OPINION | What I learned from event vendors

A woman stands next to a beige T-shirt displayed on a hanger under a blue canopy at an outdoor market or event. The shirt features a red circular line-art design of a fish swimming in waves, mountains in the background, and a canoe, with the word “INDIGENOUS” written boldly underneath. The shirt also displays two handmade necklaces. The woman wears a blue Seattle Seahawks T-shirt and looks calmly at the camera, with cars and other tents visible in the background on a sunny day.

One of my favorite parts of covering Swinomish Days and the Skagit County Fair this year was talking with women who started their own businesses. These women are powerhouses who have the energy and ability to build their businesses and inventory all week long, manage websites and marketing, and then set up stands at events…

Kari Mar
2–4 minutes

One of my favorite parts of covering Swinomish Days and the Skagit County Fair this year was talking with women who started their own businesses. These women are powerhouses who have the energy and ability to build their businesses and inventory all week long, manage websites and marketing, and then set up stands at events and staff them for long hours. 

I’ve met plenty of business owners over the years, but these conversations were different — personal, unvarnished, and layered with equal parts grit and joy.

They didn’t all start with a lightning-bolt idea or a big venture capital check. Many built their businesses slowly, out of tradition, necessity, or a desire to share something they love. They are living proof that in Washington — where women own 42% of all small businesses, the highest rate in the nation — success often means making your own path and defining your own rewards.

Here are some of the lessons they shared with me, along with the advice I’m taking to heart:

1. Bravery isn’t about the absence of fear — it’s about moving anyway

Olivia Franklin of Dinetah Trading didn’t launch her jewelry business because she felt ready; she did it because she had no choice. The bills were due, Christmas was coming, and she had been out of work for a year. “You’re the only one who can do it for yourself,” she told me. That urgency pushed her to take the leap — a reminder that sometimes we just have to start.

2. Your own story can be your brand’s superpower

For Lisa Marie of Sheeside Image, her business was two years in the making and grew out of her Swinomish and Tlingit roots. Her logo tells a story of coastal life, sacrifice, and resilience. She reminded me that when your work springs from your identity, you’re not just selling a product — you’re offering a piece of your culture and your truth.

3. Joy is a business strategy

Aireekah Laudert of Glitt3r Lyfe runs a business built on sparkle and fun, but she’s as strategic as any CEO. “Make sure you are still getting joy in what you’re doing,” she says. If something stops making her happy, she lets it go. Joy isn’t just a side effect of her work — it’s the quality control test for every service she offers.

4. Consider keeping a day job while you build

More than one woman told me they worked other jobs while starting out — both for stability and to take the pressure off their new venture. It was Gigi Franco of Mola Shoppe who made me realize how freeing that can be. A nurse by day, she builds her pressed-flower creations at a pace that keeps her passion alive.

5. Community is your safety net

From vendor neighbors to customers who become friends, these women thrive on connection. They share market tips, swap encouragement during slow sales, and cheer each other’s successes. That network doesn’t just grow a business. It sustains it.

Define your own success

Not every entrepreneur measures success in revenue alone. For some, it’s the ability to work from home with kids nearby, or the chance to give back to their community, or to treat the family to a special dinner. Money matters, of course, but happiness is part of the bottom line too.

I came away from these interviews inspired — not because every woman had “made it,” but because each was still shaping what success looks like on her own terms. And that, to me, might be the most entrepreneurial act of all.

Subscribe
Donate