When Lisa Kohlbrenner heard about our shop local initiative to support small businesses, she jumped at the chance to apply. As an Assignment Editor at KMGH Denver 7, Colorado, Lisa is active in her community and loves supporting local businesses. Two of her favorites are Atomic Cowboy and Fat Sully’s, which are both popular, and super-tasty, food spots in Denver.
Meet Lisa, the winner of our shop locally for a week challenge!
Business.CenturyLink.com has chosen a winner to support small businesses for a week. See who won our $1,000 prize to shop local businesses near them!
Supporting small businesses has many benefits, and there are a couple that resonate with Lisa specifically. She loves shopping locally because it helps reduce her environmental impact and keeps dollars in the local economy. That’s why we rewarded Lisa with $1,000 to support businesses in her local community for a week.
Lisa’s Experience Supporting Small Businesses Near Her
For Lisa, shopping locally was fun, but more difficult than she thought it’d be. The hardest part was picking the right places to spend her money, since she is a saver at heart. Luckily, she was able to break from the norm and support some amazing places!
To start her journey she stopped at Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters in Westminster and got several types of coffee to brew at home as well as a delicious cold brew to try on the spot. Throughout the week Lisa visited several other local businesses, including Rebelry Boutique in Arvada where she grabbed some cute new outfits, Early Bird in Westminster for brunch, and Tattered Cover Book Store for stationary and a special deck of playing cards. She even tapped into the holiday spirit and purchased some penguin ornaments from St. Nicks in Littleton and Halloween masks and costume accessories at FUN Services in Westminster.
Lisa had this to say when summing up her experience: “Although my son and I didn’t buy something everywhere we went, I learned it’s hard to budget what to spend your money on when there are so many great options to choose from. Through this process I met great shop employees, discovered places and products that I didn’t know existed, and found new restaurants to frequent. There were a few shops we wanted to visit, but didn’t get the chance to due to store hours. Needless to say this was a wonderful experience and we will continue to explore local businesses and all they have to offer!”