Savage Earth & Lace
Savage Earth Under Our Feet, Lace as Fine as Love
This week, Nicki and I decided would be a good time to talk about our very own Etsy businesses and tell you all about them! We love featuring other people, but we thought it would be good to give our readers a deeper look into what our stores are about. You heard from Nicki on Monday and her fabulous store called The Faint of Heart, so now I'm going to be telling you all about my business
Savage Earth & Lace
Savage Earth & Lace definitely had it's humble start back in July of 2014 (and it is still a pretty humble business to this day, which is totally fine by me because it is so young). I had just recently gotten married to the love of my life in June and then moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and amidst trying to get acquainted with the city and my new home, I actually found myself itching to be creative and often bored. If you haven't read my bio, I am an actor by trade, so I have a hugely creative side that I was dying to let out! I had just gotten a job in the city, but I had so much free time on my hands at the same time, so I started crafting away any chance I could. My husband and I decided to start by making signs and home furniture/accessories. He was really great at making chandeliers, tables, and anything that had to do with woodworking, and I was better with a paintbrush. Still, after a couple of weeks, I decided to start veering towards a different path, which was dreamcatchers & headbands & accessories.Of course, I still love making signs and will do so if asked and Danny loves to build furniture, but my store consists mainly of boho inspired headbands for all seasons, dreamcatchers, and most recently, flower crowns.
Something I really love to do is make custom designs for customers! I've had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with some amazing customers who have given me inspiration on colors, style, and more, to help create beautiful, handmade pieces that are what they pictured or better. I consider creating real, long lasting relationships with people of all races, genders, backgrounds, and religions, and spreading joy as part of my personal mission statement as a human, and this whole Etsy business has given me the courage and the opportunity to do so.
Of course, having an Etsy business is not as easy at it seems. There are a ton of technical and business things you have to factor in and it takes a lot of time and patience to do so. I'm not a very patient person by nature, so this whole process has been a really great learning lesson for me. I have a really great work ethic, but sometimes I want things to happen at a really fast pace and not have to wait so long for things to go right. Also, since I'm more creative and artistic, I haven't always been the best at the business sides of life. But good things don't happen over night; "Rome wasn't built in a day", and if you're not careful and don't think realistically about the business, discouragement can easily sneak in and destroy what you've worked so hard on. Sure, it's great and absolutely necessary to have dreams, but it's also good to think about logisitics and the reality of having a business.
Having a side business has taught me that it takes a ton of hard work to maintain your store and to keep your customers happy, while also making your profit to continue creating for your store. If you're not being smart, it's easy to get sloppy and one bad review can literally effect your entire ratings on your site. You have to be sure you're always friendly and on top of your game when adversity strikes! I've been fortunate enough to have only worked with really awesome, genuine, and loving people who seem to also want to spread joy around the world and who have lifted my little store up. I've gained a whole new respect and perspective for both artists and business owners, because it is certainly not easy to make everyone happy while still maintaining what you believe in!
"Stay Magical". This is the phrase I put on all of my thank you cards & packaging, and for a while, I wasn't sure that it was what I wanted to say on there. I've had the idea since I first started, but I hesitated because I know that perhaps many people would be somewhat offended by this phrase. It took me a while to stamp this on my products, but eventually, I decided that it was going to be my "mark" on things. Instead of thinking the phrase as a sort of "pagan" or "new age" thing, I want people to dig deeper and find that there is "magic" inside all of us, no matter what religion or belief we are. This saying isn't meant to pass on some sort of "mystical" spell, but really, it means that we are all unique and special, and to never forget who we really are and who God has intended us to be. We all have magic inside of us that makes us special in this world, and sometimes it's hard to remember that, especially when we face troubling times. Stay Magical is merely a passing of goodwill and an encouragement to remember that God has made us all unique in his image.
So, what're the plans for Savage Earth & Lace?
SE&L has a long, long road ahead of it. I have a lot of big ideas and dreams that I hope to make come true, but I understand that there is a long journey ahead in order to get to those dreams. There's a lot of hard work that has to be done and a lot of determination in order to stay creative, humble, hungry, and kind. Right now, my goal is to just keep building my inventory and also, stay focused on what I'm best at; I often get so many cool ideas that I want to do and put in my store, but the reality is that I really need to hone in what I do now and build up my inventory first. When I've built that up and refined what I do, then I can start adding more and more ideas that revolve around my brand.
My customers are my number one priority. I'm trying to meet their needs while also being true to my bohemian, fun, and wild child aesthetic. I think a lot of people forget their inner free spirit, especially as we grow older and more responsibilities pile up on our shoulders. My hope for SE&L is to remind people that it's okay to be a little bit quirky, to find their inner wild/flower child and still be an adult. Establishing real relationships is what I'm all about.
Like I've said, my store is still incredibly young and new. I've got a long journey of learning ahead. I'm excited for the adventures that await my little store and I, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to spread love and joy all across the world to people I may never meet in person. That's my true calling, and Savage Earth & Lace has helped me to begin fulfilling that dream.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be trouble, neither let them be afraid.
--John 14:27
FACEBOOK Savage Earth & Lace
INSTAGRAM savageearth.lace
Thanks for reading! Stay Magical,
Sam
