Meet Chelsa Darling | Creative Entrepreneur & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsa Darling and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’ve possessed an entrepreneurial spirit since childhood. I was always starting small businesses. I once asked my dad for $20 to start a lemonade stand and came home that night with over 300 bucks just by thanking my neighbors when they handed me cash instead of offering them change. I am no longer cute enough to run this same hustle.

But when times get tough I turn inward to problem solve. At the time I started Little Ghost Bootique, I was going through a rough patch; recently divorced, recently diagnosed with mental illness, and in the midst of a mental health fallout. I was hustling and I was burnt out. I was working 3 jobs, and using cannabis and art as an alternative for the medical care I still can’t afford, It just happened to be by chance then that I realized a big demographic was missing in the headshop market; femmes.

I couldn’t find a single bong on the entire internet that looked like something I, a grown woman, who knows every line of Mean Girls, and coordinates their closet by color, would keep in my home. I started Little Ghost Bootique in response. The market was (and still is) heavily saturated with very stereotypical what you think of when you think of “heady” stoner style gear that no one I know, nor myself would ever want in our homes. Not because we can’t respect the art but because it doesn’t match our aesthetic. Where was the pink? I felt women and femmes were being excluded entirely from this industry, so I decided to be just one person who filled that gap.

I know I’m not for everyone and that’s okay. Fortunately, I wasn’t wrong though. That gap had been felt by all of my customers. That’s all it takes. Seeing a gap and filling the need and if you believe you are doing this, then there is probably somebody, an audience, for you too.

Mind you this was pre-pandemic and since then I’ve seen the market explode with small businesses that do include a wider audience of formerly neglected consumers. Bigger brands are absolutely taking notice too. I’ve even seen a few knock off attempts of my own work out of china, which as artist is such a weird benchmark. I can basically just be dragged out to pasture now. Never been happier.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m an art school drop out who’s dabbled in and loved many mediums. I started my career as a floral designer, then went into event and interior design before launching Little Ghost Bootique where I create smokewares that you don’t have to hide. This is what sets me apart in the glass market. I come from a different world. I’m an outsider in the cannabis/glass space. I think about smokewares the way I think about product design for your home, your photoshoot, your big events, or your perfectly curated feed. I want to design smokewares that are unique home accent pieces; stylish and functional, but if forced to choose sometimes we truly just want the style. Roughly 25-30% of my customers don’t even consume cannabis, they just want that piece in their home because it’s unique and something people get excited about when they first see it.

This isn’t where I thought I’d land and it hasn’t been easy. We deal with so many restrictions and regulations that make this industry hard on its own. Most banks won’t do business with us, we can’t advertise or use traditional forms of marketing, we’re censored or altogether banned on most forms of social media now. It’s a constant uphill battle to stay compliant and relevant and I’ve ruffled a lot of feathers along the way. I’ve dealt with intimidation, bullying, cyber stalking. It can honestly be really scary and takes a certain kind of person to push through that and let it all roll off you. I HAVE to remind myself every time someone felt the need to project their insecurities on me it must be because I was doing something right and to keep going.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a homebody, but will rally if anyone drops any of these names near me-

Pinche (now known as Tacos Tequila Whiskey, but will always be “Pinche” to me). The Queso a la Plancha is my favorite taco to snap up.

Fifty-Two ’80s on South Broadway

RitualCravt is one of my favorites. Check out their calendar to book an Aura photo with The Aura Weaver.

Mutiny Information Cafe

The Denver Botanic Gardens

And I jump at any chance I can get to ride up to Estes Park, Buena Vista or Steamboat Springs. I like to be where the people aren’t.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I literally couldn’t have done any of this without Etsy kicking me off their platform for selling pipes and forcing me to start my own website. But truly I have so many supportive friends who have either volunteered their homes as storage, have been at my house after work to help me pack orders, or respond to messages whenever I’ve needed a breather. I have such a great network of followers on social media who truly help inspire me. They’ve been cheering me on since day one and I don’t tell them enough that I literally couldn’t do any of this without my community lifting me up.

Website: LittleGhostBootique.com

Instagram: LittleGhostBootique

Twitter: ShopLittleGhost