Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Irvin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Rachel, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I’m often complimented on my optimism and positivity. It comes from a place of gratitude- a place that knows that in the grand scheme of things, it’s going to be ok. Even when things go haywire, even when there are hardships- there are brighter days ahead and there is a valuable lesson in the hardship. My optimism also comes from a place of trust- trust in my own abilities to navigate myself and my business through whatever life throws at me. Over a span of years, I made conscious choices to stop wearing my struggles. I embraced a “fake it til you make it” mentality. If an event ever goes poorly sales wise, or other wise, and a customer inquires after my day- I smile big and say, truthfully, that it’s a privilege to run this business and live this life. No one wants to hear if I’m struggling. It’s not going to make anyone’s day better. And it truly is a privilege to run my business and be at events- even ones that don’t live up to expectations. Attitude is everything and optimism can shape your reality into the one you’re hoping to have.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’m Rachel- founder of RachelMade (a candle and skincare company), Crafts in the Village (a monthly craft festival on St. Simon’s Island, GA), and Crafts on the River (a monthly craft festival on River Street in Savannah, GA). It all started with RachelMade. I wanted cleaner skincare products- and eventually candles- so I got in my kitchen and got to work bringing my organic skincare formulas to life. I spent from mid 2014 until early 2020 participating in festivals and trade shows around the country- I averaged 45 events per year and traveled to about a dozen different states every year. In March of 2020, the pandemic shut events down, which was a major source of business revenue for me. As events canceled, first for the month, then for the year- I began to panic. I was able to leverage my online customer base and social media to survive the first few months of lockdown- but no events were open for my small business to participate in for the foreseeable future. In July of 2020, I was permitted to organize a very small craft event on St. Simons Island. I think we had 12 makers out at our first Crafts in the Village- a name that didn’t even exist at that early date. We were way spaced out from each other, we all had masks on, we all had hand sanitizer in our booths. Most importantly, we were all making the money to support our businesses and our families! The next event saw 15 small businesses participate. Then twenty… as covid restrictions relaxed, we were eventually able to fill our park with artists- 70 artists and makers participated at our last Crafts in the Village event. We are now a monthly island staple, running February through December in the pier village of St. Simons Island. These events helped save over 150 small businesses during the pandemic- and we host over 250 individual small businesses every year at 11 events. For more information on these events, and to plan your trip to see us, visit www.craftsinthevillage.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/craftsinthevillage Crafts on the River launched earlier this year in collaboration with Inheritance of Hope. Inheritance of Hope supports young families facing the loss of a parent to terminal illness. I have a longstanding partnership with Inheritance of Hope- I used to donate RachelMade items to their family retreats because everyone appreciates a little pampering! This time our partnership is raising a ton of money for these awesome families through our craft events. Crafts on the River takes place on River Street in historic Savannah, Georgia, on Rousakis plaza. There were some Savannah festivals that didn’t come back after the pandemic and my artists were wanting to get their items back onto River Street because it is such a magical one-of-a-kind place. In April 2023, we kicked off our first Crafts on the River event. We’ll be out there monthly, with up to 70 artists and makers, February-December every year. Please visit www.craftsontheriver.com to plan your trip to Crafts on the River. Help support Inheritance of Hope by simply shopping our artists and makers! Learn more about their mission or directly donate at www.inheritanceofhope.org
For more information on my original brand RachelMade, or to order beeswax candles, essential oil roll-ons, aromatherapy bath soaks, moisturizing balms, and my famous lip balms, please visit www.rachelmadeproducts.com
It is truly my life’s privilege to host so many talented artists and makers at twenty two craft festivals per year. It’s easy to be enthusiastic about their fabulous handmade work. I never thought my quest for cleaner candles and skincare products would lead me here- but I’m sure glad to be here offering a sales platform to so many talented artists and makers.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Persistence, flexibility, and the ability to problem solve are integral parts of my journey that have contributed to my success. There will be hard days- come to terms with that right now. Persist through the hardships. Problem solve through adversity. MAKE IT WORK. There is a way, somehow, if you can just figure it out. If what you’re doing isn’t getting the desired results, start working on another way. Willingness to flex and change as the market demands will influence your success. Dream big and set big goals. Not attaining something by a certain date just means your timeline has been extended, not that you didn’t make it. Celebrate your successes and continue to set new and larger goals for yourself. So much is possible if you set your mind and your energy toward it, whatever “it” is!
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
If I’m ever feeling overwhelmed, which can be often, I make a list of all of the things that I think I have to do. Sometimes just seeing the list makes me realize a good half of it can wait. After a quick edit, I re-organize my list in order of urgency. Sometimes important things I want to get to but can’t get added to the next day’s or the next week’s task list. (invest in a good day planner and USE IT). Breaking things down into bite-sized goals make things feel more manageable. I am very driven by check-lists, so I parcel out tasks and start ticking them off one by one. If I feel overwhelmed about things I don’t have any control over, whatever the reason, I take some time to process the helplessness of the given situation and evaluate if there’s anything I can do to help alleviate the situation. If the answer is no, then it’s time to move forward with other things. If I need to crawl into bed and have a nap or take a walk to my favorite beach, then that’s what needs to happen. With so many various responsibilities on my shoulders, it’s important to be able to break tasks down into manageable portions and also take the time that I need for myself to be a happy and healthy human. It’s a balancing act that changes daily- just meet the needs of the moment. Keep going. It’s all going to get done eventually.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rachelmadeproducts.com and www.craftsinthevillage.com and www.craftsontheriver.com
- Instagram: @rachelmade products
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/craftsinthevillage
- Other: www.facebook.com/rachelmade-products-llc http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089899722607
