Meet Diamond Alexus | Bookstore Cafe Owner & Video Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Diamond Alexus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Diamond, every day, we know how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with Warm Pages because of my love for reading. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a book in my hand, escaping into a different world. I remember riding past a coffee shop and jewelry store, and in the middle was a sliver of space that I envisioned to be a bookstore, so in the back of my mind, I always thought it would be cool to own a bookstore coffee shop one day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Taking the steps to bring Warm Pages to life has been the proudest I’ve been. Occasionally, I’ll get a message from a black woman expressing how thankful they are for a place like Warm Pages, and we haven’t even opened yet! They express the challenges of being a black woman author and or reader in the book community space. “As a fellow book-loving Black woman, it means the world to see a space like this taking root. A space that feels soft, strong, and community-centered all at once.”
I’ve always been about community. I started posting online when I was 13 because I wanted to share all the things that make me who I am, and I wanted to build a community of other girls who may relate to me somehow. Warm Pages is the same thing. Yes, it’s a bookstore cafe, but I want it to be a safe hub for Black women. I want to uplift, share, and use our platform in many different ways, like how we feature indie authors, and keep our audience in the know of new books coming out by black women authors. Although we don’t have a physical space just yet, and that has been the most challenging part but it’s exciting because I know once we get that space, I can bring all my ideas to life.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
To be honest, I don’t get out much, but I would take my best friend to places that I’ve hung out and know are a good time, and take them to spots in the city that I’ve heard are good to eat at. We could eat breakfast at a few spots like Chris’ @ The Docket, Latté Lounge + HG Eatery, or Elicious. When it comes to activities, we would go to the City Foundry and walk around, get food, play a game of mini golf at Put Shack, or catch a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. We could check out the Aquarium, walk around the art museum. Of course, we would have to visit the Gateway Arch and explore Forest Park. St. Louis has a lot of excellent restaurants & bars to choose from!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shout out my family for supporting my decision to open a bookstore cafe. Also, the first book club I ever attended was Books and Bonnets by Tailored Pieces, which is owned by LaParis Hawkins. Joining the book club surrounded by other black women who love to read emphasized how Warm Pages is needed as a community hub to host and make black women feel seen, safe, and celebrated in a space meant for them.

Website: https://www.warmpages.com

Instagram: warmppgs

Facebook: Warm Pages

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@diamondalexus24