Etsy Seller Interview with Tetiana and Oksana of Openmindstyle

How Openmindstyle 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?

I’m Tanya; I’m a daughter, a mother, a wife, and a person who seeks creative development and looks for inspiration in fashion, travel, and books. I'm inspired by the idea of making the world a better, more interesting place by bringing joy to others.I love creating bright, unusual images, stylizing cloth, and conveying my mood through what shapes our uniqueness and the vibe that we carry throughout our lives.

I’m Oksana, the mother of two daughters. Comfort and freedom are my necessities, as well as the creation of beauty. Ever since high school, I have loved to stand out and have often knitted some unique and fashionable things for myself. Things that filled me with happiness and joy When my daughters got older, they were asking me to knit some things for them as well, and I was happy to do that. Later Tanya and I came up with the idea of creating our own brand and combining our talents, as the first see-through sweater that I knitted for her was very well received by everyone. We have designed our sweater in multiple colors, found the best mohair yarn, and booked a professional photo session.

Mohair became our iconic yarn, and when we entered the market, mohair items weren’t a thing (at least in Ukraine), and see-through sweaters weren’t there at all. Later, we decided not to just sell sweaters, but to allow our customers to be creative and play a game: each item had a top of a different color, allowing you to mix and match. That was like a rainbow that made us and our customers happy. It was my idea to join Etsy, but it was my mother, Oksana, who insisted on it, despite my reservations. She gave me such much-needed confidence that everything would just work out. We were successfully selling our items in Ukraine in multiple showrooms around Ukraine as well as taking part in different fairs. Therefore, we joined Etsy in 2017.

Favorite items

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

It is pretty difficult to choose just one item, to be honest. Every item is unique, but there are a few favorites for sure. One of our bestsellers is our wedding sweater. Our first inquiry was about the light sweater, and a girl wanted it for her wedding. We customized it a bit and changed the color; that was the birth of our future bestseller! The main photo that you see in our listing is a photo of our first customer. Later, many of our brides were sending us their pictures, and we were showing some of them in our shop. Another favorite one is this cape. I have an identical one myself, but it is not very popular yet. However, I think that will change as caps like that are a 2023 trend, even though we created this one long before that.

Another love of mine is my wedding cardigan. He is so special and unbelievable for weddings, other memorable occasions, or stylish looks. Wedding sweaters are very popular because they are a truly unique and special element of a wedding look that does not detract from the bride's dress while also adding charm to the overall appearance and keeping the bride warm.

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?

Our first sale came about a month after we joined the platform. We worked hard to get the necessary attention that our store needed. We were creating new content, adding new items, and constantly learning the specifications of the platform, as everything seemed so unknown, hard, and simply difficult. We have attended multiple courses, bought some webinars, read countless articles, and are doing everything we can to source more information and build our formula for success.

Managing Openmindstyle

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?

We manage the store together with Oksana. I am in charge of the technical aspects, while Oksana is in charge of manufacturing, as well as the team and purchasing. Combining our strengths is our strong suit. By the way, we take care of photography ourselves at home, where we have a photo studio. From time to time, we cooperate with other photographers and models, but you can always see me or Oksana in the majority of our pictures. No one can convey those feelings and emotions to the fullest when you wear sweaters. We are the reflection of our brand, and we love keeping it that way.

We share communication duties depending on who is available, but we always stay in touch to clear up any concerns. Otherwise, we do have a wonderful team of knitters who make all the wonderful items that we create by hand. Oksana and I take care of all the deliveries unless we need extra help, in which case our family steps in (if we are on vacation or unavailable). We send our items directly or through consolidation, so we are using the services of a private company that assists with the deliveries, controls all the technical aspects of that, and uses their connections to expedite the process. That is why our delivery to the US is so fast, even during the war in Ukraine. Fulfillment service doesn’t work for us as most of our clients prefer customization, and we have more than 380 styles with different favorites from month to month.

The future of Openmindstyle

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

Our future goal is to open our own website and have our sweaters worn by everyone, including the guests of fashion weeks around the world.

Advice for new sellers

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

I think it is better to create something less perfect, but not to remain inactive. We learn from our mistakes. I think it is better to open a store and improve it step by step along the way rather than waiting for a perfect moment that might never come. It is always useful to read and listen to multiple advice sources, but you need to come up with what works especially for you on Etsy and try, experiment and stay calm. Don’t neglect Etsy ads. Provide a great communication level with your client; he should know that he is special and that you’ve been waiting just for him. Aesthetics are very important! Good luck, and remember that every effort pays off!