NEA Women in Business: Sari Harlow

Residence: Jonesboro 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies, Arkansas State University

What was your dream job and why? I’ve dreamed of owning a bookstore and being an author since childhood. I loved books and the adventures I could go on through them. Once I realized there were real people whose jobs it was to write and sell books, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I’d imagined the path to having my own bookstore and finding the time to write a novel would be after settling into a long, successful career in something else first since I didn’t have any mysterious rich relatives leaving me their millions. But in 2020, I took the first steps in making those dreams a reality. Four years later, Verb Bookstore & Cafe has blossomed into a beautiful gem on Gee Street, and I’m writing the first draft of a novel.

What character traits do you feel have benefited you in your success? My enthusiasm and determination have been the keys to Verb’s success. Everyone can feel my passion and excitement about the community of readers we’re building, but it’s definitely taken determination to stick it out. The book business isn’t for the faint of heart. One of my employees wrote in a card to me once that I “light up a room and get stuff done.” I feel like that’s a pretty good description of the character traits that have gotten us to this point.

What advice would you give young women who are at the beginning of their careers? You’re the author of your own story and the CEO of your life. Being the one in charge can be scary because everything comes back on you, but that’s the most empowering part too. You get to mess up and take detours and gain experience and try new things as much as you want. You’re the boss, and you decide what your career and your life gets to look like.

Can you share how COVID impacted your business or organization during the pandemic? We founded Verb Bookstore as a pop-up and online bookstore in 2020 as COVID was hitting. Our model was beneficial in those early days because I would deliver books to people’s mailboxes in order to social distance. That’s how I became the “Book Fairy.” Likewise, outdoor events and festivals were a safe option for people to shop. Starting a business any time is hard, but starting in the middle of a global pandemic was definitely scary.

How do you spend your time away from work? What are your hobbies? Reading is, of course, one of my favorite hobbies. But I also love running, kayaking, being outdoors, and spending time with my favorite people and pets. Turning off my brain and truly relaxing can be a challenge, but when I’m in nature it’s so much easier.

What’s the last good book you read? I just finished listening to “When the Moon Hatched” by Sarah A. Parker. It gives “Throne of Glass” vibes for the romantasy girlies out there. The world building and magic system were very unique, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series when it comes out.

What’s your favorite app at the moment? My favorite app at the moment is the Libro.FM app. Libro.FM is the indie-bookstore-friendly competitor to Audible. A portion of all sales go back to your favorite local bookstore, so you can listen to the audiobooks you love without the guilt of padding a billionaire’s pockets. I’ve really jumped into audiobooks over the past few years. They’re a great way to enjoy a story while I’m doing my day job, traveling, or even running.

Who have been mentors who’ve influenced your professional career? Author and podcast host Rachel Hollis has been an important virtual mentor for me for many years now. Her book, “Girl, Wash Your Face,” was a major catalyst for me deciding to pursue my dream of owning a bookstore and becoming a better version of myself. Locally, I look up to Amanda Herget and Dr. Kathy White Loyd. I hope I can be half as cool as them when I grow up.

Do you have a significant other and/or children? If so what do you guys like to do for fun? My husband, Arthur, and I have been married for 11 years now and have two cats, two bunnies, and two dogs. Verb would not exist without Arthur’s support in so many ways. He’s a true partner in life, and I’m so grateful for him. We stay busy with business-babies and fur-babies, so no human-babies just yet. We’ll see what the future holds. We enjoy outdoor adventures, traveling, and just spending time together on the couch watching TV when we get the rare free weekend. 

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far? Being a panelist for the entrepreneurship session at the 2023 A-State Women’s Leadership Conference was probably the most fulfilling moment of my career so far. There were women of all ages and demographics in the room, and being able to share a portion of my story with them was so impactful to me. One of the attendees has since opened Little Lattes Play Cafe, and it’s such a cool full circle moment seeing someone else’s dream come to fruition after sharing a little spark of encouragement. I hope I get many more opportunities like that to fan other women’s flames throughout my career.

What’s the next big personal or career challenge you plan to take on? Growing and building Verb into its potential is an on-going challenge. I’m a dreamer, so there’s no end to the ideas I have, like starting a podcast, bigger and better events, or founding our own independent publishing company. Personally, I want to have the first draft of my novel done by the end of this year. We’ll see how that goes.

If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? Running a full marathon. I was training for one this year, but an injury detoured me. {Also] traveling to all seven continents and becoming a The New York Times bestseller.