Congratulations to our February Store of the Month, Mind Benders in Whiting, Indiana! Our sales rep Adrien nominated them because they have gathered great success with their new business. They also won third place in our Window Display Contest. I had the pleasure of talking to the owners, Joel and Amy Bender, about Mind Benders’ success.

Mind Benders is a new store that has blossomed in the past five months. The store started in August 2016 after one of its owners, Joel, ended his job as a beer salesman. Joel and his wife, Amy, loved board games, and they wanted to start a business that could educate and bring families together. They wanted to sell board games that branched beyond mainstream big hits. Now, they sell a wider variety of games that many stores in the area can’t offer.

Mind Benders’ first encountered Blue Orange when they met Adrien. Joel said Adrien was such a great help to them and their new business. He explained that Adrien was good with suggesting games that were popular and trending. He was also happy to hear Adrien check in on their business and let them know about company contests and events, such as the Window Display Contest.

In the short five months Mind Benders has been in business, they’ve noticed that their customers love to buy the games they demo. One of their best successes is Pengoloo. They’ve also learned so much and created so many experiences since they started their business. Joel is always so happy to see his customers play the demos with smiles on their faces, and he can’t help but smile when kids will beg to stay so they can play just a few more games. However, starting a business has been quite the learning process for Joel and Amy. It’s a struggle to stay on top of new trends and manage demos according to those trends. Still, Joel and Amy are glad they can offer a personal shopping experience where customers can buy an enriching game that’s perfect for their loved ones.

We are so thrilled that Mind Benders has grown so much in such a short time. We hope that their business continues to soar and eventually becomes a timeless place where the community gathers to find and enjoy amazing games. Congratulations! You earned it!