We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sam Tully. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sam below.
Hi Sam, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?
Watching my parents struggle as a child really shaped who I am today. The financial issues we experienced and the tenacity my mom had to always make do with any situation we were handed. She taught me the value of practicality and what it meant to work hard for successes. As I grew up, I believed that being a practical person was the only way to survive. My childhood was filled with the pragmatic lessons of life- to always be prepared for the other shoe to drop, to financially plan for my future, and that anything beyond necessity was luxury. I think having that mentality taught me that in order to move forward, the grind was part of it. Working hard and taking nothing for-granted would serve me well. The discipline comes from wanting to make both of my parents proud of everything I’ve done and to prove to myself that no failure is too large for me to overcome and start again. As long as I’m breathing, I can be working towards something greater for myself.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a small business that is very active in the maker’s community in the Raleigh Durham area, participating in events such as markets and pop-up shows. I also have a website for my online customers, so that I can reach a wider population of witches. My hope is that Little Shop of Magick can provide a renewed connection to oneself, nature, and the witch within. My products are meant to inspire the magick inside us; whether it’s something you wear, drink, or light, there’s something for everyone. I wanted to create something inclusive for all that want to tap into their whimsical spirit. It’s super fun when I know my customers are buying a product that aligns with their values because that usually means it aligns with my values too! The collaboration of believing in self-expression and valuing your spirituality allows many of my customers to connect with me organically, creating a community.
My work consists of all things for the modern witch! I offer many products that fall into the realm of apothecary as well as beauty. I create zodiac herbal blends with herbs dried from my organic garden that can be sipped in tea, smoked loose or rolled, or placed in the bath! My best sellers are my soy wax wood wick candles adorned with herbs and charged crystals. I also specialize in herbal-infused essential oil rollers, consisting of feminine and masculine scents, as well as aromatherapy blends for morning & evening, and even an all natural bug repellent! I have matching vegan body butters that can be paired with the roller scents for an added touch of magick or as a stand alone self care item. I make deodorants and lip balms for sensitive skin, and sun screen bars for skin protection! All of my products are vegan and chemical free, and stored in glass containers to reduce any plastic use to prioritize sustainability. Outside of herbal products, I use polymer clay to create witchy and nature-inspired jewelry. Pieces that are bold and eccentric for witches to wear and feel connected to their spirituality.
I am available in brick mortars throughout NC geared towards marketing small business owners and their products. Little Shop of Magick can be found in The Crabtree Mall inside Curate in Raleigh, a breathtaking bookstore called Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, and The Wander CO. in Little Washington right by the water!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Time Management, Social Media, & Quality Products.
Time Management is something that I’ll always have a love hate relationship with, but it’s a very large part of business growth. Having a planner is essential! I always track my weekly tasks there so I can see a written plan that I can follow with ease. As makers, we want to spend all of our time making endless products and zero time curating our social medias, marketing ourselves, or realizing that our time is money! When I first started out I really undercut myself and priced all of my items really low even though I was dedicating a lot of hours to the work product. Never forget to account for not only your expenses, but your time into your prices. Even if something cost you $25 to make, it may take you 5 hours, which should greatly increase what you charge. You ARE worth it! Your time IS valuable!
Social Media is important as much as most makers try to avoid it. It’s vital to have a space online where like-minded people can find you and purchase from you even if they aren’t local to where you are. I cringe when I look back on some of my first few posts because they were SO bad, but practice practice practice! I used to spend a lot of hours curating reels and editing photos, and now I just take a video of myself and post it with maybe 10 minutes of my day given up. Over time it becomes a lot easier and free flowing to treat your social media platforms like you are talking to your close friends. You can do it!
Quality Products are essential. If you plan to raise your prices, make sure you can justify why. Are you making all vegan products or using all glass containers to reduce plastic waste? Well, that is going to cause for a price change because you are offering a quality product! Quality over quantity is something I can’t stress enough. I am a one person business owner, so mass producing products isn’t an option for me. But what I can do is create small batches of products that have heavily researched ingredients and a trusted source, me! Focus on filling a need in the community that you haven’t seen done before in the way you’ve envisioned it.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’d absolutely love to collaborate with any other makers who feel aligned with what I offer in my shop! I’ve always loved the idea of collaborating with a potter who makes nature themed tea cups, that would go perfectly with my herbal blends that can be brewed into tea. I’ve also toyed with the idea of body care baskets with other small businesses that could add to what I already have. I haven’t explored the soap or bath bomb market, because there are already so many makers perfecting this, and I’d like to be more focused on products that are made with dried herbs and essential oils, more natural and witchy. But a self care basket with my candles, lotion, and essential oil roller, would pair so well with any other bath or home care items. Something that both our businesses could offer around the holiday season for the perfect gift!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://littleshopofmagick.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilshopofmagick/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lilshopofmagick/
Image Credits
Ashleigh Bri Photography
