When the Path is Crystal Clear: How Nadia Gholam Started a Successful, Astoria-based Etsy Shop

After a round of layoffs at her corporate job last year, Nadia Gholam was faced with a major decision: find another 9-5 job, or follow her long-time dream of starting her own business. She chose the latter, and now runs a thriving crystal Etsy shop out of her Astoria apartment. Nadia’s intuitive expertise and unique bundle packs have set her apart from the crowd, and her business has been steadily growing throughout the pandemic.

“The universe kind of forced my hand,” says Nadia. “I had dreamed of having my own business while working my 9-5 job, but couldn’t make the time to work on it. I finally decided to take a leap of faith!”

Nadia credits her family, friends and one fateful day in Astoria Park for her success thus far. “My friends have been incredible cheerleaders for me,” she says. “We were in Astoria Park back in March/April of last year, and I told them I wanted to have my own crystal shop. They were so supportive.”

Nadia’s main goals are to build a community through social media and eventually grow large enough to hire like-minded employees who share her passion for crystals.

“What really inspires me to keep going is the feedback I get from people who I’ve introduced crystals to. That feeling of connecting a person with a crystal is what lights my fire,” she adds.

You can support Nadia on Instagram at @reflective.magic and on Etsy at etsy.com/shop/ReflectiveMagic.