08/28/2026
4 years ago today, Jon and I opened the doors of Beautywood to the public for the first time. In many ways, we were a young couple with a harebrained idea and just enough resources to pull it off. We had friends, but no community to speak of. We had one wonderful employee who worked with us at the time, who shaped Beautywood's early days in ways we didn't realize until well after we had parted ways. We didn't know how to share that responsibility and privilege then.
Sunday, we announced new ownership to a group of people we have had the honor of getting to know over the course of these past 4 years. Beautywood is no longer owned by 2, but now 6 people. Looking back across the years, I marvel at how little we knew, and how that little was just enough to get us here. I knew when we opened, that the point was not the money to be made, but the community to be built.
4 years ago, we opened this bookshop as a sort of offering to community, "what we have is yours." Today, we might have less in our bank account, but we are wealthy beyond measure. Because we are no longer alone. We share what we have, and in that sharing, we gain more. We know our neighbors. We might not always get along. But we know their needs and their hurts, and they know ours. We got here through a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (literally).
One of the earliest posts on this page is a picture of me and Jon together, with the bell hooks quote, "Throughout my life I have endeavored to not only do work I enjoy, but to work with people I respect, like, and love."
Today, this little book shop had a quiet day, run by a whole crew of people who have invested their lives in building community together. I can very happily and gratefully say that I still get to do work I enjoy with people I respect, like, and love. It's just that now, there are more of them.
Over the next week, you will get a chance to hear from each of them and get to know them a little better. But since the story of Beautywood began in my voice, it felt right for this turning of the page to come from me. All that to say, I invite y'all to join me in welcoming Trent, Kora, Morgan, & Dustin as owners.
-jo, cofounder and 1/6th owner 💗
