Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Branson.
Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve spent much of my professional career helping organizations build, grow, and operate more effectively. I’m an attorney by training and have held leadership roles in law, corporate operations, and government, including serving as General Counsel of a financial technology company and leading an office focused on entrepreneurship for the City of Philadelphia.
Working with entrepreneurs at the City was particularly inspiring. I met people who were taking their ideas, investing in themselves, and building businesses. Somewhere along the way, I got bitten by the “entrepreneur bug” myself.
I had formed a company called Avia Global in 2019, and decided to dust it off and build a legal and executive strategy consulting business. After working across so many different industries and sectors, I realized that I had valuable experience to offer entrepreneurs and businesses looking to launch and grow.
Avia Global’s tagline is “Turning Influence Into Ownership.” My vision was to help individuals, particularly artists, athletes, and entertainers, leverage their professional success, experience, and relationships into sustainable business ownership.
As I thought about how to position the company, I realized that I could be my own first client.
My friends have started referring to me as the “Queen of the Pivot” because of the different directions my career has taken. I used to frown at that description, but I’ve come to embrace it. Each role has given me skills and perspectives that I’ve been able to apply to the next opportunity.
The idea for The Ship Shop PHL came from a simple frustration. I regularly needed UPS, FedEx, and USPS services, but had to visit three different locations to get everything done. I thought there should be a more convenient way.
As the concept started taking shape, another opportunity emerged. My sister, Kelly, and I had recently reconnected and were spending more time together. Kelly had more than 30 years of retail and hospitality experience, which complemented my background in law, strategy, and operations. I asked if she would move to Philadelphia to help me open and run the business, and she agreed.
It was also an opportunity to put Avia Global’s philosophy into practice in a way I hadn’t initially anticipated. I’d been thinking about how successful professionals could use their experience and resources to create opportunities for themselves and the people around them. Here was a chance to do exactly that with my own family. Unlike a law practice, The Ship Shop PHL is a business that Kelly can eventually operate and lead.
I approached The Ship Shop PHL as I would a client engagement, developing the business concept, reviewing my own lease and vendor contracts, and leveraging my professional network to help bring the idea to life. My legal and executive experience gave me a strong foundation, while Kelly’s retail and hospitality knowledge proved invaluable as we prepared to open.
Coming from a professional services background, I hadn’t fully appreciated how different the retail playbook would be, particularly when it came to branding, marketing, and attracting customers. It’s been a real education.
In November 2025, we opened The Ship Shop PHL on North Broad Street in Philadelphia. We’re an independent, multi-carrier shipping and business services store offering shipping, packing, printing, notary services, package receiving, private mailboxes, and more. I like to describe us as a “neighborhood back office,” a place where residents, entrepreneurs, and small businesses can access the services they need in one convenient location.
As we celebrate our first anniversary, I’m proud of what we’ve built, but I also recognize that we’re still building. The experience has reinforced my belief in the importance of ownership, while giving me an entirely new perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing small-business owners.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We’ve had more good days than bad days, but I wouldn’t describe the road as smooth!
One of my biggest surprises has been just how different the brick-and-mortar retail playbook is from the professional services world I came from. With the exception of a startup, I’ve spent my career working for organizations with established brands and market positions. As an attorney and executive, I was accustomed to building relationships, leveraging my network, and demonstrating expertise. Creating a brand, establishing a market position, and marketing directly to consumers have been entirely new experiences for me.
I’ve also underestimated how much work it takes to change customer behavior. People have established routines. They know where they go to ship packages, make copies, or handle other errands. Even when you offer those services closer to home, it takes time to convince people to change their habits.
Fortunately, some of our services introduce customers to us naturally. For example, we’re a FedEx Hold at Location site, so when someone misses a delivery, FedEx may redirect their package to our store for pickup. That’s an opportunity to introduce someone to The Ship Shop PHL who might never have visited otherwise. The challenge is making sure they understand everything else we offer and giving them a reason to come back on their own.
I assumed people would see The Ship Shop PHL and immediately understand what we do. But we’ve had to educate customers that we’re not just a place to drop off UPS, FedEx, and USPS packages. They can also ship a birthday present to a niece or nephew, print documents, get something notarized, or have packages delivered to us for safekeeping.
We’ve also become more intentional about building relationships within the community, including getting involved with North Broad Renaissance and a local community center. Those connections are important because we want The Ship Shop PHL to become a trusted neighborhood resource, not just another storefront.
One of my favorite lessons is that I now understand why our favorite retailers email us every day! They’re working to stay top of mind. As a small business, we don’t have that kind of marketing infrastructure, but I have a much greater appreciation for the importance of consistently reminding customers that we’re here and what we can do for them.
Ultimately, I’ve learned that opening the doors is just the beginning. You have to build awareness, earn trust, and create reasons for customers to return. We’re making progress, and every returning customer reminds us that we’re building something valuable.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Ship Shop PHL is a family-operated, Black-owned, multi-carrier packing, shipping, and business services store located at Broad and Allegheny in North Philadelphia. I like to describe us as a “neighborhood back office” because our goal is to make everyday business services more convenient and accessible for the people who live, work, and operate businesses in our community.
What sets us apart is that we’re not tied to a single shipping carrier. Customers can access UPS, FedEx, SpeedX (for Vinted), and USPS services in one location, compare shipping options and prices across couriers, and choose what works best for their needs and budget. Whether you’re returning an online purchase, sending a care package to a college student, or shipping something across the country, we’re here to help.
But shipping is only part of what we do. We offer professional packing, printing, copying, scanning, faxing, notary services, passport photos, private mailboxes, and secure package receiving. Our package receiving service is particularly useful for customers who don’t want deliveries left unattended at home. For a small fee, customers can shop online and have packages delivered to our store for pickup.
We’re also here for small businesses and entrepreneurs who may not have the equipment, space, or resources to handle everything themselves. Whether someone needs business cards, documents printed, order fulfillment, packages shipped, or a business mailing address, we want to be a resource they can count on.
One thing that’s important to me is that we’re an independent neighborhood business. We have the flexibility to listen to our customers, understand what they need, and adapt our services accordingly. We serve a lot of seniors who don’t know how to navigate their smartphones and the online return process.
I’m particularly proud of the environment we’ve created. When people walk into The Ship Shop PHL, they’re often surprised. We’ve invested in creating a beautiful, welcoming store, and there’s a personality to the space that you might not expect from a shipping business. We love Hip Hop, and our name, The Ship Shop PHL, is a nod to that love of music and Philadelphia culture. Music is part of the experience.
As a Black-owned business, we’re also proud to have invested in North Philadelphia. When my sister and I tell customers that we’re behind the business, we’ll sometimes hear, “Go girls!” Others have told us how empowering it feels to see two Black women building something in their community. Those interactions mean a great deal to us.
We believe our community deserves the same quality, convenience, and customer experience you’d expect anywhere else in the city. We want every customer to feel respected, valued, and genuinely welcomed.
One of our taglines is “With Love from PHL,” and that captures the spirit of what we’re trying to build. It’s about more than providing a service. It’s about bringing positive energy, care, and a little bit of Philly to everyday interactions. Whether you’re dropping off a prepaid return or trusting us to pack and ship something important, we want you to leave feeling that we cared about your experience.
Ultimately, we want The Ship Shop PHL to become the first place people think of when they need to ship something, print something, receive a package, or take care of everyday business. My longer-term vision is to build a brand and business model that can eventually expand into other communities, potentially through franchising, while maintaining the personality and commitment to service that makes The Ship Shop PHL special.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’ve learned that I’m more tenacious than I realized, and that entrepreneurship requires a level of courage I hadn’t fully appreciated before becoming a business owner.
Throughout my career, I’ve taken on challenging roles, navigated unfamiliar industries, and made some significant professional pivots. But there’s something very different about investing your own resources, putting your name behind an idea, and being responsible for whether it succeeds.
As an attorney and former General Counsel, I’m accustomed to mastering unfamiliar subject matter. I’m a generalist by training, and developing expertise in new industries has always been part of my professional life. Shipping was no different in that respect. I had to learn an entirely new industry, from carrier requirements and shipping regulations to the operational details of running a retail shipping business. What was different was the personal investment and responsibility that came with owning the business.
I’ve also developed a much deeper appreciation for the entrepreneurs I worked with during my time at the City. I understood their challenges intellectually, but experiencing the realities of business ownership firsthand has given me an entirely new perspective.
Most importantly, I’ve learned that I’m willing to bet on myself. The Ship Shop PHL is still a work in progress, but I’m proud of what we’ve built and excited about what’s ahead. I’m glad I had the courage to turn an idea into something real.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theshipshopphl.com
- Instagram: @theshipshop_phl
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theshipshop_phl
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/the-ship-shop-phl-philadelphia
- Other: TikTock: @theshipshop_phl
