We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carley Jackson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

Parcel Island started as a creative outlet and a source of freedom I wasn’t getting in my full-time job. I was constantly looking for ways to make work that felt colorful, funny, and a little weird, while still being thoughtfully designed. My first job out of college was in the wedding stationery industry, where I attended my first industry trade show and met with hundreds of businesses. That experience exposed me to the world of greeting cards and gifts—and helped me realize they could be the perfect vessel for my more playful, unconventional creative ideas.

I originally launched Parcel Island as a digital download business. At the time, this was still a relatively new concept on Etsy and was quickly gaining popularity. Offering digital downloads allowed me to build the brand and save capital without the overhead of physical inventory during my first year. Once I had enough funds, I invested in printing my first small batch of greeting cards.

I tested a handful of designs through short print runs, gathered honest feedback from friends, and sold them locally and on Etsy. As demand grew, the work became more practical and process-driven. I researched printers, learned about paper stocks, pricing, and minimums, and committed to keeping all production in the U.S. I built a simple website, launched social media accounts, and started applying to markets and craft fairs. Every sale went straight back into the business—fueling new designs, improved packaging, and incremental upgrades.

From there, I focused on consistency: designing regularly, refining my voice, and showing up wherever I could share the work. Wholesale came later, once I understood my product and customer well enough to scale. Parcel Island didn’t launch all at once—it grew card by card, show by show, and mistake by mistake.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m the founder and designer behind Parcel Island, a Philadelphia-based greeting card and gift brand built around all things color and fun. I got my start in the paper world working in wedding stationery, which gave me a deep appreciation for print, paper quality, and design systems, but I was craving a more playful, expressive creative outlet. That curiosity led me to greeting cards and gifts as a way to combine strong design with wit, personality, and a little weirdness.

Parcel Island creates pun-filled greeting cards, stickers, art prints, bookmarks, notepads, and small gifts designed to help people connect, laugh, and mark everyday moments. Our products solve a simple but meaningful problem: helping people say what they want to say in a way that feels genuine and memorable.

What sets Parcel Island apart is our voice and values. Every product is designed by me, made in the USA, and rooted in bold color, clever wordplay, and accessibility. We’re proudly woman- and POC-owned, deeply inspired by Philadelphia’s creative energy, and guided by the belief that laughter and good design belong in everyday life.

I’m most proud that Parcel Island has grown steadily since 2016 without losing its personality. I want people to know that behind every product is intention, care, and the joy of making something that feels a little brighter than what existed before.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing people genuinely laugh, smile, or feel seen because of something I made. Knowing that my work helps people connect—whether through humor, warmth, or shared experience- never gets old. It’s incredibly fulfilling to turn an idea into something that brings a little joy into someone’s everyday life.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I built my audience by learning to be more authentic and letting go of the idea that everything had to be perfectly aesthetic. Once I started showing the personality behind the brand—the humor, the process, the messy moments—people connected more deeply. My biggest advice is to be yourself, share consistently, and remember that people follow brands for personality just as much as the product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.parcelisland.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parcelisland/

Image Credits

Mango Marketing