March 6, 2017

Meet Jennifer Maimone of Dual Crossroads in South Pasadena

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Maimone.

Jennifer, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always wanted to be my own boss, and to be surrounded by the things I’m passionate about (books, Halloween, spiritualism, etc.). I never thought such an opportunity that incorporated all those factors would happen for me, until the day I saw the location for Battery Books had become vacant. That location had everything I had wanted for my “dream store”, and I saw my chance to make it a reality. So, I began creating Dual Crossroads in November 2016, and in just one short month, I had the doors opened for Christmas week!

Has it been a smooth road?
The first few weeks were a little bumpy, as to be expected–but all for good reasons! It was during that time I could get the feel of what my clients were looking for, and of what I could provide for them that no one else could. This is something that will continue to happen down the road, which is great because it will help us to grow. Otherwise, my experience has been nothing but positive, and a lot of that is due to the encouragement and support of the other local businesses in the area, like SugarMynt Gallery, Hotbox Vintage and Hodgson’s Antiques. There is no “us against them” mentality with the surrounding businesses, they all want to see their fellow business owners succeed, which is such a rare thing to find these days. They really make you feel like you’re part of the community, and not just some new store on the block.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Dual Crossroads, we believe that everyone has a Light and a Dark to who they are. Here, they come to a crossroads. We have a variety of sections for people to enjoy, including books (new or used), Spiritual or New Age supplies, Geeky Novelties, and Halloween/Goth Lovers merchandise. We’re essentially a one-stop-shop!

I’d say our main specialty definitely (and my biggest pride) has to be the New Age and Halloween/Goth Lovers sections. Although we have only been open for a few months, those who come to see us are predominantly looking for supplies or information about our spiritual or ritual merchandise, such as Sage, Palo Santo and Pendulums. We do plan to have tarot card readers and an apothecary in the near future, which seems to be generating an enthusiastic buzz with those I’ve disclosed that to. I’m pretty excited for when those areas get officially set up.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
YES! South Pasadena is a wonderful place for a businesses, including an eclectic store like my own. I, myself, am still starting out, and I’ve received nothing but support and advice from my fellow business owners. Everyone I’ve spoken with seems to genuinely want to see myself and others succeed. That is such a rare quality to find. I’ve even been invited to the South Pasadena Women in Business (SPWBI) group meetings, which are orchestrated by Delilah from Hotbox Vintage. I’ve so far only attended two, but each time I’ve come back with more knowledge, and with a wider networking net. If someone were to start a business, I’d say they’d feel just as welcomed and supported.

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