Katy Lemieux shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Katy, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
A recent moment that made me feel proud was a family that came in. The grandmother was a retired teacher and both her daughter and grandson declared that they were not readers. We got to chatting and laughing and figured out that the mom loves true crime and the boys is interested in a sci-fi series. They both laugh with their hands full of books excited!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Katy Lemieux and I co-own talking animals books in Grapevine with Valerie Walizadeh. We wanted to open our bookstore because we both love visiting bookstores in town when we’re on vacation. We were surprised that acute tourist town like Grapevine did not already have an independent bookstore. We are very family friendly and we serve a 365 day tourist population our town is also The Christmas Capital Of Texas and sees around 3 million visitors in the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. We have quickly collaborated with other businesses in Grapevine and supported numerous community initiatives like our local food pantry, the high school Drumline, animal shelters, And lots of local causes.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I am a fierce advocate and I hate a bully. I can be very quick tempered and as I’ve gotten older I’ve had to learn when to keep myself in check so that I don’t lose credibility in my argument. I have had to find better more sustainable ways to stand up for people. It is still a constant process for me. Learning to stop and not react, and to better my efforts so that they can help the most people.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The death of my father in my 30s was the defining moment of my life. It was the first time I had encountered real grief and lost someone close to me ; what I learned from that experience is there are things we do not understand and cannot explain. Grief is a never-ending process and it shapes the way I do everything. I can’t imagine the death of my dad not being a part of my daily life. It doesn’t traumatize or haunt me it is the reality of how I live. Before I watched him die I was a different person than I am now.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
That the princess bride is not good
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
That when our school board got rid of the scholastic book fair I founded a bookstore in our town so that the kids could still have books
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.talkinganimalsbooks.com
- Instagram: @talkinganimals
- Facebook: Talkinganimalsgv
Image Credits
Talking Animals Books
