Starting with an idea and creating a business is not something I had on my 5 or 10 year plan. I had no idea I was the entrepreneurial type. Fast forward 5 years ahead and I have grown a successful business that I am very proud of. I love that I am building a business for my family & children and creating a brand.
Memento started in my basement with just me and 1 commercial embroidery machine. I thought it would take me 3-5 year to pay off my first embroidery machine. I wore all the hats, convo/email girl, shipper, sewing ribbon, cutting fabric, ironing, applique cutting, embroidery, listing products. At holidays I would go to bed at 2 or 3 AM back in the early days.
My drive was to exceed in online customer service. Shopping online with Memento was going to be like shopping at boutique but online. When you purchase online you pay and that is the end of the transaction until you get your item in the mail. When will it ship? Did they get my order? What if I have a question? I send each customer an email that we send that has details about their order, shipping date and how to contact us if there is a correction needed on their order details. I have had lots of customers say they love the communication as this lets them know a person and not just a computer received their order.
The first machine took the longest to pay off! Every time I was able to pay us back for the machine, instead I bought another to help me keep up with the growth of my shop. I had 3 machines in 2010 and seasonal helpers at Christmas and peak seasons throughout the years. In August 2011 I hired my first full time employee.
In April of 2012 I took the next step of getting a commercial space! It was exciting and a little overwhelming at the same time. I had 2 full time employees and a part time employee at the time and the thought of rent each month was a bit daunting. We have lots of space for shipping, embroidery machines, sewing table, packaging and all of the laptops needed to manage a growing successful Etsy shop and website.
I love going to the new shop every day. The 6 ladies that work for Memento are all very talented and bring their creative talents to help make Memento even better!
I love the fact that I have employed 6 amazing and talented women! Each of them contribute to making Memento a creative & fun place to spend our days Monday - Friday while we create personalized items for our wonderful customers.
About Us
About Memento - Monograms Make it Personal
Memento (www.shopmemento.com) Personalized Monogram Gifts was launched by Terri Johnson in 2007, with a desire to build a business that combined her creative vision and entrepreneurial talents; to produce personalized and made-to-order products. Terri's vision was to offer products that represent a person's legacy, individual taste, or, makes a unique statement about an individual's spirit and character. It's a timeless reminder of a special moment, person, place or time. It's a gift that's fun and creates smiles and laughter. It also represents a special sentiment or reminder that conjures up memories or tears. Most importantly, we want to offer products that make gift giving easy. We believe that our selection of products, with your personalized touch, offer your friends and loved ones a gift that is as unique and special as they are. From all of this, Memento was launched.
We believe that definition of Memento defines the spirit of what we desire for our customers: me·men·to /[muh-men-toh] 1. An item that serves to remind one of a person or past event. 2. A Keepsake
About TJD - Creator & Owner of Memento
"Your spark, passion and drive is a song only you can write, If you don't play it the world can't hear it." Terri Johnson, TJD
In October of 2012 I was featured in a Wired magazine article that featured etsy shop sellers that successfully built a business in the handmade marketplace. I first came to etsy's attention as I have 100% positive customer feedback for a shop with over 5000 transactions. Especially considering that all of the items I make are custom and personalized.
I am a creative, driven and passionate woman with a mind that never stops! In July of 2012 I started a second brand Greek Life Girl for Greek Sorority Apparel & Gifts. There are more brands and ideas to share on the horizon.
Thank you for visiting and learning about Memento!
Terri Johnson - TJD!
CORE VALUES OF MEMENTO:
When you purchase a Memento product, you have the comfort of buying from a company that stands behind the following values:
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We strive for 100% customer satisfaction. We will not ship a product that is not of the quality we would ourselves expect.
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We listen to our customers and solicit feedback and suggestions to improve our products, services and product offerings.
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We want to build lasting relationships with our customers, vendors and partners; treating you with respect, ethical business practices and with the highest moral values.
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We will not personalize or sell products which represent, contain, or state anything of an unethical or immoral premise or innuendo.
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We will support our community, by donating a portion of our profits to organizations or individuals who are in alignment with our values.
Thank you for coming to our store, and reviewing our catalog of personalized and made to order items. Please come back to our store soon to check out our new and Featured Items we add to our selection of personalized and made-to-order items. Please subscribe to our mailing list to stay in touch and receive future seasonal promotions and special offers.
If you love our products, the greatest compliment you can pay us is to tell all of your friends, family and co-workers about www.shopmemento.com
