Meet Aditi Carnahan of Victory’s Banner Books & Gifts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aditi Carnahan.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Aditi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
After spending 37 years in California, I retired in 2008 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and my husband and I returned to Illinois where we were both born to be close to my (now 95-year- old) mother. We have a spiritual background, having been students of the Indian spiritual master Sri Chinmoy since 1973, so my husband and I quickly connected with the local Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre in Chicago.

The entrance to the centre consisted of a large unused room which had long been intended to be a bookstore and we decided to make that happen. Since space was owned by our meditation group, we didn’t have to pay rent or utilities and, luckily, it was located in a commercial building. We scraped up money from the meditation group members and fixed the place up. In 2009 we opened Victory’s Banner Books & Gifts. Gradually our operation has evolved into primarily a gift store with items from around the world, mostly Asia.

Today the store has three volunteer employees, me, my husband, and one other woman. As the manager, I do all the ordering and accounting, etc.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Operating capital has been the biggest challenge. Since we don’t have to pay rent, utilities or salaries, every cent that we make is plowed back into purchasing more inventory. Our philosophy as a meditation group is one of service. Therefore I have always kept our prices as low as possible. Thus we have no advertising budget. I’ve created a Facebook page, and Instagram as our only advertising.

Victory’s Banner Books & Gifts – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in unique, handcrafted, and fair trade gifts with a spiritual flavor, and books by spiritual master Sri Chinmoy and his direct disciples. We feel that we’ve created a space with a uniquely peaceful and spiritual atmosphere; we appreciate sharing our store with visitors whether they purchase anything or not. As a form of selfless service, we try to promote spiritual development and meditation as a way of life. We also offer free public meditation classes.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
When a customer comes in and says, “What a beautiful store!” or “What a peaceful space!” or inquires about a meditation class, that ‘s when I feel that we’re successful. Of course, making a sale isn’t anything to sneeze at either!

Contact Info:

• Address: 2135 W. Roscoe, #1S Chicago, IL 60618
• Phone: 773-263-0541
• Email: victorysbannerbookstore@gmail.com
• Instagram: victorysbannerbookstore
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/victorysbannerbooksandgifts
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/victorys-banner-books-and-gifts-chicago

Image Credit:
R. Carnahan, A. Carnahan

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