Earth Lab Origins #3: My First Markets

The markets came next.
I was still scared. Still unsure. Still figuring it all out as I went. But I had products in tins, I had labels I designed myself, and I had a little table I could set up. And I had a fire in me that said go.

Markets felt like a big step. They meant showing up in person. Not hiding behind a website or a label or a stockist’s shelf. They meant talking to people. Watching their reactions. Seeing them open the tin, smell the deodorant, ask questions.

I still remember packing up my car with everything, containers with deodorants, a fold up chair, a cloth, and a Square reader. I bought a used stand and a marquee on the marketplace that I could set up. That first market morning, I could barely sleep. I was nervous. But also a little excited. I wanted this to work. I needed this to work.

At the market, I set up early and stood behind my stall with trembling hands.
And then people started coming.

They asked me questions. They tried the deodorants. People didn’t know much about deodorant paste. It was something new, interesting, but not known. I had to educate, talk to every customer who approached me, explain the difference between the two lines, why they should use it and why it is better for their health. Some smiled. Some walked away. Some stayed. And some bought. And every sale felt like magic.

Every person who chose one of my tins made me feel seen. Made me feel like maybe this is working out. I decided to heal through creation, to dig deep, to learn how to feel my inner flow, to listen to subtle guidance, and to trust blindly. I was more and more in touch with my authentic expression, with my true self, with the expression of my inner truth. And it was working out. It was showing signs that I would be fine.

Over time, I got better. I learned what questions people asked. I learned to listen. I learned how to talk about ingredients, about bicarb and magnesium, about sensitive skin. I heard stories from mums, from teenagers, from women struggling with irritation, from people wanting something better.

Markets became my classroom. My testing ground. My connection point. My community. My healing. My connection to my truth.
And they kept me going.

There were days I would make $100 and think I am not going to make it. And there were days I would sell out and cry in my car on the way home because it felt so rewarding.

Markets taught me resilience and persistence. Keep coming back over and over even if it is cold, if it is rainy, if it is windy. Sometimes people came, sometimes they did not. I knew that even if I had no sales that day I felt liberated, I felt freed from my old self. And it was okay, tomorrow would be another day.

Even now, markets are a big part of Earth Lab. I am still there almost every weekend, setting up my stall, meeting people, and sharing my products face to face. If you would like to find me in person, you can always check my market calendar to see where I will be next.

I was no longer hiding. I was no longer shrinking. I was building something. Something that felt true. Something that felt like me.

I also wanted to continue creating. Selling just deodorants was not enough. I felt like I could do more. I could create more. I could give more options to my customers. So I made all natural, oil and butters based whipped moisturiser that was feather light, deeply nourishing, essential oils infused. It hydrated skin so well like nothing I had experienced before. It was non toxic and pure.