Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Jacobs.
Hi Chelsea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am a reader, a mother, a book collector (and rescuer), who never dreamed I would also be a small-business owner!
For as long as I can remember, I have loved books.
I could get lost in the power of a story for entire afternoons, even as a child. After earning my masters degree in child and adolescent therapy and child development, my passion for the power of stories in the lives of children only increased. So often, it is these adventures–whether happy or sad, delightful or challenging—that give words to a child, a window into their own heart, and inspires their imagination and thought life. Then, as I became a mother to four children of my own, we of course, enjoyed years and years of reading and discovering wonderful stories, as we learned at home together for many years. We were able to experience the world, both present and past, in fantasty or reality–all through the pages of books!
All of this led to becoming a passionate book-collector for our own home, and an advocate for families reading together in their homes too! Over time, I began to find many of my conversations with younger moms centered around book suggestions, or answering questions around where to find the best stories for their children. And then one day, it hit me! I know the stories that are rich in content and impactful in their messages. I love rescuing these books from being thrown out and love building home libraries full of these treasures. And, as my kids were graduating and heading to college, I had more time to help younger families do this important work. Before I knew it, I was traveling to gather inventory, creating a logo, hosting a grand opening pop-up shop in my living room—and just seeing what would happen with this little bookshop idea!
That was almost six years ago, and it has been the greatest adventure to get to invest in families, rescue lovely books, and meet children who have found the power of story in their own lives.
My love for books, my convictions around what stories can do for a family who reads, and my years of experience around what makes a story beautiful, imaginative, and developmentally appropriate for children was the true impetus for starting my little local bookshoppe for children in 2019. But, I had no idea that Yellow House Story Shoppe would grow over the years to what it is today, with two local shoppes in Dallas and Richardson, plus an online bookshop, and multiple pop-up shoppes around the country throughout the year.
As we continue to rescue gently-used books that are true treasures, it brings my heart such joy to pass these classics on to families, and to watch them build home libraries with the most beautiful and imaginative stories available!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall, I would say it has been a smoother road than I would have ever expected, although running a small business out of your home is never easy work! We began this family business only a few months before Covid hit our world, and while we wondered if it would negatively impact our brand new business, we found instead that it GREW! Being quarantined at home seemed to only increase families’ love and desire for books in the home and we really only suffered from the problem of expanding so quickly.
I would say that the biggest struggle for me personally is that I wasn’t actually looking to run a full-time business when I began, and expected to simply share books with a few local families as a hobby. It has been such a success, so we have been running to catch up with it ever since, which brings its own challenges. I am deeply grateful to have an entrepreneurial-minded husband who invests his time and experience to making all the details possible–from technology to barcodes to pop-up setups, there are quite a few working parts to keeping a book business going.
The challenge that we really face is continuously rethinking our business model, as we grow! It’s a great adventure though, and we are grateful for that challenge.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
My bookshop is focused on sharing wonderful children’s books with the community. My shop is unique in that my selection is curated and carefully selected–and every book has been rescued and rehabilitated to give it a second life in a new family’s home. Although the books at Yellow House are gently used, they have much more life to give. And, because not every book written for children is worthy of reading or taking up precious shelf space, I do the hard work of selecting “the best of the best” for my customers. The families who shop with me can trust every single title to be life-giving and beautiful!
Our motto is “Offering timeless tales, vintage treasures, and living children’s literature…because reading good books makes every house a home.” This sums up my strong belief that reading great books together as families is a powerful way to provide stability, fellowship, and common experiences that bond us through the shared experience of a wonderful story. Quality books open the doors to so many new worlds, and I want to bring those memories and experiences to families.
We offer online shopping, in-person shopping, as well as a book buyback program for families who have books they’d like to pass on. In addition, our newest venture is offering pop-up bookshops for local preschools, mothers’ groups, churches, and schools, as another way to participate in rescuing gently used books and providing stories for the families in your neighborhood!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was a quiet, but creative child, who was happiest with a book in my hands. I was the oldest of four girls, who loved children and loved learning, and feel blessed to have been raised in a strong, creative, and loving home. I believe all of this led me to the education path and the career path that I pursued, in caring for children, as well as to ultimately desiring to raise a family, and learn together through traveling and reading–and eventually running a family business like this one!
I am truly a life-long learner, who never tires of discovering new things, and feels passionate about inspiring others to do the same–there is so much to learn in the world and through the people around us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yellowhousestoryshoppe.com
- Instagram: @yellowhouse.storyshoppe
- Facebook: Yellow House Story Shoppe
