Midweek Mugging: Earth Goddess

This week’s Midweek Mugging recipients are Sandy McInnis and Shannon MacGregor, the co-owners of Earth Goddess.

Earth Goddess, at 5586 Demone St. in the north end, sells handcrafted jewelry along with an assortment of other artisanal goods including soaps and candles.

“Everything in here is from the earth,” McInnis said. “Shannon works a lot with stones and crystals, and silver. And everything that we have, like if its a handbag or scarf, they’re either going to be silk or linen, cotton—pure fabrics.”

Prior to having a place of their own, MacGregor used to sell her jewellery at a shop where McInnis once worked. When MacGregor found a storefront available in the Hydrostone district, the sight of their first location, she decided to open Earth Goddess. She invited McInnis, who was semi-retired at the time, to join her.

“I’ll tell you how we decided to be partners – a couple of trips to the beach!” McInnis laughed. “She started to work on me, and I said, 'You’re crazy.' And then I started to think about it and I said sure, let’s do it.”

McInnis explained that MacGregor is responsible for the design and the creativity of the store, while McInnis herself comes from a strong retail background that includes a program in merchandising and management.

“We are like yin and yang, really,” McInnis said. “My husband even sits back and goes like, I can’t believe the two of you. It’s really a wonderful partnership.”

While a majority of the jewelry sold at Earth Goddess is made by MacGregor, the store also offers pieces by other creators, including Donna Hiebert, designer of the Halifax waterfront Wave.

“Everything here is Canadian and it’s done mostly by young women…we really like to support that end of it,” McInnis said.

McInnis said some of their most popular products include their signature necklaces, items from their organic bath selection, and their selection of crystals and gemstones. The latter come accompanied with small cards that describe their property meanings.

“Any time you buy anything here that’s a stone or crystal, we have all the meaning cards. And people love that, too, especially when it’s being gifted,” McInnis said.

McInnis noted that while most customers are women, the ages tend to vary.

“Our store is extremely welcoming. We’ve tried to really build up a really strong rapport with our clientele, so that we’re on a first-name basis,” McInnis said. “And you know, we want them to have an experience. It’s not all about coming in and filling out wallets.”

She said the store has had women come in from as far as northern New Brunswick, often having seen their items online first.

“For me, I just enjoy the clientele so much,” McInnis said. “[And] I get so inspired by all the products in here…these women are so creative in what they do. From greeting cards up to awesome jewelry—it just blows my mind, it really does.”