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

India, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I originally started my business by making canvas pictures boards that matched the customers aesthetic with their favorite color, zodiac sign, hobbies etc. Once those started to do well I decided to name my business “Aesthetic Boards”, however about a month later I started to make keychains and I knew I didn’t want my business name to be subjected to just one category of items. I them came up with “India’s Creations” so that it could pertain to many different future ideas that I had, but it just didn’t stick for me. I then decided to go with my nickname, which is “Indi”, instead of my full name. It took me some time to figure out what word could replace “creations”, and eventually I thought of “inspirations” and that is how “Indi’s Inspirations” was born!

India, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey everyone, my name is India Rhodes and I am currently a 20 year old college sophomore at Alabama A&M University. I am also the owner of my small business, Indi’s Inspirations, and I am a content creator with my own YouTube channel titled: India Rhodes. I started my entrepreneurial journey at a very young age, selling my halloween candy that I didn’t want and also making & selling duct tape wallets in elementary school. However, in April of 2020 is when I started “Indi’s Inspirations” by making resin keychains and canvas picture boards, called aesthetic boards. Over the past three years, I have broadened my product range to many different items including bracelets, rings, car charms, notepads, and more. Something that I’m really proud of when it comes to my business is the fact that everything is handmade or hand designed by me, and that is something I really pride myself on and will continue to do. Over the past three years my business has grown tremendously and I’m excited to see it continue to grow and flourish.

Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?

When I started my business, my sales were mainly in person through friends/family and a few online sales through Etsy. However, when I started college my sales started to drop because I didn’t really know a lot of people. Also, I didn’t have as much time to focus on my Etsy. So, in February 2022 I decided to take part in my first pop up shop on campus. This allowed for my business to get a lot of exposure and gain a good amount of revenue from the market. Now over a year later, I have participated in over a dozen pop up shops and they are currently the number one source of income for my business. This sales risk ended up being very rewarding and has really shaped the way my business is run today.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Most of my products are handmade by me, however there are a few that I design on my iPad and send to a manufacturer. The very first product I sent to a manufacturer was a sticker order. I created a few sticker designs on an online design app, but the trouble was trying to figure out where to get them manufactured. I spent a lot of time researching the best place to get stickers made, comparing prices of different websites, checking the customer reviews, etc. After researching extensively, I settled on a company and they printed my stickers quickly and professionally. However, manufacturing products is not always that seamless. For example I recently found a manufacturer to print keychain designs. I sent 9 different designs, and while some of them looked amazing, others weren’t fully painted which required me to fix them myself. What I’ve learned about the manufacturing process is that you have to do your research and even then it may not go completely your way. However, that’s just what comes with being a business owner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/IndisInspirations
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indisinspirations/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indisinspirations/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFBnfiDI5_U-G2xAf2gDDcA?app=desktop
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@indisinspirations