Creative Counsel with Brittany Ratelle
Business:Entrepreneurship
Kristen Ley, founder of Thimblepress® shares her wholesale secrets from being in the stationery businesses for more than a decade. Thimblepress is an international lifestyle company that encourages kindness and inspires fun, through her artisan cards, Push-Pop Confetti, and viral hits like the "Your butt looks great in those jeans!" card. In their interview with attorney for creators Brittany Ratelle, Kristen dives into her creative process, how she launched Thimblepress and grew it to an internationally successful company as a passionate creative, businesswoman, coach, and woman of faith. Kristen has grown Thimblepress as a reflection of her life, love of her family, and reflecting back on one of her favorite places in the world; one of them being her home in Jackson, Mississippi.
In this episode:
Online wholesale outlets Kristen mentions (where you can find Thimblepress):
ABOUND
Bulletin
Kristen’s questions for creatives who want to expand:
Quotes:
“I have been running this business since 2012 and it looks very different than it did, but the integrity and the core values of our brand have always remained the same.”
“When you hire, if people don't align with your core values, it's going to make communicating with them and them going out and communicating for your brand super difficult.”
“You need saved three months of being able to pay your employees in a savings account because those times will get hard – things can happen out of your control.”
“One of the worst things I’ve done in my business is having to let people go – and that usually comes from hiring too fast.”
“I feel like I'm making a difference in people's day-to-day – even if they're little small differences. I visualize all those little small products, like every greeting card that goes out, those hundreds of thousands of push-pops of confetti, out into the world. And I think of every time we send something out, it's like a little red heart. So I picture all these little red hearts everywhere.”
“A legal lesson I learned the hard way - if you file for a provisional patent application, make sure you follow up within a year later and file the actual patent, or you lose that right forever.”
“Don't look around at what everyone else is doing and make the right decisions for you, your family, your company, your faith, all those things like are so important.”
“Don't make work your idol – make it part of your life, but not the hero. Because you're the hero - not what you do.”
“I always say people don't ask for what they want enough. Pitch yourself as much as you can. The more you ask - just mathematically - the more yes’s you're going to get.”
“You have to big be your biggest cheerleader. If you're not going to be excited about the things that you're doing, how do you expect anyone else to be excited for you?
“For promoting yourself, sometimes you have to yell when even when you think it's a whisper, especially on social media. Sometimes, I feel like I'm saying things over and over again, and that I feel like I'm yelling at them but truthfully, it’s not that because we’re all inundated with noise.”
“I always say it boils down to three things. People just want to feel seen, loved, and heard. If you can make your customers feel seen and loved and heard, I would say job well done.”
Resources:
Wholesale Agreement Template
Pop-up shop Agreement Template
Website BUNDLE
Kristen:
Thimblepress
Business Coaching by Kristen Ley (1:1 creative call, monthly mentoring and weekend workshops)
Kristen’s Stronger Together Facebook Group
Her Vision Board and Dream Workshop download
OTHER EPISODES
Episode 74: 7 Biggest Legal Mistakes Physical Product Companies Make
Contract Templates mentioned in this episode:
Brand Protection:
Interested in securing and protecting your own brand name? Chat with Brittany about whether you are ready for a federal trademark registration to protect your brand assets.
Ready to get your business legally legit?
Download my free legally legit workbook HERE and get access to my newsletter with tips and tricks for YOUR growing creative business.
Like to listen and learn?
Listen and subscribe to Creative Counsel on iTunes, Overcast, Stitcher, Spotify & iHeartRadio
Let's Connect
Interested in working with Brittany for one-on-one legal services? Sign up for a 15-min phone consult at brittanyratelle.com/services.
Want an attorney-drafted, industry-tested legal template for your business? Take a free quiz and find out exactly what you need for your creative business at creativecontracts.co.
Or, browse through my quick tips and tricks by connecting on Instagram.
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