Motivated by 16 Floors of Straight Up Hustle
I'm new to the Atlanta Mart experience. Years ago, Jenny and Dawn, owners of the so-missed Henry & Pearl invited me to tag along for one of their Mart days and it was exhilarating. Not all the "stuff", but the energy and hustle literally around every turn - and there are lots of turns, to be sure.
Fast forward to Summer of 2022 and I've gotten the opportunity to open a small, but very cute, studio/shop in my hometown and we jumped on it. I'm still figuring out what the goal with the little she shed will even be, but we knew we had to have it. I've been eyeing that little building since before I had a business. I've always wanted to do something with it and here we are. It is a working studio and hub for all things Pixie, it's a fun place to host other small business pop-ups and a great place to invite local people to shop the pieces.
I've also pictured it serving as an almost one-stop shop as you get ready for a city to sea getaway. Enter... the Mart.
To complete the goal of filling your suitcase with getaway style, I thought we needed to carry a great hat, a resort bag, my favorite sunblock and maybe a couple of other necessities. So, I registered at the Mart with my newfound "buyer" status and ventured off into the wild. With Pat at my side, we navigated as best we could our first Mart back in the fall of 2022. Luckily, I love to shop and already had opinions about brands I love. And we didn't need - or have room - for much so we made quick work of adding a couple key pieces to the Pixie She Shed.
I just went to my second Mart as a shop buyer and this time was more in browsing and planning mode. I got to spend some time learning and planning for the year, taking note of brands and anything that passes my city-to-sea 3-second test. What I really came away with was inspiration and motivation. I looked around and saw 16 floors of pure hustle. Small business owners everywhere working hard to make their shops a success in 2023 and beyond. Some who had been in business for years and had this down to a science, some who were newer and second guessing themselves, some older, some younger, some in groups and many having fun and smiling. And that's not even mentioning the exhibitors yet. I got to talk with brands who were there showing, too. Some had reps working, but in many cases, the business owner or creator is who I was speaking with about passion.
All in all, two great days in the books. I'm probably heading back Saturday because there were these resort bags that I absolutely loved and I wrote the name down wrong so I can't reach out to them. I need to go back and track them down. You're going to want one!
Finished the day with GPS leading us the craziest way through Atlanta, but it brought us by a cute little store where every work crew and businessman in West Atlanta has lunch, apparently. It was a fun little find and a refreshing way to end a great day.
Come visit the Pixie She Shed this Friday to see what we have in store and get ready for your next getaway.
