We recently connected with Kendall Gilchrist and have shared our conversation below.

Kendall, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I started with a chance meeting of another Mom at a local park. In conversation I learned she was a psychic and Tarot Reader as a profession. Her name is Sarah. She sold items like sage and crystals. So we decided to share a booth at local events as I was into making crafts and jewelry. I found a cute wooden door at Hobby Lobby and decided to paint it and glue a sign into it. That sign would be what I would name my shop which was inspired by Greek Mythology that I was attuned to at the time. Hesperia just sounded beautiful and I loved the mythical story behind the Hesperian Sisters guarding the golden apples at Zeus’ wedding. Sarah was eventually in need of a space to do her readings and reiki healing. I happen to have a small space connected to my husband’s tattoo shop business and offered her some space there. Then she inspired me to open it more to the public as a retail shop that sold metaphysical supplies. My husband helped with some start up money to make the shop more esthetically pleasing with paint and a few large gorgeous pine shelves to display products. Sarah and I both decided to spend $50 each of money we had made from our booths and purchase our first wholesale products from a family owned in Arizona. We literally started with very basic raw crystals since she had sage already and I of course kept making jewlery. I remember our first month we made $34 and we’re so excited! Word of mouth started to spread like wildfire. Any money the community spent was put back into supplies for the shop and we would ask them what they wanted to see in there. So between the feedback and money spent from the community, the shop became incredibly busy within just a few months of opening right after we were allowed to from the COVID Pandemic. The shop was literally built on the local community!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was just your average 9-5, check to check, and maybe even a couple different jobs type of person. I always wanted to help other people. I remember working at places like Payless Shoes and I had a huge elderly following because I really cared about them and wanted to give them the best comfort I could find in regards to their footwear. I was recognized in a resort hotel where I worked the front office of being the most empathetic. I could turn most any customer’s frown to a smile by the time they left the front desk. I just knew in my heart there was more I wanted to do in regards to being of service to people and yet having my own independence. I really enjoyed crafts growing up and after having kids I just really found it therapeutic. Coming from being raised in a strict religious background and all these different experiences from working in various industries from housekeeping, fast food, retail, and office jobs really prepared me for what I do now. I really love to sell things that I’m passionate about! So as my path led to me becoming an owner of a metaphysical shop…I was thrilled to be involved in such an uplifting sales environment. I didn’t even know what the word metaphysical meant for the longest time, so to become an owner of a metaphysical shop was quite astonishing for me. However, more than all the sales, I am deeply connected to people almost immediately and the most fulfilling is to be there for someone in their healing process. To be able to watch someone go through an experience on their journey is one of the most incredible things to witness. I love to sell all your metaphysical items like sage, crystals, spell candles, herbs, divination tools, and jewelry. I also have an incredible energy worker named Sarah that helped inspire the shop that comes in to do readings and reiki healing! I think that’s what keeps people coming back is the experience of their purchases with me and the energy healing they receive from both Sarah and I. The interaction is always so deep so quickly. In my experience, the majority of people walking into my shop are trying to find some form of healing. I have observed people walk in and just take a big deep breath. I watch their shoulders drop and start to relax and ground. Some even break down and cry almost immediately. I have created a safe space for people to ground and just be themselves. To me this is so much greater than just sales. It’s a beautiful spiritual human interaction that leaves us both changed in some form or another. This is really what makes Hesperia Mystic Shoppe so special.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

So in business that is especially built on community, things can change and very quickly. I have come to find that many are influenced by Tik Tok or other social media platforms. I literally can tell what products are hot in the metaphysical world because of these platforms. I also have found in being so involved with this spiritual world that I myself go through incredibly character building experiences as many call ‘shadow work’. Where all the deep hidden things that don’t serve us get shoved ‘under the carpet’ get brought to light. I have gone through some deep dark healing at various times while owning the shop and have had to hire people to work for me and also have had tonlet them go because there were moments I was not capable of physically being there during these times. The business would suffer for it being that the shop is such a reflection of me and many of my customers really came back to spend time with me. It’s been a learning experience and even now the shop is going through a massive pivot because I’m building this shop I really left out my creative side. It is currently temporarily closed until early Spring to bring in more of a workshop feel to be able to have a space to craft again like I used to as well as being in a fresh new take on spiritual products. So sometimes you have to take risks and hope that your community responds well to you decisions that you feel is best at the time. Closing a business and reopening is very risky, but I’m so thankful for this community and the support they continue to show me. They are incredible cheerleaders and I hope to always be that to them as well!

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

Social media has never been my strong suit. I was thrilled when I had 30 people following my business within the first month that was purely family, friends and a few from word of mouth. I think people put too much pressure on having huge followings. I think when you are genuine and passionate about what you do you will naturally get people to follow. You can have a smaller following with incredible amazing support for your business too! So my advice for social media is just be genuine and continue to do what you are passionate about, take some risks like getting out there and doing booths or events OR even create your own events like I did!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hesperianlife.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hesperiamysticshoppe?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/hesperiamysticshoppe?igsh=YTQwZjQ0NmI0OA==