GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Here at 13 ON YOUR SIDE we love celebrating local authors, and that's exactly what we get to do this morning.
Dana Roefer lives in Ada and is launching her first book Tuesday. It's called "Shop Social: Connect with the People + Products that Support Your Best Life".
Here's how Dana describes the book:
"The book goes beyond the traditional understanding of buying from friends and shows how building a micro-community of people who know you and who are personally invested in your well-being can be a life-changing experience that saves time and money, while putting you in control of your own health, happiness, and fulfillment."
"Shop Social" is available on Amazon as well as select local bookstores, including newly opened Plumfield Books in Ada.
13 ON YOUR SIDE’s Meredith TerHaar and Emily Scarlett interviewed Dana about what inspired her to write the book and what she hopes readers will take away from reading it.
Dana said the term "shop social" means to be intentional about your shopping, and choosing to purchase products from your friends compared to large box stores.
"I really want people to support their friends, essentially," Dana said. "I've always grown up around social shopping, my mom did it, before anyone ever really talked about it, there was no social media at that time. And when I was going through a really hard time, I was like, 'Where can I find help?' So I started reaching out to my friends."
Dana said she began emphasizing social shopping when she struggled to choose products at large stores, particularly skin care or hair products. She said she talked with friends or acquaintances who sold their own products to help find the best options for her.
"I've reached out to (my friends) and been like, 'Hey, I would love to learn more about what you represent. Here are my goals, this is what I want my hair to do, here's what I want my skin to look like.' So that's a lot of 'on me,' being intentional about what I need and then allowing them to help me."
For any readers picking up "Shop Social", Dana hopes they choose social shopping and highlight their friends' businesses and products.
"I think it's the intentionality behind what you're doing and where you're spending your money and choosing to spend it in a certain area," she said. "And so I really want (readers) to do that and I really want them to support their friends along the way, because they can help them, they can take them to another level that it's just really hard to do on your own."
For more information on "Shop Social", click here.
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