We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cassie Jacobs. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cassie below.

Cassie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

I take vacations – who doesn’t love a good break? My fam and I, we’re a little squad of 5, make it a priority to go on vacay together at least once a year. And then my hubby and I also take our own getaway. But I admit, it’s not always easy when you’re running two businesses. It can feel like a lot to handle and sometimes intimidating to take that time off. To help keep things in control we try to plan ahead, get ahead of our work before we leave and then bring our laptops so we can do a bit of work each day to stay on top of things.

To be honest, I think taking breaks is crucial. It’s the thing I look forward to all year and helps me stay motivated when I start to feel a little burnt out. My advice is to schedule your vacay in advance so you can let your clients and customers know you’ll be out of office and how it’ll affect your work.

Our two businesses are pretty different, so we have different approaches for each. For our handmade shop, we make an announcement on social media about a week before we go on vacay, giving our customers a heads up on when we’re leaving, when we’ll be back, and the last day for ordering before we go. And for our marketing agency, we have a customer email list where we send out a note to let everyone know when we’ll be gone and to plan accordingly if they have upcoming projects that’ll need to be started or completed during that time.

Cassie, 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’m a 38 year old eclectic pagan witch with a passion for design! I’ve been working in graphic design for over 20 years, and it’s given me a great eye for detail and a deep appreciation for quality craftsmanship.

As someone with ADHD, I’ve always found it easy to switch gears and explore new interests, and that’s been a huge asset in my witchy biz. Instead of getting stuck in one product or idea, I’m constantly inspired to create new things and keep my work fresh.

That’s actually how my business, Salem Supply Co., got started. I was frustrated with the lack of high-quality tools available for my craft, so I started making my own. From there, I began creating all sorts of products, from t-shirts to pendulum boards to my newest creation – lighted crystal shelves. I’m always dreaming up new ideas.

One of my passions is showcasing other small handcrafted witchy businesses, which is why I started Shadow and Light, a small publication, last winter. It’s a self-funded labor of love where I recruit witches with a variety of interests and backgrounds to write articles inspired by the season. I’ve been blown away by the support of the community and it’s an honor to give back to my fellow witchy business owners and educate our community.

What sets me apart from others is my commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. I care deeply about providing only the best quality products to my customers. I want to ensure that they are ecstatic about their purchase and that the tools they receive feel right to them and their practice. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve my fellow witches and provide them with products that will last for years to come.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I am a huge fan of Etsy! I know that some people have a negative opinion of the platform, but it has been absolutely great for my business. When I first started selling on Etsy, I didn’t have much success, but I knew that I wanted to keep trying because of the platform’s potential.

After putting in the time to really understand how Etsy SEO works, I gave it another go and haven’t looked back since. Now, after 2 years of selling on Etsy, I love it. I think a lot of the issues people complain about on the platform are actually not that big of a deal if you take the time to understand them.

For example, the fees did go up last year, but it wasn’t a huge increase. To cover it, I just did a 2% price increase on all my items, and my sales were not impacted at all. And when postage rates increased, I stopped offering free shipping on orders under $35, and it didn’t hurt my sales either.

What makes Etsy really worth the fees, in my opinion, is the marketing. Etsy is a well-known platform and they advertise extensively. They know how to bring customers to their site and they do it well. So, I have access to a huge customer base that is already looking for the things that I make. This means that I don’t have to spend as much time or money on marketing my business, which is a big plus for me.

That said, Etsy is a competitive marketplace, and you need to put in effort to make yourself stand out. If you don’t take the time to learn how Etsy SEO works or invest in your business by getting the equipment you need to take good photos, you may not see the results you’re hoping for on the platform. Overall, I think Etsy is a fantastic platform, but you need to be willing to work to make it work for you!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think what has really helped build my reputation is my dedication to quality and passion for what I do. I put a lot of time and energy into each product I make, ensuring that it’s well-crafted and of the highest quality.

I also believe that great customer service is key. I am dedicated to making sure that everyone who purchases from me is happy with their purchase. I love talking to my customers and gaining insight into their practices, so that I can create products that truly support their practice. I feel that this connection with my customers has been really important in building my reputation within the market.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.salemsupplyco.com
• Instagram: @shopsalemsupply
• Facebook: @shopsalemsupply
• Other: TikTok @shopsalemsupply