Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lia Van Note & Kristina Holman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lia & Kristina , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What can you share with us about the story behind how you found your key vendors?
Before we opened our business we knew that we wanted to carefully vet our vendors, or makers as we call them. We came up with a list of all the criteria that was important to us and reflected our values. Geography, such as hyper-local (our neighborhood), local, and regional was a first. Second was a focus on sustainability and the environment, the gift industry is notoriously bad as a whole. Third was inclusivity, for example, female-owned, minority-owned, queer-owned, etc. Ideally a vendor meets all three categories but when we take on new vendors they have to meet at the very least one. It makes us feel good about everything we offer in our store, creates connection to our product line, and builds trust with our customers. And hopefully it sends the message to others in the industry that there is higher ground to stand on.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Page & Post started as a life-long dream that we never imagined was possible. In 2020, like the rest of the world, we took deep dives introspectively and realized our career paths were not in line with our belief systems and desire for fulfillment. Both of us felt the need to do something that not only brought us joy but also brought others joy in a way that reflected inclusivity and sustainability. In broad terms, a gift shop, where people feel good about what they walk out with. It took two years of blood, sweat, and tears, but in 2022 the dream came to life when we made our home in The Village of West Greenville. As West End residents we could not wait to open the doors within the community we call our own. A year later and we still love helping our customers find the perfect gift for their loved ones and themselves and hearing new visitors peruse our greeting cards chuckling out loud.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When we first started the business we had a whole section of our product line dedicated to bespoke party supplies. However within a few months we realized we would have to pivot. Whether due to a weaker economy or due to big box retailers offering better selections than years past at lower prices, our customers just were not interested. And if you are cutting costs in your household, let’s be honest, party supplies are a luxury. We instead branched out into office supplies, and pet gifting after getting to know the residents within walking distance and what types of items interested them and so far the decision has benefitted us.
How’d you meet your business partner?
If you had told us growing up that one day we would be business partners we would have laughed. There is a 7 year age gap between us and we have quite different personalities. Growing up our arguments could end up being knock-down, drag-out. But after entering different stages of our lives and maturity, we have learned to use our differences to compliment not conflict. One of us is more introverted and Type-A, while the other is more extroverted and Type-B. After opening we were able to see that certain aspects of the business came naturally and we sort of organically gravitated towards those roles. We still don’t make many decisions without each other but one works more on the procedures and finances and one works more on the marketing and merchandising.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pageandpost.com
- Instagram: @pageandpostgvl
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/pageandpostgvl
- Twitter: @pageandpostgvl