Keeping Shop: A Brick And Mortar Podcast

Today I have the pleasure of releasing my chat with Ashley Borchard owner of Cobbygoose in Alpena, Michigan. Cobbygoose is a paint your own pottery, canvas and/or wood studio that also specializes in classes, workshops, and events. Brick and mortar business ownership is Ashley’s dream and this is evident in the community she’s created around her space. Ashley’s road to business ownership is a rough one and she shares her story generously with us. She also shares the downside of buying an established business and offers tips for getting through this process in a graceful, productive way. We talk about the continuous roller coaster of learning on the job and why she looks back at her first months in business with a little bit of embarrassment. She talks about mistake-making and why we need to absorb those mistakes as learning tools. Right now, I’m writing this from my couch, mid-day, on a day that I should be at Forty Winks. Instead, I’m practicing social distancing in an effort to combat a global pandemi