Meet Briana Barrientos | Small Business Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Briana Barrientos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Briana, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

Hi! I’m Bri, the owner, and creator of Crystal Wood Shop.

The thought process and reasoning as to why I started my small business were never planned. It just happened! Through manifestation, I was able to determine the path I should take to pursue my own life’s purpose. The birth of my small business began to blossom as I discovered my own aspiration to help others and to create a positive space for all, to heal, educate, and aid in their own spiritual journeys.

From a young age, I have always wanted to be someone who could be there for others in their time of need. So, I am ever grateful to the universe for allowing me to follow this path with my small business and allow me to continue helping others in a spiritual and magical way. When I turned 18, I fell even more in love with the magic of crystal healing and immediately wanted to learn more!

I educated myself not solely on crystals themselves, but as well as how to properly use them and their healing properties. Throughout my own journey, I learned that crystals can help us in many ways, such as physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. With this knowledge, I started incorporating what I learned into my own everyday life through mediations, sound healing, and spiritual practices. These spiritual tools allowed me to see life in a more positive and meaningful way, that I not only wanted to share with my own family and friends but with others as well.

Furthermore, I took a huge leap in my own journey and decided that in December 2022, I would create my own business, Crystal Wood Shop. What first started off as my sitting in my room creating wired crystal jewelry on instagram, quickly expanded into creating my own website that features not only my past products but as well as, spiritual intention candles, self-care essentials, and other spiritual tools that allow anyone to tap into their intuitive magic, regardless of their spiritual level.

My hope with Crystal Wood Shop is to inspire others with my own story and to help motivate them to not give up on their dreams of starting their own business, and that with hard work and dedication, it can come true. I am grateful for this opportunity to allow me to grow as a creator and potentially reach others who may not know who or what Crystal Wood Shop is and to give them an opportunity to learn a bit more about us and what we do. I hope that the world can see Crystal Wood Shop as a place to help others and to create a positive space for all, to heal, educate, and aid in their own spiritual journeys.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

As a small business owner who focuses on handmade crafts, what keeps me busy professionally is constantly looking at ways to improve and create new products that would stand out from those in the marketplace.

I am also someone who loves to collaborate with other creators, so when given the opportunity I am always looking forward to seeing how my products and knowledge can combine with others. For example, one of my favorite collaborations was with Geny Salamat, a local yoga instructor and health coach, that hosts breathing classes to educate and lead in guided meditation. I was able to provide crystal healing affirmation bracelets from my shop to enhance the intention of the meditation and bring forward spiritual healing.

Lastly, creating a sustainable work-life balance. In the beginning, it was just me, wearing anywhere between 6 to 7 hats. I dedicated every moment I had to my business and making sure it would succeed, so it was hard to differentiate what my own personal time was and what was time for my business. Now, I live my life by a schedule, if it’s not marked on my calendar in advance, I won’t be able to do it. I take days out of the week for my own mental health, granted I still answer emails and messages, but I also know when it’s time to work and when it’s not.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a ton of people and markets I would love to thank and shout out for my success with Crystal Wood Shop, such as Montrose Marketplace, Ascend Arts Market, Macabre Market, and Houston Plant Market, but the one that stands out the most for me would be Mala Market Houston.

Mala Market Houston is located at 1302 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019, and gave me the opportunity to expand my business into a physical store and become a permanent vendor where you can now shop our products in person! For that, I am forever grateful!

Somya Gupta, the owner of Mala Markert Houston, created a non-profit collective space with a focus on providing local makers, crafters, and doers with a collective and collaborative space to promote handmade goods. The market aims to encourage shopping locally and sustainably so that Houston can grow towards a more eco-conscious community together.

Website: https://www.crystalwoodshop.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalwoodshop

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalwoodshop

Image Credits
Image Credits: Jennifer (@desertselkie) Briana Nicole (@bbriana.nicole)