls at Lexington Market (Baltimore, USA) display bright signs declaring that they accept “Food Stamps” (or the “Independence Card” — visible in the earlier post with the butcher.) Misconceptions about social welfare float loosely in public conversations: who receives welfare, why they receive welfare, should they receive it, and how much. About 1 in 7 Americans…
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First Steps
I like asking business owners how they got started because it usually tells a story of confronting change and uncertainty. Henry is from the Dominican Republic. When I asked him how he got started selling jewellery at the Lexington Market in Baltimore (USA), he didn’t miss a beat. “How I got started? Straight from the…
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Getting Fresh
When I asked Leo whether I could take his photograph, he glared at me: “You trying to get fresh with me?! Are you getting fresh with me?” Stunned but unfazed, I looked right back at him and joked: “What? You? Never!” He broke into a wide grin, but his eyes quickly brimmed with tears. He…
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Bringing home the bacon
A butcher shop at Lexington Market in Baltimore (USA) Microbusinesses typically offer a pathway of upward mobility for immigrants and, today, many stall owners at this market are Korean. Bill Devine, the owner of Faidley’s Seafood, explains the transition of vendors: “Wave after wave of new immigrants. This guy over here isn’t Krause anymore, he’s…
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Embracing serendipity, and other tips for running a retail business
“One woman, one mid-life divorce, one teenage child, one personal makeover, one day at a time, making it all work on one world wide media web, connecting all the dots.” Your curiosity can fuel a business Entering into Caravanserai is like stepping into a global village where your senses will be tantalized by the artistry…
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Smokin’ Hot Ideas
Lauren and Ryan knew that they wanted to start a business together, but they didn’t know exactly what it would be until they went on a road trip together in 2013 and ran out of “vape juice” – the nicotine for their e-cigarettes. “We came across the vaping idea last year when we were travelling…
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His-Story of the USA
Christian is a walking Wikipedia! He can narrate the historical context for everything in his shop like a true storyteller. His journey in the antique industry began in his 20s when he got hooked on the history of art while helping his father. “My dad collected a lot of Japanese art, so I would research…
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Body-more Art (Baltimore)
What does it take to be a tattoo artist? We speak with Dave Wah who draws back the curtains on his journey, and shows us how his curiosity evolved over the years into a serious profession. Follow your curiosity “When I was about 17 or 18 years old, I kept wondering: “How do they do it?…
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Come along for the journey!
Shopkeeper Stories is all about people who bring their creative energy to our cities with their small businesses! Join us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (@ShopkeeperStory) – wherever you might be – so that you can see the latest photoshoots as they happen, and we’ll let you know when we’re in your city! Be dazzled, learn something new, and…
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Mud & Metal
When you’ve been in the art and jewelry business in Baltimore for almost 20 years like Carol, you witness changes in the way people relate to one another. She observes: “There’s been a shift in what material things mean: we are buying less gifts for one another, and putting more money into learning, and being…
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Spinning Tales
“People have told me that this shop should be a TV sitcom. We’ve had very spirited conversations on all sorts of things, and discussions about politics would get especially heated. That’s one thing I really miss, because we used to do it every week.” You really don’t want to see this… “Once we were talking about tattoos,…
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Boutique Bus-iness
While chatting with Stacey Chambers, it was priceless to see people’s expressions as they boarded her bus. Their eyes invariably lit up as soon as they caught sight of the interior design. “Ohmygod, this is sooo cute!” “You mean the clothes are IN the bus?! I love it!” “Wow!” [speechless joy] Stacey came up with a unique…
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Like eating with family
“What’s the secret to making good pasta?” All the pasta at Daniela’s is homemade. “The secret…”, Daniela ponders on this for a moment: “I think the secret… is to work very, very hard!” Daniela’s family emigrated from the island of Sardinia when her husband was offered a position at the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Baltimore. “My mother…
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Tastes like Greek to me
“I am the cashier, the designer, the server, the therapist…. yes, even a therapist! Sometimes I have to go into the kitchen to manage the emotions of the staff… as a business owner, you wonder, maybe you are actually superwoman!” Elli immigrated to the United States with her husband from Greece to build their dream of…
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