Side Hustle School Ep. 3373 - STORY: Savvy Stationery Site Offers Cards for Divorce & Diwali
Mar 27, 2026
A director builds an e-commerce stationery brand offering modern, underrepresented occasions like Diwali, Ramadan, same-sex weddings and even divorce cards. She recruits local female artists to create unique designs and navigates consumer launches, a pivot into wholesale, pricing and seasonality. The story ends with growth plans, balancing a day job, and an eventual business sale.
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Founding Groundswell From Grocery-Store Frustration
- Allie King launched Groundswell Greetings after being frustrated with mass-market cards and recruiting local female artists via social media.
- She targeted underrepresented occasions like Diwali, Ramadan, same-sex weddings, new pets, and divorce (e.g., "heard about the divorce, congrats on the weight loss").
Wholesale Pivot After Local Award Recognition
- After winning a local award, Allie shifted focus from direct-to-consumer to wholesale because stores began requesting her products.
- Wholesale proved more sustainable with fewer relationships to manage and lower per-order packaging and shipping costs.
Leverage Wholesale And Build Industry Relationships
- Do prioritize wholesale if it reduces time per customer and gives free store-level marketing, but evaluate margins since they can be lower.
- Learn your industry and peers; buy them coffee and give social media love to build relationships.