Our First Vending Event: 90 Minutes of Sleep, a Dirty Chai, and a Whole Lot of Gratitude

 The behind-the-scenes story of Whimsical Goddess Apothecary's first vending adventure.

Let me tell y'all something. If there's one thing I learned from our first vending event, it's this:

The moment you apply to be a vendor, start preparing like you've already been accepted.

Because waiting until you get that approval email? Baby, that almost took me OUT.

One Week to Prepare. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

On October 24, 2026, Whimsical Goddess Apothecary made its vending debut at the Fall Festival hosted by Renaissance Charter School at Pines in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

Now, technically, this wasn't my first time vending.

I'd done book events back in the early 2000s. But those were a completely different experience. The tables were already set up, and all I needed to do was roll in with a suitcase full of books.

Easy peasy.

This time? I was responsible for EVERYTHING.

The table. The chairs. The inventory. The displays. The packaging. All of it.

My friend Brittney, owner of The Essence of Her, was joining me with her amazing handmade soaps.

Neither of us had the equipment we needed. We didn't even have the required table and chairs yet!

And here's the kicker: We didn't find out we'd been accepted until about a week before the event.

One week.

To make matters worse, both of us were waiting on supplies that didn't arrive until the day before.

So while normal people were probably enjoying their Friday evening, I was in full production mode, making body butters and other products.

Until 6 a.m.

The event was scheduled for 9:30 a.m.

I got approximately an hour and a half of sleep.

Ninety minutes.

And somehow, I still had to get dressed, pack everything, load the car, and convince myself this was a good idea.

Thank Goodness for the Store Relaunch!

The one thing I didn't have to scramble to make was candles.

I'd already made a batch of my 100% beeswax candles for my store relaunch on October 13, so I actually had inventory ready to go.

Thank goodness, because my candles have a three-week curing period.

Now, before the candle-making community comes for me, that's my rule, not some universal candle-making law.

Through my own testing, I've found that my candles reach their best fragrance performance after three weeks. And I'm sticking with what works for my products.

So while I was up until 6 a.m. making body care products, at least my candles were sitting pretty, cured and ready.

And wouldn't you know it? Those candles ended up being my biggest sellers at the event.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Because first, I had to actually get INTO the event.

10:07 A.M. And I'm Already in Trouble

I pulled into the parking lot at exactly 10:07 a.m.

Late.

The designated vendor vehicle entrance was already closed, and a line of festival attendees was forming.

Now, the school had warned us in advance about arriving on time, so I knew I had nobody to blame but myself.

My biggest fear at that moment?

They weren't going to let me set up.

And honestly, I would've understood.

I walked over to the entrance and approached a staff member, asking if I could still participate.

She asked what I was selling.

"Candles..."

Before I could even finish my sentence, she was on her walkie-talkie asking whether Goddess Apothecary was on the vendor list.

Then another staff member called her away to handle something else.

So there I stood, off to the side, wondering whether my first vending experience with Goddess Apothecary was about to end before it even began.

A few minutes later, she returned with good news.

I could still participate!

The catch?

I couldn't drive my car to the gym anymore.

Now, ordinarily, this might sound like a minor inconvenience. But I live with chronic pain, and the thought of carrying boxes of candles, supplies, and a folding table across what looked like an entire football field was enough to send my stress levels through the roof.

Brittney was about five minutes away, so I figured I'd start with the table.

At least get something moving.

And that's when I heard it.

Honk, honk!

"We're here to help you take your supplies to the gym!"

I turned around, and there was a staff member with two volunteers in a golf cart.

WHEN I TELL YOU THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ANGEL SPEAKING!

I was so relieved.

The kindness of those people saved me from an already stressful situation becoming physically overwhelming.

And little did I know, they wouldn't be the last people to rescue me that morning.

The DJ Becomes My Unofficial Setup Crew

Once we reached the gym, I was dropped off with my supplies and told I'd know where to set up.

Except...

I didn't.

There I was, walking around this gymnasium carrying a heavy box of candles, confused AF.

I was expecting a sign, a number on the floor, something!

Anything!

Apparently, my confused wandering was obvious because the DJ near the entrance watched me walk around twice before asking if I needed help.

I explained that I didn't know where my table was supposed to go.

We looked around, spotted an available-looking space, and basically decided, "That spot looks good."

And then this man proceeded to help me carry my supplies over there.

Another angel.

At this point, I was beginning to think the universe had assigned me an emergency setup crew because clearly, I hadn't prepared one myself.

And where was Brittney during all this?

Well...

Meanwhile, Brittney Was on a Starbucks Side Quest

Before arriving, Brittney had one very important assignment.

I'd begged her to stop at Starbucks and grab me a grande dirty chai with an extra shot of espresso.

Listen.

I'd slept for 90 minutes.

That was not a luxury beverage.

That was survival equipment.

By the time Brittney arrived, I was putting the tablecloth on.

And then the two of us started arranging products.

Did we have a plan?

No.

Did we know exactly how we wanted everything displayed?

Also no.

Were we determined to make it look cute?

ABSOLUTELY.

We were placing candles, body butters, face masks, and soaps wherever they seemed to fit, hoping the finished display would suggest two women who knew exactly what they were doing.

We were figuring it out in real time.

And then something happened that neither of us was prepared for.

Our First Customer Caught Us Completely Off Guard

We hadn't even finished setting up when someone approached our table.

Another vendor.

She wanted to buy a candle.

Now, you'd think I'd be overflowing with excitement about making my very first sale of the day.

Nope.

I was unprepared!

See, I'd planned to package each candle in a box for customers.

The problem?

The candle boxes were still inside another box.

And those lovely candle care cards I'd prepared?

They never made it out for the entire event.

Not once.

Customers were asking to smell candles, and I was saying, "Of course!" while mentally trying to remember where everything was.

But you know what?

People were buying!

Candles turned out to be my biggest sellers. I also offered body butters and face masks, while Brittney was selling her wonderful handmade soaps from The Essence of Her.

We were doing it.

Not perfectly. Not elegantly.

But we were doing it.

The Unexpected Magic Was the People

Something happened at this event that I hadn't really anticipated.

The networking!

The other vendors were incredibly friendly. We were talking, exchanging information, supporting one another, and making connections.

Well, most people were exchanging business cards.

I didn't have any.

So what did I hand out?

Body butter care cards.

Yes.

BODY BUTTER CARE CARDS.

Look, they had my business information on them. We were making it work!

And honestly, some of the best moments of the day had nothing to do with sales.

It was the staff who made sure I could still participate despite arriving late.

The volunteers who saved me from carrying everything across the property.

The DJ who noticed I was lost and helped me set up.

The other vendors who welcomed us into the community.

And of course, Brittney, who was right there with me figuring it all out as we went.

Sometimes the most meaningful part of an experience isn't what you expected to get from it.

It's what you didn't know you needed.

And We Actually Had a Blast!

Despite the disastrous beginning, I genuinely enjoyed myself.

The DJ was playing great music, everyone was laid-back, and the atmosphere was fun and welcoming.

Plus, we were inside an air-conditioned gymnasium on a hot South Florida day.

Do you understand how wonderful that is?

Air conditioning.

In October.

In South Florida.

A blessing.

By the end of the event, I was tired, but I was happy.

We'd made sales, introduced our products to new customers, met fellow small business owners, and survived our first full-scale handmade-product vending experience.

Most importantly, we had fun doing it.

What I'd Do Differently Next Time

My biggest lesson is simple.

Start preparing the moment you apply for a vending opportunity.

Don't wait until you receive the acceptance email.

Get your inventory together. Prepare your displays. Order your packaging. Print your care cards. Make sure you have business cards, a table, and chairs.

And please, for the love of sleep, give yourself enough time to arrive and set up.

I'd much rather have extra inventory ready for the next opportunity than put myself through another last-minute production marathon.

I also learned that you can't always predict which products customers will gravitate toward.

Watching what people pick up, smell, ask about, and ultimately purchase tells you a lot about your business.

For me, candles were the clear favorite.

But here's another lesson.

Things don't have to go perfectly for an event to be successful.

Our table wasn't planned down to the inch. My packaging system never made it out of the boxes. I was handing out skincare instructions instead of business cards.

And we still had a wonderful experience.

Would We Do It Again?

ABSOLUTELY.

In fact, I hope Renaissance Charter School at Pines invites us back for future events.

To the school staff, volunteers, DJ, fellow vendors, and everyone who stopped by our table, thank you for making our first vending experience so memorable.

And to Brittney of The Essence of Her, thank you for going on that Starbucks side quest and being part of this adventure with me.

This was our first vending event as Whimsical Goddess Apothecary, and we've already got stories to tell.

Next time, though?

We're coming prepared.

With actual business cards.

And hopefully more than 90 minutes of sleep.

With love, candles, and a little whimsical magic,

Joy

Whimsical Goddess Apothecary

Adding Magic to Your Daily Life

Come experience a little whimsical magic for yourself!

Shop our handmade beeswax candles, body butters, face masks, and whimsical self-care products at goddesscandles.us.

Follow our adventures on Instagram @goddess_apothecary.

And if you're curious about Brittney's amazing handmade soaps from The Essence of Her, you can find them in our online shop, too!