Today I spent time at the Virginia Beach Christmas Market, and I’m still buzzing from it — the creativity, the craftsmanship, the STORIES. My heart left that building heavier in gratitude and lighter in hope, if that makes any sense at all.
I met some unbelievably talented people today.
People who put heart, thought, and pure love into everything they create.
Not mass-produced. Not factory-pressed.
REAL hands. REAL stories. REAL passion.
The kind of passion you can feel before they even start talking.
I met woodworkers, seaglass artists, organic skincare creators, textile artists, cooks, and makers who pour themselves into every single piece on their tables. And as I listened to them explain how they started — losing jobs, surviving hardships, turning hobbies into businesses, or just needing a creative outlet to breathe again — something in me clicked all over again.
This. These people. These stories. This is why I’m building YumYumRunner™.
It’s not about convenience.
It’s not about competing with big retailers.
It’s not even about building a “business.”
It’s about giving these creators the visibility, respect, and support they deserve 365 days a year — not only when an event rolls into town.
It’s about honoring the fact that talent in the 757 is real, alive, and overflowing… but still far too hidden.
It’s about making sure nobody gets lost in the crowd just because they’re doing everything alone.
Today reminded me that the heart of Hampton Roads has always been its creators — the people making art at their kitchen tables, sanding wood at midnight, stitching fabric in their living rooms, drying herbs in their garages, or packaging earrings in between taking care of their kids.
And every single one of them deserves a place where they can shine.
I told them about YumYumRunner™ — and you know what? Their faces lit up.
Not because they need another marketplace…
but because someone is finally building something specifically for THEM.
For the people who aren’t seen by Etsy’s algorithms.
For the vendors who lose too much money to booth fees and delivery cuts.
For the artists who are just trying to get their names out there without drowning.
YumYumRunner™ is for the dreamers, the doers, the makers, the overlooked.
It’s for the entire 757 — every creator, every entrepreneur, every hidden gem.
And after today, I’m more fired up than ever to get this platform built.
Creators Featured Today
Here are some insanely talented people I met — go check them out and show them some love:
@thedriftwoodhomes
@danwooddesign_travis
@chesapeakecatco
@anitas_seaglass_creations_
@wubys.wings
@revive.organics_
@whimsicaltreasuresllc
@kslstitchery
Their work speaks for itself — but supporting them speaks even louder.
Today wasn’t just a Christmas market.
It was a reminder that community is alive.
Talent is alive.
Hope is alive.
And what I’m building with YumYumRunner™ matters more than ever.
We’re just getting started.
And I can’t wait for the day when every single creator I met today — and thousands more — have a digital home built just for them.