Sarah Ambrus shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Sarah, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Yes, definitely. The longer I am in business, the more I appreciate my own patience and ability to be deliberate. There was a time when I felt like I had to take every opportunity that came my way, but I’ve learned to slow down and really try to determine if what’s come my way is a good fit for my values as an entrepreneur. Allowing myself the time and space to process has made me a better decision-maker, and I’ve learned that time is an asset to discernment.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am the founder and owner of Lioness Books, a mobile independent bookstore based in the greater Austin area. I’m a former high school teacher turned entrepreneur, and I launched Lioness Books in 2024 with the goal of spreading literacy directly to the community. The bookstore currently operates out of a twenty-foot trailer, and we do our best to curate a diverse and interesting selection of used titles. We also host events with local businesses and champion literacy initiatives like Little Free Libraries and donations to schools, nonprofits, and incarcerated individuals.
As a passionate believer in the freedom to read and the transformative power of books, I believe bookstores should be a hub of community experience – we all know that indie bookstores connect readers, spotlight diverse voices, and support the local economy. As we prepare to open our first brick and mortar store, I believe our reach and influence will only grow and protect the democratic values of our community.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
When finishing out the trailer for my mobile bookstore, I put myself on a very tight deadline and incidentally, incurred a lot of pressure on myself to complete the project quickly. Thankfully, I am blessed with an incredible community of friends, who wholeheartedly supported my venture, and they showed up to help me. I have a very clear memory of one particular day close to my grand opening, when several of my friends were gathered together in the mobile store, helping me process all my inventory, and I thought to myself: “They believe in me. They’re here because they believe in what I’m doing.” They saw my success before I could see it myself and they demonstrated their support of my dream before it became a reality.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
When I left my career in education, I felt like I had failed in that job because it was no longer a good fit for me. But over time, I’ve come to believe a different narrative. Just because something doesn’t last forever doesn’t mean that it failed – sometimes things just end. I’m very critical of my use of the word “failure” now. I used to see everything that didn’t work out the way I planned as a failure, but now I understand that adapting to change is where true success comes from.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to think there was only one version of me, but now I know that I can reinvent myself as many times as I need to – and I don’t owe anyone an explanation for doing so. I think it’s easy to become caught up in certain facets of our identity and sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to be flexible. Our fear of the judgment of others or even of how we see ourselves can hold us back from the change and adaptation that allows us to survive. I now understand that every struggle is about our ability to respond to change – even change within ourselves.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope that my legacy will be so much greater than myself. There is an incredible ripple effect that happens when we turn our focus outside of ourselves, and to me, that is the ultimate legacy. I hope the story that is told in the future about Lioness Books is less about me, and more about the community I built. Less about one person, and more about a whole movement. Fewer accomplishments, greater impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lionessbookstx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionessbookstx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lionessbookstx
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lionessbookstx
