05/30/2026
People often ask how Zen’d started.
Believe it or not, it was almost exactly like the cartoon… just a little more complicated.
The short answer is: room for more crystals.
The longer answer starts with Mikalina casually saying, “I’d love to do something with these amazing crystal-themed Magic Hour teas. They’re incredibly beneficial.” At the same time, I was already becoming obsessed with crystals, almost as a form of therapy. Crystals and tea seemed like the perfect combination. What began as a simple idea between the two of us gradually took on a life of its own and grew into something far bigger than we ever imagined.
Growing up, I always dreamed of owning a business someday. Depending on the day, and much like my ever changing college majors, that dream took many forms. Sometimes it was a restaurant, sometimes a computer shop, sometimes a café, and sometimes something completely different. I started building computers in my early teens, spent two decades working in IT, and have always loved to cook, but never imagined I’d one day own a crystal shop. And now, I honestly can't imagine doing anything else.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved rocks, minerals, and crystals. What started as a few pieces became a collection. Then a larger collection. Then an even larger collection.
Then it became a problem.
At least, a space problem.
Our collection kept growing until it began filling our home, then parts of my parents’ home, and eventually anywhere we could reasonably store crystals. We weren’t buying them to start a business. We simply loved collecting them.
And honestly, I wasn’t in a hurry to sell them.
Every crystal had a story. Every piece was something we had intentionally chosen. I enjoyed collecting as much as I enjoyed sharing them with others.
As the collection grew, so did our appreciation for who and where these incredible pieces came from. What started as buying crystals quickly turned into building relationships with the people who found, cut, polished, and supplied them. We started learning about different mines, different localities, and connecting with trusted sources across the country and around the world.
Over time, we built a network of miners, lapidaries, wholesalers, collectors, and small family businesses who shared our passion for beautiful crystals and minerals. Those relationships became one of the most rewarding parts of the journey. Instead of simply ordering inventory, we were able to carefully and intentionally source pieces we genuinely loved, often knowing the stories and people behind them.
That meticulous approach to sourcing is still a huge part of who we are today. All of the crystals that find their way into our shop have been personally selected from thousands of pieces because something about them stood out to us. We wanted every shelf to feel less like a warehouse and more like a collection of discoveries.
But eventually we reached a point where we looked around and realized we needed to do something.
Not because we wanted to rush into opening a store.
Because we were running out of places to put crystals.
Around that same time, Mikalina and I started talking about creating something together. She had been thinking about opening a café and had spent years making cakes. We both loved creating experiences for people. We just hadn’t figured out what that experience would look like.
Then, in April of 2024, while walking through Southside Mall, we noticed the perfect empty space.
Something clicked.
A week later, we signed the lease.
What happened next was months of work.
And when I say work, I mean all the work.
There was no construction crew.
No corporate team.
No designers.
No consultants.
Every display case.
Every shelf.
Every fixture.
Every label.
Every sign.
Every product selection.
Every layout decision.
Every crystal.
Every late night.
Every problem.
Every solution.
We built it ourselves.
Building displays.
Painting.
Designing signs.
Sorting nearly 10,000 crystals.
Just us, our kids, who helped with the final displays, pricing, and staging, and Maddi, who spent a few weeks helping us sort through thousands upon thousands of crystals. It was truly a massive effort from start to finish.
Figuring out where everything would go.
Then changing our minds and doing it again.
At the same time, life didn’t stop. We had spent the past decade serving as the primary caregivers for my parents, and we were balancing family responsibilities while trying to build a business from the ground up.
Progress wasn’t always fast. Especially after Mikalina severely injured her ankle.
Sometimes it felt like we were moving one crystal at a time.
But slowly, Zen’d started taking shape.
Along the way, it became clear that we didn’t want to be “just another crystal shop.”
We wanted a place that felt welcoming.
A place where someone could discover a beautiful mineral, find a meaningful gift, explore handcrafted jewelry, enjoy a carefully selected tea, or simply step into a calmer space for a while.
A place without gatekeeping.
A place built around curiosity.
A place where people could find something meaningful, whether they believed crystals held special energy or simply appreciated their beauty.
When we finally opened our doors in September 2024, it felt surreal.
Nearly six months of work, thousands of crystals, countless decisions, and more late nights than we can count had finally become something real.
And even now, Zen’d is still evolving.
We’re still creating.
Still learning.
Still adding new ideas.
Still finding ways to make the space better.
What started as a collection that outgrew our house somehow became a shop.
What started as a passion became a community.
And what started with some beautiful crystals, some really good tea, and some truly amazing customers who quickly grew into friends is what became Zen’d.✨
Good vibes. Good energy. Good people.
And most importantly, good intentions.
