Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Childress.
Hi Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been a ballroom and Latin dancer/teacher my whole life. I started teaching dance when I was 16 and continued teaching right up until COVID. The dance industry was one of the first to close during the pandemic and the very last to return. During the pandemic, I created a ton of art. I love doing stained glass, macrame, and painting. Post COVID, I had a ton of artwork I wanted to sell so I entered one of the local art markets as a vendor. While this side of things didn’t appeal to me, I decided to start my own market in Cedar Park where I lived at the time.
I had been running dance conventions for the last 10 years prior to COVID, so I knew I had the knowledge to start my own. By my second month I was hosting over 85 vendors monthly. This eventually led to starting a weekly Farmers Market in Bee Cave, a small artisan market in Bee Cave, and lastly a large weekly food and art market in the Arboretum that hosts over 50 vendors every week.
While I would have never pictured myself running outdoor markets, I am proud to host local, small businesses. I have learned so much about what it means to support local. Getting to know these families, and their struggles, has been both eye opening and inspiring. Most of these vendors have full time jobs. They cook and create after their long workdays, pack it all up on a Friday, and spend their free weekends selling at a local market. This is admirable and I really wish more people understood the importance of supporting these small, independent businesses. They work harder in one week than most of us do in a month.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Running markets always has its struggles. It is a vulnerable business as we are at the mercy of the weather, holidays, and other large events that shadow small markets. It has been tough watching how local farmers struggle to make money at markets. I think most people do not realize how tough small, local farms have it!
In general, I feel the real struggles lie with the vendors/businesses that I host.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Bee Cave Farmers Market falls under the umbrella of Penny V Productions LLC. I host local, outdoor markets. I currently run 4 outdoors markets. These are the Bee Cave Farmers Market, The Arboretum Food and Artisan Market, Cedar Park Market Days, and the Bee Cave Artisan Market. These are well established, outdoor markets that host local small businesses offering fresh foods, gourmet foods, local art, and more. We host local ranchers that raise their own cattle, local farmers, local florists, and more.
I feel these markets are set apart from others in that I work very hard to cultivate groups of vendors that offer locally, handmade goods and locally crafted foods. I do not take vendors that are selling MLM products or that order products. Everything has to be handmade by the artist or cooked/grown here in Austin, or within 150 miles of Austin.
What is even more important than any of this? I care about my vendors. My fees are very affordable for local businesses, and they can always trust in the consistency of the markets, and my advocacy for their business.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I believe strongly in taking risks. I will always remember a great piece of advice I once got. It is okay to feel fear. Do it anyways. No one says you have to go forward with an idea or a challenge not being scared. Do it anyways. That always plays in my head upon taking on any new venture. I graduated with honors at 38. Going to college that late in life was scary. I did it anyways. Starting outdoor markets when I had zero experience with running outdoor markets was scary. I did it anyways. Learning to play the drums, walking across England alone, at 40, was scary. I did it anyways. Often, the absolute best things come from the things that scare us, or our reaction to them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pennyvproductions.com
