Meet Chyanne Smith

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

Chyanne, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

There is no way to discuss my resilience without discussing my relationship with my parents. I love my parents, but we have always had a complicated relationship. I have always wanted to do things my way, and they wanted me to do things their way. When I was a child, I did do things their way, and a lot of this is what led to me being resilient. If I started something, I had to finish it. They made sure that even if I got knocked down, I kept going. When I got older, I became more independent and started doing things my own way, which led to me being kicked out at 17. Because of this, I had to grow up quickly and I faced a lot of instability. Though this wasn’t an ideal situation, it made me resilient as well. I worked hard and saved up money. At 21 I was able to purchase my own home and give myself stability. Another large part of my resilience comes from losing one of my best friends. When I was 18, my friend Christopher died unexpectedly in an accident. I actually learned a lot from his passing. It might be morbid, but when I face something that is difficult now, I know I can get through it because I have gotten through something much worse. His passing also taught me that life is short. So, I need to go after what I want in life and really enjoy it. Now, I do what I can to find happiness in life. I still think about him everyday even though that was 14 years ago. I carry him with me and he definitely contributed to my resilience and my success.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I started my own business this year, Haunting Beauty. Honestly, the business started out of necessity. I needed to find a way to be able to take care of my toddler during the day but still bring income to the family. I work part-time as a professor, but that wasn’t cutting it. The business idea and name came to me as a 3 AM thought. I couldn’t sleep and it just kind of struck me. When my husband woke up around 6 AM, I got up and told him all about my idea. I had done insect taxidermy on and off for about 10 years as a hobby. I kept the pieces for myself or gave them as gifts, but never tried to sell them. I also had the idea to sell witchy bath products. What did these two things have in common? Beauty. One is a product to make you feel beautiful and the other is something beautiful to look at. My husband was on board, so the very next day I started the paperwork. I got my business up and running and within one month I had my first show. It was the yART Sale in Ogden, UT. The community and organizer were so amazing. I did better than I had expected, so it emboldened me to do more. From the conception of my business in June, to the end of 2024, I have participated in 13 events. I love going to events, and talking to people about my art and products. It is a lot of hard work, but it’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates what you have made. I also love meeting other vendors, making friends, and becoming part of a community. Over the past 6 months, my business has evolved and I’m sure it will continue to evolve over its lifetime. I am now moving towards incorporating more oddities and antiques into the business. I love all things spooky or strange, I see their beauty, and I want to share it with others.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Confidence – I think you have to have confidence in yourself to start anything. Trust in yourself and that you have the ability to complete what you set out to do.
2. Work ethic – Even if you aren’t that confident in yourself, if you are willing to put in the work for what needs to be done, you can go far. Running your own business is a lot of work. Not only are you creating your product, but you are marketing, setting up the shop, and being the sales person.
3. Failure – You have to be willing to fail. You’re going to fail in life, you have to know how to bounce back. I did one show where I made like $30. But I learned from that failure and moved on. So, don’t dwell on those failures or quit, learn from it for the next time.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

I think that my biggest area of growth has been my social skills. I have anxiety and it’s something I’ve struggled with my entire life. About 4 years ago, I finally got on medication for it and that was a game changer for me. But the past year, going to shows and talking to complete strangers all day, has really helped to get me out of my shell even more. Sometimes I still have interactions that I feel I’m being awkward in or I feel a bit anxious about. But it’s nothing like it used to be.

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