Des Moines Mom Movers & Shakers is an annual series celebrating local moms who are thinking outside the box and making a difference in the community through the businesses they own, organizations they are involved in, and the work they do. Check out the rest of the series and read profiles from previous years here.
Linzi Murray opened Reading in Public Bookstore + Cafe in January of 2023 in Valley Junction. She is also a new mom.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
My husband, Gooi, and I met while studying at Drake in 2015. Des Moines was the first home we each made for ourselves beyond where we grew up. For me, that was Kansas City, and for him, Malaysia. We became cat parents to two in 2016-17, moving them with us to NYC for four years and then back to DSM, adopting a third shortly thereafter. My bookstore-baby (Reading in Public Bookstore + Cafe) was in the works from 2021 until we finally opened in January 2023. And because I don’t know how not to do everything at once, we got pregnant with our beautiful baby, Liam, a few months later. Now he is 8 months old and is our greatest delight.
What do you consider the biggest challenge of motherhood to be? Biggest joy?
The biggest challenge I’ve encountered so far is managing my fears and traumas, ensuring I don’t project them onto Liam or my husband. For context, I was relinquished as a few-day-old infant in China, brought to my orphanage, and then adopted at 7 months old, taken from the only environment I had known. While I’ve spent many, many years healing, that early trauma lives deep inside of me. As it manifests now, I am terrified of something bad happening to my son, especially with the state of the world today. It can be a struggle to manage the intensity of the resulting fear and protectiveness I feel, but I don’t want Liam to internalize or be shaped by them.
My biggest joy is witnessing Liam delight in his life and experiencing boundless love from his parents, grandma, and our other loved ones. He’s also my first experience with having a biological family, so seeing myself (and Gooi, but mostly me!) reflected in Liam is a gift I don’t take for granted.
Why did you open Reading in Public Book Store? What was your inspiration?
I often say that my bookstore is a love letter to New York City bookstores. I fell deeply in love with the independent bookstores in our four years in Brooklyn. When the pandemic hit and they were stripped away from my life, I felt inextricable loss and grief. While it felt like our time in NYC was coming to a close in late 2021, I couldn’t imagine living somewhere with so few independent bookstores. And since we always intended to move back to DSM, I thought, well… I guess I’m going to open my own..? So, first, my bookstore is fundamentally inspired by my love for NYC’s bookstores. Second, the peace, enchantment, and coziness these bookstores offered me, is similarly something I wanted to be able to give to my chosen community.
What’s the best part about being your own boss?
I did not thrive in a 9-5 setting, and working on projects whose primary purpose was to make big companies more money felt wrong to me. Being my own boss means I can listen to my own intuition and work toward being in substantive service to others.
What’s the hardest part about running your own business?
Balancing the logistical business side of things while simultaneously keeping the business’s dream, heart, and purpose alive can sometimes be exhausting. Finances are almost always the biggest stressor and constraint for a new small business; mine is no exception. Not only do I need to constantly be mindful of the cost of rent, my small business loan, and inventory, but I’m also an employer who is responsible for others’ income. It’s a weight that is perpetually on my shoulders.
What advice do you have for moms who want to start a business?
Your ideas deserve to exist in this world. It’s certainly going to be a lot of work—not to mention exhausting—to bring a business to life while also juggling motherhood, but if you have an idea that can make our community better, it’s important to pursue it. Your kids will see what you’re doing and witness the courage and grit you possess to make a dream a reality. I hope my son sees what I’ve built and knows he has the ability to manifest something into the world that can have a positive impact.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I had known earlier on that it is okay to pace myself. I didn’t need to have all the books or all the things completely in order from the beginning. It’s an unrealistic marker because nearly every part of a small business is in flux. It’s much more important to learn how to be adaptive. Going slower, assessing the situation, and acting from there is extremely valuable.
What do you love about raising a family in Des Moines?
There is so much to discover here (e.g., festivals, food, new, emerging businesses), and because of DSM’s size, it’s actually possible to know what’s happening. Liam is getting to be the age where we can really go out and explore together.
Quick Takes:
Favorite local restaurant: Alba
Best place to take kids: Valley Junction
Favorite summer activity: Going to farmers’ markets (both downtown and in Valley Junction)
How/where do you relax?: Reading or playing video games at home
If your life had a hashtag, what would it be? #FollowJoy
Know a Des Moines mom we should feature? Let us know! Email [email protected] with details and we will be in touch.
