Ep 323 | Keida Dervishi

Written By Yasmin Nouri

How This Founder Used Social Media to Turn a Failed Etsy Shop Into a Multi-Million Dollar Business

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Keida Dervishi is the co-founder of Soulmate Customs, a personalized gift brand that turns cherished memories into custom embroidered and engraved gifts.

Keida started Soulmate Customs in 2021 after creating a personalized embroidered sweatshirt for her mother’s birthday, which sparked the idea for a business centered on meaningful gifts. Before this, she had tried multiple side hustles—selling clothing, phone cases, swimsuits, and jewelry on platforms like Etsy and Depop—but none gained lasting success. Everything changed when she shifted her focus to custom embroidery and posted a TikTok video of her first order, which went viral with 3.7 million views and brought in over 1,400 orders in a month. In just 11 months, Soulmate Customs surpassed $1 million in sales. Today, the business is family-run and has reached over 1.3 billion people across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

In this week’s episode, we talk to Keida about her journey from being aspiring singer and actress to becoming an entrepreneur - a path she never thought she’d be on. She opens up about the struggles of her first Etsy business which took off but then closed down—an experience that taught her that having a great product isn’t enough without strong marketing. But instead of giving up, Keida took those lessons and doubled down on learning, eventually launching Soulmate Customs. She gets real about the hustle—teaching herself embroidery through YouTube, staying scrappy with her resources, and leaning on her family to help grow the business. She also breaks down the power of social media, explaining how consistency in content creation—not perfection—was key to her viral success. We dive into the pressures of scaling, adapting to social media trends, and the mindset shifts needed to push through challenges, and so much more. 

Show Notes:

  • From singing and acting to entrepreneurship during COVID. [04:16]

  • Choosing passion over college and taking a nontraditional path. [09:56]

  • Starting her first Etsy shop and buying an embroidery machine. [11:52]

  • Overcoming Etsy shop closure due to copyright issues. [13:53]

  • Finding her next steps after the setback. [16:13]

  • Soulmate Customs began as a gift for her mom. [18:36]

  • The importance of scrappiness in business, inspired by her parents. [21:27]

  • Consistency matters more than perfection in content creation. [23:48]

  • Her mom's influence on doubling down on social media. [24:19]

  • Posting seven pieces of content daily. [26:42]

  • First Soulmate Customs order and marketing success. [28:08]

  • Frequent posting to boost engagement and sales. [29:18]

  • Consistency and authenticity are the key in content creation. [34:24]

  • Emotional selling connects with customers. [35:17]

  • Discipline and consistency are crucial for success. [37:20]

  • Pressure can be a motivating factor. [43:09]

  • Purpose fuels passion and commitment. [46:20]

  • The biggest challenges for Soulmate Customs. [54:50]

  • Keida’s struggle with hiring. [55:50]

  • Journaling for self-growth. [58:47]

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Ep 324 | Taryn Toomey
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Ep 322 | Jamie O’Banion