I’m so excited to share this episode with you, Katherine Nguyen, the owner of Building Blocks Toys, which has three locations in Chicago: 3306 N Lincoln Ave, 2130 W Division St, and 2071 N Clybourn. Katherine and Building Blocks is actually one of the reasons I decided to create this podcast… for a few reasons. One is that I just love her store, and I saw how much of a struggle last spring was when only big box stores were allowed to be open, and I thought about how sad I would be if Building Blocks didn’t make it through the rough patch of the pandemic. Also, Katherine is a prominent member of a moms in business Facebook group that we are both members of and I wanted to find a way to say thanks for her contributions there. And finally, I’ve just always been curious about the story behind her business… because toys are just fun!

In Katherine Nguyen’s Interview we discuss:

• Entrepreneurial endeavors as a child and young adult
• The beginnings of Building Blocks 24 years ago and why she chose toys
• Competing with big box stores and what keeps her going
• Choosing store locations and the move from her original spot near Lincoln Park Zoo to where their store currently is at Lincoln & School
• What this past year has been like and what helped her survive
• Giving back to the community by supporting small businesses
• The services that Building Blocks offers that big box stores don’t

Katherine’s nominations:

• Eye Spy Optical Chicago – Alyssa Fields – 3350 N. Lincoln Ave
• Wink Optical – Dr Stacy Buete – 2736 N. Lincoln Ave
• Hazel Chicago – David & Marissa – 1926 West Montrose Ave
• Letizia’s Natural Bakery – 2144 W Division Street