We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Morgan Swank. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Morgan below.

Morgan, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I originally started my business focusing on private portrait commissions, but after awhile, I just didn’t love it. I knew there had to be something else that I was more passionate about. I also didn’t like just offering art to people who could afford private commissions. I wanted to be able to share art that was at a more affordable price point. At this time I was also going through a major health crisis and knew that I needed something that I would want to work on, even during the hard days.

I tell people that my greeting card line was really conceived in a personal vision quest, which sounds corny, but is true! I took 72 hours to sit down and read some books and articles and go over a few free quizzes and workbooks online to help me drill down on what my values and desires were. I also looked at what businesses were currently in the market that I found inspiring and compelling. I wanted a business that helped people create connections with one another and express joy. I was reminded of all the cards I received from my grandma growing up and how special they made me feel. She always had the perfect card to send, and I wanted to be the one to make that perfect card for others. At the end of those three days I was confident that a greeting card line would allow me to live out the values I prioritized.

After the initial idea, I did a lot of research on the industry. I saw that, while the greeting card market is saturated, there was a place for highly illustrated, bright and bold designs. I also knew that my background in product development would help me create high quality products.

I love the business I’m building, and having lost my grandma recently, it feels like I’m carrying on her legacy.

Morgan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m Morgan Swank and I own Morgan Swank Studio where I create bright and bold illustrated greeting cards and gifts for fun humans. Originally starting off in the fashion industry, I eventually transitioned to focus more on illustration. My love of creating art and my desire to help people create connections with one another led me to developing my greeting card and gift line. I love being able to offer beautifully illustrated products like stickers and notebooks at an affordable price point. Everybody deserves to have art in their lives, not just those able to purchase private commissions.

While I do pride myself on the quality of my work and my desire to constantly improve my products and processes, I think the thing I want to be known for is my desire to encourage and support others. As someone who is chronically ill, I understand the challenges of being both a human and business owner with varying levels of capacity. Sometimes it can feel super isolating and lonely, and I’ve connected with other small business owners who have felt the same.

More so than the products I create, I want to be known for the way I engage with others. I started my business because I value connecting with others and encouraging one another, and I want that to be the thing I’m remembered for.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

I have a variety of vendors for the different products I create. When I started my line I didn’t know where to get anything manufactured! Thankfully, between Google and industry friends I was able to narrow down my vendor list. The best way for me to make decisions on vendors was to place test orders or sample runs to determine if the quality matched what I desired. There is always a lot of number crunching that goes into creating products as well, sometimes you find a perfect vendor, but they just don’t hit the margins you need.

It is vitally important that you have good margins on your products so that you can both pay yourself and have extra money to invest back in inventory. However, I have found it is always better to pay a little more for a product that consistently arrives on time and without damage than work with a vendor that is unpredictable. Time really is money and the more time you spend trying to fix production errors, the less time you’ll be able to spend selling that product!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

For selling wholesale, I have a two-pronged strategy for growing my client base. The first way I find new stores is to research popular gift and stationery stores in different cities and states that align with my style. I will find the contact info for the buyers and reach out to them over email and through postcards to pitch my line. I’ve met so many great customers using this process! The second way I’ve grown my client base is through regional sales reps. Since I’m still the only employee in my business, it is helpful to have other people working to pitch your line. Both of these methods have been really successful for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: morganswank.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/morganswankstudio
• Facebook: facebook.com/morganswankstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganswank/