About seven years ago, over drinks with pals one night, I got this wild idea: To open up a bike shop that was focused on women. A week later, when I -- someone with no business or bike shop experience -- decided to actually try to turn this idea into a reality, some people thought I was crazy. Sometimes I was one of those people. But still, I decided to go through with it, and I’m so proud to share that seven years later this shop is doing pretty dang well, with no quitting anywhere in sight. Turns out my wild idea wasn’t quite that crazy after all!
That said, my ultimate dream has always been to build the shop up into a successful and sustainable business, and to then take a step back and let it grow beyond me -- by passing it along to someone new, someone with a different perspective, someone that could help the shop and its community continue to evolve and thrive. And so I’m excited to share some news with you all: I’m handing over the reins to a new owner this Spring!
It is with great excitement that I share that I am selling Gladys Bikes to the best person that I can possibly imagine: Cassie Hidalgo. Cassie is currently the Lead Mechanic at the PSU Bike Hub, a team member of the Gladyators, a carpenter by trade, an excellent dancer, a superb storyteller and an all-around amazing person. If you know Cassie, you know how exciting this is. If you don’t yet know Cassie, we’re going to make sure you get to know her well over the next couple of months. (Please note: I’m really holding back from placing an exclamation point after every! single! sentence!, but they are heavily implied.)
I'm going to keep this relatively short for now and save all of my thank you’s and sappy sentiments for later, but don’t worry, folks, those are coming. Over the course of the next several weeks, Cassie and I will be creating blog posts with much more information about ourselves, the process, our feelings about the process, our feelings about our feelings...(oversharing is my love language) and so you’ll hopefully know everything you ever wanted to know very soon. But for now, here’s what to know: (1) You’re the best. (2) You’re not getting rid of me for another couple of months. (3) Mark your calendars now for a big party on Feb 28 to celebrate the passing of the torch. (4) This is going to be fun. (5) See below for more info.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and be a part of it all alongside me, friends. Here's to chances taken, big steps and new adventures!
- Leah
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are you selling the shop?
Since the very beginning planning stages for the shop, it's always been a goal to pass it along to someone else and now just feels like the right time for that. I feel proud that I built something that can now stand on its own two feet (or would it be wheels in this case?) and am so excited to see how it continues to grow and change and become further cemented in the community.
What’s the timeline for the sale?
For the rest of January it’ll be me, Jim, Miranda and Mollie at the shop.
Come February, Cassie will join in with the crew, and the two of us will overlap for a month.
As of March, Cassie will be the new owner of Gladys Bikes andI’ll be taking my exit, but staying very active in the community, sticking as an advisor and forever being the shop’s biggest fan.
Will the staff be remaining the same?
Yep! Jim, Miranda and Mollie will all be staying on.
Will there be a party?
YES. Save the date for February 28th and there will be more details to come.
Will I still be able to use my gift certificates/bring my bike in for repair/use the saddle library/follow up about any warranty concerns with my bike/buy silly hats/etc,etc?
Yep! The goal is for everything to remain consistent from the customer side of things.
That said, I’ve never sold a business before and Cassie has never purchased one, so there are likely going to be a couple of learning moments along the way as we realize we forgot to think about x,y, or z. Hopefully none of this will affect you, but we just want to be transparent about the potential of a hiccup or two.
Leah, what are you going to do next?
I most definitely do not plan on disappearing from the community I've met through Gladys. I can’t imagine not having y’all in my life! I hope to continue to be an integral part of the shop community, though I will likely step away for a while to give the new owner time to define the space as her own.
As far as what I’m doing next, well, I feel like I’m supposed to have some sort of polished answer to offer, but I don’t actually know for certain. I’m fortunate to have gained a lot of far flung skills through my work at Gladys and could probably go in a lot of different directions. Broadly, I’m interested in going into work (both paid and volunteer) that involves storytelling and community outreach -- whether that be PR, copywriting, media production, etc etc -- but, my goal is to remain truly open to all of the possibilities; I always learn the most about myself when I listen to what other people think I’m capable of. Got an opportunity that you think I’d be a good fit for? Have an idea for a collaboration? Just want to hang out? Great! Hit me up and let’s chat. I’d love to hear from you.
I’m curious to know more about…..
Over the next 6 weeks Cassie and I will be posting weekly blog posts to tell you more about the process, introduce you to Cassie more and hopefully answer any lingering questions you have. Any specific questions? Feel free to hit us up at hello@gladysbikes.com or over Instagram.