We recently connected with Maureen Prince and have shared our conversation below.

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

I designed all the stationery and signage for my wedding! Everyone loved it so much they kept telling me I should start a business. I decided in 2021 to take that leap and start my own business. It’s funny because I started with cards and then decided to make a wedding invitation. As soon as I did, I got my first client. That’s when I started becoming confident that I can actually do this. It was a game changer for sure!

Maureen , 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?

I have actually been using the cricut for over a decade. I used to make scrapbook wedding albums, but they were extremely well executed and not like something someone in high school would create, haha! Now I offer custom invitations, menus, letterpress, escort walls, welcome signs, and calligraphy. I basically do it all, but may eventually lean mostly towards letterpress.

My main goal is to provide quality items! I have spent many hours this past year taking courses and researching products to provide the best for my clients. I will always go out of my way to help a client stay in their budget and offer them alternative options.

My vibe/ logo/ aesthetic is nature! I live in La Jolla, right near Windansea Beach so my vibe has been beachy coastal lately and I love taking on these projects especially. However, I also love national parks and creating for those types of events as well. I love playing with texture too, so I’ve been playing with multiple mediums and loving every minute of it.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I started my business in March of 2021, as a side hustle. As of January 2022, I have turned it into a full time job! I think what really helped was doing some styled shoots and creating for a wedding planner luncheon. What really made an impact was connecting with Wedding Planners who have become friends and now refer me clients. Building a network is so important and I love getting to work with such talented people! One of my favorite planners is Type A Soirée. She invited me to plan a wedding in December of 2021, which ultimately helped me decide to go full time. I’m forever grateful to her for trusting me to work on such a huge multiple-day wedding!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’ve had many experiences now that have shown my resilience. I’ve been handed projects due the next day and completed them, extremely short deadlines that I’ve met. I can proudly say that I’ve never missed a deadline.

This year the wedding industry has been so insanely backed up that things continue to be out of stock. It’s been so bad that I’ve had to find other ways to complete projects, even as far as to order paper from Australia.

Another time was when I stayed up until 2am to finish a project when everything inside me said go to bed. I have just never been a quitter. Some nights I have lost a lot of sleep but I have kept my clients happy! I am learning going forward to take on less, for my mental health though. I’ve even had to turn clients away this year, which is never easy. However, taking care of your mental health is critical to being creative and at your best!

Contact Info:

• Website: Sunkissednative.com
• Instagram: Sunkissed_Native
• Facebook: Sunkissed Native

Image Credits
Myself, Justice Photography, Camila Margotta Photo, and Gabfotografia. First photo of myself: Katie Iredale Photography