Today we’d like to introduce you to Dana Cooper

Hi Dana, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.

Ritualist began as an online shop in the spring of 2020: I was living in Brooklyn at the time and I knew that I wanted to open a storefront in my hometown in upstate NY, but I figured that starting online would be the best way to satisfy my desire to launch a retail business before I officially made the move back up north. I’m really glad that I began online, because it gave me the opportunity to dip my toe into the world of shop ownership and start building an audience without having the added stress of managing a physical space and a large inventory! I used Instagram and a newsletter to connect with folks online, and I shipped orders out of my home for the first year. Our limited inventory was primarily made up of herbal tinctures, tarot decks, candles, and crystals, with a focus on small, independent brands and makers.

I ended up moving back to my hometown of New Paltz, NY in the summer of 2020 and I found Ritualist’s first storefront at the end of that year. After taking some time to fix up the space and expand our inventory, I opened Ritualist’s brick & mortar in April 2021. We had an amazing first year in that space — the shop was an incredible way for me to connect with the local community and test out the waters with different types of events and offerings. Having a physical space also meant that I got to bring in a product category that I’d been dying to offer: houseplants!

In the spring of 2022, Ritualist moved to a larger, more centrally-located space in New Paltz, which allowed us to expand our offerings even more. The added square footage meant that we could stock more brands, expand into new product categories, and offer a larger variety of houseplants. Ritualist evolved into more of a full-service plant shop while continuing to sell goods for ritual and healing.

We’re now three years into having a physical storefront, and in that time we’ve stocked products from well over 50 independent brands, sold countless species of houseplants, and hosted aura photo pop-ups, tarot readings, book signings, and both in-person & virtual classes. Most importantly, I’ve made meaningful connections with so many customers and community members, and I’m proud to say that Ritualist has become a safe and supportive haven for so many people.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

There are so many ups and downs in business ownership, and I think that as a business owner, you really have to accept how many factors are out of your control. No matter how hard you work to get your name out there, promote special offerings, plan ahead, and anticipate your customers’ needs, there will always be speed bumps along the way. A perfect example of a factor outside of my control: it rained in our town nearly every Saturday for most of the spring, summer, and fall of 2023, which meant way less foot traffic! It’s hard to feel like the odds are against you, but all you can do is keep your head up and keep on going.

I would say my biggest struggle right now is navigating the inevitable burnout that comes with being a solo business owner: we have a finite amount of time and energy, and small businesses demand so much of it. In addition to being at the shop five days a week and juggling everything from updating inventory to watering plants to helping customers, I’m also solely responsible for creating marketing materials, placing orders with my vendors, coordinating with event hosts, and staying ahead of seasonal offerings. Lately I’ve been trying to focus a bit more on my life outside of the shop to regain a little more balance, but taking extra time off comes at the expense of sales and being there for your customers. I think it’s a dance that all business owners struggle with, and we’re all just trying to do our best!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ritualist?

The sign outside of our storefront says “a modern witch shop & houseplant paradise,” and I think that sums up Ritualist pretty well! We carry tools for ritual, healing, and magic-making — including herbal tinctures, tarot and oracle decks, eco-friendly incense, soy & beeswax candles, and sustainably-sourced crystals — along with a large selection of houseplants and plant accessories.

My goal has always been to make sure that the shop feels welcoming and accessible to all, which means that I’m always happy to answer questions and encourage exploration. We have floor copies of all of our tarot and oracle decks available for people to interact with, signage about herbal tinctures and what they’re used for, and care instructions printed out for every plant that we sell, all in an effort to help customers feel informed and empowered. I always love chatting with people who are new to the world of plants or witchery, and it’s extra exciting when someone walks out with their first-ever tarot deck or houseplant!

We also host community events at the shop, and I feel like we’re really hitting our stride in balancing the retail side of things and the community connection aspect this year. We recently offered our first series of virtual classes, expanded our in-person offerings to include some new unique events (like tattoo pop-ups and book release parties), and set up an ongoing residency with our favorite local tarot reader. One of our most popular events is our ongoing series of aura photo pop-ups with Twelve Month Aura, which we’ve been hosting since we first opened!

In addition to serving as both a retail shop and an event space, another thing that I think sets Ritualist apart is that we’ve been a values-based business from day one, ensuring that things like sustainability, inclusivity, and equity drive all of our decisions. In sourcing goods for the shop, I’m always considering where ingredients come from, how they’re sourced, and how transparent the brands & companies we work with are about their own labor practices. We also have a practice of giving back by allocating 5% of our monthly profits to different organizations and collectives that do important work to support marginalized communities.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?

New Paltz is such a unique town, and I’m proud to have Ritualist be a part of its landscape. I love that we have a diverse mix of folks in town at any given time — between longtime locals, college students, and visitors from all over — and that there’s such a supportive local community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ritualistshop.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ritualist_shop
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ritualistshop

Image Credits

Bridget Badore
(only for the two photos with bridgetbadore in file names)