I want to publicly give everyone an explanation as to what led me to create this business. Hopefully what you read will give some of you some sort of direction if you feel like you have been wandering and feeling lost. I know for awhile I definitely was feeling that way too, but I am slowly finding my way….
I have had so many questions from others and I feel I can answer a lot of them with this article. Plus, I was just recently called out and gently told that I really needed to own up to this a bit more. I reluctantly agreed. So, I am going to try and keep this as short as I can so as to not take up too much of your time.
Please understand that I did not get up one day and decide to open a Farmers Market/Gift Shop/Art Gallery in De Leon, Texas. This establishment was not on my bucket list, I assure you.
Long story short, I went through a period of loss ( losing both parents within 3 weeks of each other) among a few other variables and that served as my catalyst of complete upheaval in my life. The “do over” button got pushed.
There was one point in time shortly after that when this same location was a coffeehouse and they decided to have yoga class here. So, in the name of me trying to put one foot in front of the other to get on with my own life…I started coming to yoga class…and I was hooked after that. The instructor would teach the class and then the owner at the time, would make me a breakfast burrito. Bacon, egg, cheese, and avocado. These two things were my lifeline at the time and I will be forever thankful for them.
One thing then led to another and this building came up for sale and I was in a position to buy it. I had a tie to the location but really didn’t know if I wanted to go that route. Did I really want to start a business in a little town?
However, I had already learned the hard lesson that it does not matter how many zeros sit in your bank account, because those same zeros will not prevent your heart from being ripped out of your chest while it is still beating. For those of you reading this that know exactly what I am talking about, I don’t think I need to go into further detail. You are getting it and probably nodding your head right now.
I think quite a few of us got that lesson taught to us in 2020 as well.
With my next chapter in my life, I wanted something more permanent. Something with substance. Something that would serve as a “yoga mat and breakfast burrito” to others. I wanted a way to be happier. I spent years in the corporate sector and knew I was never going to back to the daily grind either. The one that encourages profits over people. The one that also tells you to make as much money as you can so everything else in your life will suffer. That way you can buy stuff that you think will make you happy.
I assure you, I wasn’t happy….
Someone once told me that in order to find your purpose in life, find what makes you tick and then go from there.
Easier said than done, right? With nothing to lose and everything to gain, I put pen to paper and listed everything that made me lose my proverbial shiznit and then looked to see if I could incorporate those things into a business, aka this location.
Ya’ll know what I speak of? Everyone has something that makes them look at the other party and basically say, “take my money.”
My shiznet list consisted of art, artists, art galleries, animal rescue, and farmers markets (things for sale at a farmers market just feed me for some reason. I think because the items are made with love…I dunno…)
The last piece of that puzzle also included giraffes and alpacas as pets, but there was some stupid rule about exotic animals within city limits…blah blah blah….
Hence The Chaos Trading Company was born. Artisans with their own story of healing have their creations here. Animal adoptathons are here, art classes are here (check out our monthly schedule on our home page,) yoga classes are here, and so is a farmers market every 2nd Sat of the month from 10am-2pm. So, basically if you decide to come here, you will see what makes me tick. I am also very mindful (at least try to be) that anyone associated with this company is able to find what makes them tick too.
That means more to me than a million in the bank.
I hope whatever you experience here makes you start ticking too. That doesn’t have to mean buying anything. I really don’t care if you do.
If anything, come hang out and pet the pups that need new homes. Look at the inspirational art. Come tell me all about your plans for your next chapter, I want to hear them. I want you to walk away from here knowing there is something bigger than you that guides your steps. All you have to do is find what makes you tick, and start putting one foot in front of the other. And if hanging out and petting pups is not your thing….then that is cool too. Hopefully when I do get the giraffes out back you will want to come then. But, until then, I honestly hope you find whatever it is you may be looking for.
Sarah Childers
PS – If you are too far away to visit, and you want some items that feed your soul too, we just started what is called, “Farmers Market In A Box.” These are items that we sell in our Farmer’s Market every 2nd Sat of the month.
You can click on the picture below and choose what you want sent to you. It can either be a one time thing, or you can choose for it to happen every month and we can send what we have in stock ( which is mostly seasonal.)
A locally sourced and artisan inspired market and classroom... 