Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley & R. Carnie Littlefield.
Hi Ashley & R. Carnie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My husband, R. Carnie and myself, started what was originally Maker’s Market Texas. It was an art and craft market solely focusing on handmade items ONLY made by local artists, crafters, and makers. The money we got from booth fees wouldn’t go into our own pockets, but would go right back into our church to help with a rather expensive building fund.
After losing my mom in March 2021 very unexpectedly, we made the very big decision to move out of Texas to Tennessee. Thus, Maker’s Market Tennessee was born because we wanted to carry the same concept here that we did back in our hometown of Austin. This is our way of supporting those who are creative right in our own backyards and it’s been a fun adventure ever since we moved here!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’d by lying if I said it’s been a smooth and easy road! We were very honored to take a proposition from a local business owner to move into a space in downtown Murfreesboro within the first 6 months of moving here. However, the monthly rent was far too high and we had to turn down the offer. Our second offer was to move into a cute building located in Christiana, but after running the numbers, it was also not financially sound for us at the time. Our third offer, while exciting, was also not something that was going to be a good financial decision for us. This very last, and most recent proposal made us realize “why not take the risk and just do it?”. So here we are in the middle of looking for the ideal brick and mortar space to move into. Stay tuned!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Maker’s Market Tennessee?
Maker’s Market Tennessee is not only an art and craft market that specializes in focusing on handmade items, but we’re also a podcast that enjoys featuring small and local businesses! We’ve had a slow start with all of the other projects we’ve been working on, but we believe this will be something we continue to do for years to come. So many of our small and local businesses deserve their very own spotlight!
We pride ourselves on our art and craft markets because we don’t overcharge our vendors, we mainly focus on getting their name and products out there to the public. Once they’ve booked an event with us, we oversee a large part of the marketing, but also stress that it’s important to be marketing on their end as well. We want to be able to support them in that aspect any way we can. On the day of the event, we make sure each vendor is taken care of, even if it means standing at their booth for a brief moment for them to use the bathroom or get a bite to eat. It’s important that we make our events as seamless and as fun as possible so they want to join us for future markets.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to us means that Middle Tennessee makers knowing and trusting our name means local business support. We’ve got some really exciting projects that we’ve been working on that we believe no other local market is currently offering. We’re certainly not trying to compete, as one of our beliefs is that there’s something to go around for everyone.
After Painted Tree Boutiques swiftly closed in mid-April, we wanted to be able to bridge that gap for those that sold handmade items in their stores. For a lot of people, not just in Tennessee, this was their main source of income so it was and still is a pretty big event that happened that caused a ripple effect in several communities. This didn’t just cause issues with their vendors, it left shoppers wondering “where can I find these items in my hometown?”. More details to come so stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.makersmarkettn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makersmarkettn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MakersMarketTN/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MakersMarketTennessee
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@makersmarkettn
