Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelica Hanley.
Hi Angelica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Short Version:
ACouplePuns sparks joy through laughter and delivers the punniest content and high-quality paper goodies for every special occasion and moment.
Each card is thoughtfully illustrated and designed by the owner, Angelica Hanley, who is on a one-woman mission to tickle funny bones, one sassy card at a time.
ACouplePuns is a stationery business that is far from stationary! Angelica is a military spouse, married to a Navy pilot, meaning she moves around quite a bit. She was inspired to build a creative business she could take with her wherever she and her family put down roots! Angelica has run her punny biz in Maryland, Texas, and Massachusetts and is currently based out of Florida!
Long Version:
Ever since I was young, I have always been very creative and the comedian of my friends and family, so for me to turn my love for art and laughter into a business comes as no surprise to those who know me. I’ve just always had this desire to create unique things and make people laugh, but I never thought I’d be able to turn this side of myself into a business or career.
In my 20s, I worked in creative departments at two agencies— I was a total sponge and absorbed everything. I loved how people turned brainstorming sessions into beautiful campaigns and ideas into tangible products. Outside of work, I was dabbling in every possible creative side hustle or project, but nothing ever stuck until I started creating punny doodles that would become ACouplePuns.
I guess you can say my business is wrapped up in a little love story! My husband and I met on a dating app and, a few days later, realized we were many miles apart… I’m talking. He was in Tokyo, and I was in Maryland. This was before you could change your location on apps, so we determined we swiped right somewhere in California when we were both traveling. We thought it was funny enough to keep chatting, which turned into a friendship, and months after being modern-day pen pals, I flew out to Tokyo to meet him IRL – I know this sounds crazy! We clicked, and we started the long-distance thing when I went home.
When my husband and I were dating long distances, we would communicate with puns throughout the day. It made the distance seem shorter because we always laughed and sought out fun puns or wordplay to share. This eventually turned into me creating punny cards to send him.
Eventually, he returned to the US, and I moved to Texas for him. At the time, I was working full-time at a marketing agency but had this urge to start a side gig. There was this local shop that had the best cards, not your typical Hallmark cards, I’m taking funny, raunchy, sassy cards that make you want to send someone something just because it made you think of them. Even though I loved these cards, I never found anything that was my love language – a mix of something cute, sassy, and exceptionally punny!
Living in Texas away from family and friends (and no kids yet – lol) afforded me the time and space to think creatively and start an Etsy shop – the first place I sold my cards. I named it ” A Couple of Puns,” now shortened to ACouplePuns – an ode to my husband and I being punny! Our logo is a cartoon of us! After a month of being open, I had a little over 50 sales, and at the time, I thought I had struck gold! It gave me the confidence and motivation to create more punny cards and start selling at local markets.
I’d spend the next two years traveling all over Texas to do Pop-Ups at local markets and even exhibited at SXSW twice! At SXSW, I met someone who introduced me to the world of wholesale selling, which led to my small Etsy shop turning into a business sold in over 500 shops throughout the US, Canada, and the UK!
While the business grew, I eventually got engaged and married my husband. He’s a Navy Pilot, so I knew a future of frequent moves was on the horizon, and that motivated me to keep growing this shop so I could have something to take with us wherever we put down roots! Now with twin toddlers, it allows me to spend with them and watch them grow. This shop has survived three moves, two deployments, welcoming our twins, and everything life throws our way! We no longer live in TX, but I will always have a soft spot for the state whose love for local business inspired my creativity and supported me when I started. I am sold in shops throughout the state and attend markets like the Dallas Market!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I love this question! Entrepreneurship is an excellent fit because I have always loved a good challenge, and between owning my own business, being a military spouse, and being a twin mom, I have my pick of the litter when it comes to challenges.
I’ve been doing this for seven years, and in that time, I’ve seen many small shops with big ambitions fizzle out because it’s just not sustainable to work full speed 100% of the time. The perspectives I’ve gained from these challenges have set me up for longevity.
I mentioned my husband is in the Navy – this alone provides a handful of obstacles both in business and personally. In the past four years, we’ve called three states home; he was deployed while I was pregnant with our twins and missed most of their first year of life. Managing a growing business with all of this going on in the background is a challenge, but I’ve gained a lot of perspectives, and it’s grounded me and my decisions as a founder.
I’ve learned to slow down and be mindful of decisions to take on overhead and projects that may not be a good fit. I used to fear missed opportunities and always thought saying yes to everything would bring me closer to that dream partnership or dream retailer. There’s a time and place for everything, and as long as you are consistent and show up for your business, that will yield success in the long run.
Moving is challenging, but to be able to tap into the small business communities in various locations around the US and make genuine connections with people is something you can’t quite quantify the value of. It’s taught me a lot about my customer on the direct-to-consumer and wholesale sides of my business.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the Founder of ACouplePuns – a punny & sassy paper goods company sold online and in 500+ retail shops across the US, Canada & The UK.
My background is in Marketing & Production. I spent about 10 years in various marketing roles, working my way up the chain within creative departments. I learned how to take ideas and turn them into products and campaigns. A skill that helped me launch my business and grow it.
I’ve been in business for a while now, and I love looking back and seeing how scrappy I once was in the beginning and how much confidence I had before I had proven myself in any way. I’m also proud of myself for seeing the difference between being childish and childlike and letting myself explore the potential of something as silly as punny cards. The first years of my shop were pure creativity, passion, and consistency.
Creatives can spot opportunities in just about anything. Before ACouplePuns, I’d try to turn every creative idea into a side hustle — but they never stuck. What helped me stay consistent with ACouplePuns was that it fulfilled every aspect I sought professionally and personally. You have ACouplePuns at the top and below that, creative, marketing, production, sales, community management, events, etc. I could fulfill all of that creative energy by working in all of these areas but under that one umbrella of ACouplePuns. It filled that void I was feeling and gave me an excuse to connect with my community and would be something that would grow with me and my family.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
COVID-19 has affected my business ins a few ways. I’ve separated them below.
Direct to Consumer: Sales were slower but still steady. Most orders were larger, so the average purchase order was up. I ran the business from a home studio and printed all cards at local print shops, so the operation was unaffected. I had very little day-to-day overhead and a lot of inventory in stock to fill and ship orders on time. I could print postage at home and drop everything off at USPS. It was not that bad, all things considered.
Wholesale: The wholesale side of the business was almost non-existent. Many of my boutique and gift shop partners’ doors were shut, so they were not moving inventory or reordering. I was fortunate to have a few Grocery store partners (think your local neighborhood grocery stores). My cards moved fast in these locations and were still open, so I focused a lot of effort on working with and sourcing more of these partners.
I’m still seeing the side effects of COVID on the wholesale end of my business. People shifted to online platforms where paper goods and smaller items are not in demand because you’d usually find our products at the register for a last-minute impulse buy.
However, the plus side to all this was that entry to wholesale became much more accessible. I invested resources into building out wholesale shops with online platforms. I was able to get discovered online versus spending thousands on a tradeshow booth, travel, and time to attend shows. I have just started attending in-person shows again, and there’s a new learning curve. The buyer’s needs are different, and the overall energy in the atmosphere is different. I love shows and will probably continue doing them, but with how the economy is, it makes more sense to focus on online discovery tools.
All things aside, I learned there is a need for shops like mine. A place where you can get a good laugh and where things aren’t so serious all the time – except our puns… our puns are always seriously punny!
Pricing:
- Retail Value: $5.50
- Wholesale Opening Orders: $100
- Keeping production local and sourcing form US-based companies helps keep minimums low and shipping turnarounds quick!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://acouplepuns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acouplepuns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acouplepuns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-hanley-94980045/
- Other: https://acouplepuns.faire.com/
