We were lucky to catch up with Meg Sutton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Meg, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
I launched my company – Belle & Union Co. – in the late spring of 2012, at a wholesale trade show called the National Stationery Show. I had never sold a single greeting card, but I believed in my work, and knew that wholesale was the way to go to create volume and longevity for my new company. I had saved every penny I had made from custom wedding invitations to exhibit at that show – a huge risk in and of itself – but walked away with 52 orders, and the confidence that I had made the right decision. Fast forward 11 years later, and our line has been sold in over 1,000 stores around the world including mom and pop shops, and big names like Anthropologie, The Container Store, Magnolia Market, Paper Source, and more. We now have our very own brick and mortar shop as well.
Launching the way I did was a risk, but the biggest risk of all was a decision made in the spring of 2021. We opened our first brick and mortar location in San Antonio, Texas, in the summer of 2018. Nothing could have prepared me for what was coming just a few short years down the road – a global pandemic. But prior to that, we were struggling in the location we chose. We went with a high visibility area within a major shopping center, which meant a high price tag to go along with it. Unfortunately, the foot traffic was not what it seemed, and more months than not we were barely scraping by. It takes a lot of greeting cards after all to pay high rent!
When the pandemic hit, our landlords were… less than accommodating. We were closed for 3 long months, but rent was still due on the 1st of each month. The lack of humanity during this time cemented our decision: if we wanted the shop – the company – to survive, we had to move. We had written an “out clause” at year 3 of our lease, which was coming up. Exercising that option meant paying a penalty of $20,000, but it meant the freedom to find a (less expensive) space, with more foot traffic to support us.
Truthfully, we could have closed altogether rather than move, and no one would have blamed us. Owning a small business is hard enough, without adding a global pandemic to the mix. But I wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. Though it meant taking on more debt in order to move, a huge risk in and of itself, in my heart and my gut I knew it was the right decision, and the only way the company could survive.
Here we are, almost two years later, settled into our new home. It isn’t without its own quirks and issues, but moving, taking the risk on what we had already built, and our belief that we were not yet done, has paid off. We see growth each and every month, and are constantly reminded of this wonderful community we have built. It has not always been easy, but what we do does matter – creating connection through curated gifts and greetings, one card at a time.
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.
I started Belle & Union when I was 23 years old, a maker and a dreamer with a passion to share my doodles with the world. With a background in graphic design, I longed for my art to go beyond a digital screen, and be something physically made that people could gift and treasure. I’m a firm believer in the shoe box full of cards – of memories – tucked away under your bed, and want to help create those special moments between people. Cards are more than just a piece of paper, they are a tangible form of love, of memories, of celebration, of encouragement and sympathy. They mark life’s highest and sometimes lowest moments, bringing people together, spreading love and kindness with a single postage stamp.
We specialize in letterpress printed greeting cards and art prints, lovingly brought to life on antique printing presses that are over 100 years old. Cards are printed one color, one page at a time. Each illustration is hand-drawn by yours truly, before being brought to life on these incredible machines. There is something special about letterpress, where you can truly feel the love and care put into each and every print. We have a card for just about every important milestone in life, and if we don’t, we will be sure to make one!
One of the biggest factors that sets our brand apart is our commitment to American made. In an era where it seems easiest to manufacture overseas, we have made a pillar of our company to stay true to our American roots, as a thank you to our service men and women. My own husband – the Union, as a Pennsylvania native – spent 6 years in the military. Watching his service as I launched the company, I wanted a way to honor that sacrifice. These men and women leave the comforts of home, in support of our freedom, some making the ultimate sacrifice for our country. By keeping my work all domestically made, I feel we are honoring that service and everything they fight for. It isn’t always easy, and there are sometimes product ideas that will never be brought to life due to manufacturing challenges, but it has taught me to be nimble and creative, highlighting the work of so many other incredible makers from around the United States.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
You never know what someone else is going through in business, or in life for that matter.
So often we only see people’s highlight reels – only the shiny, good things we want to share on social media. But the truth is, we all have hard days. It is easy to fall into the trap of the comparison game, surrendering to imposter syndrome, and thinking we will never be good enough, especially as artists.
But here’s the truth… “making it” is a myth. We are always constantly learning, unlearning, growing, pivoting, starting over, letting go. The small business journey is exactly that – a journey. It’s a long and winding path that sometimes sees you going back the way you came, often feeling two steps forward, one step (or more!) back.
I am often told, especially within my industry of stationery peers, that I have “made it”. I have an incredible brand, a beautiful brick and mortar – I have it all – the dream! But the truth is, things are not always what they seem. We have days where all we sell is two cards. One cannot pay rent, payroll, inventory, bills, etc, on that. It doesn’t matter how beautiful something is at the end of the day, business is business. We put on a shiny, happy face, and are surrounded by beautiful things – but it doesn’t paint the whole picture. I think it’s important to remember that no matter what you see from someone, they still have hard days too.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
It isn’t the fun part of business to talk about, at least as a creative, but it is important – money! Finances are an integral part of your success as a business. Whether you like it or not, at the end of the day, (or rather, the beginning!) you need to know your numbers. We are running businesses, not non-profits, so understanding the numbers is so important.
The pandemic was a swift kick to make me get things in order, and really take a hard look at where we are spending our money. I cannot recommend the book Profit First enough – it completely changed the way I look at my finances, and for the first time, we have actual business savings in the bank due to putting those practices into play. It can be a tough book to get through, definitely not a quick read, as there are lots of worksheets involved, but there are so many wonderful nuggets that I cannot recommend it enough to any business owner. 
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.belleandunion.com
- Instagram: @belleandunionco
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/belleandunionco
- Twitter: @belleandunionco
Image Credits
Verb House Creative Ainsley Saniel