On a journey to healing, self-care and self-love, Izzah Answari created Gaia by Gadis to bring wellness with a special focus on uplifting and empowering the needs of all women.
The business was first created by the 27-year-old back in March 2021 when she was on her healing journey with crystals after experiencing the loss of a loved one. She wanted to share these experiences with crystals by selling them to others and aiding their journey.
“After going through my own healing journey with crystals. I wanted to open a small business where I can sell crystal stones and gems and also help to create a safe space where people could feel understood, while they began their own healing journey,” said the entrepreneur.
Gaia by Gadis offers thoughtfully curated and selected high-vibe crystals and they are 100 per cent natural and ethically sourced which means that they are neither dyed nor lab-created.
The brand specialises in curated crystals and other holistic wellness goods for abundance, healing and balance and they are also a platform for collaborations with other small businesses by integrating with crystal stones.
“For example, in 2021, I have collaborated with two small businesses. One was with Mersaktiba, where they provide crochet necklaces for our crystal stones and the next collaboration was with Teja Studio, in which we made crystal candles,” said Izzah.
Gaia by Gadis has a dual mission to spread positive energy to others, in the form of crystals and supporting women in businesses.
Some of their crystals are also purchased by mineral or stone collectors as the products that are offered by the 27-year-old and purely authentic.
The price ranges from $4 to $50, depending on the size and types of stones that the customer is looking for.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the sales of the crystals have also increased, and the entrepreneur believes that this is because people were trying to find different ways to cope with the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic.
“Perhaps people saw Tik Tok videos about healing crystals as at that time, crystals were definitely one of the new social media trends and more people are looking to try this out,” said the 27-year-old.
However, in selling crystals, the entrepreneur does encounter challenges that are sometimes hard to face and one of them is self-confidence.
At first, according to Izzah, becoming an entrepreneur seemed fun and exciting, and at times it is but most of the time, she battles with self-doubt. To overcome that, she would reflect on the positive feedback that received from customers and write it down in a journal.
Journaling has also helped the youthpreneur keep track of how she and her business is doing. It also helps to keep the irrational thoughts away and the negative feedbacks act as a guide for her to improve what may lack in her business.
In the future, the crystal enthusiast would like to open a physical store where customers can come in and choose and feel the crystals for themselves.
For her, there is a saying ‘you don’t choose crystals, they choose you’ and this will bring that to life when customers see the products physically.
“Instagram creates a disconnection when selecting your chosen crystals and that is why I want a physical store so that my customers can browse and choose their crystals,” said the business owner.
Gaia by Gadis shows how anyone can come up with a business and there are many things in this world that can be made into one and Izzah has found hers with crystal whilst also being able to be and stay in her healing journey.
Find out more about crystals and how they can heal by visiting their Instagram @gaiabygadis and see the different crystals that they have to offer.
This article was first published on 09 April 2022 in our Weekly Epaper issue 188 |
THE BRUNEIAN | BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
