Christi Kmecik wants people to feel more seen and connected through both the “hard stuff and the good stuff.”
That’s why she started Written Hugs Designs, a Shakopee-based card design shop with collections created for people in unique or tough situations: a Mother’s Day card for a woman with infertility, a Christmas card for the first season since losing a relative, a card that a person with depression can send to a loved one to show their gratitude amid strife.
In less than a year, she’s gone from selling dozens of cards on her website to moving tens of thousands in stores. For every card sold online, she also donates one to Brighter Days Family Grief Center in Eden Prairie.
The online shop was established last November, and now HomeGoods is planning to place its fourth large order this week, and Kowalski’s just placed its first order to sell the cards in all 11 locations throughout the Twin Cities.
“It’s hard to wrap my head around,” Kmecik said. The growth has been rapid, and she said it’s hard to connect with the numbers.
But she does connect with her customers. “They'll actually send me a message on the website to say how much it means to them, or share their story, or share which specific card really touched their heart,” she said.
While going through different kinds of loss or mental health struggles in her life, Kmecik said she noticed that society is uncomfortable with other peoples’ pain. “We don't know what to do with that,” she said.
There were three typical responses. Her favorite was when a person was thoughtful and practical, offering to cook a meal and show up during a tough time. Otherwise, people would offer a platitude to make it better, which she said can take away the permission for a person to grieve, even if it’s not the intent. The other response was to say nothing because of discomfort.
She hopes her cards can help bridge the communication gap during times of high emotions and potential discomfort.
Now, she wants to scale. The company was built from the pockets of Kmecik and her husband. She has a small business loan that she hasn’t touched and has tapped an adviser to help make sure the company has a solid foundation as it grows.
She hopes to someday hit big box stores and gain a nationwide presence while maintaining the online store for the more niche topics.
She remembers her grandpa, who had dementia until his death. When she’d visit him, it was never a certainty that he would be lucid or aware. She wished something like her product existed then. She has a card with prompts (like “my favorite thing we do together is:”) where the person sending it can personalize the card.
“If there was a way to leave him this card that he could read when he was aware, or someone could read to him if he needed that, … that would have been really sweet, a really meaningful gift to have,” Kmecik said.
