WOMEN TO WATCH

Beth Porter

Owner
Eggshells Kitchen Co.

Eggshells Kitchen Co. is a locally woman-owned kitchen and gifts store in The Heights. We are the store you come to for kitchen gadgets and tools, for housewarming and wedding gifts and for the hard-to-find gourmet additions to your charcuterie boards. We partner with local chefs and offer cooking classes weekly. Eggshells Kitchen Co. has been around for almost 13 years, and I am proud to be the third owner to carry on the tradition of helping our customers find their inner chef.

PRESSING QUESTIONS

Biggest challenges in my career

Figuring out how to manage the store and our cooking classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nonprofit I wish more people knew about

Paws in Prison. It is such a wonderful opportunity for the dogs and their inmate trainers to acquire skills for re-entry into society. We have a PIP dog, and he is the very best.

What keeps me coming back to my job every day

My staff. The customers. I get to be creative. Every day is something new and different.

Best career moment so far

Closing the doors Christmas Eve and celebrating a great season with my family and staff despite the pandemic.

The one thing I wish people knew about my field

Eggshells Kitchen Co. isn't just a kitchen store. We have gifts for all sorts of occasions and we take pride in carrying many Arkansas-made products.

A skill I never expected to need in this field

Lighting Zoom calls and presentations.

One practice I use to maintain my mental health

Working out every morning at Arkansas Fitness and Athletics. I value my daily routine.

Best advice I ever received

If you don't try, you will never know.

How I knew this was my passion

My husband, Charlie, and I have always enjoyed cooking and entertaining at home. For years I have dreamed of being my own boss.

My first job and what it taught me

My very first job was in retail and it taught me that the customers and your staff are the lifeline of your business.

The first thing I do to course-correct when I hit a wall

Take a moment and try again tomorrow.

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Hometown

North Little Rock

I can't start my day until

I go to the gym

Hobbies

Hiking

Binge watch

“Schitt's Creek”

Last good read

“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak

Favorite meal in town

Anything by Low Ivy Catering

Best recent local discovery

East Quarry Trail at Pinnacle Mountain State Park

Latest splurge

Artwork by Anne Siems

Most-used app

Instagram

Dream vacation

Hiking Patagonia

SPONSORS