Cory Duran | CLT entrepreneur supporting local artists of all genres

Q & A with Cory Duran

Welcome, everybody, to Oui Talk Raw. I’m your host today, Jennifer Busco, and we are here today to celebrate and highlight somebody who’s doing amazing things in our community. Welcome, Corey Duran. Hey. How are you?

I’m well. How about yourself?

I’m doing well, thanks. So you are doing some big things in the community. So we’re going to talk about sort of where you came from and all the things that you are doing and where you’re going in the community. So tell us about what you do.

I am the founder owner of the People’s Market, currently located on Elizabeth Avenue. I am Charlottean.

Woo, unicorn!

I am definitely a unicorn. Very proud to be one of the I guess the original, but definitely one of the ones who stuck it out, you know, through a lot of transitions and changes for sure. I’m also the owner of a new venue opening up in NoDa later on this this summer called The Writer’s Room. And then, of course, the people’s market is in the process of growing as well. So that is who I am and what I’m about.

So you have a lot going on. And when did the original People’s Market open?

The original People’s Market opened 2017. Yeah, in a different location on East Boulevard in the Dilworth neighborhood. That location remained open for roughly three years. And then just a lot of different events forced us to close, covid being one. And then we were closed for I guess about two and a half years and then we reopened in the Elizabeth Avenue space.

So when you say why is it just you or do you have a whole team behind what you’re doing? How does that work?

Absolutely. I do use “we” a lot because it takes a village leader, people. But then I also have my business partners who support me in different ways and allowed me to the the freedom to be creative, not only just and the things we do as a business, but then the financial freedom to be able to achieve some of my personal goals. Absolutely.

And what was the driving force behind starting this beautiful market?

It’s really weird, I’ve told the story a lot of different times. When my background actually was investments. And so I worked at a investment firm Uptown Charlotte, and I just got tired of it.

Grind?

Yeah, I’m pretty sure everyone’s told a story about how they went to corporate America. Didn’t like it. It wasn’t for them. It’s not that I didn’t like corporate America. I had fun there. I feel like I was successful, But in the same time, I was just yearning to do more. And so I took a leap of faith. I left, I want to explore some of my creative side. So I attempted to start writing. So I was I wrote a couple of books individually and then as a ghost writer.

About what? Do tell.

The book that was published was really just short stories. I would say they were mostly fiction based on real events. So just kind of like taking things inside of my personal life and then just kind of on an avenue to, like, just talk to people about those experiences that I had. And then from there, it was just honestly, I take it as a joke, but it is exactly what happened. I would go to Amelie’s, like every morning, another local brand, and I would go there and get coffee and and I would just sit in there for hours and just write. I would go to leave there, go to the gym, go home. I just had nothing to do. So a lot of times I’m calling my friends who have like, quote unquote, real jobs. And I’m like, Hey, I’m going to get a beer and so we end up getting a beer at like Rhino market. And so after you do that a couple of times, that routine just kind of became something. I was like, Oh, this is kind of cool. Like, what if I could just do this all in one place where I can, like, spend my mornings at a place, spend my afternoons at a place, and then spend my evenings at a place. And so that’s kind of how People’s Market was born, was just kind of my love and appreciation for these these local businesses. I just wanted to try and put my own spin on it.

I love it and I love what you’re saying about corporate America, that it’s not for everyone, but it is for a lot of people. And it just wasn’t really for you because that feels like you have more creative, innovative energy, like it just didn’t really suit you.

So that’s awesome that you had the courage to follow more of you or like, you know, something that was in alignment with what you’re feeling.

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, at the end of the day, I think we all have these visions that I can be the boss or I could do this or I could do that. But a lot of times it’s also the the practices that are in place and these corporations that just just doesn’t allow certain voices to be heard. And that’s just something I personally just wanted more for myself is to have a voice and to have my voice heard.

I love it and I spend a lot of time at People’s Market and I’ve co-hosted open mics at People’s Market and I love that it’s called the People’s Market because to me that’s about like supporting your community. So like, let’s talk about that. Like what does community mean to you and what sort of like the intention there with your market? Yeah. One of the things that I love about Charlotte, as someone who’s lived in other cities and actually large metropolitan areas such as like New York and Chicago, briefly, even in L.A. My, my thing that I just love about Charlotte as far as, like, the biggest town in the world,

The biggest small town?

Yeah, absolutely. So, I mean, over the last couple of years, I don’t think I can continue to say that, but because we’re starting to turn into a city but at the end of the day, it’s like we’re this place where everybody seems to know each other. And so I just wanted to create a venue where anybody from any walk of life can be welcome, accept it, and and just have a place they can call home. And that’s really what I was striving for with the People’s market.

And you really do feel that when you walk in there and I love that you have liquor. 

Absolutely.

Everybody in Charlotte, other markets don’t have a liquor. So that is such a plus because you have the food, the wine, the booze, the music, the arts. And so I really think that’s that’s something that really sets you apart from some of the other markets in Charlotte.

I mean, like, is it is intentional. We literally have like a Cheesecake Factory type menu where we have everything available. I mean, you know, from breakfast and lunch to deli sandwiches to pizza coffee, of course we have the bar. And so, like, it’s just it’s just a little bit of something. So a lot of times I tell people it’s like, you might not know what you went into People’s Market for, but you can find something while you’re there. And so that’s just who we are and kind of what what has drawn a lot of people to us.

I love it. And let’s talk about how you support the music and the arts with the people’s market and where you’re going.

Absolutely. So and I say it as humbly, like I have family members that or in the music business, as producers, as writers, as entertainers, I myself have none of those. But I’ll wanted to be involved in the music business. I even minored in music business in college. So I just over the years just gained so much respect for artists in general, you know, whether it’s music, art or visual, any anything to do with the arts. I’m just really a big fan of. I don’t know for sure, I feel like I’ve been like a season ticket holder to BLUMENTHAL For, I don’t know, a decade. It’s just it’s just one of those things I just always admire artists and the different things and abilities that they have. And I just know how hard it is as an entrepreneur is harder. It’s just a different level in respects to, you know, getting your talent out to different people. So I just want to offer a venue that people can have that opportunity. So you know, like we hang up local artists, their prints, their work on the wall. We don’t charge a commission, we don’t charge a hanging fee. We just want people to have an opportunity to hang this stuff and have eyes on it. And so that’s just something that we just done since the very first people’s market. In respect to music, we get a lot of people that come in and to have an opportunity to have an artist perform for them. It’s just something that I think everyone can appreciate.

100%. And I think, you know, you can feel the energy when businesses support creativity because that creative energy, it’s a higher vibration. You know, there’s there’s a more artistic sort of joyful, sort of freeing, you know, vibe to that. And you can feel that when you walk into People’s Market versus like a place that doesn’t really have or support artistic endeavors.

Absolutely. Yeah. And it again, is intentional. I mean, it’s not just something you just wake up like, let’s try this. You know, our goal is definitely to just get people’s voices heard. You know, we’ve done some events that may be controversial, may not be controversial, but we—

Push the envelope, yes.

Some things work, some things don’t. But in a day I think no one question what our intentions are and I’m always just kind of get the word out that, you know, this may be different, but it’s something that can be respected and appreciate it.

Well, and you said Charlotte’s growing into a city. It’s like, that’s why we want to have you on today, because you are a part of the growth of Charlotte, which I think is so cool. Yeah, and kudos to you for having the courage even to have us host an open mic like, you know, not knowing how that was going to unfold on a Monday night. Yeah, I mean, again, like, yeah, it was, it was definitely a challenge when we tried it. And like, as we grow, as we grow, you can see like, okay, this is starting to happen. It’s starting to happen. And then obviously with us going into different locations where maybe there’s some more housing, maybe there’s more neighborhood support, I think that’s when we can see those type of events as being more successful for us.

100%. So you have this sort of creative, innovative side and pull to your personality. So how do you balance that with like the logistics of running a business and being practical? Like how does that how does that come into play?

There’s checks and balances. Yeah, I mean, I’m definitely the one to say, let’s try this, let’s try this. I also have people whose opinions I respect my show, my partners, my employees. I’m always just like, Hey, what do you guys think about this? And then that kind of just keeps me able to make what I consider would be decent business decisions.

It takes a village.

Absolutely.

So you have People’s Market on Elizabeth. You’re opening another one in LoSo and that another concept in NoDa. Do you want to talk about that?

Also there’s People’s Market Meyers Park.

Oh my gosh, that’s right. Where the old Mellow Mushroom was, correct?

Yes, yes, yes. So, you know, people’s work at Meyers Park looks to be first. People’s market in LoSo, Lower South End—

Thank you for clarifying that. I was thinking I wonder if any viewers guys what is LoSo? That one is probably a little further down the road, just logistically speaking. And then the Writer’s Room would probably come after Meyers Parks.

And let’s talk about that. I’m really excited about the writer’s. I’ve never heard of anything like that. At least in Charlotte. Do tell.

Yeah, I, I go back and forth and at the end of the day, we’re still just a bar laying. And I don’t want to just say like, just a bar because there are bars everywhere in Charlotte. I think we finally have more bars and churches at this point.

Right.

But one of the things that I’ve always seen is like a lot of times people just cookie cutting concepts just put in the same stuff on the shelf and then obviously the location matters. I do feel like sometimes the experience is cheapened. And so what I want to do is just kind of create a safe space for artists and safe spaces for entrepreneurs.

So writers, like any any form of art or creatives, correct? Well, yeah, but they come with an iPad or they’re writing in a journal or…

Absolutely. Or a but just kind of make it nice. I feel like sometimes when these quote unquote artistic places happen or come come along, it’s a lot of shortcuts are taken and then they they feel okay, but then they only have like a shelf life for, you know, maybe a year. So, I want to kind of create a very nice place that can actually last longer than a year, maybe become a staple, maybe become like a must see attraction via having either events or art or having just a menu that people just really like and appreciate.

Will you have live music there, like a little stage?

Yeah, not necessarily a stage. My vision right now is mostly to have like really intimate events, you know, whether you’re a singer songwriter, whether you’re a poet, spoken word, just something that where you want to showcase a talent, but you want to do it in front of a catered crowd. Maybe it’s for feedback, maybe is just to kind of like an album release. So just whatever we can come up with between different artists that we invite inside, it could even be a book reading. It could be whatever we kind of want it to be. But we’ll evolve to see where it takes us.

And I love it because I think what I’m hearing is everybody’s welcome. But you’re like setting an intention for the concept. So if I’m an artist or a writer and I’m thinking about going to blah blah market versus The Writer’s Room, right? The writer’s room, I’m going to go there because I know there’s like minds there. And then that’s also like, Oh, you play the drums, I play the guitar and they’re having coffee, Oh, let’s get together. So, you could be such a great a glue to like the creatives.

Absolutely. The creative scene here in Charlotte, which I think is so cool. Yeah, I mean, it could be like two people that have an idea and they just want to sit and have a drink together and flesh it out like that’s what we’re going for. Sometimes you go to a place is too loud, is too crowded, whatever, but, or you go to a place you don’t know who is who. So this place is like, Hey, Jennifer, I know you’re doing this. Hey, this is so-and-so. Let me put you guys together.

It’s like creative networking.

Absolutely. Yeah, That is what we’re going for.

That’s really cool. I love it. I can’t wait to go. Want to be there, like, every day? 

Absolutely.

I want to sing, find someone who can play an instrument that I can sing with. Yeah. So you have a lot going on and how do you battle with that? The negative self-talk that can creep in when you’re like, Oh my gosh, I have a lot going on. What can I actually can I pull this off? Is this all going to pull off correctly? How do you deal with like your own relationship to yourself and doing such big things?

I forget who who quoted this, but entrepreneurship can be lonely. I’m the first to admit that I’ve confessed that to a lot of different people.

Lonely at the top, Cory?

I would say, it’s lonely lonely on the journey. But because it’s like a lot of times your vision is yours and it’s hard to either communicate or explain that. So for me, again, I’m just blessed to have people that even when they don’t understand what my vision is, they still support me and so for me, when I when I get just confused or still trying to work through all the noise of a vision, I just take a deep breath and like I will if you follow me on Instagram, like I’ll go off in the middle of the woods. Oh yeah, go hiking, I’ll go paddleboarding. One of my favorite places, the Whitewater Center, locally. And so just anything where I can either just be with my own thoughts just so I can calm the storm. I definitely think a lot of people do it differently, but that’s my way.

So it sounds like you have your team that’s like collaborate and sort of lean out. But then also you need to be with yourself to recharge and make sure that you feel like everything’s in alignment and with integrity.

Absolutely, Yeah. And that’s an that’s the goal. It’s like sometimes you get so busy, you’re doing a thousand different things and then you’re just like, you know, the use of phrase is shooting from the hip. And that’s usually what you get in trouble is just trying to do too many things and not really knowing what the outcome is. And so for me, like taking these breaks, give me an opportunity to be able to plan, you know, not necessarily get the best outcome every single time, but it’s something I always tell my staff. I don’t mind failing. I just don’t want it to be a fatal failure.

You learn from failing.

Absolutely. Yeah. So, you know so because you know, those that failures is a lesson that’ll help the next piece of your journey or your vision.

So is this do you feel like your end, your purpose to use the buzz word or like this is part of like your path of what you do? Is this a dream that you’re feeling?

I think it’s a piece of the puzzle for sure, is a lot of other things that I would like to accomplish as an entrepreneur. But this is the path that I’m on right now and I definitely want to see it finish through.

And I think that’s such a great way to say it, because that’s what I was saying about the word purpose. I feel like it’s such a buzz word, but I feel like your purpose can always change. Like this can be a stepping stone to the next thing that you’re meant to be doing that’s even bigger and greater than this or, you know, and I think that’s I think that’s a great way to say it.

I mean, like 20 years ago, I was like selling insurance. So.

And that was your purpose? (Laughter)

And that was my purpose. So it was something that I didn’t want to do, but it was just something that gave me a check and gave me an opportunity to get to the next part of my life that it put me where I am now. So all these things are just steps.

Evolution, baby. So can you share with us any, like, surprise challenges that have come about that maybe you’re like, Oh, that was surprising. That was a surprise. How do I jump this hurdle?

Yeah. I mean, as an entrepreneur, your biggest battle always is just the financial piece of right? I mean, some of the things that I come up with are expensive and so I try very hard to find things that are cheap, but that’s honestly just isn’t my lane, right? I have grand ideas and I just try to navigate ways to finance those grand ideas. And so that’s usually where most of my challenges are. It’s just that piece of the puzzle. But in executing the idea, managing the idea, even coming up with the idea, I toot my own horn, I feel comfortable there. But then, you know, and that’s part of like my partnership with my partners and even my chef and my team. I try to put people in positions of power that can assist me in the places I don’t feel as strong. And so like and like, I keep bringing up my chef, but we collaborate really well together because he’s a chef, he’s trained well, I know how to eat food and I know and I feel like I know what tastes good. And so, like, that’s how we collaborate.

And I think that shows that you are a great leader because you have sometimes leaders that the ego, you know, is taking over where it’s like, no, no, no, I know what’s best. But I think it takes a lot of, you know, humility to rely on other people and to maybe take their feedback that sometimes my, you know, the truth hurts. So kind of idea of, you know, how you run the business.

One of my partners is like a guru in construction, like documents, papers, like he is all about it. I just ask him a question, he’ll give me the answer. And I’m just like, sometimes you have to fact check it. I just trust him and know. And then, like, one of my partners is like a media advertising PR, like they just know everything and like, she’s just a wizard and she sees things and she opens my eyes to certain things. So a lot of times, like again, like I don’t need to question the work. I just let them do their own thing. And that’s kind of how we partner together is just being able to jokingly put the like, Voltron thing together as like we’re just all like different pieces of it. I just happen to be at the top. But at the end of the day, like, you know, the brain can be strong, but the body is what gets you there.

I mean, I think when you go into businesses, you can typically feel that energy of like who is at the top and it trickles down into the employees, you know, if they’re miserable or happy. And it seems like everybody at the People’s Market is always super happy and it feels really good in there. So elevator pitch, if I’ve never been into People’s Market, what would you want someone to feel when they walk through the door? Like the experience of it.

Yeah. I mean, that’s easy, I guess. I mean, for me is like, I just. I want people to feel good. I want people to be able to smile. I want people to have a great experience. You know, there is a sign inside of people’s market that says, you know, good food, good coffee, I’m paraphrasing and then good vibes. And so, like, I think that is the goal in every experience is to give good vibes to a person. So when they leave, they like, I really want to come back to this place.

Because it just feels good.

It feels good.

Yeah. I mean, it’s energy. I mean, I mean, I absolutely love my language.

Well, like, that’s the thing is like, Oh God, I guess I need to start remembering authors. The Celestine Prophecy.

Oh, my gosh. That book changed my life.

It’s such a great book.

I don’t even remember what happened in the book. But I remember this, like completely changed my life.

There’s a quote inside of that book. You know, I’ll paraphrase again, but it’s like if you ever walk into a room and you instantly know that you want to leave, the energy is the vibes that are speaking to you.

100%.

And so for me, that’s something I have over the years I think developed some sort of, I don’t know, process to kind of know, is this a room I want to be in or is this a place that I want to be or people that I want to be involved in is because I’m trying to absorb whatever energy that either the person, the universe, whoever is trying to give me. And that is something I think a lot of people ignore. Yes, you can minimize and just say your gut and like your gut sometimes is telling you like get out or stay. And so for us is I’m trying to duplicate an energy that gives people a good feeling to either stay or take that good feeling off into the world and and pass that on to someone else.

I love it. And I always tell my kid, if it feels right, it is right. If it feels wrong, it is wrong. 

Absolutely.

And on that note, we are going to take a quick break with a word from our friends and sponsors. And we’ll be right back.

And we are back with OuiTalkRaw with Cory Duran, who was making a splash in the community with his markets and supporting arts and music here in Charlotte. So, Cory, I would like to just close with one question. What advice would you give to somebody watching this that wants to start their own business, particularly maybe in the market scene or just, you know, trying to find the courage to take that leap, to maybe leave somewhere that they’re not really feeling, quote unquote, good about, like we were just talking about and trying to move closer towards a dream or more fulfillment in their in their business?

I’ve been asked that question in different ways by so many people. Usually my answer is about just just go out there and just do it, you know, win or lose, just do it.

And how do you find the courage to just do it?

When I would say that it I think there’s a level of arrogance there. And so I try to be careful in saying that and everyone because everyone’s different. Like you don’t know what their situation is, you know? But what I would say is the first thing, if you do have that vision, you have that dream is to write it down.

Something about writing things down. I think I’m manifesting one.

Oh, absolutely. Yes. That’s great advice. Write it down. I don’t care how you do. Make a list. Put all your pros and cons right out of business plan. These are the things I absolutely tell people to do. Any time I have an idea, I feel like I’ve had great ideas and I’ve always taken this approach. Just write things down, build a business plan. Sometimes it doesn’t work on paper, and if it doesn’t work on paper, it probably won’t work. So you got to, you know, because sometimes people get sold, falling in love with the dream, and then they’ll try to force it to work. And that’s not to say that it can’t work, it’s just your path may be a lot harder to get to the finish line because even with the first People’s Market, it did not work. And now, I’ll tell a quick story on paper. We probably should have closed within like 90 days of opening, like just because it did not work out. Every thought I had did not pan out. Every employee we hired we ended up firing. Everything that happened in that first 90 days just was complete failure. And so but then you also have had that perseverance. You have to have, you know, a team. You had to have finances. You have to have a lot of different things in place to kind of push you through those tough times when things don’t go according to plan, because that WILL happen. So to answer the question like yes, you still have to try. Like you can’t say you want to do something and then just like watch it happen in your section, like in your daydreams. Like you at some point have to take a leap of faith on yourself and try to make it happen. But everything else still takes standards, best practices, teamwork, but none of those other things happen until you have that belief in yourself that you can do it.

So you’re my dear friend and you shared a story with me. And I’m hoping that you’ll want to share it here. You were telling me you’re like, Jennifer, you’re a single mom and you kill it at life. But I feel like you never ask for help. And you told me story about how you asked for help and Facebook. Will you share that story?

Yeah. So, like, going through COVID, like, I basically after we shut down the first season where I basically lost everything that I had, I was just running on fumes. I was doing really odd jobs just to like, pay my bills. And so basically I knew that people’s market was well alight. Well, appreciate it, but I just, I just couldn’t quit in the way we closed. And so I go on Instagram, Facebook one day and I was like, I’m doing I’ll ask for help. And I made a post and was like, Hey, I have this opportunity. People’s Market is close. I reached out to friends and friends helped. I still had like a little bit of savings. I had things like a sale and so people answered to call and the community answered to call because that they appreciated what people’s market was and what people’s market was attempting to do. And so my business partners today, or some of the people who answered the call and I was able and fortunate enough to reopen after going through so much struggle to get to a place where we could almost call ourselves a success and then now we’re at a place where we’re growing. The business feels good every day, we’re getting better. It’s because I asked for help and so, so huge. So I would say in that entrepreneur vision, yes, you do have to take a very, you know, step of faith or leap of faith, but assuming you don’t know everything. Assuming you don’t have it all. Like, don’t be afraid to ask people for help and kind of go from there.

I think that’s so great and such a lesson because you could look at it like, Oh my gosh, like you’re posting on social media asking for money and, you know, but it wasn’t that way. It was it was all about the intention coming from a pure and authentic place of like where you are and what you’re looking to do. And just the fact that so many people you were like, I was sifting through who I want to do it best. By the end of the day, I’m like, Oh my gosh, that’s amazing. So is you that this was part of your path and that the community really wanted to.

Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, I will say like the financial investor in me helped that because I do know there are people who just don’t like to ask for help. But I will tell you, no matter what, whether it’s financial, spiritual, spiritual, emotional, whatever, like if you need help, you should always be willing to ask for it because especially here in Charlotte, so many people care. So many people who want to help other people. But you, they will never know if you don’t have the courage to ask.

We do have a lot of heart in this city, and I think it’s also the act of receiving can be uncomfortable for a lot of people, like actually receiving the things that people want to give you can be really uncomfortable for people. So it’s like having the courage to ask for help. To know that you’re worthy of receiving is really- that’s the clincher right there.

Look at you, being deep over there. (Laughter)

So how can people follow you on Instagram? What’s your Instagram handle? 

@IamCory007. And then the People’s market, @the.peoples.mkt

So, follow him on Instagram, follow People’s Market, go into people’s market and say, hi. You’re there all the time, except midday when you walk your dog, correct?

Yes, I have to walk the puppy.

But that’s when the coffee’s cheap, right? The Coffee Happy hour. Come to Coffee Happy Hour, between like three and five?

2:00-4:00

Yeah, that’s a good that’s a good time to go. All right. Well, thank you so much for all that you’re doing in the community. And I think, like I said, you are part of the evolution of Charlotte and the the art scene in Charlotte and the music scene and the creative scene. So you’re just you’re supporting all of that. And I think that Charlotte supporting you and it shows.

Yeah. And I’m appreciative and I hope I can just keep giving more back to this community.

Thank you so much for coming on, Cory Thank you. Ya’ll, visit People’s Market and The Writers Room. When is that scheduled to open?

Summer.

All right, get your creative juices on, everybody. The Writer’s Room in NoDa. This is OuiTalkRaw. Thanks for tuning in on rBeatz Radio and Media Streaming Network.