Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Zemanek.
Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As a Leelanau County native, I never realized how exceptionally privileged I was to grow up there. As soon as I could, I left and went West, where adventure lives. After a brief introduction to the West Coast, I tried one semester of college in Michigan and decided I was better suited for the California dream. After five short years working a myriad of jobs, including time as a Journalist, I went East again and spent two years in Northern Colorado learning that I needed to be surrounded by fresh water to survive.
My passion for helping others has always been a part of who I am. That manifested itself through my work as a Paramedic and Firefighter, first earning my EMT-Basic license in Loveland, CO, and then returning to Leelanau County to work for the next 7 years. Through the highs and lows of life, books have always been there. I enjoyed escaping into epic worlds full of dragons, Hobbits, and strong characters. Owning a bookstore became my retirement goal, something I’d work towards as my career as a Paramedic took hold.
However, life had different plans. After suffering a series of severe back injuries, culminating in a rather unfortunate injury in North Carolina, where I worked for just over a year as a medic, I eventually crawled back home to Northern Michigan. Fast forward to an early snowy morning in February 2025, where I pressed my face up against a big window looking into a space that I knew was perfect for a bookstore. I signed a lease less than 2 weeks later and opened The Folded Leaf on Independent Bookstore Day (April 26), just 6 weeks after that.
As I continue to learn about the bookselling community and how stories change lives, TFL has become an extension of my career as a Paramedic. But instead of saving people’s lives, I’m working to make the day-to-day a little more enjoyable, one book at a time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve never worked retail before, so the world is still very foreign to me. I’m learning every day how to navigate the bookselling world, draw on a mountain of experience from my peers, and take it one lesson at a time. My biggest challenge is just plain not knowing how to do what I’m doing. There’s a lot of trial and error. But that makes it all the better in the long run. I’ve always been one to “learn the hard way” and figure it out as I go, so for me, this is the perfect challenge.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Folded Leaf has become so much more than a new and used bookstore. It’s a community hub, a third space, and the neighborhood living room. At this point in the journey, I’m most proud of creating a space that’s welcoming, warm, genuine, and full of love. It’s a space I needed as a kid.
With all of those amazing things, I have been able to create space for our Community Shelf. Cedar is in the center of Leelanau County, and it’s also a thorofare. I saw a need for a food/basic needs pantry and created a no-questions-asked shelf stocked with shelf-stable food and essentials like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, diapers, etc.
What sets TFL apart from other retailers is that there’s no expectation that you spend money. You can grab a used book off the shelf, have a seat in The Snuggery by the fireplace, and read all day if you want. Grab a snack off the Community Shelf and just be. Is it the best business strategy? Probably not. Is it what’s best for the community? Absolutely!
I have realized that, by simply being a space that exudes love and acceptance, people will come in and support the mission by purchasing the fun stuff on the shelves! It all comes full circle.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
My advice to anyone just starting out is to do it scared. It’s so, so scary to jump into something new or challenging. But if you wait until you aren’t scared of it, you’ll never start. I wish I knew that all I had to do was be my authentic self. I didn’t have to know everything or take every class on selling books. All I had to do was show up, try my best, be myself, and love people. If you do something for the right reasons, everything else will fall into place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefoldedleafleelanau.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefoldedleaf_leelanau
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefoldedleaf.leelanau
