Julie Lloyd
EMBROIDER MORE Custom Gifts From The Heart
J
ulie Lloyd waged an internal war with herself for years. The battle over her professional life pitched her banker self against her crafty self — after a 15-year fight, crafty won out. “I am creative,” Lloyd says. “Banking is structure …” Drawing on the sewing skills she learned as a young girl in Brownies, Lloyd purchased a programmable embroidery/sewing machine four years ago and set out to learn embroidery. Her skills grew rapidly as she discovered a knack for monogramming and creating custom items. “I never looked at it as a gift,” she says. “I’m realizing now that it is.” So she bought two more machines and expanded her undertaking. Her professional priorities shifted to retail, nonprofits and health care. Lloyd got so good at her craft that she quit her job in an oral surgeon’s office last August and went into business for herself. Her first product was a personalized baby blanket for a neighbor. The 51-year-old owner of Embroider More is a one-woman shop with a varied product line of customized wedding and baby gifts, children’s wear, logoed business and club apparel, and personalized pillows,
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purses, blankets, boots, toys and more. You name it — Lloyd can customize it. “I can do anything,” she says. “I love collaborating with a customer. That creative energy runs through the process to solve challenges and give my customers what they want.” Embroider More is a retailer for TwoAlity boots, totes and liners, and a personalized line of Cubbies plush toys. Lloyd is also licensed to produce products with the logos of the University of Missouri, Columbia Public Schools and other groups. She works out of the Columbia home she shares with her husband, Brian Lloyd, the director of enterprise architecture at Veterans United Home Loans who pinch-hits for his wife on the technology end of the business. E-commerce sales through the website have drawn customers from all over the United States and Canada. “My customers primarily come from referrals, wordof-mouth, parties, special vendor events and Internet sales through Facebook and my website,” she says. A brief stint during the holiday season at a Columbia Mall kiosk gave Embroider More some local exposure, but the break-even experience convinced Lloyd that her young startup isn’t quite ready for a brick-and-mortar iteration, although she has
discussed placement options for her products with specialty boutiques. Contract work and a focus on business-to-business sales supplement her growing log of Web orders. In business for just half a year, Embroider More is paying the bills, Lloyd says. An “evolving” business plan gives the startup flexibility; Lloyd’s business background gives it structure. “I’m still learning how to run this all-consuming business wearing about eight hats,” she says. “I’ve heard all the clichés: It takes money to make money … You must have the proper tools … Confidence is the key to success … Patience is the key … I’m not just hearing those clichés now; I’m living them.” Like any startup, Lloyd faces many challenges that keep her up at night. But her favorite part of the business — bringing a project to fruition and seeing the light in the customer’s eyes — reminds her of why she started down this road. “I love to make people smile,” she says. “Sewing used to be my hobby; now it’s my business. I guess I’ll have to find a new hobby.”
Embroider More 573-445-0676 www.embroidermore.com Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest