She started Manchester Craft Market with 17 cents in her pocket -- literally. Today, Jessica Moores runs a marketplace for 307 local makers inside the Mall of New Hampshire, and on this episode of Beyond the Plate with Carol, she's telling Carol Erickson the whole story.

From picking things up off the side of the road to pay for her kids' clothes, to a strict anti-AI policy protecting local artists, to the 2020 story that somehow turned into their first million-dollar year -- this conversation covers all of it.

In this episode:

• How Manchester Craft Market grew from 20 makers in an empty storefront to 307 New England artisans

• Jessica's anti-AI policy and how she protects human-made art in her store

• The 2020 pandemic pivot -- waived vendor fees, weekly Facebook Live Sales, and a record year

• A walk through all 16 aisles -- including the most unusual thing ever sold there (hint: it involves taxidermy)

• Carol shares her own small business story, plus Jessica's lightning round answers about the Red Arrow

Location & Links

Manchester Craft Market

Mall of New Hampshire, Manchester, NH

manchestercraftmarket.com

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Sponsorship

This episode is sponsored by Red Arrow Diner.

4 NH locations: Manchester, Concord, Londonderry, and Nashua -- open 24/7.

redarrowdiner.com | Instagram: @redarrow24diner | Facebook: Red Arrow Diner

About Beyond the Plate with Carol

Carol Erickson, owner of Red Arrow Diner since 1987, sits down with the people behind New Hampshire's food and hospitality scene. It's not just about the food -- it's about the journeys, the community, and what drives people to go beyond.

Follow Beyond the Plate -- find us everywhere: linktr.ee/BeyondtheplateNH

Follow Carol: Instagram @carolsew24

TIMESTAMPS

0:00 -- Intro

0:00:22 -- Meet Jessica Moores

0:00:51 -- Started with 17 cents

0:01:42 -- The mall walk that started it all

0:02:22 -- From tables to renting shelves

0:03:08 -- The old pet store & Chronicle

0:03:39 -- 20 makers to over 300

0:04:33 -- Building a system, not a store

0:05:51 -- The hardest part: telling makers no

0:06:40 -- 400 customers the next day

0:07:40 -- Sewing, stained glass & crochet classes 😂

0:10:07 -- A walk through the store

0:12:25 -- Her strict anti-AI policy

0:13:59 -- December sales = Jan-Nov combined

0:15:06 -- 2020: crying for two weeks

0:16:33 -- Their first million-dollar year

0:17:25 -- Showing up for Nourish New England

0:19:17 -- From Justice to building her own thing

0:22:24 -- Carol shares her own small business story

0:25:00 -- "Look at me" on small business

0:26:02 -- Fighting 6 months for her spot

0:28:05 -- Shop online -- 15,000 items

0:30:15 -- Weirdest thing ever sold 😂

0:31:09 -- Lightning Round 😂

0:36:04 -- Closing thoughts & what's next