Christine from Celestial Closet Case Study

I’d like to introduce you to Christine from Celestial Closet. She joined Chromatical Club on the 25th of May 2020.

I reached out to Christine to see if she’d like to chat about her results because she is really active in the club. She participates in almost everything, from the weekly questions of the week, to sharing ‘what’s going on in your world’ every fortnight, to asking questions, to helping out others, to doing the challenges, coming to zoom calls the works.

I love Christine to bits because she doesn’t just come into the club to help herself, she will give as much as she gets, and seeing how much time and love she spends and gives to the club, I wanted to ask her about it.

When she messaged me to say that she couldn’t submit my questionnaire because she wrote too much I laughed, because that is exactly the perfect example of who Christine is. She always wants to give as much as possible (to others and her own business) and this case study was no different. I am SO grateful for every single word you will read below.

She is a true inspiration. I hope you follow her online because she’s someone everyone should know.

I feel SO lucky to have been able to be a part of her business growth.

I hope you enjoy reading her club experience.

Why did you join Chromatical Club?

I was already following a few artists and creatives who were part of the club when it opened to foundation members - and the name "Chromatical" kept popping up in the feeds of some small makers and artists I was following in January of 2020.

In February, I purchased the "What the eff do I post about?" card deck from the Chromatical Marketing Store to see what the club might be able to offer me. These cards were little golden nuggets, and I wanted to find out more.

What appealed to me about the club was that I could engage with the content in my own time and pace and not be pressured to follow a step-by-step guide.

What did you hope to achieve from joining?

I signed up to the club hoping to find some ways to grow my business - both on social media, and I was also  hoping to improve my business financial situation.

For the last three years doing millinery, the work I was receiving was very seasonal or only occurred for special events/weddings. I'd made a financial loss my first two years in business and only just turned a profit in my third year. This was expected, but I thought surely, if I was going to keep going with my business, I needed to see some improved financial results or it was pointless.

I work full time, so also finding strategies to better manage my work-life balance (in my day job and Celestial Closet, and also life outside of my two jobs) was another thing I wanted to try and get some help with.

What were the biggest challenges you hoped the club could help with?

Let's face it, despite my background in musical theatre and stage performance, I'm an introvert who had very little confidence showing her face on Instagram. When writing my posts, it didn't feel like me writing, and I just didn't really know what to post or when. I didn't feel like I was able to write my posts because I wasn't a bubbly, extroverted personality who "just got marketing". I'm actually a high-functioning perfectionist who worried constantly about things not being polished, or whether my work was good enough to sell online.

My mentality prior to joining the club was that I just needed to make more sales if I was going to keep my business afloat, and having made a massive pivot in my product offering, I was trying to transition into a new phase of my business which some of my existing customers may not identify with.

Valuing my work and valuing myself and my work has also been a huge challenge for me. When I did millinery - knowing how to price my products was challenging. I also traded at comic conventions, where the demographic was younger with less income to spend. And there’s always that person who wants everything cheaper.

What has been your prior experience with marketing?

I had done 1 or 2 short in-person marketing workshops about Instagram, and what sort of things to post in the feed, but apart from that I really hadn't invested in my marketing at all.

I thought marketing in today’s age was solely putting great sales and product posts on social media. It is SO much more than this!

How has Chromatical Club helped you?

Within the first month of joining the club, I came to realise the value and the skill it takes to create my products, and that I was allowed to raise my prices. Having other people to chat to and to (metaphorically) give me a well needed slap in the face really helped with this.

One of the first videos I watched in the club was one about showing up on Instagram without worrying about everything being perfect. The first few Live videos and IGTV videos I filmed were really hard, as I wasn’t used to talking to camera or talking about my creative process. They're still hard!

By showing more of myself and my process, my potential customers were able to get to know there was a person behind the brand, and have some insight into how I design and make my products.

Over time, I've become more comfortable sharing videos and stories showing me or my hands at work making my jewellery, or showing how I calibrate and maintain the laser cutter, or even just me making my morning coffee!

I had a more concrete idea of what to post about on social media, and how to remain authentic to myself, and discovered new things about my business - defining a set of values that were specific to my brand, posting about what was important to me, thinking about what to post, and knowing the audience I was writing for.

Chromatical Club is a great resource for knowledge sharing with others - I have incrementally improved my website and social media accounts based on posts and resources shared by others. I've also implemented applications to make my business admin less time-consuming so I can spend more time doing what I love, which is the creative part!

If I have a new and wild idea, I can post about it in the club and get some feedback or suggestions on it before I go ahead with it - without feeling like it is ever judgmental. At the same time, I can share my knowledge with others - I work with eCommerce in my day job, and previously have worked in software and application integration so I enjoy sharing my tips and tricks in that area.

The folks in the club have also been super supportive when things don't go so well or when I have to deliver not-so-good news (such as a price increase) - I used to panic and think that I'd majorly screwed up, but the replies I've got from others in the club mean that I can take those not-so-great moments and turn them into learning opportunities or posts to engage with my community. Everyone has that facepalm moment, but knowing that others might have had that oooops moment too is comforting!

Growth in my business has definitely resulted from knowledge I've gained while being part of the Chromatical Club, but I've also grown personally as well and started to have much more confidence in myself!

Has the club helped you more than you expected?

The club has been the best thing that has happened for my business in 2020.

It's helped me to really solidify what Celestial Closet is about, and where I want to take the business in the future. I always saw my creative business as a side hustle on top of my “real job”, but Celestial Closet is now a proper part-time business for me and I’m proud of it. My big dream is starting up a maker studio specialising in plastic recycling and laser cutting. 

I really found my brand voice, and also found my own voice too. It's easy to say "oh, just show up as your authentic self" but the strategies and discussions I've had within the club encouraged me to really look within myself and reinforce what I stand for, and how I can authentically talk about my brand or share things about my brand, without anything feeling staged or fake. I'm much more comfortable being in front of the camera now.

Many small business owners, including me, face "impostor syndrome" on a daily basis. Getting feedback and commentary from people outside my business has really helped me acknowledge my business growth, and allowed me to finally feel proud of my work. And that what I'm doing with my business is truly amazing. I’ve always been pretty hard on myself, but learning to realise that financial success isn't the only measure of success in my business has been pretty huge.

The club has helped me realise it's also important to work ON my business instead of IN my business all the time, and how to have a healthy balance of both.

The social interaction and community within the club got me through a really tough period - adapting to the uncertainty of a global pandemic and needing to pivot from in-person selling, to solely selling online. Social media became a more important channel than ever, and I've learnt to leverage social media in a way that's healthy for me without needing to spend hours and hours each week (time that I don't have) working on creating posts and content.

What results have you achieved since joining the club?

I've been part of the club for nearly six months, and oh gosh, it has been an amazing six months. It has changed the way I perceive business and marketing, and helped me reach a point where my business is becoming financially viable (instead of reinvesting all the time).

Within the first month, I was able to connect with lots of other cool folks doing awesome things - it was the small business support network I needed, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. My goal early on this year had shifted to growing my sales online, as markets and in-person events which I had relied on for sales, were not possible.

1. Some numbery examples of growth I’ve seen with Celestial Closet

- At the time of joining Chromatical Club in May 2020, I had around 1,300 followers on Instagram, and as of early November, I have now reached 2,000 (an increase of 700 in six months), which is a huge milestone.

- Sales wise, I was receiving around 2-3 orders per week when I joined the club in May 2020. My latest collection release in November 2020 resulted in 50 orders being placed in two days!! Every new launch I've done has improved on the previous one - exponentially. It's getting REALLY crazy. But it's a good kind of crazy.

- My audience have become much more engaged with my content - it's being commented on, shared and saved more on Instagram, which is my primary social platform. Some posts have directly resulted in improvements to the number of website visits and conversions. I’m reaching more of the audience that I want to reach.

Who would have thought a pretty ordinary photo of some waste acrylic material would generate so many visits to my profile, 65 comments and 31 saves?

2. I’ve saved lots of time on business admin and marketing thanks to knowledge gained in the club

- I spend a lot less time doing manual data entry on orders thanks to some automation applications recommended during my time in the club!

- Batching everything I do allows me to batch my marketing or plan out my product launches in advance and build up some momentum prior to launching new items!

- I feel comfortable scheduling time to NOT work in my business - because I work full-time, often I'm juggling all of the hats and I am very prone to burnout. I'm prioritising my physical and mental health more and feel okay with taking nights off or not feeling I need to respond immediately to emails and messages.

3. As well as my business growing,  I’ve grown personally.

- I'm much more confident and comfortable being the face of my brand, and my customers now usually call me by my first name when they send messages.

- I've made connections with lots of other makers across the globe, and creatives, based on content I've posted - and also made many virtual small business friends along the way - who are in a similar boat to me!

- I have found there are more topics to post about than just my products, and I don't feel so stuck anymore!

- I see investing in my business as a positive thing - thanks to the growth I've been able to achieve, I can put things in place to make running my business easier, or pay for subscriptions to software or applications that seemed out of reach at the start of 2020. The club is a monthly investment, but I decided to take a chance on it, and the value I've received from the club far outweighs the monthly subscription price.

Do you think you'd be where you are now without the club?

I definitely would not be where I am today without the club. I think it would have taken me another two years at least, if I'd tried to keep going on my own.

I have had my own website since day one of my business (I personally did not want to sell on Etsy) and have sunk a lot of my own money into paying monthly subscriptions for an eCommerce platform, when I didn't have the sales or customers to warrant this. Only since the start of 2020 has my website really started converting, thanks to incremental online growth that has occurred based on actions I've taken or improvements I've made in how I run my business.

The support received from others in the club is the single most valuable thing about the club. Having a not-so-great time? Folks are open to chatting about it and more importantly, finding where things could be improved or offering constructive suggestions.

It's really shifted my mindset - I'm a Virgo, and a perfectionist with pretty high standards. But there is always a way to reframe something that hasn't gone as planned.

The club keeps me accountable - without being that annoying, naggy person constantly checking in on you, or tapping you on the shoulder, or asking why you haven't done something yet. I can check in and out when I like, and engage with the content and posts in my own time.

How would you put a value on what the club has done for you and your business?

It's too cheap! The club is a gold mine and wealth of knowledge.

I hate anything that's "grow your following in 7 days" or "make $10,000 in just 4 weeks" - ewwwwwww,, cookie cutter marketing courses that I feel are set on taking my money and not offering much in return. Blergh. eBooks, I'll probably read once and not come back to ever again. The club is a dynamic platform with new content almost daily, and if I want to refer back to something, I can search for a previous post.

I learn best by doing. I'm also very visual, and engage well with video content, and forum-type discussions. You can’t learn everything from books.

I feel most marketing courses are one-size-fits-all, but every business has their own unique quirks, and every business owner has different circumstances - such as working another job as well as their business, or family, or chronic health conditions. There is no hard and pushy pressure in Chromatical Club - this sort of pressure makes me really anxious. I still feel accountable and motivated to post in the club every week, and this is because of the other club members.

Celebrating the happy wins is super important, and the club and its members really help me to remember this and keep celebrating the little things and the important milestones beyond followers, sales or financial success.

What part of the club has surprised you the most?

The live Q&A are definitely a differentiator - being able to ask questions in real time, to subject matter experts (who are also members of the club) is so valuable. Seeing the other members over a video conference helps reinforce there's a whole, real community feeling in this club. 

There are "Chromie Teams", who are members in the club in the same industry or with similar goals, but no part of the club feels like it's excluding others from a discussion. You can ask a question and not feel silly for asking it, because usually someone else can relate!

The weekly challenges have also encouraged me to venture outside of my comfort zone and think about my business on a much deeper level. That's right, think about the questions and challenges in relation to MY BUSINESS, not just any jewellery business. My business!!

It's also not "business talk ALL the time" in the club, which is refreshing. In fact, it's often talked about in the club how taking a break can help recharge the batteries and reset. The club is still there for me if I take a few weeks off to focus on my health or to take a holiday.

The more you put in, the more you'll get out of the club - I've tried to participate in most of the mini challenges, which has let me try new things and see if they work for me. You'll also get to know the other members of the club better as well, which helps strengthen the community feeling.

Who would you recommend the club to?

I'd recommend the club to other small business owners who are looking to make a positive difference in their business. It doesn't matter whether it's day 1 or day 100 or if it's been a few years - there are a diverse range of members in the group, some of whom are starting out in business, some (like me) who had been in business for a while, but needed a helping hand to take some next steps, and others who were already more established but wanted some useful tips and tricks.

If you're in the fields of graphic design, social media management, business coaching, copywriting, marketing or mentoring - or just LOVE helping out small businesses - I would also highly recommend giving the club a try. You may be able to use your skills to help others (and be able to engage with some potential new clients). As a small business owner, it's really intimidating to know who to approach for professional services, and we usually want to find someone who we're comfortable talking to to help us with our businesses.

There are so many different skillsets in the club - I'm less comfortable with social media and marketing, however I'm great with my website backend and integrations. There's photographers, stylists, web developers and even business coaches, many of whom I'm really keen to collaborate with. I really admire some other members for what they post in the club, how they show up on social media, and the great things they have achieved. Some members of the club have become really great friends online, and they're people I actually want to meet up with in real life.

What do you love about Chromatical Club?

I love the Chrommunity.

I initially thought the club would just be another marketing group - and at first I thought I had to watch every video and take notes on all the knowledge or "what I should be doing for my business" like I'd have to in a structured marketing course.

That "what I should be doing for my business" is very different for every single person in the club.

Posting a question or asking for feedback usually results in a number of different members responding, all providing a unique perspective - some with ideas that you never would have thought about.

The other members really make this club great. And of course, the club's creator, Trish, talks about marketing in a very approachable manner, and understands how to relate to creative business owners and encourages them to think about what is best for their brand! Trish always jumps in and replies to most questions, which is not only super helpful and valuable, but her experience in marketing shows, and she'll always challenge you to approach your thinking in a different way.

Marketing doesn't feel so complicated anymore, and social media is no longer zapping all of my energy.

Lastly, can you tell us a little more about your businesses and where we can find you online?

Hi, I'm Christine - magic maker and boss lady at Celestial Closet! Outside of my small business, I'm a board and video gaming geek, I love going on long drives and adventures around Melbourne and beyond, and love the creative arts and musical theatre! At uni, I studied graphic design and web design. I'm approaching the magical age of 30, and I'm one of those rare people whose brain is both creative and logical!

By day, I work full time as a technical support specialist working with eCommerce and online stores for other small businesses, and by night, I create magical wearables with my laser cutter! I'm proud to be a female working in a STEM field, but I also need to let my creative side thrive too, and making jewellery with a laser cutter is the perfect mix of art and technology for my brain!

I started my business Celestial Closet at the end of 2016 - I predominantly sold fantasy, gothic and theatrical inspired millinery and headwear, but decided to solely focus on laser cut wearables in early 2020. It was a complete u-turn from the bespoke headpieces I had been making for three years. Designing jewellery instead allowed me to go back to my graphic design roots, and design original pieces from my imagination - allowing me to make pieces that I love, rather than being tasked with bringing to life a specific design that someone else had in mind. It also helped my designs to become more accessible to more lovely people!

You can find my work at:

Instagram - instagram.com/celestialcloset

Facebook - facebook.com/celestialclosetdesign

Website - https://celestialcloset.com

I also stock some of my wearables at the in.cube8r gallery and emporium in Fitzroy, Victoria (321 Smith Street)