DARLING MAGAZINE POP UP SHOP

Last weekend I was a vendor at a Darling Magazine pop up shop event at Maker's Space in Seattle. It was my first experience selling my designs in person and it went even better than I ever could have expected. 

My sweet friend Erika Tobiason helped me prep by making a eucalyptus garland and arranging flowers for my table. Another friend Greg made wooden stands for me to display the 8x10s. My local printer worked extra hard at producing more inventory on a short time frame. I felt so well supported by so many people going into the event and it made the day run so much more smoothly. My husband especially was a key player and helped me load and unload all the supplies, and stayed with me for the crazy morning hours when I needed help keeping up with the sales. 

Going into the event, I wondered if I would even sell it all; if it was worth the investment. I told myself if I just sold 10 cards that it would be worth it. I ended up selling more than that amount in the  initial transaction within a minute of opening, and a few hours in I had sold beyond my wildest expectations. I am still so blown away by how well the line sold. Even beyond that, the greatest takeaway from the event was meeting so many people and hearing the stories of how they planned to use their art; as mother's day gifts, for their traveling boyfriend, for their walls at home. It was such a joy to meet faces and hear stories behind who's buying my products. With so many of my sales coming from online purchases, selling in person is such a different dimension and creates a huge opportunity for connection with the buyer. 

I especially loved hearing the stories of people who came because they follow me on Instagram and wanted to meet me in person. It felt like instant friendships because they already had such an insight into my life, and I tried to find out all that I could about each person as quickly as possible. As a strong extrovert, the huge number of quick meetings and moments of connection fueled me like none other. I could have done that for days.

It was really fun for me to see so many familiar faces. I had a number of friends stop by, and I felt so encouraged and supported (thank you Erika, Joe, Tayna, Katie Jo, Jordan, Whitney, Will, Ashley, Laura, Tatem, Moch, and Jenny!) My friend Erika Riggs of Rouge and Whimsy was also there as a vendor, and I was so thankful to have her close by. 

My friend Grace from GH Kim was the photographer for the event and took this photo of my display. Loved seeing her there too.

This event made me so excited for what's to come. I feel so incredibly thankful for how well it went and where my business is going. If you are reading this blog and also attended the event, thank you! You made my day.