In the heart of Harlem, N.Y., at the Hue-Man Bookstore & Café, CEO Marva Allen has created a space where unique voices are heard, ideas are exchanged and loyal customers are remembered by their names. These factors have helped Hue-Man become a popular destination in Harlem thanks to Allen’s business acumen. Allen was past president and a co-owner of USI, a multimillion dollar technology firm in Southfield, Mich. In 2004, she joined Hue-Man and since then has received the 2008 New York Urban League Frederick Douglass Award, among others.
Rolling out turned a page with Allen as we talked about the impact of technology on the publishing world, her new imprint, Open Lens, and her definition of success, which, surprisingly, does not include money.
Technology is definitely changing the publishing world. How will that impact your business?
The Internet creates a false sense of intimacy that can’t sustain itself and human contact is essential. So bookstores will begin to look a lot like the community where it is engaging with very interactive programming. We want people to come and be involved and have conversations around the meaning of life and books. For 10 years Hue-Man has brought people together for more than just books.
You are now a co-founder of the imprint, Open Lens with the publication of Makeda, a novel by best-selling author, Randall Robinson. So how are you choosing which books you will publish?
We are looking to hear the voices of the world. We are choosing literature in Technicolor whether it’s from Afghanistan, a Latin country or the Caribbean. Somewhere there is a voice that we don’t hear in America and that’s where we are stressing our resources.
How do you define success outside of profits?
We measure success when you walk in and we know your name. We do something that’s not even in hospitals; we keep the business personal. We are mindful of having great customer service and experiences. So my gratification as a leader comes from growth. We still struggle to keep operating costs in check, but we are still here and that speaks for itself.
