Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Hladish.
Lisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I accidentally started Paper Daisies when I created my own wedding stationery.
Previously I had been a high school art teacher and had always had a love for all things creative. There’s a unique “high” in making people happy through creating pretty things… I realized that I absolutely loved helping brides create custom stationery and I happened to be at the marrying age. A lot of my work was “spread around” so I didn’t really need to market it. The growth came from word of mouth and partnering with wedding planners and venues. I found I was talented in working with multiple styles and in a variety of budgets.
Because I wasn’t educated as a graphic designer I didn’t always do things the “right way”.
In the end, this enabled me to think outside of the box and I was able to cater to brides of all budgets which really helped elevate my business when the economy tanked. I am a firm believer that there are two things women will always have no matter how rich or poor they are… weddings and babies!! Our mission is spreading goodness by creating relationships and building trust.
I started the business out of my bedroom and we now have a studio in downtown Chamblee and 10 team members. I’ve been lucky enough to work with members of my family at different times throughout the years. My mom and husband helped me started the business. My younger sister came on board for a while and helped us open our first studio. My brother joined us for a few years as a partner and helped build our first e-commerce website. My dad has invested in us and now I’m partnered with my baby sister.
It’s been a blast to work so closely with my family. And even though I’m only related to two of our current team members, it feels a bit like we’re all a family at PDS. It’s such a fun work environment to be a part of! This fall we are excited to offer a collection of holiday cards designed exclusively for Target online. We’re also in the process of creating a brand new website that will be equally gorgeous and easy for our couples to navigate.
Our goal with the new site is to “marry” the amazing customer experience we offer in the studio with the ease of the big box stationers.
We’re going to continue adding new online collections and making the experience of ordering through a website as good as it can possibly be. Our couples are able to work one on one with a designer and if they’re local, can stop by the studio to see the printed pieces in person. We are able to rent high-end pieces {table numbers, frames, signage, etc} and are continuing to add to our rental collection all of the time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Ha! I don’t think about starting and running your own business and “smooth” could possibly go together. I’ve failed, and failed and then failed some more. I always joke with new team members that I will always be the one to make the most mistakes at Paper Daisies. I’ve learned to embrace the struggles and we learn together through our failures.
We laugh a lot, have an occasional glass of wine, or hit up the cupcake store down the block when we have rough days. It’s only paper… but it’s some of the most important paper a person will ever need. And we take our jobs very seriously.
Someone once asked me what I thought I was the best at. And I think I said, “apologizing”. There are so many places for things to go wrong with wedding stationery. We have an amazing quality control team, but things still slip through. I think we show our true colors as a company when we work together to provide solutions for our couples. They see how much we care.
I am naturally a people pleaser. In the beginning, I would turn myself into a pretzel trying to please everyone. As I’ve grown along with the business, I’ve learned that the best way to take care of everyone {customers and team members} is to put good, solid processes and systems in place. We spend a lot of time collaborating together as a team on our processes and are always striving to do better. If a mistake does happen, there’s usually a meeting shortly afterwards to find out what happened, why it happened and how not to ever have it happen again!
Another important part of growing a small business is surrounding yourself with good, solid people. We joke that we don’t necessarily hire based on talent, but more on who the person is. None of this is rocket science and a lot we can teach… but you can’t teach character, integrity and loyalty. At times we’ve had to let people go that we loved, but that just weren’t a good fit. That’s been the most painful part for me, but also where I’ve learned and grown the most.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Paper Daisies Stationery specializes in designing unique custom wedding invitations, save the dates, programs and any customized stationery the couple might need. Our passion is in providing each couple with a unique personalized experience in designing their wedding stationery.
Our couples can expect a high level of personal, one-on-one interaction as we sit together and design their custom wedding stationery in our boutique studio. Taking what a couple envisions for their wedding day and creating an invitation suite that fits their vision and budget is what we love and do best.
We are excited to also offer online collections at a more affordable cost. Our couples are still paired with a designer and the experience is enjoyable and easy to navigate. I’d say the desire to create relationships with our couples is what sets us apart and what we are most proud of.
What were you like growing up?
My favorite thing growing up was being a big sister. I was always in charge and very close with all of my siblings. I never had any intentions of starting a business, but looking back, realized it was probably always in my blood. My father began his own company and my mother did the same.
I was a high school art teacher and loved every second of it. Growing up I was quite the tomboy and laugh now, as I’m in the girliest business one can possibly imagine. I’ve always been outgoing and love making people happy. I loved playing sports, camping, skiing, hiking and am on my 3rd Jeep Wrangler.
I’m naturally empathetic and compassionate, which really helps when dealing with weddings. I’m allergic to technology so that isn’t always so helpful, but my business partner, Windsor, excels in that department so we’re a good match.
Pricing:
- Custom Studio experience starts at $1,800 { by appointment }
- Online Collections start at $2.00 per invitation {www.paper-daisies.com}
Contact Info:
- Address: 5494 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30341 - Website: www.paper-daisies.com
- Phone: 470-299-3770
- Email: hello@paper-daisies.com
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