This is a Movement of many Blessings!! Join Us!

After our recent “Resilient Entrepreneur” Training we held a raffle drawing. That’s not a surprise to anyone familiar with our movement. We always giveaway two goodie bags after each of our CirculateMKE Markets. This giveaway was different though , by the end of our Training, we ended up giving every Creative Entrepreneur on the video training a cash prize which amped everyone up for the Grand prize even more! To win BIG participants had to join the Movement Fund. You might ask, well what is the Movement Fund????

Well, our Resilience Training was facilitated and sponsored by them! AND YOU CAN INVEST our ability to provide MORE low barrier CIRCULATEMKE Micro Grant$ and Small Business Trainings through the Movement Fund!!!

“Here’s a blurb from their site: Bringing change means bringing awareness through training sessions, campaigns, gatherings, discussions and other avenues that inform the people of the challenges, solutions and get them involved. Build Community when you Build Awareness and empower The Movement.”

Here’s what Fabi Gee, of Essential Rituals by Fabi, our Grand prize WINNER had to say:

“Participating in the recent Movement Fund training, it gave me hope to know that there are real grants for real entrepreneurs that may not be well established enough to be considered for other grants.  Listening to how the Movement Fund really gets behind businesses and people of color to help them overcome obstacles that stand in the way of them and their dreams.   I have always been a supporter of the Circulate Markets and then became an actual vendor. That community really does rely on us building each other and supporting each other. Looking through the lens of actually trying to start a business is more difficult than people could imagine. I am proud to be able to support Circulate Market and the Movement Fund so that other entrepreneurs can have the same opportunity that I was blessed with!  I am truly honored and blessed to have been chosen to receive this Grant and being able to pay it forward.“

Learn more , check out the details & Join the MOVEMENT! ! Get involved and help us #circulatelocaldollars

We will continue to serve Creative Entrepreneurs in all the ways! You ain’t seen nothin yet!!

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After our recent “Resilient Entrepreneur” Training we held a raffle drawing. That’s not a surprise to anyone familiar with our movement. We always giveaway two goodie bags after each of our CirculateMKE Markets. This giveaway was different though , by the end of our Training, we ended up giving every Creative Entrepreneur on the video …

by Circulatemke August 3, 2020

Financial Needs right NOW! Small business support systems and personal investments

Listen and Learn from the best! This episode features CirculateMKE Virtual Market Creative Entrepreneur , Author and financial coach, Tayala Scott dropping some serious knowledge! We would love your feedback on this one! Money, Money, Money! Easy to get , hard to flip….unless you have the proper education and understanding. Everybody wants ‘the bag’ – …

by Circulatemke August 3, 2020August 3, 2020

We are opening up shop!

We are proud to announce the launch of our Circulate Creative Shop with Inktothepeople , a dope local printing company! Soon we will be assisting other small businesses in setting up their shop! It’s all about uplifiting each other! We have helped to amplify local creatives and makers for over 5 years through our Circulate …

by Circulatemke July 29, 2020

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Make sure you grab something at the NEW Circulate Shop!

Financial Needs right NOW! Small business support systems and personal investments

Listen and Learn from the best! This episode features CirculateMKE Virtual Market Creative Entrepreneur , Author and financial coach, Tayala Scott dropping some serious knowledge! We would love your feedback on this one! Money, Money, Money! Easy to get , hard to flip….unless you have the proper education and understanding. Everybody wants ‘the bag’ – but whatcha gonna do to get it? Our Virtual series is a way to really dig deep into the expertise of within our network – This particular feature is from the June 2020 Market – PACKED with info and action steps!

What are your future financial goals?

Have you sought out any expert advice or support to help you reach your goals?

How are you tracking your personal vs small business finances?

All these topics and more are touched in this episode! Next Virtual Announcements coming soon!

Check out the SHOP

We are opening up shop!

We are proud to announce the launch of our Circulate Creative Shop with Inktothepeople , a dope local printing company! Soon we will be assisting other small businesses in setting up their shop! It’s all about uplifiting each other! We have helped to amplify local creatives and makers for over 5 years through our Circulate Creative Entrepreneur Market!

Now you can represent and help us keep pushing our collective message and mission! The shop is now open! We will continue to Circulate Local Dollars! Stay tuned for details about how we can help you set up your store!

All sizes available, styles and colors will rotate! Hurry and grab it if you like it!!! Designs and Circulate Merch will rotate!

#circulatemke

Summertime Grind

Hotter than July! Delivering the Virtual Market to the world is fun. The engagement and the stories we get to hear are uncut and the feedback we receive has come from across the globe! It’s growing! AND it’s showing!

We had an amazing recent virtual training session that also ended up resulting in us distributing some cash drops. We will do a follow up story on that soon. Stay tuned.

Businesses are really struggling right now trying to figure out the next best moves. Some are closing, some are shifting online , some are fine. We are exploring some heavy conversations and emotional topics during our #circulatemke virtual markets. Help us spread the word out there, help us support these creative entrepreneurs who need it the most right now, let’s lift them up.

Resilient Entrepreneurs!

Peace Creative, 

As most folks know, Circulate Creative has pivoted like most businesses due to the Covid-19 Global Health Pandemic and economic shutdown.  We quickly shifted and began hosting our very own CirculateMke Virtual Markets in order to continue supporting, uplifting & connecting local entrepreneurs and initiatives. 
So far we’ve produced 4 very successful (and experimental) CirculateMke Virtual Market engagements spotlighting 13 Creatives ‘infomercial’ style while generating thousands of organic impressions through online community marketing, social media promotions, live zoom audiences , live streaming, reposting and rebroadcasting our new Virtual Market experience. 

The CirculateMke Virtual Market series was designed as another gift, to YOU!
Over the years, in addition to the market, we have invited our network of amazing creatives, vendors & makers to Circulate Social Mixers, Building/Brainstorming Business Sessions and even offered ‘Coach Ups’. Many of you have taken advantage, expanding your professional relationships and knowledge. 
We have a huge new opportunity…Drum roll…..

Wednesday July 15th 6pm-7:30CirculateMKE in partnership with The Movement Fund ( Madison WI)  will present:
“Resilient Black & Brown Entrepreneurs” Training and Micro Grant Opportunity!

Resilient Entrepreneurs is a unique virtual training designed to help creative entrepreneurs like yourselves!! 
Do YOU want to improve your personal well being and resilience? HOW ABOUT connecting to innovative income streams while ALSO giving back to our creative community??

Please be prepared to take notes, Resilient Black & Brown Entrepreneurs Training Sessions include (but not limited to)

• 4 basic pillars of Well Being
• Tools to access and strengthen your individual and collective resilience 
• How to create a sustainable stream of income while rewarding partners who help to raise money for low barrier grants 

You will gain new tools to:

• Understand personal Well Being at a deeper level 
• Know how to access your resilience
• Know how to generate additional income

As a thank you for your attendance and participation,
IN TRUE CIRCULATE FASHION-We have a ‘raffle’ for you!But a different kind!

 5 lucky ‘Resilient Black & Brown Entrepreneur Training’ participants willWIN $100 dollar Movement Fund Business Micro Grants!
1 super lucky participant will win a $500 dollar Movement Fund Business Micro Grant!
Hey, someone could win both!!!! 

Terms/rules of this awesome raffle will be announced during the Training. Funds dispersed immediately. 
The Training and raffle invite is limited to vendors who have participated as a Circulate MKE Market Vendor in the past. (Virtual or Physical)
Please Register for The Resilient Black and Brown Entrepreneurs Training NOW

Training will OPEN 5:45 PM(space for any troubleshooting)

Words from our guest Trainer Eric “Liberation is a long journey and every little bit counts.”

Creative Problem Solvers

We learn about different initiatives that are happening all the time – and we are spreading the inspiration!! We want to THANK all of the people stepping up during this time helping essential workers and frontline folks!

Stay safe, practice healthy habits and keep the conscious dialogue happening! All you soldiers stay woke and keep pushin forward! Use your creative skills to help people and also make money at the same damn time! What are some services or products you are offering? We want to know!

We did it AGAIN!

The uncertainty and nerves around a virtual market have been shaken off and the floodgates of ideas and opportunities are now open. CirculateMKE Creative Entrepreneurial Market has always been about serving the needs of the community and responding in real time with innovative approaches to get new results to old problems. Traditionally, in the market those who attend are equally as important as the creative vendors who, beyond an economic opportunity, seek to help and offer healing to our communities. Each market we end with hugs and thank you’s for the positive energy, togetherness and love. Maybe some dancing and toasts….Even after a 9 hour day exhausted vendors, organizers, lingering attendees and volunteers are still running  on vibrations high enough to make us take another moment to appreciate one another. 

The process of coordinating the virtual experience has allowed a different kind of bond between us and the vendors who also get to connect on a deeper level. We use our insight and awareness of each business through the relationships we have developed with them over the last six years to curate each experience offering an intimate opportunity for them to develop a deeper level of appreciation for one another. 

CirculateMKE Virtual Market round 2 was all about healing. We titled it “Community, Immunity and Economics”. Each vendor chosen has a business dedicated to the well being of others with a personal story of their own journey of research, practice and healing. Each one of them had products that could be personalized and tailored to an individual’s needs and could draw a consumer in to consider and share their own personal story.

Like the first time, it started with one on one conversations, messages and clarity on our intentions. This is a scary time of uncertainty for many in our communities and with a plentiful variety of mixed messaging layered with fear about an uncertain future. COVID-19, the social distancing, health concerns and lost loved ones makes it hard for one to balance hopefulness on their own. Circulate Creative with the help of these healers would offer a virtual market experience that would offer some inspiration and insight on being healthy and home and offer options for emotional, physical and spiritual well being. Once again, we started with 5 vendors. One became unresponsive, one backed out before the practice round and another pulled out two days before the scheduled market. YIKES!!!! Oh well, this is how it goes. The universe was gonna make this work in our favor, and it did!

Each vendor, humble and eager to be helpful, took the practice round very seriously. Well, the two that showed up. We exchanged encouragement and offered advice for improvement on their presentations. Based on the content and the wealth of knowledge each vendor had to share we extended the presentation time from 6 to 8 minutes to 10 with no strict concern for time. We wanted to eliminate any pressure or barriers that would keep the flow from being authentic and whole. The synergy was good and there was a lot of wisdom to be shared. 

We sent the practice round with notes to the vendors for them to review and practice. We wrapped our heads around where the conversation could go and just as we suspected everything fell into place. A third vendor agreed last minute to participate and offered a service that brought the conversation of health full circle. All three vendors have deep roots in the community through family, friends and service and well respected and loved. We knew that each of them would draw in an extended audience just because of who they are!

We doubled our virtual attendance and took our time to engage with attendees. The feedback during and following the market was positive and consistent. We received texts, calls and messages thanking us for the market and shared testimony of how or why the Virtual Market conversations were very needed . 

For us, it has always been the testimony of the people that has been the greatest measurement of our CirculateMke success!

In the great words of Tupac Shakur – “Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live and let’s change the way we treat each other”

 

Meet Your Makers!!

We are looking forward to opening up this new digital door even wider. Time to let the people in!!! Think about all the new possibilities for connectivity that will spring up from this level of accessibility…. CirculateMKE Virtual Market is off to a magnificent jump!

Many people who have limited mobility or vision impairments for example have told us that they have had different challenges making it out to CirculateMKE Markets in the past. We flow into many physical spaces with so many considerations. Bathrooms, kitchen, storage, load-in, children’s area, wheelchair accessibility , wifi, parking….the list is significant. The attention to detail for every ingredient is critical.

This now changes with our segway into a new collective virtual experience. We are getting up close and personal to learn the stories, process and solutions of very bright creative entrepreneurs. ‘Meet Your Makers’ 

Help share and please spread the link/word about our upcoming #CirculateMke Virtual Markets so people in other cities , countries can experience our family of cooperative economics and resource support. Thursday May 14th JOIN US! 

We would love to see you!

Watch our kick off #Circulatemke Virtual Market

What had happened was….Pt.1

There is a lot of work that goes into organizing each CirculateMKE market. We are committed to very specific considerations that minimizes barriers for our vendors to participate including low cost vendor fees, certain amenities and children friendly atmospheres.

We do not pretend that we aren’t a culturally diverse group of bad ass creatives who love music, fun, food and art. We develop relationships with vacant property owners and various local businesses across our city to guarantee a rich experience in mostly untapped venues that they would otherwise not likely attract our audience of entrepreneurs or shoppers or be simply closed in general.

We go through many negotiations, site visits, marketing meetings, securing necessities for business productivity and more on a long list of variables that help us to determine if a venue or collaboration fits our needs and can be welcoming to our community.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic that quickly shut down the world in slow motion, small business owners and entrepreneurs were impacted differently than corporate companies who had a rush of business overwhelm them while the rest of goods and resources became inaccessible. Circulate typically has April and May markets and we know our vendors depend on our seasonal schedule to maintain consistent visibility and an opportunity to jump back in and out of marketing due to “REAL LIFE” shit!

Much like the first market, the idea came and we immediately, in a quick quick hurry, began to flush out the details. We as organizers, knew that we had to map it out for our own understanding so we could be sure to be great communicators to our vendors. Our ‘typical’ list of considerations just didn’t apply. Charting a brand new pilgrimage into the digital world for the collective good of the CirculateMKE Creative Community would take a different kind of innovation and the list started with personal phone calls, initially 5.

We are known for a well detailed layout of instructions, what to expect and marketing materials. We didn’t fail for this either. Part of the difference now is that we are asking a bit more from our vendors to participate in this virtual process. We needed a strong headshot, a quote, a confirmation for a practice round and for them to prepare for a 6-8 minute product presentation. We provided a draft script and a list of considerations as homework.

Once we got our confirmations, we sent our detailed market emails out….And there was no initial response…Crickets…. We can’t help but to think that once that email went out the whole conversation got really real for everyone.

No getting little or letting CirculateMKE work its magic and with the click of two heels a market would appear. We couldn’t do this without them being ALL IN! I get it though, it’s a big ongoing responsibility. Then… We had one of the vendors drop out. She wasn’t ready- NO WORRIES! Then I called a few more who were NOT READY! Cool, understood.

Our practice round had 2 vendors in attendance but damn was it necessary for us all and it lent a lot of insight that we were able to record and share with other 2 vendors who couldn’t make it that day. I won’t even get into how hard it was to schedule the practice round to begin with. Once this was over it was on everyone to practice and get themselves confident for our big performance day!

Thursday, April 30^th  comes and we lost yet ANOTHER vendor……So I’m thinking , we have three for sure strong presentations and if we as hosts stepped into the conversations a bit more than we initially planned we could probably manage any issues around flow and time.

This was only round one of an ongoing series.
We spent the morning troubleshooting technical issues learning the zoom details and refining our intentions. Followed by an exchange of texts of encouragement with the vendors; 2:50pm was here and it was show time!

My response……… complete gratitude and love. The vendors crushed it! They were awesome storytellers, educators and great product pitchers. We had an engaged audience and although there is nothing like the vibrations and synergy in a physical gathering of a CircualteMKE Market, I think we gave and received a dose of a currency that is more valuable than money.

Thank you @runameh_nourish @canelitabrown and @blossomcandlesco

Please go to their pages and support them!

Order your products, they will come with love and free of shipping if you do it in the next week!

See you all on May 14^th for the next CirculateMKE Virtual Market!

Amor y paz,

Shoo Shoo

This is a new time, and on time

Intervention and innovation has always been at the root of our Circulatemke movement. Stepping out into a new curve of our reality by trying to present a solution.  Finding ways to come together, keep together in progress and work together in success. This is the time for us to make sure that we take care of each other and take care of our families.

We have been missing our CirculateMKE family!!!

Before we all got an understandable ‘Stay at Home’ order, we had Markets planned!!! Just like everyone else, we had sh!t to do!!! Then here comes this uncertain, unpredictable, version of a virus????  Thinking back, our team talked about hosting online meetups and other expansions to our off market engagement, through our website and social platforms…Now we are here….We just wanted to build on the digital connectivity of our an interactive platform and continue our goals building community and  growing local economic viability through our very mobile CirculateMKE Markets. Here we are…Now.

So now we introduce  our centralized Circulate CreativeMKE Virtual Market Series. This is where we will personally introduce some familiar faces and some new voices! We all will share our perspectives in this new reality. We will also continue to lift up our collective and cooperative power, our beautiful products, our heritage skills, exchange our stories and we will now make all of this available to an even wider audience.

Work with us. As we figure it out , send your suggestions!

Everything that you love and know about CirculateMKE Market’s to offer, we will strive to represent via our new Virtual CirculateMKE Market in a very positive experience. We dearly miss each and everyone of you, and everyone knows our markets are healing spaces and nothing but family love. So we are just going online for this time and we hope that you can join us! You can call in or use video! We hope that you can spread the word and help to populate our Virtual CirculateMKE Market just as you have supported for 5 years, we hope to see you sooner than later! Our Zoom ID to Join will be shared closer to the day of.

Vendors interested in participating can pre register on circulatemke.com – This series will be ongoing and your spots will be pre-scheduled.  Get on it!

If you would like to learn more about the zoom app that you can use to tune in on your phone or computer check this out! Zoom setup and tutorial video