Scrap Your Trip 8th Anniversary Sale
Entry Filed under: New Items Added
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
www.facebook.com/scrapyourtrip
www.facebook.com/julieswatek
www.twitter.com/julieswatek
31 Comments
1. Candice Stukes&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:18 am
Congrats on your 8th year!
2. Teddi Wengert&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:20 am
You are to be commended! What you have done is what it is all about! Thank you for being there with your excellent service.
3. Robin&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:23 am
Julie,
You have such an inspirational story. I will remember it the next time I’m having a hard time with my own company. Thank you!
P.S. I’m getting my order together!
Thanks for the discount and the outstanding service as always!
4. Kathy Wittlock&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:28 am
What a great story! I really needed some inspiration today! I am celebrating two years soon and well things seem a little down and doubtfull these days! The ecomony seems to be slowing down , among football and other things, but Iam sure as things slow down a bit , it will return. No body warns you of the ups & downs in this business. Everyone tells me the magic number is five! Keep up the great work!
5. Nancy&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:39 am
Congratulations! You are definitely an inspiration. I was laid off 9 months ago and still trying to figure out what to do with my life. Thanks for sharing your story, you give me hope!
6. Gill Miller&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:52 am
I do love receiving your emails, you are always so positive and friendly. I’m reaching my 5th year of running my own business and I should have done it years ago. Best wishes for many more SYT ones to come.
7. maureen sala&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:53 am
Congratulations on 8 years — I love Scrap Your Trip. Only wish I could scrap faster and use up my materials so I could buy more.
Best of Luck for another 8 more years.
Maureen Sala
8. Sarah&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:55 am
Julie your story is truly inspirational. You give me hope that one day (hopefully soon) I will be able to startup my own online business. I always look forward to reading your emails. Congrats on 8 years!!!
9. Susan Carter&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 11:58 am
Congrats Julie! You’ve grown because your company is the best, puts so much emphasis on great customer service in addition to unique quality items–all as a result of your leadership and hard work. It’s been fun traveling this road with you and watching you grow. Now, on to the next eight–I can’t wait to see the exciting things you’ll be offering to us.
10. Ashly&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Julie and S.Y.T Tream, 1st & foremost…CONGRATULATIONS on 8 years!! I had no idea what you went through to get where you are today. I had tears in my eyes when I was reading your e-mail. I am so happy that S.Y.T. is such a huge success!!
I truly appreciate all of the hard work you & your team put into this website and job.
Thanks again for being the best!!
11. Diane Racey&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Congratulations Julie!!! On the business as well as what is happening in your life.
12. MaryLynn&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
I loved reading about your journey! I feel like I’ve been right there with you along the way. I lost my corporate job in 2003. Right at that time my brother was in a horrible motorcycle accident and lay in a coma for several months clinging to life. When he awoke, he had no memory at all and had to relearn everything. I created a scrapbook to help teach him about his life, his family and places he had been. Each day before our visit at the hospital, he would look at the scrapbook to refresh his memory on who we were. He had been a nuclear engineer serving in the Navy and living in several places. I live in Atlanta but we grew up in Indiana. I stumbled upon Scrap Your Trip to find all the papers and stickers that I needed to put together his book.
It was such an important part of his recovery that each of my other siblings and parents have asked me to do a book for them. (My parents have a winter home just south of Orlando so we dealt with the hurricanes too) I think I’ll be contributing to your business for a long time! Thank you so much for sharing and for providing such a great resource for all of us!
MaryLynn
13. Ann&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
congrat Julie, I think you rock! I love hearing your stories, between reinventing your life and your weight loss. You are an inspiration to us all. I have forwarded your most recent email to a friend who is in the process of reinventing her life. Thanks for opening your heart and life.
14. Julie Fernandes&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Happy Anniversary Julie! If it were not for you and your amazing company, I would not have been able to scrap my favorite travel and military themed memories with such abandonment! Your site had (and has) the best selections! I especially like the organization of your site. It’s so neat and easy to follow!!! I always promote your site as my favorite “On-line” store. It is especially handy when I meet scrappy folks who “just can’t find” what they are looking for locally but rarely use the internet! I send them to you! Thank you for all of your dedication to our craft! You’ve certainly made my “trip” so much more delightful! Here’s to a long successful relationship!
Sincerely scrappily yours,
Julie
15. Caroline&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Such a wonderful story…you brought a happy tear to my eye. I love your store and love reading your blog. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself with us!!
16. Ann tokarz&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 1:25 pm
What an amazing journey you have taken! Congrats to you and your team for 8 great years and thanks for the wonderful service you provide for us scrappers.
17. Roseann&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Congratulations on your 8th anniversary! I have to say I am a true Scrapyourtrip girl and tell everyone about it! I love your emails. I actually look forward to them! I feel like Ive known you forever and I have never even met you! Keep up the great work…I love the selection of sports that you carry!
One of my favorite parts or receiving my package is not the package itself…that goes with out saying….it is the hand written personal note on the receipt. Call me crazy but that just tells me that someone who cares packed my items! One day Ill get out to Florida and pop by to say hi!
Again thank you for such a great place to shop and good luck in all your future years in business!
18. wanda snyder&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 2:25 pm
good luck on your 8 years. I love reading your notes to us. I hope to meet you someday. I was in Tampa for my grandson’s wedding August 7th. How close was I to your place? Thanks for my discount. And I love buying my supplies from your company. My hubby thinks my books are the best he has ever seen. Others say the same thing. Take care. Love you. wanda
19. Elaine&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Congratulations! You are indeed inspirational!
20. Eileen Wilson&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 2:35 pm
Congrats on your very successful adventure. I love your company and look forward to my mail!! I wish you the best in the future as we continue to photo, scrap and document all those special moments in our lives. The discount coupon is a great treat, Thank you!
21. Karen Mowry&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 4:35 pm
Julie,
I so enjoyed your “diary” of your business and want to tell you how much inspiration you give to others. What a lesson in stick-to-it-ness!!!!! I’ve been with you almost since the beginning and have never, never been disappointed. I have also shared your website with many, many people as I bet most of your customers have done. May you have a long and prosperous future!
Karen
22. Roxanne Parish&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Rarely use any other scrapbooking supplier, you are everything I need and then some. It is so hard to choose on papers, die cuts, stickers and just everything. Keep up the good work. Happy Anniversary
23. Kari G&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 5:13 pm
Eight years is just the beginning for you, Julie!! Your relationship with your customers is up front and close and this is one of the keys to your success. You have not only built a successful business but you have created a world of scrapbooking friends that share so much. Thank you for that.
I came to know you through another cropper in Texas when my husband and I with our Downs Syndrome daughter lived in a Winnebago RV north of San Antonio. Our five years there afforded me the opportunity to use your products and I fell in love with your dye cuts.
Now we are permanently settled eight miles from Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota and I am hunting for new scrapbooking friends. You are a blessing to the cropping world and Happy Anniversary.
24. Dee Pierce&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Congrats on your success! I’m glad you hung in there beacause I just LOVE shopping with Scrap Your Trip. I’m going to a weekend crop and can’t wait to show my peeps what I’ve ordered from you. Looking forward to my next order already! A loyal Fan I am Julie! DEE
25. Linda&hellip | September 22nd, 2010 at 10:39 pm
I’m so glad I Accidently found your wed site. I love the paper you carry. Just wish I had found it when I had started MY Disney scrapbook not after I had finshed it. I have found it now and about 95% of the paper in this book will be found your “little” on-line company. I tell every one I met about your sit. Keep up the great work. Linda
26. Joyce in CT&hellip | September 23rd, 2010 at 7:39 am
Thanks for the awesome post regarding your company’s growth, Julie.
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!!!!
May God continue to pour out His blessings on each of you in service there.
27. Vicki&hellip | September 23rd, 2010 at 9:05 am
Julie,
I loved your timeline. It shows the growth and how quickly it happened. I love your site – it’s my favorite -
I tell everyone how great it is. And your staff is great too.
Contratulations on 8 years! and Keep up the good work!
-Vicki
28. Marsha, NC&hellip | September 23rd, 2010 at 4:55 pm
CONGRATULATIONS to Julie and the SYT Team!!!
I love when you write about the company, and the scrapbooking business as a whole. It is so interesting and exciting the way you describe it. I would love to see pictures of the SYT Team at work, maybe describe what a “day in the life of SYT” is like.
OK, now it’s time to get on the SYT website and go totally CRAZY!!
29. Christine&hellip | September 24th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Happy anniversary. You give hope to those of us who aren’t doing what we love.
30. Dianne&hellip | September 24th, 2010 at 10:56 am
I just placed a order for 103.08 and tried to use the anniv8 code as I thought the 20% would be more than the free shipping and was told the discount code was expired. I went ahead and placed the order using the free shipping, but I just rechecked my email is it says the anniv8 code was valid from 9/22 to 9/24.
31. Ginny&hellip | September 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Hi, I just got back from Orlando (haven’t even unpacked yet). I placed my first order before I left home (in Canada) and went into the office to pick it up. Met Laurie and chatted (nice lady ~ I got back to my vacation home safely!). Anyway, I couldn’t wait until I got back to our vacation home to look at my stuff. I was so excited, it was great!!! I loved my personalized stuff. I will be ordering again! Will have to have it shipped, I only wish I could go to Orlando and pick it up once a month. I will pass your website on to my scrap booking friends.