Don’t Be an A**hole (with Marie Estrada)

In a future where we depend increasingly on Amazon, the fates of many small businesses hang in the balance. In this episode, Baratunde learns about a new model to help local small businesses compete with the online ease of ordering from Amazon. He speaks with whiskey distiller Marie Estrada, a small business owner who has pushed through the hurdles of the pandemic, while giving back to the community in ways that corporate monopolies just don’t. Guest: Marie Estrada - small business owner, distiller, motorcycle enthusiast Instagram: @motospirits Bio: Marie Estrada left a career in book publishing and in 2016 opened MÔTÔ Spirits distillery in Bushwick, Brooklyn with her business partner, Hagai Yardeny. Inspired by their travels, they specialize in rice whiskey and Jabuka, an invented spirit made from apples and rice. She lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. SHOW NOTES + LINKS Go to howtocitizen.com to sign up for show news, AND (coming soon!) to start your How to Citizen Practice. Please show your support for the show in the form of a review and rating. It makes a huge difference with the algorithmic overlords! We are grateful to Marie Estrada for joining us! Follow MÔTÔ Spirits at @motospirits on Instagram, or learn more about what Marie’s brewing at motospirits.com. ACTIONS PERSONALLY REFLECT  How do you relate to local businesses? What locally-owned businesses do you rely on? Do you know the owners? What do you most appreciate about the shop? What would you miss if it went out of business? Try following some of your favorite local businesses on social media - many have instagram accounts where you can reach out directly. BECOME INFORMED Know Why Small Business Matters We often hear that it’s “good to support local, independent businesses,” but why? The Institute for Local Self Reliance answers that question in the article, “Why Care About Independent, Locally Owned Businesses?” If you want to do a deeper dive, go to bookshop.org/shop/howtocitizen to check out more titles on this topic. PUBLICLY PARTICIPATE Shop