Meet Anne Overstreet | Vice President Minuteman Press Aurora 21

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

Hi Anne, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
For me, I think my top habit is perseverance. In 1998, I prepared to run a marathon for the Leukemia Society. I started off running 5 miles, then 7, and pretty soon I would walk out the door and run 15 miles on a sunny Saturday morning. I started graduate school at that same time for Speech Therapy and I balanced my training with some arduous thinking and school work. I lived in Cincinnati at the time and it’s called Seven Hills for a good reason. The city is very hilly. I definitely think I learned to persevere by running when I didn’t want to, running up steep hills, and even running when I was a bit sore. As a runner, it’s difficult to predict if it’s going to be a good running day or a bad running day. So, you just lace up your shoes, tie them tightly and get out there. It is the same with running a business. In the beginning, you know you need to keep hustling even on days that are tough and even if you don’t want to do it. The other habit would be my endless quest for improvement. I think it started in my 20’s. I became a very self-reflective person. So, this means that every day I ask myself what can I improve? How can I be a better person? I don’t just want to be the status quo. I want to be better than the status quo. My husband and I want to create something amazing with our business and I think that’s why we are succeeding because we keep striving for the best. The last habit may seem strange, but I think it’s equally important-maintaining your sense of humor and fun. One of the things that keeps us going is remembering to laugh and make light of difficult things. It can be a challenge working with your spouse. But, I’m fortunate that my spouse is fun, supportive, and really funny.

What should our readers know about your business?
My husband and I started our business smack dab in the middle of COVID. As first time business owners, it put an extra wrinkle in the process. So, no-it wasn’t easy. I never worked this hard in my life! We are sacrificing our retirement, our house, one of our cars, and my husband’s 401 K. We didn’t receive PPE or other grants/funding because of the timeline of when we started. And-we work really hard. It isn’t just learning how to be a business owner, but I learned about print, marketing, advertising, business ownership, and networking as quickly as I could in the short timeline of a year. We spent many 15 to 18 hour days in the store. We spent Christmas eve in the store. We didn’t buy any presents, but we did eat a feast of Panda Express. A miracle happened on Christmas Day. Some angel wrapped up presents and put them on our front porch. It was one of the kindest gestures I had ever experienced. I couldn’t provide Christmas for my 11 year old daughter, but someone was kind enough to share their Christmas with us. I think we overcame many of our challenges by putting our trust in other people. This meant that we could learn quickly and fortunately we learn very quickly from our mistakes. Plus, we are easy to get along with and people generally like us. We want to help others be successful and I think our clients know and appreciate that. For instance, we promote all kinds of clients on our social media: from taco truck owners to tow truck businesses, high schools to dry cleaners. We see ourselves as a mini chamber of commerce and if our clients want to connect with other businesses-we keep our eyes and ears open for them. More than ever small businesses need to be there for each other. We aren’t your typical printer for many reasons. Another is that we occupy 2 suites including warehouse space. We want others to utilize that space and we have used it for an art figure drawing class. A professional model posed as a super villain for a group of 15 artists. We also used the space for a Valentine’s Day photography promotion event for the real estate agency, Own-Sweet Home. We aren’t just a printer, we are cheerleaders too. If you succeed, then we succeed as well.

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?
Day 1: A trip to the mountains. Breckenridge is a great place to get a feel of mountain air. We could walk down the strip, ride bikes, or eat at one of the local cafes. Day 2: We would leave Breckenridge after spending the night and stop at Idaho Springs for some Beaujos Pizza. Nothing gives a visitor a mountain town feel like eating a meal there. The first time I visited, I was charmed and intrigued by the fake mineshaft and wooded panel walls. After lunch, we rent a hot tub and enjoy the weather and the outdoors. We drive over to Morrison to walk around Red Rocks and if we are feeling adventurous enough do some hiking in the foothills. Last, make a stop in Evergreen for some paddleboarding or kayaking. This would be followed by a beer or Margarita in the town of Evergreen.
Day 3: We begin by eating breakfast at Exile Kitchen. The cajun/creole inspired gourmet brunch is not to be missed! It’s time to see some of the downtown area. We head over to the Van Gogh Immersive exhibit on Elati St. Minds are blown! Lunch is on 16th St. Mall. We continue our “international” adventure with dinner at Pisco Sour, a Peruvian restaurant in Aurora.
Day 4: It’s time for a rest. We decide to go to the Denver Botanical Gardens or Wash Park for a leisurely stroll. Then, we get a pastry at Tou Les Jours with a honey lavender latte. For dinner, probably a sushi restaurant and some wine. We finish off with desert at Snowl in Aurora, a Korean ice cream restaurant. You haven’t lived until you have had one of their Snow Bowls-a refreshing and light ice flake desert.  Day 5: Brunch at Lola in the Highlands. We always get the pancakes and the eggs benedict. Then, for a taste of Colorado a trip to REI. Maybe we will get lucky and there will be a shirt or cool water bottle on sale. Then, we can walk down to the water and watch people swimming or wading.
Day 6: Time for a rafting trip. We gather our friends and tie our rafts together as we navigate the Platte. We eat at the Platte River cafe and then go for a stroll around Hudson Gardens. For dinner-time to relax! We treat our friends to pizza from Hungry Howies and some beer or soda.

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?
For me, there is a group of individuals who have been my cheerleaders, supporters, and encouragers. This includes family, friends, and acquaintances that I have met during this new adventure of business ownership. It’s all of them that have touched our lives with inspiring words, prayers, hugs, and a listening ear when things felt like too much. I’m thankful for them all.

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