Etsy Seller Interview with Tiffany of LeadingLeopard

How LeadingLeopard 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 Etsy shop is called Leading Leopard, and I sell handmade jewelry to make you feline like a queen. It was opened in March 2021, in the middle of the pandemic. It’s a bit of a funny story, but I started working a new job that I completely hated and ended up quitting after 3 weeks. However, during the training, we were instructed to make up a company, create a logo, and make up products for it as we demoed the company’s product. A few weeks later, I felt oddly inspired by that experience, and I bought myself an earring-making kit on Amazon, telling myself I'd make myself some earrings as a hobby. I started creating and fell in love with how calming the process was for me.

I’m not completely sure why I chose earrings; I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they’ve always been my favorite type of jewelry. I used to collect earrings as a child, and I find that they are what complete an outfit. All my styles are created by hand. I specialize in glass cabochon styles but make a bunch of different types of other styles. I buy my supplies from various places. Sometimes on Amazon, Etsy shops that sell supplies sell U-Line. I can sometimes spend hours browsing different websites for supply ideas.

Favorite items

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

I have over 300 listings, so it’s hard to choose, but I’ve chosen my top 3 for you:

Bestselling Wooden Earrings: These have been a bestseller in my shop for over a year. These earrings really got my shop going, and I’m so grateful that they continue to sell after all this time. They’re teardrop wooden earrings available in six different colors. They’re super lightweight, not too big or too small, and will go with pretty much any outfit! I’ve gotten a lot of great reviews for these, even from people saying that their friend was wearing a pair and they bought themselves a pair immediately because they loved them so much. Reviews like those make me feel so proud.

Retro Leopard Print Studs: Personally, these are my favorites! A huge part of why I opened my shop is because I really love leopard print, and I felt like there were not enough earrings with that print. I have a pair of these, and I wear them all the time. They’re perfect to wear any day, and they’re so comfortable. They’re fairly new to my shop, so they haven’t sold like crazy, but they’re so loved.

Black Wooden and Cabochon Music Note Earrings: I love this style SO much! Before anything else, I’m a singer-songwriter. You’ll notice a lot of music-related styles in my shop. It makes me so happy to be able to create earrings with musical styles; it’s like combining my two biggest loves.

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 was fortunate enough to have my first sale with one of my good friends, Susan. I think I told her about my shop opening while we were chatting one day, and she went and bought a few pairs. I will never forget that. That was within the first week of my launch. After that, I’d say it took about three weeks before I started receiving orders from strangers.

Attracting customers is a whole cocktail of things that I constantly do. I’m very active on Instagram, and I’m always sharing new photos of products, giving updates, and following new people and fellow businesses.

In terms of Etsy, I took a small course on SEO, which really helped me understand it and use it in my listings. I also send automatic discount codes to people who like my items or have them in their carts.

Managing LeadingLeopard

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?

Yup, it’s only me! During the holiday season, I’ll sometimes get a family member to assist with packaging, but other than that, it’s just me. I try to stay as organized as I can. I have a lot of boxes and organizers for my inventory. As for apps, the ones that really help me run my business are my camera roll, the Canada Post app, Pinterest, Canva, and PhotoRoom. They’re all great, but Canva is a lifesaver! It’s like your own little graphic designer in an app.

My processing time is 1-2 business days, so I make sure that if I get an order for a pair of earrings that has to dry once it’s made, I make sure to make the pair as soon as possible. I pack orders every night (sometimes I’ll skip a night here and there), and I go to the post office every 2 days. I try my best to ship out my orders as quickly as possible; that’s something that customers really appreciate.

The future of LeadingLeopard

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

Honestly, I would love to make it to 10,000 sales. I realize that’s such a high number of sales, but I never imagined that I would reach over 2,500 sales, but somehow it happened. Just keep pushing!

Advice for new sellers

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

1. Research, research, research! I believe that a huge part of being successful on Etsy is understanding the platform. You really have to understand how things work, and there’s so much information out there. Don’t be afraid to look for quick courses or YouTube videos. Join Facebook groups with fellow sellers so that you can learn more.
2. Be patient and believe in yourself! - I’ve come to notice thata lot of people make it seem like Etsy is some kind of "overnight success, quick money" kind of thing but it’s really not. It’s a lot of hard upsidesare a lot of upside downs. I andvhappens,on Etsy fsales,er 2 years, mde over 2,500 sales and there are some days phone, I sit there, staring at my phone wondering why I haven’t gotten a sale today. It happens and it’s perfectly normal. You have to be patient and keep creating beautiful products. 
3. Customer service is key! Yes, the most important thing is having beautiful, quality products. However, customer service is really important. Your customers are looking to support a small business. The Etsy platform has tons of shops similar to yours; you need to stand out and go above and beyond. I’ve had a lot of customer service training because of past jobs, so it pretty much comes naturally to me, but if it doesn’t come naturally to you, maybe look for a small course that can help you. Your customer wants to feel valued and special. That handwritten note or reply to their inquiry in a professional manner could really be the extra push that makes them come back to your shop.