Meet Katy Lemieux | Co-Owner, Talking Animals Books; Writer

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

Hi Katy, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Katy: I was writing about the arts locally in Dallas-Fort Worth when I got my start. I had an idea about a feature on the many theaters run by women in the metroplex. Of course, no one wanted to hire a brand new freelance writer when so many seasoned ones were out there.

A now-defunct website called TheaterJones hired me to write a few features here and there about local theater. I tried to prove myself as dependable and always submitted before deadline. And I met everyone I possibly could, just to soak up their knowledge and observe what a creative and artistic life actually looks like. Eventually, I started to decide what I wanted to write about and got bolder about the stories and publications I pitched. I never considered myself an artist, but I always felt an urge to create something of my own, especially after meeting so many people making it work.

I think creative people are drawn to those environments because they are curious. Creativity comes from really thinking about things and considering the world around us. In art, it is the representation of that world, in whatever form that happens to be. I think they go hand in hand. The question, then the creation. If you are really looking for answers and understanding I think art flows organically from that place.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Valerie’s background is in retail, management, and education. She brought a completely unique set of skills to our partnership.

Valerie started working straight out of high school. She worked every day of the year, definitely working too much! But earning her keep and making her way. She is one of the rare people who can actually start with a big company and not just become a cog in the machine, Valerie is a leader and has a natural ability to read people and approach them with kindness which is only firm when it needs to be. Because of the jobs that she has worked in management, like Blockbuster and Starbucks, among the big ones, she knew how to run a staff, start our bookkeeping, and make our idea into a profitable business. Valerie is so good at this because she has always been doing the work. No CEO could step in and run a store on a day-to-day basis.

Valerie would say she is most proud of her children. She works to hard to give them everything she never had; opportunities to not only succeed, but to find their talents and follow their creative urges! She went back to school when she was pregnant and had a toddler at home, to get her degree in education. She stepped up during covid, too, to be in her kids’ schools and lend her knowledge.

Valerie is a hard worker with a strong work ethic. She encourages everyone around her to get up and MOVE because we aren’t getting anything done by sitting around. She pours her entire self into every project she undertakes. Talking Animals is the lucky recipient of that!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
You’re going to want to stay at the Hotel Vin, because that venue cannot be surpassed. It is elegant, beautiful. and has ample space outside and on the rooftop bar. Harvest Hall is right there so you could stroll through there and grab some food. Definitely check out the trains, Peace Plaza, and stop at Vetro Glassblowing as you make your way North on Main. There’s lot of cute window shopping to do before you get to Talking Animals. Grab some fudge or an ice cream cone at Kilwins and then go stock up on your favorite candy at Rocket Fizz. There’s wine everywhere, so take your time popping into the wineries on Main. As you keep walking you’ll hit the art gallery R Town for some truly stunning and unique pieces in all mediums (really good prices, too!). Stop into Main St. Bistro for an espresso or a martini, then end your day at Heaven on Main spa for a massage or a facial before you head back to the hotel for cocktails at the bar.

Grapevine is all about the history and it really is fun to see how an early settlement looked. Grapevine was in fact the first settlement in Tarrant County to become a city. The Palace Theatre shows old movies and has fun events like Elvis impersonators.

If you are here during Christmastime you will never be disppointed. It is simply spectacular and lives up to its name–the Christmas Capital of Texas!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Darlene Freed!! Darlene is the Mayor pro-tem for Grapevine. A school board trustee recommended that we reach out to her as she is also a realtor and owns property in Grapevine.

From the second she called me, Darlene spoke with excitement, albeit tempered, and honesty, about what we needed for the store. She was both a mentor and cheerleader for us-and still is, we bug her all the time!- so her time felt so intentional. She encouraged us right away and helped us land our amazing spot off-Main St in downtown Grapevine. She redirected me when I wasn’t able to see it working another way which was the biggest blessing of all–she saved us from ourselves! (from Katy–Katy was the problem!)

Darlene also helped us flush out and envision and what the store could look like in that space. She attended our ribbon cutting and mama-beared the room for us. Darlene not only gave us her time and energy, she has given us so much encouragement, grace, and good humor.

We adore her and could not imagine our world without Darlene in its orbit.

We’d be remiss not to mention Debi Meek, our landlord who owns Bermuda Gold & Silver. Our space is connected to the back of Debi’s. Debi trusted us with her space, trusted that we would honor and preserve the history of our building, and has given us so much wisdom and encouragement! I cannot stress to you enough how amazingly rare it is to have a GREAT landlord, but one who has owned her property for decades, knows the history of Grapevine and all the surrounding areas, and champions your cause-READING!! Debi has the cutest stinkin’ grandkids you have ever seen, and it is an extra treat for us to see her family finding joy in our space like any other family. Their family is huge on reading so that has been awesome for us to share with each other! We are so grateful to be part of Grapevine and its tight-knit community.

Website: www.talkinganimalsbooks.com

Instagram: @talkinganimalsbooks

Twitter: _talkinganimals

Facebook: talkinganimalsbooksGV

Other: TikTok: @talkinganimalsbooks

Image Credits
Yony Kim Courtney Murray Talking Animals Books