The room was packed last week at The Valley as locals and business owners gathered to hear Connie Brooks from Battenkill Books speak about avoiding burnout.
If you're a video person, here are the highlights from the talk:
Watch the highlights on YouTube
For background context, Connie has been running her Cambridge, NY bookstore for 17 years! In 2025 it was named a top 5 bookstore by Publishers Weekly. Over the course of the evening we had the opportunity to learn more about the entrepreneurial wisdom that has kept her in business for so long.
What is Burnout?
Connie started off by breaking down what burnout actually means. She made it clear that stress is not the same thing as burnout.
Stress is the pressure you feel from many things coming your way that demand a lot of time and energy. Burnout on the other hand is when you stop caring, or completely lose motivation to complete tasks.
How To Avoid Burnout
To help identify and avoid burnout, Connie presented two questions for the audience.
Where do you find your joy?
Where does it hurt?
These questions can be used to identify what gives you energy so you can focus on that and, crucially, to figure out what slows you down.
For things that hurt, Connie suggested one of the best ways to alleviate pain is to pay a professional (who finds joy in it) to take care of things. Some examples Connie gave were taxes, social media or bookkeeping.
She also mentioned that bartering is another option. She and a local service provider swap $200 in store credit annually to help each other out rather than paying out of pocket.
Learning to Say No
Connie talked a lot about setting personal boundaries to stay sane when running her business. She noted that it's hard to say no, especially in a small town, where the person asking might be a customer, a friend, or a parent. But sometimes you have to, to preserve your own integrity and peace of mind.
The Power of Policy
If you find yourself frequently saying no to something, Connie brought up the power of policy. For her, people would often come into the store trying to sell things to her on the spot. Rather than letting that potentially derail her day, she put in place a strict policy that all meetings with her must be scheduled in advance. It makes saying no easy, and it feels far less personal than a typical rejection.
The Takeaway
Longevity is something many small business owners strive for, and Connie has managed to run her bookstore successfully for nearly two decades. Connie’s talk highlighted the fact that a sustainable business isn't just about hustle, it's also about protecting your sanity.
Thank you to everyone who showed up! And thank you Connie for speaking at The Valley!
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Until next time,
Charlie Dill
The Valley Hub