Episode 15

full
Published on:

27th Jul 2023

Creating Connection Through Gifting with Entrepreneur Annie Johnson

This week hosts Nick Kuhn and Bethany Hartley talk with Annie Johnson, Founder of Take Care, South Bend, a business connecting the South Bend community with the gifting industry. Annie curates care packages, gift baskets, and subscription boxes using products from various vendors in the South Bend area. She shares her founding story, how she finds the people she works with, and the most surprising part of running her own business. Annie also talks about the challenges of being an entrepreneur and shares her vision for the future of Take Care, South Bend.

South Bend business owners and entrepreneurs, if you’ve been in business for five years or less reach out to us to be featured on the Rooted and Reaching Podcast!

QUOTES


  •  "My favorite thing to make are gifts for people who are in need of comfort." -Annie Johnson [04:37]


  • “I get a lot of people time in my work, but I also really appreciate my friends. I have friends who have been key in supporting the business either by purchasing or sharing online on social media, telling their friends about my business. I am really thankful for them.“ -Annie Johnson [07:36]




TIMESTAMPS

02:25 Take Care, South Bend founding story

04:44 Annie’s favorite part of running her business

06:05 South Bend’s renaissance 

07:26 Finding support and community as an entrepreneur





RESOURCES

Take Care, South Bend



CONTACT

Nick Kuhn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuhnnick/ 

Bethany Hartley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanyhartley/ 

Show artwork for Rooted and Reaching

About the Podcast

Rooted and Reaching
Stories about local Startups and Founders in South Bend and Elkhart
There’s a job to do, and in the South Bend - Elkhart region, a midwestern work ethic is changing the narrative from rusty to ready. Our cities are opening up and working together as a region—universities are engaging beyond their campuses, sharing their brainpower and realizing that they’re bigger and better with the community behind them. Organizations are reaching out to newcomers and helping them build local networks, leveling the playing field. Infrastructure is being creatively adapted to be gathering places where new deals are made, new collisions happen, and new entrepreneurs take root. Join the Rooted & Reaching podcast, where we discuss the startup life with entrepreneurs with connections to the South Bend - Elkhart region.

In doing this, we will inform the general public and ourselves about what resources are available and the major pain points of entrepreneurs in our region. This podcast is also intended to tell the amazing stories of our local entrepreneurs in the hope that it will inspire another person in the region considering an entrepreneurial pursuit to take that leap of faith and see the supportive atmosphere in the area.