economy
29-year-old is scaling back her six-figure career to run a local bookstore with her husband: It's an 'intrinsic' part of the community
Paola Merrill needed a change after finding success as a content creator. In 2025, she and her husband bought the Trail's End Bookstore.
TL;DR
- Paola Merrill, formerly a content creator with 1.6 million YouTube subscribers, shifted to a less demanding career path.
- She and her husband, Luke Garing, purchased the Trail's End Bookstore in their hometown of Winthrop, Washington, in October 2025.
- The couple invested $260,000 in the bookstore, including renovations and adding a crystal display.
- Merrill now balances running the bookstore with her Patreon account, intending to fully focus on the store.
- The bookstore's profitability fluctuates seasonally, with income varying significantly between summer and slower months.
- In 2025, the bookstore had a net income of nearly $29,000, while Merrill and Garing's combined income was approximately $209,000.
- Their monthly expenses include mortgage, utilities, insurance, food, childcare, and other costs, totaling around $7,385 in February.
- Merrill redefined success as living a sustainable and manageable life, aiming to pay herself around $40,000 from the bookstore annually.