Friends! Many of you know that I started my entrepreneurial life as a 26-year-old co-founder of the beloved Dandelion Communitea Cafe. This led me down the localist loving path as co-founder of Ourlando, the original Local First movement in Central Florida, and host of Front Porch Radio, which just celebrated its tenth anniversary. While it was exhilarating being part of a wildly successful “brick & mortar” gathering place, it was not without the major stress that comes from a high-risk business requiring large up the front investment open rain or shine, seven days a week.
Since my exit from that venture, I’ve found startling success using the Etsy platform with my totally off-the-beaten-path astrology calendar that I made just for fun using my graphic design skills from my prior career. How successful? Well, it’s being featured in Real Simple magazine (on newsstands now) and an upcoming book about by NYT bestselling author (and super cool guy) Chris Guillebeau. Real casual for a thing I had no intention of selling when I made it to teach my daughter about the cyclical nature of time!
Being someone truly invested in moving forward a people powered economy, I am compelled to pass on the knowledge I’ve gained. I want to help maker minded folks chart their course turning a passion project into a viable & profitable enterprise with less risk and stress. While I have a college degree in business, not everyone does. Starting small and getting your entrepreneurial legs via a side hustle means you make smaller mistakes, which you can recover from much faster. Think of it as real school action-learning to prepare you for a bigger business venture.
I’m excited to bring the Maker Side Hustle Workshop: The Sane, Safe & Savvy Start-up to East End Market on Saturday, September 23rd. (Available through a webcast for those who can’t make it in person). Aside from a detailed case study that shifts you into a designer mindflex mode and savvy strategy, I am excited to welcome Juan Rivera from the Melrose Center at the library to give a mini-session on product photography and an absolutely phenomenal lineup of local retailers to share their insights on reading your product for merchandising and wholesale.
Our local retail panelists come from different neighborhoods throughout Central Florida:
- Miranda Sophia Solace from Avalon Beyond in the Mills50 District in Orlando
- Maguire Wise from the Magpies Modern General Store in Sanford
- Seth from Freehand Goods located inside East End Market in the Audubon Park District
For full information on the workshop offerings & to reserve your seat, visit East End Market’s website: https://www.eastendmkt.com/events/maker-side-hustle-workshop/ plus invite friends via the Facebook event announcement.
Julie Wilder 