I had the pleasure of nterviewing Gloria Kaiser, founder and owner of Fancy Books, an online book store. Like many entrepreneurs, she turned her hobby into a business. W&F: Ms. Kaiser, thank you for taking time to talk to me about your business, Fancy Books. Take me back to the beginning. I believe you told me that you are married.
Ms. Kaiser: Yes, I am married to a wonderful and supportive husband. We have been married 9 years. This is the second marriage for the both of us. Our first marriages were disasters, so we cherish and enjoy this union.
W&F: It seems that the second one is the charm. Do you have Children?
Ms. Kaiser: Yes. I have three children, one son and two daughters. In addition, I have been blessed with four beautiful grandchildren.
W&F: Oh, that is wonderful. I am sure that your grandchildren are apple of your eye. Do you presently work full time outside of the home or work from home?
Ms. Kaiser: I work from home. I do not regularly work outside the home. However, there are times that I take on a couple of temporary assignments, although that is very rare these days because I am in the process of revamping my website.
W&F: How did you come up with the idea of Fancy Books?
Ms. Kaiser: I love to read. What can I say? Books have always been my passion.
W&F: LOL. That sounds like me. When did your love affair with books begin? Do you remember?
Ms. Kaiser: Growing up, while the other children were playing during lunch recess, I was sitting in the library with my head in a book, or writing short stories. I had always said that when I grew up I wanted to have a library in my home, with bookshelves that reached from floor to ceiling, to hold books with beautifully designed bindings. Later as I grew into adulthood, I wanted to own a bookstore. Not big like Barnes and Nobel, but smaller like the bookstore in the movie, “You’ve Got Mail.”. I would love to have a brick and mortar store, however, it just isn’t practical at this time, maybe after my husband retires, I will, and he will be available to assist me.
W&F: That sounds like a wonderful and ambitious plan. Where did the name "Fancy" come from?
Ms. Kaiser: There are a couple of reasons for the name. One I like the name Fancy, and the word fancy in the dictionary is described as ‘taking a liking to’ or ‘to visualize or image.” The British use the term ‘fancy’ in that context; here in the United States we use ‘fancy’ primarily to describe something as “extinguished” or “extravagant.” With so many online bookstores, I wanted to make my store name stand out from the rest, so I decided to call it ‘Fancy.’
See Fancy Books, A Dream Becomes a Reality
