Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Fischman.
Hi Phil, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Our business – Beads, Crystals and More is a Love affair, a childhood passion, and pure joy that’s never waned! It’s also an American small business success story as I walked into a small local shop that going to close. I thought I was there to spend a dime, buy a small piece to finish earrings for my wife’s birthday. But instead, my wife and I invested every dollar we had, using our bank savings, taking a 2nd on our Encinitas house (at 13%), and borrowing $5k from my dad. We were truly all in! That was 25 years ago. My love affair with crystals of the earth began as a child. I experienced a spiritual awakening at 6 1/2 ~ crystals came into my life’s consciousness few months later and have been my guides throughout my life. They hold profound beauty and energy (I actually hear their vibrations like radio waves). Crystals are powerful ~ when we stand on a beach, we feel calmer, when we’re at the base of a mountain we feel inspired – in each case we’re standing on and experiencing the vibrations and presence of crystals in the earth! So, my inner child has continued to embrace crystals, traveling, digging, collecting, studying, sharing…I’ve created gifts with special crystals and beads for my loved family and friends, for Academy and Grammy Award-winning celebrities, sports stars, and even a president. I love sharing with children (of all ages) who visit our shop in Vista as they experience a similar inspiration in their lives! Now beads came to me a bit later, when I was (slightly older child) 15 on the Boardwalk in Seaside Heights NJ. I saw a (my first) Chevron bead, made in Venice Italy around 1500…traded and traveled the world, worn by African Kings and Indigenous American Warriors… My first old bead stimulated my imagination as it spoke volumes of trade and travel, culture, and art… I worked in my first bead shop during my freshman year of college in Tucson Az. I’ve been attending the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show – the world’s Largest, for the past 50 years visiting with miners and traders from all parts of the world. Beads are the oldest human art from predating cave paintings by 75,000 years…beads can be made from shells and stone, glass and bone. We have beads dating back 6,000 years in our Museum Collection. Our shop has a multi-cultural bead museum room featuring African, Native American, Tibetan, and Island artifacts… So here I am a child at heart still living my dream!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
OMG no! Hahahahaha!!! LOL, Ok, so I walked into the small shop on Coast Highway in Encinitas down the block from the SRF Temple. It was going out of business so I inquired and negotiated the best price I could to buy it from the couple who started the small shop. We literally used every dime and dollar we had to our name to buy the small business. I agreed to take it over on August 23rd (rather than September 1st) as I didn’t have the money to pay the first month’s rent!!! I figured I could just barely make rent in the 8 days of Aug 23-31, and I did. (Whew!) I (and my wife) worked nearly every day for several years, reinvesting every dollar we could back into the shop. There were major bumps in the road including a recession, SoCal wildfires, a pandemic, greedy landlords (who wanted to raise our rent during the pandemic shutdown), and of course the supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures! We LOVE the challenge of being a small business ~ God Bless America!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Aloha! Ahhh, my “work” is my passion and my play! I began exploring for crystals at the age of 7, they’ve been my guides ever since. My early creativity took the form of writing poetry and staying up all night making candles. I began creating necklaces, earrings, and bracelets as gifts for my mom and sisters. During the past 50 years, I’ve created for my family and friends and for celebrity clients as well. My wife Valeri and I own Beads, Crystals, and More for the past 25 years – This is my love, passion, and spirit manifest as a small business. We’re known for sharing amazing crystals of the earth and some of the world’s most beautiful beads. We’re recognized for the exceptional quality and unique beauty in our shop. We even have a multi-cultural Tribal Bead Museum in our shop with ancient beads and artifacts from African, Native American, Tibetan, and other tribes from around the world.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
🙂 My wife and I spoke of taking a “leap of faith” in buying this business (and several other life decisions as well) I walked into the shop to spend a dime, found it going out of business. I saw the potential and discussed it with my wife. I negotiated a purchase for the business, and we invested all we had to acquire it…we used our savings, took a 2nd mortgage on our Encinitas home, and borrowed $5,000 from my dad. I promised my wife we wouldn’t lose our house… I utilized a business financing idea I’d learned and took over the business on August 23rd. After buying the business, we didn’t have enough money for the 1st month’s rent…I took a calculated RISK then I could make the rent in the last 8 days of the month…and we did! Since then, we’ve continued to work and reinvest and share our love and joy. In the 25 years, we’ve touched hundreds of thousands of lives…
Pricing:
- Beads from 5 cents to hundreds
- Crystals from $1 to thousands
- Pocket stones from 50 cents
- Supplies from $1 up
- Classes from $35
Contact Info:
- Website: Beadscrystalsandmore.com
- Instagram: Beads, Crystals and More
- Facebook: Beads, Crystals and More
- Youtube: Beads, Crystals and More
- Yelp: Beads, Crystals and More
