000-000_Sister Act (3pp).qxp_Grid 17/01/2025 11:50 Page 2
Relationship Businesses
SISTER ACT
Relationships are at the very heart of the greeting card industry, but several publishers take this a stage further by working with their sisters. PG embraces the sisterhoods at work at Stormy Knight, Nigel Quiney Publications, Holy Mackerel and Little Roglets.
SARAH HOPKINS AND KATE MEEKE, SISTERS AND CO-DIRECTORS OF HOLY MACKEREL Sarah Hopkins set up Holy Mackerel in South Wales in 2002, after having been a shop owner then a business advisor and then setting up a handmade greeting card business. Meanwhile Kate was working in the South East for an energy company, firstly
Above: Sarah Hopkins (right) and Kate Meeke on one of the many Holy Mackerel trade show stands. Above right: A sister card from Holy Mackerel’s One Lump or Two collection.
as a pricing analyst for industrial energy customers and then modelling workflows and resourcing requirements for several 1000seat call centres. Forced to take a few weeks off due to a fractured foot, and staying with Sarah for recuperation Kate realised that the rat race just wasn’t for her anymore, and at the same time Sarah was struggling to manage a growing business on her own, so a resignation letter went in and the rest is history. Sibling Synergy: “We share lots of things, a love of the sea, cats and cream teas 100 PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
(although we are on opposite sides when it comes to the jam or cream first debate!). We both love board games, and the rest of the family call us “Hive Mind” as we’re so in tune with each other’s thinking. We’ve also got to look more and more like each other as we’ve got older – lots of people now think we’re twins!” Sarah sews and Kate knits, while they both confess to being partial to “a little gin”. Workwise, Kate’s technical background means she’s a whizz on spreadsheets while Sarah is busy being creative. Kate hates a blank sheet of paper, but for Sarah it’s an opportunity to create something new and exciting! Sarah’s definitely the people person, while Kate’s happier in the back office. “The mix seems to work!” they agree. Pros and Cons: “An advantage and a disadvantage of us working together is never fully switching off,” agree Kate and Sarah. Kate currently works remotely from Devon, while Sarah is based in the Holy Mackerel office and
Above: The Holy Mackerel sisters’ first meeting. Below: Victoria Wood and Julie Walters would be the celebrity sisters of choice for Sarah and Kate.
warehouse in Pembrokeshire, “but when we’re together we’re always throwing ideas back and forth. We can easily end up annoying everyone else with ‘work talk’ when we’re together out of the office, but some of the best ideas definitely form themselves when we’re out in a kayak or grabbing a pint on the sea wall together!” they admit. With Kate currently in the process of upping sticks and moving to West Wales, within a stone’s throw of both Sarah and their mum, they both sense “it might be a year of great ideas!” Celebrity Sis Wish: “We agreed our wish for a celebrity sis would have to be someone who can make us both laugh like drains, so we’re adopting Victoria Wood and Julie Walters. Most lunchtimes someone mentions “two soups” or asks “is it on the trolley?” so why not have the ladies themselves to deliver the lines.”