Why Small Businesses, You Ask?

Because they’re everything to me.

There’s something about small businesses that gets me every time, and always has.

Maybe it’s the hand-painted sign hanging slightly crooked in the window. Or the way the barista knows your order before you open your mouth. Maybe it’s the way the owner waves goodbye like they actually mean it — because they do.

Small businesses are just different. You can feel it. They carry stories in their walls and pride in their details. They’re built on people’s dreams, not investor decks. And that difference? It matters. At least to me.

What I admire most is how deeply personal they are. Every small business starts with a decision — often a scary, risky, against-the-grain kind of decision — to make something of your own. To not follow the conventional path. To trust your gut when everyone else tells you to play it safe.

I have deep respect for that kind of person. The ones who’d rather build something slowly and honestly than chase someone else’s version of success. The ones who figure it out as they go. The ones who say, “I think there’s a better way to do this,” and then go do it.

I love people who think differently. Who carve their own lane. Who care deeply about what they’re putting out into the world. And small business owners — the good ones, the scrappy ones, the ones still holding the reins — do that every single day.

They don’t just open shop. They open up space — for community, for connection, for care. They remember your dog’s name. (Although admittedly it’s hard to forget ours.) They sponsor the local soccer team. They hang handmade flyers in their windows. And all they ask in return is a little bit of your time and attention.

It’s easy to overlook those things. But they add up. They turn neighborhoods into homes. They make our uneasy, oftentimes depressing as hell world feel a little more human and a little less heavy.

And that’s why they will forever have my support. Not just because they’re the underdog. But because they remind us that business can and should be personal. That success doesn’t have to come in one shape or size. That it’s still possible — and powerful — to do things your own way.

So to the people building something of their own: I see you. I believe in what you’re doing. And I’m proud to be in your corner.