Today we’d like to introduce you to Graham Breitenstein.
Hi Graham, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a September 13th Virgo originally from Louisville, Kentucky. In the summer of 2005, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional dance and acting career in Hollywood. Throughout my 18+ years in entertainment, I have worked as a professional dancer, assistant choreographer, and movement coach for artists like Idina Menzel, Lady Gaga, Meghan Trainor, JoJo Siwa, Charlie Puth, Todrick Hall, and countless others. And while I was dancing on worldwide stages, including 2017’s Super Bowl, you could almost always find me in a hotel room studying Astrology in awe and wonder.
While touring the world with Lady Gaga, I was the tipsy, social extrovert dancing around celebrity-packed parties, asking for everyone’s Sun sign, slowly coaxing birth times out of fellow woo-woo types that just “got it.” As you can imagine, a bit of a reputation was born.
Beyond the globetrotting parties, though, I had begun using Astrology to learn more about myself, to deepen my understanding of the people around me, and eventually used my own chart to ignite the joy I was longing for. Once I beared witness to my own personal transformation, every ounce of my service-oriented “Virgo-ness” needed to share the formula with others.
Hence, on July 23rd, 2018, Drunk Astrology was born—a service and product-based business devoted to wildly curious, open-minded individuals in search of more–more life, more love, more happiness, and more FUN!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
When I first began Drunk Astrology, I was only interested in growing a following on social media. I did not have a plan, a growth strategy, or any kind of official offerings for anyone that followed me. At that time, the only thing I was doing was creating insanely kooky characters and delivering each week’s horoscope. Over time, a few people started DM’ing me asking if I did readings. After initially saying, “nope! No way!” I eventually pulled up my big boy pants and started giving 1-on-1 readings to anyone who asked me for one. In hindsight, it’s so crazy because I’d just have them VenMo me fifty bucks and we’d FaceTime through our DM’s on Instagram! “Humble beginnings” is an understatement.
In November 2019, I remember preparing all of the astrological aspects for 2020 and thinking to myself, “Gah-lee! What is this big moment that’s practically yelling at me to make Drunk Astrology more of a solid business instead of just a side gig?! This is crazy!” I went into the year knowing that I needed to build a website that included a scheduling block–a one-stop shop where a client could book their reading and pay for it all in one place. I invested $3,000 in a business course at the top of the year, begrudgingly forced myself to build a functional website, and never looked back.
Initially, my plan was to open my doors in April 2020 and begin seeing clients out of my apartment. Once March came along and the lockdowns commenced, though, I had to pivot with a quickness! I took a crash course in Zoom and stumbled my way through beginning what has now become a primarily virtual business! Front loading all the work was intense, especially because I have zero background in business or web design, but once I found a rhythm and the reading confirmation emails began stacking up in my inbox, it all felt so worth it!
My Zodiac Superlative Candles and Cosmic Body Oils didn’t come into the picture until June 2021 and when I tell you the road to adding products to a service-based business has been CRAZY? It’s bananas! The cliff notes version goes like this: I hired a candlemaker to make the candles for me as a private labeler. We collaborated on coming up with each sign’s scent, but after a few months, she quit making candles altogether. At that time it was no skin off my back so I walked away from having product and bittersweetly thought, “well it was cute while it lasted!”
Then, in November 2021 the LA Times published their “27 Coolest Made-in-L.A. Gifts to Give this Year” and my Zodiac Superlative Candles were featured as one of them. Cue: panic attack! Orders flooded my inbox and with little to no inventory left, I had to go to the only two stores that carried my candles, buy their stock back, and fulfill the orders that were coming in left and right. Even after that, my waitlist filled up with over 80 names and I didn’t have a clue what my next steps were.
As the fates would have it, a good friend introduced me to a perfumer in the height of the holiday season, and in the midst of retail holiday madness, we recreated all 12 of the zodiac signs fragrance blends but alas, another hiccup was on the horizon! She herself could not take on the workload of running her own business and making the amount of inventory I needed so another crossroads moment presented itself: do I find someone else to make them or do I learn how to make them myself?
Long story short, I am now an Astrologer and Candlemaker, hand-pouring each and every candle right here in my apartment, which I have officially dubbed Drunk Astro Studios!
So has it been a smooth road? Definitely not, but on the other side of absolute chaos a new normal has been born and for that, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
There are tons of Astrologers out there, but what sets Drunk Astrology apart from the rest is the fun factor! Spiritual work is already deep, intense, and profoundly healing. Knowing that my philosophy is: let’s acknowledge our shadows, unravel our purpose, tear down limiting belief systems, manifest and create the life of our dreams, and have a great ass time while we’re at it!
My services revolve around 1-on-1 birth chart readings, oracle card reading subscriptions (weekly and monthly), and an upcoming Drunk Astro Lovers Membership Portal where members have free access to new and full moon manifestation seminars, virtual happy hours, and discounted rates for readings, subscriptions, and products!
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Funny enough, my own podcast, “This Week with Drunk Astrology” was born out of what I already do for myself to show up each and every day–I look at each week’s astrological highlights and determine how to best use my time based on what I want to accomplish that week. Some weeks have an emphasis on work, others on home life, and some are better for cultivating long-lasting, soul-satisfying relationships. It’s truly that work that has transformed my life.
Outside of my own work, I absolutely love Mel Robbins and the work she does for humanity. I’m beyond inspired by her leadership and the amount of research she does to show the science behind self-sabotage and limiting belief systems.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.drunkastro.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drunkastrology
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYp8WU4_W_SFQLnHscV4dng
Image Credits
Tarik Carroll, Stephanie Hines, Herman Castle III
