Etsy Seller Interview with Sonserae of SonseraeDesigns

How SonseraeDesigns 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 Sonserae Leese, and my shop is Sonserae Designs. I opened my shop in 2011 to sell my handmade jewelry. Now it has expanded to accessories, apparel, fine art, and fine art prints as well. It began when I was an artist and painter at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. I started making jewelry for gifts for colleagues and friends, and they encouraged me to sell them, so when the Nickelodeon Holiday Fair came up, I reserved a table and sold my handmade jewelry. I also had another table for my homemade dog biscuits and toys (from a past Etsy shop that I will reopen soon). The sale went so well that I decided to get a business license and start selling online. Since I worked full-time on a TV series, online sales were perfect for me to do in my off hours. I have shipped my exclusive designs all over the world and met the most fascinating and wonderful customers along the way.

I have a B.A. in Fine Art and Photography, and I love working with raw materials like leather, wood, stone, and metal. I’ve created unique pieces by metalsmithing as well, and most of my creations are not available anywhere else because I create from my heart and not necessarily because it’s what everyone else is doing. Some of my designs did not become popular until years later.

I have Native American heritage. My mom was Cherokee or Choctaw from Oklahoma. She came out to California during the dustbowl days to pick fruit in the San Joaquin Valley. I grew up going to powwows and appreciating my heritage, even though it was a shameful thing to be Native American decades ago. I guess that's why I’m so drawn to handmade materials, leather work, beading, braiding, and unprocessed materials.

My shop’s focus has been mainly on men’s jewelry, as my designs are usually classic and simple. I entered the online men’s jewelry market when it was a very small niche, and I am happy to continue to see it grow. My designs were written up in Alchemist Magazine in 2015, which was a wonderful honor. I design and create all my products except for the merchandise where my artwork is printed on various items and home goods or when I collaborate with another artisan. I only use high-quality materials.

Favorite items

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

My favorite items tend to be classic designs that stay popular over time or are timeless. My Licorice Leather bracelets for men can be worn with a suit or jeans, and my customers often buy them in all styles and colors once they order one. A number of years ago, my friends called and texted me that they saw Simon Cowell wearing my bracelet on American Idol, which was a great thrill! I’ve also had some bigger design companies copy some of my designs, which wasn’t so thrilling.

My other favorite items are my handmade metal and wooden ebony and rare wood crosses. They are very unique and one-of-a-kind. I used to buy the hand-carved crosses from a guy in Africa who had some men hand-carve them, but the pandemic caused them to go into farming instead. and it has taken me years to find another vendor to work with, and I’m proud to say I now work with an American 82-year-old veteran who makes my hand-carved wooden crosses.

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?

Since Etsy was a brand new platform and the men’s online jewelry niche was so much smaller back in 2011, it didn’t take long. I can’t remember how long it took exactly, but my best guess is that it took a couple of months. I’m a creative visionary, so my focus has never been on selling but rather on creating quality products. I have been a business owner for over 30 years, and the most important things to me for running a successful business are to have unique, high-quality products and provide excellent customer service.

I attract loyal customers who repeatedly buy from me, knowing they can trust my products and can always reach out to me if they have an issue they need to be resolved, and I’m happy to assist them. Today, businesses come a dime a dozen, and many of them have the main focus of "making money" as their first priority, and the quality of their products and their customer service is minimal at best. Those companies may start out big, but once the public realizes they aren’t interested in their customers and making them happy, they will not succeed in the long run. My goal has been to grow slowly and always be able to serve all my customers with the highest level of attention and detail.

Managing SonseraeDesigns

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?

Years ago, sales were good, and I had an assistant helping me with marketing and fulfilling the orders. Unfortunately, right after I was written up in the Alchemist Magazine, I had to pause my shop due to going through a bad divorce. With other challenges like the pandemic and the competitive growth of the online marketplace, my business took a hit. My motto is never quit. Just take a break. Reset. Restore. and during the lockdown, I did a lot of internal work on new markets and sales trends. That work paid off. I’m happy to say it’s thriving again. Right now, I do all the business and shipping fulfillment, and it has been a great side hustle as I am a full-time private art tutor. I do plan on expanding this year and will hire quality assistants to help as demand increases.

The Future of SonseraeDesigns 

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

I’m giving more attention to Sonserae Designs now and creating new jewelry designs and product designs that people love, and I’m working on expanding my market even further. I plan on splitting off my fine art and jewelry designs into two separate Etsy shops.

Advice for new sellers

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

Having spent over 30 years as a business owner, I think it is very important to create a brand for yourself. Come up with a niche market that is unique, includes a great logo, and has really good photos and videos of your products. Carefully package and wrap your products in decorative boxes with professional labels and ribbons. The presentation goes a long way.

It is also very important to have different price points in your Etsy shop. Offer products for $15 and also offer higher-end products for custom orders. Make your products and customer service number one, and the money will follow. It’s better to slowly build a solid company with great products than a company that is all hype with poorly made products and bad customer service. You want to have repeat customers, and you want them to be so happy with your products that they spread the word to their friends and family. You get free marketing that way, too.

Focus on having integrity in your work and service, and you will automatically stand out from the rest. Create a product you can stand behind and that you enjoy making. And don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the process.