We’re looking forward to introducing you to Dana Cooper. Check out our conversation below.
Dana, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Lately I’ve felt called to create, to explore new mediums, and to share my voice in new ways. It’s hard to put into words exactly what I’ve been feeling because it’s still taking shape, but maybe the best way to sum it up is that I feel called to embrace more flexibility in how I see myself and the work I’m meant to do in the world. While I’m still very much committed to and enthusiastic about my shop, Ritualist, I’ve found more space lately to revisit some of my other interests and passions, and I’ve been reminded that it’s ok — and healthy, even — to be multi-faceted!
When you run a small business, especially if it’s a solo venture, it can be easy to let it swallow you up. There are times when it feels like the business demands every ounce of your time and energy, and it’s hard to make room for anything else. Now that I’m four and a half years into running a brick & mortar shop, a lot of the everyday tasks and responsibilities have become second nature — things that used to take me all day are now more streamlined and can be done in less time (or in some cases, they’ve been outsourced: shoutout to having an amazing accounting team to navigate tax laws so I don’t have to, and massive help from my mom, who recently retired and has been running the shop for me two days a week!) Those changes have brought me a newfound sense of freedom, not only because I have more time away from work, but also because I’ve been able to free up space in my brain for other things to take root. It’s amazing what comes to the surface as soon as you create space for it!
Over the past couple of years, I think I also fell into the trap of believing that everything I put energy into had to be directly related to my shop. Now I see that everything I create — whether it’s for the shop or not — is inherently connected, because it’s coming from me and my unique point of view. When I pour my time and energy into a creative project, it ultimately benefits my business because it allows me to exercise my creative muscles and tap into parts of myself that maybe don’t get prioritized in my role as a small business owner. I think I’ve been a little afraid to dive into too many passion projects in the past — thinking that they might take me away from Ritualist — but now I feel confident that embracing all of my interests and following the sparks of inspiration as they come will positively impact all aspects of my life. I’m excited to revisit some projects that I’ve had on the back burner, try new things, and see where it takes me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dana, and I run a modern witch shop and plant shop called Ritualist. It started as an online shop in 2020 and expanded to a brick & mortar space in New Paltz, NY in the spring of 2021. In addition to selling a wide variety of houseplants and plant accessories, we carry tools for healing, self-reflection, and ritual — from tarot decks and altar candles to herbal tinctures and crystals — with a focus on small batch and hand-crafted goods from small, independent brands and makers.
My goal with Ritualist has always been to create a community space that feels supportive, inclusive, and welcoming. It’s important to me that our offerings feel thoughtfully curated and that the brands we stock have values that align with my own — which means thinking about things like sustainability, inclusivity, and equity every step of the way. While we aim to offer a variety of goods, our inventory stays relatively small and is always intentional, and I think that’s something that sets us apart from other shops in the spiritual or metaphysical space. I would say that there’s something here for everyone — from a wide variety of decks with different styles and aesthetics to books on everything from astrology and herbalism to fostering creativity — but our selection isn’t so large that it feels overwhelming or disjointed. I also want folks of all backgrounds and experience levels to feel at home here, which is why I keep copies of all of our tarot and oracle decks open for customers to interact with and put labels on all of our houseplants with care instructions and other important information.
Ritualist is more than just a retail shop, too: we also host events! We’ve been hosting bi-monthly aura photo pop-ups since we opened in 2021, and have also had tattoo pop-ups, book launch parties, one-on-one tarot readings, and various classes in the shop.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I credit my previous career as a music publicist for helping me unlock a certain degree of personal power and confidence that I still call upon today. When I first started out as an intern in the music industry, I was freshly out of college, new to living on my own in NYC, and still figuring out who I was and what I wanted. As an inexperienced intern — and then as a brand new hire — I was given a lot of responsibility and encouraged to advocate for myself from day one: basically, I learned to fake it ’til you make it! While it wasn’t the most gentle way to ease into a new career, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to develop confidence quickly. The more I practiced standing behind my work — even when faced with intense self-doubt — the easier it got.
Being a publicist and working one-on-one with clients was like a masterclass in operating with self-trust: I learned to navigate all kinds of challenges, communicate with authority, and stand up for my skills and hard work when necessary. A few years into my career, I launched my own PR company, and that made it even more necessary for me to present myself with confidence and stand in my power. The imposter syndrome never fully went away, but looking back, I’m really proud of how far I was willing to push myself for my dreams — I was extremely shy and quiet as a kid, so choosing a career that forced me to lead meetings, make important decisions, and work closely with some high-powered (and sometimes opinionated!) people feels like a big deal. I’m grateful that my experiences my first career helped strengthen my sense of independence, resolve, and trust in myself.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
More than anything, I think perfectionism and fear of failure have held me back from pursuing certain things or seeing specific projects through. I regularly find myself struck with the excitement and motivation to start a new endeavor, launch a new offering, or explore a new interest, but worrying about how it will turn out — and specifically, that it won’t be good enough — is the quickest way to squash that spark of inspiration. I can see why perfectionists like myself struggle to get things off the ground, because there are so many opportunities along the way to psych yourself out!
Lately I’ve been trying to remember that when it comes to the creative projects that I’ve felt called to pursue, I can work at my own pace, make mistakes, pivot as needed, and allow the process to be as messy as it needs to be. No one else needs to know what’s going on behind the scenes, and I don’t have to share my work publicly until I’m ready. That takes some of the pressure off, but it’s still an ongoing challenge to quiet the ever-present voices of self-doubt. I think that’s something that most people struggle with — and I hate to think about all of the incredible work that never gets made due to fear of failure, so I’m actively trying to fight my own inner critic.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I think the people who know me best would say that chasing my dreams is one of the things that matters most to me in life, and they’d be right! One of my closest friends once said that he was impressed by my willingness to always take risks, and that really stuck with me. I’ve never thought of myself as much of a risk-taker, but I also can’t deny that I’ve stepped outside of my comfort zone quite a bit — leaving jobs, starting my own company, moving, etc — in the pursuit of various dreams. It stems not from a desire to live on the edge or constantly shake things up, but from a refusal to settle.
I actually find it really comforting that pursuing my dreams and goals is of such high importance to me, because it means that I’ll keep going after what I want in life (which, of course, may change over time.)
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
I think there are a lot of instances where I’ve tried to shrink myself or keep myself small, when really, I want to share more of myself. I’m sure it stems from the deeply-ingrained fears that most of us hold: fear of not being good enough, fear of being perceived a certain way, fear of not being accepted or liked. Sharing your voice and your ideas is a really vulnerable thing — and inevitably, there will always be some people who don’t get what you’re trying to convey or who don’t resonate with it — so it’s sometimes easier to just not put yourself out there in the first place. But I know that there are things inside of me that are ready to be shared, or at least ready to be explored, so it’s a goal of mine to push past those fears and take the risk of sharing myself in new ways — primarily through writing and some other creative passion projects that I’ve been wanting to pursue.
I’ve become really comfortable in my role as a business owner — which is a very public-facing role when you own a retail business — so that’s my current comfort zone. As tempting as it is to stay in that comfortable, familiar space and stick to my day-to-day routine of running the shop, I want to honor some other forms of creativity that are ready to be expressed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ritualistshop.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ritualist_shop
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
