We recently connected with Summer Mathis and have shared our conversation below.
Summer , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
I am firm in …If it happened, it is Right. Sounds simple but it’s how I live. I do not wish I had started earlier or later, she (The Attuned Cauldron) came in precisely when she was needed. I actually had a point when I was given the decision to push and start early and declined. Not letting others around you create your situation can be tough…people can be quite persuasive when they desire something. Short story, I had a girl around me right as I was getting details together for the shop (things like drawing the logo, getting the formulas together for teas, etc.) and this girl was in a bit of a pinch. She wanted to work with me after I opened, but needed a job ‘right now’…basically, she was feeling the pressure of no money..something we all have experienced before. I, on the other hand, was living in a tiny house, not many bills…not concerned about the money aspect as much as I was birthing this baby to last. Completing her one step at a time. I (with my husbands help) had to come to the conclusion that I was not willing to forfeit any part of my ideas for anyone. She moved on to do what was needed in her life and I took my time to create something that would last beyond what I can imagine. Never underestimate old fables…’The Fox and the Crow’ is an excellent piece. The crow was lost in flattery from the fox and forgot her goal. Breakfast. Short story shorter, the fox gets her breakfast because she strayed from her pathway, her goal. Don’t let others move you, You move You. Then you see there is no need for wishing…If it happened, it is Right.
Summer , 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?
So my name is Summer. I created and run The Attuned Cauldron LLC. She is a mixture of Arts, from Herbal Tea Formulas to Magical Jewelry to Whimsical Art. The loose leaf herbal blends are what actually started the shop. I had 4 formulas I had been working with and started there. I had been studying and working with plants for a few years and had developed ideas for myself that I knew others could use such as a blend of menstrual cramps and hot flashes…’One Hot Mama’ was born. Then I slowly started adding in my other loves of life such as creating jewelry for the ‘not norm’ , drawing sticker designs, which created the now ‘Spooky Stickers Collection’ with over 30 hand drawn designs, and has led to the creation of the ‘Ghouls’, my ghost people that go on adventures with their cauldrons. These guys became prints and now clothing. I love photography…so throughout the years cycles I do fantasy photo shoots where I create custom jewelry pieces and choose a mood. I get to work with killer models around the area who really bring the ideas to life! There are many avenues with the cauldron, and I am so enthralled with what has unfolded so far and what is to come.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I highly recommend to start with what you have. This is key. I had not a whole lot, needless to say, to start the shop. Looking at my options, I didn’t hire a company to do the LLC filing, city records, federal tax info, accounting, etc. My husband and I took our time, learned as much on the industry as we felt necessary to open…and rolled from there. If you have more to work with, work with it. If you have nothing, start from nothing. I choose to not exceed what is available to me. If I have to cut my own stickers by hand because it’s too expensive to order them ready, then I will. If that is destined to sell, I will eventually be able to stop cutting.(true story) Everyone has a different path for funding, I suggest to acknowledge yours before making moves.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
Slow and steady. This idea may not be for everybody. I choose to not pay for IG ads. What I have noticed is it is truly not about how many followers you have. How many of them actually support your business? I know people who have thousands of followers throughout different social media platforms, but they work and put time into other jobs because those followers have not turned into customers. I’m not at all saying it’s bad to pay for social media advertisement. I’m not saying you shouldn’t look for more followers…that’s why we post right? I’m saying to look at the quality of those who follow your shop on social media. 100,000 page likes looks great but if you only made 10 sales that month it sucks. Share what you do and what you are ‘on’ in the moment. I believe people enjoy seeing creators in their element.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theattunedcauldron.com
- Instagram: @theattunedcauldron
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAttunedCauldron
- Other: TikTok : @_theattunedcauldron
