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Halley, Founder @PawsUpKC

@pawsupkc

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International Day of the Girl

Today is all about celebrating the power, strength, and leadership of girls everywhere.

I wanted to take a moment to highlight some incredible young women, from nonprofit leaders making a difference in their communities to the amazing girls at my school who lead in and out of the classroom. Each one inspires others through kindness, courage and confidence.

Here’s to every girl chasing her dreams, lifting others up, and showing the world what strong looks like!

@audreyajakaye @sammiesbuddybenchproject @joinnest @h2oprotector @bethanyshappybags @nazhitheebaker @pariscaresfoundation @lucysloveblankets @youthambassadorsofservice @chelseascharity @averyshelpfulhairkits @thisliferocks @khloekares @pepperpersley @osoeprojects @justtemple @pawsupkc @sargeantsarmy @madhvichittoor @positivelylena @givingtuesdayspark @givingtuesday @sustainabilitybytech

#internationaldayofthegirl #girlslead #internationaldayofthegirlchild #bethechange #youthmakingadifference #changemakers #inspire

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I try not to focus too much on what I’ve accomplished by a certain age, but I do take time to look back each year and reflect. Between photos, videos, and old setups of my store or bookmobile, I sometimes have to literally scratch my head to figure out when something happened. Thankfully, I have milestones to mark the journey.

In September 2022, I got my bookstore license and started selling. In 2020, I started my 501(c)(3) for pet adoption and literacy (definitely a little backwards). It’s humbling to think I launched a nonprofit before I’d even earned a dollar. But that’s me.

Just since last year, I’ve spoken to a dozen groups about entrepreneurship, literacy, and what I see as the current crisis in publishing. I also expanded my store to 1,400 square feet — not the most glamorous detail, but what matters is that it works. There’s a back door for trash and deliveries, and the space easily transforms for a book club, speaker event, homeschool group, or embroidery class.

Last year, at 15, I bought my own bookmobile van. I still can’t legally drive it, but hilariously, I’ve been "driving" versions of my bookmobile since I was 9 — starting with a riding lawn mower. Go figure.

My life may seem surreal by most standards, but to me, this is just how things are. I don’t measure myself against others.

And turning 16? To me, it just means I’m two years closer to applying for more grants, mentorships, and opportunities. I’m not waiting for a milestone to tell me I’m ready. I’ve been doing the work, and I’m not slowing down.

As Miss Janet @sourcebooksellers told me last week: “I don’t bow down.”

She meant it about not being swayed by fame or wealth. For me, it’s about not shrinking myself or sitting things out just because it might be easier. Plans change, buildings get sold, and life surprises you — but I don’t get knocked off course.

Thank you for supporting me, for being patient, collaborative, and just the best kind of people to grow alongside. You give me space to try, fall, get up, and try again.

Here’s to another lap around the sun! ☀️

-Halley 💗

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Finding out through a text? 😔 Receiving news like this must have been painful.. 💔 It’s not just about the store but this is a place for local authors to share about their books, for community to come together, and find books you might not see in big book stores. 📚

I reached out to Halley earlier this year about having my stickers and bookmarks in her shop and she said yes right away and gave me a chance. That’s one of the many reasons why I wanted to make this video about her and her shop. I really respect how much effort she puts into her store and sharing about it (even on IG livestream). When I was young, I was so shy but I would have loved to do something like this for my community and she’s actually doing it! 💪 She’s doing great things with her store and has even raised donations for the local pet shelter through her book mobile in the summer times.

I really hope you’ll support her and her shop through donating or even sharing this video! ❤️

@shop7stories
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#bookstore #independentbookstore #bookreaders #sevenstories #readingbooks #bookshop #independentbookshop

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LIVE @5!! Store updates, events coming this week, Book highlights, and more!

#supportwhatyoulove
#booksellersofinstagram

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Tell Stanley to stuff it cuz it’s your night on the town!

Get your wig and big jewelry together!!! We are hereby UNITING THE HELENS to tour Downtown Shawnee watering holes AND to kick up their kaftans and heals!! And we’re doing all of this in the name of raising money for some local animal shelters. 100% of proceeds goes to @pawsupkc and helps to offset the cost of local teachers, dogs surgery! 🥰❤️

Only $10 to participate, you can sign up at shop7stories.com

Sign up before May 28th to receive 3X raffle tickets for an increased chance of winning a lil something from our neighboring businesses.

Receive another raffle ticket for every person you tag in the comments!

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Tell Stanley to stuff it cuz it’s your night on the town!

Get your wig and big jewelry together!!! We are hereby UNITING THE HELENS to tour Downtown Shawnee watering holes AND to kick up their kaftans and heals!! And we’re doing all of this in the name of raising money for some local animal shelters. 100% of proceeds goes to @pawsupkc ! 🥰❤️

Register on our website at http://www.SHOP7STORIES.com

If you pre-register by May 28, we will triple your raffle tickets which gives you a better chance of winning! And the loot is looking great, y’all! We have books, gift cards, and local merch from area businesses… You can pick what you want all of your tickets to go into or you can split them up among several prize winning possibilities.

Event starts at 6 PM on June 1. A group photo will be taken inside the bookshop at 7 PM… so, if you’re always arriving late things, make sure you are in the house by at least seven. (“Seven Stories”/7pm… get it?) Raffle prizes will be drawn and given out immediately after the group photo.

We will have maps available in the store to help you on your self-guided tour of the downtown Shawnee area. Have Stanley or Mr. Furley on standby in the event you need a designated driver.

TAG YOUR GIRLFRIENDS… It’s gonna be a groovy bash!!

@downtownshawneeks

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Good morning! Bookmobile is set up in front of Shawnee City Hall today until noon… and Seven Stories is OPEN now until 6pm tonight.

No excuses. Early bird gets the worm. The late bird gets the leftovers. Don’t forget to grab a card and a gift for mom. Also, don’t forget our free community bookmobile is one book per person, and it’s within your means to do so please leave a donation for local pet shelters. Please and thank you! 🙏❤️😍

Thank you, especially to our many book donors who have shared interesting and much beloved books.

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“America’s Youngest Bookseller” turns 15 today! The milestones have gone by pretty fast but in the last year alone Halley has

- relocated Seven Stories,
- hosted a ribbon cutting with 23 scissor-bearers
- upgraded the @pawsupkc bookmobile to a van,
- took the bookmobile to 52 locations and gave out 800+ books, including 137 two weeks ago @McKinley Elementary,
- served on the @girlsontherunkc Youth Advisory Council,
- spoke to @shawneerotary and a dozen other book clubs, church groups, and school tour groups,
- joined a Chamber of Commerce,
- attended an annual industry bookseller conference,
- distributed $5,000+ in checks and in-kind donations to area animal shelters, AND
- been featured in more tv and print news outlets than reasonable to list.

ALL OF THIS was just in this past year, while 14 years old. Not yet old enough to legally drive but old enough to pursue goals one day at a time… one foot in front of the other. There’s no secret magic here, just good old-fashioned hard work! And this year has seen a lot of work but also a lot of pay off… We know every year doesn’t look like that in the journey. #gratefulheart

Halley will be LIVE @5pm on Instagram today… Giving you store and bookmobile updates.

And, IF you feel so inclined to birthday celebrate with us… the best gift you can give is a @johnsoncountypost “Best of” book retailer vote
AND by
shopping Seven Stories and helping us meet our sales milestones for the week!

The bookshop will be open until 8pm tomorrow (Thurs) and one more reminder… This IS Mother’s Day weekend (Sunday) so grab a card, gift card, or book while we still have creative options.

#happybirthday🎂 #supportwhatyoulove

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THANK YOU 🙏 for ALL OF YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT and support. Yesterday is in the rearview mirror. And today…? Well, today we are getting in some good therapy by closing Seven Stories @shop7stories in a few minutes and going to a nearby elementary school… where we will not only giveaway free books to EVERY kid, but to their siblings, and we even brought some things for parents!!

If you are familiar with our story or how this bookstore came to be, then you know philanthropy and community is where it BEGAN.

The @pawsupkc Bookmobile season runs between May and October. We are getting started early this year because we have some truly exciting things in store. I will not post about the bookmobile here all summer. If you would like updates on where the bookmobile will be going next, please follow @pawsupkc . The bookmobile is the primary fundraising vehicle for the organization, which is what makes our contributions to pet shelter and literacy organizations possible! Books are free, of course, but we have a pay it forward system that naturally evolved and seems to really work.

The bottomline is that we believe books should be accessible to everyone, including adults that have reading challenges, kids who speak a primary language other than English, AND the thousands of adults we run into every summer who say they’re “not really book people”.

The thing is that… we are all book people when we are children and we have ACCESS. We’re also all great artists when we are children, until somebody tells us otherwise.

Thank you for the support yesterday when we needed uplift. Thank you for donating your used books so we can make these gifts to children and adults possible. And thank you for participating in what has really become a circular economy idea for me, all centered on philanthropy. It feels good to have a bookstore and to sell books but believe me… it feels wayyyyy better to put a book in the hand of someone who is shocked that you’re not charging them. It is addictive, sheer joy!

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It’s Wednesday… which means LIVE at FIVE!! except we have 43 obligations to take care of so, we’re trying something new. our apologies that it is cut into two parts but that’s what happens when it’s 5 AM, you haven’t had coffee, and your thumb hit the button. How CHARMING.

Without further ado, here is your NOT-SO-LIVE at 5… With reminders, updates, and all the in-store details, you can expect midweek from us!

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SEVEN things to know about your @shop7stories bookseller, Halley Vincent:

1) She makes really yummy scallion pancakes from scratch! She’s also a big fan of cheesecake, boba tea, and everything caramel.

2) She technically attends 2 schools as a current Freshman: SMN & SME

3) She’s a member of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater KC

4) Although she is referred to as the youngest bookseller in America right now at 14, she technically started her bookstore in October 2022 when she was 12! And, no, she wasn’t trying to be the youngest of ANYTHING. It just happened.

5) Halley qualifies as a legit business owner because she’s been operating in the nonprofit and for profit business spaces for YEARS! She started a nonprofit organization when she was 8. And she became a competent bookseller by spending 3 years in the Bookmobile trenches, sometimes matching people with their ideal book in 100+ degree weather. She still operates the @pawsupkc Bookmobile between May and October giving out used books in pay-it-forward exchange for pet shelter donations. Last year her bookmobile visited 52 locations and distributed 800+ books including titles awarded through a generous grant from @hindislibraries

6) She is locally a HUGE supporter and asks you to please FOLLOW: @girlsontherunkc , @rorkc , @kcbc913 , @chain_of_hope_kc , @cityunionmission , @greatplainsspca , @angelheartsrescue.orgkcmo , AND @hsgkcofficial … She’s also a big fan of teen powerhouses @khloekares , @annabellesbookclubla , & @sammiesbuddybenchproject

7) She hates the words MOIST, PANTYHOSE, and GUSHING. And she absolutely cannot stomach the phrase #GIRLBOSS ? Why?? …Well, have you ever heard grown men brag about being a #BOYBOSS ? Exactly!

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