ystic Mondays is a modern tarot deck, published by Chronicle Books, founded by Grace Duong out of her apartment when living in Los Angeles in 2017. Grace is on a mission is to empower women to find the everyday magic within themselves and she founded Mystic Mondays with this goal in mind. From the start, she focused her business on designing a new tarot deck for the modern mystic, accompanied by a unique app with widespread appeal.
Grace saw that while tarot decks are popular, many of them have outdated designs and styles that don’t speak to herself or her generation. She wanted to change that by designing a stylish tarot deck and a killer website. Oh, did I mention she has an AWESOME app with over 300,000 downloads and a 4.9 app rating with over 200 unique ratings? Hell yeah, she does! We always love featuring our customers because they have such unique backgrounds and experiences, and we believe their stories can help inspire you to take your dreams to the next level. Here’s what Grace had to say:
Why did you launch Mystic Mondays?
Mystic Mondays launched as a Kickstarter campaign in May 2017. I’m personally interested in tarot and found that whenever I was browsing tarot decks, I couldn’t find one I truly resonated with...which prompted me to make my own! It allowed me to combine my interests as a visual designer and mysticism together to create a modern tarot deck that is relatable in both imagery and words. Kickstarter was such a great way to see if there was a need for it in the market, and just seeing how much interest it’s gained was all the assurance I needed to plow forward. [embed]https://youtu.be/GjNvcmhOoRE[/embed]
How much money did it take you to launch?
It didn’t cost that much to launch the Kickstarter campaign, I did a lot of it DIY - from hand cutting sample cards that I’d send out to influencers, to creating the Kickstarter video, it was all done very scrappy, but very resourceful.
Any success metrics you want to share?
The deck published with Chronicle Books has sold over 50,000 copies since October 2018. Mystic Mondays tarot is now available in large to small retailers like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Urban Outfitters, Paper Source, indie gift shops, and even museums like the MoMA PS1 and the Guggenheim.
Any tips for launching on Kickstarter?
Create a community before you launch, that way you will have backers on your first day! Kickstarter requires a lot of prep work, don’t skip it. It can hugely impact your campaign based on how much work you’ve done beforehand.
As a first-generation American, has that shaped your entrepreneurial experience?
Absolutely. I’ve always had a feeling of responsibility from a young age to be able to be successful for my family. My parents taught me the value of hard work, so this is something I’m not afraid of, and when combined with creativity, you have the edge!
What has been your biggest challenge as an entrepreneur so far?
Time, my most valued resource!
Favorite business books?
Your Network is Your Net Worth by Porter Gale
Daily schedule?
It depends on whatever comes up! I like to have a morning routine of writing and meditation.
Advice for entrepreneurs?
Taking care of your inner world as just as important as striving in the outer world. Make sure to prioritize your needs as you keep building so that you have enough to give. After all, your business is you! And what good is your business if you’re not taking care of yourself?
Advice for female entrepreneurs?
Take up as much space as you need. I find that even with myself, I shrink in order to appease whoever is around me. Perhaps due to societal conditioning we may be doing this unconsciously to please others - BUT - it never actually benefits anyone by shrinking, yourself included. Give yourself permission to speak up, be seen, and to be heard the way that you deserve to.
Thoughts on failure?
Nobody likes or wants to fail. It is a hard seed to swallow, but also completely necessary for growth. Failure should be seen as a mark of success - you have to fail in order to progress! Feel everything in those moments, be easy on yourself, and know that tomorrow is a new day to start all over again.
The last time you took a vacation and totally unplugged?
I don’t remember a time I completely unplugged - perhaps it was six years ago when I went on my first solo international trip to Barcelona. I’m in Puerto Rico right now, and have still been constantly working!
Why Bank With Novo?
I was looking for a forward-thinking bank that was customer-centric and catered to an entrepreneur’s needs. I like the ease of use with the Novo app!
What can we look forward to with Mystic Mondays?
Mystic Mondays is currently developing more app features, another deck coming out in 2020 (this time crystals), more events coming up including a workshop at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts, and an appearance at the Adobe Max’s conference at their marketplace. Keep updated with Mystic Mondays by following on Instagram: @mysticmondays@grace.duong You can purchase her deck here
