When I started Cowgirl Beading, I wasn’t thinking about algorithms, marketing funnels, or how to make my Etsy SEO-friendly. I just wanted to create something real. Something beautiful. Something Western and wild that spoke to a way of life I love. What I didn’t know then was how hard it would be to stand out in today’s world of fast fashion, mass production, and endless scrolling. This journey has been anything but easy.
Starting from Scratch — With Nothing but Passion
Cowgirl Beading started at my kitchen table. No big investors. No fancy equipment. Just beads, thread, leather scraps, and a deep love for Western style. At first, I was selling to friends, family, and folks at local rodeos. Word of mouth got me going — but I quickly realized that if I wanted to grow, I’d need to build a digital presence. And that’s where the real uphill climb began.
Fighting for Visibility in a Crowded Market
Here’s the thing: the internet is loud. There are thousands of handmade sellers, many of them incredibly talented, all trying to be seen. And in the Etsy world, if you're not showing up on the first few pages, you're pretty much invisible. Learning how to:
- Take professional product photos (on a budget),
- Write descriptions that both sell and sound human,
- Understand SEO (even though I didn’t even know what those letters meant at first),
- Run social media without burning out…
…it’s a lot. And I was doing it all while raising kids and working full-time. There were days I questioned everything — why I was putting in so many late nights for just a handful of sales. Why I was trying to compete with cheap imports that looked “good enough” but were mass-produced by machines instead of hands. Why I wasn’t just content with a hobby. But then someone would leave a review — something like: “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.” Or “You can tell this was made with care.” And I’d remember: I’m not building a shop. I’m building a brand. A legacy. A community.
The Emotional Toll of Growing Something You Love
People don’t talk enough about the emotional side of running a small business. How vulnerable it feels to put your art out into the world and wonder if anyone will care. How it stings when you go a week with zero orders, even though you’re posting, promoting, and praying over every listing. How discouraging it is to get undercut by copycats or big companies who can mass-produce similar items in bulk for half the price. But what keeps me going is knowing there is a place in this world for handmade. For slow-crafted. For intentional.
The Reality of Handmade in a Fast World
We live in a world where people want fast shipping, free returns, and $10 price tags. Handmade doesn’t work that way. Every piece I make is crafted with hours of care — beads woven with precision, leather cut and sewn by hand, designs dreamed up late at night after the kids go to bed. That’s what makes it special. That’s what makes it worth it. But educating people on the value of handmade in a convenience-driven world? That’s a struggle all on its own.
What I’ve Learned Along the Way
- You can’t do it all at once — and that’s okay. Growth is slow. It's not meant to be instant.
- Authenticity always wins — The more I share my story, the more people connect to the brand.
- You have to believe in what you’re doing, even when no one else sees it yet.
- Success doesn’t mean viral — it means consistent, loyal customers who keep coming back because they love what you do.
So… What Keeps Me Going?
It’s the messages from customers who say they wore my hatband in a rodeo or gifted my earrings to their daughter. It’s knowing that what I’m making is more than just a product — it’s personal. It’s cultural. It’s handmade in a world that forgot how to slow down. Cowgirl Beading isn’t just a side hustle anymore. It’s a labor of love. A dream stitched into reality, one bead at a time.
To Anyone Building Something from the Ground Up…
Keep going. You might be tired. You might feel invisible some days. But the world needs what you’re creating. It’s not about being the biggest or fastest-growing shop on Etsy. It’s about making something real, meaningful, and lasting. And that’s exactly what I intend to keep doing. — 💛 Christie Nichols Founder of Cowgirl Beading Mother | Maker | Fighter for Handmade