Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Joyce.
Hi Amy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Gayle Weiswasser and I have known each other for years. We were in bookclub together, and one evening, she mentioned to us all that the company she worked for was being bought out and she had always wanted to open an independent bookstore. So did I. As Gayle started looking into it – focusing on Bethesda because it was without an indie – I was cheering her on. Soon, she asked me to join her. It took me all of a day to say yes. I had a wonderful career at the Washington Post at the time, but I was ready for something new. We started looking at spaces, researching indies, business plans and attended a bookstore training program. We worked through permitting, construction and remodeling, reached out to endless bookstore owners (thank you all!), and finally opened during the second week of December. It was two years in the making.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s been an exhilarating and fun road. Our biggest struggles were with permitting and construction delays that went on for weeks and weeks.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We own an independent bookstore that sells general interest new books, including children’s. We hold author events and storytimes. We are thrilled to be a part of the Bethesda community and have been welcomed warmly. We are most proud of our curation of books, our commitment to the community. Our personal service, curation and helpful staff who can aide in finding just the right book for a customer is what sets us apart from big box, nameless stores that happen to sell books.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
We’ve learned how important it is to build a personal connection with our customers – something we absolutely love to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wonderlandbooks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wonderlandbookstagram
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wonderlandbooksbethesda
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wonderlandevents7920
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@wonderlandbookstok
