Meet Marci Smith

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marci Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marci, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?

I think when it comes to starting your own business you must be able to take risks. There is just no other way to become successful without taking chances. That being said, I am actually not known as a risk taker. I think my veteran husband helped me overcome this. I have always loved motorcycles, and he was able to get me riding on my own. I did not think it was a huge risk, but there are a lot of people that would not ride a motorcycle. I started doing other things that may be risky, but turned out great. I don’t take crazy risks. I feel you must think over every decision and make the best choices, but they will always have risks.

My story for starting my Etsy business is definitely causing some ongoing risks for me. First, I am 55, and most people won’t change their career at that age! I also had to take a risk with sharing my work and getting over the fear that someone may not like what I make or that it might not sell. I am having to spend a lot of money without sales, and understand that is just the way it goes for the first 1 to 3 years. If you are a realist and don’t let yourself get discouraged, you can go far. I still work a regular job, and I will be taking yet another risk when I leave to do my art full-time. I realize that I must do that to really have the time I need for my business.

I have never been one to give-up easily. I just try to keep the attitude that if it doesn’t work, give it time. If it still doesn’t work, do something else. Try harder, keep going!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Most of my life career has been working with animals as a vet tech/receptionist. I started my Etsy shop in 2024. My startup items have changed. I started with wreaths and realized the market is saturated plus shipping is expensive. Over time, I developed my coastal art niche that I really loved and I feel even if I’m not getting sales in the beginning, I am still proud of my work. After trial and error I now have a good plan. I sell shell and glass coastal art shadow box frames. I have a lot of mermaid designs. I even have mermaid bookmarks and ornaments.
I also started altered clocks. I am keeping my main store coastal, gradually removing wreaths and other non-coastal designs. I really have a passion for Halloween, but realized that mixing it with my coastal designs wasn’t the best idea. I moved them to a separate Halloween store. My focus will be on making a larger inventory for both stores. I am looking forward to a great 2025!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Pride, Research, Don’t give up!

Absolutely, you must have a strong pride in your work and not get discouraged if things don’t sell right away. If you have good products you will sell. Any problems could mean you need to sell elsewhere, improve your social media or ads to be seen, and/or thoroughly research the keywords in your listings. If I would have done more research before I started, I would have saved some time, but as long as you keep going and figure things out, it will work.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

Everyone feels stressed and overwhelmed at times. You must stop and take a break. I like to go outside in nature, and I enjoy meditation using the Headspace ap. Then I get a notebook and start writing ideas about whatever is causing stress and how I can work around it. Or, if I’m overwhelmed due to time crunches, I will have to make a decision: Do I just take a break and then keep working to finish, or do I stop for the day and try again tomorrow? Neither is a bad decision, you just have to know what works for you.

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