We recently connected with Stephanie Ryan and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Stephanie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

2020 proved to be a challenging year for businesses. When the Covid shut-down happened, I immediately accessed how long we could go without income, and what steps I could take to make any money. I did a May basket promotion where people could buy a May basket for either $25 or $40 and it would be delivered on May Day. The items in the basket were a surprise. Although being a delivery driver did not exactly bring me joy, that promotion and some curbside delivery brought in a little bit of money, and I was grateful for anything. Amazingly though, once things started opening back up, Illuminations was thriving! I had to order more merchandise, give my employees more hours, and even think about expanding. By 2021, I peered into the studio next door and decided to be bold! I signed a contract to rent the space. It doubled my rent payment, but I felt the risk was worth it. I obtained 2025 square feet of new space to be used as my new classroom. The studio already had hard wood floors, beautiful lighting, and even a kitchenette. All I needed to do was move our yoga equipment next door. The classroom was perfect timing as teachers wanted to begin offering in-person classes again, but wanted space to socially distance the students. I was then able to use the old classroom to expand the existing shop. The room is now affectionately called “the library” and we have a large assortment of books, tarot cards, and oracle cards. So far it has turned out to be a great decision as our business can support the growth.

Stephanie, 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?

I have always been interested in the metaphysical world. I want to go deep and discuss spirituality and belief. I crave intense experience. After learning how to read the Akashic Record and taking Reiki classes, I developed an energy system called Angelic Chakra Integration in 2010. I received seven symbols from seven archangels that correspond to each of the seven chakras. I use these energetic symbols to balance the body with the aid of the archangels. Already a practitioner, in 2013, Cat Sinclair thought it would be fun to organize a metaphysical expo. I became co-chair of the Iowa City Metaphysical Expo for several years, enjoying bringing like-minded people together. On a Friday afternoon in 2016, I walked into Illuminations to put up a flier for the expo. The current owner, who I only knew through the expo, sat down with me and asked if I would like to purchase Illuminations. Before that point, I had been working in the corporate world in a 9-5 job, so to say I was surprised is an understatement. Normally I would have been terrified to think about it, but this time, I dared to ask myself, “What if?” What if I actually said yes? What is the worst thing that could possibly happen? Would I have regrets if I said no? I discussed with my husband and because my husband is wise, he let me make that choice. Just two days later, I said I would buy the business, and my husband and I refinanced our home to cover the expense. I put in my two-weeks notice (after being in that job for 15 years and just earning 4 weeks of paid vacation) and started my first day at Illuminations on Halloween 2016. Illuminations is a metaphysical center consisting of eight practitioner rooms, a classroom, and shop. We carry crystals, incense, smudging supplies, jewelry, books, cards, and so much more.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Facebook and (second) Instagram continue to be a valuable resource to us for marketing. Unfortunately, after building a Facebook audience of 7k, Facebook deleted our account on August 10, 2021. We had a second page with only about 200 followers, so I sighed, and began the process of making that our new primary page. We are now up to 6.3 k likes, and this is primarily due to Facebook ads. I run an ad for $5 per day with a general ad that shows a picture of the shop and where we are located. This ad tends to bring in 200-300 new followers per month. I admit, I didn’t run ads immediately because I was pretty bitter about the experience, but in business, bitterness will not get you anywhere. You have to put your emotions aside and do what is best for your business. When we have followers and post new product pics, we always have people in the shop buying the new item.

Any advice for managing a team?

When you are managing people, it helps to pay attention to each individual’s strengths and weaknesses. My employees never fail to surprise me. There are some tasks that aren’t suited for them, and at at the same time, they are capable of more than I could have dreamed! For example, I have one employee that loves to organize. Another employee enjoys weighing crystals and determining the correct price. When you let people do what they enjoy, everyone is happier and things still get done. Of course everyone must have excellent customer service, but beyond that, we get tasks done based on our strengths. I am also transparent about how we do as a business. I have a sales goal, and we all strive to achieve it every day. When business is great, I provide incentives such as a bonus. I also provide two weeks of paid time off because I believe it is important for people to have balance in their life. Every single one of my employees has told me that I am the best boss they ever had. I think it’s because I treat them like adults and I care for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.illuminationscenter.com
• Instagram: illuminations_center
• Facebook: Illuminations Cedar Rapids