Get lost (and found) in the story of how a local nurse turned her love of romance & fantasy novels into The Secret Garden Bookery, a safe haven for readers, merch lovers, and “deranged audacity.” Dani opens up about burnout, bold moves, balancing careers, and building community, plus the cult-favorite “Blind Date with a Book” bundles everyone’s raving about.
🎧 In this episode
• Why books became Dani’s refuge—and her business (nursing wasn’t what she imagined)
• The lyric + children’s classic that pushed her to file the LLC (“If nothing changes, nothing changes.”)
• Pop-ups, community, and hunting for the right storefront in DeSoto County
• Why she sells only Romance & Fantasy (and champions local/indie authors)
• Merch that turns fandoms into family: tees, totes, jewelry, stickers & more
• How Books & Brews Book Club keeps readers showing up for each other (and for pop-ups)
• Her no-fluff advice: write a business plan, join your chamber, “attach yourself to an extrovert,” and go for it.
💬 Join the conversation
What’s your comfort read when life gets heavy? And… would you risk a Blind Date with a Book—yes or no? Tell us why!
📍 Where to find The Secret Garden Bookery
Pop-ups at The Garage (Byhalia) & The Front Porch (Olive Branch); Blind Date bundles are stocked at both.
Socials: Facebook • Instagram • TikTok
Website & events: www.thesecretgardenbookery.com/
☕ Books & Brews Book Club
Meets at Coffee Central (4th Thursday @ 4 PM).
🚀 Shoutouts
Southaven Business Beat by the Southaven Chamber of Commerce—stories that lift the local economy.
Pure Focus Media—strategy → production to help small businesses grow with video. https://www.purefocus.media/
Wisdom Integrators—workflow automation & digital transformation for small biz to enterprise. https://wisdomintegrators.com/
👇 Make this episode work for Dani
Like 👍, subscribe 🔔, and share with a book-lover.
Comment your favorite romance/fantasy subgenre (enemies-to-lovers? urban fantasy? slow burn?).
Tag a friend who needs a Blind Date with a Book night—tea, stickers, bookmark, the works.
Chapters
00:00 How did this bookstore dream start? (cold open)
00:47 Show intro + quick subscribe nudge
01:21 “Call me Dani”: names, nursing, and two worlds
03:06 Nursing reality vs. ideal—time for a new path
04:47 Taylor Swift, The Secret Garden, and the LLC leap
06:11 Books as refuge when life’s heavy
08:12 We need an indie bookstore here (not just the big chains)
09:34 Sponsor break: Pure Focus Media (Chamber shoutout)
10:38 “Deranged audacity” & never going back to school
11:46 Pop-up locations: Garage (Byhalia) & Front Porch (Olive Branch)
12:01 The storefront hunt begins (watching the apps)
13:30 Balancing nursing, ADHD, and caffeine (real talk)
14:15 Why only Romance & Fantasy (+ indie & local authors)
16:25 Fandom merch: shirts, totes, jewelry, stickers & more
18:01 Books & Brews Book Club @ Coffee Central (25th, 4 PM)
18:53 Website, socials & events/blog hub
19:26 Learning the business as you go (and the one book she bought)
21:27 The power of readers who show up (community!)
22:54 Blueprint: write the plan, join your chamber, go for it
24:41 Why the Chamber matters: connections, pop-ups, people
26:20 “Blind Date with a Book” explained + goodies inside
28:28 Where to grab Blind Dates (and why inventory keeps changing)
29:56 Sponsor close: Wisdom Integrators + how to sponsor the show
