Plans change. Events move. Weather turns. Inventory guesses miss—and sometimes the smartest decision is to walk away, adapt quickly, or push through.

In Episode 12 of Festival Geeks, Michael shares what happened when October stopped going according to plan. One festival was no longer the right fit, another event moved by two weeks, and an Oktoberfest weekend created an unexpected inventory problem.

By Saturday night, only five or six dog jackets remained. That led to an overnight sewing session, a lot of coffee, and about 18 additional jackets sold on Sunday.

This episode is not about working all night as a formula for success. It is about recognizing when circumstances have changed, making the best decision with the information available, and staying flexible enough to take advantage of the opportunity in front of you.

In this episode:

• Knowing when it is time to walk away from an event

• Adjusting when an organizer changes the schedule

• Making inventory decisions without perfect information

• Responding quickly when demand is stronger than expected

• Learning from the plan—even when the plan changes

Have you ever had an event or business plan change at the last minute? Share what happened and what you learned.

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Festival Geeks — Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Results.

How much inventory should you bring to a craft show, festival, or vendor event?

It sounds like a simple question, but there isn't one universal number. Rules like “bring three times what you expect to sell” or “aim for ten times your booth fee” don't account for the actual costs and realities of your business.

In Episode 11, Michael walks through a practical method for planning inventory by working backward from the result you need the event to produce.

You'll learn how to calculate your true event costs, establish minimum and worthwhile sales goals, determine the sell-through rate your inventory would require, and evaluate whether you'll still have a strong selection for customers later in the day.

Michael also uses real-world examples from selling pet T-shirts and bandannas to explain why different products—even within the same business—can require completely different inventory strategies.

You'll learn why new products should earn deeper inventory, how dead stock develops, why selling out isn't always a success, and how keeping good sales records makes every future inventory decision better.

There is no formula that can guarantee what you'll sell. The goal is to replace guesses pulled out of thin air with a repeatable method based on your costs, goals, capacity and actual customer behavior.

Festival Geeks — Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Results.

our booth is set up. The market is open. Now what?

In Episode 10 of Festival Geeks, Michael walks through what actually happens once customers start coming through the gate — from taking one last look at your booth from the customer’s point of view to deciding where to stand, how to greet people, when to talk, when to listen, and what to do when business slows down.

We talk about staying off your phone, reading different types of customers, handling several shoppers at once, using slow periods productively, taking care of yourself during a long market day, and why packing up early can cost you a sale.

Most importantly, every customer deserves a clean slate. Whether the day has been great or terrible, the next person walking into your booth shouldn’t have to carry the weight of everything that happened before them.

In this episode:

• What to check before the market officially opens
• Where to stand without blocking or hovering
• Body language that makes customers comfortable
• Why listening matters more than talking
• How to acknowledge multiple customers
• What to do during slow periods
• Food, hydration, and surviving a long event day
• Why you shouldn’t pack up early
• Giving every customer your best effort

Festival Geeks — Real Stories. Real Lessons. Real Results.