How BrigidsGrove got started

Introduce your Etsy shop and tell us your story. How did you begin and decide on what to sell on Etsy, and how do you create your products?

Hello! Together we co-create Brigid’s Grove, a multi-leveled handmade business that creates unique Story Goddesses, publishes books of poetry and prayers, offers #30DaysofGoddess prayer books and daily practice decks, and also creates and shares other assorted treasures for mindful, sacred living. We got started on Etsy in 2014, first making small goddesses in hand-cast pewter, based on Molly’s line of birth art sculptures. Later, we branched out into resin-casting, and we created Story Goddesses—a versatile goddess figurine that can be customized in endless ways thanks to our wide color palette and our many gemstone beads and charms. We make most of our products by hand in our home studio building (in the field in front of our house), though we get our books and decks printed professionally by printing companies. We also carefully source a few special additional items from other artisans and crafters that are in sync with our mission, vision, and product line. We have now had more than 65,000 sales on Etsy since we began in 2008.

Favorite items

What are your favorite items? What makes these so special? Why do you think these items might be selling well?

Womanrunes are one of our longest-running and most popular items, as well as a favorite. I’ve used these cards every day personally for more than 8 years, and I still learn new things! Another favorite is my #30DaysofGoddess prayer books, since there are so many ways to adapt this practice to fit your own life. And, finally, a favorite—and always a top seller—is our Hecate Story Goddess.Womanrunes book and card set are available at here

Womanrunes Interpretation Guide
Prayer Books
Hecate Goddess Statue 

Getting sales on Etsy

How long did it take for you to earn your first sale and how do you currently attract customers to your Etsy shop?

Sales actually came before Etsy for us–people were asking to buy what we made and so we set up our Etsy listings to facilitate that process. So, we had customers before we had a shop! One of the things that I always tell people is to cultivate a relationship–and trust—first. After the relationship is built, the sales happen organically. We continue to attract customers by having a predictable weekly shop update (every Friday afternoon), having a private Facebook group (for much more than just selling—primarily community building, connection, and interaction), and communicating with our customers regularly via our weekly email newsletter. Communication and reliability are absolute cornerstones of success on Etsy.

Managing BrigidsGrove

How do you manage your shop? Are you running solo or do you have any team members? What tools or services do you use to run your shop and how do you handle fulfillment?

Our shop is a joint creative endeavor between the two of us—we both work on it full time. We also have a manufacturing assistant who works in our studio, our oldest son helps us with shipping, and my sister works for us as our office manager, handling customer service, supply reordering, picture taking, and more. We ship on a regular schedule and pack orders three days a week, every week.

The future of BrigidsGrove

What goals do you have for your shop in the future?

We would like to increase our production capacity so we can make more things and be well stocked, particularly with our popular mini goddesses. We have multiple book projects awaiting publication, and I’d love to create more booster packs for our daily practice card deck as well. We are also launching a new educational resource for people interested in becoming wildly successful with their handmade businesses: Handmade Millionaires.

Advice for new sellers

What’s your advice for a new seller starting an Etsy shop?

Be consistent. Be reliable. Build an audience. Communicate well and regularly. Become an expert in your field. Build trust with your customer base. Prioritize interaction over income and the income will follow. Don’t be afraid to start—don’t feel like you have to "figure it all out" first. Just start. You will learn as you go, and your shop will change, grow, and evolve as you do.

Some sellers really get inspired by hearing numbers. Feel free to share these if you like.

Question: How much is your monthly revenue?
Answer: $10k-15k‍

Question: What is your average profit margin?
Answer: 25-50%

Question: What is your shop’s conversion rate?
Answer: 4%