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Why Small Businesses Matter
Shop small, do big things for your community
Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!
Meet Brittney Richardson founder of Muse Squad
Why did you start your business?
Muse Squad was born out of my love for writing and the revelation that kids need to have access to more creative writing experiences with their peers. In the past two years, Muse Squad has bloomed in several communities. In a club-like setting, Muse Squad instills skills and boosts vocabulary. At the beginning of each class students are given a handout to follow along. We ponder famous quotes from influential figures throughout history, generate lists of inspiration on the blackboard, dive into a piece of literature or song lyrics. Then write like we’ve never written before. I embarked on this journey when the idea came to me one night and right then and there I decided that I wanted to create a writing program that I wish had been available when I was growing up.
What is your best selling product/service?
Muse Squad offers 10-week creative writing courses, independent workshops and summer programs. I am currently working on Volume III of the Muse Squad Handbook (a narrative, textbook, teaching manual), the fifth independent workshop and a compilation of musical classes, which I hope to pass on to other instructors in the future. The dream is to provide a new extracurricular activity for children and teens, and generate income for writers.
How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?
I love building relationships in every community we visit. We have participated in dozens of festivals all over Connecticut. At each event, we have a fun writing activity. We construct a Word Board by presenting the town with a writing prompt that requires reaching inside you or your imagination to create a picture out of Post-its on the blackboard. This collaborative exercise is employed throughout the course and workshops, though in class we use liquid chalk to record our answers.
Here is our festival circuit up to date:
- Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off 2022 & 2023 at Ballard Park Ridgefield, CT
- Danbury Light the Lights Winter Festival 2022 & 2023 on the CityCenter Green Danbury
- Danbury Winter Craft Fair 2022 & 2023 at the Community Center Danbury, CT
- jjStacks Spring Fest 2023 Brookfield, CT
- Macaroni KID Greater Danbury Summer Camp Fair 2023 & 2024 at the Danbury Fair Mall
- GOAT Days Festival 2023 & 2024 on Young’s Field New Milford, CT,
- Danbury Street Festival 2023 & 2024
- Village Center for the Arts Open House 2023 & 2024 New Milford
- Second Company Governor’s Horse Guard’s Fall Festival 2023 Newtown
- Connecticut Garlic & Harvest Festival 2023 Bethlehem, CT
- jjStacks Halloween Party 2023 Brookfield
- Project Indigo Open Studio 2023 Armonk, NY
- New Milford PTO Summer Camp & Activities Expo 2024 at Sarah Noble Intermediate School New Milford
- New Milford High School Health Fair 2024
- New Milford High School Career Expo 2024
- Spring Fling 2024 at Ridgefield Parks & Recreation
- 4th Annual Beat Childhood Cancer Fundraiser 2024 at MJ Fitness & Kickboxing Danbury Muse Squad’s Family Fun Party 2024 at Xtreme Play Adrenaline Park Danbury
We are also working to get Muse Squad off the ground at the state-of-the-art facility WorkspaceCT in Bethel, CT.
Is there anything you want the community to know?
Muse Squad is a 501c3 organization that aims to foster an exploratory environment where local children and teens can experiment with their literary style and develop a toolkit of important creative writing techniques. The World Will Always Need More Writers. We provide a place to grow while offering an inspiring experience for all.
Learn more about Muse Squad online https://musesquad.org and follow along on Facebook and on Instagram @musesquad22
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!