Ana Maria MunozAna Maria Muñoz is a former Shopkeeper and eternal lover of small shops. With two decades of working in retail, Ana Maria relishes playing at the intersection where commerce meets community and loves bringing people together with purpose and delight.She owned and operated her dream store for five years while founding a local retail collective and producing an independent design showcase. After many lessons, observations, and personal discoveries, she uses her decades of retail experience to support businesses and organizations in elevating their touch points to serve their community with heart-led intention. Before achieving a self-prescribed real-world MBA in independent retail, Ana Maria invented an activewear accessory (when she couldn't find what she wanted in the marketplace), scoured European flea markets for her online store, delighted shoppers through marketing and events in a historic commercial setting, and gave shoes to kids in the early days of TOMS. While at California State University Northridge, Ana Maria gained experience in fashion PR, fashion trend forecasting, and retail sales. Ana Maria graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences and a Minor in Business Marketing. Ana Maria was born in Australia to Colombian parents and grew up in Los Angeles, California. When Ana Maria was twenty-five, she moved to London, followed by opportunities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and then to Raleigh, North Carolina, in the United States. Ana Maria launched her Shopkeeper Dream with Port of Raleigh in North Carolina. Port of Raleigh specialized in contemporary home and lifestyle designs and quickly became a destination and community hub for local creatives, small business owners, and design enthusiasts. As a Shopkeeper, Ana Maria learned the power of placemaking and community-building through small independent retail and the unique challenges and opportunities for individual Shopkeepers. She also strengthened her editorial and curatorial eyes and discernment for the 'why' of things, reinforcing her belief in the power of aesthetics. Ana Maria closed her store in 2020 at the end of her lease and mid-pandemic to focus on family and expand her professional opportunities. As a result of her business journeys and studies, Ana Maria developed a passion for helping other retail business owners recognize their potential as shopkeepers, business entrepreneurs, and community builders. She uses her extensive travels and experiences across cultures to connect the dots for personal and collective well-being and growth. Today, Ana Maria is happy to call the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, home with her family.You[SK2] can read Ana Maria's commentary on the retail landscape in the Retail Rookie Substack and keep up with her personal interests and journey through her blog, AM Notes. She's been featured in Design Milk, Tastemade Home, and numerous digital publications for her work. OPEN is Ana Maria's first book. Ana Maria's Websites: etccreative.coanamariamunoz.com Read More Read Less
