Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chandra Ellerson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Chandra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Taking care of customers isn’t just good business – it is often one of the main reasons folks went into business in the first place. So, we’d love to get a conversation going around how to best help clients feel appreciated – maybe you can share something you’ve done or seen someone do that’s been really effective at helping a customer feel valued?

When I started my business I wanted to make sure my customers felt the reality of buying handmade jewelry from me. My focus is on creating designs that are inspired by ancient artifacts and I wanted the packaging to feel ancient as well as personal. In an effort to do this I wax seal my boxes and every year my daughter’s school chops down their lavender bushes. In the nature of being resourceful I would gather them up and in every order I would add a small sprig of lavender into customer’s orders. Since then I’ve literally had customers call me or make reviews regarding the sprig of lavender. It’s such a small thing, but it makes customers feel special. I was advised by a business counselor not to do this because if I scaled my business I would not be able to sustain this. However, I refused to negotiate the intention of my business for the sake of standard business practices. The intention was to make customers feel special even if it isn’t scalable. It’s human and that’s the most important thing to share.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Well…my name is Chandra Ellerson and I’m the owner and creative designer of Chandra’s Earth Inspirational Jewelry, where the mission is to create handmade, cold-forged jewelry inspired by culturally diverse techniques and practices, with the intention to provoke positivity and a deeper sense of humanity.

Growing up in Denver, CO, I often spent time in museums. My family didn’t have a lot of money, so we took advantage of free museum days, and that became a consistent part of my upbringing. My mom was a rockstar about keeping me and my sister engaged in community activities. While many people were drawn to the paintings, I found myself drawn to the jewelry. It felt more real to me. Seeing what people wore, how they adorned themselves, it gave me a sense of who they were. I could imagine how they moved through the world, how they may have entered a room, and how their presence was light through what they chose to carry on their body.

Aside from creating jewelry, I also conduct community workshops where I share practices, history, and technical skills centered around creating and engaging with spiritual and inspirational jewelry. I am also a business consultant, grant writer, and Medical Laboratory Scientist, and I fuse all of the skills I’ve cultivated across these paths to build a brand that is both structured and deeply intentional.

I began crafting handmade, cold-forged pieces in 2018 as a way to channel my appreciation for inspirational jewelry into a form of creative healing. Over time, that evolved into something much deeper. Each one-of-a-kind design draws inspiration from ancient artifacts and metaphysical concepts, merging science and spirit in a way that encourages people to slow down, reconnect, and move through life with more clarity and intention.

When I share my work, I often provide historical context around the designs. Many of the forms and symbols I use resemble artifacts found across different parts of the world, and I intentionally draw from these similarities. It’s a way of showing that when we are inspired by nature, the interpretations across cultures often align more than we realize.

Artifact jewelry also gives us a glimpse into the spirit of the individuals who wore it, how they chose to express themselves, what they valued, and what they carried with them. I encourage people to see their own experience reflected in that same way. When someone wears my jewelry, they are not just wearing a piece, they are participating in that ongoing human story of self-expression, identity, and meaningful living.

The work I create is not just about adornment, it is about offering people something they can connect to. Whether it’s a reminder, a grounding point, or a personal symbol, my pieces are meant to support individuals in navigating their inner world while still expressing themselves outwardly.

My work has been showcased in Elle Magazine, as well as artisan markets across Memphis, Denver, New York, and the Appalachian region. That visibility is something I’m incredibly proud of, but more than anything, I’m proud of the way I’ve been able to align all of my skills and experiences into a brand that feels holistic, immersive, and true to who I am.

What I want people to know is that Chandra’s Earth is not just jewelry, it’s an experience. It’s an invitation to be intentional, to honor where you are, and to carry something with you that reflects both your journey and your growth.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea of following constricting business standards.

What’s interesting is that as a consultant who supports nonprofits, businesses, and artists with strategy and operations, that might sound a little contradictory to what I advise. But what I’ve come to understand is that structure is not meant to confine us, it’s meant to prepare us.

There was a point where I found myself trying to follow what I thought a business should look like, how it should operate, how it should present, and even how creativity should be packaged in order to be taken seriously. And while that gave me a foundation, it also started to feel limiting.

That realization led me to develop what I call sequential thinking, a framework that I now also teach in my workshops. I believe there is a phase in life where we are meant to fall in line, get in the box, and learn the wisdom that structure has to offer. That phase gives us direction, discipline, and a solid understanding of what we’re building and why.

But then there’s another phase where unlearning becomes necessary. Where we’re no longer just following, but transforming what we’ve learned into something that is truly our own. I often describe this through what I call the 4 M’s of life:
1) Mimic the teacher
2) Maintain what the teacher has taught
3) Master what we’ve learned
4) Modify the practice with applied wisdom

For me, the unlearning came in realizing that I wasn’t meant to stay in the “maintain” phase. I was meant to evolve into the “modify” phase, where my work reflects not just what I’ve been taught, but what I’ve experienced, questioned, and come to understand for myself.

So as I continue to grow in my craft and my calling, I see it as a constant cycle of learning, graduating, and redefining. That, to me, is the backbone of self-evolution, self-discovery, and the ability to expand light in a way that is both structured and free.

Just in a structured format…lol

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One book that immediately comes to mind, though I know I’ll regret only naming one, is “Be Here Now” by Ram Dass.

It’s one of those books that meets you wherever you are. It’s reflective, unconventional, and blends personal experience with spiritual insight in a way that isn’t overly rigid or prescriptive. I often describe it as a book that feels both grounding and expansive at the same time.

I’ve always experienced life a little differently. Even as a child, I felt a strong pull toward nature, often wandering into fields and trees just following a sense of curiosity and connection. As I’ve grown, I’ve come to understand that I move through the world with both a practical and intuitive lens.

On one hand, I’m a scientist by training, very structured, analytical, and grounded in process. On the other hand, I’ve had experiences that are more intuitive and reflective, and instead of trying to separate the two, I’ve learned to let them coexist. That balance has shaped how I think about business, creativity, and leadership.

Be Here Now reinforced that way of thinking for me. It reminded me that presence, awareness, and intention are just as important as strategy and structure. In many ways, it helped me feel more comfortable integrating the full scope of who I am into my work, rather than trying to compartmentalize it.
So while my work is rooted in systems, strategy, and execution, it’s also guided by a deeper awareness of connection, timing, and alignment. That combination is what continues to shape how I build, create, and lead.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chandrasearth.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandras_earth
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandraearth