We’re back with another Creator Spotlight. This time we spoke to Custom Card Co Shop, whose card featured in our Mother’s Day TV advert. We chatted to Sarah Blackman on creating the featured card, achieving 1,000 sales, and how she stays motivated.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your small business?
My name is Sarah Blackman and I’m the creator for my brand Custom Card Co. I started my small business during lockdown as I had periods when I was on furlough. I was looking for ways to earn additional money from home when I discovered that I could sell my cards through thortful. I started with just 5 designs – now I have over 70 and looking to add a lot more!
What was your inspiration behind designing this card and others in your collection?
Although I’m not a parent myself, I’m fully aware of how sleep deprived you can be, so I thought this ‘no sleep card’ would be perfect for any new parents/Mother’s Day etc. As for inspiration for my other designs, sometimes I can hit a blank and others can think of multiple ideas in one go. I don’t put any pressure on myself as I also work full time. When I started my small business I was working in a nursery, but now I work as a private nanny to twins that are 7 and a 3 year old.
What has been your proudest moment in your creator career so far?
I think it would be when I passed 1,000 sales. When I first started I had no idea if I would even sell any, as I know just how competitive the market is. So to see my cards sell, and pass 1,000 sales was just amazing. (And of course featuring in the TV Advert!!). *Sarah has now had over 2,700 sales!*
What was it like seeing your design featured in the TV ad?
I honestly couldn’t believe my card had been chosen out of the thousands of cards available! As soon as I saw it I shared it with my partner and family and they were all so proud – as was I!
What would you say is the hardest part about being a creator?
I would say it is generating ideas! If I am at a bit of a standstill, I look at cards in shops/online and then think about how I could adapt these into a new design. I also focus on milestone events across the year such as Easter, Graduation season, Christmas etc.
What advice would you give to other creators wanting to get started?
For any creator wanting to get started – go for it! Upload your designs and thortful does the rest for you. Being a thortful creator has allowed me to work full time as well as being able to be a creator and generating a second income.
Has thortful helped you on your journey as a creator?
Absolutely! I’ve tried selling my cards myself, but I just wasn’t getting the reach to generate any sales! thortful is great as you can upload your design and then they do the rest for you! They also promote different cards at different times and change the way they appear in search results, so you always have a chance at having your card seen.
What’s next for Custom Card Co Shop?
Just to continue enjoying being a creator with thortful, adding new designs and seeing how many more sales I can make!
You can find Sarah on Instagram at @customcardcoshop. If you missed it, you can watch the TV ad here.
