Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelby Hart.
Hi Shelby, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2020, after losing two jobs in the hospitality industry, I re-opened my Etsy account in hopes of making a few sales while I figured out my next steps. At the time, my Etsy account had a few glass mugs, hand-painted coasters, and some other items I put vinyl decals on (maybe 5 sales in total). While at a cute coffee shop in Charleston, I saw them using a unique and fun-shaped glass (now known as the beer can glass) and thought my mug designs would look super cute. I started with floral and plant designs, found the glasses for wholesale prices, and revamped my entire Etsy with a new name, logo, colors, etc. That’s when I began crafting beer can glasses that went viral on social media, propelling me into a full-time job. The beer can glass was not famous, nor had anyone added designs like mine, so it got traction quickly. Drawing inspiration from my love for gardens, flowers, and plants, I infused my designs with botanical elements, capturing the beauty of nature. The response was overwhelming, and soon beer can glasses the trendiest cup of 2022. All while this was happening, I had planned to create my own wedding planning business and had everything set to go for it. I had no plans to have this cup business, but I am so happy I went for it. I created my website and moved my products over from Etsy since I brought in all my customers instead of Etsy. I had sell-out launches, and people flooded my messages, and emails asking for restocks. I went from using vinyl decals to finding a glassware manufacturer who put all my designs on for me, making the glassware dishwasher safe. From 5 sales on Etsy to over 20,000 glasses sold, I couldn’t believe the success was happening. Now, I continue to expand my shop, designing new launches each month and adding other homeware items and new glassware types. It’s been an incredible journey turning setbacks into success, all while sharing my passion for nature through my creations.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the struggles along the way:
- Supply issues that happened post covid. I could not get my hands on the blank beer can glass, nor could my manufacturer. Typically my manufacturer supplies the glassware and adds the design, but we needed help finding it available. I searched through many companies that sold it, and so many were back-ordered. I had to make a decision, and with the help of a family loan, I found a company with a huge shipment coming that spring. I bought almost their entire inventory (planned to last me the year) and waited patiently, hoping it arrived on time. It was pushed back a few times, but ultimately it came in and was sent to my manufacturer and kept me in business for a while. I had to do this a few times, and it was always a waiting game because it would keep getting delayed. It was also the issue of tons of other businesses making the glassware and trying to get their hands on it. It was quite the supply and demand ordeal!
- Dealing with the stress of starting a business. People don’t realize the mental load you take on as the sole owner of a business. I was working more hours than my salaried job, and you deal with the mentality of “What if my business stops getting sales?” “what if I don’t make enough money this quarter?” and many other future-oriented roadblocks. My business grew so fast that I was nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it or that I would grow it too fast. In 2022 I worked a lot on controlling that stress and creating a work-life balance. I stopped working on the weekends (unless there was a deadline for packing orders) and signed off around 5-6 pm. I started picking up the other hobbies I enjoy again (baking, knitting, reading, watching reality tv) and ensuring I did those regularly throughout the week. I work out most mornings and take walks in nature to turn my brain off the business. I am now in a very comfortable work-life balance.
- Packing orders. Each restock would come with 500+ orders that I would have to pack on my own in a matter of days. I had friends, family members, and my husband helping me get the orders out. It was a super time-consuming and very repetitive activity. It left me little free time to make new designs and focus on marketing and social media; both were super important to the success of my business. I ended up switching to using a fulfillment center in 2022, and it has been so helpful in freeing up my time, and my social media has bloomed from it as well as the designs I can make for the glassware.
- People are copying my artwork. After going viral several times on Instagram and Tiktok, the beer can glass world blew up. Every small business was now incorporating them into their products. A few decided to copy my artwork and business design, which was frustrating. Amazon started selling them, other box stores started selling them, and I kept seeing them all over social media. While it was super cool that I started a trend, it also made me nervous about my sales. I hired a brand designer (best decision ever!!) and made my business into garden-inspired designs. It helps me stand out from the crowd. I also am one of the few companies where the glassware is dishwasher safe, which also helps!
- Keeping up with demand. This is something I still need help with. My website is sometimes fully stocked or has almost nothing because a video goes viral, and people buy it. It takes my manufacturer about 4 weeks to get designs made and restocked, and I’m still working on this side of the business. All my launches are preorders so that people can get the design they want without it selling out, and that also takes a few weeks to get products into the hands of my customers.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
This is my full-time job, and I love it so much! My entire brand embodies me, making it super easy to market on social media. My specialty is creating garden-inspired, dishwasher-safe glassware for people to use daily! They are supposed to make my customer’s day more enjoyable because they get to drink out of a cute cup. The cups are meant to be used daily rather than as special cups that you only pull out for certain occasions because you’re worried about ruining them.
I am most proud of the customer base I’ve built. I have many repeat customers in B2C and B2B, and I’ve also become friends with some of them. People feel comfortable chatting on social media and hearing about how much they love their cups. I have received some wonderful stories over the past few years about how special the cup’s design is to them (butterflies that remind people of loved ones that have passed, certain flowers that remind people of grandparents or parents, and just the overall joy the design brings). It reminds me that life’s small things are important in keeping people happy and content.
My business is mainly e-commerce, and you can find everything on hartandflorashop.com. I do a few pop-ups around Charleston and wholesale through Faire or email with my wholesale catalog. Every product you see is designed by myself; I draw everything on my iPad and work with manufacturers to put it on it. It is so fun to see my designs come to life!
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
While owning a small business is so hard, especially with social media changing all the time and the cost of living rising, it is so worth it. Using my creativity almost every day is rewarding, and having the flexibility to set my hours and work as much or as little as I want is life-changing. Although I work about as much, if not more than a 9-5 job, it doesn’t feel the same because you’re working for yourself.
My most extensive advice when starting a small business is to show your face! People purchase from my business because they connect with me. They love seeing behind the scenes what’s happening in my personal life, my cute wiener dog, my amazing husband Ian, what I’m baking, etc. Customers feel more connected to the purchase and want to support someone they feel is a friend. I know it’s scary to put yourself out there, but I promise it will strengthen your small business. Also, take your time thinking about it. Packing orders – start filming yourself, selling at a market -film yourself setting up (I went viral with this), working at your desk designing – film yourself! These can all be used for social media. Just set up a tripod from Amazon, put your phone on it, and press record for a few minutes. Move the tripod around for a few different angles, and that’s it!
Another advice is to ask for help/take the help offered. I would be nowhere in this business without my husband, Ian, who is a full-time firefighter for North Charleston but has packed 100s of orders for me, my friends who show up and pack orders and have bought from all my restocks as well as posted about me on social media and my family who helped me with constant support. My mom even flies into Charleston to help with markets and packing orders, and I am forever grateful. Ask for help, take the help, and think you need help to do everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: hartandflorashop.com
- Instagram: @shophartandflora
- Facebook: @shophartandflora
- Other: TikTok: @shophartandflora
