GETTING REAL: 2018 Behind the Scenes of a Gifting Company
What a year here at The Confetti Post! It has been a great year filled with so much growth, and of course plenty of challenges as well. We sent DOUBLE the amount of packages this year over the previous year. Yes, double! That means a whole lot of love and happiness circling the country---and world--- sent straight from all of you. With your help, we were also able to donate over $3,000 to our three giving partners this year alone: Box of Balloons, The Confetti Foundation, and Team Celebrate!
"...a whole lot of love and happiness circling the country---and world--- sent straight from all of you."
I want to start this year by giving you a few behind the scenes shots of how The Confetti Post gets your happy gift boxes out the door, reflect on 2018, and let you in on our plans for 2019.
Let's step back and get real for a minute and let you know that The Confetti Post started in a basement quickly followed by a very small bedroom in my house (as all of the best businesses do.) I was filling a lot of orders every day this spring in that tiny room. You'll notice I didn't blog. I didn't post on social media. I didn't send emails. I did nada except for fill orders and try my darnest to keep everything in stock.
"It was just me. Just me in a 100 square foot room."
Honestly, it was pretty insane! I knew I needed more space. All of my work was completely inefficient because I simply did not have the room to do all the tasks except for one at a time. It was just me. Just me in a 100 square foot room.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE helping you all send some happy and am so proud of The Confetti Post. But I craved time to connect with you all and time for the creative aspects of the business (marketing and product creation and vision casting.) There was no time for any of that unless I didn't sleep. And I like sleep.
In June, I took a big risk and closed for an entire month. My husband and I had planned a big long trip to Ireland---and I wanted some time to relax and enjoy my kids the rest of the month. I had been going full force completely solo and was honestly a bit burned out. I needed to recharge because I knew very soon, I would be going full force with The Confetti Post again. Moving. Hiring. Growing.
"I needed to recharge because I knew very soon, I would be going full force with The Confetti Post again. Moving. Hiring. Growing."
I wasn't sure what would happen after that month, but with the business still in my home and low overhead---I knew the time for self care was worth it. Luckily, things picked right back up when I opened the online store in July. By this point, I knew finding a space to move The Confetti Post was my top priority. I would never be able to keep up, let alone grow, trapped in that tiny bedroom.
There is a long story about finding our perfect HQ and getting to share it with the amazing Bookhouse Studio. But I am not going to dive into all that now. Just know it was both great and serendipitous and challenging as all big things tend to be.
"...it is the perfect home. Beautiful and full of character. Big enough, but not too big."
We moved into the new Headquarters on September 1 and were shipping orders out by Monday night (the 3rd.) And by we, I mean mostly me---and also my sweet husband. It was an insane weekend and first few weeks keeping up with timely order fulfillment while also making the HQ into the perfect home.
And it is the perfect home. Beautiful and full of character. Big enough, but not too big. Tucked into the neighborhood I live. Full of life and community thanks to our huge window front and sharing the space with another small business.
Once things were settled, I knew I needed to hire my first employee sooner rather than later. So then came our new Fulfillment Coordinator, Betsy, followed a month and a half later by a second team member---our Production Coordinator, Amy.
I knew the only way to grow The Confetti Post and help more people spread happiness and love was bringing on these two amazing women. It frees me up to focus on strategic growth and marketing while they handle day to day operations. But also, both women are amazing with their own unique skill set to contribute to The Confetti Post. They bring an energy and excitement to the business----and I know we are going to accomplish big things together. Also, it's fun just saying "Team Confetti Post."
"They bring an energy and excitement to the business----and I know we are going to accomplish big things together."
So what's all this mean for you? It means 2019 will be huge! The Confetti Post wants to hear more from you and serve you better. We want to help you connect and spread more happiness in the world. We are working hard on providing an even better gifting experience, and simply listening and being a better "friend" to you.
"We want to help you connect and spread more happiness in the world."
Early in the year, we will be rolling out more pre-curated Party gift packages. We will be more than doubling the Teeny Party selection and updating existing designs. We will be adding even more Add-Ons to make your gifts extra special. As the year progresses, we will be designing and rolling out a "Build Your Own" Party platform and creating a corporate and bulk ordering experience. All while remaining faithful to our best loved care packages and delivering our exceptional customer service.
We also hope to dive into more content creation and partnerships throughout the year. It's gonna be fun and we cannot wait to grow with you. Cue the confetti because 2019 is gonna be a party!
Happy New Year!
Leitia McHugh
Founder, The Confetti Post
PS Our new HQ in Fort Wayne, Indiana also has a tiny little stationary and gift shop on the front. I created this space to allow for a welcoming environment where people feel like they can pop-in any time. I was determined not to hide The Confetti Post away in a warehouse---but instead to have an active presence in our local community. We are located at 1412 Delaware Avenue if any locals ever want to drop by.
All photos (except the two "nursery shots") by the talented Ruth Yaro Photography. See more behind the scenes on her blog.
