Etsy Seller Interview with Samantha of enlightenedinstincts

How enlightenedinstincts 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?

My name is Samantha, and I’m the owner of Enlightened Instincts, an Etsy shop dedicated to intentional living through healing crystals, handmade jewelry, and shirts. I started my Etsy shop in 2021 after I made the decision to leave my job in mental healthcare. I reached a point where I felt emotionally drained and realized that I needed to prioritize my own self-care. In my personal search for mental wellness, I began using crystals. I had always been fascinated by their beauty and intrigued by their potential healing properties. Incorporating crystals into my daily routine became a natural way for me to focus on living more intentionally and mindfully while also prioritizing my own mental well-being.

Inspired to share these practices with others in an authentic way, I named my Etsy to shop Enlightened Instincts, reflecting the idea of tapping into our inner wisdom and intuition for intentional living. By doing so, I hope to help people find the tools they need to be mentally well and to encourage them to incorporate coping skills and self-care practices into their daily routines. Some of my crystal sets offer a humorous and sometimes even sarcastic twist on crystal healing, which makes it easier for some adults to relate to or start using crystals.

One of the ways I differentiate myself in Etsy’s competitive market is through my personalized approach to sourcing crystals. I work with suppliers who have personally traveled to the countries they source material from, ensuring fair trade practices and supporting ethical sourcing. This allows me to offer high-quality crystals with confidence, knowing that they are ethically and sustainably obtained.

When it comes to my handmade jewelry, I handcraft each piece using high-quality materials like sterling silver or gold-filled wire and natural gemstones. I also take into consideration the metaphysical properties of each stone, intentionally creating jewelry that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also has healing benefits. As for my t-shirts, from ideas to digital files to real shirts, I use my Cricut to bring each design to life, spreading the message of intentional living and mental health awareness. I do my best to keep a small inventory of each color and size on hand and source my t-shirts from a wholesale supplier. Each shirt is made to order, ensuring that my customers receive a personalized and customized product.

Favorite items

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

In a saturated marketplace, I set my Etsy shop apart from others by offering my own personal touches whenever I can. By using high-quality materials, clear product descriptions, and sustainable packaging, I’ve curated an authentic experience for buyers. Here are a few of my favorite items:

Crystal Countdown Advent Calendar: This is a one-of-a-kind item that combines the excitement of an advent calendar with the beauty and energy of carefully selected crystals. It’s one of my all-time favorite items because I would love to get something like this myself, and based on the positive reviews from buyers, they were also excited to receive them! Packing each calendar can be a time-consuming process as I carefully hand-select, wrap, and box 12 or 25 crystals for each calendar, but I find it relaxing and even get some of my best ideas while doing it.

The car protection crystals are another one of my favorites. These healing crystal sets are specifically designed for use in the car to promote safety, protection, and positive energy while driving. They’re great for beginners or experienced crystal lovers, since the included information card has ideas for how to work with each stone.

This necklace holds a special place in my heart as it was my first bestseller on Etsy and continues to be a top seller in my shop. I put a lot of care into creating these necklaces, wrapping each crystal by hand. The combination of the wire-wrapping technique and the healing properties of the crystals make each necklace truly unique and meaningful. This attention to detail and focus on quality sets my jewelry apart from mass-produced pieces and attracts customers who appreciate the individuality of handcrafted jewelry.

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 remember making my first sale within a few weeks of opening my Etsy shop and feeling so excited that someone was interested in my product. At the same time, I immediately felt nervous about meeting the expectations of my customer and delivering a high-quality product.

Currently, I use a combination of strategies to attract customers to my Etsy shop. One of the primary methods is through organic traffic from Etsy SEO (search engine optimization). This involves optimizing my product listings with relevant keywords, tags, and descriptions to make them more visible in Etsy search results and reach my target audience.

I also use off-site ads and paid ads through Etsy to promote my listings. Off-site ads are posted by Etsy on external platforms to drive traffic to my shop, and I’m charged only upon completion of a sale. Paid ads within Etsy itself have promoted listings that increase the visibility of my products to potential customers.

Building an email list has also been an effective way for me to reach out to potential customers and keep them informed about special deals, new product releases, and tips for using healing crystals to live more intentionally. This also helps foster repeat customers and build a loyal customer base.

Managing enlightenedinstincts  

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?

Since starting my shop, it’s just been me, but it’s been challenging to manage inventory, order fulfillment and shipping, finances, and grow my shop, all while still having to create my products! Recently, I enlisted my sister to start helping me out with filling orders so I can focus on creating new listings and expanding my online presence.

In terms of shipping, I prefer actually going to the post office instead of scheduling a pick-up. I go a few times a week and always print the "USPS scan form" or shipment confirmation acceptance notice directly through Etsy after purchasing my shipping labels. This generates a barcode for postal workers to scan instead of having to individually scan each package. This makes things quicker and easier for everyone, and the employees have been very appreciative too!

Here are the tools that I’ve found most helpful to manage my shop:

Aura and eRank: for optimizing listings, providing SEO tips, and conducting shop audits to identify areas for improvement. These websites were especially helpful when I first started, so I could learn what Etsy was looking for.

Vela: for inventory management—I can’t recommend this enough for sellers who sell items with variations, like different colors or sizes. Through Vela, I set up my shirt inventory to reflect the available stock for each combination of color and size. When a customer places an order for a shirt, Vela automatically adjusts the quantity across all listings for that variation. This ensures that I don’t oversell my stock!

AWeber: for building an email list, it integrates directly with Etsy and automatically invites customers to join after ordering. This is an approved integration that allows shop owners to contact buyers for marketing purposes, which is usually not allowed on Etsy.

Canva: To create listing photos with product information for visual buyers, design info cards and product packaging

Cricut: from making t-shirts to designing all my own jewelry packaging, the cricut makes my ideas come alive!

Quickbooks Self Employed: for managing finances, tracking expenses, revenue, and profit, and easily uploading tax data to Turbo Tax.

HP Instant Ink: a monthly subscription service for printer cartridges, Instead of paying for new ink as and when you need it, you pay a monthly amount and can print a specified number of pages depending on the plan you choose.

The future of enlightenedinstincts

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

In the future, I plan to have my sister completely take over order fulfillment to help me focus on growing my shop. By delegating this task, I’ll have more time and energy to dedicate to other aspects of my business, such as marketing, product development, and customer engagement.

I’d like to play around with Etsy's new "Explore" feature and create videos of my products in use. I plan to experiment with creating different videos that not only highlight the features of crystal sets and jewelry but also convey the value they bring to customers' lives.

Another goal I have is to build out my website further and create more blog articles to provide insights, tips, and information related to crystals and how they can be incorporated into a mindful lifestyle.

Advice for new sellers

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

Learn from Others, but Stay True to Your Unique Vision: Avoid getting overwhelmed by trying to implement every strategy or trend you come across, and instead, focus on what aligns with your brand and target audience. Stay authentic to your style, voice, and values to help you stand out in a crowded marketplace. It's great to learn from others' experiences and advice, but remember to stay true to your unique vision and what makes your shop special. When I first started my Etsy shop, I naturally wanted to learn everything I could about selling on Etsy and what I needed to do to be successful. It didn’t take long before I was running in more directions than I had time to keep up with. Don't get distracted by trying to be on every social media platform at once; instead, focus on what works best for your shop and your audience.

Take consistent action and don’t do everything at once. Focus on the bottom line and what will bring in money initially, and as your shop grows, you can invest in other tasks to increase revenue. Instead of investing in expensive packaging or professionally printed guides, print them out on cardstock and cut them by hand. Remember that Etsy is designed to be a search engine; investing in understanding how the algorithm works can help you get more views and visits.

Thoughtful, Detailed Listings: Be as clear as possible in your listings and describe exactly what the customer will receive. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes and create professional and polished listings to make a good first impression. Ask yourself: "What would I want to know if I were buying this product?" Provide detailed information, measurements, and high-quality product images to clarify expectations and reduce anxiety for both you and your customers. Buyers feel more comfortable when they know what they’re getting, and you’ll feel more comfortable knowing they’ll be happy with it.