In this episode, we sit down with Sandra, founder of Austin Swappin’, Austin’s largest clothing and accessory swap community. Sandra shares how Austin Swappin’ started during the pandemic as a small Facebook group and grew into a monthly in-person event serving 150+ people at a time, supporting local vendors, partnering with breweries and wineries, and donating leftover items to nonprofits. We talk about: ✔️ Turning a passion project into a thriving Austin community✔️ Losing 1,000 followers to a hack — and rebuilding from scratch✔️ Growing events from 10 people in a park to full indoor venues✔️ Partnering with Wanderlust Wine Co, Batch ATX, Hi Sign Brewing & more✔️ How Austin Swappin’ works (pricing, items, rules, donations)✔️ Supporting local vendors through giveaways instead of booth fees✔️ Why feedback from the community drives everything✔️ What’s next for Austin Swappin’ — TikTok, growth, and future plans If you’re an Austin entrepreneur, event organizer, creative, or small business owner, this episode is packed with real talk about grassroots growth, community building, and staying consistent when things get hard. 🎥 Filmed & produced by Hen’s Bread Productions — an Austin video production company specializing in podcasts, multi-camera interviews, events, and fast turnaround post production. 👉 Learn more about Austin Swappin’: https://www.instagram.com/austinswappin👉 Learn more about Hen’s Bread Productions: https://hensbreadproductions.com If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, subscribe, and share — it helps support local Austin stories. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – Welcome + mic check00:37 – What is Austin Swappin’?01:20 – Starting during the pandemic with virtual swaps02:37 – First in-person swap at Mueller Park04:59 – Growing from 10 people to 40+ attendees06:12 – Losing 1,000 followers to a Facebook hack07:41 – Rebuilding momentum after the setback10:22 – First business collaboration with Batch ATX12:31 – Moving indoors and realizing it’s getting big15:03 – Partnering with Wanderlust Wine Co17:02 – From blankets on the floor to organized categories20:15 – Introducing paid admission and scaling responsibly23:41 – Why Austin Swappin’ happens once per month24:22 – What items are accepted at the swap25:53 – Donating leftovers to local nonprofit Thriftish27:41 – Raising prices and managing event planning realities31:49 – Using community feedback to improve the experience35:11 – Bringing in local vendors and giveaways38:05 – Vendor collaborations + gift card model39:13 – Partnering with Hi Sign Brewing for attendee discounts40:00 – Working with creators + future growth plans This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
