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In Conversation With...Dandelion Stationery
Poster
Zero training in design and print has been the making of Jo Wilson as a greeting card publisher, she believes it’s because she had no preconceptions about the industry and she’s been able to do what she thinks is right. Luckily, with a business studies degree and years of corporate experience at blue chip companies like Rolls Royce, Bombardier, and Ernst & Young under her belt, Jo had the background knowledge to make things work - so long as the designs are there. And, with the recent triumph making it five Henries trophies and three finalists’ spots since Dandelion Stationery started with its Words of Wisdom collection back in 2014 there’s no question about the designs! “I'm not trained in anything creative,” Jo admitted. “I went to uni., did a business studies degree, had various corporate jobs at big companies and then wanted a change. Some of it was having children, and the sort of corporate life I had that didn't necessarily suit. I also had a really horrible boss and just thought, ‘I've had enough’.” Jo’s husband Paul was in a similar situation. She said: “Although his boss was okay! - but he was also in a corporate role as an accountant at Toyota and didn't want to do that for the rest of his life. A small printing business near us in Derbyshire came up for sale, so he bought that in 2011.”
Jo Wilson has become something of the poster girl for the greeting card industry as the Dandelion Stationery founder has not only built up the publisher over the past eight years, but now does a nifty sideline in giant window display posters to support its independent retailer stockists. Fresh from her recent stardom on BBC Radio 4’s You And Yours and latest Henries win, PG caught up with the multi-talented publisher. Above: Jo celebrates willing her fifth Henries award at the October 2022 ceremony. Left: One of the free general downloadable POS that Dandelion has developed for retailers. Right: No 14 Ampthill owner Jo Barber (left) and her shop manager Kirsty Hammond (right) with Dandelion’s Jo Wilson. Below: The first poster Dandelion produced for Austin & Co.
The idea was for Jo to stay in an employed job for a while to provide some stable income, but she started doing wedding stationery, and a few greeting cards that were sold through Paul’s business. After 18 months Jo was happy to give her job up, with Dandelion Stationery born in 2014. For the first six months it was just Jo and her iPad, thinking up witty captions and drawing her Words of Wisdom designs to match, where she cornered the market in traditional sentiment meets modern phrasing and images, as a little bit of cheek and taking the mickey is how she gets the right words “without it being too mushy”! First off the press was the now classic ‘It’s ok to get excited when the Screwfix directory arrives’ card - definitely inspired by Paul whose role has now expanded from PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE
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