Story & Lesson Highlights with Samantha Wise of Gardner, KS

We recently had the chance to connect with Samantha Wise and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I became a first-time mama last October. Being a mom outside of work has brought me so much joy! With becoming a first-time mom, there have been a lot of ups and downs simply learning how to be a mama and juggle work, but overall it’s been the most incredible experience of my life. I’m so grateful to have my sweet lil’ family at home to be with when I’m finished at work for the day. Spending time with my family is always my top priority + my absolute favorite thing to do.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Samantha. I own East + West Designs, where I create custom + semi-custom wedding stationery.

Something I love about what I do is that I work 100% virtually, which allows me to work with so many amazing couples all over the country! Since wedding stationery is so visual, I offer realistic stationery mockups and pre-recorded walk-through videos to really showcase what their design could look like.

The videos have been a major addition to my business, since they allow me to chat with each of them individually, go over their revisions, answer questions + more, and they can watch them whenever it works best for their schedules! This allows their stationery experience to be incredibly flexible + less stressful, while still providing professional guidance + assistance every step of the way.

I’m also incredibly proud of my Semi-Custom Collection. These are pre-made wedding stationery designs that couples can customize to reflect their wedding day. You can add any colors, wording, embellishments or add-ons to really make the design feel all your own. This is a really great option if you need wedding stationery quickly and/or budget-friendly. I’m always creating new designs to add to the collection, which makes it fun!

Something I’m really passionate about at E+W is creating various offerings to meet couples exactly where they’re at no matter their location, budget or overall vision. This being my focus, I’m always doing my best to come up with new + unique offerings that are truly useful and can assist couples in a really impactful way for their wedding day.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My sweet husband has been such an incredible support for as long as I’ve known him. Throughout our entire relationship, he’s always been there cheering me on and pushing me to be the best me I can be. Whether I’m building a business, becoming a first-time mom, or simply picking up a new hobby, he’s always there to tell me I’ve got this. He’s my biggest cheerleader and helps me to believe in myself. (:

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
My biggest fear is failure. I always want to show up and do my very best at whatever I’m doing.

This fear has definitely held me back in a lot of different ways, but especially with my work. Being a designer, this has caused me to be a bit of a perfectionist at times. It also holds me back when it comes to new business ideas. I overthink everything and question if the ideas are good enough, if anyone will really like them and what will I do if it all fails.

These questions can easily get into my head and keep me from pursuing my dreams, but I just keep going! Sometimes, things take a little bit longer than I might like, but I’m always sooooo proud when I persevere and remind myself that I can do hard things.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
I *love* hearing all of my clients’ ideas for their wedding stationery.

I always have a million different stationery design ideas floating around in my head, but I really rely on my couples coming to me and sharing what they have envisioned. Their wedding stationery is truly their’s, so I want it to look + feel like them. To do that, I want to learn everything they have in mind for their own stationery so that I can help bring their ideas to life. I’ll still provide some recommendations throughout the design experience, but I always start off by listening to what they are interested in first. That’s where all the magic is!

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
When I’m at home with my family.

My husband and I both work from home, which is incredible, especially now with our lil’ one. So, we’re home all the time. But, I’m most at peace when we’re not working, phones are put away, TV is turned off and we’re just spending time together as a family. This time with our daughter is so precious and is already flying by, so I want to enjoy every second we can. Simply spending time together, going on a walk outside, playing with our daughter — all of it brings so much joy + peace into my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eastandwestdesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastandwestdesigns/

Image Credits
Portrait: @jillianbode_
Stationery Photography: @peterson.design.photo | https://www.peterson-design-photo.com/