My Vendors
I was fortunate enough to attend the Summer TNNA (yarn industry trade show) in Columbus in mid-June. My plan was to learn as much as possible about the industry from various perspectives–yarn shop owners, yarn companies, designers, other manufacturer’s reps–and to make some good personal connections. On both fronts, I feel that I acheived more than I even had thought possible. The yarn industry, from the top down, is so different in feel from what I was accustomed to in Corporate World. To say that TNNA was one of the more exciting experiences of my life is not really an exaggeration. I met some very special people and I am sure we will enjoy our business relationship. The two top observations I gained were:
1. Everyone is willing to help, and wants to encourage me to succeed. A whole bunch of people told me they think I will be great at this job!
2. Everyone likes me exactly as I am. No one cares what you wear or if your hair is a little spiky–in fact, I think these folks prefer dealing with someone who is creatively expressive with their “look.” One yarn company owner asked when I was going to dye my hair pink. Stay tuned…
Since I am just starting out, I did not have a lot of interest from most of the “bigger” yarn companies. I am very pleased with the lines that I did pick up, however, and I think that the uniqueness of most of my vendors will fit in well with my business philosophy, which is to help the LYSO (local yarn shop owners, for my non-knitting friends) differentiate their business from their competition.
I cover a large area and I don’t get to carry all of my lines across my whole territory. I am thankful every day for my time at my former company, where I learned how to organize myself and build a structure so that my business activities make the most of my time and resources.
On My Vendor individual pages, I will be showcasing yarns and projects and commenting on my hands-on experience.
