Etsy Seller Interview with Jesse of SubtlePrideShop

How SubtlePrideShop 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?

I initially just wanted to create a small side hustle that could put some positivity and fun out into the world while I was doing some freelance projects. I had thought about creating my own T-shirt designs before, but I had no clue how to produce my own merchandise in a practical and economical way until I learned how to work with printing companies. Printing equipment is expensive! Especially if you’re printing on different types of products.

Once I figured out the logistics, I got to work creating mainly designs around inclusivity and visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community. I’m passionate about equality and embracing everyone for who they are, especially these days as I’m becoming more and more alarmed by the political climate and anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric. I thought it was important to create more safe means of self-expression and a way for allies to show solidarity.

Eventually, I realized I had so much more fun working on my shop and was creating a more positive impact with it than my regular freelance work. Being able to communicate directly with so many others from the LGBTQIA+ community has been especially inspiring and rewarding. There are so many brave and wonderful people out there who are doing their best to put love and respect out into the world. So then I decided to start focusing most of my time on Etsy!

Since then, I’ve dabbled in fun and punny rock climbing, literature, and science design work—some of my biggest hobbies and interests. I just love how this type of business allows for so much freedom to transform any of your passions into tangible products that now exist out in the world, making people laugh and be happy.

Favorite items

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

This one means a lot. I’m so angry about how transgender people are being treated in this country and how that treatment is getting worse and worse. It’s reprehensible. This T-shirt has become really popular, and it just makes me happy to know that I can do my small part by providing this piece of pride and visibility to support the community.

This was one of my very first listings and also one of my best sellers. It was my first foray into products that promoted visibility. It made me realize there’s a large appetite in the LGBTQ community to self-express beyond just rainbow-themed apparel. Humans are so beautifully diverse and complicated, so why wouldn’t there be a demand for more specific forms of expression? Duh! I also realized there’s a lot of room to be playful, ironic, and sassy with that expression.

I created this one not long after Asexual meh, and it has also become one of my best sellers. It basically strengthened the realizations that I had with Asexual meh. I chuckled to myself when I created this simple design, calling back to the "E) All of the above" answers in SAT test-taking.

I mentioned earlier that I got into fun climbing apparel. I had a number of climbing products listed before this one. I joked that it’s pointless to list climbing apparel because climbers don’t buy T-shirts from Etsy. But then this shirt caught fire and has become one of the best-selling climbing shirts on Etsy. I have no idea why! I guess a lot of climbers like math. Most of my climbing friends are in IT or nursing.

It took me like 3 hours to perfectly crop all of the flags and fit them together without any gaps. Only a few people have bought it, but it’s still definitely worth it to be able to offer that puzzle to anyone who might want it. All five of you (so far).

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?

It took me around one month to earn my first sale. My first three sales were all in one night, one after the other. Right now, I just rely on Etsy SEO. I barely post on Instagram or any social media, and I haven’t paid for marketing elsewhere. But I’m thinking about hiring someone to do Instagram for me to see if that can be effective marketing.

Managing SubtlePrideShop

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?

Right now it’s only me, but I want to hire someone to work with me soon, once I’ve codified my processes really well. I pay for these tools, and so far I think they’ve all justified the cost: Canva, PlaceIt (mock-ups), and Vela (bulk editing). Those services have made life so much easier.

The future of SubtlePrideShop

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

In terms of performance, I want to make 10,000+ sales in 2023. I made around 6,000 in 2022. I also want to reach a point where managing my shop is as streamlined as possible, so I can spend my time working on designs, coming up with puns, figuring out what resonates with people, and how I can be a better conduit for self-expression.

Advice for new sellers

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

1. If you’re serious about starting on Etsy, buy a how-to course from a successful seller! I think it will be worth $200 or so. I wasted so much time going down rabbit holes, overanalyzing useless indicators, tweaking lots of listings, etc. I wasted so much time going down rabbit holes, overanalyzing useless indicators, tweaking lots of listings, etc. The time I wasted was worth much more than the cost of a course that can just answer and resolve a lot of questions for you early on, and if you buy a course, then you can probably reach out to the course creator with follow-up questions too. They enjoy helping other sellers get started.
2. Stick to your passions. You’ll have more fun that way. I care a lot about civil rights and equality, climbing and staying active, reading, making puns, and cheeky or ironic cultural references, so that’s what I sell. It’s also easier to come up with ideas if you’re passionate about the subject matter. I don’t have anything exclusively related to video games or holidays, for example, even though those are huge niches, because I just don’t care about those!

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: A normal month is around $6,000, which does not factor in the holiday season, which can double or quadruple a normal month.

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: After accounting for Etsy ads, it’s around 25–33%. I’m too chicken to stop running ads to see if it improves.

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: It varies by time of year. Down months can be as low as 2%. The holiday season is closer to 5%. And I’d love to know what other stores’ rates are! I’ve always been curious.