Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Braganca.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I had always wanted to work in an eco shop because it seemed like an impactful way to make a difference in creating the new green economy. Eco shops also seemed like a calm place where people can leave stress at the door & browse through products that are better for their health and better for the planet. I had been working in marketing at a commercial solar company for a while & in late 2022 I decided I needed to make a change. I looked for other jobs similar to what I had been doing, but realized what I really wanted to do was go back to the eco shop idea. I live near Main Street in Ellicott City but there weren’t any eco shops there so I started toying with the idea of opening one myself. Summer of 2023 I was on a travel softball trip with my daughter in the Carolinas. We ended up going to a cool little surf shop that has been around since the 1960s. I walked in & was like- ‘this is the vibe I want the eco shop to have.’
I started looking for an available space on Main Street in EC & also found some spaces in Catonsville. I emailed some shop owners on the street that I thought might be moving or had available space. Within a few weeks, I got a response back from Anna at Gott Enfi, she knew of a small spot that would possibly be opening up soon. A few weeks later, I received confirmation that the space was open & the landlord asked if I wanted it. At the time, I had an LLC, a logo & a few ideas of what inventory I’d want to order. I decided to just take a risk & do it. I placed my first inventory orders that night & signed a lease about 10 days later. Two weeks after signing the lease, I opened the shop.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a retail shop is a roller coaster- especially for someone who had never done retail before! It’s been relatively smooth, though. I’ve learned you have to be open to pivoting, shifting, and focusing. Keep the foundational aspects the same, messaging & purpose will always be consistent but product mix should follow what customers want.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Earth Tribe is an eco shop that carries a wide array of eco conscious products. I wanted to be a one-stop shop for all aspects of sustainable living. The shop has organic cotton clothing, handmade jewelry, zero waste kitchen products, clean ingredient personal care items. I’ve also just started carrying plastic-free cleaning supplies which customers seem to really like so far!
Eco shopping in general has always been a mish mosh effort in finding all kinds of different websites that carries sustainable products for different categorical uses. I used to buy organic cotton clothing from one site (hope it fits) then zero waste lunchbox items for the kids from another site then buy eco cleaning products from a different site…it was endless. My goal is to bring everything under one roof to make sustainable living easy & stress-free. Right now I only have a 250 square foot space so I can’t quite get everything in there, but I have as much as I can hold at the moment. I’m looking to expand to a bigger spot!
What matters most to you? Why?
A healthier planet & healthier living. Because polluting our bodies & polluting the planet seem like terrible ideas to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://earthtribeshop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theearthtribeshop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/earthtribeshopec
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@theearthtribeshop
