Why Small Businesses Matter in Darien: Holly's Greetings

Why Small Businesses Matter

Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are “tagged” have the opportunity to share their story!

You're IT Holly's Greetings!

Three questions with Holly Russell, founder of Holly's Greetings.

Why did you start your business?

A published poet and writer, in January 2021, I launched an Instagram page featuring my poetry: @holleeerussell. After  posting photos and poems for a few months, I thought: “I should turn some into greeting cards.” I spent the summer designing a  template for the cards, taking pictures, and writing poems. When I approached Barrett Bookstore in town with samples, they said, “Great!” and helped me fine-tune my designs. They bought cards, sold them in the store, and I was in business!

What is your best-selling product/service?

My most popular card shows a heart I made out of shells at Darien’s Pear Tree Point Beach. The picture of the heart and the poem that goes with it appeals to our universal feelings about love - plus, the heart’s cute.

My Darien notecards and postcards of Rings End Road, Uncle’s Deli, Pear Tree Point Beach, and Darien Library also sell well at stores in town and with private clients.

How many local businesses do you use to support your business (products and services) and can you name them?

A number of local businesses help me make, sell, and promote my cards. Without The Total Printing Center in Norwalk and Andrew Stefanou Salon & Medi Spa, The Cashmere Sale, and Barrett Bookstore in Darien, I could not sustain my LLC.

Dave at Total Printing is the best! He prints my cards on time, to my exact specifications, is flexible in terms of how many cards I need, and sells me paper and envelopes at a fair price. Andrew Stefanou offers my cards for sale up front by the register. I also create custom cards for the salon for him. Meanwhile, last November and December, The Cashmere Sale: Darien invited me to display cards at their pop-up to encourage folks to shop locally and help me circulate my work.

Barrett Bookstore not only sells and promotes my business, they host poetry readings at the store where they invite me and other poets to read our latest verses. The next reading happens on the evening of June 21st - the Summer Solstice. I feel beyond grateful for Barrett’s belief in me as well as for their editorial eye when curating new designs.

Holly would like to nominate Menon College Consulting to be featured next!

Visit Holly's Greetings online here, and make sure to check out their Instagram page as well!

HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!