Apr 22, 2007

iBerkshires Profiles Michele Gietz: Waking Up Happy Every DayBy Susan BushiBerkshires.com

Florida – It’s a business philosophy and foundation on which to build a life, and it is the essence of Florida resident Michele Gietz.

“You have to be an optimist,” Gietz said during a Saturday afternoon interview. “You have to be able to get through the tough times – and there will be a lot of them – you have to push through it.”

Gietz is well-known to scores of Northern Berkshire and Southern Vermont residents as the cheerful loquacious co-owner of Spring Street’s wildly popular gift, toy and game emporium “Where’d You Get That!?”. Over the past 15 years, she’s been a cheerleader and an advocate for the Village Beautiful’s downtown retail district.

The Berkshire region poses a dichotomy for small business owners, she said. She came to the mountain town in 1989 and husband Ken Gietz moved here in 1990.

“I love the life here,” she said. “I love the people here and I love the energy here. People here try to make this a healthy place, a place that is good for kids.The air is fresh and your head can be clear. You don’t have to live the fast-paced life. I love my neighbors; I have the best neighbors. People tell it like it is here, and we were never made to feel like outsiders.”

But operating a successful retail venue as an independent shop owner in the Berkshires is fraught with challenges and issues, she noted.

Read complete article