We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rachel Echols. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rachel below.

Alright, Rachel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you manage your own social media?

I actually manage my own social media! I am a person who enjoys sharing things and it makes me happy to be able to post and share exactly what we’re accomplishing at the market each month. I think hiring a social media manager is a great option for those who have a larger business or a full time position that takes priority over passion projects. Being a stay at home parent, plus working as a remote office manager part time, plus running the farmers market, and now a new venture, you’d think I didn’t have time to do it all haha. I simply try my best and accomplish what I can. My advice for other small business owners – take pride in your posts, really suss everything out and take your time. Don’t post too often and don’t worry if your following is slower to grow than another’s. Most important of all – do not compare your business to someone else’s; we all have a unique contribution to this world and that’s what makes it beautiful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started the Wylie Farmers Market this year after 2.5 years of living in Wylie and sulking about not having a market in our town! I grew up in Michigan with a family that instilled a love of all things farm and market, literally. We were always finding the nearest outdoor market or festival or u-pick farm to pick apples or tulips, and finding myself living in Wylie with no plans to ever move away, I wanted to make sure I was able to find that same kind of experience! Ensuring that Wylie has its own farmers market really led to fulfilling a part of that goal. Supporting our community members and their small businesses is so important to me, just as important as knowing where my food is coming from! Having local farmers present with flowers, meat, fruits and vegetables, honey, etc is so incredibly beneficial, I would say that I’m the most proud of how well the market took off and how quickly my little project turned into a full fledged staple in our community. It makes me happy to see others outside and enjoying connecting with other people and I really feel that happiness on each market Saturday.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What really helped in this was demonstrating a solid effort to be kind and helpful but also clear and firm with my vendors. I have heard feedback that the WFM is very well run and I’m very appreciative of that fact but also very proud to run a tight ship. I’m very type-a, organized, and just the slightest bit neurotic when it comes to ensuring that all things are aligned to create a positive outcome and I think my qualities lead to others feeling confident in their ability to have a great event!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Bit of a life pivot – I have my bachelors degree in theatre and lived in Los Angeles for 8 years pursing a career in my field. Covid completely changed the world of course but also dramatically changed the world that I was so immersed in. My husband and I chose to leave CA, move to Texas to be near our families, and start our little family! I am the proud mama of a very sweet and independent 1.5 year old boy and will hopefully have another little one in the next year or so! Moving wasn’t the biggest pivot considering that we were constantly visiting family in TX, I think it was more of the shock of knowing that what I was initially pursuing just wasn’t going to work out, and that the risk of losing family members and living so far away, not being able to spend as much time with them as we would’ve liked… it really added a lot of perspective. We’re so thankful to have a slower paced life in a smaller town where we know and love our neighbors.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Wylie Farmers Market – https://m.facebook.com/61558057872561/

Image Credits

Sarah Rosie Photography