Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Wilder and Summer Rodman.
Hi Julie and Summer, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Summer Rodman: I was born and raised in College Park and the third generation woman in my family to helm one of Orlando’s legacy businesses, Amazon Hose & Rubber, which celebrated its Centennial last year. I grew up in college and graduated from Edgewater High School in 1990. I majored in English at Santa Clara University with a writing emphasis and later went to Neuropa University in Boulder to get my MFA and was heavily involved with the Jack Kerouac Project for many years supporting the writers-in-residence program there. When I joined the family business, my step-dad, mom and grandmother were incredible mentors. I also was a partner in a wedding venue in an old Victorian house out in the country in California with five rooms and was active in remodeling it and getting it up & going – it was fun because it was a start-up and completely topsy-turvy compared to Amazon Hose & Rubber. I love writing and journaling and published a book in 2003, but mostly write for myself.
Julie Wilder: I’ve adopted Orlando as my hometown since getting my BS in Business Administration from UCF in 2001. My first career was as a self-taught graphic designer and I make a line of astrology calendars that have found a robust following online. I was a co-founder & co-owner of Dandelion Communitea Cafe for a decade and am a rabble-rouser for all things local. I was co-founder of Ourlando, a non-profit that helped spark the localist revival in Orlando, and producer & host of Front Porch Radio, a weekly talk show on WPRK 91.5fm, focused on building an equitable and vibrant local living economy. I have a beautiful daughter who is the light of my life and my greatest teacher. We’re both big lovers of local art, culture and indie businesses, in particular. Our shared passion for books, spirituality and localism brought us together to partner in stewarding one of Orlando’s most beloved bookstores right in the heart of Orlando. It’s a match made, quite literally, in heaven as we both know the founder was pulling strings from the other side to bring us together to preserve & revitalize Spiral Circle Bookstore for the community.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
We had the unexpected challenge of adapting to the pandemic not even one year into our ownership. It was certainly a bit of an adjustment but we’ve weathered it well. After the initial shut down period, we reopened with limited capacity and masks required and have found that the interest in our products has increased exponentially as people have been forced to reevaluate their relationships, careers and their relationship with the sacred. It’s been a blessing to see patrons wanting to reinvest their stimulus checks into local businesses and this love of all things local has made all the difference.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Spiral Circle Bookstore & More?
Located in the heart of Central Florida, our metaphysical bookstore is no ordinary place. For over 46 years, Spiral Circle has been a pioneering spiritual center and anchor institution in Central Florida for like-minded people to gather together and explore the many paths of spirituality. After a decade of leading a spiritual book club and selling books from a cart at Lake Eola, this unassuming bookstore was founded on May 16th, 1975, by Beverly & William Ford. The beloved “third place” enjoyed its 44th birthday in 2019, just prior to being acquired on June 3rd by Sky Mother, LLC. Sky Mother was the original name of Spiral Circle back at its inception and formed as a joint venture between us but we’ve kept the name as Spiral Circle, of course! Located just one block from Julie’s former cafe, the neighborhood feels like home and so does the shop since it’s in a 1950’s house with hardwood floors and big trees shading it from the Florida sun. Inspired by Beverly Ford’s pioneering spirit and a deep commitment to community, we knew that this iconic spiritual store was an important place for both of us on our own spiritual paths and came together to modernize and revitalize the space after Beverly’s passing.
In the two years, we’ve been blessed to steward the store, we have updated the 1970’s pencil and calculator technology to modern systems (including an online store) while updating the product lines to reach todays’ seekers. We feature a wide assortment of ethically traded, indie made and clean products with lots of beautiful jewelry, crystals and home decor in addition to a wide assortment of incense, herb bundles and divination tools. We’re known for our large selection of tarot & oracle decks and a truly unique sticker & greeting card selection. We are most proud to be able to co-create an incredible culture of care out of our storefront and work with some of the most creative and talented individuals Orlando has to offer. What sets us apart is our carefully curated product selection – we purchase through an inclusive lens and there is something for everyone on our shelves to help them on their personal journey of self-discovery. We are also known for our professional esoteric consultants who do tarot & astrology readings and other specialties.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
As folks who have been through tough trials like the loss of loved ones, failed relationships and various hardships, we know that tomorrow is always a new day and there are resources out there to help you navigate tough times. Spiral Circle has been there for both of us and many others in our community and it kinda blows our minds that we get to be that support for others from the same place that nurtured our souls for so many years. We look out for each other the same we do in our community and weave beauty and passion into all that we do. Also, there’s always time for magic and meditation! In fact, both those things seem to create more time for what we love when we remember to listen and align with our intuition – especially when we surround ourselves with an incredible team to help keep things in balance and perspective.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.spiralcircle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiralcirclebookstore/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spiralcirclebookstore
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Spiralcirclebks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCZlChuPp9QEEq22XzlT2hA
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/spiral-circle-bookstore-and-more-orlando-4
Image Credits
Stephanie Liskey
