We were lucky to catch up with Acacia Rayford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Acacia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I love being a business owner. It has allowed me to learn and grow in ways I never would have imagined. Before owning my own businesses, I worked in retail for about 12 years. It definitely taught me a lot about running my own business but I also felt very lost and unhappy. I wanted to be able to be there for my kids more and overall enjoy life. So I haven’t thought about what it would be like to have a regular job in a long time and I hope to never have to because I love getting to pursue my dreams.

Acacia, 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?

At Hey Rosie Creations I sell handmade stickers, stationery, accessories, and home decor. At Hey Rosie Creations creativity comes to life and mental health is celebrated. Within everything I create, I try and make sure that it has a connection with mental health awareness. Maybe not in some of the most obvious ways at times but for me stationery has helped my own mental health journey in so many ways and I want to be able to connect with others in the same way. Having an organized day, week, and month can really help lessen some of my anxiety because I know what is to come, and allows me to plan for it.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I am a strong believer that the most authentic you show up as the more people will connect with you. I try to be honest about my process and journey as I navigate being a small business owner. It is definitely not always easy. Social media actually gives me a lot of anxiety because there is always that weird fear in the back of my mind that I won’t make the kind of connections that I want. But I just try and remind myself that the right people will come and support me.

My advice to those who are starting to build their social media presence is to just be you and to stay true to your brand. Make it easy for people to look at your social media and know that it’s you.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

I currently sell on my own website heyrosiecreations.com. As well as Etsy, Faire, and in-person at local stores and markets. I have a background in web design so I loved creating a website for my brand and see the power in having your own website to further your brand’s reach. I started selling on Etsy first and I personally have a love-hate relationship with Etsy but I do believe that it is a great platform for those who are just getting started and can utilize the extra forms of support that they can provide. I saw if you can get your brand out there in as many ways as you can!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heyrosiecreations.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/heyrosiecreations
• Facebook: facebook.com/heyrosiecreations

Image Credits
Denise & Rafi- @shopclickbloom Taylor- @taylorgraytakesphotos