Talking Squarely | Running a Small Business Square

The past two years have been an emotional rollercoaster, and many business owners had to reinvent their companies in order to survive. Here, three business owners look back at the difficult decisions they had to make, what they learned in the process, and what is helping them continue to stay positive. Featuring Jesse Jacobs, owner of SamovarTea.com and Joyride Pizza in San Francisco, CA; Astrid Rivera, co-owner of Taming Turtle Cookies in Portland, OR; and Lauren Stovall, marketing director for men’s boutique Hot Sam’s in Detroit, MI. 

The combined impact of the pandemic, challenging customer service issues, and staff and supply chain shortages has turned up the pressure across working environments. How are business owners keeping their sanity and supporting their employees through unpredictable and stressful moments? We talk to three business owners about how they've navigated the past two years when it comes to the mental health and wellbeing of their employees, their strategies for listening to employee needs, and how they balance supporting others with taking care of themselves. Featuring Krista Abel, owner of Dream Home Images in Santa Cruz, CA; Avani Modi Sarkar, co-owner of Modi Toys based in Edison, NJ; and Tony Vu, owner of MaMang restaurant in Flint, MI. 

This holiday season was supposed to be a full-on celebration. But with the pandemic still ravaging parts of the US, how are business owners coping? What are the new challenges? And what are the big opportunities as they look to 2022? We talk to three business owners about what they learned from 2020, how they’ve pivoted for this holiday season, what challenges they expect to face even beyond the pandemic–from ongoing supply chain disruptions to exploring new revenue streams–and what they are hopeful about as they ring in 2022. Featuring Beau Coan, operations manager for Papa Noel Christmas Trees in Austin, TX; Kate Vourvoulis, co-owner of Good Luck Wine Shop in Pasadena, CA; and Kenneth Brown, co-owner of Sisters of the New South restaurant in Savannah, GA.

Throughout Season One of Talking Squarely, we’ve talked to business owners across America about the most pressing issues impacting their lives and livelihoods. In this episode, we’re taking a look back and talking about why Square decided to create the show, what we learned about business ownership, and some of the moments that stood out during the first season. Featuring host Nelson Murray in conversation with producers of Talking Squarely, Cindy Lewis, Square’s Head of Editorial, and Mallory Russell, Square’s Head of Content Marketing.

For many small business owners, there is a balancing act between running their shops, having a family, and, now, dealing with a global crisis. In this episode, we talk with three business owners about how they balance both the professional and personal, what that balance actually looks like, and how COVID-19 has changed their approach. Featuring Cheryl Tisland of Burst of Butterflies in Chandler, AZ; Samir Idnani of NaanStop in Atlanta, GA; and Danielle Mullen of Semicolon Bookstore in Chicago, IL.

As the world changes around us, businesses of all sizes are reimagining what and how they sell to customers. From the “new normal” to the “next normal,” business owners are leaning into a startup mentality — rethinking their pre-existing models of success and seeking out new or unforeseen opportunities. In this episode, we speak with two business owners who have evolved their businesses to meet the emerging needs of the time, and how this has shifted their thinking about long-term business planning and their vision for the future. Featuring Angel Anderson, owner of The Spice Suite in Washington, D.C. and Bailey Ryan, owner of PlantBar in Virginia and North Carolina.