It is hard to believe that in December that it will be a full two years that The Woven Bead has been in my life. I can’t believe how much I have learned and grown in this time. I am so grateful for all of the fellow vendors I have met and have shared in this journey with me. I have been lucky enough to have been welcomed in by and continue to be a part of two very special farmers market families.

There is so much that goes into having your own business and it can be even more difficult when it is not your full-time job. I have had to learn how to balance my full time teaching work with my creative time. What I have sold so far and especially this year has exceeded all expectations I had.

I have truly enjoyed the collaboration with my fellow artists and vendors. I have been so blessed with encouragement and ideas from many of them. I am also now able to share what I have learned with other vendors.

I have also enjoyed the relationships formed with my customers. They are such a valuable resource of information as I navigate my business plan. I am finding out what my customers want and it helps me to focus my creative time making them. Sometimes you find something that you think is awesome to make and it just doesn’t sell. I am also really enjoying doing custom orders and being able to help my customers get exactly what they want. This is also something that my customers really love.

One of the reasons that I wanted to do local markets was to challenge myself to get back out there in the world after COVID. I found that I was really missing the connection and feeling of community, other than my school community. I wanted to meet new people and really feel part of something bigger than my small circle of friends and family.

Making my jewelry is a stress reliever for me has become a true passion. I love sharing the positive energy of the rocks and gemstones with others. It is one way that I can spread joy to others. Finding joy in your life and in the world is so important. Having things that are grown or handmade with love is one of the best ways to do that. I think that is something we have forgotten as a society.

When I started out making bracelets I never expected that it would lead me to where I am today. Being a small business owner was not something I ever expected to do, but now I can’t imagine my life without it. I am so thankful to be as successful as I have been so far and look forward to where I am going in the future. I will keep learning, keep growing and keep spreading joy one piece of jewelry at a time.