We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Asha Banks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Asha below.

Asha , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

My journey with CheerNotes started from a place of personal frustration and a love for creative expression. You know how it is when you’re hunting for the perfect card, but nothing seems quite right? That was me, hopping from store to store, seeking cards that mirrored Black culture and expression. And often when I did find something, it just didn’t feel right – it wasn’t truly me. CheerNotes is my small way of being part of the change i wanted to see. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial bug, from creating hair and skin products to address the unmet needs of Black hair and skin while in middle school, leading up to running small ventures while juggling my career in chemical engineering. In 2018, I took the plunge into full-time entrepreneurship, using business school as a launchpad. That summer, I began shaping CheerNotes on the evenings and weekends while working at a fast growing startup in The Bay Area. My goal? To understand if others felt the same way about greeting cards. Turns out, they did!
Launching in 2020 was surreal. I remember my first sale vividly – a Valentine’s Day card I personally delivered to a classmate. Those early days were all about testing waters: Would people buy cards online? Were artists interested in partnering up? The pandemic, although challenging, opened new doors for us, especially in the custom card domain. Our first big project was for Carnegie Mellon University, and it was a huge learning curve that helped me build an additional line of business.
Navigating through the first year was like solving a giant puzzle – finding artist partners, learning more specifications about paper and printing that I could have imagined, figuring out logistics, and even deciding to drop our ‘sign and send’ feature due to logistical hiccups. Fast forward, and we’re not just a retailer but also wholesaling to hundreds of stores worldwide. It’s been a journey filled with constant learning, a lot of Google searches, and insights and community from Proof to Product’s Paper Camp. It’s been a journey of learning new things and meeting amazing people.

Asha , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hey there, I’m Asha! I went from being a chemical engineer to diving into the world of cards and stationery. At CheerNotes, we’re all about sharing designs that really speak to you and your story. CheerNotes was born out of a real need I saw in the stationery market – the need for more representation and genuine diversity. It wasn’t just about creating another card company; it was about creating a platform where artists from all walks of life, especially those from marginalized communities, can have their voices heard and their art celebrated. We do this through curating a collection of different indie brands on our eCommerce site, cheernote.com, creating our own designs inspired by our community, and through art licensing relationships with our artist partners.
Our products are more than just stationery; they are celebrations of stories, cultures, and real-life experiences. We collaborate with diverse artists to bring to life designs that are not just beautiful but also resonate deeply with our customers. It’s about helping more people feel seen, heard, and valued. In 2022, we won a Louie Award, which is like the Grammys of Greeting Cards. This was a special honor because we were up against established and major brands like American Greetings. Our winning design was a Children’s birthday card featuring a little Black girl who looked super cute and birthday ready. This card was a collaboration between me and an artist partner who has been with us from day one. This was her first award for her art! Moments like that are what it’s all about.
What I’m most proud of with CheerNotes is how we’ve managed to create a community around our brand. A community that values not just the aesthetic of a design but the story and the artist behind it. People who appreciate and are grateful for our mission, whether it’s because they too have felt left out of the aisle or because they are empathetic to that experience. For any creatives out there looking to make their mark, remember it’s about staying true to your vision and being relentless in pursuing it. At CheerNotes, we’re doing just that, one design at a time.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Funding for CheerNotes was a blend of strategic planning and seizing timely opportunities. The initial capital was fueled by an award recognizing my efforts in promoting diversity and inclusion. This award funded our first inventory and the launch of our e-commerce site. We started making sales in the first month and everything was reinvested into the business. Our first custom order came from my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, for over 400 custom cards, sent directly to the recipient. This was a pivotal point, showcasing the potential of high-volume, custom orders as a sustainable revenue stream. Not long after, I was selected to participate in Target’s accelerator program in 2020. This provided not only additional financial support but invaluable insights into refining our business model.
All of this happened within my first few months of being in business so I was very blessed to have the capital to keep things going, even when orders were slow. In our first year, we helped 1,111 people share a moment with our cards. By 2022, that number grew to over 30,000!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

One of my most memorable experiences at CheerNotes was our first major order with TJMaxx brands, totaling 8,000 cards in various designs. I remember the thrill of receiving the initial inquiry, a mix of excitement and the realization of the immense task ahead. We’re a family-run business, with my parents handling all our packing and shipping. The scale of this order was unlike anything we had handled before. I knew immediately that asking my mom to prepare thousands of cards wasn’t feasible, so I began the search for a copacker. The challenge was finding an affordable yet reliable partner, as the order specifications were extensive – printing, folding, pairing with envelopes, and placing each card in a clear sleeve for merchandising.
Negotiations were still underway, and I hadn’t even confirmed the pricing with TJMaxx. The cost quotes from copackers were daunting, and I knew that big box stores typically expected additional discounts. It was a tightrope walk, balancing costs and quality, while maintaining our brand’s integrity.
Finally, we found the right partner, and the purchase order came through. But this was just the beginning. Our printing partner’s delay and the partial delivery of cards added to the pressure. The protection sleeves for the cards arrived just in time, and our partner generously put in extra hours to get everything ready.
The paperwork for the purchase order was another hurdle, especially with this being an international order to Canada. The customs paperwork was intricate, and any error could lead to additional expenses. I spent the pickup day anxiously monitoring my phone and email, ready to tackle any last-minute issues.
The message confirming the successful pickup of the order was a huge relief. However, it wasn’t over until I submitted the invoice for payment. This order was more than just a sales achievement; it was a learning curve, a test of our capabilities, and a significant growth opportunity.
Since then, we’ve tackled multiple large orders and established a robust partnership with an excellent copacker, who even accommodates quick turnarounds. While we don’t have any full-time employees yet, the support of my parents and strategic partners like our copacker has been invaluable. This journey with TJMaxx was a testament to our resilience and ability to scale, setting the stage for more such successes in the future. It was also our first international store placement and quickly allowed us to grow our community as people reached out to share their excitement about seeing our cards while shopping.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cheernotes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheernotes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CheerNotes
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashabanks/