In the Kitchen: Summer Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

Summer is one of my favorite food seasons because of all the fantastic produce, especially the tomatoes. Thank goodness my CSA, Eatwell Farms, has some killer tomatoes (and plenty of them). I found this great salad that combined some of my favorite flavors. Don't be scared by the anchovy in this salad, the saltiness and umami are great with the tomatoes and fresh basil (even my husband liked it and he is fairly anti-anchovy). I'll be making this one while the fabulous summer tomatoes last.

Ingredients:

SALAD
-1 1/2 lb. fresh in-season tomatoes (I used cherry and
-1 large shallot (or small onion, preferably red) thinly sliced
-sea salt and freshly ground pepper
-handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped (finely or coarsely depending on your preference)
-a few fresh basil leaves, torn or whole if small

VINAIGRETTE
-1 garlic clove
-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
-2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
-4 to 6 anchovy fillets, packed in oil (I did 5)
-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
-handful of fresh basil leaves

This is adapted slightly from The Newlywed Cookbook by Ryland, Peters & Small (no I'm not a newlywed anymore but this book still has some great recipes, including their panzanella salad).
 

Directions:
Start with the vinaigrette. Place all ingredients except olive oil and basil into a food processor or blender and blend well. Add in oil, a bit at a time and continue to blend. Next blend in the basil chop until desired consistency is reached (I went a little overboard but I love the bright green of the dressing). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Slice tomatoes into halves, quarters or eighths depending on their size, arrange on a plate or shallow bowl. Add shallots or onions and season with salt. Drizzle vinaigrette over tomatoes and onions, then sprinkle with basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Tips for Selling at Out of Town Craft Shows

I just came back from doing the Renegade Craft Fair in Portland, Oregon - which for me was an out of town show. It got me thinking about sharing tips on how to do an out of town craft/retail show (these tips can be applied for trade shows too, but some of the options that exist for trade shows aren't available for craft shows). I asked some other members of the Creative Business League to share their tips as well.

Kendra Bryant of Kendra Renee Jewelry suggests:

1. Fly Southwest or another airline that lets you check your bags for free.
2. Only pack what you really need.  You can always go to a hardware store of drugstore if you forgot something, and schlepping is the worst.
3. Travel with a friend (I usually go with Alana of Etta + Billie) who is amazing at finding restaurants and great places to stay so you can have fun on your trip as well as make that money.

Alana Rivera of Etta + Billie says:

1. Check AirBnB for reasonably priced accommodations. You'll probably save some cash and some schlepping time if you can snag a place closer to the craft venue. Bonus: most places have a fridge or mini fridge you can get access to so you can buy groceries, saving money on food too.
2. If you have heavier items to send to a far off show, consider shipping them to a local Fedex or UPS center OR to your AirBnB if your host is willing to hold onto them for you.
3. Don't want to haul all your display items with you? Once you arrive at your destination, check out local thrift stores and even IKEA for display items.

Sharon Zimmerman of Sharon Z Jewelry adds (from her booth at NYNow - a trade show in New York for gift items):

1. Double stick tape. 
2. A collapsible step stool - I have one that folds completely flat and packs into a suitcase. The additional 12" comes in so handy when you need to hang lights. 
3. Rent larger items like cases or hard walls.
4. Once you're to the point that you're doing multiple shows in the same region look into renting storage in that area.

Also, cannot give enough praise to Trello - my list-making/organizing app. (It's for desktop and smart phone). It helped me immensely to prioritize and organize for this show. I could divide the lists into higher-level (marketing strategy, decision-making) and task specific (photography list, daily to dos). It's even where I put my packing list and where I reminded myself to buy snacks and do laundry. But all of the lists were nested under one event, so anytime I had to look up what else needed to be done before I *gulp* got on a plane, it was all in one place. 

Alyson Thomas of Drywell Art suggests:

Totally obvious I am sure, but make an insane, OCD, checklist of everything you will need. This is especially important when you will be in a different city the night or two before the show. I like to go through my normal show set up, step by step, starting with when I wake up, to make sure I have everything I will need. Include minutia like — "coffee before setting up." 

Also, it is way worth it to possibly pay more to stay closer to the venue than to save money and have to drive in from far away.

Additional Tips

I definitely agree with all of the tips above, and I will expand on a few and some of my own.

1.  I usually use vintage crates and containers as part of my display, but they are too bulky to travel with, so I suggest doing some research online to see if there is a Home Goods, Cost Plus, Target, etc. where you will be exhibiting and buying some items. The key is to take very good care of them and RETURN them after the show.
2. If you don't have a store like this in the area, or don't feel comfortable with that plan, you can buy cardboard boxes and cover them in fabric or pattern in your brand's colors. Or, you can cover them with a neutral so they blend into the background on your table.
3. Make sure that if you rent a car/have a car you empty it at night of all valuables and anything that looks enticing. I have heard so many stories about people parking their rental truck/car, etc. overnight and having ALL of their product stolen! Even if it's not your product that is stolen, it is still a headache that you don't need to be dealing with.
4. If I am flying, I always arrive at least 2 days before the show to ensure that not only do I actually arrive on time, but so do my bags. Allow for delays, since we know they happen. Use the extra time in the city to visit shops for potential wholesale accounts.

Any other tips to add? Please leave them in the comments. Happy selling and safe travels!

 

Create Your Own Business League

All of us in the Creative Business League (CBL for short) agree that being a member of our group has changed our business immeasurably for the better. For me in particular, having these dedicated, passionate, funny, powerful, encouraging women at my back has given me so much inspiration and kept me going through many a difficult time.  When someone tells me they are about to start a business, my best advice is to find a peer group and meet regularly.  In this post I’d like to share some of the factors and structures that have helped make the Creative Business League so invaluable to all of us.  My hope is that it might inspire others to form their own inspirational, supportive and wildly successful business groups.  

What does a business league do?

The CBL does and is many things.  Here are just a few:

• We are a pep squad who will shout about one another’s many successes
• We are a critical-thinking testing ground for new ideas
• We are accountability partners for goal setting
• We are a brain trust of freely-shared ideas, inspiration and information
• We are support group for when the going is tough (which is a lot)

Who should be in your group?

When looking for members for your group, try to pick people who are in similar industries but are not the same.  The CBL is made up of maker businesses, but we have so many different kinds of amazing products that we learn from one another’s unique niches.  We gain common ground  by all understanding the challenges of manufacturing and selling a product, but we would lose unique perspectives if we all were making the same type of product.

I think one of the reasons The CBL gels so well is that we all began our businesses at roughly the same time.  All of us are between six and ten years into our businesses.  For the most part, we all met each other by doing craft fairs, which meant that we were all at about the same stage of our businesses.  This has been key for us- we encounter the same obstacles at roughly similar paces, so we can learn from each other as each one of us hits a growth point.  

How many members should you have?

We’ve discovered that seven members is the perfect number for our group.  Each member gets dedicated time to talk at each meeting, and each person’s voice and opinion is heard.  At the same time, our group is large enough to have varying opinions and perspectives.  Having less than ten members also keeps scheduling relatively easy.  We can usually find one night each month where everyone can get together.  It's been key to our growth and bonding to have every member at every meeting.

What do you do at your meetings?

Our meeting structure has been essential to our success.  Each monthly meeting follows the same structure, and allows us to be social, get updates on each other's businesses, and go deep on a few larger topics.  A typical night is outlined below.

7:00-8:00 Wine, Dinner and Catching Up

This is the part of the night were we visit, eat something super delicious, and just relax.  Getting to be social with one another really makes it fun- it’s definitely not all business all the time.

8:00-9:00 Check ins

Each member gets 5-10 minutes to tell everyone what is going on with their business this month.  This is the time we share successes, what unique challenges we are facing, and in general unload everything that’s been swirling around our to-do lists for the past month.  Usually no feedback is given unless it’s asked for.  After we hear from everyone, we usually break for dessert and more wine.

9:00-10:00 Delving Deep

This is the time we set aside to go more in depth on a series of rotating topics that we agree upon ahead of time.  Any member can propose a topic.  We might have a general talk about pricing, legal structures, or any other business topic.  Someone might present new information they’ve learned from a class they took or a show they’ve been to.  We might also tackle a specific problem someone needs help with.  This is our time to really get into one or two bigger idea or issues.  

What else do you do?

Each year we plan two retreats.  In January or February we all go away for the weekend and really dive into goal setting and business strategy.  We also eat amazing food, usually stay in a gorgeous remote cabin, and unplug and relax.  It's a great way to get the new year off on the right foot for our businesses.  In July, we usually do a less-elaborate single day retreat.  This is a time to check in our on yearly goal progress and refocus if things have veered off track.  

If you have any questions about forming your own group, don't hesitate to post in the comments section.  If you have a business or are thinking of starting one, you've got nothing to lose- go find your people!