Daily Inspiration: Meet Nick Dewald

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Dewald.

Hi Nick, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
After living in several major cities around the country, most notably New York City, my wife Lindsay and I move back home to Cincinnati and wanted to do something interesting and be part of the urban renaissance that was beginning. We were very inspired by The Brooklyn Flea which we visited most weekend while living in New York and we thought a version of that event would be fun to try in Cincinnati.

On June 4th 2011 The City Flea sprang into action and the first 45 vendors ‘delivered the goods’ leaving people hungry for more. About 70 vendors sold over the course of the first summer season and now in the 16th season of operation, the Flea has hosted hundreds of unique vendors and small businesses, and see’s thousands of shoppers each market. The city continues to embrace the market and support the small businesses that vend with us in a big way.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a great run over the past 15 years and we are very grateful for our it. Being an outdoor event we have microstruggles in the form of rainstorms and wind gusts but more often than not those turn out to be opportunities for The City Flea community to show up and demonstrate that they are committed to being intentional with their dollars.

The other big challenge that we navigated was the pandemic. The impact was limited but large scale events were obviously not a popular thing to do for a little while. We rolled with the situation just like the rest of the world and got through it by way of some virtual ‘events’ and some very ‘spacious’ vendor layouts.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The City Flea is Cincinnati’s original curated, urban flea market that takes place once a month at Washington Park and various other locations through out the year. Since its conception in 2011 The Flea has seen dozens of vendors grow from hobbyists to full time business owners and it is with much pride that we consider ourselves not only a monthly market, but a small business incubator, community organization, and city advocate. The Flea is a place to keep your dollars local, support small business and experience YOUR city in a unique and engaging way. We strive to create a destination that feels fun and positive and a place where you can expect the unexpected.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One thing that we have always been very aware of for a business like ours is that we are just the facilitators. Without creative and willing vendors, intentional and participatory shoppers, and an enthusiastic and supportive community, we are nothing. We try to demonstrate our appreciation to all of these active participants as much as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thecityflea.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecityflea/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecityflea/