We were lucky to catch up with Kayleigh Carpenter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kayleigh , thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

When I decided to open a store, initially my thought was a witchy, pop culture gift shop where you could buy crystals and lots of interesting gifts and unique items from women-owned, POC, and LGBTQ+ brands. That has slowly shifted based on customer needs into a metaphysical shop that leans heavily into pop culture with ties to the feel of a 90’s Spencers / witch shop. The ones where you would walk in and see tons of crystals on tables, with racks of incense, intention candles, things hanging from the ceiling. You know the vibe. I didn’t want my store to be overwhelming. I wanted to create a space and experience that I always wanted to experience. Going into metaphysical shops historically, I was overwhelmed immediately with the heavy head shop scent of sage and patchouli. I wanted something much lighter, but enjoyable, and the energy to be inviting.

Most metaphysical shops are curated for those who are already INVOLVED in some sort of spiritual practice. It can be daunting to walk into a store, not sure what anything is for. There’s no instruction, no manual, no explanation for what crystals do what, or what herbs go in what tea or tincture, or which tarot deck is best for beginners. I always found that asking questions left me embarrassed when the shop worker would loosely point me in the direction of the candles when I asked which one is best for protection. I don’t know when people became so closed off to sharing experiences and information with one another, but everyone has to learn somewhere, and most of my personal education in the realm of witchcraft is self-taught, because I never found a place to feel safe asking questions without being judged or eye-rolled out of the store.

I wanted my shop to be the utter opposite of those experiences. I wanted people to feel safe asking question here, no matter where they are on their journey. The reception for having a shop like this has been phenomenal and has created repeat customers who know that no question is too small or unnecessary. Some customers want you to walk them through the store and explain things. Others want to be left alone. A small amount prefer to ask some questions and then use the informational signage throughout the shop to learn on their own. Whatever they choose, we respect it and are here to help whenever needed. We offer many classes, workshops, and seminars to help those on their journey and are currently working on creating an open-ritual coven for those who wish to dabble outside of solitary work. Community is everything at Corellia.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Kayleigh Carpenter! I’m a wannabe writer, a walking pop culture reference, and your friendly neighborhood mental health advocate. I’ve been interested in witchcraft longer than I’ve realized and on my own spiritual journey for the past couple of years. I eat way too much Taco Bell, basically have a Michaels in my house and office at all times, and enjoy spending time with her husband and dogs, but not necessarily in that order.

I was never the type to conform. I know that’s so cliche to say, but it’s true. If everyone went right, I was going left. If my friends were obsessed with the latest TV show, I was the one claiming “it looked so lame.” I’ve quickly realized the older I’ve grown that being purposely defiant is not always necessary, however it’s definitely a huge personality trait of mine to be a bit rebellious.

I was managing a brewery prior to the pandemic. I thought the beer industry was my calling. I have a Bachelors Degree in Political Science, but after realizing how messed up our government and the courts are, I decided practicing law wasn’t for me. I was never meant for the 9-5 life anyway. Fast-forward to the pandemic, the brewery gets bought out, I’m let go, and I had a choice to make. This was the second time in my life I had been laid off. I knew it was the universe offering me a second chance to do my own thing.

So I did. I made a decision to open a store. Thinking back, it was so sporadic and happened so quickly, and just as fast as I opened, I outgrew and expanded. Now, I find myself needing even more space, with the amount of people interested in our classes and events. The universe is funny in that way. If you don’t heed it’s advice the first time, it will repeat history until you get it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

So my background is actually social media. I’ve done social media for three different companies that I’ve worked for, and one of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that consistency is key.

Consistency IS a part of the key. It’s the key handle, if you will. But the most important part of social media that people don’t consider, and then they wonder why they don’t have engagement, the part of the key that unlocks the door, is AESTHETIC.

Here me out. Go on an instagram feed of a friend. Lots of photos of themselves, of places, of plates of food, maybe a meme or two. No real cohesive feel to the feed. No real attention paid to the photos posted, like brightness, contrast, or even the content being photographed.

Now visit a business page you like. I love to use the store, Hellcats as an example, if not my own page. Their instagram, and mine, have a visual aesthetic, no matter if you are looking at one photo, or the entire feed. It’s cohesive, it has a color feel, it’s balanced. People want to follow feeds that look good in their personal feed. It’s psychological. Would you rather look at a plate of food that someone snaps haphazardly before chowing down, or something with the portrait filter, a wine glass in the background, lighting and color corrected.

Like I said, sounds weird, but it’s truly the most important aspect of social media. Consistency is part of the key, but aesthetic unlocks followers.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I’ve been selling on Etsy for going on ten years. I have always had two shops as a side-hustle. One shop for stickers and enamel pins, the other for candles. When I initially lost my job in the pandemic, I went full time on Etsy. I had a huge epiphany when I realized I could be using all the tools I had developed for other companies for myself.

It’s what led to me feeling like I could take the leap and open a store. I sell some of my own items in my shop even now, and still have my Etsy shops up and running.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.corelliagifts.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/corelliagifts
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/corelliagifts
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/corelliagifts
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/kayleigh
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/corellia-gifts-goods-coral-springs-3
• Other: Etsy # 1: www.fandomlydesigns.com Etsy #2: www.thealtaregos.com Live Crystal Sales: https://whatnot.com/invite/corelliagifts