YLNI Farmers Market: The Neon Cauldron
Kayla Gervais has always been crafty and found enjoyment in recreating her favorite bath and body products at home. Today, The Neon Cauldron sells an entire range of imaginative products from bath bombs, bubble cookies, soap cupcakes, and much more. Kayla’s products are made with a combination of oils and butters, so your skin gets a healthy pampering when using them. The goal is to provide an enjoyable and luxurious bath experience for kids and adults alike with simple ingredients that can work with many skin types. The kids get some fizzy fun and the adults get those few precious moments of self-care. After sharing some of her homemade bath bombs with family and friends who fell in love with them, The Neon Cauldron was born. When Kayla launched in 2015, her first group of loyal supporters was her fellow babywearers called the Cupcakes. Through her involvement with this group, she tested out the products, got an endless source of new ideas, and found her most loyal customers. Another important source of support is her husband. Despite working his own full-time job, he dedicates his evenings to assisting Kayla however possible and always gives her some encouraging words. Much of her success can be attributed to word of mouth advertising from customers that spread the joy of her products to others. When Kayla is not busy with her boy or The Neon Cauldron, she is getting her geek on with books, movies, and video games, cooking, or working with her crochet hook. As a small business owner and a mother of a three year-old boy, Kayla appreciates the need to take time for yourself and refresh yourself before and after a hard day’s work. You are the most important part of a business when you are the whole business, so taking care of the other facets of your life are just as important as the business itself. Come down to the YLNI Farmers Market this summer to check out The Neon Cauldron and their fun and creative bathing products. You can visit The Neon Cauldron’s website and follow them on Facebook and...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market: Knotoday
Cheyenne Gonzales loves to create, and she’s sharing this passion with the community. She started Knotoday earlier this year as her first business, along with the local creative group, Photanical. Cheyenne sells fiber art pieces: macrame wall hangings, plant holders, keychains, garlands, and select knitted pieces that garnish your home in style. All of her macrame pieces are 100% cotton and hand dyed. Not only can you buy her works of art, but also you can make your own! Knotoday shares the creative knowledge of fiber art making in local workshops. Cheyenne got started selling pieces to friends and family. The inspiration for Cheyenne is her grandmother Vicki, the “Queen Crafter,” who is always willing to show Cheyenne new ideas and techniques.Word spread of her business with the help of social media, which has been a great communication tool for introducing Knotoday. While the goal is to continually grow Knotoday, she maintains a full-time job as an Insurance Specialist for Specialist Transportation. Outside of her passion of Knotoday, Cheyenne is a yogi at Pranayoga, a mom to her cat Johanna, and the biggest Jim Carrey fan you will ever meet. The most important lesson Cheyenne has learned through starting Knotoday is to show appreciation to the people and opportunities that come your way. She is extremely grateful for to the small team who has been supporting her through this journey. After months of working on her craft, and a lifetime of developing her creativity, Cheyenne has learned that whatever you do, do it every day – be involved in your craft every single day. Come down to the YLNI Farmers Market this summer to check out Knotoday and the unique products Cheyenne has to offer. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and upcoming...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market: Nana’s Southern Treats
At Nana’s Southern Treats, Joyce Culberson (aka Nana), makes amazing assortments of homemade baked goods each week. Nana specializes in southern delicacies, such as rich buttery pound cakes, seasonal fruit tarts, pies, and pastries, all with homemade crusts. You can also pick up items like cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, cookies, and gooey sweet bars for the kids. With the help of her friend Linda (aka Mee Mee), Nana brings Southern hospitality to you in baked sweetness. Whether you are one of her fans clamoring for her booth every Saturday or new to her creations, Nana is seeks to bring a piece of happiness to you with every treat. Nana comes from the hills of Alabama, where she learned from her mother and grandmother to not only bake, but to create delicious food. She was taught that we eat with our eyes, as well as our mouths, so she works hard to make bakery treats that are both beautiful and delicious enough to share with family and friends. With this devotion to loving care, Nana decided that retirement offered a chance to share her passion with the rest of the community. This engagement with the community has created a new source of enjoyment–spending time with new friends and patrons at the market every Saturday. Quality, quality, quality. That’s the loving care that Nana expresses with every creation and the most important lesson she has learned. To be successful, you have to produce the highest quality product possible. Come down to the YLNI Farmers Market this summer to check out Nana’s Southern Treats and try their delicious homemade baked goods. Nana loves to gather with new friends just as much as she loves to share her creations with...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market – Old Fort Soap Company
Who’s better at recommending a good soap than a friend? That’s why Gary and Hagan are started offering you their vast assortment of natural products from real, natural lye soap, to bath and body products, to house and home supplies. The best part is that you know exactly what is in every product, without having a degree in chemistry! As the name implies, Old Fort Soap has been around for some time now. More than 11 years ago, Gary and Hagan started out of a need to resolve their own skin care concerns that mass market products could not. Soon family and friends got hooked on the products, and Old Fort Soap Company was born. That same group of family and friends are still their greatest supporters today. Getting the company off the ground began with $250, no experience, and the desire to make something better. For the first 7 years of Old Fort Soap, they held day jobs as their friends base grew to the point where they could sustain themselves on just the business. Today, they are one of our largest vendors and sell out of most of their products every market. When Gary and Hagan can get away, they travel, spend time at their cabin with family and friends, and participate in community programs to support the less fortunate. Friends coming back after using their products is always a rewarding experience. The soap does smell great, but the benefits of natural lye soap brings people back time and time again. These successes have enabled them to reach their goals, but they are always setting new ones to achieve. They have learned a couple of lessons in their journey as well. In the past few years, they have been facing increasing competition with new soap vendors coming to the market. “You must be prepared to face that competition and know that it will keep you strong.” It took 7 years before Gary and Hagan could work on Old Fort Soap full-time, so they know that slow and steady wins the race. You have to put aside your doubts and fears, and keep plugging away at what you know is working. Get out to the market this summer and find Gary and Hagan (they only have the largest tent at the market)! Follow them on Facebook and visit their...
read more12 Three Rivers Festival Events You Won’t Want To Miss
The Three Rivers Festival is back for their 49th year! You may have received your booklet and are probably overwhelmed by just how many events are taking place in just one week of the festival. Fort Wayne is so spoiled by the amount of fun we get to have during this festival that we’ve decided to make a list of events that are worth visiting. There’s something for everyone this year, including new events. Check out Living Fort Wayne’s picks for the Three Rivers Festival events you won’t want to miss! Downtown Midway (July 7–15 at 11 a.m.–11 p.m.) The Three Rivers Festival provides multiple rides for the Fort Wayne community to enjoy every year! There will also be classic carnival games, face painting, kids’ rides and so much more. You can get your wristbands for the rides in advance here. The Emporium (July 7 at 4 p.m.–10 p.m., July 8–9 at 11 p.m.–1o p.m., July 10–12 at 5 p.m.–9 p.m., July 13–15 at 11 a.m.–10 p.m.) Located in Headwaters Park West, this area will be home to local artists to sell their merchandise and services. unique gifts, handcrafted jewelry, soaps, and clothes will be available to buy. The Emporium is featuring local food favorites this year including Tucanos, Audrey’s Cake Rolls and the Cupbearer Cafe. If you love shopping and supporting local, this is the place to be! Junk Food Alley (July 7–15) Forget your diet plans this week and gorge yourself on the loads of food options to choose from at Junk Food Alley! Elephant ears, chicken-on-a-stick, fried watermelon, and fresh lemon shake-ups are just among the hundreds of things to try here. Don’t forget about $2 Tuesdays at Junk Food Alley! Also, be sure to get your lunch time junk food fix by hopping aboard the FREE Lunch Time Trolley Monday to Friday. Schedule and stops listed here. Three Rivers Parade (July 8 at 10 a.m.) Marching bands, floats, free stuff, oh my! The annual Three Rivers Parade is a staple, and this year’s theme is “Superheroes!” Parade route can be found here. You can also catch it live on Channel 21 if crowds just aren’t your thing. Chalk Walk (July 8 and 9) Located on Main Street in front of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, this event features area artists turning a square of concrete into a piece of art. Watch the artistic process at work as people create masterpieces Downtown. Art in the Park (July 8 at 11 a.m.–7 p.m., July 9, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.) This juried event will host over 100 different artists from across the country and Indiana! Art in the Park will take place in Freimann Square on Main Street, with something for everyone’s artistic taste. Fort Wayne HeART of the City at the Three Rivers Festival (July 8 at 11 a.m.–5 p.m., July 9 at 10 a.m.–5 p.m.) As a new addition to the Festival, Fort Wayne HeART of the City will also be hosting their first event for Fort Wayne artists to showcase their work. Come see what artistic talent exists in our own backyard and support local art! BedRace (July 12, 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.) Every year, you can see Main Street lined up with a huge audience for the Three Rivers Festival...
read moreEntrepreneurship Spotlight: Hyde + Alchemy
Stumbling into the fragrance industry in 2015, Jon Paul and Leah Capito were honeymooning in Mexico when they met a local couple creating fragranced soap. With Leah’s allergies to popular synthetic fragrances, the couple quickly became interested in the science behind custom, natural perfumes. The hobby soon became a fun couples’ activity that was maturing in their home closet. After a few bad combinations, the Capitos soon landed on some intoxicatingly good fragrances that left them asking, “Would people buy this?” While researching new ingredients, they quickly realized the lack of education about what is in perfumes that consumers have . They launched the online-based Hyde + Alchemy in order to share their one of a kind scents, but to also start a transparent conversation about natural perfume ingredients. Listed on each product is the main accords, fragrance layers and ingredients – all natural, no chemicals or synthetic scents. Though they recently became new parents, the couple isn’t slowing down as they further their distribution of high-end, custom fragrances into stores across Indiana and the Midwest. We sat down with Jon Paul to discuss what it was like opening an eCommerce business in Fort Wayne and here is what he had to say. What made you decide to open a business in Fort Wayne/Northeast Indiana? We are from Fort Wayne, so we are well acquainted with the benefits of small city living. For one, the cost of living is a paramount factor to an entrepreneur, and since Fort Wayne is steadily providing a low-cost market, it is the perfect city for a new business. Fort Wayne is also a great place to establish local partnerships. With so many new small shops opening, it is a great time to work together to ensure we all are successful. Working with shops like Fancy and Staple downtown and Just Be in Leo, I have been able to better understand what our vast and segmented audience is looking for in a fragrance. What was the craziest scent you have come across? In an effort to have natural products, I went out to a local farm and through a livestock pin to access a nearby lavender field. The lavender was a great, quality ingredient, but the venture to it proves how dedicated we are to finding local ingredients! What resource in the community has helped you thrive in it? Working with the different shops! Each of our sellers has provided critical feedback on what is selling and what isn’t. If it wasn’t for the shops, we wouldn’t have built the local presence that we have strived for. What is the biggest challenge you have worked to overcome in starting your business? The sales and distribution process was tough to tackle at first. Being a small business, you are the creator, marketing department and delivery guy – a tough task to manage in the beginning stages of a business. What person has helped you the most in your journey? Hands down, my wife Leah! I also enjoy listening to educational podcasts. Anything from marketing tips to being a new dad, I love absorbing the raw content quickly! What is some advice you would have for new entrepreneurs? I have been an entrepreneur since high school and have...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market – Collar Me Crazy
Need something to make your dog look especially stylish or unique? Angela of Collar Me Crazy has you covered! Her crafting produces a range of handmade, and individually unique, dog collars, leashes, bandanas, and bowties. Angela loves sharing her love for fashion and meeting other dog lovers to indulge in the happiness that pets bring to their lives. Angela adopted Jefferson, her pup, from the SPCA. She couldn’t find any collars that she loved and decided she would make her own. As she started with a sewing machine, and after some attempts, she accidentally ended up with a bowtie. From there, Angela crafted a bunch of collars to start Collar Me Crazy. Some of Angela’s greatest design inspirations come from her boyfriend, Rusty, who makes many recommendations that people are excited about. Being a novice crafter, Angela learned that asking for help when needed has gotten her to where she is now. While getting to make these great collars for dogs and their owners is a great achievement by itself, she says paying back student loans has been her greatest success, thanks to business. When Angela isn’t at the market, she keeps on a day job as dental hygienist, which allows her to keep Collar Me Crazy going. She is also a dog mom, bookworm, adventurer, and never-ending consumer of ice cream. Come down with your dog this summer and they will be leaving in style! Follow Collar Me Crazy on Facebook and shop their Etsy for the latest...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market – Fawnly Prints
Marie Heimann found a new use for painting: easing anxiety. During a difficult pregnancy, Marie started painting and found that while she was engulfed in creating her art, her physical discomforts melted away. Her aspirations did not stop after her pregnancy, however. Marie’s desire encourage and inspire others grew to the point of starting her own business, Fawnly Prints. With her husband and biggest supporter Cory at her side, Marie disciplined herself enough to learn how to watercolor, and eventually launched her business. Today, Marie offers original watercolor and hand lettered inspirational paintings made into professional prints. Getting started began with a book and the ambition to make life better. Marie transformed her growing skill into a business and Etsy shop in February 2016. Being a stay-at-home mom, Marie gets to care for her 3 boys while working on her artistic passion every day. Though her creations have not always been easy for Marie, she has learned to be confident in her individual voice and continue developing her art. Marie’s advice to anyone thinking of starting a business is to “keep practicing – you WILL get better.” This persistence of Marie has brought her business success, increasing both sales and lives inspired every year. Marie’s greatest achievement has been consistently growing her business, including doing custom thank you cards for a large organization. Come out to the YLNI Farmer’s Market this year and check out Fawnly Prints. Visit their Etsy store online like them on...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market – Out of a Jam
Paula and Bernie set a goal that’s simple yet effective when Paula quit her full-time job: to help women out of a jam. A leap of faith and one year later, Paula and Bernie are achieving their vision with Out of a Jam. Paula was driven by a calling to start a nonprofit vocational program that helps women in the wake of tragedy, domestic abuse, and addiction by teaching them the entrepreneurship, culinary skills, personal development, and interpersonal communication that can change their lives. To make the business sustainable, her students create amazing gourmet jellies, jams, flat bread, crackers, and scones. The sale of the student’s products, along with some private funding, allow Paula to offer her invaluable education to students for free. In this new endeavor, Paula has learned two important lessons. Her family’s support and the help of others are vital to being successful. It’s okay to not know what you are doing at first (many people would argue that it’s an attribute) as long as you are willing to ask for help when you need it. Outside of her business, Paula enjoys devouring cookbooks which aid her culinary education. After a year of pursuing her passion and calling, Paula offers one piece of advice to anyone wanting to start their own business (and really it applies to everyone in general). “Talk about it to others and really listen to what they are saying. Not just with their words but with their expressions and body language.” The most important conversations cannot always be heard. You can find Paula and her amazing students food every Saturday on Barr Street at the YLNI Farmers Market. To learn more you can also find Out of a Jam on Facebook or their...
read moreYLNI Farmers Market – Gnarly Beard Co
If you are looking to enter a beard competition, Bryan and Kate Conrad have you covered. With a rad assortment of beard oils, beard balms, gnarly beard sudz wash, hot oil beard treatments, shave oil, tattoo salve, and hand painted beard brushes, this team has helped gnarly beards be recognized nationally. This team is seeking to perfect the art of healthy grooming while redefining customer service and giving back. Gnarly Beard was born out of frustration with a product that they purchased online. Its subpar quality was not justified by its price tag. So, with a desire for something better and a military reimbursement check, Gnarly Beard Co was born. Bryan and Kate’s business is supported and inspired by each other (pause for the response to cuteness). They say that their greatest success is the community encouragement they received. This has allowed them to create more than just one line of their products and expand outside of the grooming realm. An important lesson propelling them forward is interacting with customers like they are family and friends. While it can become difficult to remember everyone’s names, preferences, and personal history, it makes all the difference. Many of these interactions are just small gestures. These small steps with customers lay important foundations in building the business and good customer relationships. When Bryan and Kate aren’t working on Gnarly Beard, they are indulging in their favorite hobby: parenting! Get down to the market and take care of your beard! Also, check out their website, and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and...
read more
