Rise Up Designs

One thing markets have taught me is that growth is not always about bringing more. More products. More displays. More signs. More things packed into every available inch of the table. Sometimes growth looks like learning what to leave behind. When I first started doing markets, I wanted to bring everything. I thought the more choices I gave people, the better chance I had of making a sale. And honestly, that made sense to me at the time. But after doing markets for a few years, I’ve learned that too much can become overwhelming—not only for the customer, but for me too. A crowded table can make it harder for people to understand what I sell. Products can get lost. My best items may not stand out. And instead of creating a warm, inviting space, the booth can start to feel like I simply brought everything I own. Now I try to be more intentional. Before I pack for a market, I ask myself: Does this product fit the direction of my business? Does it work with the rest of my displ...

​ This week reminded me of something I think every small business owner learns eventually. I’ve stopped asking myself, “Was this market worth it?” Instead, I ask, “What did this market teach me?” That’s a very different question. 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’ve had incredible markets where I sold well, and I’ve had markets where the weather had other plans. Rain. Wind. Slow foot traffic. Wet signs. Products that needed to be covered in a hurry. None of those things are fun, but every single one has taught me something. Maybe it’s to laminate my pricing signs. 💲 Maybe it’s to pack extra towels.🧻 Maybe it’s to bring another set of clips or rethink my booth layout. 🤔 Maybe it’s simply a reminder that I can’t control the weather, but I can control how prepared I am. ⚡️💨 The funny thing is, the markets that challenge me are usually the ones that make me a better vendor. - Every event becomes info.  - Every conversation teaches me something about my customers. - Every mistake becomes a chec...

​ As small business owners, we’re always hearing the same advice: “Launch it.” “Done is better than perfect.” “Don’t wait.” And while I think there’s truth in that… I also think there’s another side. This week reminded me that sometimes a product simply isn’t ready yet. I’ve sold my Blind Date with a Book collections at markets for a while, but I kept holding off on listing them on Etsy. Not because I was afraid. Not because I didn’t believe in them. But because something kept telling me they still needed a little more. Over the last several months, I’ve listened to customers, changed the packaging, added accessories, improved the clue cards, created different themes, and slowly built the experience I wanted people to have. This week I finally listed them online. And they started selling. Looking back, I don’t regret waiting. Sometimes waiting isn’t procrastination. Sometimes it’s preparation. This week was also exciting for another reason. I introduced Charmed by Gra...

One thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that customers don’t just buy products—they remember brands. As summer markets turn into the busy fall and holiday season, I’ve been looking at every part of my booth asking one question: “If someone walks away without buying today, will they remember my business tomorrow?” This year I committed to making my brand more visible. Not by spending a fortune… But by using tools I already own. I already had my Cricut. I already had my heat press. So I started creating branded table linens, adding my logo to different covers, refreshing my display, and making sure my business name is visible from every angle. Because when someone tells a friend… “You have to check out that booth…” I don’t want them wondering what my business was called. I want them saying: “It was Rise Up Designs.” Your booth is more than a place to sell. It’s your storefront. Every sign… Every table cover… Every display… Every logo… They’re all working for...

One of my commitments this year was to become more involved in the small business community. This weekend, I participated in another small market at a local coffee shop. If you’ve followed my journey for a while, you know that most of my larger events are 10x10 booth spaces filled with products, displays, and lots of foot traffic. This market was much smaller—a cozy 5x5 setup—but it reminded me of something important. Of course, every small business owner hopes for sales when they attend an event. But I’ve learned that showing up isn’t always about what you sell that day. Sometimes it’s about building relationships, getting out of your comfort zone, and becoming part of something bigger than yourself. As I walked around the market, I took photos of the other vendors and shared them on Instagram. I tagged their businesses and encouraged people to stop by and support them. My thinking was simple: if someone comes out to support me, maybe they’ll discover another amazing small business...

 When I first started creating, my focus was pretty simple: tumblers, wraps, and learning everything I could about UV DTF products. Like many small business owners, I spent countless hours figuring out designs, testing products, and learning what customers responded to. But something interesting happened along the way. I realized the product wasn’t really the thing. The creativity was. The skill set was. The ability to take an idea and turn it into something meaningful was. For a while, UV DTF decals primarily meant tumblers for me. And while I still love creating them, I started asking myself: What else can I do with the tools I already have? That’s where the fun began. The same UV DTF products I was using on tumblers started showing up on: 📚 Blind Date with a Book bundles 🔖 Beaded bookmarks 🔑 Keychains 👜 Book lover totes 📖 Annotation kits 🎁 Reader gift bundles Instead of learning an entirely new craft, I simply found new ways to use the skills I already had....