"Always stay true to yourself and be mindful of your integrity, and it will shine through in your career."
This March, GSP is spotlighting women in business in the Greater Sandusky region. These women range from being the face of their business to working totally behind the scenes to keep the machine going.
These are owners, executives and creative professionals who are making a difference in our community. Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to highlight the dedicated, determined and successful women that contribute to our thriving and vibrant region.
Our first Women in Business Spotlight features Sara Beard, Co-Owner of Mr. Smith’s Coffee House, a place where, if you know, you know, they “make coffee, not war.” Sara answered a few questions to help us get to know her and her business better.
What inspired you to pursue your current career or start your business?
One of my first jobs was at a literal mom & pop coffee house in the mid-1990s, the beginning of coffee house culture in this area, and I quickly fell in love with it (incidentally, I also met my future husband there). Fast-forwarding past another job at another local coffee shop and then managing a corporate-chain shop for 11 years, my husband and I dreamed of trying our hand at having our own place. We started weighing options, like franchising the corporate spot we ran, but ultimately decided to take the plunge and do our own thing. I felt that we had a nice blend of mom & pop vibe and corporate structure that could translate into a (hopefully) successful business that would pay the bills, let us raise our kids, and potentially employ other locals, all while doing something we enjoyed. It’s been working out for almost 18 years.
What is one challenge you’ve faced as a business leader and how did you overcome it?
The easiest challenge to address was the fire we experienced in 2023: it tried me in ways beyond the business: so much was out of our hands, and I’m a do-er. I had to hone my patience and my sense of being present and not let worry drown me. The updates I made on our social media during those long months garnered such an outpouring of love and support from the community that truly helped keep us positive. Ultimately, I got through it by leaning on friends and family when I needed a good cry, reading the love from our selfless regulars and followers online, then straightening my crown and getting down to business when it was time. Quite honestly, surrounding yourself with supportive people is not held in as high a regard as it should be: we can all thrive when we have people in our corner who believe in us.
What makes doing business in Sandusky/Erie County special?
First and foremost is always our amazing base of regular customers who have sincerely become like family over the years. We have the unique position of having not only a relatively small community and all the tight-knit feelings and support that that provides, but we also enjoy a large influx of new faces during the tourist season. Our proximity to the bay shore is an absolute boon, business-wise and morale-wise: it’s just a beautiful place to live and work, and many of the new guests during the warmer months become “summer regulars,” and our little coffee family keeps growing. It makes my heart so full.
What advice would you give to young women considering a career in your industry?
My advice to any woman ever is to get to know your deepest self and what you want and what you don’t want. Many times women are expected to hold certain values, or, in general, perform for others at the expense of losing ourselves. When you know yourself and are comfortable with her and love her, you’re half-way there. Now you have to find your inner voice and use it to build what it is *you* want your place to be. The rest is one foot in front of the other, one day or plan or goal at a time. Always stay true to yourself and be mindful of your integrity, and it will shine through in your career.
Mr. Smith’s Coffee House is located at 140 Columbus Avenue in Sandusky. Learn more about the business online at mrsmithscoffee.com. Visit NOW through March 15th to try exclusive menu items for Sandusky Restaurant Week!
