An area high school student didn’t wait to finish her studies before starting a new chapter of life with a new business.
For nearly two years, Grade 11 student Liah Twynstra has run Chapter and Verse, a downtown Orillia bookstore based out of Creative Nomad Studios.
With a wide range of pre-owned titles from mystery to children’s books, as well as records and record players, the homeschooled 17-year-old has been in business through most of her high school career, living out a dream she’s had for as long as she can remember.
“This has always been a dream of mine. I've always been very passionate about books, and I knew that one day I wanted to open up a bookshop,” Twynstra told Village Media.
“I was just talking about it with my mom one day and she was like, ‘Well, why not? Why not just start right now?’” she recalled of that life-changing conversation. “That sounded kind of crazy at the moment, but we did it.”
On top of doing her school work, Twynstra said she’s generally at the bookstore from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, but she’s also come up with a way to do business when she’s not in her shop.
“We have a self-serve option so I don't have to be here all the time, and people can still shop,” she said.
When she’s not around, Twynstra puts out a sign that lists the prices for different items, and instructs customers to take a photo of their purchases to send her via text, Facebook Messenger, or email.
Customers can then pay through a cash deposit box, via e-transfer, or by debit or credit at the Creative Nomad Studios front desk.
“I wasn't quite sure if it was going to work out, but we haven't really experienced that many problems so far,” Twynstra said.
Running her own business as a teenager was daunting at first, Twynstra said, but she said she has gained a lot of confidence in communicating with the public through the experience.
“I get very nervous when it comes to communicating with people, especially over calls and texts,” she said. “Over the past few years, I've gotten better with emails, with one on one conversations – that's probably my biggest takeaway.”
After she finishes high school, Twynstra said she would like to attend post-secondary education, and ideally keep her bookstore running throughout that time, as well.
“I'm probably going to find a local university to go to – I've been considering Lakehead,” she said. “I'm just hoping that I can keep my bookstore running then.”
Although businesses run by high school students are not commonplace, Twynstra encourages other youth to chase their entrepreneurial dreams.
“I would say that they should definitely go for it. It's gonna feel really terrifying at the beginning, and you're probably going to consider whether or not it's a mistake at times, but I think the experience you get out of it is definitely worth it no matter how it turns out,” she said.
“It’s the chances you take. It builds your confidence, and you could be successful, you could do something really great, so you don't want to pass up that opportunity.”
