Meet Amanda Rechsteiner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Rechsteiner. 

Hi Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I used to claim that I was not the crafty type… until I started crafting and decorating for sorority events, my siblings’ graduation parties, and then my own wedding. I fell in love with going to Michaels, Joann Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby to pick out all of my supplies and materials and watch them turn into the finished product that I had in my head. From photobooths and balloon arches to centerpieces and custom signs, I started recognizing a gift that God had given me to see something in my head and piece it together with my hands. Not only was this fun for me but incredibly therapeutic and a hobby that I loved pouring my energy into. I started expanding my skills to jewelry making (mostly earrings, wire wrapped rings, and metal stamped rings), custom decals, glass cups, resin keychains, car diffusers, and embroidered shirts. 

Before I knew it, I had family and friends asking me to design and make their graduation caps, make personalized Christmas gifts for their friends and family, and make personalized jewelry for special people and events in their lives. I could only craft and create so much for myself, I love helping others, and I love making their ideas and thoughts come to life into a tangible product, so I started my Etsy page, Remembrance Valley, in 2020 during the pandemic. This gave me a way to keep track of all of my orders and sales along with finding and selling to customers all over the world. 

Just a few years ago, I was just messing around and crafting for fun with a few items in my room. Now, in 2022, Remembrance Valley has over 500 sales on Etsy, takes custom orders, helps decorate for events upon request, and is a local farmers’ market vendor at the Brighton Farmers Market in Michigan. My husband has also joined aboard and makes customized laser engraved cutting boards for gifts, weddings, and Realtors that work in my office with me. We love people, and we love creating for people with the gifts God has blessed us with. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. Being a small business owner means you wear every hat from creator to quality manager to accountant to photographer to marketer… you get the idea. There are parts that I love, and there are parts that I am not so good at and do not enjoy. At the beginning, I attempted to do everything, even if it was a weakness of mine. The business reflected it as well. I learned some of the tips and tricks of Etsy and the best practices of running a shop, but I had to learn how to outsource and ask the people in my life for help when they had strengths in my weak areas. My two main weaknesses were Etsy ranking (which is made up of your description, SEO (search engine optimization), key terms, and tags), and photography. I started outsourcing Etsy SEO, key terms, and tags to rank higher on search pages through Fiverr freelance services which has increased my Etsy traffic and orders. But one of the greatest changes and biggest blessings was finally accepting help with photography. God blessed me with a best friend who is a talented photographer (Alli Rose Photography). She had not done product photography before but has begun taking stunning photos of my products which has changed my entire Etsy storefront. My strength is bringing the product tangibly to life, and her strength is showing the beauty of it in the most high-quality, beautiful, and sophisticated way possible. I am grateful to have learned how to ask for help and outsource for best of the business. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Remembrance Valley specializes in jewelry (mainly earrings and rings), glass cups for iced coffee and other cold liquids, car diffusers, decals, resin keychains, and cutting boards. I love making all of these items and offering a variety of products. When someone looks at my Etsy shop or stops by my farmers market tent, I want them to find at least something that they love and relate with. 

Although I love making all that I do, my glass cups are what I am most proud of. These best sellers of mine are sustainable glass cups with bamboo lids and glass straws. The cups come in a variety of different designs such as smiley faces, hearts, flowers, and cute sayings. Not only are these aesthetically pleasing, but they are made to match the personality of the customer and hopefully bring a smile to their face every time they use their cup. I love being tagged in photos of my customers using their glass cups for their iced coffee in the morning. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://remembrancevalley.etsy.com/

Image Credits
Alli Rose Photography