A thoughtful teacher at the RI School for the Deaf created with her student, Emily, a framed collage – Emily’s hands photographed, forming the signed ASL letters which spelled LOVE- and presented the special gift to her parents. That treasured American Sign Language (ASL) memento inspired Emily to share her gifts, express that love and eventually start a small, yet global business.
Beyond the family’s heartfelt joy, that unique keepsake also touched the hearts of family and friends. Requests for it to be shared began immediately. A creative, resourceful, and entrepreneurial family launched a satisfying business, enabling Emily’s strengths and talents to flourish. This, despite Emily’s outsized medical issues.
Learning to communication through sign language would be only one of the many challenges facing Emily and her hearing family, mom Carolyn, dad, Brian, and older brother, Corey. Now 27, Emily was born with a congenital heart defect, survived surgery, and endures the resulting complications that continually unfold, including hearing loss and loss of vision in one eye. Cited as a cause for developmental disabilities, Charge Syndrome, which many kids don’t survive, escaped diagnosis until Emily was an adult, despite childhood genetic testing which began as early 7.
Fully intact and never-failing though, is the loving support of her family, who grapple with each new facet her medical condition revealed over the years. Preserving vision in one eye so she could see a visual language was important. And, her physical issues and developmental disabilities made the school’s formulation of much-needed IEP’s each year a challenge. Wending their way through the maze of medical care systems, doctors, and schools to educate Emily as well as themselves has itself been an adventure for the family.
Not surprisingly, the family also embraced the potential business opportunity as an adventure. Energized by the widespread response to that single gift, Mom’s engaged her creative spirit and art and design skills. She photographed Emily’s hand forming every letter of the alphabet. She also shot the heart-hand image Emily formed, complete with idyllic lights and shadows- capturing a perfect moment in time.
“People thought these were internet photos instead of ours,” chuckles mom, Carolyn Maxwell, also known as photographer -in-chief. “That distinctive bump on her knuckle- it’s definitely Emily’s hand, and a nice validation that this is near-perfect.”
Asked about how the collaboration works, Carolyn explained, “If I have an idea of design using a sign, we chat and sign together. Emily forms the sign, using the complete alphabet we have captured. People request special names and finger-spelled poems. Of course, grandparents want to buy a finger spelled name for the newborn.”
The “Love Letters by Emily” concept began by making and mailing cards and prints that people requested as gifts for a mother or friend, reflecting the heart and Emily’s signature finger-spelled names. It just evolved into a good, small business idea. “Why not give it a go?” mom asked. Thus, the business began.
Aware of ETSY, a popular web-based platform selling unique and vintage Items made by independent creators, particularly artisans, they came up with a few card designs, images, and made a little home-based ETSY shop. Ambitious and excited, Carolyn cautiously noted ETSY presented a “worldwide availability to sell.” Apparently, that’s exactly what happened.
From the moment Emily hit “Submit” in 2012, everything went live on ETSY, and they thrilled at the many red hearts, and “likes,” some of which came all the way from Ankara, Turkey.
Today, the website LovelettersByEmily.com still links to Etsy, which keeps the operation of their business streamlined. The product offerings include a section for signs, font choices with sample fonts. People send messages with suggestions for designs. Some become popular, reflecting family traditions. There are many custom designs, but most choose from among Etsy’s seventy-six established card and print designs.
The business is very generous about the use of each custom design. With an average custom name design of $25 comes access to those digital files, allowing customers to make copies on home printers, to post on Facebook, and create screen savers. Mom and daughter delight in the idea of the clients’ ongoing personal use and enjoyment.
Typically, clients choose either and 8X10 or 5X7, matted, and they send one print. Logically, some asked for bigger posters, but they don’t have the printer capability at home, and would need to outsource it. At the moment, it’s much easier for them to create the design, allowing others take it to the local copy shop. For now, they are focused on the core business, acknowledging that it’s fine with them that “people use our designs in more unique ways.”
Nevertheless, they acknowledge that they have been a victim of their own success. Years ago, their “love design“ on T-shirts was pirated, used on a sweatshirt, and then sold online without their knowledge. Carolyn, as smart as she is creative, investigated the ordeal. While people were sharing stories with hashtag #Why I SIGN throughout the many countries and deaf communities Emily’s message reaches, she found the pirated IP address in Vietnam, and submitted a cease & desist order for intellectual property Infringement. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, but as Carolyn reports, “the images were on slant and of poor resolution,” undercutting their sales, potentially undermining their careful artistry and brand.
Sales are strong and their market is expanding. They hit the 1500 order mark on ETSY, with some sales reflecting multiple items. Asked about the best-selling items, Carolyn reports that it is their very first print, “Do what you love; love what you do.” Clearly, they do. But, she also muses about how many 1000s matte boards she has cut.
Selling across the continents means this small shop has come a long way, literally, from Emily’s last year of school, when they wondered what job opportunities she might have. “This gives her a chance to share her best skills and talents, and really enhances her life. People tell us they’ve always wanted to learn sign language – they learn from Emily.”
As Emily communicated how to best express each of the designs, her creative skills have grown, along with her confidence, and sheer joy in sharing her talents with the world.
With 6 years on Etsy, Emily’s hands are in all 50 states. To accomplish a sales presence in the final two states, Montana and Hawaii, they used social media promotion, carrying Emily’s creative stamp as they enlisted Facebook’s help. Carolyn and Emily headed to their favorite coffee shop in Richmond, Emily making her heart sign in front of car visiting from Montana, then created a post. Montana school for the deaf and blind placed an order. To land Hawaii, they visited a grocery store, bought a pineapple, and posted, “Hello Hawaii!” we need you to establish Love Letters by Emily in all 50 states. Friends tagged other friends in Hawaii, resulting in the sale of “ I LOVE YOU” note cards (made to be colored, creating a piece of artwork), and they met their goal that day. Similar stories evolve, each spreading joy and leading them forward in their business venture.
“Swimming with the big fish,” is how Carolyn sees their now year-old affiliation with Amazon. They credit that success story to a local artist within RI’s rich art community who sent Carolyn an Instagram or Facebook message stating that Emily should be there. That, too, came to be, where Amazon has a hand-made category, and their products are already well-received. As an aside, Carolyn remarks that even she, as an Amazon shopper, receives invitations to view Emily’s prints.
Successes abound, but Covid-19 has taken its toll on production and sales. Emily loves to shop, taking advantage of the 50% off coupons from local craft stores such Michaels, Joanne’s Fabrics, AC Moore, which have been closed. Demand is still evident, if production is more costly. Currently, they purchase, pre-cut mattes mounting the prints on foamcore, creating a polished, protected presentation of each print. At one time, they had support staff working with Emily, wielding the Xacto knife and metal ruler, as well as counting change, and talking with customers and friends.
COVID also cancelled craft fairs, shows, and various events, adversely impacting on sales and social contact. “Emily has grown to enjoy these more each time,” notes a concerned mom and business partner. Among the now suspended shows are: Field of Artisans at Whaler’s Brewing , a pop-up market at different venues at Salve Regina College, another at South Kingstown beach. “Tech Access of RI hosts a New England conference which produces strong sales as well connections, and Small Business Saturday ShopRI (SBSShopRI), the one day, pop-up mall, is huge for us.”
More significantly, Emily is in a high-risk category, struggling with what life looks like in this crisis. “We suspended support services because her physicians recommended it. Trying to find day staff with sign language skills is difficult,” reports mom. They have now been 1-1/2 years without day staff to help. For the moment, Carolyn is getting paid, and would like to have that continue. Having addressed a (Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) meeting, she proudly admits she does the job “with all of her heart”. Fully invested, she receives kudos for her work, but admits that it’s also frustrating to have someone else step in, repeatedly explaining the needs, plans, and then having to step aside. Certainly, that time will soon come.
For now, hey meet new challenges every day, and continue to create new messages, some becoming popular at the suggestion of customers. “When we stop having fun, we might need a new direction. For now, there are still many things we both want to accomplish,” a thoughtful mom remarks. Within the Love Letters by Emily collection, the runaway best-selling theme has been “If you can dream it, believe you can do it”. Surely, that message is likely continue in a post-Covid world, a message that Emily and her family continue to live by.