When I first started vending at local conventions and markets, I felt in over my head. I had an idea of what I wanted to make, the audience I wanted to target, but I definitely didn't have the know how.
I got my start thanks to making a connection at my local pride event. I will forever be grateful for this opportunity. However, I was given two and a half months to create a business, figure out the products I wanted to design and make, figure out booth displays, how to work Etsy, etc. I felt incredibly in over my head. I had to take it day-by-day. (Though it didn't hurt I had quit my full-time job a month prior due to a health related issue.)
I worked long hours designing, making, researching, and promoting. It was all consuming. My husband would even make comments on how much I was on my phone or my computer. I wanted to make sure I was as prepared as I could be. I wanted to make sure my first event was a success. Though there was always doubt that it might not be. All this work could be for not. Especially because I had this idea that I wanted to hit this niche and make Tabletop Role Playing Game (TTRPG) creations. It was a risk and it was one that I was willing to take. Two and a half months went fast.
One day I am doing the paper work to form my LLC, the next moment I am setting up my very first booth at my very first event. I felt nervous. I felt under prepared, though that was far from the truth. My friends and family were at my side the every step of the way. I remember making that first sale, it was a vinyl decal with print. I remember those smiling faces and the chatter of how cool my wares were. How people were excited to have my little niche booth. It was such a confidence boost that I went on to apply for three other events and was invited to another.
The following year? I wasn't as successful. It really filled me with doubt. I worked so hard in my product, creating new things, trying to evolve, but it just felt like people weren't biting. I wanted to quit. I knew better and had to remind myself, not everything we do in life is going to be a success. This lesson came from my time as a phonathon caller for my local university. There were successful nights and donations. There were unsuccessful nights full of "No." If I could handle that level of rejection, I needed to make peace with I am not the brand or artist for everyone - And that is okay. We build up this expectation we have to always succeed. Failure isn't an option, as it is the end all be all. I started to change how I handled my failures and rejections. I focused heavily on suggestions and listening to my customer base, making them see and feel heard. Their suggestions made their way into rotation. I started taking notes on every event, what worked and what didn't. I tweaked what needed to be changed. I took my failure and rejection as an opportunity to grow.
This year, I am finding a level of success that I couldn't fathom. Like the year previous, I was trying to keep the events between five to ten events, because I felt I wasn't ready to take on more than that. Especially with returning to a more full work schedule. However, determination and challenge drives me. I have gotten eleven events under my belt with six more to go and one pending acceptance for a possibility of eighteen by the year's end.
So what happened there? I could tell you I've working really hard on researching and applying for events, but that wouldn't be completely true. Out of the possible eighteen events, I was recommended to, invited to, or invited to come back based on past interactions, to 10 of them. Some of the feedback I have received that I am easy to work with, they like the booth and products, they like my attitude and outlook on things, etc. Impressions are incredibly important and go both ways. I've been asked if I am doing well and I will always give the example of "I could have a $0 weekend. I could have a $1,200 weekend. What matters is that I had a good time and am thankful to be here." Because that is the truth. I am still pretty new on the scene and have only done 17 events, at the time of writing this. I am thankful for every opportunity I am granted. I don't expect to be an overnight success. I don't expect to be accepted into every event I apply too, or welcomed back to the ones I have. That said, I feel like it strengthens future opportunities by leaving a good lasting impressions. I could be upset about only making a booth fee back and trash talk or I could accept that I just wasn't that artist for that audience. I could complain the event didn't do enough on my behalf, or I could better advertise myself and better build my network. I could have gotten comfortable and a hit a plateau or I could take suggestions, improve my products, and continue to grow my catalogue.
Here are the takeaways:
- Always be leaning and growing.
- Research. Research. Research.
- Your brand and product may not be for everyone.
- Failure and rejection are not means to an end.
- Impressions matter.
- Grow that network.