07/04/2025
โจ a little bit of small biz realness โจ
some days, your pop-up goes off without a hitch. you get enough sleep the night before, make record sales, pet all the dogs, get nonstop compliments on your work, and go home feeling on top of the world. other days, you stay up the whole night before making sure youโre fully stocked up, curse the unexpectedly strong wind that keeps blowing all your stuff over (including your entire rack and all the products hanging from it, despite having a weighted base ๐ฅฒ), and come away with nothing to show for it except heat exhaustion and a gnarly asymmetrical sunburn. iโm very fortunate that this passion project is not my sole source of income (because letโs be real, iโd be in trouble if it was ๐), but for so many small business owners, pop-ups are their entire livelihood. iโve seen so many badass women set up and break down by themselves and i always wonder how they do it (iโm spoiled with an amazing , who always sacrifices his weekends to help me at markets).
โข โข โข
โbadโ market days can feel so discouraging, even if you have help and another source of income. but watching small biz babes who do this for a living fall down and get back up, constantly improve, and stay so positive when the state of the world is so crazy inspires me to keep this little side hustle going. then i come home to , my fluffy little soulmate, and i remember why i started asa & company in the first place. heโs thrilled to see me whether or not i met my own expectations and instantly boosts my mood without even trying. he has been chronically ill for a few months now. weโre having to syringe-feed him because he wonโt willingly eat anything but treats. i still canโt fathom that there will be a day that starts without him. but iโm endlessly, endlessly grateful for and proud of this little shop that will immortalize him, even on the โbadโ market days. ๐
โข โข โข
if youโve ever purchased something from me or generously shared your space with pop-up vendors, THANK YOU. ๐๐ป we see and deeply appreciate those who share our values, lift us up, and keep us going. ๐ฅฐ
