Scrap Your Trip 8th Anniversary Sale
September 2002I am 5 ½ months pregnant with my son, Logan. I have five months left at my corporate job that I have had for the past five years. The merger is done and the majority of the Orlando division will be gone by next March.
All of my co-workers have been furiously trying to find new jobs. I am showing and no one is going to hire me when I am obviously pregnant.
So, I decided to try something else. My online scrapbooking store, Scrap Your Trip, is almost done.
I am a fourth generation entrepreneur. Starting a business is normal to me…something I saw often growing up. I always knew I’d have my own business too, just didn’t know what I was passionate enough about to work a gazillion hours to make it work.
When I walked into a scrapbooking store when my 3-year old daughter, Lauren was born, I knew I found it.
I send an email to everyone I know and announce the “grand opening” of my website. And I wait. And within two days, I have my first order. I am at work, sitting in my office and I scream out loud, I am so excited. People come running in because I am pregnant and they think something is wrong.
“I got an order!" August 2004
The fourth hurricane in six weeks has gone through Orlando and my office is flooded. Lots of orders are ruined because they were in boxes on the floor waiting to be mailed.
I have been trying to sell Scrap Your Trip for months. I think the lady I’ve been talking to is going to buy it. $27,500. That barely covers the cost of the inventory I have.
I can’t believe I’ve worked for almost two years and not made any money. Lost money, actually, if you count what I should have made if I had gotten another job.
September 2004
I have just finished listening to “Stomping the Search Engines” by Brad Fallon and StomperNet. He sure seems to know what he is talking about when it comes to selling online. He’s been in business for only five months and had more revenue last month than I have done all together over the past two years. I sure hope there is something to this Google SEO thing.
October 2004
It worked!! I tripled the number of orders this month!
December 2004
It’s getting really crowded in here. There are five of us working in a bedroom in my house. Just signed a lease on office space. EEEK! Hope I made the right choice!
June 2005
Time to move already?!? This place seemed so big when we moved in!
January 2006
Just bought a machine to make our own die cuts. It was $3,000! Sure hope this works! I really think we can do just as good of a job, if not better, than the other people who make die cuts.
February 2007
Just moved again. From one suite into three. That should hold us for a LONG time!
March 2007
Oh my gosh! The Post Office is making a box just for us! Made just for scrapbooking paper, so it doesn’t get bent. This is unbelievable! The only other company they have done this for is the new shoebox they just made for eBay.
June 2008
Just signed the lease on a laser die cutting machine. The $3,000 machine just can’t keep up with us anymore. This one is $20,000. And I was nervous about the $3,000 one!
October 2008
I sure hope everyone likes our paper! It’s kind of scary to head in this direction, but I really think we can make papers that are unique.
June 2009
Finally finished the expansion. Knocked down walls all over the place to take over the suite next to us. Four suites? That should hold us for a while. (Hey, haven’t I said this before?)
July 2009
Our fifth and sixth laser machines just got delivered. Holy smokes!!
August 2009
Wow!!! I just found out that Scrap Your Trip was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing, privately held companies in America! Number 1727. I am in shock.
December 2009
The economy is really affecting us. I have cut everyone’s hours. I hope I don’t have to lay anyone off. (I didn’t.)
March 2010
Just debuted our very first Scrap Your Trip designed paper collection. I am SO excited!
August 2010
Just approved the master for our Scrap Your Trip stickers. My team did an AMAZING job!
September 2010
Scrap Your Trip made the Inc. 5000 list again! Number 1370. I still can’t believe we made it once, but TWICE? I am so amazed at what has happened to my “little” scrapbooking company.
September 22, 2010
I am SO incredibly grateful for everything that Scrap Your Trip has brought into my life. Someone told me a long time ago that the business could only grow as much as I could grow personally.
It’s been the most challenging, most exciting thing I’ve ever done. I “found myself” through this business. It has brought many rewarding relationships into my life, including my best friend and the love of my life.
I have been able to help a lot of people in a lot of ways…raising money for charity…lots of stable jobs for my employees…making scrapbooking supplies to help people showcase their most precious memories…showing people, especially women, that they have NO IDEA what they are capable of.
This turned out to be a loooong email, but thank you for going on this journey with me, both in reading about it today and over the past eight years.
On behalf of the entire team at Scrap Your Trip, we thank you for your business and allowing us into your lives. We look forward to many more years together!
To show my appreciation and gratitude, I am offering a 20% coupon on your entire order of $59 or more (excluding clearance items) through Friday, September 24th. Just type coupon code ANNIV8 at checkout. (One coupon code per order. Cannot be used on previous orders.) AND we are also choosing 8 lucky customers that will get their order for FREE this week.
Lastly, if you didn’t catch it earlier, I would have never made it without what I learned from StomperNet. Over 100 of us have broken through the $1 million in revenue mark with what we learned from them. And I am one of two “Stompers” to be named to the Inc. list this year.
Their 10th conference, “Live 10,” is being held in Vegas on October 8, 9 and 10. “Live 10” on 10/10/10. (*smile*)
You can join for 30 days for $1.00 and get a free ticket to attend Live 10.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to do business online, this is the best group to learn from. Click here to check it out: https://stompernet.infusionsoft.com/go/SN30-1/swatekj
Starting this company was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Maybe starting a company could one of the best things that ever happened to you too.
And remember, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, we can always make a custom title or paper just for you! Click here to see all our custom options: www.scrapyourtrip.com/custom.html See you on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/ScrapYourTrip
With Immense gratitude, Julie Swatek, President Scrap Your Trip® www.ScrapYourTrip.com
‘cuz life is a trip worth scrappin’® CustomerCare@ScrapYourTrip.com 1-866-955-0005 http://blog.scrapyourtrip.com
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31 comments September 22nd, 2010
