Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Hirsch.
Hi Adam, 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?
MNiCards has been around for two years now. It originally started as a way for my business partner, Emma Johnson, and I to have a creative outlet outside of our day-to-day jobs. We both love to draw and doodle, so what started as sketches on paper, turned into our small greeting card business, MNiCards. The name MNiCards is a play on words referring to all of our greeting cards being made in Minnesota and “MNi” in size. The traditional greeting card size is 5×7″. Our cards are 4.25×5.5″. When MNiCards first began, we did a few small focus groups to understand what members of the community liked in a greeting card. The results helped us curate our aesthetic: simple and quirky. Because of this, our style is to have a bright and whimsical illustration set against a white background; each card is blank on the inside as well so the sentiment you write is completely your own. Every illustration you see is hand-drawn as well. A couple of other fun things about MNiCards. First, we have a green thumb! All of our cards are printed on 100% recycled paper. Additionally, for every order we receive, we plan a tree in North Minnesota through the One Tree Planted organization. Second, MNiCards is a member of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce! In addition to greeting cards, we also hand-draw custom illustrations of homes, pets, people and more! This makes a great gift, especially around the holiday season!
Alright, 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?
The biggest obstacle for us has been the operations behind the scenes. Both Emma and I love to spend time on the creativity and colors behind each drawing and new product, so the financials, inventory management, shipping, and production was definitely something that we had to “learn as we go.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My day to day career is in the Financial Services industry. I am known for being a licensed financial adviser and working in a consulting capacity in which I help financial planners rethink their service model in order to provide the best possible experience to their clients. The essence of what I coach to is something that has translated into my small business, MNiCards. Whether I am working in a B2B or B2C capacity, I am constantly working to provide a strong client experience and add value every single interaction to those I work with.
What are your plans for the future?
My big plans for the future is to continue to grow MNiCards! In the last 2 years, we have picked up over x100 wholesale accounts and are sold all over the Minneapolis area. I’d love for us to continue to grow that footprint, so MNiCards can be found in St. Paul and lake towns across Minnesota. Additionally, we work with a lot of real estate agents, in which we hand draw the home their clients just bought/sold; once the illustration is complete, we create an 11×14″ framed print as a closing gift, which is a great way for not only us, but the real estate agent to create a memorable and deferrable experience for their clients. We hope to be doing more custom home illustrations in addition to our greeting card journey!
Pricing:
- Greeting Cards are $4.95
- Greeting Card Holiday Packs $20.00
- Custom Home Illustrations are $150
Contact Info:
- Email: adam@mni-cards.com
- Website: https://mni-cards.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mnicards/?hl=en
