Huong Wolf spent years of her career in marketing, “working towards someone else’s dream.” She wasn’t content – and in 2011, she decided to make a change. That’s when the Vietnamese-born mompreneur, who now lives in Framingham, Massachusetts, decided to launch a greeting card business, Quilling Card. By utilizing the ancient paper art form of quilling – which involves rolling, arranging and gluing strips of paper into decorative designs — Wolf can offer her customers something that stands out from the traditional well-wishing card. A small, sentimental work of art. In addition to growing her venture, Wolf is also proud to be a Fair Trade Federation Member, and to live out those principles by employing female artisans.
Here’s our lightly edited Q&A, from The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project.
How is your business different from others in your industry?
Our greeting cards and gifts – made through our fair-trade, woman-owned business – are all hand-crafted using the ancient paper art form of quilling. And 99% of our artisans are women, too.
Tell us about your biggest success so far.
We have received several awards for our work: The Louie Award for Winning Card Design, and the Las Vegas Market People’s Choice Global Goodness Award. We’ve also received two Guiness World Record titles – we achieved the most people quilling simultaneously and the largest quilling paper mosaic image.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
When we first started, one of our challenges was the lack of consumer knowledge of this paper art form – many confused quilling for quilting. A large part of our branding is centered around education, as well as emphasizing the handcrafted aspect of our designs.
We also began this journey with very little knowledge of the greeting card industry, which presented its own challenges. But our passion for this art led us to persevere through all obstacles and learning experiences that have presented themselves.
Have you experienced any significant personal situations that affected your business decisions?
I have two teenagers at home, and getting them to all of their extracurricular activities is a full-time job in and of itself!
What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs?
Never stop learning and growing. And, find your balance — your personal wellness is as important as your company’s bottom line. You have to find your passion outside of your business. For example, I ran my first Boston Marathon this year – and my team cheered me on.
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How do you find inspiration on your darkest days?
Whenever I have a challenging day, I spend time looking through our customer reviews. They always make me feel better, and inspire me to keep going. We have brought so much joy into people’s lives, and hearing their stories, and their enthusiasm for quilling, always makes me feel better.
What is your go-to song to get motivated on tough days?
“Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé.
Who is your most important role model?
My grandma has always been an inspiration to me, and has influenced me throughout my life. While she did not have any formal academic training, she was incredibly smart –- witty, caring, the glue that kept our family together. She faced challenges in life with such grace, it almost seemed as though she was able to anticipate anything that came her way. With her calm spirit, it seemed like there wasn’t any problem she couldn’t solve or get through. My grandma also taught me to not take anything for granted in life – to live in the present, and cherish every single moment. ◼
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