Silobration offers Nectar Republic owner Southern hospitality and new business

It was so cold and wet during last week’s Silobration that at one point Lisa Williams-Laufer had to wear a poncho over her winter coat.

That hardly dampened her enthusiasm at being the only Kansas vendor to display at the annual event that “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines have at their Magnolia property in Waco, Texas.

“The hospitality was truly like in Southern style,” says Williams-Laufer, who owns Nectar Republic.

“We were treated so well,” she says. “It was the most well-organized event that I’ve ever . . . partaken in.”

The three-day event also yielded the most money that Williams-Laufer has made at a craft event.

She sells candles, soaps and bath balms and donates 5 percent of her sales to local apiaries to help “Save the Bees,” which is a movement she promotes through T-shirts and wristbands among other things.

Williams-Laufer says Nectar Republic has had a “huge influx in wholesale orders” since Silobration.

“It’s really been insane.”

She says there’s been a big increase in traffic to her website as well.

Plus, there were all kinds of fun moments, such as meeting Joanna Gaines.

“You didn’t really feel like you were listening to a celebrity or talking with someone who was out of touch with reality,” Williams-Laufer says. “She was so gracious and sweet.”

When Gaines first addressed vendors, she had her baby, Crew, in her arms.

“It was really cool to see how much they do as a family,” Williams-Laufer says.

She got to meet a couple of other idols, such as Michigan blogger Liz Marie Galvan, “so that really blew me away.”

There were some moving moments, too, where the Gaines family shared what they’re doing to support other entrepreneurs and a farm family that has faced hard times.

“I was crying the whole time,” Williams-Laufer says. “I couldn’t even, like, keep it together.”

The sun came out on the third day, though Williams-Laufer says she had fun the whole time.

She says it was rewarding to meet idols and have them show interest in her work.

“You never know what can happen.”