Harvesting Change: Bridging the Gap Between Marginalized Fiber Artists and Yarn Stores
I was walking through my garden this morning, thinking about how beautiful it looks… how fruitful it is. And how little work I’m actually doing in the garden. But I’ve been working on this garden since February, starting seeds and keeping them safe and warm inside when the snow is knee-high, and the temperatures are well below freezing. Looking at my garden now, I almost forget how much work actually went into getting it here to this place where I’m not tilling the soil or nurturing seedlings, but harvesting months of work.
And that reminds me of where I am in my career/business right now. Years and years of building - designing constantly, taking on tech editing projects, doing this and doing that - to now be at the place where I’m seeing the growth and harvesting from the hard work.
With that hard work comes the space to help others reach their goals. To use my knowledge and all I’ve learned to help you skip the mistake part to get to your dreams faster.
And that’s why, with my mission to help marginalized fiber artists, I’ve created BIG UP BOX (the yarn subscription box and yarn truck coming soon). As part of that mission, I talk about the lack of diversity in yarn shops. Many store owners I talk to say they can’t find diverse fiber businesses. And when I talk to marginalized fiber artists, they are so busy running their business, they don’t have time or capacity to post regularly or do outreach. So, that’s where I come in. I want to help bridge the gap and introduce marginalized fiber artists to yarn stores who are struggling to connect.
In this capacity, I will be a sales rep or brand ambassador of sorts for marginalized fiber artists. I will research and vet yarn stores to ensure they’re the right fit, and work with them to stock items from these historically underrepresented communities.
So, what does this all mean?
If you are a yarn dyer from a marginalized and historically underrepresented community. You struggle with “selling yourself” and doing outreach to generate wholesale orders. Or you simply don’t know where to start, let me help you with that.
If you are a yarn store and you struggle to find dyers and fiber artists to stock beyond the usual suspects, and you want to include a wider range of products for your community because they are starved for it, I will introduce you to some amazing fiber artists you have never heard of that deserve a spot on your shelves.
Next steps:
If you’re a fiber artist wanting to learn how a sales rep could transform your business, reach out. Let’s jump on a 15-min call to see how we might work together.
If you’re a yarn store interested in stocking more diverse fiber items, reach out to set up a sales appointment. I’m available to show you yarns and samples to help you decide what will work best for your customers. Sales meetings are available virtually and in-person. If you’re local to me (New England), I’m willing to drive to you so you can touch and experience the yarns.
I want to show you what you’re missing out on by only stocking “popular” brands.
I’m harvesting change and I want you to be a part of it!
Contact me here to learn more.
