The double digit episode of the Manaverse Podcast is here. Today I talk with Kathleen Donahue and Judy Thomas. Kathleen owns Labyrinth Games & Puzzles in Washington, DC and Judy handles the Magic side.. "Labyrinth Games is a family-friendly, community-focused store featuring a wide selection of non-electronic, specialty games, puzzles, and mazes" to quote their website.
Kathleen has created a business that provides a unique experience for her customers. The family friendly atmosphere plays into the focus on games like chess and puzzles and is a haven for younger players. Magic is just one piece of the puzzle (badoom-tish) that makes Labyrinth Games a successful shop.
During the course of the episode we talk about:
- The importance of hiring people who have the knowledge you don't
- The difficulties in running an LGS in a metropolitan downtown area
- How local schools can increase your business
- Dealing with a bureaucracy
- Finding a balance in your business, for your customers and yourself
One thing I find funny having talked to quite a few game store entrepreneurs at this point is that when asked for stories, most people draw a blank initially. A few seconds after saying their not sure they have any a flood of awesome stories hit them. Personally, I find the stories we share with each other to have some of the deepest meaning. Game stores are a gold mine for great stories which leads to the questions of the day.