A few days ago, I came across this video. There’s a new movement of household coffee shops in LA, and I love it. The spaces are spectacular - indoors and out - and the proprietors/homeowners are finding ways to make a livelihood doing the thing they love… right at home!
Unfortunately, parking has become a bit of a problem for some of them, leading to the HOA crackdowns. Turns out a viral Tiktok video has its downsides.
But the popularity of these little spots reinforces the ageless truth that people love discovering a hidden gem, being “in” on a secret.
What if we are on the cusp of a whole new wave of neighborhood micro-enterprise? Backyard coffee shops, garage barbering, living room concerts, gardens with grocery stands, etc.
When we were kids, my sister Suzannah loved to bake. So she started a Saturday pop-up from our home, selling delicious cinnamon rolls and bread to a devoted following who spread the word neighbor to neighbor. Eventually, those Saturday sales grew to a point that demanded a larger kitchen, which became part of the impetus for our family and a handful of friends purchasing the old, collapsing ford garage in our tiny town, fully restoring it, and opening a bakery.
The Pie Safe turned ten years old this summer.
It was the first of what would become a small multitude of old buildings restored in our town, and to this day, it’s one of the primary reasons people travel from all around the region to visit Deary.
It’s not much of a stretch to say that cinnamon rolls baked in our family kitchen helped put our little town on the map.
Whether your enterprise stays at home or grows into something bigger, the moral remains the same: if you have a dream to start something, start right where you are.
Let the constraints become part of the charm, part of the story your customers literally are hungry to be part of, a little secret they’re desperate to be let in on. They’ll share it for you
The convenience of amazon 1-hour delivery, doordash, instacart, or any other of the tools available only creates more of a longing for human connection and even friction in everyday things like buying a cup of coffee or a sandwich or picking up something from the grocery store.
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Another thing I saw this week that warmed my heart:
My friend Michael (check out his awesome new website about a movement I care deeply about) wrote this piece a while back but I just stumbled across it: Denver Urban Gardens has been planting public permaculture orchards and gardens in unused and unsellable odd lots throughout the city. What an incredible idea for how to bring community together, provide a benefit (healthy food) for everyone, and a healthy environment to hang out in!
Of course, my friends and I planted 200 trees ourselves nearly four years ago and have made a magnificent community space of it in our community neighborhood. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s exactly the type of work I wanted to sign up for - for me and for my kids as they grow up.
I’m giving tours of it at our annual Homestead Fair this Thanksgiving, and breaking down all the things we’ve learned, in case you are around central Texas or want to visit. (Separately, I’ll also be presenting on the art of making a living and a life doing what you love). The Fair is the highlight of our community’s year: three days of hands-on craft activities, farm experiences, incredible food and live music all put on by members of the community. We’d sure love to see you here!
More micro-enterprise, neighborhood beauty, and community-building.