For as long as we are in quarantine, is as long as I’ll bring you fresh and motivating inspiration from entrepreneurs and creatives. In case you missed it, this is Vol. 3 of Prep Talk (Vol. 1 | Vol. 2). Prep Talk was inspired by the single thing that makes this quarantine exciting– the creativity that is happening and what it means for our future economy.
Today, I’m sharing some inspo from Angelica Hanley who is the founder of ACouplePuns. ACouplePuns is a high-quality paper goodies company that sells greeting cards, stickers, wine bottle tags, and more for every special occasion and moment in-between.
I’m absolutely obsessed with Angelica’s products and couldn’t think of a more perfect time to stock up for the year’s special moments. With all of us separated from friends and family, I’m looking for little ways to bring joy to those having some major moments right now. For example, I’m buying this card for my sister who was supposed to graduate in May, this one for two best friends who just bought a house, these for my co-workers who have been rockstars at getting through the WFH challenges, and of course this one for my mom for Mother’s Day in a few weeks.
More beautiful that her products is Angelica’s story of how she created and built her business. As a military spouse, she moves quite often and her business has moved with her. Read her story below and head over to ACouplePuns to stock up on a few goodies.
1| Tell us a little bit about your business. What is it? When did you start it? And what inspired you?
Ever since I was young, I have always been the comedian of my friends and family so for me to turn my love for laughter into a business comes to no surprise to those who know me. The desire to create unique things and make people laugh followed me into adulthood but I never thought I’d be able to couple this fun playful side with being a professional or that I could be taken seriously. Even in college, I chose a major that had nothing to do with what I’m doing now because I never believed creativity could be something outside of a hobby.
I had been working in advertising at the time and was in project management roles where I had a birds-eye view of the agency — I was a total sponge and absorbed everything, I loved how people were turning chaos into beautiful campaigns and turning ideas into tangible products. Outside of work, I was dabbling in every possible creative side hustle or project, but nothing ever stuck. I got into photography, marketing consulting, making custom art but these never turned into long term ventures until ACouplePuns came along in 2017.
When my husband and I were dating long distance, we would communicate with puns throughout the day. It made the distance seem shorter because we were always laughing and seeking out fun puns or wordplay to share. When we did see each other, I would take photos of him and write clever captions about what he was doing or holding.
I officially started ACouplePuns in the summer of 2017 after moving from Maryland to Texas to bridge that long-distance gap and I felt, for a lack of better words, homesick and displaced. I had to work a bit harder to make Texas feel like a home and really put myself out of my comfort zone. My husband is a Navy pilot meaning our life will consist of frequent moves so I sought to create something I could take with us wherever we go and that is how ACouplePuns was born!
2| How has the COVID-19 crisis impacted your business?
COVID-19 has affected my business ins a few ways. I’ve separated them below.
Direct to Consumer: Sales are slower but still steady. Most orders are larger so the average purchase order is up. I run the business out of a home studio so for the most part my operation is not affected. I have very little day-to-day overhead and have a lot of inventory in stock so I’m still able to fill and ship orders on time.
Wholesale: The wholesale side of the business is almost non-existent right now. Many of my boutique and gift shop partners’ doors are shut so they are not moving inventory or reordering. Mother’s Day & Father’s Day is usually huge but I don’t see much coming from this on the wholesale side this year. I am fortunate to have a few Grocery store partners (think your local neighborhood grocer stores) my cards move fast in these locations and they are still open so I’m still working with these partners.
Events: We were exhibiting at SXSW this Spring for the 3rd year in a row but that was canceled — SXSW is HUGE for this small biz so that hurt. We also had a few PopUps for Women’s History Month in March those were either canceled or had no turnout (we had one running the weekend all of this really hit the fan). My summer is booked with potential PopUps but I don’t really see this being an option at the moment. We ARE pivoting and participating in every possible virtual event as they come up but quite frankly virtual Pop-Ups just don’t have that same turnout. Virtual Market Places (Luminary | We Are Women Owned | ATX SXSW Virtual Pop Up)
On the bright side: I am using this time to play catch up on some projects I’ve put on the back burner. I am working with my VA team to launch a new website this Spring and I’m also launching on 2 wholesale platforms (Faire and Bulletin) upon this new web launch. I’m keeping up with the new trends and producing some fun creative content that’s reaching a whole new audience and I’m pushing press big time! I’ve had a podcast interview, a few online Q&A articles, and blog features. My cards spark joy and connect people and we need that more than ever now so I’m using this time to spread awareness and help people send more cards!
3| What has your daily routine looked like these days?
Not consistent by any means,lol! I’ve been working from home for a while now so you’d think this is the same for me but it’s very different (although I was already a Zoom pro, lol). I’m still trying to get up early but I’m not being hard on myself if I just need an afternoon to go for a walk, bake something or take an extra-long shower. I guess in a sense you can say I’m more relaxed — which feels weird saying. I am totally guilty of getting caught up in the hustle and overbooking myself so I’m pleasantly relaxed and for once don’t feel overwhelmed. I’m actually able to focus on the side of the business I love and that connecting with people like yourself and creating new cards!
4 |How are you staying motivated on working on and growing your business during this unpredictable time?
My community! I’ve never been more motivated to create new and relevant content. Usually, I plan everything out but as of late I’m kind of just going with the flow and I feel as if the content is connecting with my audience in a new way. Its a bit more satirical, sassy, and kind of inappropriate, and I’m noticing my audience really connecting with it — I never take the time to slow down and actually notice what my audience wants to see versus what’s speaking to me creatively at the moment so this has been pretty inspiring! Knowing I create a product that sparks joy and helps people share special moments and laughter is motivating in itself. People need something fun, colorful, and a little extra in their lives right now!
5| Do you have any WFH hacks on how to stay productive?
Take notes when you’re feeling stressed and work proactively to resolve it. When working from home, you’re likely juggling many projects and tasks at once so time management may be a stress factor. Be aware of your boundaries, make them clear to those around you, and don’t be afraid to say no. You’ll find you bring a better attitude to the things you do commit to and will have the energy to enjoy them.
Even if you can’t squeeze in that morning or afternoon workout you can still get your body moving throughout the day in short increments. Take a 10-minute break to do jumping jacks or go for a quick walk around your block. Posture checks and stretching are also important.
6| How is your work/life balance in a world where your bed may also be your desk?
HA!! I honestly struggle with this all the time so I don’t have the best answer for this. It’s actually one of the biggest areas of contention in my marriage if we want to get real personal. I tend to not have boundaries and I’m so excited and passionate about the work that I often find myself working into the late-night hours. I take it day by day. I know if I’m working 12+ hours one day maybe it’s ok to take some extra time to be present in my personal life and watch a movie without checking e-mails.
7| How are you staying connected to your work family? If you are a one-man-show, how are you staying connected to those you care about at this time?
Slack! I love using Slack to communicate throughout the day and its where most of my work-related convos happen. As far as staying connected to people I love — I’m in a unique boat where I’m pretty much always far away from family and friends. My husband is a Navy Pilot so his job moves us around the country and usually to locations where I know no one so I’m used to keeping in touch with friends and family from afar. I let people I love know I’m thinking about them by sending funny jokes and facetime. You don’t have to commit a lot of time to stay in touch, my day to day is quick funny jokes and memes and then when we really need to connect its a phone call and conversation — This is actually how this business started haha. It was me trying to find creative ways to connect with people from afar!
8| Has the quarantine life inspired you in any new ways?
Kind of similar to my answer to #4. I started this quarantine thing feeling very icky promoting my business and producing any content. I just felt as if people needed “essential” things and not what I’m offering but after a few conversations with some people in my creative community I came to realize that a silly approach. I have this ability to make people laugh and add some fun and color to their day so I’ve had to put that thought to the side and just stay creative.
9| How is your business or you personally giving back in this time of crisis?
I’m always open to partnering with organizations and donating cards for events or care packages etc. So we’ve been donating cards whenever the opportunity comes up. I’ve also been including free stamps in people’s orders to help them send their cards without going through the trouble of going out to buy stamps. That’s my way of helping people stay home but also spread joy during all of this.
10| We’re about to see an influx of new entrepreneurs join our community, what is your advice to them?
Own the room you’re in – I had an opportunity to pitch my business to an accelerator fund this past year and I blew the pitch. I envisioned my audience as people who don’t believe in my vision rather than people who are spending their time listening to me because they see potential in my vision. My nerves spoke louder than my accomplishments and potential.
Be careful of who you let in your garden – people feed off of other people’s success and don’t recognize the work that goes into it, these people will find creative ways to exploit that. Just be mindful of who you work with and who you share things with. And when someone does disappoint you, handle it and move on.
Figure out what you’re good at and delegate the rest – ok, this one is not easy if you’re starting out and scrappy you will have to do everything yourself but as you’re doing everything just be mindful of what it is you enjoy doing and what you’re good at. When you come into opportunities to delegate it will be easier and you’ll make smarter decisions on the kind of skill sets you hire.
It’s ok to say no – I have this thing where I tend to bite off more than I can chew. I like saying yes to every opportunity and have this fear that if I don’t participate in something my business will miss out on a growth opportunity. Turns out this is not true. Slowing down and taking some time to strategize about what obligations are most important has helped me manage what I say Yes and No to.
