Celebrating Creative Female Entrepreneurs: Christy Jo of The Strawberry Patch

Besides tea and painting, I am also really passionate about entrepreneurship. One of the things I miss about Gatherings Magazine was the opportunity to interview creative female business leaders. So since launching this blog, I've been committed to spotlighting such women once again. Today, allow me to introduce you to Christy Jo of The Strawberry Patch.  Christy is a maker, mother, designer and barn sale host. She is known for her signature "grandad dress" designs, upcycled upholstery and being the first Tennessee barn sale host. 

I've asked Christy to share a little about The Strawberry patch and how it all started as the FIRST Barn Sale in Tennessee! 

CJ: The Strawberry Patch is an outdoor marketplace filled to the brim with handmade+ vintage+indie-craft goods such as soaps, pottery, antiques, chippy furniture, custom lighting, clothing, jewelry and eclectic vintage finds….. The Strawberry Patch takes great pride in bringing the Barn Sale trend to Tennessee…It all started in 2009 in a tiny back yard in Lafayette, TN..In 2011, after a few growing pains+domestic issues, the event was moved to Starlite Farm, a family owned farm nestled on the Cumberland River….

CJ:  In 2003, after quitting my full time job as an Internal Affairs Investigator in the State Prison System to be a stay-at-home mom, I started The Strawberry Patch. It was a creative outlet for me to free my mind from the demands of a newborn and 18 month old.  I began making children’s clothes, diaper bags, baby blankets, and appliquéd goods.  My handmade goods were sold in several stores across Middle TN. In 2009, I started itching to try something new.  I knew I did not want the demands of a brick+mortar because I now had 3 babies at home, however, I yearned to have occasional sales…I wanted the best of both worlds. I started doing some research and found a trend up in the North West: Barn Sales. I then visited the Country Living Fair in Ohio where I met Gina Bishop, Homegirl. Gina encouraged me to press on with my dream. I did, came home and hosted my first Barn Sale in a tiny building/barn in my tiny back yard. I think I had 7 vendors and 50 shoppers at my first event and we were tickled pink! In the beginning, I had a hard time teaching people what Barn Sales were all about. Slowly the concept began to catch on and the shoppers were hooked. My first sale was in 2009 in my back yard in a garage…It was a glorified yard sale..We had live music, an outdoor bistro, and loads of handmade goodness…Each sale we grew a little more and in the Spring of 2011, I decided we had outgrown the neighborhood feel and needed more space, a more romantic feel, and a place where I could grow …Today the show is held on my family's farm in Hartsville, TN, Starlite Farm…Moving the event to this location opened up so many doors and allowed it to become what I wanted it to be from the very beginning…I now have approximately 60 handpicked artisans..Although i have unlimited amounts of space on the farm, I prefer my event to be quaint, cozy and not-so-overwhelming..I prefer quality over quantity any day of the week!!! We are very selective with our vendors and prefer artisans with unique goods and who are experts at styling and inventing their space..The Strawberry Patch was the first to host a barn sale in Tennessee and has since paved the way for others in the area who have started their own outdoor events.

Sadly in 2011, I went through the big-D and I had to sell my home. I had not worked outside the home in eight years so I found myself struggling to find a way to support myself and my 3 children: I needed a job that would allow me to still be available for kids. What is so obvious now, wasn’t so obvious then~I moved the event to Starlite Farm and tripled the number of vendors I previously had. This decision was huge because I didn’t want too grow to fast, an issue that can easily result in failure. The first sale at the farm proved to be extremely successful and suggested I would get to proceed on with my dream job of creating and hosting Barn Sales.

Christy also shares her challenges and joys of running a pop-up event. 

CJ:  My favorite thing about hosting The Strawberry Patch Barn Sale is the magic that happens during the weekend of the event. The combined effort of the artisans, the stylists, the musicians, and the food vendors creates a dreamy wonderland, farm-style, full of inspiration, laughter+giggles!

The most challenging thing about hosting The Strawberry Patch is trying to set myself apart from all the others. When i first started hosting barn sales, there was no competition therefore I was inherently different but within the past year, TN has become a mecca for barn sales. Finding a unique set of vendors that carefully select the shows they participate in and also that haven’t saturated themselves in  this area has become more and more challenging. My inner desire to be different, to stand alone, but yet to be an inspiration to others has become a daily battle. I am so bad about doing something one way but once I see someone else doing it, move on to something else. This can be exhausting but yet it keeps me on my toes, keeps me from becoming stagnant and keeps the competitiveness alive. My events are smaller than most but it’s because “I would rather be Tiny and Mighty than Big and Typical!”

The Strawberry Patch offers an amazing array of handpicked vendors from across the southeast.  Bring your truck and your smiles and spend the day on this beautiful farm. Food vendors are on the property along with indie/folk musicians setting the mood throughout the weekend.  See you all at The Strawberry Patch Spring Sale for a great weekend of fun, food, socializing, and inspiration!

Meet Christy in person next weekend! 

May 7th - 9th, 2015

5pm-8pm Thursday
10am-7pm Friday
10am-4pm Saturday

Thursday Preview Night: $10
Friday & Saturday: $5

1272 Starlite Rd
Hartsville, TN
37074

For more info visit The Strawberry Patch Facebook Event Page.