Shop Local

Shop Local: Hauswitch in Salem, MA

As part of our Chakra journey we have expanded our mindset to the many possibilities of living a healthy and intention-filled lifestyle. More and more we are learning about the healing capabilities of nature and the ultimate power of love. As a holistic lifestyle brand we are always interested in meeting like-minded souls. Through Instagram we have gotten to learn about so many cool blogs, businesses, and people. One person who had caught our eye, and we finally got to the chance to meet in person was Erica Feldmann, who owns the store HausWitch Home + Healing in downtown Salem, Massachusetts. Erica’s store has everything you could possibly need to improve the energy of your home, from candles to crystals, to décor and personal care products. Last Saturday we got to chat with her about starting her store and how she has built her brand from the ground up.

hauswitchsalemhauswitchEricaTell us a little about yourself? I’m a Gemini and I was born and raised in the Midwest. I moved to Salem from Chicago in 2010 to study Gender and Cultural Studies in graduate school. I focused on the intersection of Witches and radical feminism and earned my MA in 2012. I have two cats named Moscow and Salem.

What inspired you to start the store? I fell in love with Salem the minute I moved here, but I felt like there weren’t many retail businesses that celebrate what the people who live here actually love about it. Most of the shopping is directed at tourists, which I totally get, but I thought there was a big open space for a store that featured local and emerging artists and celebrated Salem in a more intentional way. hauswitchtourspellpotions hauswitchcandlehauswitchwallWhat do you hope people take away from their experience at shopping at your store? I hope they take away a big bag of goodies haha! No, just kidding, (sort of). I hope people feel good about what they buy because it was made by a person who put love and intention into it.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Oh boy. In 5 years I hope that HausWitch as a brand has expanded. I would love to have more locations for the store, but that also sounds really daunting. I have so many different interests and projects going on that it’s hard to know exactly what will be the direction I go in, but I’m lucky because I think as a brand HausWitch has a lot of opportunities to grow. witchstorehours skullcandleHow are you involved in the Salem community? It’s funny because the community surrounding the events at the store has been the most wonderful and unexpected thing about our first year in business. Before I opened the store there weren’t many Witchy events open to the public so when we started doing them people really appreciated it. So in that way I’m very involved in the Salem community.hauswitcheventsHauswitch gallerywallWhat are some of your favorite products you sell? Well, I love our spell kits, obviously. Also, Boundaries in A Bottle by Dori Midnight was the first product I knew I needed to stock because I find it so effective personally. Our Black Jack Wax candles are the most potent, amazing smelling candles I’ve ever used and that’s saying a lot because I’m a scented candle junkie. I also love all of the ceramics that Christina Kosinski, a local artist and friend makes. windowdisplayWhat advice do you have for budding female entrepreneurs? Your intuition is the greatest asset you possess. It’s like a muscle, the more you use it the sharper it gets. Also, chances are you are more prepared and qualified to do whatever it is you’re trying to do than you think. A lot of times women think they have to have everything exactly right, all ducks in a row to launch a project whereas men just jump in. I had NO IDEA what I was doing when I opened the store, and still really don’t. That’s part of the process, you learn by doing. But first you have to just DO IT. witchcity copy

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1 Comment

  • Reply
    Mina
    October 23, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    I apcaiperte you taking to time to contribute That’s very helpful.

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