Photo by Molly Quan
As a first-generation Iraqi/Romanian American, Sarah Shaoul grew up watching her immigrant parents and extended family work hard to pursue the “American Dream.” She saw firsthand the challenges her family faced overcoming language, cultural, social, and other barriers. Each of her family members hustled balancing multiple jobs, pursuing education and some creating small businesses to support their families in an uphill economic reality. Some of her greatest memories are large family gatherings, enjoying a delicious combination of Iraqi, Hungarian, Romanian, and Jewish foods together, while her family spoke a pigeon of an equal number of languages.
Inspired by her family’s pluck and tenacity, Sarah moved to Portland at the age of 21, opening her first store, a vintage and resale clothing shop with just $2,500. That business, Retread Threads, would grow into downtown Portland with a 2nd location and give birth to its little sibling store, Black Wagon, an e-commerce store with a soon-to-follow flagship in Portland, Oregon.
After 28 years owning and operating brick and mortar retail concepts, Sarah sold her last store to pursue her love of writing and a passion project in the form of a podcast. Grief Gratitude & Greatness is an exploration of our culture’s relationship with grief by engaging people in conversation to normalize often-stigmatized, difficult subjects. In 2020 Sarah received a RACC grant for the podcast.
Throughout the past two decades, Sarah has worked as a coach and consultant for small businesses working with clients independently and as a counselor with The Small Business Development Center. She has also long advocated for small businesses as a member of Portland’s Small Business Advisory Council and other public sector forums.
In 2020 Sarah Shaoul created PDXSOS.com, a consumer-facing call to action to support small businesses by purchasing gift certificates. PDXSOS.com is now Small Shops - Big Hearts, a directory of over 800 small businesses. Concurrently she founded Bricks Need Mortar, a membership organization that provides advocacy, guidance, coaching, connection, partnerships, and solutions to keep our small business community thriving. For this work, Sarah was awarded Oregon’s Travel and Tourism Industry’s Portland’s Rising Star Achievement Award.
In 2021 Sarah partnered with Kuto, to create the first of its kind, The Small Shops Big Hearts gift card, an alternative to corporate gift cards that can be used at hundreds of small businesses.
Human engagement is at the center of all of Sarah’s work, from her podcast and writing to her work with small businesses. Sarah observes and explores solutions to how we can have healthy, successful, and rewarding relationships with one another in and out of the workplace. Just like the family meals that were vibrant with bold, satisfying, and meaningful conversation, Sarah works to foster that same feeling with the people, businesses, and organizations she works with.
