AE Behind The Brand | Cocoa Daisy

Today as part of the Behind The Brand series I would like to introduce you to Chrstine from Cocoa Daisy.

How did you get started with your business? How long have you been in business?
Cocoa Daisy was founded about seven years ago by Tricia Canonico. I first joined Cocoa Daisy, as a subscriber, in 2007.

I tried out when Cocoa Daisy had a Design Team call, and made the team. About 6 months later, Tricia asked me to start creating the project kits.I loved coming up with ideas for the project kits and putting them together! Soon, I was joining Tricia for her trips to CHA, so I got a good idea of how much work goes into putting together the main kit.Well, fast forward to 2010. I found myself having to leave my marriage of 11 years, with no work history for the last 8 because I'd been a stay at home Mom. At that time Tricia happened to be pregnant, moving to another state and planning to close things down here at Cocoa Daisy. I approached her and said I wanted to do it! I was terrified... leaving a marriage, moving in with my parents and starting a business all at the same time. That was the worst, most stressful summer of my life! But, I knew I had to give it a try because it was the perfect scenario for me. I'd be doing something I love and I'd also be home with the boys.

My background in graphic design from before I became engaged, including 10 years' experience as a Composition Manager, gave me the confidence to jump in and pray that God had placed this opportunity in front of me for a reason.

It's been an amazing two and a half years! Learning as I go, always trying to make changes and improvements, working to get the kits out on time and to give my 100% to customer service has been more than stressful at times, BUT I wouldn't change a thing!

What is your favorite thing about being an entrepreneur?
Setting my own goals; having a vision of what I want Cocoa Daisy to be and working at getting it there. The freedom to go in whatever direction my creative soul tugs me. Seeing things you have imagined and worked on come to full fruition is an amazing feeling!

Where are you located? What’s your favorite thing about the city you live in?
I live in a small town called Hudsonville on the West side of Michigan. I love how we are located so close to so many great areas; downtown Grand Rapids, quaint shoreline towns and of course the beach. The winters can be pretty long here in Michigan but the Summer and Fall months make up for it!

What inspires you?
Is it clichéd to say “everything” – but really it’s true, there is so much that can feed your creative soul if you can just find a moment to be still and absorb it. Colors, quotes, music, art, the flowers in my garden, product packaging, Pinterest and of course strong design and typography are just a few of the things that help to inspire me.

What goodies are on your wish list?
The one and only thing on my wish list right now is a pool. Being a business owner and a single Mom can make the summers a big challenge, it’s very hard to find the time to take family vacations or even day trips, so being able to go in the backyard for an hour or two each afternoon and spend time with my boys would be a wonderful thing!

Tell us something new happening with your business:
We’ve had a lot of exciting things happen this spring at Cocoa Daisy. We have partnered with Simple Stories to create an exclusive set of papers that are custom designed to coordinate with each month’s kit. These papers have 3x4 and 4x6 project life style designs on the front and amazing patterns on the back that can be used for any scrapbooking or crafting project.

We have also started a project life style kit that we call Day in the Life. Filled with the Simple Stories/Cocoa Daisy line, an exclusive set of journaling cards designed by Stephanie Wheeler, and an exclusive stamp set along with a bunch of other goodies.

In May we will be debuting our Project Art kit. It will include all the necessities that you will need to start your own art journal. With the purchase of the starter kit you will receive an introductory art journaling video presentation by Ronda Palazzari! Each following month we will have a new Project Art kit complete with a different mixed media item and other bits and pieces. Anna Bjorklund will show you some techniques on how to use this mixed media in your art journaling.

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As a little girl the one thing that was always within Christine’s reach was a box of crayons and a sketchbook. Those little wax sticks of color and watching her Mother paint left no doubt that she would take a creative and artistic path in life. Being a business owner and the mother of two little boys keeps her life pretty busy, but she is passionate about finding time to be creative and to inspire others to do the same.

CONNECT WITH CHRISTINE | INSTAGRAM | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST

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Behind the Brand is a new series of posts highlighting the people and companies who generously sponsor this site. For more information on sponsor opportunities check out my sponsorship page or email Katie.