Born and raised in Roanoke, VA I’d always cursed my hometown for being too small with not much to do. Since I began selling on the Roanoke City Market in April of 2006, however, my perception of the city has changed. But then again, so have I. This is how I got there.

As a child I always wanted to be an artist and eventually found myself with a BA in Fine Art from Roanoke College in 2000. Desperate for a job I took the first thing I could find, a sales associate position at Gap. I quickly moved up into a management position with the company. However, I soon realized what that what my professors had told us students time and again was sadly true. Once you find yourself out in the real world, you find you have no time for your art anymore. My passion had been photography, and I’d all but ceased taking photographs.

In 2001 I started up a small business with the help of my husband. Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen was born basically on a whim. However, it was nothing like it is today. It was primarily a hobby on the side that didn’t even turn a profit until its third year. I didn’t have the time to invest myself fully in my business and so it suffered. In the meantime, I stepped back down to a part time associate position at Gap in order to be able to see my son who had recently entered kindergarten and to fit in the time for soccer practices and rec games.

Around 2005 I started having episodes where I couldn’t breathe. At least, that’s what it felt like. I hauled myself to the doctor who told me it was all in my head. I refused to believe him and insisted on an asthma test. The tests were negative. Shortly afterward I was diagnosed with agoraphobia. My breathing issues were attributed to multiple panic attacks one after another, literally nonstop, outside my residence. I couldn’t hold a conversation without having to pause after every word to catch my breath. I took this as a sign and took a year off from everything. I left Gap and become a stay at home mom. I actually learned how to cook, and was finally able to do what I hadn’t been able to before. I was able to slowly begin investing time into my business.

I’m not sure how I really decided to start selling on the Farmers’ Market. Maybe it was the desperate need to communicate with someone other than my husband and child. I’d gotten to the point I was striking up conversations about the sales at Target with other customers in the store. Then one day I just happened to be downtown and decided that “this” was what I wanted to do. I called Downtown Roanoke, Inc. the next day and set up an appointment with then Market Manager, Hope Hollingsworth, and things catapulted from there.

It was a scary transition going from the solitude of my home to the population of a bustling downtown. I had panic attacks on the really busy days so I avoided Saturdays for the biggest part of my first year on the Market. Today, however, the Market is my comfort zone. I love going there not only to make a living, but to socialize with the other vendors and downtown’s visitors. And, because I was able to take that leap and give Rebecca’s Soap Delicatessen 100% of my time, I’ve been able make a livable wage doing something that I love. While making soap isn’t exactly a “fine art,” I like that I’m able to create something from scratch and give it my own unique flair. I have also been able to squeeze photography back into my life through the inception of my blog I created for the Roanoke Farmer’s Market. A thankless project which features vendors, events, dining, and shopping in the downtown Roanoke area. I’ve also come to appreciate the historic and cultural aspects of our city and downtown area. Roanoke now holds a much brighter appeal for me, and yes, I’m able to find lots to do.

If you see me downtown, please say “hello.” On cold winter days I’m the girl wearing the hat with the ears!

• Rebecca’s Hometown: Roanoke, VA
• Rebecca’s Soap Website: soapdelicatessen.com
• Rebecca’s Farmers Market Website: roanokefarmersmarket.com
• Rebecca’s Blogs: Market Blog & Soap Deli Blog
• Rebecca’s Shop: soapdeli.etsy.com

Both Rick and I lived in Manhattan all of our adult lives. I had a career in magazine publishing, and Rick was the director of the photo studio at the American Museum of Natural History as well as a freelance TV and theater director. When Rick decided to take early retirement from the Museum to take care of me full-time after I sustained a brain-stem injury, we knew we’d have to retire outside of New York City because of its formidable high cost-of-living. We wanted to move to another urban environment but didn’t want to move to another large city (because we’d surely constantly compare it to Manhattan, which we adored). We wanted to try a small city that had its share of restaurants and galleries and amenities.

We selected Asheville, NC. While driving to Asheville to meet the moving van containing our furniture and belongings, we stopped for an overnight in Roanoke. We drove through downtown and were very impressed by the revitalization taking place. The new art museum. The market district. The variety of eateries. The construction and remodeling underway throughout downtown. We drove past a building that advertised condos for sale. An hour later we toured three lovely loft-like SoHo-reminiscent condos. The condos felt so comfortable and familiar to us that two weeks later we decided to abandon our Asheville plans and move our furniture and belongings out of NC and north to VA. We decided to buy one of those lovely condos and join the revitalization of downtown Roanoke.

I grew up in Roanoke, left to attend college and eventually returned in order to finish my education. For two reasons, I have always known that Roanoke was where I wanted to settle. First, my immediate family resides in the Star City. Secondly, I like the feel of the “big city in a little city” atmosphere that Roanoke offers. My husband, Todd, also returned to Roanoke upon graduating from college. While the majority of our friends from high school left the area, we have enjoyed meeting many new friends who have made their home here. It is very encouraging to see so many young people making their homes in the valley. I have always believed that this city is the perfect place to raise a family.

Todd and I have three boys–Christopher, 8, Garrettson, 5 and James 3. Because they are very active, we are fortunate that the city offers many activities from which they can choose to participate. In addition, we are very pleased with the outstanding programs and curriculum offered by Roanoke City Schools.

I am a stay-at-home-mom and stay very busy with both the children and the Junior League of Roanoke, Valley, Virginia, Inc. whereby I presently serve as president. The Junior League of Roanoke is an organization of women who are committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the Community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Virginia, Inc. reaches out to women of all races, religions, and national origins who demonstrate an interest and commitment to volunteerism. I encourage young women who are new to Roanoke to become involved with the Junior League. Not only is it a wonderful way to meet new people but a great way to become involved in the Community.