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Are you a business owner? Or are you on the verge of taking that side hustle to the next level? Or curious about the world of entrepreneurship? Join Vivian Kvam, Co-Owner of Tandem Works, each week for a behind-the-scenes at small businesses and what it takes to succeed.
Each episode is full of inspiration, education, tips, and great conversation with people like you, people who are figuring it out. Take your business to the next level with insight from expert guests in business, leadership, and marketing.
00:00:03
Welcome to Riding Tandem a podcast about building businesses, leadership and creating positive impact for our communities. I'm your host, Vivian Kvam, and I invite you to ride Tandem with me as I have candid conversations with inspiring business owners, leaders, and experts who are building on their dreams and creating impact. Get ready to be encouraged and learn practical tactics to help us build successful businesses, become incredible leaders, and have positive ripple effect. Let's go. Well, welcome everyone to this episode of Tandem Works Works.
00:00:38
I'm thrilled to welcome our guest today because she has such an incredible business, and it's one that I can resonate with because I've always thought that this would be such a neat thing to get into. And so I'm going to welcome today it's Christy kemek, and she is a mom to three amazing kiddos. She's also a wife to her husband of twelve years, which is awesome, and she's a brand new entrepreneur, which I think is going to be a super fun conversation. And she has so much wisdom, even as a brand new entrepreneur. So even though she put this in here in her bio, I'm like, but she has so much to share already.
00:01:12
But she's on a mission to help bring people together. Her company written hugs, designs uniquely acknowledges struggle and grief and complicated situations that often come with the intersection of life and loss and celebration, the very things that we go and buy a greeting card for. And so I'm really interested in unpacking all of this. And one of the things that Christy says is that she's an entrepreneur on a mission to help people feel more seen, make sure they feel connected, less alone, and she does it all through one thoughtful card at a time. She also has navigated the logistics of taking an idea from just that, an idea and creating the designs.
00:01:53
And she's worked through all the logistics of actually getting her line of cards into retail locations, which is no small task. So there's so much wisdom to unpack here, and I think it's going to be a fascinating journey to unpack with you. And for my listeners I know who have dreams of creating products or product line and then they want to mass produce and get these on retail shelves. You're going to want to get your taking tools ready because Christy has a lot to share about this and some good hacks and insights and struggles and hiccups, but still has made it the whole way. So thanks for being here on the podcast.
00:02:30
Thanks for having me. Yeah, I'm excited, too. Like I said right before we hopped on, I was like, I'm so intrigued by this because I enjoy painting and drawing and just artistic things, have an artistic background for school. And one of the things I always thought is, OOH, I love to go up and down the greeting card lines or aisles and see all the different greeting cards and I've always thought it would be so cool to illustrate greeting cards. And my business partner, Michaela, when I told her we were having this interview, she was so jealous because she was like she's always wanted to write the greeting card.
00:03:06
Oh, yeah. You guys make a great team, though. We'll have to talk more, so I think so. And we always laugh because Michaela is a little more on the like she calls it salty. Yeah.
00:03:19
When it comes to messages. But we just had a designer actually design for us for Tandem Works Works. I think it's three or four card designs that are just unique to us. And so this is just so on our mind. So I'm really excited to talk to you more about it.
00:03:33
So cool. Awesome. Happy to be here. Yeah. So what is the story behind your decision to start written hugs, designs and especially to create the cards focused on the mental health piece?
00:03:46
What inspired you to take that path? I started out well a few years ago, I needed to get a laptop or iPad, and I wanted to get an iPad because I wanted to be able to draw on it. And I was a stay at home mom and without really any aspirations of it becoming anything more, just tested out ones that I liked. And then as I'm doing my stay at home mom thing and it's hard, and I have anxiety and depression and being a mom who I really want to connect with my kiddos. And I know that when I'm struggling, they notice and it's hard.
00:04:28
And I want them to know that when I'm struggling, it's not their fault that I love them, that I'm going to take care of myself and I'm going to take care of them. But if I don't communicate that to them, we run the risk of them making meaning where I don't intend them to make meaning. Like, it's my fault, like, I'm not enough for mom. I need to take care of mom sort of meanings. So I began to say different things to them that were mental health related.
00:05:11
Like, I know you can tell that I'm in a low right now and I still love you, and I'm going to take care of myself. And here's one way I can take care of myself with you. Let's go outside right now or let's have a snack together. I think I haven't eaten, and I need to do that. Those types of things where I would acknowledge what was going on, acknowledge that I need to take care of myself.
00:05:34
And here's kind of how. And as that happened over time, I started to say these things in lyrical text or Rhyming. Okay. And one summer, a whole stanza came out when I was really struggling with my mental health, caring for my four year old, my now four year old. And that's when it hit me that this could be a children's book and so I began writing and illustrating a children's book, only with the intention to print it on shutterfly for my family and not go anywhere else with it.
00:06:15
But when my husband saw it, he was like, this is good work. You need to share this with more than just us. And I thought, well, that's really sweet, but you're my husband. And I didn't really believe him. And then I shared it with my friend, my circle of friends whom I trust dearly, and they all loved it and agreed with him.
00:06:38
And that kind of set me on a path to try to pursue this book. And while I was doing that, I still felt very insecure about my artistic talents. I'm not a professional artist. I just enjoy it. And I don't know all the programs I have to learn and I have to make mistakes and all this stuff.
00:07:01
So I unsuccessfully tried to find people to illustrate for me, and each of them either had conflicts or whatever, but they all were very encouraging to say, I think you could do it. I like your work. I think you could do it. And that just began to grow my confidence, and maybe I could. And then I started to have the idea of cards that go along with the book, but thinking the book should come first.
00:07:31
And in sharing my book progress with a bunch of different people, someone just suggested if you did cards, you could expand your reach and your message. And that night I couldn't sleep. I had a million ideas about how my journey with grief and loss, all the things I learned in that, and how holidays make grief and loss harder to bear, could be greeting cards that I've always wished existed. I've been through miscarriages and Christmas. My family celebrates Christmas.
00:08:10
Christmas after child loss is very difficult, but there's not acknowledgment of it. Mother's Day after child loss is very difficult, but there's not acknowledgment of it, at least not on a societal level. And it wasn't until I really was inspired by that suggestion that not only the mental health side of reaching people and helping them feel more seen and connected and loved coincided with the grief and loss aspect, that's when I really started having vision and wanting to start making cards and seeing where it goes. That's awesome. I love how things so often start with new businesses, with a personal project or a passion project or an interest, and then it grows and builds from there.
00:09:05
And I love how you were vulnerable enough to share within your circles about something that you were working on and that they were such an encouragement to you. That's really inspiring when you think about that. I guess I think of that as sort of a validation, right? That they were validating. Go ahead and take the next step.
00:09:26
Yeah, I think you're on the right path. Or have you thought about this and you really took that feedback, which is something that's so important with any product. When we talk with entrepreneur friends or people who are thinking about getting something started, one of the things we talk with them a lot about is have you validated the idea and are you open to hearing feedback of, oh, I love your book, this is awesome, but have you thought about a car? There's a real need in that area. So I'd love to know, how do you research and understand those specific mental health issues or holidays or occasions that you feel like would resonate with your audience as you've continued to grow your line of cards?
00:10:07
Now, that's a great question. Honestly, I make them based on my own experience, and then when somebody makes a suggestion to me based on their lived experience and that I find inspiring, then I create it. And I don't know that I've always validated before making it or posting it online. So I have quite a few of my cards online on my website right now, and some of them haven't been ordered. So that's kind of a sign to me that either there's really not a market for this or I'm not being found.
00:10:51
So I'm still very much in the throes of learning what is validated or not. But the ones that really seem to resonate are through my own lived experiences and when people share their vulnerable stories with me. For example, I'm thinking of a mom who went through infertility, and I was sharing with her the cards that I had created for Mother's Day is complicated, and she just quite simply shared a very brief description of her journey. And it reminded me of neither friends who have gone through it and how difficult it was. And I just felt like there is a need here for this.
00:11:35
And I created a card that same day based on our conversation and based on conversations I've had with other people of what it's like and how it's this cyclical loss that you grieve every month. You hope and grieve every month, and it's so heavy and compounding and taboo, and most people don't know you're going through it either to empathize or support you. And there's a real need to break the stigma around it. So does that answer your question? Yeah, I think it does figure out.
00:12:12
How to do that. I don't know that validation ever ends. And I love how you pointed out that there are some products that you have in your lines right now that maybe aren't ordered, and then you do go through that question of, okay, is the product does that need to be tweaked? Or was it a this was made for this one person and that was enough, and that's really what this was about, or how you were mentioning about? Or am I just not marketing it in such a way as it not being found?
00:12:39
And so those are always fun things, I think, to explore and to test and go, you know what, I'm going to focus on this line, see what I can do. Can I optimize it? Oh, my gosh. Now it's in front of the right people and it just explodes, which is super fun. Yeah, I think always a challenge.
00:12:56
For sure, a challenge, for sure, a challenge. One of the things I noticed, too, on your website and I thought was brilliant, and I think so many listeners could take a nugget from this. You asked for feedback right on your website there's. Right on there. I think it says, like, suggestions.
00:13:11
And it's just a simple area where people can put a suggestion for cards and things like that or for a message. And I just think that's brilliant that you leave that listening piece open all the time and are gathering feedback in that way. Yeah, I've loved having that. I've had people reach out in that way and share their stories. And because I have so much focus on grief and loss and mental health, those are where the feedback areas typically come through.
00:13:45
I do have the light in the feel good stuff as well, but that's where people tend to reach out and share. Like, this is what I've gone through. This is something that I think should exist in the world. Could you put it on your list to create it someday? It's working out nicely.
00:14:05
How much time do you find right now that you are able to do the creating piece of the cards and illustrating and those creatives? And then how much time do you find yourself more in the business side of the logistics and getting things going? And then I definitely want to talk about all that, how you do the mass production and logistics. But tell us a little bit about what that looks like for you, because I think there's a lot of creatives out there who struggle with I want to take my creativity and turn it into a business, but then I'm afraid that I'm going to lose my creativity and get swallowed up in the business. Or all of a sudden, I'm not going to feel as creative anymore because I'm so consumed.
00:14:44
So what is that looking like for you? That's a good question. I've just decided that I want to spend an hour a day creating. And whether it's something that turns into something that I'm going to move forward with and produce or it's just a way of repeating the habit, or it's a way to get something out of me that needs to come out of me. I'm just deciding that even if I don't, quote unquote, feel creative, I'm going to do it anyway and be okay if it's just junk that nobody sees.
00:15:21
And that seems to be really helpful because there are certainly times where creative ideas or images or inscriptions hit me, and that maybe takes me further. And deeper into the creative side of things. And it takes more of my time. But having that set aside time has been really helpful, I think, in keeping the discipline and knowing that if I am carried forward with this creative inspiration, that I can take that time. Typically right now, I can take that time that maybe takes more of the business side of my day, and maybe that'll change as things evolve.
00:16:04
But right now, I still have that flexibility. That's awesome. And I love how you're being so intentional about that sometimes as a creative too, it is hard. We're like I just am staring at a blank screen because I can't get the words out or I'm staring at a blank page because I just don't know what brushstrokes I want to take. And I love that you're just okay with this.
00:16:27
Might not be the most brilliant masterpiece I've ever made, but I'm just going to go through the exercise of it, which is so important. One thing with that, I have a list of ideas that I just have, a list that I have in my email that I can reference. So if I have like a block of I don't even know what to start to try to do, I'll look at that list, whether it's prioritized or not, and just pick something on there that maybe I would like to work on and again, be okay with letting it go. Or since it's a visual medium with the digital art piece, I'll just start drawing something in front of me. Whatever it is my husband laying on the couch.
00:17:07
He doesn't know I did that one. My cat snapping in the window, whatever it happens to be, I just start drawing something in front of me if I'm really struggling to try. And I just chalk that up to good practice and trying different maybe methods with my apps that I haven't tried before. And so it seems to be working out right now. And so you're doing all of your artwork digitally, is that right?
00:17:34
You're doing it all through the iPad that started everything? Yes. So fun. All through that iPad, are there certain programs or apps that you really enjoy using to do that? Yeah.
00:17:46
I am newly starting to use Procreate. And Procreate was made for the iPad. And I had started with a free sketchbook app that was just on the iPad that it came with, and it had layers and it didn't have all the functions that I wanted. So then I went to Photoshop and I learned Photoshop and all of the things. But Photoshop only has RGB file capabilities and not CMYK.
00:18:18
So when I started translating into going to print the cards, my colors were not quite right coming from Photoshop. And I didn't realize that. I didn't even know what that was. I didn't know what these file terms meant or setting them up properly for a printed material or product. So then I looked into, well, what can I do besides Photoshop?
00:18:44
And I believe it's Adobe Illustrator. It's AI. And that does CMYK files. But I didn't really enjoy the drawing part in the app. And then now I've since moved into Procreate, which I really do enjoy and does have CMY capabilities.
00:19:04
So it's been a journey through apps, but I'm pretty happy with it. I love that. And gosh, there's so many times where Mikhail and I, my partner and I talk of apps that didn't exist. And then we've made transitions, and we're like, wow, this is so, like it's amazing that we can do this now, or times where we've had to transition because something's just not working, and it can be frustrating where you feel like, Gosh, I spent all this time, I learned all of this, and it's not the platform for me. And now I'm going to go learn a new platform.
00:19:34
So I love your resilience with that of just being willing to work through those platforms. And I think it's a good reminder of continuing to experiment. Right. That just because you have found something that's working doesn't mean that you might not want to dabble over here and see and go, oh, my gosh, this is actually such a great tool as well. Yeah, Procreate.
00:19:54
We have an iPad as well, and we have Procreate on it, and we've used it lightly for a couple of different things. But one of the things I did on it is I actually designed my husband's wedding ring on it. Yeah. And it's such a neat app, so if people haven't tried it out, I do recommend that they get on and give it a try. It's super fun to play with.
00:20:14
That's so cool. Yeah, it is fun. Super fun. Talk to me a little bit about the less creative side. How did you take this idea?
00:20:24
Through the logistics of figuring out how to mass, create, be able to package and kit and ship and then just that whole getting it onto retail shelves. I think that's such a mystery for so many people, where, like we were talking before on here, a lot of folks will take an idea and they'll get it maybe kind of to like a maker's market or maybe something local, but it can feel daunting to get onto bigger brands shelves. So what sparked the idea of, I'm going to do that? And then second part of the question, what has that journey looked like? Okay, what sparked the idea is, I think the feedback from everybody and not really knowing any better to be too afraid to try and sending your samples out, trying to make connections.
00:21:21
I'm in home goods right now, but I am currently pursuing making connections to try to expand that, which I think comes through a lot of networking and trying to figure out, who do I send this to? Who can I talk to about it? And then once you get your product and you're proud of it and you're confident in what it is and how it's created, that is an aspect where a lot of things went sideways for me. So I sent out samples with my first printer and did all of my packaging. I went to the Home Goods, the local home goods that I had here, and observed how cards are displayed on the shelves.
00:22:04
What does packaging look like to Home Goods, which is different than Target? And if you haven't been to Tandem Works, the card display specifically, they may have like a birthday section, but in each little niche, nook, there may be six to ten cards, and each of them are different variations. So there's not like a designated spot for every card in this section is the same thing like at Target, it's all stacked just based on however the people put them in that are working that day. So they're in a poly bag. There's typically a backslip if there's inscription inside so people can see what's written without having to open the bag up.
00:22:48
And then some of them include a sticker on the front, which describes what the card's category is. So going to Home Goods, doing that kind of like in person research to see what is expected of a sample if I was to send this to them, and then how do I go and get those things? How do I find the right poly bags and all of the things? So I went with my first printer, got the cards in hand, was super proud of them. I got the other materials between backslips and polybags and sent it to them.
00:23:26
And while I sent it, I was discussing with my printer what it would look like if they did happen to be interested. Do you have the capability of scaling with me? What would that look like in those kind of discussions? And the printer was like, yes, we can do this. We work with and they were naming big name companies.
00:23:47
We do this incredible stuff all the time. We could certainly scale with you to that level. Great. And then there's a couple of major questions you need to have answered, right? You need to know your cost of goods that you need to know what you'd be willing to wholesale to somebody like that.
00:24:09
And then you need to know your timeline. And between those two things, what does maybe their increased amount of order, how does that affect your timeline and how does that affect your cost? Because if they're a big box place, they have more money to work with. They don't mind spending more for maybe so many thousands more, because then they'll get it all at a lesser price. They don't mind that.
00:24:39
So knowing those numbers before you go into that kind of discussion is really important for me. My printer was like, yes, we can do all of it. We can do the assembly for you, we can do the printing for you. We can do all of this, no problem. I'm like, perfect everything under one roof.
00:25:00
This is wonderful. And I just need to know in writing what that timeline looks like and what the cost looks like and how we can get that cost down to a certain point. And when they gave me the first set of numbers, I said, okay, can I put this in writing with these samples I'm sending? And they said, yes. And so I did, and I sent them.
00:25:25
A week later, I both heard back that Home Goods was interested in more of a conversation about it, and my printer said, Actually, everything we told you was wrong. Oh, no. I had a scheduled meeting on my calendar for what I was going to talk to a buyer, which I'd never done before and no idea what to expect. And everything I put in writing is now not stable. And when I talked to my account rep at the printer trying to understand why, she said, well, to be honest, we're going to outsource the kitting.
00:26:05
And I said, what's? Kitting? What does kitting mean? She's like, the assembly, the assembly line. And because of that, we are upcharging you for that, for finding the kitting service.
00:26:20
And they don't have the security or assurance in their ability to confirm their timeline. And that's when I really felt like this could all go under real quick, because if I don't have the ability to actually follow through with a secured timeline, everything's going to fall apart and it's not going to work. I went to bed that night thinking that it was going to be over and done. I didn't know what to do. And in the morning, I woke up with the idea of kidding.
00:26:57
That's the word I didn't know to search for. When I first started looking into how to do assembly services, I was looking for, like, assembly line near me or packaging near me. And when I searched for kitting near me, that's how I found my kitting company, which is MDI. It's Minnesota Diversified Industries in Minneapolis, close to me. And I reached out to them.
00:27:23
I sent them pictures of what I needed them to do, and they were like, yes, we can do this. Yes, we are set up for it. As soon as we get materials in hand, we can work on it. Here's the timeline of what we think it would be. And they were amazing and prompt and professional.
00:27:41
And I threw three different problems at them over the phone. I'm like, okay, what if something's wrong with the shipment? What if the printer shorts you or what if this or that? And we're still coming up on a deadline and it needs to get done. What kind of things?
00:28:01
How would you problem solve through that? And for each thing that I threw at them, they had off the top of their head, two or three different potential solutions for it. And that's when I took a deep breath and felt like, okay, they get it. It's not all on me to do all of the thinking through a problem solving. These guys have done it and they know how to do it.
00:28:27
And so I went back to my printer with that information saying, okay, let's take the kitting off of your plate and just focus on the printing part. I need to know at what point my cost can get down to this level. And I told them the number that I needed. How many cards do we have to order per variation to get to it? Right?
00:28:50
Because that's what I know HomeGoods is going to want to discuss in that meeting. And that's when they told me, we don't know how to figure that out. If we get to those kind of numbers, we're probably going to outsource the work anyway, which then we would upcharge you for. So you're not going to see the benefit. You should probably find a different printer.
00:29:13
And this is like T minus a week or so before this scheduled call. And I again felt like, how do I do this? How do I find somebody that's reliable, that's good quality, that gets what I'm trying to do, and it wants to partner with me and sees value in working with me, which I was not feeling from this first printer I tried. Got samples from a company that has a really fast turnaround, but they weren't the quality that I wanted. And then my husband suggested, well, you love MDI, why don't you ask them for a referral?
00:30:01
Or like, who do they know? Are there any local printers they know that could do this? And they referred me to the printer I'm working with now. And I met with her. I reached out to her in one day, I think it was like Monday, and she within 24 hours had samples ready for me and took me on a tour of their facilities, of all their machines.
00:30:24
She explained a bunch of things. She not only sent me home with samples, but was really eager and wanting to partner with me, interested to know what I was creating and why and the vision behind it. And she loved it. And she gave personal stories that she shared with me. And it just felt different.
00:30:43
It felt like somebody wanted to partner with me to create and be a part of something that was missional and not just a printing company that doesn't really need the work that I would bring in. I'm just a number to them and it doesn't matter if I leave. So it was a last minute switch before that discussion, but I was able to get all of the numbers that I needed from her on how to hit what I thought the price point should be, that I thought Home Goods would. Want and then I could be prepared for that meeting. So before you get to the meeting part of the story, I'm curious to know, looking back now, what do you feel like if you were to tell someone else three to five things out of that whole experience, what do you feel like those would be like?
00:31:44
What were the key lessons learned there for you? And also, man the resilience. I love the problem solving. So like key number one, keep problem solving, don't give up. But what would you say looking back on that are kind of your top takeaways that you would give to someone else?
00:32:01
I would say if you're working with a vendor and it feels like you don't matter to them, you probably don't. And it just is not a good fit. And it's okay to look elsewhere. Don't be afraid to look elsewhere because they may have great quality, but there are other people that do great quality work too. And it's okay to look.
00:32:25
And don't be freaked out when you get poor quality back. Just know that, okay, that one's not right. And keep looking. That's number one. Number two, when you do find the vendors and the people who want to partner with you based on mission, based on wanting to be partners and not just numbers to you or to them, that is relationship to foster, that is relationship to protect.
00:32:59
And then three, if you are wanting to scale the two big questions you need to know the answers to are timeline and how quantity affects both timeline and cost. Those are the questions you need to know the answers to going into a discussion with anybody, any big retailer. That's good. I love those and I love the partnership aspect, finding them. And one of the things I picked up on right away is that you asked your good partner for good partner referrals.
00:33:37
And I love that. Like not being afraid to just ask and say, who do you know that I need to know? Or what are the key terms that I need to know that I would like? Kidding. Not being afraid to say, wait, what is that?
00:33:51
Because I think so often I know I've been in situations where I'm like, I don't know what they're talking about. And I've hesitated at times to reveal that for fear that they will think that I'm not worth working with. I have never found that to be the case. When I ask a question, people have always been very willing to offer up, well, what this means. But I know there's been that fear at times of maybe I'm going to be embarrassed if I bring up the fact that I don't know.
00:34:21
Yeah, that's so good. That's so good. Ask the question when you don't know something and if somebody judges you for it, not a good maybe that's a good thing, right? Maybe that's a good reveal and it's not about you not knowing it's maybe about what it would be like to work with them. And then I love what you said about asking for good referrals when you find the people that are great to work with.
00:34:45
That's a really good lesson learned, too. I like that. Absolutely. Okay, so you've got your team assembled in the last hour for getting your printing and your kitting. What was it like working with the big box store and the buyer?
00:35:05
And just how did you navigate that and the actual kind of getting it to the shelves? What did that look like? Well, once the buyer and I had discussed what a first PO would look like, they sent me a bunch of onboarding, like how to become a vendor packet before they sent the PO. So there's a bunch of front work that you have to do that can feel overwhelming, but it's typically sent in a list form, and if you break it down to, I'm not going to look at this whole list. I'm going to look at number one and just work through it in bite sized chunks.
00:35:47
That helped me get through it. One thing I did notice with a big box store, there was maybe some incongruence between maybe instructions on pages one through 20, and then the second attachment maybe says something different, or my buyer is saying something different. And that's just, I think, part of the nature of being a big company. If policies or maybe applications or whatever change, you might be given different information depending on which piece of information you're looking at in front of you. So don't be afraid to ask.
00:36:22
My buyer and their assistant was very helpful in helping me understand. Okay, this says I'm responsible for Ticketing, and this says I'm not responsible for Ticketing. What's true? Because that's a whole nother thing I need to learn or go through and sign up for and plan with my assemblers that I just need to know what's right. Right.
00:36:47
So being willing to ask through that onboarding process as a solo entrepreneur, there were some hurdles that there was requirements that more than one person from the company needed to sign off on something. And it's just me. So I'd have to call the 800 number and talk through, well, I don't have two people that can sign off of it. It's just me over here. And so they have workarounds for that sort of thing as well.
00:37:18
I love that problem solving. Again, it's coming through loud and clear. I think what's so inspiring about your story that you've shared so far is just it's okay not to know, but you just keep plowing through and you're taking things and just bite size. Like, I'm going to tackle this even with the artwork. I'm going to do it for an hour and then kind of see where this goes.
00:37:39
So I just think that's so great, and I love that you're sharing that piece because it's so easy to get discouraged and go, this is too much, or, It's too hard, or, I don't have a business partner, so how could I possibly or Hurdle, hurdle, hurdle. And so I just love how you're talking through how you just knocked each one down a little bit at a time. Yeah. And not being weirded out when people talk to you about, well, the person in your finance department probably, blah, blah, blah, it's just me. If somebody did something wrong, it was me.
00:38:10
And not being weirded out by you feel like a small fish. The people on the other end of the line are rooting for you even more when they find out that you're doing it on your own. So don't be weirded out that you don't have a team of people behind you in your business to take your shot. You can do it. You can still take the shot, and you can still do all of the things.
00:38:35
And the big box stores work with people like us, so you wouldn't be. The only one that's so inspiring. Have you found communities of people who have supported you beyond, say, family and friends, whether it's either through mentors or online communities? Do you lean into any tools or resources like that to help you as you go on this journey? Yes, I have two right now that I lean into.
00:39:04
One is called score. Score is S-C-O-R-E. Have you heard of them? I have. But tell us all the things.
00:39:13
How are you using them? So, they're a nationwide nonprofit organization that supports entrepreneurs, and they support it through workshops. They support us through mentorship. They support us in all sorts of different ways. And I've both attended workshops and been connected with a mentor.
00:39:33
And that has helped me a lot with some of those, again, nitty gritty questions. You don't know who to ask. And being an entrepreneur and not knowing any entrepreneurs or not knowing any entrepreneurs in the printing space, I find myself having questions that I don't know who to ask necessarily. And Score has helped me get connected with the people that I can ask. And that's what they're there for.
00:40:00
And they're excited to come alongside and support and answer and encourage and help prioritize and send resources. Know as simple as what is a business plan and how do you write it, like, those kinds of things they're well equipped for. And then the other one is a local entrepreneurs group that I'm a part of in Shock B, Minnesota. And this particular group I found out about trying to think of how I got connected with them. Oh, okay.
00:40:30
So I applied for and got an SBA loan. The SBA loan officer is the one that connected me with Score. Working with Score, I got connected with people who are now doing work on my website and helping increase SEOs and all of the things that I know nothing about. And they were the ones that told me about working with this entrepreneurs group that happens to be in Shakti. And when I reached out to them, now they're making connections and people know people in the entrepreneur space or so and so has so many connections that are really important and are beginning to happen and make.
00:41:12
So it's really a chain reaction of, hey, you should check out this. Hey, you should check out this. Hey, you should meet so and so and just following that line of people willing to make those introductions or hear your story and are like, hey, not only should you it's more than just should you, it's let me connect you with someone I know. Those ones are like gold. There's a lot of advice that's like you should XYZ but there's no connection there.
00:41:42
And that may be valid and good, but I find the ones where there's actual relationship seem to be panning out more. I love that the connectivity of it all because many people want to help and I just had a beautiful connection the other day who came through, somebody I know who said I'd love for you to meet so and so. I think they have a lot to offer. I had a delightful coffee with this woman who had so much wisdom, and she sent me a follow up email and there's links and I'd love to invite you to this next thing. And it just spirals from there.
00:42:14
And I think that's such a great encouragement of as an introvert for, like, don't be afraid to get out and talk to people and show up at the networking event. You don't know what's going to happen, which Michaela and I just talked, we did a podcast recently about networking and getting out and the difference between the extrovert which is her, and the introvert which is me, but it's so valuable. But then I just feel inspired with you saying that of to be the connector and just what an inspirational and gift that is to others and to not be afraid to say I don't know everything but I do know this person and I think you could meet and it would be really magical in some way. Okay, so this makes me think we started off the conversation and you essentially said I was a stay at home mom who had no aspirations of becoming really an entrepreneur. I started by illustrating my feelings in order to help my kids to be able to communicate with them.
00:43:12
Fast forward, you now have negotiated all of these different difficult, challenging situations. You've been able to actually see your cards on the shelves, which I want to know how that felt. But when you look back over that journey thus far, what changes have you noticed in your own life that you're really proud of or that have excited you or that have maybe surprised you in some way? That is a great question. I think the thing I'm most proud of is that it's resonating with people across the country that I would never have ever crossed paths with had it not been for home goods.
00:43:54
I didn't know people reached out to card companies. That was something I did not expect for people to look me up and send me notes of. I was just at Tandem Works in this state and I saw your card and it touched me so much and I'm so grateful or I almost started crying in home goods because I've never seen someone acknowledge how hard this is in a mainstream way. That really helps because this is hard. This is hard to do, it's hard to balance.
00:44:31
My four year old was home with me most of the time when I started this. We did a preschool program where one day a week we're separate for 2 hours and the second day a week we were both in class together for those 2 hours an hour together, an hour apart, where the adults get together for adult education time and that's it. So that's like 3 hours apart, but truly only 2 hours for myself away from him. When I started and I put him into care three days a week, we found out that he has, like, diagnosable separation anxiety to a point that it was affecting him every minute of every day in a negative way and obviously had no idea going into starting a business that that would be an issue. And we're currently working through it all, like working with a doctor, working with a therapist, working with the school that he's at to try to help him learn that he's safe and mommy always comes back.
00:45:34
And we had no idea this was going to be part of the struggle. But as hard as it is, I'm proud that I pivoted again to drop his care down in there from a full day to half days, three days a week, because that's what he needs. And deciding to care for him over being productive or having uninterrupted work time, I think is a good decision in the long run, but it makes it harder. I think I'm still working on the balance of things. I'm really grateful that my husband is supportive and encouraging and a cheerleader and helps me find the time in between things or drive somewhere so I can work in the car.
00:46:20
I often have my backpack on me everywhere I go in case I have a minute to get to do something. But I feel like I might still be in the whirlwind of it all. I don't think I've found the balance yet. I hope one day I will. It's such an interesting topic and it comes up over and over and over again with our entrepreneurial friends and our clients and even between Michaela and I and our team and that word balance.
00:46:49
In fact, Michaela wrote a whole blog and I think I don't remember the exact title, but essentially she said balance is a lie, like it doesn't exist. And she unpacks that it's some of it's semantics as well, like what word you choose. But we'll often say like juggling or sway because we've just found thus far that there is no balance. Something always has to give. And it's like seasons where this is giving more right now and now this is giving more in the future that you're kind of like swaying back and forth or you are allowing one thing to rise to the top and acknowledging that that means this is going to have to float down a little.
00:47:30
So one of our core values we came up with and we use it a ton around the studio, we have it on coasters and everything so we remember. But one of them is know what matters. And I think that was brilliant. What you just hit on with your son is you had to choose what matters right now in this season and that may change. Not that caring for your son ever changes, but his needs may change or the resources that are available may change or there's so many different things that can change, but knowing what matters now and we lean into that a lot.
00:48:06
Michaela does foster care and so that has all kinds of things that it comes with it and it changes our schedules regularly. On the flip side of that, we also have to have chats sometimes of, yes, we want to be able for her to have availability, but we also have a client that has a need and a demand and we have to fulfill that. And so it's that knowing what matters in the moment, knowing what matters day to day, know what matters for the year and so we talk about that a lot. So as you were talking, I was just thinking about that it's easy to come down hard on ourselves and go someday it'll all balance out and it's like, no, probably not. It's being okay and then maybe going and buying one of your amazing cards and putting it on your desk and saying it is okay.
00:48:54
Yeah, for sure. When you think about though, and I know you said you're in the midst of it, but we're all in the midst of it. We're all in the midst, no matter where you had said, I'm a brand new entrepreneur. If you've been at it for this 20 years, when you are thinking back through that as a woman entrepreneur who is juggling a lot with kids and business and learning and all these different things, what advice would you like to give to other women who are thinking about starting their own creative business? If we were to summarize kind of the past conversation or things that you haven't got to bring up yet, are there key insights or lessons that you're like, okay, ladies, if I never got to talk to you again.
00:49:37
This is what I would want you to know. That is so good. I think believing that your voice matters, truly believing it and reminding yourself that your voice matters and that you have something worthwhile to say or worthwhile to create that wouldn't otherwise exist in the world if it weren't for you is what I would want them to know. Who you are, what has brought you to who you are today, the struggles, the support, or lack thereof in all that you've learned matters. And because of that, you have a unique voice and opportunity to impact the world with what you have to create that nobody else can do.
00:50:20
I think one of my struggles is truly believing that. And I think if there's anything I could do is encourage encourage other people to believe it. That's just gold. I'm like, okay, and mic drop end there. There we go.
00:50:36
So good. And again, I knew when we started this conversation and said you said, I'm a beginner or a new entrepreneur. And I thought, you have packed so much, just, like, wisdom and experience into this period of time that I think is just so beneficial for people to hear. And these lessons are so important, and they apply across the board. Whether you are doing something physical and creative and creating something, mass producing it, putting out there, or you're doing a service, there's just so much gold here, and I appreciate you sharing so much.
00:51:09
As we wrap up, I do have a couple of what I call rapid fire questions. So they're just quick little questions. They're just kind of fun, get to know you, and just something to kind of quickly summarize. So if you're ready, I'm going to. Ask you a couple of these.
00:51:24
All right? Yeah. Okay. All right. Sounds good.
00:51:27
What would you say in just kind of a bite size rapid fire style? What do you think is the biggest misconception about owning a business that you. Have to make decisions and reprioritize pretty much every day? Well, I mean, I don't know if I answered that correctly. Do you know what I'm trying to say?
00:51:44
I do, yeah. I think people think, like, oh, you just have to show up, and you do your thing. You're like, no, it's all about making decisions over and over and over again. Decisions. I say decision fatigue all the time because it's a lot when you think about your favorite productivity hack for entrepreneurs or business owners, what's something you just can't do without Excel?
00:52:06
Knowledge of Excel and automating things if you can. Leaning into learning things like Excel that can make your life easier, especially if it's logistical or like producing labels. I'm thinking of producing labels for boxes to home goods, specifically. Yes, you're speaking my language here. I didn't love math and things growing up, but I love a good numbers or Excel sheet because there's so much that you can do that.
00:52:35
My brain can't do without a tool like that, and it's so fantastic. Do you feel like you have a personal business philosophy or mantra that kind of guides you? I'm trying to have this guide me that I want people to feel seen and connected and less alone. And if I'm making decisions or creating things that move that needle forward, then I know I'm doing, then I can be confident in those decisions that I'm making. I'm doing what I'm setting out to do.
00:53:08
I love it. Your core values right there. My core values? Yeah. I love that.
00:53:12
What would be your favorite kickback and relax beverage?
00:53:20
I love mango rum with orange juice and grenadine and a little bit of sprite. I like it. That sounds fancy because sometimes you got to close the spreadsheet. The child goes to bed. You just got to have a minute, right?
00:53:38
Yeah. Do you have right now either, like, a song that you just have on constant repeat because you love it, or a book that's been really inspiring or a podcast that you love to listen to? Just things that are inspiring? You like that right now song. I'm listening to Taylor Swift on repeat right now across the board.
00:53:57
It depends on how I'm feeling. Ronan, her song Ronan is about a boy who dies of cancer. And that one I cry every time. I cry every day, so that one gets me. Certainly is on repeat.
00:54:12
A podcast is called Connecting with Mike and Adrian, and they are a pair of podcasters that are sharing the wisdom of their life, and I happen to have personal relationship with them. They are amazing people. They live what they're putting out into the world, and they have such good insight. So look them up. Connecting with Mike and Adrian.
00:54:37
They're amazing. And books. I am in the middle of listening to the Tandem Works with my Children by Chris Coffer or Kofer. Do you know? I don't know if I know.
00:54:53
He was on Glee. He was Kurt on Glee. Anyway, he wrote children's books, and it's a good escape for me, and it's great to put on with my kids. That's awesome fun. We'll have to put some links and check those out, for sure.
00:55:10
When you think about the future and just growing what you're doing, what are you excited about? What excites you the most about the future right now? I think the thing I hope for the most is that my kids will be able to look back and say that mom always prioritized us, and we always felt seen and connected and not alone with her. That vision is first and foremost felt by my kids, and I hope that they can be proud of me. That's awesome.
00:55:43
No doubt they'll be proud of you. You send such incredible things already. Very neat. All right, last two for you. What do you feel like is something people often get wrong about you.
00:55:55
They don't know or get wrong about you. I am definitely an introvert, like a million times over. I am very uncomfortable in a room full of people. The networking piece you said about sharing, what it's like to try to network as an introvert, I think maybe people assume that I might look comfortable, but I am not. That's fair.
00:56:18
I've been there for sure. Absolutely. Okay, last one. And I'm super curious what you have to say with this because I ask everyone the same things, but what do you feel like business owners can do to make the world a better place? I think making decisions out of your values and partnering with people who want to be missional with you.
00:56:41
I don't know, actually. I'm sorry I didn't say this before. I know this is rapid fire since we discussed coming on here and then now coming on, something has changed about my business model entirely. Every card that I sell on my website, I match with a card donation to Brighter Days Family Grief Center. And so they serve families who are going through loss of loved ones, whether that's a child or a parent or anybody close to them.
00:57:10
Or maybe there's a terminal diagnosis in their family that everyone's grappling with, and they not only provide counseling services, but legal and all logistical things that come up that just feel super heavy on families as they step into the unknowns of what their future holds. And they're doing incredible, incredible work. And they loved my cards and feel like that they would really bless families that are going through it. So for every card that I sell on my website or any vendor events, I am matching that with a card donation to them. So if you buy a card, not only are you hopefully blessing somebody within your sphere of influence, you're going to bless a complete stranger that you will never meet that is going through probably the hardest times of their life right now.
00:57:57
And that's super meaningful to me. So if you can figure out how to incorporate those kind of pieces, I think that would make the world a better place. I love that and I love that you are doing that. What a neat way to give back and so connected and so aligned with your values and it makes it such a neat thing to be part of. I love that duality of blessing someone in your sphere and then somebody that you don't even know and you never know what that impact has and the paths that cross.
00:58:28
And so I think that's just a beautiful thing you've built into the business to have and what a great challenge to others. I think there's so many creative ways to do that, whether it's monetary give backs or giving of your time or a one for one match of a product like that's such a neat thing for sure. Yeah, there's opportunity. So if somebody wants to find your cards and they maybe aren't in the area, are your cards in all home goods, or are they just in the local one and then piggybacking off of that? Can they order online?
00:58:59
And how do people find your cards? You can find them at most home goods nationwide right now, and then on my website, www.writtenhubsdesigns.com. And yeah, that's where you can find them right now. That's awesome. And do you have favorite social media channels or anything?
00:59:17
And we'll be sure to link to. Everything, but Instagram is my favorite. Okay. Yeah. Awesome.
00:59:23
So we'll make sure that that's in all the show notes, the links to be able to find your cards. I think it's so fun, too. Like, if somebody finds your cards in home goods, when they flip the card over, is it on the back where it'll say that it's one of yours? Yes. Okay, perfect.
00:59:39
Yep. It'll say written Hugs designs on it. And my website and all the.
00:59:46
I'm like, we have Tandem Works here, and we have one across. I live in Iowa, but they have in Iowa. And in Nebraska, we're right on the border. So I'm like, hmm, I'm gonna have to run over there and see if it's one of the ones that carries. So that's so fun.
00:59:58
But thank you so much for hopping on and sharing your journey and being so vulnerable, too, about the pieces that you just haven't been sure about and are still working on and figuring out. I think that's just such a high value for people. Thank you. Thank you for having me. And thank you for doing this.
01:00:14
I mean, I listened to a few of your episodes, and being able to connect people with the questions that you're asking and feeling, like, encouraged by it. It means a lot. Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.
01:00:26
All right, well, we'll be following the journey and looking for your cards. Awesome. Thanks.