History
You would expect that a store with a tag line “a store for guys” would be owned and run by guys. Well, owner and founder Sage Novak would be the first to tell you that there are a lot of things about Anchor & Compass that may surprise you. Maybe you’d be surprised to find a men’s shop that has no suits and ties, or maybe you’d be surprised to find a nice cold bucket of beer greeting you on the counter on a warm Saturday afternoon. What’s different here is the culture;
The warm, comfortable atmosphere and the welcoming feeling you get when you visit this local shop. Anchor & Compass opened its doors just prior to Father’s Day in June 2010. The idea was to provide guys with a store all their own; filled with quality clothing and accessories that were not only practical, but ruggedly handsome. Add to this a big selection of gifts that speak to guys with both uniqueness and humor and the result is a store that as one customer put it “is shockingly awesome.”
Giving Back
Sage was born and raised in Deep River, and has spent her life supporting the local community. Now, as a local business owner, she has the privilege of being able to give directly back to this great small town. Anchor & Compass has supported many wonderful programs and fund raisers over the years and is very proud to do so. When you “shop small” and support your very own local businesses, you are enabling them to turn right around and put it back into the local economy – through not only donations, but jobs and tax dollars.
When Sage signed her lease back in April of 2010, she knew she was only going to use local contractors to help make her vision of Anchor & Compass a reality. Her employees hail from the small villages within a 10 minute radius of the shop. She places ads in local program booklets and hangs posters of local events by the check-out counter and in the windows. Anything Anchor & Compass can do to give back is done with a smile and sense of local pride. This is what small business is all about.
What’s in a Name
We are often asked how the concept for Anchor & Compass was born and it’s a story that moves our customers every time they hear it. In 2008, while Sage was enjoying a successful career in real estate, her husband Rob passed away unexpectedly at the age of 33. For Sage, the anchor quickly became an emotional symbol for Rob as he was steadfast, loyal, strong and loved the water and boating. In attempting to pull her life back together and determine the best way to support their two girls, Sage remembered a conversation with Rob about opening a store in town.
At the same time, through chance or fate, she reconnected with a childhood friend from Deep River and quickly realized that Dan was her compass – he found her when she was lost and gave her life new direction and hope. Anchor & Compass opened in June of 2010 as an homage to these two amazing men in Sage’s life. On August 17th, 2013, with Rob’s family in attendance, Dan and Sage were married. They live with Grace and Natalie in their wonderful home town of Deep River.
