We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Stephens recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
It all started in my childhood. I was fortunate to have parents and teachers who nurtured my artistic abilities. I dreamed of selling my own stationery products someday or designing them for others. I was pretty obsessed with paper and always designing something — from pretend business cards to library return cards or sales receipts while forcing my little sister to act out imaginary scenarios with me. I remember stacks and stacks of my creations all over the house.
Life changed course dramatically after a couple of rough experiences that made me feel like a failure and question my path in the arts. At the time, my faith pursuits led me to live in Northern Ireland for several years. While living abroad I took on various freelance projects for clients whenever I had time to help pay the bills. I also began selling my own greeting cards and artwork. Those were some of the best and most formative years for me. It became clear I was naturally a creative entrepreneur, and that chapter solidified my desire to use my artistic ability in the most uplifting way possible—to share love, encourage others, and be part of transformative social impact. I became passionate about working with nonprofits and small businesses to help them make their mark in the world.
After I met my (now) husband, I moved away from Northern Ireland and landed on the east coast. I was quickly approaching my 30th birthday and was starting over in so many ways. Fortunately, it gave me space to really dream again and decide how I wanted the next chapter of life to look. I couldn’t shake the idea that it was time to start my own business. I just didn’t have a clear vision yet, so I took on a full-time job with a nonprofit in Baltimore. Around the same time, I was reading a book by Jon Acuff where he talked about the idea that maybe our goal in life shouldn’t be to try and invent or discover the next new big thing, but rather rediscover what we already had as children that just got lost along the way. His point resonated with me so deeply and I started recalling my interests as a kid. When I was little, the very first fake business card I designed for myself had the name “Joymark”.
When I finally took the leap to start my business, that’s the name I ended up going with and added “Studio” to be more all-encompassing of what I offer. I had rediscovered what had been in me all along and finally found the courage to go all in. My business started with commissioned artwork and expanded to print design and branding services before becoming what it mostly is today—an artful stationery and gifts brand for the celebration highs and grief lows of life.
I honestly didn’t know if it would work out and I wasn’t convinced I was solving a problem, but I knew that I had a growing following of people who loved my work and a husband who was 100% supportive. I had made years of excuses and let fear win out too many times. It felt like a now or never moment for me. So, I went for it… and now several years later, I’m still all in and have been growing slow and steady ever since.
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 background and context?
I knew I was going to be a graphic designer before I was old enough to understand what that even meant! I taught myself how to use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator as a kid and my creativity evolved from there. For the last couple of decades, I’ve developed and honed in on my graphic art, illustration, lettering, and writing skills through a lot of practice, saying yes to opportunities even when I didn’t feel ready and a few failures. I’m proud of myself for not giving up along the way and staying self-motivated through the most discouraging times.
My business and art are a natural reflection of my own life experiences and what I know others around me are navigating. When I was single and traveling to different countries, I created art to transcend language barriers. When I became a newlywed, I offered hand-lettered art as gifts for other couples. When I had my first child, I designed an alphabet series and started selling it to other parents. When I was involved with a fair-trade company, I illustrated notecards for fellow ambassadors inspired by their mission. You can see a pattern!
When I experienced the grief of multiple miscarriages, I used art for cathartic purposes and tapped into a genre I wasn’t seeing anywhere else. I started designing grief and empathy cards to help give others words for when there are no words. It’s easy to send a card when your friend is celebrating their birthday, but what do you say when your friend is grieving the death of a child or a relationship? There’s a place for all the funny, sarcastic humor, but I knew I wanted to offer sentiments that hit deeper and would help others heal. This is the area that I think followers and customers are most drawn to. It gives them permission in a way to be more authentic and vulnerable in their relationships and let their guards down.
That’s what got me most excited about starting my business to begin with and is at the root of what I set out to accomplish through Joymark Studio. I strive to not only convey beauty in the world, but to help foster deeper human relationships through meaningful stationery and gifts. In our virtual day and age, we forget the impact of a thoughtful handwritten note or the joy of finding nostalgic items from relatives long passed. What are we leaving behind today that will be our legacy for future generations? An inbox full of emails? I like to think about this sort of thing and consider myself a purveyor of “sentimental artifacts”. I sell my line directly to customers through Etsy and at in-person pop-up markets and events. I’m also growing my wholesale branch through Faire and relationships with retailers around the country.
Most of my products feature my own original art and/or lettering and I aim for eco-friendly and sustainable items. For example, all my greeting cards are printed in the USA on 100% recycled paper. I’m a one-woman studio and wear all the hats, so my business is not functioning at the capacity I’d like it to be, but as they say, “slow growth is good growth”, right? I have a vision for cultivating a team in the future and making a bigger social impact, but until then, I’m just happy I get to do what I love every day and serve others through it.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I was 19, I landed an internship at a marketing agency in Colorado and thought my career was set. After a year and a half of interning I approached the owners about why I felt I should be compensated more for the work I was doing. They seemed receptive to my suggestion at first, but it did not go the way I had hoped. Long story short, they told me I didn’t have what it takes to be a professional designer and actually ended my internship that day. I was crushed to say the least. At such a young age and pivotal point in life, it wasn’t even the first failure I had experienced. In high school I took an AP Studio Art class and received a failing score for my final portfolio. I could have easily let those two experiences define me and dissuade me from pursuing art as a career, but deep down I knew God had given me this gift and I just hadn’t found the right outlet for it yet.
My internship ended at the same time I was saving up to travel internationally for the first time. Even though nothing about my circumstances looked like I would be taking that trip, I was determined to make it happen. During my season of unemployment, I bounced back by taking on freelance projects. I said yes to clients even though I questioned myself every step of the way! Amazingly, I ended up earning enough for my entire trip and then some. I didn’t give up even when I felt like an imposter and discovered there were other paths far better suited to me than the world of corporate marketing!
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
A few months ago, I was scrolling Instagram and noticed that my favorite retail store with a substantial following was going to host a pop-up with local artisans in celebration of their new location. I immediately sent a DM to their account to ask if they were still looking for local vendors and pitched my small business. All I received in response was an email address.
I did a little research to find out who the contact was and sent a personalized and professional email to them. I never heard back but felt proud for the courage I had to put myself out there with such a large company.
A month later I applied for a scholarship to a wholesale training program called Paper Camp. One of the questions on the application was, “who is your dream retailer?” I knew the answer immediately! It was a high-end store I would be thrilled to partner with…the one I had emailed the month prior.
After I submitted the application, I felt more inspired and decided to send a follow-up email to the retailer. After all, what did I have to lose?
A week later I received a response that floored me. I ended up getting to be one of a select few vendors who got to set up a tent at their store that day and sell our products to their customers. It was deeply encouraging to be so well received by them. Not only did the event go well, but I was invited back to a second one! That’s where the story ends for now, but who knows…maybe one day it will lead to a wholesale relationship!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joymarkstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joymarkstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joymarkstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joymarkstudio/
- Other: https://faire.com/direct/joymarkstudio
Image Credits
Taylor Holmes Photography and Stephanie Stephens