Daily Inspiration: Meet Lorena Godoy-Ramos

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lorena Godoy-Ramos.

Hi Lorena, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am the artist, designer, and creator behind Lorena Creative Design.

Born in Asuncion, Paraguay, I moved to the United States at the young age of sixteen to pursue a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning. My love for art and design has been with me since I can remember. In 2000, after obtaining my architecture degree from the University of Kansas, I moved to the beautiful town of Winter Park, Florida. I practiced architecture and construction management for over a decade, I went back to school to obtain an MBA from Rollins College, and I started a family. I am a wife to my best friend and a mom to two amazing and active boys.

Many years before Lorena Creative Design officially started in May 2020, I was making everything from handmade cards to intricate architectural drawings. However, it was during the pandemic and when the stay-at-home mode of life began that friends and family turned to me, and I realized that there was an unmet need in the community for one-of-a-kind personalized cards. People needed to express their feelings in a more personal way, to stay connected to their loved ones, to send notes of love and uplifting messages to relatives, notes of gratitude to teachers, nurses, and doctors, messages of congratulations to graduates, or just a simple hello. These were the friends and family who gave me the push and encouragement to turn my artistic passion into a business.

A year and a half later, I am selling my cards in local Orlando boutique stores and participating in local markets. I am busy every day creating a range of personalized cards, gifts, and stationery products focused on sharing the joy and happiness of everyday moments and once-in-a-lifetime occasions. I create unique and custom paper goods that evoke joy and spark a smile, and help you give, write, and celebrate life.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a small business and using social media platforms as marketing for your products is easier said than done. In the beginning, my main obstacle was to educate myself, sometimes by trial and error, on how to build an audience outside of my personal social network, to gain new engaged followers who will turn into buying customers and to create brand awareness. Creating relevant content and posting consistently can feel like a full-time job!

Another real struggle has been time management and focus. Being a one-person business and having five, six, or seven different responsibilities and roles, having to manage them all and allocate the appropriate amount of time to each can be a challenge. Being frequently interrupted or pulled in different directions when trying to concentrate on work is very much part of running a business from home while being a mom and wife.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We live in a world where so many things are mass-produced. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that there is a growing demand from people everywhere who embrace things that are made by hand in small quantities. It has been said that “Art and love are the same things: it’s the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you.” Every day I am busy creating unique and one-of-a-kind cards, gifts, and stationery products. I take pride in my work because with each item I create, I leave a part of myself in it. When I create and hand-make especially for you, my customer, you yourself are reflected on my product. Whether it’s the color, the texture, the shape, the dedication, or just the mood I get to personalize for you, the item has been crafted as an expression of yourself. If you can dream about something that doesn’t exist but should, just for you, I can make it come to life!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected several industries, including the Stationery and Cards market. Ironically, because of lockdowns and the stay-at-home motto of life around the world, people turned to paper products like cards to maintain a connection to their loved ones. At the same time, the demand for more meaningful gifts has increased the demand for handmade and personalized products.

In its 2020 report, the Greeting Card Association outlined that greeting card sales have increased for the fourth year in a row. This is not considering the handmade industry, which is also booming throughout platforms like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and Facebook Marketplace –some of the largest platforms for small businesses and handmade sellers. Research forecasts that this increased demand will continue to grow well into 2027, especially since eight out of ten people believe that greeting cards cannot be replaced by social media.

Sources:
Stationery and Cards Market: Industry Analysis by Size 2021, Future Growth Outlook With Top Countries Data & Share, Revenue, Key Players, Current Trends, Development Strategy, Business Prospect and Forecast to 2027 – MarketWatch
Greeting Cards: 5 Industry Trends (londonlovesbusiness.com)
Craft (Handmade) Industry Stats and Trends [Infographic] (wunderlabel.com)
Greeting Cards: 5 Industry Trends (londonlovesbusiness.com)

Contact Info:

• Email: lorena@lorenacreativedesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorenacreativedesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorenacreativedesign