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Episode 277: Andy Hunter – Bookshop Bodyguard, Founder of Bookshop.org

Andy Hunter, the Founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, joins the show to share his journey from books saving his life as a kid to raising over $30 million for local bookstores. Hear why books and bookshops take you to a magical place, how to set up a B Corp, go head-to-head with a massive competitor like Amazon, go from full-time employee to entrepreneur, and Andy’s family treasure hunt for the best ice cream flavor. This episode covers everything from Balzac to Lolla. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• When did Andy first think he could start a business to support local bookstores
• How did potential investors react when he mentioned they were going against Amazon
• What feedback has he heard from local bookshop owners
• How has he grown Bookshop.org to raise millions for local bookstores
• Mr. Structure, Mr. Consistency, and Mr. Prompt
• How do you start a business around a cause
• Sorry, Minnesotans!
• What’s the most memorable moment from working with Perry Farrell

Connect with Andy at Bookshop.org and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Books
  • [0:27] Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:53] Connect with Andy at Bookshop.org and on LinkedIn
  • [2:08] Really really
  • [2:32] How did books save Andy’s life
  • [3:55] **Help is available. Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988**
  • [5:24] Why do books take you to a magical place
  • [5:55] Gustave Flaubert, Honoré de Balzac
  • [6:10] Relativity, Brian Greene, Neuroscience, The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D.
  • [7:06] Telepathy

• The Bookshop.org Story
  • [7:29] When did Andy first think he could start a business to support local bookstores
  • [7:58] IT (Information Technology), Accounting
  • [8:05] Creative Writing, MFA (Masters of Fine Arts)
  • [8:54] Nonprofit
  • [10:01] Death Star
  • [10:05] How did potential investors react when Andy mentioned they were going against Amazon
  • [12:04] How did he bring the Bookshop.org idea to life
  • [12:35] Facebook Ads, Google Ads
  • [12:56] Bylaws, Shareholders’ Agreement
  • [13:45] How much money did Bookshop.org raise for local bookstores in the early days
  • [14:05] Trough of Despair
  • [14:25] MVP (Minimum Viable Product)
  • [14:57] GoFundMe
  • [15:18] Podcasts
  • [15:51] Curbside Pickup
  • [16:29] Shoutout, Max
  • [16:52] Shoobie
  • [17:05] How do you set up a B Corp (Benefit Corporation)
  • [17:20] B Lab
  • [18:28] Borders
  • [18:55] Grubhub
  • [20:02] Voice Crack #1
  • [20:16] How has Andy grown Bookshop.org to raise millions for local bookstores
  • [20:41] Omnichannel
  • [21:12] Affiliate Program
  • [21:28] TIME, BuzzFeed, NPR, The Atlantic
  • [21:48] American Booksellers Association (ABA)
  • [22:05] Profit Margin
  • [22:08] Digital Advertising (Digital Ads)
  • [22:12] eCommerce, Word-of-Mouth Marketing (WOM)
  • [22:49] What feedback has Andy heard from local bookshop owners
  • [25:03] Why is there so much magic in bookstores
  • [26:40] Algorithm
  • [26:52] Oprah Winfrey
  • [27:03] SNL (Saturday Night Live)
  • [27:37] Come to CEX (Content Entrepreneur Expo) May 5-7, 2024 in Cleveland, OH! Save $100 off the in-person ticket price by registering at CEX.Events and using the coupon code: MAX100
  • [29:41] The Wild Business Growth Podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Andy
  • [29:42] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [29:43] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23
• Inspiration & Creativity
  • [30:12] How do you go from full-time employee to entrepreneur
  • [30:42] DIY (Do It Yourself)
  • [31:44] Stress
  • [32:47] How do you reduce your stress as an entrepreneur
  • [33:14] Runnin’ Ragged
  • [34:03] How do you find talent
  • [34:21] Startup
  • [34:26] Work-Life Balance
  • [34:35] Product-Market Fit
  • [35:01] Generalist
  • [35:04] UI (User Interface), UX (User Experience), Project Management, Google Analytics
  • [36:21] How do you start a business around a cause
  • [36:39] Voice Crack #2
  • [36:40] Revenue
  • [37:26] Market Research

• The Unusual
  • [38:35] What’s a Weird Talent Andy has
  • [40:28] Kelley Entrepreneurship
  • [40:38] Bazinga
  • [41:09] What’s a Quirk Andy has
  • [41:25] Mr. Structure, Mr. Consistency
  • [41:53] m&m’s
  • [43:15] What if?!
  • [43:19] Sorry, Minnesotans!
  • [43:52] What’s Andy’s Biggest Pet Peeve
  • [44:08] Subway
  • [44:22] Bryce Wuori – Wild Business Growth Podcast #273: Construction Meteorologist, Co-Founder of Pavewise
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [45:41] What’s the most fun creative writing exercise Andy has done
  • [45:58] Mr. Prompt
  • [46:24] Mr. & Mrs. Smith
  • [46:41] Lollapalooza Magazine, Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction, Lollapalooza (Lolla)
  • [47:15] What’s the most memorable moment from working with Perry Farrell
  • [48:08] Gravity Games, X Games
  • [48:49] Whoops
  • [48:59] McSweeney’s
  • [49:34] Van Leeuwen Honeycomb
  • [49:42] Malted Vanilla Tillamook aka Malted Moo Shake
  • [50:20] Steak ‘n Shake, Johnny Rockets
  • [50:46] Connect with Andy at Bookshop.org and on LinkedIn
  • [51:18] What are Andy’s Final Thoughts
  • [52:29] Follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [52:48] The Wild Business Growth Podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Andy
  • [52:50] Come to CEX (Content Entrepreneur Expo) May 5-7, 2024 in Cleveland, OH! Save $100 off the in-person ticket price by registering at CEX.Events and using the coupon code: MAX100
  • [52:57] Check out the Wild Business Growth Podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [52:59] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [53:01] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [53:08] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth Podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth Podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at max@maxpodcasting.com to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Andy Hunter on the Wild Business Growth Podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth Podcast and tell a friend about it. And support local bookstores with them. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!