We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jalyn “Sun” Vaughn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jalyn “Sun” below.

Jalyn “Sun”, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?

With my business being born during Covid; a time where we weren’t able to meet and greet at pop-ups and festivals, my online customers and followers on social media are the foundation of this shop. Many of my customers are people I have never met in person, but have such deep and important friendships with. I am actively communicating via social media with many of these people on a daily basis–we are “tapped in” with each other. One day, I noticed a pretty sad post from one of my “day one” customers. I reached out with support and love, we exchanged a few messages, but that was basically it. The next day or so, they were on my mind again. I remember thinking about how kind and supportive they’d been to me when they first discovered the shop. I empathized so much with what they were going through, and I wished I could maybe help–wished I could support them somehow. Then it dawned on me–I had their address! :) I put together a package of all of their Sunflower and Stone faves, and also included a cute mug with turtles all over it (this customer=obsessed with turtles lol). I also included some crystals specific to the situation they were healing through. That was maybe a year and a half ago, and that customer still shares with me how “important” and “special” they felt by it.

Jalyn “Sun”, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always loved aromatherapy and all things self-care. I also have always hated allergic reactions and breakouts when trying out new skincare products. That said, I have been making my own products for so long–like well over 15 years! Even with that being the case, it wasn’t something I set out to do “for a living” or provide for others initially. During the pandemic, just like everyone else, I started having a little trouble finding some of my favorites online as things were selling out, shops were closing etc. One of the things I could not get my hands on was my favorite incense. It was at that time I enrolled in Youtube University and taught myself!! Since I was already making essential oil blends for my skincare products, it was easy to transition the blends into yummy home smells. Sunflower and Stone was officially born a short time after and the incense blends were a very important part of the roster!

It’s no secret that the beauty and wellness space can tend to make some of us feel overlooked and/or underrepresented. So many feel ignored. Alot feel unseen; unimportant. There are so many who feel they cannot afford to treat themselves to quality products–or even worse; they feel it’s not “for” them. I believe everyone deserves to feel pampered and cherished. Quality products and self-care experiences should be accessible to all, regardless of budget or background. So, I decided to open this shop with the intention of not only helping others feel seen and important, but also ensuring access to the wonderful world of beauty and wellness that they absolutely deserve.

Self-love and therefore self-care knows no boundaries! Being able to provide a personal, individualized experience for those who find their way to my shop is truly an honor.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A pretty significant lesson I had to unlearn in my journey revolved around the boundaries between my personal life and my professional mission. I would often question what was okay to share and discuss. What’s relatable? What’s relevant? What is simply TMI? I remember the day I realized I would need to have a social media page for my new shop. I was so excited to have an online presence to discuss and market my business all from the comfort of my home! However, I quickly realized I only had the capacity to maintain one social media profile. This is where the questioning of what to post, how much to post and how to post became such a huge “thing”.

I went through many different stages while trying to find my online identity. Eventually, I started to notice a trend with what types of content would receive what type of response. The message was clear and I realized the power in sharing my authentic self. I came to understand that my personal experiences, struggles, and triumphs were not just about me—they were about visibility and representation. Resisting the urge to overthink, and choosing instead to simply show up and share has helped this business grow and has connected me with so many wonderful people.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Authenticity is my whole story on social media. Nothing else I have ever tried has worked as much as this. My advice for anyone looking to build a social media presence is to be yourself. Anyone who comes to your profile is there for you–make sure that’s what they find!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sunflowerandstone.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflowerandstone