Insider to Insider: Michelle Mospens, Owner of My Personal Artist

I “met” Michelle Mospens owner of My Personal Artist on Twitter. What struck me most about her is how genuinely kind she is.  And, upon reading more about her, I was blown away that she had been in the stationery business for more than 11 years.  YOWZA!  I had to find out more!  Few brands can sustain that kind of history and few businesses can sustain that success.  I am indeed impressed.  Michelle is not only a smart business woman, but also has a common sense approach.  And, I think her positive attitude wins time and time again!  (Seriously, how cute is the frog analogy below… I know you’ll agree with me.)

Michelle Mospens
Owner, My Personal Artist
Estbablished 1998
Akron, Ohio
www.mypersonalartist.com

What is your favorite thing about weddings?

LOVE. I adore the overwhelming love each couple has for one another.

What is your best tip for time management?

NEVER procrastinate. Get it done now. Don’t wait. I have many piles on my desks (I have four desks). I prioritize and organize my work according to the date due. I make a mental to-do list to tackle every day. When I worked as a graphic designer for a VERY large manufacturer, the owners taught me to make a to-do list on a paper tablet.  If an item was not completed by the end of the work day we moved it to the next page, for the next day. This system works great for a newbie or for someone who must write down their to-do list.

I love this story I heard many years ago… There were three frogssitting on a log. One thought about jumping off. How many frogs are on thelog? The answer is THREE! The one frog ONLY THOUGHT of jumping off. He didn’t take action and actually jump off the log. As my father always told my sister and I, don’t tell me about what you are going to do, just do it!

What is your little marketing secret?

Well, it wouldn’t be a secret if I told you. Let’s see what can I share … First, listen to your customers. If they love your product or service but feel they can’t afford it. Be flexible. Give them a discount if they purchase a certain quantity or amount. Or break down your service to help meet their budget. I believe it shows you truly care, because you do right?

Secondly, we have a large fan base. They keep coming back to My Personal Artist for custom party invitations and more, after their wedding! And they TALK. Word of mouth I feel is the best marketing ever. Also, read, read, read. For 11 + years I eat, drink and breathe marketing, painting, design, search engine optimization, website design and more. I believe in giving 120%. Am I perfect? No way. I never give up.

What is the funnest (most fun) trend you are seeing in the industry?

PERSONALIZATION! I love watercolor painting the scene of the wedding venue for our wedding couples. For instance, for a wedding in Greece the church where our clients were getting married was painted and featured as the motif for all wedding stationery. The guests were surprised to see the church they were walking up to was in fact the same church on the invites. Now THAT is personal!

Another trend I adore right now is COLOR! Our creative couples are not afraid to express themselves. They are by far boring! Our clients demand unique invitations and designs that POP!

If you were starting your business all over again, what would you have done differently?

I have to say, nothing. I am a firm believer everything happens for a reason. I feel blessed and very lucky to work with, James, my husband of 17+ years!  In time businesses change. You learn and tweak your business every day.  You have to. I’ve learned to be a good listener. In the past I have learned to take responsibility for my mistakes and learn from them.

When was your biz founded?

In 1998, I started ‘My Personal Artist’ out of a very small sunroom in my home with a free website I built on AOL.com.  In 2000, we bought the domain name MyPersonalArtist.com and I built our website. After my invitation designs were featured in Modern Bride magazine my husband quickly joined me as I was overwhelmed with the high volume of orders and demand for my unique invitations. He built us a studio, which we quickly out grew.

Today our business is located in a large office building on the main street in our small lakeside town in Ohio. After over 11 years of working with clients in Hong Kong to New York, we are opening the doors to our lovely public {custom invitation} studio so that we can meet with local wedding couples in person. Recently I had the pleasure of attending a small bridal show. I am forever blushing from the overwhelming positive response and feedback I received in person. Over the phone and via email is different. I adore all of our clients no matter where they live. We are very lucky to work with such great, creative and truly unique people.

Thanks Michelle!