Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewelry and accessories but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Isabella Hall, Co-Founder of The Stillness Speaks Co., located in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Stillness Speaks co. is a small business creating and curating pieces to bring stillness, tranquility, and inner peace into your life. We are a mother-daughter team who, together, have joined our creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to create Stillness Speaks co.
We started this journey in February 2021, officially launching in April 2021, with the goal of spreading the message of living in the present. We sell crystals, handmade catchalls, and candles to spark a reminder to be still. We want others to understand that bringing stillness into their lives will help with feeling more content, less anxious, and more at ease with life. We feel our products can be a reminder of that. We are continually adding to our services, and soon we will provide reiki healing services as my mom has been certified.
We have created a community of like-minded individuals, either who have found or are looking for peace in their lives through living in the now. We are so lucky to have connected with a plethora of people over the last year who we have learned so much, and hopefully, them from us as well.
Tell us about yourself
We are a mother-daughter team that began this specific journey in April 2021. Of course, our journey together started the day I was born. We are so grateful to be doing this together. I graduated with a degree in Industrial Design and Entrepreneurship, but from a very young age, I knew I wanted to use my creativity. I always had pencil crayons and paints in my hands, and creativity seemed to pour out of me. I now realize it's in all of us and comes from someplace way beyond this form. It comes from our inner being. My mom is now a retired teacher, but looking back, she had this creativity and spirituality that was continuous in all the stages of her life. Reading "New Age/ Self Help" books, as they were called, was and still is a passion. She always has a book in hand. All of that has brought us to this point. Eckhart Tolle, our greatest spiritual teacher (his books have been some of the most life-changing for us), is who inspired our business goal and our name as it comes from one of his books. With my mom's desire to get people in her life to be more in the present moment and my urge to use my love of creating, we began this small company called Stillness Speaks co. We started with handmade clay catchalls and incense holders, and crystal bead cell phone charms for International Women's Day and haven't looked back! We sell catchalls, crystals, candles, and jewelry, and there is so much more ahead of us.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I think our biggest accomplishment is the collaboration we have together and the patience we have as we move further along this journey. Our greatest gift is not feeling we have to get to a certain point. We feel that the process of beginning a small business is more important than an end goal. We don't rush things and are learning every day.
We are also so proud of the fact we've been able to donate over $1000 thus far to various efforts (such as Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, YACC, Nellie's Toronto, and the Covenant House Toronto). We knew that we wanted to continuously give back however we could through the Stillness Speaks Co. and do whatever we could to help the world community. As we grow, we hope to contribute more and more.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing for me is wanting to spend more time creating with clay, learning more about different healing practices, and trying to market our business but working a full-time job makes for less time to do all the things I would love to be doing. But on a daily, we continually discuss our future plans in terms of local markets and how we can get our brand out there more. I still live at home, so we are always collaborating.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
The most important tip, first and foremost, is to live in the present and not cloud your thoughts with worry and negativity. We truly believe in living fully in the now and don't put pressure on ourselves to think we should be doing more or selling more. Our faith in our journey allows us to accept things as they are and our greatest lesson in life is, as Eckhart Tolle would say, "accept everything as you have chosen it "so we don't stress. Another tip is to create a brand that you truly believe in and can serve others in some way. We believe in trying to bring joy into people's lives and hope our products do that. Our business name is our brand. Stillness truly is where joy comes from. And one last tip, learn from other business owners. We love going to markets not only so that we can connect to people and talk about our brand but we get to share ideas and learn from other small business owners. We are lifelong learners, so we do love learning from other people.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
We hope we are pointers of consciousness in some small way to our community. We share a lot of beautiful quotes and gentle reminders about living in the now on our Instagram and hope that our products are reminders of stillness. The true Beings that we are only can be felt when your mind is still.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/stillnessspeaksco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestillnessspeaksco
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestillnessspeaks/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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