Books & Company

When my daughter started at the Copenhagen International School, I kept hearing over and over again from the expat families, about how they too missed a bookshop/café to hang out in, and more than that, a place where they could read and understand everything around them. Danish is a difficult language to learn and every once in a while you need a break from it. So it was a combination of my experiences abroad, and a need in the expat community, that prompted me to throw myself into the opening of an English language bookshop and café.

Expat Women: What have been some of the business challenges that you have faced and how have you overcome them?

Isabella: My greatest personal challenge has probably been time management. Going from being a full time mother to having a job outside of the home while still having (or at least feeling like I have) the responsibility of making the home life work for my family, especially in terms of the practical stuff that always needs to be done - that has been a challenge. My husband (who also works full time) and I have had to readjust duties and expectations. Two years on, things are far from perfect, but there is a better understanding of what it takes to have two equally important careers and still put our children first in everything that we do.

Strictly business wise, I would say there have been two major challenges. The first is staff management. I had no experience with employees prior to opening Books & Company. Learning how and who to hire, as well as how to manage staff, has been an interesting experience.

How do I manage this responsibility? I try only to hire people I know, or who have been recommended to me. This gives a higher sense of commitment on the part of the employees and a comfort level for me because I feel I can trust them – which is essential, since I am not able to be at the store full time myself. I also am a true believer in instinct. I hire on instinct in so far as I sense right away during the first interview if the person sitting across from me will be a good fit. I also manage on instinct. I try to be flexible and sensitive to my employees' needs. They know what I expect, but they also know that I will always be fair. It is important to me that the staff and myself function as a team. This goes a long way also in making the environment in the shop a pleasant and welcoming one.

Isabella: I feel extremely fortunate to be able to do what I love. Owning a bookstore combines several passions. I am a very curious and social person – I love talking to people, hearing about their lives – and in the case of a book shop with a large expat clientele, I enjoy helping out with the little things that can make life tricky in a new country. And then, of course, I love books! I read a lot and am a huge fan of the ability of books to teach, broaden horizons and transport the reader to new and different times and places. So I guess what inspires me is a combination of happy and appreciative customers, and a passion of all the great books out there.

Isabella:

Isabella: If I could choose, I think I would go back to San Francisco in the United States, and the incredible quality of life that city offers. However, at this stage in my life, and the relationship I would like my children to have with our extended family here in Europe, I think the U.S. might a bit far. So based on that, if I were to choose a new country, I think it would be France. Twenty years after spending a year in Paris as a young student, I would love for my family to experience some of what I experienced back then – a city so full of history and life and great food - and for my children to learn to speak what I consider to be one of the most beautiful languages in the world!

Expat Women: Isabella, thank you very much for your insights and we wish you many wonderful years with Books & Company!