Here’s How One Entrepreneurial Designer Stuck it to the Pandemic

Nico Miller, owner of Ordinary Magic, creates whimsically witchy pins and stickers that elicit feelings of “I must have that!” Just ask her over 6,000 followers or visit ordinaryxmagic and try not to have an ASMR response.

Having wanted to sell her own designs since the age of 14, Ms. Miller spent over a decade debilitated by insecurity and indecision. “I’ve always been creative, but never felt like I was good enough to sell my own work,” she says. “I’ve wanted to design everything from greeting cards to clothing.”

An unclear path never suffocated her passion to create. Ms. Miller received her degree in graphic design and parlayed that into a full-time career, crafting concepts for internationally recognized, multi-million dollar brands like Murad Skincare.

“I REALLY WOULDN’T BE WHERE I AM NOW
WITHOUT THE PANDEMIC”

When the idea for creating pins and stickers literally stuck two years ago, she had the knowledge of design platforms in place to turn art into reality. Blogs and channels like YouTube that democratize marketing strategies helped empower this ‘right brain’ creative until she felt confident to sell her pins.

Once she had the designs, she “opened an Etsy shop, secured social media accounts, and ordered products (to sell).” What about the cost? Ms. Miller was clever: she acquired grass-roots funding via Kickstarter. “I’ve done two successful Kickstarter campaigns that helped me fund over 20 of my pin designs.” And Kickstarter, she says, “really helped my business blow up.” 

How did the pandemic come into play in getting this pin business going? “Since I was stuck at home, (the pandemic) gave me time to focus more energy on my business and really get it off the ground. Before March 2020, I only had two items in my shop and around 300 Instagram followers. Today, I have 30+ items in my shop and over 6,000 Instagram followers and over 4,000 TikTok followers.”

If those numbers don’t stop you in your tracks, this statement will: “I really wouldn’t be where I am now without the pandemic.”

“I NEVER DREAMED OF GETTING THIS KIND OF FEEDBACK”

Like any startup, she’s hit her share of hiccups. Most notably with a manufacturer that “no longer offered a pin finish that I promised my Kickstarter backers,” she says. She navigated this challenge with research to find a new manufacturer and by pushing back the delivery date. “Luckily,” she says, “my backers were super understanding and supportive.”

And the response from her clients? “Amazing,” she says. “I never dreamed of getting this kind of feedback.” And, she was kind enough to share her favorite review: “The quality of the item is amazing and it got here quickly and in amazing condition. The envelope was hand-written and included (a) hand-written thank you note inside. The name of the store matches exactly how it felt to receive this in the mail—magical!”

Creatives know they are nothing without inspiration. That’s why Miller is happy to give a nod to “some of my main influences like @northernspells and @curamoon_studio. “They are really talented pin makers,” she says. When asked what inspired her magical designs, she’s quick to give credit to a love of fantasy novels, “and films like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and any film by Studio Ghibli. They shaped my love of magic, which is the main theme of my work.”

“I TAKE THINGS AT MY OWN PACE”

A personal favorite…

Cinderella pumpkins that know no season.

Starting a business can be fraught with anxiety and panic. “I surprisingly haven’t hit that point,” she says. “Because it’s my business, I set my own hours. If I’m not feeling creative or motivated one day, I give myself that day off because I know in a few days I’ll feel motivated again. I am always patient with myself with my business and take things at my own pace.”

“HAVING SOMETHING THAT GIVES ME PURPOSE IN MY FREE TIME IS LIFE-CHANGING”

When asked if she is happy, the answer is an enthusiastic “Yes!” Ignited. Hopeful. Dare I say it? Safe and self-fulfilled. “Having something that gives me purpose in my free time is life changing.” For Miller, someone who openly struggles with anxiety and depression, the challenges of a pandemic coupled with education and support from her “three heroes…my boyfriend, sister, and best friend” (who are all designers) lit the path towards a dream she was always meant to fulfill, and what her fans always needed her to be.

Shop Nico Miller’s pins now at ordinaryxmagic