Welcome to another edition of our Member Spotlight Series on the Madison Mompreneur blog! This series will help you get to know the members of Madison Mompreneur as we ask them questions about their personal and professional life as moms who own businesses in the Madison, Alabama area.

We are continuing this series with the spotlight on Robin Dauma, Owners of Blue Apple Books and South & Pine retail stores!

Tell us about yourself and your business! I’m Robin Dauma, and I own Blue Apple Books and South & Pine.

How does your business help people? My dual storefront retail business helps the community by providing an inclusive, warm environment for shopping for books, gifts, and home decor. As a benefit corporation, I have instituted a community outreach component into the business which manifests in several different ways, including in-kind donations, providing event space for nonprofit groups (discounted or free), facilitating mentorships for creators, and spotlighing local artists and authors through displays and events. 

How long have you lived in Madison? 24 years, 30 years total in the Huntsville area.

What inspired you to start your business? My own love for reading and for the feeling I got when visiting independent bookstores in other places, as well as my desire as a person and retired educator to help people have the support they need to grow their talents and abilities. 

What sets your business apart from others in the industry? Small independent bookstores can meet the needs of customers in unique ways, so I’m always exploring options for helping customers have a great experience when they are in the store or shopping online. I welcome customer orders, try to find books that best fit our community, and work to connect authors and artists with those who can appreciate their work. As a store, we offer free gift wrapping, which customers appreciate, and a curated selection of books and locally made art, which helps us stand out. 

What do you consider to be your biggest success so far? Meeting my sales goals for the 2024 holiday retail season!

How does your business contribute to the local community? We are still developing these roles, but as mentioned above, we have hosted several events for local authors and artists, are working with the school district to spotlight local student artists, provided space for local groups to meet, donated door prizes for several local events, and hope to continue to grow this aspect of the business in 2025. 

How do you see your business evolving in the next 5-10 years? I hope we can sponsor some events with best-selling authors (perhaps in conjunction with the HMCPL board/Foundation), continue to grow our support of local creators, coordinating pop-up sales/book fairs at events and school libraries, and launch some book clubs. 

Who are your typical customers and how do they find you? Our customers range in age and demographics, all over the spectrum! I’d say we do have a lot of 30-40 year olds who are shopping for books for both themselves and their children. Some customers were already customers of South & Pine, which has been in existence since 2019, and the bookstore customers have mostly found us via social media or word of mouth.

What do you enjoy most about running your business? I love the autonomy and creativity I’m able to demonstrate!

How do you stay up-to-date with industry trends and changes? Reading bookseller publications and occasionally tuning into the weekly zoom call of the American Bookseller Association.

What advice would you give to someone interested in starting a business in your industry? Talk to owners, read, take a class, make sure you’re ready to be “book inventory poor” for a bit!

What product/service would you like for us to highlight at this time? Our event calendar is really full, and we encourage people to follow us on social media so they know about upcoming workshops and author events. 

Do you involve your kids in your business? If yes, how so? Yes! My daughter Adrienne (age 30) is my graphic designer and I don’t know what I’d do without her. My son Alec (23) is living at home temporarily and he’s also become my best book inventory organizer and he and my husband also help with things around the store like changing light bulbs, etc. 

What do you find is the most difficult part of balancing motherhood and business life? My kids are older, so this is a bit different than it would have been 10 years ago, but parenting young adult children is still challenging. I still have to make lists and reminders and make sure that I “switch off” my work brain so that I can have conversations with them and find time to make a special meal or just relax with my family. 

What business in the Madison Area is your favorite? So hard to answer! I do love Main Street Cafe!

Anything else you would like for us to highlight? I am incredibly excited to be hosting NYT best-selling author and podcaster, Jen Hatmaker, on October 21 for a VIP Meet & Greet at the store, and then at Columbia High School that evening for a Keynote address, where she’ll be joined by local author and influencer Mary Katherine Backstrom. This event is co-sponsored by the Madison Arts Alliance, for which the event will serve as a fundraiser, and all tickets will include a signed copy of Jen’s memoir, Awake, which will be released in late September. We are also very excited to have some lovely seasonal merchandise on the South & Pine side, which we will continue to add to all through the fall and holiday seasons, as well as our selection of local art and books by local authors. 

Where can people find you? Both stores are on Facebook at Blue Apple Books and South & Pine and Instagram @shopsouthandpine and @blueapplebookstore.

Thanks for reading! If Robin’s experience as a mom and business owner resonates with you, we want to hear from you in the comments! And if you are a mom and business owner in Madison, Alabama email us at madisonmompreneur@gmail.com. to be featured in a future Member Highlight post!