Tweak # 118: A St. Patrick’s Day visit to Parnassus Books in Nashville, along with a conversation with Ann Patchett and managers Cat Bock and Andy Brennan, offered a profound insight into what community really means. When Parnassus’ leaders talk about community, they begin with each other. That spirit of mutual care, collaboration, and simple hospitality shapes the culture of reading they create for customers, authors, and the wider community. It’s a meaningful touchstone for

Tweak # 117: In this episode, Lisa Uhrik explores the idea of treating your whole bookshop the way a publisher would view a book – with a clear storytelling theme that begins in the windows and unfolds throughout the sections, displays, and customer experience. Featuring an example from Ashley Michael and Plenty, Lisa shows how storytelling can extend beyond display into a whole-bookshop approach that evolves month by month across the year. It’s a thoughtful way to guide cura

Feeling Overwhelmed by Fixture Decisions? Here’s a Simple Way to Start. If you’re planning a new space (or refreshing the one you have), it can feel like you’re standing at the edge of a very big ocean. There are so many fixture options that it’s easy to get stuck before you even begin. What do I need? What will it look like? How do I choose without making expensive mistakes? Take a breath. You don’t need a perfect plan to begin. You just need a starting point . Below is a si

Tweak # 116: Lisa Uhrik welcomes bookshop explorer (and literacy expert) Ken Bigger, who stopped at Plenty as store #252 on his country-wide tour. Their conversation takes a turn from travel stories to a big idea: literacy isn’t a simple “have it or don’t” trait. It’s a continuum that includes traditional reading and writing, plus digital and cultural know-how, and even skills like attention, empathy, and reflective thinking. That shift changes how we talk about the people we