Today is my last day at my corporate job – next week I’m opening a local bookstore in Downtown Overland Park. It feels surreal to be living out a dream that I can share with my community.
My name is Kate and I’m the owner of Monstera’s Books. For the last 12 years I have been working in the software world. I started my career doing QA and stumbled into being a Sales Engineer about 10 years ago. I used to joke that I never knew what a Sales Engineer was – until it was my job.
How it started
In May 2022 we welcomed our second daughter into the world and when I came back from maternity leave, I realized that this career I had stumbled into wasn’t really a passion. I loved the people I was surrounded by, it was a great job, but I no longer felt energized by the work I was doing.
I loved the people I was surrounded by, it was a great job, but I no longer felt energized by the work I was doing.
For several months I contemplated what I wanted my next step to be and found myself in a training program focused on finding a work balance where your passion and skills align. I began joking with my colleagues about leaving the corporate world to start my own book and plant store. At a Cinco de Mayo party, I told some of my girlfriends that I recently started dreaming about opening a bookstore. My husband, Justin, overheard and, on the ride home, asked me if I was serious. I was. I LOVE books. I love the little escape they provide me, exploring new worlds, revisiting different eras – they bring me true joy. I know so many others experience this same joy when reading and I wanted to be able to share in that joy with my community and with my neighbors. Not to mention all the feels I get when surrounded by plants. Justin has been in the tech world as long as I have as a product designer, and had a long-standing dream to build something real and tangible. He had zero hesitation. We were opening a bookstore.
Justin, overheard and, on the ride home, asked me if I was serious. I was.
The real work begins
I spent months doing market research, creating a business plan and financial projects. Justin, a designer and the owner of Hot Dog! Design Studio (you’re welcome for the plug) created a full brand for us and developed the website. With every month that passed the dream became more and more a reality.
We wanted to contribute to the growth of our community. In September/October we started looking for the perfect space that had the right amount of square footage for books and good light for our plant babies. At the end of October, we signed the lease for our little shop at 7930 Floyd St. We started working with wholesalers to order books, plants and all the other beautiful items filling our shelves.
If you’ve been following along on social media, you'll know that the past several months have been spent giving our space some TLC – bringing it back to life after sitting empty for several years. We’ve been building and installing shelves, scanning thousands of books and shelving them, scrubbing the beloved checkered floors – and we’re now DAYS away from being able to finally open the doors and welcome you all in.
the past several months have been spent giving our space some TLC – bringing it back to life after sitting empty for several years.
Jumping into the unknown
I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t absolutely terrified. There are so many unknowns and I’m positive we will make several mistakes along the way. But the joy I feel walking into this store every day, knowing my job is sharing books and plants every day – 😱. #worthit.
My hope is that you feel the same way I do when you walk into Monstera’s Books and are surrounded by warmth and color, plants and books. That you can find a book here that brings you what you’re needing. A world or era to escape to, knowledge from the past or peers, a creative spark – I hope whatever it may be, it brings you joy.
