Etsy Seller Interview with DeShawn of DeShawnMarie

How DeShawnMarie got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hi, I’m the owner of DeShawn Marie Bath & Beauty and the Etsy shop DeShawnMarie. I started my business in 1996 and had my first website in 1999, but online sales weren’t what they are today. A lot of people didn’t have computers, and most were on dial-up if they did, but I kept promoting my website. Little by little, I did get some sales over the years, but it wasn’t until 2008, when I joined Etsy, that my online sales really took off. I was living in NYC at the time, and one of my friends kept telling me I should try that new platform, Etsy. Finally, one day, I hopped on and opened up a shop.

I have been making handmade soap and candles for 27 years now, and I mostly relied on street festivals and a small shop that I had in my studio at the time until Etsy came along. Etsy helped me elevate my online sales so I could eventually give up lugging my wares around and trying to convince or drag people to my studio to purchase.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

My favourite soaps are:

Sandalwood Spirit is a top seller, and I love the colours and feel of it as well as the scent. It’s relaxing and calming.

Patchouli Orange—this is one of my absolute favorites. It’s earthy yet uplifting and soothing. I love the way it makes my skin feel, as well as how it affects my mood and cheers me up.

Rosemary Lime is another one of my go-to soaps. Rosemary lime is lively and energizing. It always puts a pep in my step and helps me get going in the morning. I love the scent and the feel.

A few of my other favourites are Vanilla Colada, Orange Blossom, Lemon Cardamom, and Palo Santo Cedar. All of these soaps, as well as the ones mentioned above, sell well, but the Sandalwood Spirit is the top seller out of all of them.

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

I received sales pretty quickly when I started; I know I had a few in my first week, and that was exciting and motivating. I currently do the same things I did back then to get sales and customers. I constantly post on social media and hand out business cards.

Managing DeShawnMarie

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

I have people assist me, but I don’t currently have anyone full-time, so a lot of it is just me. I enjoy running the shop. I use Shipstation for shipping and Etsy shipping, of course. I have used Velo to update listings and sync with other sites.

The future of DeShawnMarie 

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

I want to continue growing the retail side of my business, and Etsy is a big part of that. I’d like to retire some day and hand my shop off to someone who is interested in having a stable business that they enjoy. So my goal is mostly looking at retirement 10 years from now and finding someone who would like to follow in my footsteps and take the reins moving forward. It truly is a unique and fun way to live and thrive. It’s a very rewarding career.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Don’t get discouraged. It’s going to be hard, but just keep moving forward and keep working towards what you want. Don’t let negative comments from family, friends, and others affect you (I know it’s hard). If you can visualise what you want, keep that picture in your head, and work towards it, you will make it happen little by little. It may not turn out exactly as pictured, and you may change your picture at times, but if you keep going with that picture in your head, you will get somewhere with it some day. Keep your drive and stamina moving forward; don’t look back.