We were lucky to catch up with Seder Kojdecki recently and have shared our conversation below.

Seder, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

My business idea came from a place of, honestly, boredom. I was stuck in a telemarketing job I hated, and my brain was slowly rotting away in front of a computer screen.

I started learning how to wire wrap crystals through muted YouTube videos while I cold-called disgruntled customers. I started with crystal rings and made 200+ in just a couple weeks. I was a woman obsessed with plenty of free time to spend learning a new skill. I could feel the energy radiating off the stones, and started studying them and learning how to identify the different stones.

Friends and family encouraged me to start selling my jewelry, and Mystical Thoughts was born. I started off on Etsy, and eventually graduated to doing pop-up events selling jewelry and reading Tarot. I’ve been studying crystals and energy healing since the beginning, and I was certified in Crystal Energy Healing in 2022.

After doing pop-up markets and fairs for a couple of years, the vision for Mystical Thoughts evolved and grew to include retreats, classes, workshops, and an intentional community. A physical location was my 5 year goal, but the unique vision for my business and the need for a store like mine spurred a much quicker opening day than initially hoped.

We’ve been open at our physical location for a couple of months now, and the explosive growth is remaining consistent!! Our town is chock full of spiritual folks, but we only had one or two shops before mine that offered a limited amount of metaphysical tools and information.

Mystical Thoughts has become a spiritual hub with different energy readers in every day, a secondhand section, and a busy schedule of events and workshops. From boredom buster to booming business!! It’s been a wild ride.

Seder, 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?

Mystical Thoughts is a metaphysical shop at its core, but the dream is so much bigger than that. I started off selling crystal jewelry on Etsy and at various pop-ups and events, and that really took off. More than the jewelry, people were interested in the ENERGY of stones for healing. I started adding more healing modalities to my toolbelt like Tarot and Reiki.

Now, I have expanded past pop-ups and a 10×10 space to a physical storefront!! Mystical Thoughts is quickly becoming a spiritual hub in Springfield, a place for like-minded individuals to find community and unique spiritual offerings.

Two of the biggest pillars of my business are SUSTAINABILITY and AFFORDABILITY. Many people believe those to be mutually exclusive, but with careful sourcing and research, it can be done. Much of my shop is secondhand, including my entire stock of loose crystals. Almost all of my packaging is recycled. I reduce waste as much as possible when creating jewelry by adapting patterns to create less wire scraps. It’s careful work, but so worth it.

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

My biggest challenge when I started was unlearning limiting mindsets and beliefs. I made a rule for myself: I wouldn’t assume I couldn’t do something until I tried it first. I wouldn’t assume markets would be “too hard” until I tried my first one. I wouldn’t assume “no one liked my stuff” until I shared it publicly. If I allowed self-doubt and negative self talk have a seat at the table, they would have talked over every other healthy habit until they drowned me out. I was intentional about the words I spoke about my business too. No “small business” here: only a growing business. No “starving artist” here: only a thriving one.

The words you speak create your reality. I chose to create mine using love and gentle self-talk. I had to unlearn the negative thinking habits that kept me in a state of confusion and fear of the future.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting is the name of the game here. Before I started my business, I was in school for Art & Design Education. I was NOT feeling it. School was a huge struggle, even though before college I had a 4.0 GPA from a very prestigious private school. I eventually dropped out and was at my rock bottom. I was burnt out, could barely take care of myself, just done. I was diagnosed with Autism and ADHD soon after. That immediately made me re-think my entire reality… I was signed up for another semester of school, but after my diagnosis I knew college and I were not meant to be. I needed independence, flexibility, and I needed to do something I was PASSIONATE about. Working for someone else would never work out well for me, so I knew it was time to work for myself. I had a lot of grief in this process as well, since working for someone else provided that financial stability.

Being a business owner checked all my boxes. Working for myself allowed me to love myself better. I could actually listen to my body and rest when I needed rest. I could work when I had the motivation to. And since I’m passionate about crystals, I start each day now with a burning passion and excitement.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mysticalthoughtsshop.square.site
• Instagram: @mystical.thoughts.shop
• Facebook: Mystical Thoughts Shop
• Other: TikTok: @mysticalthoughts

Image Credits

headshot taken by @TaliaCassellPhotography all others taken by me :)