Letter from Rachel: A Change for Me (But Not for You)

Rachel Kroh July 23, 2023

Dear friends and supporters of Heartell Press, I'm writing today to share some exciting news! Next month, my husband, Eric, and I and our two children are moving across the country to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State to live closer to my Dad (the boys call him Poppy) and his partner, my mother-in-law and my two brothers-in-law and their families who also live in Sequim. My little brother and his family live in Portland, Oregon, so we'll be closer to them too. We want to give our kids the chance to grow up with their grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. They are never happier than when they get to be together with them, which right now is not often enough because of the distance between us. And Sequim is a place of rare and incomparable beauty, with mountains and ocean and forest all within a few miles of our new house. I’ve known this change was coming for several years, and I've thought long and hard about what it would mean for Heartell. The more I talked about it with my team, the more clear it became to me that Heartell wouldn't be what it is without them, and we conceived of the idea of leaving the production and fulfillment arms of the business here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with me doing the creative direction, product development and marketing remotely from Washington. We've been working hard for two years to prepare for the transition. We onboarded new inventory and bookkeeping systems. And the members of our team have taken on new responsibilities in order to bridge the distance. Kristin King, our fulfillment manager, has taken on a new role as operations manager and will be running the studio, managing inventory and keeping us all working together toward our deadlines and goals. Tori Morris, our fulfillment assistant, has taken on the role of customer relationships manager and is doing an excellent job of keeping in touch with our wholesale partners and making sure we're serving them well. Our production manager, Erin Duddy, hired a second printer, Lauren Conklin, and together they have built up a generous backstock of inventory, shortening our turnaround times and streamlining our fulfillment process. Earlier this year, we welcomed a new marketing assistant, Lauren Hurst, based in metro Detroit, Michigan, giving me a chance to practice collaborating remotely. All of which is to say: while this brings a big change for me, it won't affect our ability to fulfill orders or release new designs. I'll be carving new blocks throughout the year and proofing, connecting with our team, and shooting product photography during my twice-yearly visits to Fort Wayne, starting this November. I'm grateful for the support of my team as we navigate this transition and for your continued support of our work. Stay tuned for updates from the West Coast coming soon! With gratitude, Rachel.

Comments

Diane Wozniak said:

I’m so excited for you! My husband and I raised our 3 children in Seattle so I’m very familiar with Sequim and I consider the Olympic National Park to be one of my true spiritual homes.
Look into everything arts-related in Port Townsend, and also buyolympia.
My daughters, like me, are lifelong card and print and letterpress fans. So please make sure each worthy independent bookstore will carry some of your cards. We will continue to order from you & wish you joy in your new home. You’re making the right decision!♥️

Diane Wozniak said:

I’m so excited for you! My husband and I raised our 3 children in Seattle so I’m very familiar with Sequim and I consider the Olympic National Park to be one of my true spiritual homes.
Look into everything arts-related in Port Townsend, and also buyolympia.
My daughters, like me, are lifelong card and print and letterpress fans. So please make sure each worthy independent bookstore will carry some of your cards. We will continue to order from you & wish you joy in your new home. You’re making the right decision!♥️

Letter from Rachel: A Change for Me (But Not for You)

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