We recently connected with Lorriane Anderson and have shared our conversation below.

Lorriane, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

I was just talking with another spiritual business owner/ friend of mine about how much our industry has changed over the years and what’s beginning to emerge. Most notably, we discussed how many of us are going from ‘doing all the things’ to digging in and specializing in what we actually love. There was a time in the spiritual community when there was this unspoken pressure to be and do everything possible to share spiritual information. For me personally, I know that I felt like I had to wear the “spiritual uniform” and talk in a certain way and teach everything from moon energy, to astrology, to tarot cards, crystals, herbs, animal energy, you name it. But it always felt half-hearted and not really a true expression of me. In fact in my most recent book (which I just turned in), I discussed how much I love beauty and fashion and really good design but felt like those things couldn’t exist in my industry. I felt like I had to have the witchy/spiritual guru look and that felt so restrictive and dismissive of who I am. I’ve talked to a lot of my spiritual business owner friends who’ve felt the same way. But lately, I see more of us breaking out of that mold. More of us claiming spirituality in whatever way makes sense for us as individuals. I think our community no longer wants a copy and paste version of a spiritual guide. They want real people, using spirituality to solve real problems instead of promoting this perfect world of everything’s love and light and whimsy. With this rise of authenticity, I’m also seeing leaders in my industry focusing on something they truly enjoy. I’m putting all of my effort into focusing on tarot and oracle decks, the thing that I’m truly passionate about.

Lorriane, 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?

My name is Lorriane which is pronounced (Lor-Rain). This always makes me chuckle because no one knows how to pronounce it but that’s ok. I feel into the tarot/oracle industry completely by accident. I used to work in fashion on 3rd st Promenade in Santa Monica but then my start-up went out of business and we all lost our jobs. For many years prior to that, I was obsessed with natural healing in general but more specifically aromatherapy and herbalism which slowly guided me towards manifestation. I was just really getting to know more about manifesting and spirituality in general when I lost my job and decided, I was going to manifest a job that brought together my working experience with my hobby of natural healing. I did exactly that! I manifested a job that allowed me to work as an executive and also work directly with not just herbs but oils, crystals, tonics, and tarot and oracle cards. I had never touched a tarot deck prior to this but one of the girls had had been reading tarot for years and offered to give me a reading. We’d known each other for about two weeks at this time so she knew nothing about me and yet, her reading was so accurate. I was blown away so I went home, got online and purchased and purchased a deck online. I started reading cards for myself first and loved it so I offered to read for my family which to my surprise, were just as eager as me. A year later, I left that company to start my own spiritual apothecary and I decided to give free weekly readings on Instagram to promote the brand. About 18 months later, I decided to make an oracle deck with a friend which was later picked up by a publishing house and now here we are, 7 years later, 10 oracle decks later, 3 books later, and a career that I absolutely love. A few years ago, I decided to stop making apothecary products and focus solely on being a writer. I love writing tarot and oracle decks mostly because of all of the amazing comments and messages I get. I’m most proud of how many times someone has told me they felt like I was speaking directly to them through my writing or that something I wrote helped them get through a challenging time. Even after all these years, I’m still filled with so much joy knowing that my words make a difference for people. That my work helps people to be seen or understood or held and supported. I never could’ve imagined I would get this level of joy just from writing oracle decks but it happens every single day and what a blessing it is to impact someone’s life in a positive way. And I think that’s the beauty of tarot and oracle cards. They may be pieces of paper but there’s something about working with them that shows people exactly what they need to see. They help readers find clarity when they’re confused, support when they have no one else to turn to, or some levity when times are especially challenging. The one thing I want people to know about tarot and oracle cards is that your intention and how you use them determines what they’ll be. They can be especially moving and uplifting so give them a chance. Don’t assume everything you read: that they’re bad or something to fear. They’re really just mirrors, showing you what you need at this moment and it can be a transformative process if you let it.

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

I love social media. I think it’s an excellent tool that can help make the world a much more accessible place. I used to feel so embarrassed with my personal Instagram because I only had a few dozens followers while some of my friends had hundreds. At the time, I was trying to appeal to my friends and family so my business didn’t feel authentic. I ended up starting a new page that non of my friends and family knew about where I could truly be myself and that’s when my audience began to take off. I think it’s so important to show up as your real self online. That doesn’t mean you have to show all of your life online but it should represent you in some way and you should feel comfortable enough to promote yourself and your brand without worrying about how your loved ones will react, at least in the beginning. When I gave myself that space, I found I could talk freely about my hopes and dreams for my brand with people who wanted what I had to share vs. friends and family who are maybe just following out of obligation. Aside from that, it’s important to show up in your social media. It doesn’t matter if it’s aesthetically pleasing or you have good video or photo quality, not to start with. It’s more important to be consistent and let your audience know you’re around. You’ll get better at the aesthetics and the quality and all of that stuff with time. You’ll eventually figure out your style, your tone, get to know your audience but you find that out unless you get started. Challenge yourself and commit to posting regularly and while social media trends are important to a point, I feel it’s more important to find your community who will be there with you once a trend is gone. Trends in social media are just like trends in fashion. They die out and only the classic remain.

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

I’ve had to pivot so many times in my business. I think the biggest pivot was probably switching from a regular apothecary to a spiritual one. For about a year, I only had a regular beauty apothecary and it just didn’t work. I didn’t really have anything that set me apart or helped me to stand out. But when I switched to a spiritual apothecary, I was able to find a niche that had been more or less untapped at the time. More than that, I enjoyed it and it was more aligned with who I was and where I was going. I think it’s super important to be honest with yourself and cut out things in your business or career or life that really just aren’t working. It’s hard to shift gears for sure but once you do, it feels like freedom and suddenly you actually have time and energy to invest in some of your goals. When I had the beauty apothecary, I struggled to make sales on a consistent basis. When I started the spiritual apothecary, I went from making a handful of sales a month to daily sales and then to eventually $40-60k months all within a period of two years. I know the beauty thing wasn’t working and I know what I was passionate about so I trusted myself. Then I trusted myself again when I knew I needed to pivot from making apothecary to becoming a full time author and now I’m a best-selling author many times over. You’re allowed to evolve in your business or career. You’re allowed to make changes that take you to the next leg of your journey. Don’t ever feel like a part of your business has to be forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.spiritelement.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spiritelement

Image Credits

All images are taken by me, LORRIANE ANDERSON.