Meet Amanda Hueneke of Hello Imprint in Frisco

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Hueneke.

Amanda, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Charlotte, NC as the oldest of five kids. As you can imagine, having five kids can take quite a toll financially on a family; and combined with my Dad’s job loss when I was young, followed by some health issues in our family- things were always tight in our household growing up.

Having few resources financially forced a lot of creativity. I come from a long line of creative people… my grandma was a professional seamstress, and my dad is an electrician, but also a “fixer”… if something was broken- he can find a way to fix it up with duct tape or PVC pipe or gosh knows what else. I remember him encountering me losing my cool over a door that wasn’t working and telling me something like- “If something isn’t working, look at why and try to get to the root of the problem- don’t just throw your hands up and walk away.” My mom is creative at anything she touches- she can paint murals, create flower arrangements, she sees color and has a vision. She has a gift of southern hospitality that helps her naturally create a beautifully decorated catering buffet or room and she loves to delight people with experience.

Growing up, I was called “bossy” more than once. Maybe because while I was (and in some ways, still am) insecure on the inside; I had no problem speaking up- because in a family of 5 kids- if you don’t speak up- no one will hear you. I learned that if I wanted something, I just needed to find a creative way to get it. In the words of Tim Gunn, “Make it work”. I paid my way through junior and senior year at the small Christian school so I wouldn’t have to leave my friends; and I even found ways to experience extracurriculars for free- by singing.

Finally, college was upon me and once again- I needed to find a way to make it work. While there were a few small scholarships- they were not enough to pay the whole way- plus I needed to buy a car to commute to and from school. So I took on another job. I bought myself a $2500 car on a loan (a month later the engine blew!) and started my freshman year as a Vocal Education major. A little way in, my boss at Chickfila came in and said if I would switch my major to marketing, he’d help pay my way to school. To which, with my wise 19-year-old self I replied- “No, thank you, I’m a music major.” I’ll never forget that conversation or the irony of it. Sometimes other people see things and potential in us that we can’t see in ourselves.

Eventually, after working so hard and trying to focus and compete in a very intense degree program, my health started to suffer. I was tired, and experienced allergies of epic proportions- to the point where I could not even complete over half of my final exams as a vocal major because I could not talk, much less sing. I had to withdraw from the second semester of my sophomore year. I still regret that and the student loans I spent years paying off with no degree to show for it.

Through a series of connections, I ended up working at an athletic club where a member recruited me to come to be a data entry clerk for something called “advertising specialties”. Most people call them promotional products or “swag” these days. I spent my days entering data, packing and shipping and receiving, detail checking for orders and being constantly aggravated at my boss, Hoppy- who picked out what felt like every single teeny tiny mistake and typo I would make…. little did I know he was forging the ultimate details person. I owe almost all my experience in this industry to him.

Eventually, I became Hoppy’s office manager and handled A/P and A/R and everything that comes with running an office; plus I got to handle his marketing, which I loved doing. At that point, I had married my now husband, Martin; and when we had baby #1 on the way- I decided to go into sales because of the flexibility it allowed while being a mom.

Almost 12 years ago, we moved to the Dallas area, and baby #2 was about 18 months old. I took a few years to “mom” and sold promo very part-time. When he went to kinder- I stepped up the game. My favorite moments were when people relied on my creativity to make their event a success when I needed to find ways to trim fluff to make the product work for their budget. I culled my client base to work “smarter not harder” so that I could bring in the extra income we needed but still be present for my kids and husband.

A few years ago, I started to realize that the babies weren’t babies anymore and were going to be flying the nest in the next four to six years respectively. I got to the point where I was evaluating what my life would be like without all the PTA commitments and being needed all the time, and I started asking myself what would be next. The way I saw it, I had 3 choices- 1) go back to school- but for what? 2) Get a regular full-time job, but without a degree- no one seemed to want me. 3) Use all this great stuff I’ve learned over the years to open my own distributorship for promotional products, apparel, print and signs.

Someone once told me that when God wants you to do something, He won’t leave you alone- and He didn’t. The ideas wouldn’t stop coming, and here I am now- in the trenches as Hello Imprint.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a smooth road in ways I did not expect. My sales volume has grown exponentially and much faster and more organically than I ever expected. That is thanks to referrals and support from family, and friends in my circle. My husband, Martin and sons have been so supportive and helpful in day to day running of the home and the business. I could not do it without the help of Martin.

But it has not been so smooth in that maneuvering through entrepreneurship is a constant learning curve. I learn things every day that I didn’t know. I spend hours scouring the internet and reading books and going to seminars, learning nuances to running a business. I wear all the hats. I fix the printer jam, troubleshoot computer and phone and internet issues, and handle the bookkeeping – all things that take time from the stuff I’m actually good at. It can be very overwhelming, and I work some nights and a lot of weekends to do things like that so that my clients remain the priority during the week. I feel like I’m getting an “unofficial” business degree.

Growth also brings the question of how to scale, and I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by other entrepreneurs who have great insight into how to do that well.

And from a head space- the balance of being a mom and an entrepreneur is especially hard and can be riddled with guilt if you let it. I was also not prepared for how all-consuming it can be; and how you can feel alone in your own head- with ideas that keep spinning.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Hello Imprint provides promotional products, apparel, signs and print- all the marketing things businesses and organizations need to say their most creative hello to their desired audience. While we can help almost any sized business- we specialize in assisting the business to business organizations that recognize the value of creating an experience for their clients and audiences. That’s where my deeply instilled southern hospitality comes into play- creating marketing experiences that will instill loyalty, and spark surprise, delight and joy in the recipients. Whether it’s a t-shirt that makes someone proud to be part of a team; an award that allows someone to shine; or trade show products that grow a business and make attendees valued- it’s about making a person feel and experience.

Also, a large number of my clients are companies who value the level of service I strive to provide- a different and more personal experience from online shopping; they also value the timeliness of delivery that is required for high profile events, trade shows and conferences that often have strict and very narrow delivery timelines; that’s where my Dad’s skills come into play- putting the pieces in the right place to make it work; along with a sharp eye for details, thanks to Hoppy.

My favorite projects have been those when the client and I discuss their needs and goals, and then brainstorm and streamline ideas and solutions to gain results. To me, it doesn’t matter if you give someone a pen with your logo on it if they don’t walk away inspired, delighted, happy or intrigued. My goal is to provide and curate solutions that achieve all of that.

One of my favorite parts of being an entrepreneur is that I laid out values and causes that were important to me and our family in the very beginning; and I set out to make a difference in those causes in whatever way I can with this platform. Whether that is funds, or products, or just shout outs- I have had the very great opportunity to select these causes. We have been so proud to support The Taylor Hooton Foundation, Frisco Association for the Arts, and Melody of Hope- as we strive to support causes that empower and uplift children, women, veterans and the arts. Selling promo is not glamorous, but any profession can be used for good.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I would say that the proudest moments of my career so far are just day to day. I feel like every day has a proud moment… maybe I hit a new milestone- an extra tens place on my sales goal, another new referral (which is the best compliment ever- because my clients become my friends, so yay for new friends!), my kids being proud that Mom owns a business, gaining my Woman-Owned Business Certification; or every time someone texts me because they see a “hello” sign or pillow or even a cocktail napkin and thinks of Hello Imprint- I consider that a win. But I think I’m proudest, yet humbled- when I think about that girl who knew that if you want something- you need to find a way to make it happen; and when I realize that, with God and family’s help- that girl did make it happen. Every day I am grateful for the opportunity to build this dream.

Contact Info:

• Address: 5000 Eldorado Parkway,
  Ste. 150-312
  Frisco TX 75033
• Website: www.helloimprint.com
• Phone: 469.200.8999
• Email: sales@helloimprint.com

Image Credit:
Amanda Hueneke, Steven Meyer, Stacy Tompkins, Martin Hueneke

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