Stacy Stahl
Owner
Sweeter Cards
St. Louis
PPAI 810735, S1

How did your company get its start?
Small but meaningful gestures have always gone a long way for me in business and in friendships. Over the years, I found it repeatedly difficult to find ways to show appreciation and gratitude that were creative, unique and also affordable. Flowers always ended up costing close to $100 and lower budget items seemed insignificant and often wasteful. As a chocolate lover, I started to pair a greeting card with a chocolate bar since both can be shipped easily together. At one point, I recognized that the size of the card and the size of the chocolate bar weren't too far off, and so I thought, “What if this could be combined into one product? A greeting card but... sweeter!”

What led your company to enter the promotional products market?
We started to do custom Sweeter Cards during the pandemic when companies first went remote and were looking for ways to stay connected with their employees and clients. We entered the promotional world not too long after and have loved every relationship, custom design and partnership we’ve made since.

What’s your favorite thing about being in the promotional products industry?
I love the limitless creativity of how Sweeter Cards get used. After doing hundreds of orders and designs, our customers still surprise us with the most clever ways to use the cards. Some companies have printed heartfelt letters from the CEO inside the cards, others have come up with “sweet” puns I can’t get enough of. We are working on a “loving chocolate is in our DNA” design for a genetics company – amazing, right?!

Why did you join PPAI?
Sweeter Cards joined PPAI to reach more distributors and partners. I am constantly impressed by the energy, drive and passion everyone in the industry has shown us this far. PPAI members are so entrepreneurial – like myself! – and very creative. It’s been a joy working alongside some seasoned industry leaders through PPAI.