Alyssa Toft got the idea to start her subscription-based startup after making a New Year’s resolution to complete one random act of kindness a month.
That basic idea turned into Quill & Cue, a service that mails subscribers a blank card, a writing prompt and postage each month with the expectation they’ll pen a handwritten letter to someone they know.
Toft officially launched Minneapolis-based Quill & Cue in November 2020, while still working as an attorney at Jackson Lewis PC. Now a year removed from leaving the New York-based law firm and taking on Quill & Cue full time, Toft is focusing her attention towards using the platform for more company-based initiatives.
Toft's pivot to B2B comes at a time when companies are trying to engage with their remote-based employees in new and exciting ways.
“Employees want a lot more from their employers than a paycheck,” she said. “They want to feel seen and appreciated and know their sacrifices haven’t gone unnoticed.”
Toft is currently developing a series of corporate partnerships that will weave a company's core values directly into the letter writer's prompt.
Toft said these company specific prompts will build upon a company's culture because it makes workers feel more connected, engaged and recognized. She added to this idea by contrasting the difference between receiving a fleeting compliment over email to one that’s put in writing.
“There’s so many additional layers there that make that compliment more permanent,” she said. “It’s really centered around using a handwritten note as a powerful tool for recognition and appreciation.”
While it may be obvious Quill & Cue works for the sender, Toft argues there’s an even more compelling case for the sender.
“I think it takes some courage and vulnerability to write that note, which are qualities that we should cultivate in our leaders and employees,” she said.
