Before I launch into the important lessons in PR, marketing and customer service I picked up from my grandfather over the years, I thought I'd start with a bit of history.
British Columbia (my home province in Canada) has its settler origins in mining and railroads. It was part of the Gold Rush, and experienced similar successes to those in California and the Yukon, with hundreds if not thousands of men coming out West to seek their fortunes.
My great grandfather ran a few general stores during this time, in different towns in the Okanagan/Similkimeen Valley. Since I never got to see them (for the obvious reason of my not being born at the time), I like to imagine them as the kind of stores you see in old western films, or re-runs of Little House on the Prairie. He catered mostly to miners at first, then later to ranchers and orchardists as the mining dried up and people began to settle in the valley.
(Collen's Department Store advertisement - EJ Collen was my great-grandfather's brother)My grandfather took over the main store, continuing the tradition of the family run business by enlisting the help of my then-teenaged mom and the twins (my aunt and uncle). The store always catered to the locals and was, by way of example, a (much) smaller scale version of Cleary's or Dunne's (or The Bay, for any Canadian readers). They stocked men, women and children's clothing, as well as fabric and sewing supplies, and ranching and orcharding gear.
I grew up hearing about "The Store", and although it was sadly destroyed by fire in the mid-1970s, well before I even had a chance to set foot in the place, I learned a lot about public relations, marketing, and running a successful business simply by listening to my grandfather's stories.
This blog series is dedicated to my grandfather, who passed away early last year. Papa, you taught me more than either of us realised... and I know you wouldn't mind me sharing what I learned from you. This one's for you.
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