We were lucky to catch up with Keli Spanier recently and have shared our conversation below.

Keli, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

15 years ago, I was working a corporate 9-5 job, and my mother became terminally ill. It’s a sad story – but I like to think that she had a pretty integral part in creating a career for me that would lead to so much more creativity, freedom, and confidence. I probably wouldn’t have had the guts to leave that corporate job for any other reason than to be by her side, but it was the perfect escape plan. My mother was a pretty popular lady, so a lot of cards came for her – and let me be honest, they were the saddest and lamest cards I had ever seen. Our funny moment came when I brought her mail to her, and in bright red letters, “This is your LAST ISSUE of Good Housekeeping”. It was a moment she found such levity in, and I knew at that moment there was a huge need in the market for funny cards – cards for life’s terrible moments, life’s blunders and crap-fests. No more flowy florals and deepest sympathy in cheesy italic fonts – let there be… humor. So many years later, my cards are in over 800 stores worldwide and counting. I like to think she had a huge part in that.

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?

My name is Keli, and I run a card shop. It started with a few funny cards that grew to 500 designs in just a few years, and expanded to notepads, tote bags, pouches, pens, and stickers. I began hand-lettering all of them, creating a perfect creative outlet for my strange jokes. My “snarky” brand of humor isn’t for everyone, but those who get it can attest to their always-underlying message of love and care. My cards are bright and fun, always meant to send joy during life’s hard moments.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I’ve thrown out the window is getting what we call a “steady job”. Within just a few years of leaving my corporate career to start my own world, I was making five times what I made at the “real job”. It was so terrifying to leave that job – I thought for sure I would find myself broke and never find work again. I had no savings, so leaving that job felt so much like an ultimatum. What I discovered in the process was how much brain energy I suddenly had – when I wasn’t being watched over by a manager, when I didn’t have a rigid work schedule any longer. I was able to create magic and find what my inner artist needed.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Over the last 15 years I have kept complete creative control over my artwork and design. I have often felt that things might be easier to outsource but I never want to stop touching the product and making sure it meets my standards. Manufacturing my cards does take time, but it’s completely worth it. I also truly enjoy the production of my products – there is joy in the journey, after all!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colettepaperie.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/colettepaperie
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/colettepaperie
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@colettepaperie