We’re at it again, dear reader! Last year I had spoken to a few brands/artisans that we work with at Only In My Dreams, and who’s work we proudly sell at The Shop, and that got us thinking!
Why stop there??
There are so many amazing, creative minds in the Berkshires so let’s keep going!
With that said, we’re kickstarting the Berkshires Spotlight Series for 2022 and expanding outward!
To kick it off, I spoke to Trace Augcomfer, the creator of the BerkHub app. Debuting last fall, the goal of the app is to promote small businesses, and give a comprehensive look at all things Berkshire County. Here’s what Trace had to say:
P: Where did the idea for the BerkHub app start?
T: I created BerkHub during COVID and actually used the pandemic payments to fund the creation of the app. Moving from a large city to a small town I was able to see the devastation more closely and decided to do something about it.
P: What has been your favorite part of the journey of creating this app?
T: Besides taking pleasure in putting out all the fires that arise when creating something like this, my greatest pleasure is meeting new people. I personally go to each interested business and also show support by purchasing something. I think they appreciate the effort I’m making to help keep them afloat and create greater visibility for them.
P: What has been an unexpected part of the journey of creating this app?
T: Helping to bring the towns together to form one cohesive source for visitors had been a challenge mostly due to the “status quo” mentality. However, when I get calls from Spectrum News 1 to do an interview, when I request a meet with our State Representative Smitty Pignatelli and he supports what I’m doing and also asks me to do a radio interview with him, this lets me know I’m on the right path.
P: What’s one of your favorite spots in the Berkshires to tell people about?
T: When my Mother retired and moved to Sheffield, I would come to visit at least one a year but I never actually drove around the county. She would often express her love for the Berkshires and suggest I move here. Initially I had no interest. She eventually became sick and passed away, but while my time spent here increased I began to drive around the area and eventually decided to move here from Los Angeles. It wasn’t until I arrived and visited the towns that I truly appreciated the beauty of JUST the drive. Then I picked up on the wonderful things each town offered. SO there is no ONE spot to tell people about....The entire Berkshire County is my favorite spot that I love to share with my friends and family when they come visit.
P: What message do you want to spread to those in the Berkshires and beyond?
T: The message is in my creation of the app. I appreciate small town closeness, small town quality and the importance of small town business. The Berkshires is a visitors paradise and hopefully the app will become the unified source for ALL THINGS BERKSHIRES and help maneuver its visitors and 2nd home owners to all the beauty and fun we have to offer.
Thank you, Trace! If you would like more information on the BerkHub app you can check out their website here. You can also download the app now on The App Store or Google Play here!
