Turning Passion into Profit: Finding Your Niche Community (With Special Guest Southern Curiosities)

[00:00:00] The profit at the end of the day always makes for a great market day. So that's great. But I also think being able to make new connections and meet new people and even starting the conversations, like I said before, about opening people's minds to what I do.

[00:00:18] If they don't buy that day, but they come back to another market or they start following me on my social media so that they can see where I'm going to be at in the future, that to me is success.

[00:00:30] Hey everyone, welcome to the S.O.B. Marketing Podcast where we celebrate the S.O.B. that you are and if you haven't figured it out yet, we mean small owned business. We don't mean S.O.B.

[00:00:41] Listen, we know that as a small business owner, you are working hard on the daily to keep your business fully operational while trying to promote it.

[00:00:51] And while some days it may feel like the business is owning you, if we're being honest with each other, I bet you would admit that you wouldn't give up the insanity for anything.

[00:01:01] Our commitment here at the S.O.B. Marketing Podcast is to give you the real talk, what works when it comes to advertising, marketing, promoting your business, and then what does it work?

[00:01:11] It doesn't really work.

[00:01:13] And Chelsea and I promise to always keep the conversation real.

[00:01:16] Hello, business friends. Welcome to another episode of our S.O.B. Marketing Podcast.

[00:01:22] S.O.B. as in small owned business. We're not out here calling you guys names.

[00:01:26] So just as a friendly reminder, we do drop a new episode every Thursday.

[00:01:30] If you are not already subscribed, please go ahead and do so.

[00:01:34] So that way you could get a notification every time a new episode drops.

[00:01:37] Also, if you want to go back and take a look at our library of episodes, we have a website, S.O.B. Marketing dot com, where you can find all of those episodes there.

[00:01:49] And today, I think you guys are really going to enjoy this conversation.

[00:01:54] So Chelsea, why don't you tell us what we're doing today and why it's so special?

[00:01:58] Okay, we have a really exciting episode for you guys today because we have a special guest, Miss Jessica Shoemaker from Southern Curiosities.

[00:02:07] So Southern Curiosities is an entomology, art, and whimsical taxidermy business.

[00:02:14] If you guys have never been to Walmart, if you're not here in the Lowcountry and you've never experienced the eclectic market scene here, then you might not know her.

[00:02:25] But if you have, then you know Southern Curiosities.

[00:02:28] And I want to say, Jessica, I love your taxidermy.

[00:02:35] It's so good.

[00:02:36] Yeah, and my best friend Bree does not listen to this.

[00:02:41] She doesn't listen to my podcast, which is fine.

[00:02:43] That's fine.

[00:02:44] Perfect, because right now she's in vet school.

[00:02:47] When she graduates, I plan on getting her one of your mice because she loves the mice.

[00:02:56] Really?

[00:02:57] Yeah, she loves the mice too.

[00:02:58] They're so cute.

[00:03:00] And I'll add a picture on our Instagram and stuff like that so people can see it.

[00:03:04] But these are the cutest little, I mean, I don't even, I'm trying to think, ooh, the mouse on the toilet.

[00:03:14] His name is John.

[00:03:16] She loves that one.

[00:03:18] I'm so glad.

[00:03:20] I can just bring a little bit of joy, you know?

[00:03:22] That's what I'm looking for.

[00:03:23] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:03:24] So, but if you could go ahead and give us some backstory, give us a little more detail about Southern Curiosities and what it is as a brand.

[00:03:36] Absolutely.

[00:03:37] So, Southern Curiosities, like you said, it's entomology art.

[00:03:41] So, I call it all-encompassing nature art and whimsical taxidermy because I don't typically do like a standard museum style taxidermy.

[00:03:52] I try to go more like storybook.

[00:03:55] I want it to kind of take you to a place that kind of hits you in the feels.

[00:04:01] And, you know, I'm a Disney addict.

[00:04:03] So, anything that looks like it can come out of a Disney movie makes me happy and I hope it makes other people happy.

[00:04:09] Let me just interject here and say, interesting, when we moved out to the country, we're out here in Little Bono, South Carolina, and it's a legit cabin that we live in.

[00:04:20] When we toured this house to consider purchasing it, the gentleman that lived here is a big hunter.

[00:04:27] And so, he had a ton of like deer heads and taxidermy in his living room.

[00:04:33] And I remember when the first time I saw it, I was like, oh, that's interesting.

[00:04:36] He even had like a coffee table that had like a little fawn in it or something and a snake.

[00:04:42] It was intense.

[00:04:43] There was a lot of stuff going on.

[00:04:44] But here's what's interesting is I love that you just said you're doing a take on that, but your take is considerably different.

[00:04:54] Like, it's not what people would, you know, would think about because if you are a hunter, you're like, okay, I know what that looks like.

[00:05:00] No, you all have not seen what Jessica can do.

[00:05:04] Yeah, if your rat's not on a stripper pole, it's not quite the same vibe is what I'm doing.

[00:05:09] But, you know, I have that conversation often when I'm at markets because a lot of people have a preconception of what taxidermy is and that it's always hunters and trappers and that it's, you know, a trophy, if you will.

[00:05:25] And that's great, especially when somebody is using the full animal.

[00:05:29] I am all for it.

[00:05:31] It's incredibly important to our ecosystem for hunters.

[00:05:34] So, I am like not against it whatsoever.

[00:05:37] However, I kind of prefer to take it on a little bit of a different path to where all of the animals that I work with all died natural deaths.

[00:05:48] So, I always tell people, like, they were dead when we met.

[00:05:50] I don't go around bopping mice on the head.

[00:05:53] Bopping mice on the head.

[00:05:55] I mean, it's really funny how many people are like, oh, my God, did you kill all of these?

[00:05:58] And I'm like, absolutely not.

[00:05:59] They all passed naturally.

[00:06:02] And it's a weird time.

[00:06:02] I think you'd be locked up if that was the case, right?

[00:06:04] I mean, it's just a little, I'm like, do you really think I'm that weird?

[00:06:08] Like, thank you.

[00:06:08] But it's a very intimate.

[00:06:14] Relationship.

[00:06:15] Yeah.

[00:06:15] Because, you know, it's very all-encompassing when you're really, like, working with this animal.

[00:06:22] But then, you know, when it looks back at you, when you're all done with it, it just, it brings me so much joy.

[00:06:27] And I could not love it more.

[00:06:29] And the joy it brings other people or the memories it brings people.

[00:06:33] I mean, when you can hit on an emotional factor, I mean, it's a game changer.

[00:06:39] So, I'm fortunate that I have such an incredible amount of, like, farmers that reach out to me that give me any of their unfortunate failure to thrive animals.

[00:06:51] Because it's an unfortunate part of farming.

[00:06:53] So, I want to make sure that I know the farmers.

[00:06:55] I go to the farms.

[00:06:56] I meet the people.

[00:06:57] I hear the stories so that I know what I'm working with and that it's a harmonious relationship between me and nature and those that care for the animals.

[00:07:07] And it's, I think it makes a difference to my customers as well when they know that I care about these animals as well.

[00:07:15] You said something earlier.

[00:07:17] You're like, do people really think I'm that weird?

[00:07:20] So, let me ask you, do you have blue or green eyes or brown?

[00:07:23] They're blue.

[00:07:24] Okay.

[00:07:24] So, blue-eyed, blonde-haired, beautiful young lady.

[00:07:30] How do you end up getting into taxidermy?

[00:07:34] Because, like you said, you would be, like, the least person I would pick out of a group to be, like, yes, she does taxidermy, right?

[00:07:40] Well, it's funny because my husband helps me at all the markets.

[00:07:42] And he's, you know, fully tattooed.

[00:07:45] He's a tattoo artist.

[00:07:46] And so, they're just, like, they talk to him.

[00:07:48] Like, he's the one that does it.

[00:07:49] He's like, I don't touch these things.

[00:07:51] Like, I do not help her with this stuff.

[00:07:53] But my parents always get asked that, too.

[00:07:55] Like, how did she start doing this?

[00:07:57] This is kind of, like, weird.

[00:07:58] But I've just always been – I grew up in Upper Penance Love, Michigan.

[00:08:02] And if you're familiar with that area of the world, it is just nature.

[00:08:07] Like, I tell people I grew up in the woods, and it's, like, the woods.

[00:08:11] So, I grew up with a lot of, like, Native American history and going to powwows and just, like, really feeling a special feeling with nature, for one.

[00:08:20] And so, my husband and I were always just collecting entomology frames from tattoo conventions or taxidermy.

[00:08:29] Or when we would go on walks with our dog, we would find, like, deceased butterflies and stuff.

[00:08:34] And we would just, like, set them on a shelf or put them in a Pringles can.

[00:08:38] And it got to the point where I was just, like, I mean, they could – we have butterflies in frames.

[00:08:43] There's a way to do it.

[00:08:44] So, like, surely I can figure that out.

[00:08:46] So, I just fell down the rabbit hole of self-teaching myself how to pin insects.

[00:08:52] And I started with that.

[00:08:53] And it was just for fun.

[00:08:54] And I had, like, friends and neighbors that were like, my God, I want one.

[00:08:59] And so, I was like, I mean, okay.

[00:09:01] And so, I started with this little bee and a jar, my little mini bee jars.

[00:09:05] And people went bananas.

[00:09:07] And I was like, well, okay.

[00:09:09] I guess I'll just, like, do Etsy or something.

[00:09:11] And I'll just throw a couple on there and see how it goes.

[00:09:13] And, like, people bought them.

[00:09:17] And I was just like –

[00:09:18] You still sound surprised.

[00:09:20] Wow.

[00:09:20] How cool.

[00:09:22] And then it was just kind of, like, a natural progression where I actually went to an oddities expo.

[00:09:29] And they had a taxidermy class for a two-headed duckling.

[00:09:32] And I was like, okay, fun.

[00:09:34] I'll do that.

[00:09:35] And I'll be honest.

[00:09:37] It was a little bit jarring at first.

[00:09:39] Because even though you know you're going to be dealing with, like, a skin of an animal, you're still not ready for it until you actually do it.

[00:09:46] But it was this weird, like, light bulb that went off where I was like, oh, my God.

[00:09:51] This is literally everything I love about art.

[00:09:54] I've been an artist my entire life.

[00:09:56] Like, I love art.

[00:09:58] I love crafts.

[00:09:58] And so I was like, oh, my God.

[00:10:00] I get to mold.

[00:10:01] I get to do, like, 3D dioramas.

[00:10:03] I get to do sewing.

[00:10:05] I get to work with nature.

[00:10:08] And I was just like, oh, my life just changed.

[00:10:12] Like, this is it.

[00:10:15] And I think that's where, Chelsea, that's where we're taking the conversation today, right?

[00:10:19] Yes.

[00:10:19] Is like, I think you just, you're awe in finding people that actually wanted to purchase this stuff.

[00:10:27] And you're like, I'm just tinkering with this, like, you know, doing my thing.

[00:10:31] And then they're asking about it.

[00:10:33] They're wanting me to create something for them.

[00:10:35] So I think that's where, in markets, we find that, you know, we always think, like, great, I'm going to go set up a table, set up an exhibit, set up a booth.

[00:10:44] But will anybody want my product or my service?

[00:10:48] And so I think that's where today the conversation is going to be about, you know, how do you go about finding that right audience?

[00:10:55] Because, I mean, listen, if you can find it, if you can find it for, you know, little mice on stripper poles, then I think everybody out there can find their right target audience.

[00:11:08] And that actually all started like I was a marketing manager for a Harley Davidson dealership for 15 years.

[00:11:17] Great job.

[00:11:18] Taught me a lot.

[00:11:19] Grateful for all of that.

[00:11:21] But then I had a coworker at the time that was selling, like, the multi-level marketing.

[00:11:30] And she just kept being like, oh, my gosh, you need to, like, go to a market and sell yourself.

[00:11:34] I was like, I'm, like, not on that level.

[00:11:36] I'm, like, selling bee jars on Etsy.

[00:11:37] We're not there.

[00:11:40] And plus, I worked Tuesday through Saturday.

[00:11:43] Saturdays were mandatory.

[00:11:44] It was our busiest riding day.

[00:11:46] And every market fell on a Saturday.

[00:11:49] I was just like, it's just not going to happen.

[00:11:50] And then Yalmart came about.

[00:11:54] Bless Yalmart.

[00:11:55] If it wasn't for them, I would not be who I am, where I am.

[00:11:59] Because we started at the same time and we've grown together.

[00:12:03] And they put a post on Instagram.

[00:12:06] And they actually reached out to me and they're like, hey, would you be interested in vending at our first market?

[00:12:11] And it was on a Sunday.

[00:12:12] Oh, amazing.

[00:12:13] And then it was at New Brooklyn Tavern at the time, which, if you're familiar with the Columbia music scene, like, I grew up in New Brooklyn.

[00:12:22] And, like, I had such a special place in my heart that I was just like, the name, Yalmart, New Brooklyn.

[00:12:28] It's a weird market.

[00:12:29] They asked me, like, the stars have aligned.

[00:12:32] Things are happening.

[00:12:33] And after I did that first market, like, everything changed for me.

[00:12:39] I realized that there was people that appreciated what I did.

[00:12:43] They paid their hard-earned money to buy it, which that alone is just, like, amazing.

[00:12:50] And then, you know, just growing the audience.

[00:12:56] They grew their audience, which in turn also grew mine.

[00:12:59] And we have grown together.

[00:13:02] And I love the market community and being a part of it and finding my people for the first time.

[00:13:11] Well, I don't want to say first time in my life, but in my adult life, like, finding where I belong.

[00:13:16] And never being as happy as I am right now.

[00:13:21] Like, it's so cool.

[00:13:27] Yeah, Jessica, I'm going to say I am right there with you.

[00:13:31] When I found Yalmart, now, I'm not a vendor.

[00:13:34] I don't have anything.

[00:13:35] I'm just there to spend my money.

[00:13:36] But it was finding that community of people who, you know, are not afraid to have rats on a stripper pole and who are not afraid to go out there and sell their studded leather corsets and stuff like that.

[00:13:58] Like, finding those people when, I don't know, I kind of, I grew up kind of weird, okay?

[00:14:05] Like, people thought I was weird.

[00:14:07] People still think that I'm weird.

[00:14:09] I was going to say, I still think you're weird every day, Chelsea.

[00:14:11] My favorite people in the world are the weird people.

[00:14:15] That's the point is that there are still people out there for you.

[00:14:20] Not just, you know, personally, but also as a brand and as a business.

[00:14:24] You just need to find where they are.

[00:14:27] Absolutely.

[00:14:28] And they're out there.

[00:14:29] And it's, like, surprising how large of a community there is when you're not, like, a part of it or you don't see it or you don't know about it.

[00:14:37] But once you're in it and you know about it, it is amazing, like, how many people are weirdos.

[00:14:45] They're the best.

[00:14:46] Well, so let me ask you a kind of, like, a personal question to that because I know we had talked about the fact prior to that you, so you were working for Harley-Davidson in a marketing role.

[00:15:00] And so you already came to the table with a little bit of knowledge as far as, like, hey, I kind of know what I would need to do to sell my products.

[00:15:11] But you still didn't take that leap until COVID kind of came in and pushed you and you and your husband had a conversation and then you decided, maybe I want to do this full time.

[00:15:23] So what would you say to someone who, as a small business owner, they're tinkering with stuff and they're thinking, can I make that leap?

[00:15:31] Should I make that leap?

[00:15:32] Like, what was your decision-making process?

[00:15:36] So I think it's a little different for everybody.

[00:15:39] I know that there are some people that are okay with just, like, jumping with both feet in and I commend them for that.

[00:15:46] I, however, am a mega planner and I need to know every outcome, every situation.

[00:15:57] So I actually, yes, my husband and I got COVID and it was a pretty, like, gnarly case of COVID in the, we got it for Christmas of 2022.

[00:16:07] I had been unhappy at my job for a while.

[00:16:12] And the more Yalmarts I attended at that point, that was the only market that I was attending.

[00:16:17] And the amount of people that were coming to see me, that were purchasing my stuff, selling me out almost every single time, it just kept pulling me harder and harder that direction.

[00:16:29] And it's something that I love so much.

[00:16:31] And it gives me so much happiness and joy that I would, you know, come to work.

[00:16:37] And that's all I could talk about.

[00:16:38] It's all I could think about.

[00:16:39] I would work on, like, little, I remember doing this, like, cowboy rat.

[00:16:44] And I was up at the counter, like, making a little belt for him.

[00:16:48] And my boss was like, what are you doing?

[00:16:50] I was like, oh.

[00:16:51] Making a belt for my rat, my cowboy rat.

[00:16:54] You know, I only had so many hours in the day to try to make enough inventory for the next market.

[00:16:59] And so it was pulling me harder that way already.

[00:17:02] And so when we got really sick, which we always end up having our best conversations when we're both ill or when one of us is, like, in a dire situation, which is, you know.

[00:17:13] I think that's how it goes.

[00:17:15] Yeah.

[00:17:16] And so we're, like, dying on the couch.

[00:17:18] And we were going for a walk every day, sometimes only to the stop sign and back.

[00:17:23] And I told them, I was like, you know, they're all but upset that I'm not at work right now because I have COVID.

[00:17:31] And I just don't feel like they care about me.

[00:17:36] And I'm putting so much effort and so much time into trying to grow their business.

[00:17:42] I could be putting all of those eggs in my own basket.

[00:17:45] So I think it might be time that I try to try it.

[00:17:49] I mean, we don't have kids.

[00:17:52] You know, we're at a place financially where I feel like this is the time that maybe I can try it.

[00:17:57] And he has been 100% supportive from day one.

[00:18:01] He's, I can't say enough amazing, wonderful things about my husband.

[00:18:05] He's the best ever.

[00:18:06] I mean, he does work the markets with you.

[00:18:09] That by itself says everything.

[00:18:11] He does all my woodworking.

[00:18:12] He took up 3D printing just so he can make me teacups for my rats.

[00:18:16] And he, like, taught himself CAD programs.

[00:18:18] He's incredible.

[00:18:19] And he also has done so many tattoo conventions that he knew what I needed to do going into the markets.

[00:18:27] So he was like, you're going to need this.

[00:18:29] You're going to need that wagons.

[00:18:30] This is how you need to set up.

[00:18:31] You need to have a banner.

[00:18:32] You need to have business cards.

[00:18:34] So he, like, set me up for success because he already knew what I needed.

[00:18:38] And so he pushes me to be the best version of myself.

[00:18:42] And if it wasn't for him, I also would not be where I am.

[00:18:46] So, like, bless him.

[00:18:47] He's the best.

[00:18:49] Where was I going with that?

[00:18:51] Well, I just want to interject and say, you know, you were talking about Yalmart.

[00:18:56] That's the first market you did.

[00:18:57] Now you go to other markets.

[00:19:00] First, you know, where did you find these other markets?

[00:19:03] And how did you decide that they were worth your time?

[00:19:06] Because, again, like, this is a very specific type of business that you have.

[00:19:12] You know, I'll be honest.

[00:19:13] It's trial and error for one.

[00:19:16] Just trying new ones because once I did go full time, oh, that's where I was going.

[00:19:20] We had COVID, made the decision.

[00:19:22] But before I even put in my notice, I had my LLC.

[00:19:26] I had my business bank account.

[00:19:27] I figured out how I was going to pay myself, all of those things.

[00:19:30] And then I put in my notice so that way I could hit the ground running when I quit.

[00:19:35] And the weekend after I quit, I was already had the Artista Vista market lined up.

[00:19:41] And other, I did, like, the Lexington Ice House amphitheater markets.

[00:19:45] Just a handful around town because I was like, now's the time for me to try these Saturday markets that I've not ever been able to do.

[00:19:52] And some worked out better than others.

[00:19:54] But I will say, everybody wants to put me in this category of oddities and curiosities.

[00:20:01] That doesn't mean that I necessarily do well at those because it's a saturated market.

[00:20:07] I'm surrounded by other taxidermists, other butterfly frames.

[00:20:11] So how do you stand out?

[00:20:12] I actually find that I do really well at markets that are not even oddity related.

[00:20:20] And it gives me the opportunity to talk to new customers, open their eyes about this world, and have that whole conversation about where I get my specimens from, my ethics and morals behind how I do my art.

[00:20:35] And they become like taxidermy lovers overnight.

[00:20:39] They had no idea that they wanted, you know, a mouse drinking out of a mushroom cup, you know?

[00:20:44] And then at the end of the day, they're like, oh, my God, I can't live without it.

[00:20:46] So it...

[00:20:47] I just want to tell everybody here, though, you guys have to, you have to, you cannot listen to this episode and not go to her Instagram page.

[00:20:55] Okay, so Southern Curiosities.

[00:20:58] Go to her Instagram page because all of her, she puts all of the specimen, all of the projects that you do are on there.

[00:21:05] And I can tell you when you, you know, you hear her describing them right now, the, you know, the mouse on a motorcycle and all that.

[00:21:12] It's just as cute in person as it is like you describing it.

[00:21:17] It's, it's a sight to be seen.

[00:21:19] But I do want to say, I've noticed too, to your point, the, your Instagram, I was scrolling through your feed.

[00:21:27] The ones that perform really well, I mean, you get great engagement no matter what.

[00:21:32] But the ones that I see that people are like really commenting on are the educational ones where you're actually walking them step by step through your process.

[00:21:41] And that surprised me.

[00:21:42] I was like, I did not know.

[00:21:44] I think maybe because most people don't know they're, they're into that stuff because they're just uneducated.

[00:21:49] Right.

[00:21:50] And it's also with any art, when you don't know what goes into it, sometimes you don't see the value in it.

[00:21:58] And so, you know, sometimes people might see my price points and be like, oh my God, why would you charge that much?

[00:22:05] It's, you know, a frame that you thrifted.

[00:22:08] Um, and, you know, you just glued a butterfly in it and I'm like, it may seem that easy, but you have to find the sustainable butterfly farmers where you can get the butterflies from other countries.

[00:22:22] Then you have to pin them, which is a whole process in itself.

[00:22:26] And then you go to the thrift store to find the frames, you clean the frame, refurbish it.

[00:22:31] My husband, 3d prints the background, you buy the back.

[00:22:34] You know, there, it can sometimes be weeks process just to put a butterfly in a frame.

[00:22:38] And I think when people see how that's done, or even in the taxidermy side, I don't like to show too much because it's a little too gory for some people.

[00:22:47] They might not have the stomach to understand what goes into it, but I think they respect it a little bit more and they understand how much time, love and passion goes into it.

[00:23:00] I think it kind of makes them realize, you know, that it's not easy.

[00:23:08] And again, how much love I put into this stuff as well.

[00:23:12] Well, and I think you also tell the story of like the animals too.

[00:23:16] The one that I thought was interesting was you had one on a possum and it was a mama possum.

[00:23:22] But so the babies in your caption, I read the whole thing and I was like, this is why people love it.

[00:23:30] It's because you're telling the story of the possum where you're like, hey, this is a mama possum.

[00:23:34] She had babies.

[00:23:35] The babies are thriving.

[00:23:36] She unfortunately did not make it through though.

[00:23:38] So I think that's where, you know, we're getting to see like an aspect.

[00:23:43] Sorry, I have a fly around here, y'all.

[00:23:48] Can you come get this fly, please, Jessica?

[00:23:51] I have like somebody requested me do a fly before and I like put it on a necklace.

[00:23:55] I was like, do you want me to do a fly?

[00:23:57] And she's like, yes, I do.

[00:23:58] I was like, okay.

[00:23:59] It's something personal to her.

[00:24:00] She knows the reason why she wanted the fly.

[00:24:02] Yeah.

[00:24:03] She has a fly on the necklace.

[00:24:03] Yeah.

[00:24:04] So do you like, do you like telling the story of the animals to kind of like, you know, if,

[00:24:08] if, you know, from that angle of it?

[00:24:11] I do because a lot of people think I'm glorifying death and I like to think that I'm glorifying

[00:24:18] the life that they lived because like every living being, it deserves love and it has a

[00:24:24] whole life that it lived.

[00:24:25] It has a story.

[00:24:27] And I think that's important to tell.

[00:24:29] I just recently got the opportunity to work on a small little baby fox and it was a good

[00:24:38] opportunity for me to educate people about pesticides because the mother ate pesticide and then fed

[00:24:45] her babies and all of them, uh, unfortunately did not make it.

[00:24:49] And I was given the opportunity to preserve the beauty of this little baby fox, baby boy.

[00:24:56] And I think it's a good opportunity to not only again, preserve his beauty and show everybody

[00:25:03] how ridiculously adorable this little baby fox is, um, getting to work with something like

[00:25:10] that up close and personal.

[00:25:12] And then also, you know, taking some of those proceeds and donating them back to a local wildlife

[00:25:18] rescue center to educate people on how to care for wildlife that is injured.

[00:25:23] I'm not out here killing them.

[00:25:24] Um, we want to promote like saving them.

[00:25:27] This is, I don't like getting phone calls from farmers that say that their goat passed away.

[00:25:32] And, you know, she's crying on the phone because it was her favorite, but she doesn't,

[00:25:37] she just wants it to go.

[00:25:38] She wants somebody else to love it as much as she has loved it.

[00:25:41] So that is an honor in itself.

[00:25:44] Um, and it really means a lot to me.

[00:25:47] As a wife to a, apparently now I have a chicken farmer for a husband.

[00:25:51] He loves his chickens.

[00:25:52] We have like over 70 something chickens, Jess.

[00:25:55] It's crazy.

[00:25:56] Yeah.

[00:25:57] And so he, there's one in particular though.

[00:25:59] He saved from a fox.

[00:26:00] Uh, she was about to die.

[00:26:02] He nursed her back and they are like, that's his little girlfriend.

[00:26:05] Her name is Gigi.

[00:26:06] We just got pictures taken, professional pictures taken.

[00:26:09] Gigi was in it.

[00:26:11] Yeah.

[00:26:13] She did.

[00:26:14] So I feel like if anything happened to Gigi, I'd be calling you.

[00:26:17] I'd be like, I need you to do.

[00:26:19] Yeah.

[00:26:19] I just actually, um, spoke with somebody.

[00:26:22] I think that was close to y'all's neck of the woods.

[00:26:25] Um, that had the most beautiful, like Gothic rooster.

[00:26:29] It's the all black, like black on black on black rooster with like a green sheen to it

[00:26:35] when the light hits.

[00:26:36] It's beautiful.

[00:26:37] Um, what was his name?

[00:26:39] Rambo.

[00:26:40] And so I get to memorialize Rambo for the farmer that, that lost him because again,

[00:26:47] it was just the one that really.

[00:26:49] Yeah.

[00:26:50] It's like, it's a personal connection.

[00:26:51] And I don't, I don't know why we would think anything otherwise when, I mean, I have two

[00:26:56] dogs and I love them as if they were, you know, people like they're just, I think you

[00:27:00] do get attached to any animal no matter what.

[00:27:03] Right.

[00:27:03] People do that with snakes and all that.

[00:27:06] Well, you know, it's funny.

[00:27:06] My mom actually made a, uh, an interesting call the other day when she saw that I was working

[00:27:11] on this goat and she said, Hey, I'm just checking on you to make sure that, you know,

[00:27:17] you're feeling okay.

[00:27:18] And that you're like mentally in a good place because I know you're sensitive and, you know,

[00:27:22] I just want to make sure that you're like, okay.

[00:27:25] And I was like, absolutely, mom, you need to realize that I'm treating this as I would

[00:27:29] any living being that I've ever gotten the chance to work with.

[00:27:33] So, you know, the mouse to the rat, to the bunny, to the possum, to this goat, like they

[00:27:40] all hit me in the, in the heart, you know, like I hate that any of them are gone, but they

[00:27:45] all matter to me, you know, regardless of size.

[00:27:49] She's like, okay, well just checking.

[00:27:51] I was like, thanks mom.

[00:27:53] I, I have a question and this doesn't relate back to marketing.

[00:27:58] I'm just really curious.

[00:27:59] Do you get a lot of vets that are like into?

[00:28:04] I've had like that are into it or that have been like, Hey, I have a dead animal.

[00:28:08] I'm both.

[00:28:09] So I've never had a vet reach out in regards to like losing anything, but I do have a lot

[00:28:16] of vets that are customers that are like that tax or something.

[00:28:21] Cause they again can understand, appreciate life and death.

[00:28:25] Well, I listening to you talk, all I can think of is Brie.

[00:28:29] I mean, she's going through vet school.

[00:28:31] She's in her third year now and you know, she's already had to euthanize some animals and

[00:28:36] stuff like that.

[00:28:37] And when she first did it, I was like, well, are you okay?

[00:28:40] And she's like, well, of course I am.

[00:28:43] You know, this animal was suffering and I'm not going to let them go through that.

[00:28:47] I'm going to help them find peace.

[00:28:50] It takes a very special person to be able to do that.

[00:28:52] I'm honestly like fortunate that I'm on the latter half of that to where I don't have

[00:28:57] to, even though I deal with death every day, it doesn't, it doesn't feel that way to

[00:29:01] me.

[00:29:02] Yeah.

[00:29:03] It's just different.

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[00:30:08] Well, I want to go back and talk about the fact that you said that some of your most successful

[00:30:15] markets are the ones that don't focus on eclectic and oddities, curiosities.

[00:30:21] What do you consider a successful market?

[00:30:25] Because every small business is going to consider success.

[00:30:29] It's going to be different.

[00:30:30] So what for you is a successful market?

[00:30:33] I think what makes a successful market is, I mean, obviously, the profit at the end of the

[00:30:40] day always makes for a great market day.

[00:30:42] So that's great.

[00:30:44] But I also think being able to make new connections and meet new people and even starting the conversations,

[00:30:52] like I said before, about opening people's minds to what I do.

[00:30:57] If they don't buy that day, but they come back to another market or they start following me

[00:31:02] on my social media so that they can see where I'm going to be at in the future, that to me

[00:31:08] is success.

[00:31:09] I've had some markets where I don't necessarily come home with the dollar amount that I set

[00:31:16] as my goal for the day, but all my business cards are gone.

[00:31:19] I had really great conversations.

[00:31:21] Somebody talked to me about a special order, which I do all year round, by the way, on my

[00:31:26] website.

[00:31:28] And so even if it's not, like I said, financially the best, if it is a well-run market, the

[00:31:35] communication is great between the coordinators and the vendors.

[00:31:39] It has a great layout for how people can shop.

[00:31:43] It has people that are volunteers to help unload your car if parking is good.

[00:31:49] There's so many things that can actually make me have a great market experience.

[00:31:56] And it may not necessarily be financially as great as like Walmart is like always going

[00:32:04] to be my standard.

[00:32:06] And I would love for every market to be on that, but they're just their own entity.

[00:32:12] And, but, you know, I've been to somewhere again, it wasn't blow me down, but the conversations

[00:32:19] I had, the connections I made, the other vendors that I've met, and then having a well-run

[00:32:26] market when a coordinator can put together a well-run market.

[00:32:30] What a game changer.

[00:32:32] Like that can make a great day.

[00:32:35] Yeah.

[00:32:35] The thing that stood out to me just now was, and Chelsea and I, I think sometimes we're,

[00:32:41] we don't mind being record players, like saying the same messaging over and over again.

[00:32:45] But I just want to reiterate again, Jessica said she has a website that she's able to send

[00:32:53] people to that she takes custom work, uh, throughout the entire year.

[00:33:00] She's not, she's utilizing and you have a solid Instagram profile, but you are not just relying

[00:33:07] on Instagram to put your product in front of people.

[00:33:10] When you're at these markets, you're also telling them like, Hey, here's my business card

[00:33:14] that has my website on it.

[00:33:16] So no matter what, you can always connect with me.

[00:33:19] Right.

[00:33:19] Right.

[00:33:20] Yeah.

[00:33:20] And, um, that's another thing.

[00:33:22] My husband's always in my ear, like give him a card, give him a card.

[00:33:24] I'm like, Oh yeah.

[00:33:25] Cause I'll just have a full blown conversation and be like, bye.

[00:33:28] So he's really good at keeping me like on track and remembering to like promote myself.

[00:33:33] But that was another benefit of me doing marketing for so long is I don't rely on the market

[00:33:40] to do the advertising for me when they do.

[00:33:44] Awesome.

[00:33:45] Of course I check out their social medias, their websites and see how many followers they

[00:33:49] have and how much interaction they have when deciding if I'm going to do a market or not.

[00:33:54] But sometimes even the new ones that are fresh have been really successful.

[00:34:00] But I also, I only rely on myself and I try my best to promote the crap out of myself and

[00:34:09] where I'm going to be.

[00:34:10] This is where you're going to find me.

[00:34:11] And I do a post every single day while I'm eating breakfast.

[00:34:14] I make a post.

[00:34:15] I have like a catalog of photos and I just make sure this is where you can find this particular,

[00:34:20] you want this particular rat.

[00:34:22] This is where you're going to find it.

[00:34:23] And I have found that when you're sick of hearing it, other people are just now catching

[00:34:29] on or they're just now reading it.

[00:34:31] So as much as, you know, people are like, oh my God, how many times are you going to post

[00:34:35] about, you know, the punk flea market or whatever?

[00:34:38] Yeah.

[00:34:38] Until everybody sees it, until they know I'm going to be there, you know?

[00:34:42] So.

[00:34:42] Absolutely.

[00:34:43] Okay.

[00:34:43] Y'all, y'all listening.

[00:34:45] I want to hit some points.

[00:34:46] She said, even if you're a broken record, keep saying the same message because that's

[00:34:52] going to be the first time someone's heard you.

[00:34:55] And then also post communication.

[00:34:58] This I'm, I'm like heated right now, not like angry, but I believe so much in post communication

[00:35:05] because even if, like you said earlier, even if you're not making those sales, if you made

[00:35:11] a connection and found a way to lead them to your website, to your products, that's

[00:35:20] still a connection.

[00:35:20] That's still someone who might make a purchase.

[00:35:23] Right.

[00:35:23] It was still successful as long as you're doing that post communication and actually bothering

[00:35:29] to build a community and to create a relationship.

[00:35:33] Yeah.

[00:35:33] I think the, the wild thing to me is we still, and I don't know why we have this idea in our

[00:35:38] head.

[00:35:39] You know, now the statistics are it takes seven to eight touch points for someone to finally

[00:35:43] buy from you.

[00:35:44] That means that, you know, like you said, if you're just getting to meet someone, I, I

[00:35:49] come up on your table and I'm like, wow, I did not know this business existed.

[00:35:54] We have a good conversation.

[00:35:55] I leave with your card.

[00:35:57] Yeah.

[00:35:57] Yeah.

[00:35:58] Maybe I didn't buy from you that first time, but the next time I see you at a market or

[00:36:02] in Chelsea's case, when she has Christmas coming up or she's got a graduation present

[00:36:08] she needs and it's fitting for the person that she's looking for.

[00:36:11] She's like, I know someone that can, that I'm going to go to for that.

[00:36:15] So I think that's the interesting part is, um, business owners don't think that just because

[00:36:19] they didn't purchase from you once that you've missed an opportunity.

[00:36:22] If maybe your team get up so that the next time they come across you, or sometimes you

[00:36:28] need five touch points before they're like, Oh wait, I know a business that does that,

[00:36:33] you know, go spend my money with them.

[00:36:36] It was very similar in the motorcycle industry as well.

[00:36:38] And I think that's why I'm okay with people coming to my table and learning what I do,

[00:36:45] falling in love with it and leaving.

[00:36:46] Like that's okay.

[00:36:48] Um, because when I was at a Harley, I also was in the motor clothes department, which,

[00:36:53] so I did like helmets and leather jackets.

[00:36:55] These are really large, expensive purchases.

[00:36:59] Most people can't, they can love it like so much, but that doesn't mean that they can afford

[00:37:05] it today or they need to think about it.

[00:37:07] And it's the same with the motorcycles too.

[00:37:09] You come in a few times, you try it on a few times, you make sure that it's something you

[00:37:13] really want to spend your money on.

[00:37:15] And so I'm not just selling my product.

[00:37:18] I'm also selling myself.

[00:37:19] And so I want to let them know that like, thank you for enjoying my product.

[00:37:27] Thank you for telling me how much it means to you.

[00:37:30] Thank you for giving me the compliments because sometimes like, you know, that's the best part

[00:37:36] of my day is when somebody tells me that it brings them joy or reminds them of their

[00:37:40] grandmother or their grandfather had this weird raccoon, you know, something.

[00:37:44] And having those personal connections, I think is just one of the best parts about like being

[00:37:51] live in general.

[00:37:52] I think it's just a really, um, the markets are, and they're just so different than working

[00:37:57] in like a normal retail store too.

[00:37:59] Like I'm selling myself and my product and something that I love.

[00:38:02] What I love about this conversation too is, okay.

[00:38:08] Entomology art, whimsical taxidermy, people listening might be like, hmm, that sounds like

[00:38:14] a really hard business to find your people.

[00:38:17] But you know what?

[00:38:18] You found your people.

[00:38:20] And not only that, but listening to you talk right now, you are also actively bringing people

[00:38:26] in and actively building that community, which is so important for small business owners specifically

[00:38:33] because, you know, small business, what you're selling, like you said, is you, right?

[00:38:39] Not just your products.

[00:38:41] It is you.

[00:38:43] It's well, and there's so many businesses too, Chelsea.

[00:38:46] Like the, so think about it.

[00:38:47] You just, you enjoy the luxury of being in a very niche down market to where you probably

[00:38:53] have very few competitors, right?

[00:38:56] So I would assume not very many people.

[00:38:58] It's actually the opposite.

[00:39:00] I feel that this particular art form is becoming a lot more popular.

[00:39:08] Therefore, maybe some people that have been at markets prior decide they want to change

[00:39:15] their craft to this because they see it's successful for other people.

[00:39:19] Oh.

[00:39:20] And so I actually think that it's almost hard to find a market where I don't have somebody

[00:39:26] selling something.

[00:39:27] If not, I mean, it's always going to be different because art is subjective.

[00:39:31] We all create differently, but there is still some like overlap.

[00:39:38] Overlap.

[00:39:39] Yeah.

[00:39:39] Yeah.

[00:39:40] So that's why I almost enjoy doing the markets that are not oddity related again, because I'm

[00:39:46] not going to have to deal with like when earring people make the most beautiful, wonderful earrings

[00:39:51] and I love them.

[00:39:52] But sometimes when you're with 10 other people that are selling earrings, you got to pick

[00:39:56] the person and most people price shop.

[00:39:58] So they're going to find the cheapest ones or, you know, and I'll be honest, you know, my

[00:40:03] products are not cheap.

[00:40:07] You know, it takes a lot of time and a lot of product to create what I do.

[00:40:12] So there's always that some people are just going to try to find, you know, a butterfly

[00:40:16] that's cheaper or a mouse that's cheaper.

[00:40:18] So, you know, I just try to stand out the best I can with like a bubbling personality and

[00:40:24] just try to be like, I think I spew too much information sometimes though, because I'm like,

[00:40:28] this is the farm it came from and it lived with us three days.

[00:40:31] People don't like to hear all that.

[00:40:33] Well, I want to hear all that.

[00:40:35] If I'm going to make such a big purchase, I want to know everything I can about this animal.

[00:40:41] Well, and I think too, when you're showcasing it in your house, like if you take it home

[00:40:45] and you're, you have it sitting on a, like, I imagine one of your products would look really

[00:40:50] cute, like in a, in a bathroom on a shelf.

[00:40:53] Like, you know, it's a main space where you have people over, they come over and they're

[00:40:56] like, what is that, you know, in there?

[00:40:58] But then it gives you the opportunity to be like, actually that came from X, Y, and Z

[00:41:03] tell the story.

[00:41:04] Right.

[00:41:04] And I try to do like a lot of research on all of my bugs.

[00:41:07] So I can be like, this came from this rainforest and this is why it has this color.

[00:41:11] But again, I'm just like so full of, like, I call it useless knowledge.

[00:41:17] So I think I just like overbear sometimes because I'm just like, okay, cool.

[00:41:22] You know, they're like, I just want to know the name.

[00:41:25] Right.

[00:41:25] I just want to know what was called a monarch.

[00:41:27] Okay.

[00:41:28] Yeah.

[00:41:28] I'm curious because we are talking about community and how important that is for markets.

[00:41:35] How often do people recognize you?

[00:41:39] How often do you recognize them?

[00:41:40] I know for me, like when I go to the feminist magic market, not as much with Yalmart because

[00:41:45] I do live in Charleston.

[00:41:47] So I can't go to every Yalmart.

[00:41:49] But specifically for feminist magic, at this point, I know most of these people.

[00:41:54] So I walk up and they're like, hey, Chelsea, I made these earrings.

[00:41:58] I think you'll love them.

[00:41:59] And I'm like, sold.

[00:42:00] Go ahead.

[00:42:01] Wrap them up.

[00:42:01] I'm buying them.

[00:42:02] Because it's Ray, like you're going to get it.

[00:42:05] Well, that's true.

[00:42:06] I've been dying to do a feminist magic, but it always ends up falling on like a weekend

[00:42:10] where I'm already booked.

[00:42:11] But I told Ray, I was like, I want to do it.

[00:42:13] She's like, please apply.

[00:42:14] One day I'll be out there.

[00:42:15] That would be a perfect market because I don't know.

[00:42:18] I don't think we got any taxidermy stuff out there.

[00:42:21] No.

[00:42:22] I don't.

[00:42:22] Yeah.

[00:42:23] And that's, I mean, that's the right crowd for it too.

[00:42:26] I'd imagine people would be like, they would love that type of art.

[00:42:30] Yeah, I'm dying to get down there.

[00:42:32] So obviously the more you go to, there's, as much as there's a ton of local vendors, it's

[00:42:41] also a small community in itself.

[00:42:43] And so we all have come to get to know each other.

[00:42:45] And I have made some of my best friends now as fellow vendors because they're my people

[00:42:50] because we're living similar lifestyles.

[00:42:53] You know, we want to do art.

[00:42:54] We want to sell our art and we're willing to like hustle in the heat under a tent.

[00:42:58] And so obviously the vendor community itself, I, we all kind of recognize each other now

[00:43:05] and then customers.

[00:43:08] I'm so fortunate because my customer base is growing and they do recognize me.

[00:43:13] Fun story.

[00:43:14] I actually vended at this farm called Monarch Ranch out in Bamberg, South Carolina.

[00:43:19] It's a beautiful butterfly conservatory.

[00:43:22] I also highly recommend checking them out.

[00:43:25] But they had this market and there was a gentleman selling like plants and I think he had some

[00:43:32] baked goods and stuff.

[00:43:33] And we hit it off immediately.

[00:43:35] We're just like, oh my God, you're my people.

[00:43:37] And we just, we clipped.

[00:43:39] And he was telling me about his husband and their business that they owned called Three

[00:43:43] Saucers.

[00:43:45] And it's like a deli plant shop.

[00:43:47] And so actually when I went to go pick up this goat, it was out in that area and I was driving

[00:43:53] by and I saw it and I was like, oh my God, I need to stop in.

[00:43:56] And so I walked in and the guy that I had met at the market was not there.

[00:44:00] And so the gentleman behind the counter, I was like, hey, so I met this guy at Monarch

[00:44:06] Ranch and he like works here.

[00:44:09] He's like, oh my God, that's my husband.

[00:44:11] Oh my God, are you Southern Curiosities?

[00:44:13] And I was like, yes, I am.

[00:44:16] You must be the husband.

[00:44:17] And so we just like immediately hit it off and he gave me like a full tour and like samples

[00:44:22] of chicken salad.

[00:44:23] It was, it was amazing.

[00:44:25] And I was like this little itty bitty town in BFE, South Carolina.

[00:44:29] This guy's just like, oh my God, are you Southern Curiosities?

[00:44:34] And I was like, yes, I am.

[00:44:35] So, and then he gave me a paper for like a market that they're attending that they'd like

[00:44:40] me to go in Orangeburg, I think.

[00:44:42] And I was just like, crazy.

[00:44:45] And we all help each other, which is another way I find other markets is, you know, through

[00:44:50] Instagram messages and groups just being like, hey, have y'all seen this?

[00:44:54] You should apply or people will direct message me a market and be like, I think this would

[00:44:58] be a great fit.

[00:44:59] Well, I think you bring up a really good point though, because the, one of the things Chelsea

[00:45:04] and I sometimes see with when small business owners want to start doing these markets is,

[00:45:09] and I get it, it's scary.

[00:45:10] The first one, you don't know what to expect.

[00:45:13] You don't know anybody.

[00:45:14] You're like, you know, I kind of feel weird.

[00:45:15] Like then I'm trying to gear up for a whole day of having to talk to people and be social

[00:45:20] and all that.

[00:45:21] But like, I think there's a missed opportunity.

[00:45:24] If you're not, when you're setting up, if you're not up there, like meeting your fellow

[00:45:30] neighbors that are at the vendor, you know, event, then I think you are missing an opportunity

[00:45:36] for that connection.

[00:45:37] Because like you said, that's how you start to build community.

[00:45:41] And then also hear about the other opportunities and make friends and, you know, business

[00:45:46] ownership, y'all, it's hard.

[00:45:48] It's hard.

[00:45:54] So I think anytime you can find someone that you're like, oh, and you too.

[00:45:59] Yeah, I'm right here.

[00:46:00] I mean, really, it's been amazing.

[00:46:03] When you start to do what you love, you find the people that you love.

[00:46:06] And I've always preached that, but it wasn't until I really took this venture that I really,

[00:46:12] again, found, found my people, not just in fellow vendors, but also customers, repeat

[00:46:17] customers, people who have full blown collections of my things.

[00:46:22] I mean, my heart could not be any bigger for all of these people.

[00:46:28] But and also to your point with meeting your neighbors, you're always going to want somebody

[00:46:33] to watch your booth when you have to go to the bathroom or when you want to get food.

[00:46:37] And so highly recommend for that reason.

[00:46:40] And then when you start, of course, you're going to be new to it.

[00:46:43] You're not going to know what you need, but you figure it out.

[00:46:46] You know, I realized I needed a dolly.

[00:46:48] It's easier to carry my tables from a parking lot two blocks away because they have crazy

[00:46:54] parking at this particular market.

[00:46:56] You know, you want a wagon and get a fan, y'all.

[00:47:01] Yes.

[00:47:02] Get a battery powered fan.

[00:47:05] It is too hot down south to just be hanging out in the heat.

[00:47:09] Bottled water doesn't do it.

[00:47:11] You learn these things.

[00:47:12] And so it took me one outdoor market in June for me to be like, I was angry.

[00:47:17] I was starting to get mouthy.

[00:47:19] I said, this is not.

[00:47:22] This is not my normal self.

[00:47:24] I promise I'm not snappy.

[00:47:25] Like, because my husband's like, you need to go in the car and cool down.

[00:47:28] Get the air conditioning off.

[00:47:30] He's like, you need to like wait 10 more minutes and like let it out.

[00:47:34] But just.

[00:47:35] You know, it's funny you say that.

[00:47:37] We actually I'm still working my corporate job and for my corporate job, we do events.

[00:47:42] And one of our biggest events is a back to school event that we had last weekend.

[00:47:47] And so I had one of our employees out there helping me.

[00:47:50] But her and I have worked this event for years.

[00:47:53] And we know I mean, when I'm talking about I think they told us last count they had 3000

[00:47:57] families come out.

[00:47:58] It's like a whirlwind.

[00:47:59] And like, I mean, and we're we're out there handing stuff out, talking to people, representing

[00:48:04] the company.

[00:48:05] And so luckily, it's only like eight to 12.

[00:48:08] But that is the longest four hours of my life.

[00:48:11] I'm always like, is because it's hot.

[00:48:13] It's hot in August.

[00:48:14] I'm like, why?

[00:48:16] I tend to do a lot of markets that are themed.

[00:48:18] And so I did a fairy market, which was incredible at Flora and Fauna out in Lexington,

[00:48:24] South Carolina.

[00:48:26] And I need to move back to Columbia, man.

[00:48:29] And it's like the market seems really like booming.

[00:48:32] There's so many and they're all like kind of weird.

[00:48:34] So it's like totally your vibe.

[00:48:39] But I'm a big fan of like dressing up as well.

[00:48:41] Like if it's a theme, like your girl is going to put on a costume.

[00:48:45] So thankfully, the fairy one, it was like a little bit, you know, skirt and top.

[00:48:49] So it wasn't so bad.

[00:48:50] But they also had a Renaissance one.

[00:48:51] And I bought like this full blown, like corset style dress.

[00:48:54] And it was like August or something.

[00:48:56] And I was like, man, I'm going to die.

[00:48:59] Like I can't, I can't live like this.

[00:49:01] So actually this year I took July off because I couldn't find an indoor market.

[00:49:05] I was like, I'm not going to die this year.

[00:49:06] I just can't do it.

[00:49:07] I've seen a lot more small business owners do that where they're saying like, hey, the

[00:49:11] heat is just too much for me.

[00:49:13] And so it's not worth not that's not worth their time.

[00:49:16] But they just know like, hey, it's, you know, the amount of money I'm going to make and the

[00:49:20] amount of, you know, I'm going to put my body through is just not, you know, worth it.

[00:49:25] Which I actually have a story that relates to this.

[00:49:30] The last Feminist Magic Market, it was in June.

[00:49:33] It was Pride.

[00:49:34] That's what it was.

[00:49:36] And Maya and I were walking around.

[00:49:38] We stopped at this booth.

[00:49:40] No one was there.

[00:49:42] And great example of community.

[00:49:44] Both vendors on both sides were like, hey, you know, the owner of this booth, she actually

[00:49:50] had to go to the hospital.

[00:49:52] She had a heat stroke.

[00:49:54] So she's gone.

[00:49:55] But if you have any questions, you know, talk to us.

[00:49:57] It's fine.

[00:49:58] It was also super windy.

[00:50:00] So I think there was she was hanging up clothes.

[00:50:05] Well, it started to fall.

[00:50:07] So I'm holding it up with two other passerbys.

[00:50:11] And the two vendors on both sides were helping.

[00:50:14] They got it set back up.

[00:50:15] And they're like, OK, you know, we're watching all her stuff.

[00:50:17] We'll make sure it's all OK.

[00:50:19] You know, this we got your back.

[00:50:22] Now, once you really get into the market scene and get comfortable and meet all of your vendors,

[00:50:28] they'll make sure you're OK.

[00:50:30] Also, just, yeah, maybe take July off because it's hot down here.

[00:50:34] Like all of my markets in August are indoors.

[00:50:37] I was like, yeah, I can't do it.

[00:50:39] And not to mention my products, it specifically states in my care instructions that they need

[00:50:45] to be away from direct sunlight and high humidity.

[00:50:48] So being outside in South Carolina, my taxidermy starts to get soft.

[00:50:54] My what you do for butterflies is you have to like rehydrate them in like a humid environment

[00:51:01] to get them loose to pin them.

[00:51:03] So when they're in an airtight shadow box and it's humid, it's basically creating that same effect.

[00:51:10] And they're just wanting to close up.

[00:51:12] My moss gets soft.

[00:51:13] My flowers wilt.

[00:51:14] So for me, not only am I dying, but so is my art.

[00:51:19] And so it's really just like not worth all of it as much as even if it's a successful market.

[00:51:26] I just I can't compromise my pieces being ruined because I'm stubborn and just want to make the money.

[00:51:34] And it's important that it is that it is.

[00:51:36] You know, I'm just like, hey, let me do a giant shop update, promote that and hopefully get people to my website for the hotter times.

[00:51:45] Awesome.

[00:51:46] Well, I definitely think I hope, if anything, this conversation reminds people that if you are a couple different things,

[00:51:53] if you are thinking of making that leap or you're like, hey, right now, I just can't make that transition.

[00:51:58] There is a way. And sometimes, you know, Jessica, you did it like you are a planner.

[00:52:04] You had a game plan and you did you executed on the game plan.

[00:52:08] And I think I appreciate that because I'm very much like you.

[00:52:11] I can't just go diving into stuff.

[00:52:12] I got bills to pay.

[00:52:13] I know I was going to have to have a conversation with my dad and he was going to have all the questions.

[00:52:18] And he did all of the answers before he even had them.

[00:52:20] So I was like, yes, I have a business license.

[00:52:24] Yes, I know how to do my taxes.

[00:52:26] Yes, I'm paying myself an income.

[00:52:27] You know, that's right.

[00:52:30] Well, and I think the other part of it.

[00:52:31] Oh, go ahead, Chelsea.

[00:52:32] I was going to say Vivian and I had the same conversation with our dad when we were like, hey, Vivian and I are going to I'm going to do this.

[00:52:39] Even if even if she's not full time with the season marketer, you know, like the season marketer is my full time job.

[00:52:45] Oh, he had all the questions.

[00:52:47] All the questions.

[00:52:47] I think dads do.

[00:52:50] Where are you getting this money from?

[00:52:51] What are you doing?

[00:52:52] How much are you paying?

[00:52:53] Right.

[00:52:53] Right.

[00:52:54] So but luckily, my dad knows that I'm like a super planner.

[00:52:57] So he was I was like expecting him to kind of be like a little disappointed, especially because he's a big Harley guy.

[00:53:04] And I was like his daughter at the Harley shop, you know.

[00:53:07] Yeah.

[00:53:08] But he was super supportive.

[00:53:10] He knew I wouldn't be making a decision half half assed, really.

[00:53:13] Like, yeah, I was going to do it.

[00:53:15] And he comes to every single market, even if it's just to like stand at my booth and like show people pictures of stuff I've made him.

[00:53:22] You know, but my parents were super supportive and they always show up.

[00:53:27] And, you know, I'm grateful for it.

[00:53:30] Well, so tell us what is there anything that we miss that you would want somebody to leave this conversation with either about your business or about building a community?

[00:53:42] Well, I think, again, if you find the things that you love, you'll find the people that also love that.

[00:53:51] And there's your community.

[00:53:52] It's not as hard as it seems to be as you get older and making friends.

[00:53:57] And especially I know one of you is an introvert.

[00:53:59] One is an extrovert.

[00:54:00] And sometimes it's hard to like go out and people, but sometimes it's worth it.

[00:54:05] And just, you know, whether you're a planner or whether you're not, just do it.

[00:54:11] Just, you know, make the leap.

[00:54:13] I highly recommend, you know, if you are a business and there is a market that you feel that you could benefit from like setting up a table and selling your product.

[00:54:27] Try it.

[00:54:28] You might be surprised.

[00:54:29] And either it'll flop and you'll just learn from it and you'll say, okay, well, this is what the people around me that I found to be successful are doing that I can implement.

[00:54:38] Or, you know, maybe this isn't for me.

[00:54:41] And that's okay, too.

[00:54:43] You can still love something and do it and not have to be a business.

[00:54:46] That's okay.

[00:54:47] But it might blow your mind and change your life, honestly.

[00:54:53] Because in, like, in my life, it was one of those where I found something I love to do.

[00:55:00] People loved it.

[00:55:01] I have been able to grow and build my business.

[00:55:05] And it's been amazing.

[00:55:07] And it was all because I decided to do that one market.

[00:55:11] And here I am, you know, on a small owned business marketing podcast.

[00:55:16] I love it.

[00:55:18] I love it.

[00:55:19] Yay!

[00:55:20] Well, so remind everybody where I highly recommend you guys check her out.

[00:55:25] I know you're on Instagram.

[00:55:26] Are you on Facebook?

[00:55:27] I am on Facebook.

[00:55:29] I am on Instagram.

[00:55:30] And I have a TikTok.

[00:55:31] I'm not good at it.

[00:55:33] I'm trying because y'all said to try other platforms.

[00:55:36] So I'm trying, you guys.

[00:55:37] I am at Southern Curiosities on every platform.

[00:55:41] And I also have a website, southerncuriosities.com, where I have an online shop.

[00:55:47] It's a little bit limited because my products take so long to make.

[00:55:51] I'm not able to fulfill an online store as well as having inventory for my market.

[00:55:56] But I try to make everybody happy.

[00:55:59] And like we spoke about earlier, I do custom orders all year round.

[00:56:03] I'm always accepting them.

[00:56:05] And that can be bug art, insect art.

[00:56:09] It could be taxidermy.

[00:56:10] I'm happy to have the conversation, to start it, to create a one-of-a-kind piece for people.

[00:56:18] And I also have all of my upcoming events on my website.

[00:56:21] So you can shop in person.

[00:56:23] Currently, I'm kind of staying in the South Carolina area.

[00:56:26] But I am doing my first tattoo convention in Atlanta at the end of September with my husband.

[00:56:32] Because, again, he's a tattoo artist.

[00:56:34] So their whole shop is going to be there.

[00:56:36] And I get to participate and sell tatty ratties while he tattoos people.

[00:56:42] Tatty ratties?

[00:56:43] What are tatty ratties?

[00:56:45] Please tell me.

[00:56:45] Are these little...

[00:56:46] They are rats with tattoo machines in their hands that my husband custom designed specifically off of one of his machines.

[00:56:54] So other artists will know it's a Paco Rollins tattoo machine that he's holding.

[00:56:59] And he makes these wooden open dioramas.

[00:57:03] And then I put tattoo flash on the walls.

[00:57:06] And they're sitting in a little stool with a little tattoo machine.

[00:57:08] So hopefully a bunch of artists...

[00:57:10] My goal is to have a piece of mine in every tattoo shop in the state would really be...

[00:57:15] Oh, my gosh.

[00:57:17] I love, love.

[00:57:18] When are we going to be able to see a picture of this on your Instagram?

[00:57:22] I have some tatty ratties.

[00:57:23] If you scroll down...

[00:57:24] You do.

[00:57:25] Far enough.

[00:57:26] Yes.

[00:57:26] Okay.

[00:57:27] I'll go on there and look at them later.

[00:57:29] I love this idea.

[00:57:30] Well, so you guys too, if...

[00:57:34] You know, just reach out.

[00:57:36] You know, introduce yourself to Jessica.

[00:57:38] She obviously...

[00:57:39] We love having you here.

[00:57:41] And thanks for sharing all of that great information.

[00:57:44] Thanks for listening to me ramble.

[00:57:46] I know I got off track a few times, but I appreciate you guys making me feel comfortable.

[00:57:51] I am so glad that we had you on here.

[00:57:53] You did an amazing job.

[00:57:55] And it was great to hear about your experience, not only just building your small business,

[00:58:00] but also how markets have changed your life.

[00:58:04] Yeah.

[00:58:05] I highly recommend it.

[00:58:06] And again, I mean, I've always been afraid to be a small owned business because it's very

[00:58:12] daunting to think about every, you know, taxes, healthcare, things you don't really think

[00:58:18] about because if you're working a normal nine to five, they take care of that for you.

[00:58:22] So I knew all of those things going into it.

[00:58:24] And that's what made me wait so long.

[00:58:26] I was just very scared.

[00:58:29] But I love a spreadsheet.

[00:58:33] So once I put together...

[00:58:34] Are you one of those girls that wears like a freak in the sheets, but it's talking about

[00:58:38] like a worksheet?

[00:58:42] I almost wore a couple of my titty bats shirts today, but I was like, should I wear a shirt

[00:58:48] that says always pissed or go away?

[00:58:50] Like maybe not.

[00:58:52] I have the always pissed ones.

[00:58:54] Do you know how many compliments I get on that?

[00:58:57] I went to a farmer's market here in St. Stephen and I kid you not, I had three people.

[00:59:01] This is a small farmer's market.

[00:59:03] I had three people approach me and they're like, I really like your shirt.

[00:59:06] You know, local artists.

[00:59:07] Like Y'all Mart.

[00:59:08] Y'all Mart.

[00:59:09] They're amazing.

[00:59:10] I also have another one from a local...

[00:59:12] I actually went to high school with her.

[00:59:13] It's called Maneater Apparel.

[00:59:15] And it says, Maybe Today Satan.

[00:59:18] I get mixed reviews on that one.

[00:59:20] But I feel like I can filter out my people depending on how they react.

[00:59:25] Yeah.

[00:59:26] Yeah.

[00:59:27] I love it.

[00:59:28] It's always time for crime.

[00:59:30] I love that one.

[00:59:30] With a raccoon on it.

[00:59:32] It's so good.

[00:59:33] That's hilarious.

[00:59:35] Well, and I do, I just want to say we started this podcast by saying that you were a little

[00:59:41] weird.

[00:59:42] We do know that's still true, but I will say small business owners, can we not all relate?

[00:59:48] We are all, like I said, we chose this life.

[00:59:52] Okay.

[00:59:52] We chose to go out there and we had a seed of an idea.

[00:59:56] And I always, sometimes when I'm like, oh gosh, like, you know, you start to get a little

[01:00:00] stressed.

[01:00:01] And I think to myself, I'm like, this came out of nowhere.

[01:00:05] Everything that the season marketer has ever done, we've like built like out of thin air.

[01:00:11] And I'm like, that's the coolest idea to me that you get to like wake up one day and

[01:00:15] say, you know what?

[01:00:16] Something's non-existent now.

[01:00:18] I just want to build it.

[01:00:20] And like being able to, but you still work your full-time job, but at least you can understand

[01:00:26] like being able to kind of make your own hours.

[01:00:30] You know, I've been on the grind for so long working a normal, a normal job.

[01:00:34] And my husband's like, it's until you work for yourself, you'll never understand.

[01:00:38] And I was like, oh, that sounds scary.

[01:00:39] But now that I have, and you know, I know I work, I might work seven days a week sometimes

[01:00:45] because I can't help it.

[01:00:46] And my workspace is upstairs and it's like right there.

[01:00:49] I can just go work on something real quick.

[01:00:53] But, you know, now I get to play bingo with my grandma once a month.

[01:00:58] And, you know, my mom's like, hey, I'm at the pool.

[01:01:02] It's Friday at two.

[01:01:03] I'll be there.

[01:01:04] You know, so being able to kind of like, now I can put my family first.

[01:01:10] And I mean, don't let that confuse anyone.

[01:01:14] Like I'm still working my tail off and I'll just make it up another day.

[01:01:18] But having the opportunity to be able to live my dream and also take a walk with my dog

[01:01:26] and my husband every morning and have breakfast together is worth it in itself.

[01:01:31] I couldn't be happier.

[01:01:32] Now that I took the leap, it was scary, but it was worth it.

[01:01:36] And again, once you find your community and you find your people, you realize that you can be successful.

[01:01:42] It's just finding and trying new things to find it.

[01:01:48] It's not necessarily going to be where you think it is sometimes.

[01:01:50] It might be like I did Augusta Handmade Fair, one of my best markets.

[01:01:56] No dead things.

[01:01:57] Never expected.

[01:02:01] I love it.

[01:02:03] There are so many, so many sentences that we're going to take from this.

[01:02:07] The clips, no dead things, just me.

[01:02:11] A lot of rats, a lot of rat ones.

[01:02:14] Yeah.

[01:02:14] Rats on bikes, rats on toilets, rats on.

[01:02:18] You know, that's what I always tell people when I'm at my market too.

[01:02:21] And I give them a card and I'm like, if you're laying in bed at night and you can't stop thinking

[01:02:25] about a rat doing X, Y, Z in a karate pose, smoking a cigar, you know, doing a handstand.

[01:02:34] I got you.

[01:02:35] Like we can make it happen.

[01:02:38] I love it.

[01:02:40] Thank you everyone for listening.

[01:02:42] Thank you, Jessica.

[01:02:44] You did an amazing job.

[01:02:45] That was a great conversation.

[01:02:47] Jen, just want to say real quick, if you guys could leave us a review wherever you're listening

[01:02:52] to this, make sure that you follow or subscribe.

[01:02:56] And if you have a topic that you want us to talk about, or if you want to be a guest on

[01:03:00] the podcast, just reach out to us.

[01:03:02] You can email us at help at the season marketer.com or you can just send us a DM like on Instagram.

[01:03:08] Also leave down in the comments below.

[01:03:10] If you have an idea of rat poses that Jessica should try out, leave it in the comments and

[01:03:16] we'll make sure it gets to her.

[01:03:18] Yeah.

[01:03:19] Absolutely.

[01:03:20] And guys go out there and be the best SOB you can be.