Community Highlights: Meet Shikha Gupta, Phd of Karmic Creations

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shikha Gupta, Phd

Hi Shikha, 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 grew up in India with a fascination for trees and a penchant for drawing them. A few years ago, I moved to the US and discovered woodworking during the COVID pandemic. After my first attempt, I was hooked. I practiced for about a year before creating pieces for personal use and sale. My items sold out quickly, revealing a significant growth opportunity.

While the home goods and kitchen essentials market is saturated, I noticed a gap: high-quality products often come with steep price tags, while stores like Walmart, Target, and Amazon offer low-quality items that deteriorate quickly. Leveraging my research skills, I experimented with sourcing high-quality woods at lower price points. For example, instead of the more common (and expensive) walnut for end grain cutting boards, I used Acacia wood (also a hardwood like Walnut and just as beautiful with its dark brown hue). This allowed me to reduce prices to almost half for similar size thick end grain cutting boards.

As a result, my products became bestsellers on Etsy, attracted corporate clients for gifting, and led to wholesale invitations from large companies. In just three years, I’ve grown my business from zero to being close to crossing seven figures this year.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No business is without challenges, and I’ve faced every conceivable one. From capital investment and cash flow issues to navigating business structure, I’ve dealt with it all. I’ve been emotionally attached to products I believed were exceptional but that didn’t sell, taking up valuable inventory space. I struggled with social media, learned how to take quality photos, do designing and create original designs for customers, and wrestled with the pace of scaling—feeling both excited about potential and nervous about scaling back. I’ve even faced warnings that I was heading for bankruptcy. Despite these hurdles, I continue to learn and grow.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I launched Karmic Creations at the end of 2021. Inspired by my deep belief in karma, I chose the name Karmic Creations. The name reflects my personal and professional experiences, learnings, and passions, all channeled into a vision of creating something uniquely my own. Karmic Creations acknowledges my struggles and embodies my grit and determination to overcome challenges. One of my favorite quotes is by Maya Angelou: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, compassion, some humor, and some style,” and Karmic Creations provides me with the opportunity to do just that.

Karmic Creations is renowned for its handmade quality pieces that enhance any space, offered at delightful prices. What sets us apart is our commitment to personalization; I create original designs that bring my customers’ visions to life, ensuring that each piece is unique.

I am particularly proud that Karmic Creations allows me to give back. By channeling my passion for handcrafting beautiful items into this business, I have been able to contribute to CASA in Los Angeles, an organization dedicated to supporting underprivileged children.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Two qualities that have consistently served me throughout my life are resilience and adaptability. I learned resilience from my father, who taught us by example never to give up and to keep pushing through. Winning is about getting back up every time you fall; it’s not failure if you have the resilience to try again.

However, resilience must be accompanied by adaptability. I’ve observed too many people blame their circumstances, or external factors like the economy and politics instead of taking accountability when things aren’t working. In business, it’s essential to pivot quickly and recognize that if something isn’t selling, the issue often lies in product quality, design, pricing, or marketing—not in external factors.

I’ve seen individuals repeatedly make the same mistakes without changing their approach, which is something I strive to avoid. When faced with challenges, I focus on internal factors to identify and address issues. If I can’t resolve them, I move on and explore different avenues.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.karmiccreations.shop/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karmic_creations_store/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@karmic_creations_store
• Other: https://karmiccreationsstore.etsy.com

Image Credits
NA. All pics taken by me.