When you think of adjectives that describe Austin, you’ll eventually get to words like “organic,” “homemade,” “natural,” “conscious,” and “community.” That’s why Austin merchant Shakti Soul fits in so well here.
The local company, which started last fall by Brittany Starheart and Cassandra Noboa, sells organic soaps, salves, essential oils, body scrubs, handcrafted jewelry, and beautiful leatherwork. Prices range from about $4 to $20 per item.
The two cofounders, who met four years ago while teaching at a preschool, sell on Etsy and Facebook, as well as at markets at places like White Horse.
This $20 necklace, which you can buy on Etsy, is considered a healing piece.
The idea, like many of their products, grew organically a couple of years ago, when they made soaps for friends and family for Christmas.
Everyone who received these products loved them and began requesting more, which created an “Aha!” moment that flung into a full-fledged business. This isn’t foreign territory for either Starheart or Noboa, who sold everything from homemade jewelry to hula hoops in high school. If anything, it’s a natural outflow.
“We’ve long wanted to share our understanding and education about natural healing and prevention and taking care of our bodies in wholesome ways, to not only live long lives but lives of quality,” Starheart said.
Detoxify those lymph nodes with this $15 mushroom medicine salve.
And what better place to sell organic, homemade, healthy goods than Austin? After all, this is a city that values all things organic, homemade, and healthy. Austin and Shakti Soul are the perfect match.
“We find that Austin has a lot of self-conscious individuals,” Noboa said. “Our audience is an audience we can relate with because we’re sharing the same values. When we go out to events like markets and talk about our products here, we get incredible feedback and do great in sales.”
In the future, they’d like to have a storefront and wellness center, offering everything from yoga to nutrition classes. To follow this up-and-coming company, or to buy from Shakti Soul, go to the company’s Etsy page or Facebook.
