What kind of music do you like to play in your store?
"We are all music fanatics.  One of my employees is Chelsea Cankar, who founded the music and fashion blog Stic-of-the-Week.  Between her and I there are a lot of indie newcomers, from Chicago and elsewhere, and 90’s alternative deep cuts."

Do you have any advice for new/future shop owners in Chicago?
"On occasion, I have sat down with aspiring owners to let them pick my brain.  The thing that ends up becoming a real discussion is the decision to sacrifice.  What are you willing to put on hold?  How you prioritize your life becomes very black and white in my eyes.  Loved ones, especially my boyfriend and my family are my number ones. Period. You have to be careful and keep yourself grounded.  I gave up a lot of “freedom” in my 20's, and it wasn’t a walk in the park.  I don’t regret a single night or weekend in working on spreadsheets or reworking a project because it wasn’t perfect.  Success is directly related to how much you’re willing to put into your livelihood." 


Photographed by Heather Talbert