Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Kallstrom.
Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My personal journey began when I was 4 or 5 years old. My dad would travel to the Southwest a lot for work and he would always bring back a stone with the Native American legend behind it. I was definitely that kid that would pretend to have superpowers or magical abilities growing up, so I began collecting the stones and learning about their metaphysical properties. As I grew up, my collection and interests evolved to include the more scientific aspects of crystals and minerals as a hobby. I interviewed for a summer job with the owner, Karen Richards, and manager, Joan Lockhart, who were both impressed by my knowledge of and passion for the crystal kingdom. I was hired on the spot and began my journey with Nature’s Treasures in 2005. At the time Nature’s Treasures, having been established in 2000, was fairly young and still a sister company of TOPS (Texas Office Products & Supplies) and located in three of their warehouses around town. Each Nature’s Treasures location has its own focus or specialty. I mostly worked at the Kramer/Braker location that focused on the “rock hounds” and lapidary enthusiasts that sought after bulk rough rock. After taking a geology course in college, I realized that my hobby could also be my livelihood, and I continued on to get my Bachelor’s of Science in Earth Science with a focus in mineralogy and petrology from Rice University in 2008 and my Master’s degrees in economic geology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012. While at UT I worked at Nature’s Treasures part-time while also working at a teaching assistant for the Gems & Gem Minerals course offered at the time. At every point in my life, it seemed as though the skills and knowledge I gained at Nature’s Treasures complimented and supported my education, and every growth and change in my life coincided with growth at the store. I developed a close relationship with Karen, who became a mother figure in my life. After graduating with my Master’s, I began working at the store full-time and then slowly worked my way up to an assistant manager and then a manager in 2016. Under Karen’s wing, I honed my natural managerial skills and developed new ones allowing me to better serve the Nature’s Treasures family to this day.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Nature’s Treasures was established in 2000 here in Austin and began as a small business that people happened upon rather than sought out for the most part. The low foot traffic and small sales made growth difficult for the first 10 years of business, but Karen kept the store going. To Karen, Nature’s Treasures was her baby and she would not let it fail. As we expanded outreach through fairs and events, local publications and word of mouth, we began getting feedback that the three locations (E 5th St, Kramer/Braker, and Georgetown) were too inconvenient because customers wanted some things from other locations that we were not equipped to transport readily at the time; none of the three locations had the space to carry everything either. By 2010 we had started getting enough cash flow that Karen decided to use her commercial real estate background to consolidate the three locations into one centralized location, which is how we came to our current building in 2012. After splitting off from TOPS and getting our own building, the Nature’s Treasures independent business truly began; the first three or four years were still tight as we settled into our new space. Since 2015 we have seen steady growth as we got into a groove. COVID-19 introduced a whole new set of obstacles and challenges, but we have continually adapted and continue to do our best to balance out being a business and a crystal sanctuary.
As you know, we’re big fans of Nature’s Treasures of Texas. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
From what was initially a hobby, owner Karen Richards opened Nature’s Treasures in Austin in 2000. In 2012 she combined the three small stores housed inside sister company TOPS (Texas Office Product Supplies) into the 14,000-square-foot location at 4103 North Interstate 35. The sheer size of our shop is proof that everything is bigger in Texas, and we pride ourselves on having something for everyone!
Nature’s Treasures 7,000-square-foot Retail Showroom includes a large retail store with a wide selection of crystals, minerals, fossils, agates, gemstones, jewelry, Tibetan and crystal singing bowls, salt lamps, books, CDs, cards, candles and incense, Texas souvenirs and unique gifts. We also house the largest natural sit-in amethyst geode in North America weighing over 5,000 pounds and being able to fit 3 adults inside.
The Rock Yard has mounds of bulk and rough rock lining a path to the Rock Depot, where there are boulders, decorator pieces, natural-scape accents, lapidary equipment, tools, jewelry-making materials, and cutting, drilling and polishing services are offered.
Also on site is a 3,000-square-foot Community Event Center perfect for hosting a variety of metaphysical and community events, classes and seminars and available for public rental. A Practitioner’s Room provides a convenient location for massage therapists, readers and professionals to meet clients. Along with workshops and events in the Community Event Center, Nature’s Treasures also features daily practitioners in the store.
We have even established ourselves in the online community with our online store, naturestreasuresatx.com. The online store developed out of the owner’s desire to provide easy, reliable access to information and crystals that she knows from experience can be difficult in more rural communities. With that in mind, the online store continually creates unique and informative content in the form of blogs and product descriptions.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
As a company we of course had to familiarize with all of the legalese of the FFCRA and CARES Acts as well as how to navigate the health protocols set out by the CDC, but that’s true for everyone. We cannot say that we had any major lessons, but definitely some wonderful affirmations. Some things that helped us not only remain open but also grow through the pandemic included having set aside funds for emergency reserves. This allowed us to pay employee salaries for a month beyond what the government-subsidized as well as reopen immediately when the mandatory shutdown ended. As soon as we opened our doors, our loyal customers and even new faces were ready to visit. To paraphrase “Field of Dreams,” if you build it, (they) will come. The last affirmation we had was regarding our healthy boundaries policy with customers (aka the customer is NOT always right). As much as we try to accommodate everyone and help everyone feel-good vibes in the store, we have discovered that it truly goes both ways. This was never more true for us than with the reopen and having a wide range of safety and security protocols in place that, although not always the most comfortable or convenient for customers, were necessary for the well-being of our community and business. We truly appreciate everyone that helped Nature’s Treasures thrive during the worst parts of the pandemic and sincerely hope those individuals who didn’t appreciate us will someday come back around.
Pricing:
- Crystals, Rocks, Fossils: $0.50-$105,000
- Candles, Incense, Sage, Oils: $2-$55
- Books, Oracle/Tarot Decks, Info Cards: $6-$100
- Lapidary/Rock Hounding Tools, Supplies, Equipment: $6-$1500
- Rings, Pendants, Earrings, Bracelets: $3-$800
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ntrocks.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturestreasurestexas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTRocksTX
