Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Reum.
Hi Emma, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always been an artsy person but at the end of high school, I taught myself how to “hand letter” (essentially another form of calligraphy). I went to college and specialized in Print and Digital Design. I loved my program and the things I was learning but I always wanted to throw my hand lettering into my projects. I realized it wasn’t always the most “corporate” looking, so I thought about who my ideal client might be. At that point, wedding signage was up and coming! I reached out to a lot of local wedding businesses and one in particular hired me to do their signage!
It was a great fit for everyone involved. While working for that business in 2017, they let me simultaneously grow my own! I came up with the name “Etchings by Emma” two years before to describe my doodles, but kept it because I thought it was fitting for me. After a few crazy years, I was able to go full-time in 2020. The post-covid years were wild and in 2022, I purchased a UV printer to help create more signs and ease my hand pain. I still use my hand lettering for my signage creation but it’s mostly digital and printed onto different surfaces!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’d say it’s been fairly smooth…I am very grateful to have made a lot of connections at the beginning of my journey that helped me with referrals throughout my business. Staying busy wasn’t the problem, but working too much was!
The biggest obstacle was when I got tendinitis in my hand from writing too much. I essentially took on too many weddings and was determined to have an overuse injury. This told me I either had to stop altogether or become more efficient. I knew I didn’t want to stop, so I purchased a UV printer in 2022 to help with sign creation and it’s been the best pivot for my hand and life.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We primarily create wedding signage that is UV printed onto acrylic/plexiglass. Our most popular signs are seating charts, welcome signs, and bar signs. But we also make table numbers, place cards, dessert signs, and more! What makes us unique is that we use my specific hand lettering. It’s not a font that anyone can have since it’s my signature style!
I also do some illustrating and have quite a few clients come to me for hand-painted or digitally designed pet illustrations. I’m also very proud of our customer service. My assistant, Charlotte, and I always lead with love and want our clients to feel heard and make their experience with us the best. As well as getting a high-quality product to display on their most important day.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love listening to podcasts and I’ve gained a lot of business knowledge from them! I enjoy Jenna Kutcher’s content and her podcast “The Goal Digger”. I also love The Heart & Hustle podcast.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etchingsbyemma.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/etchingsbyemma
Image Credits
Katie White, Kai V Photo, Erin Lane Photo and Film, The Shepherds Photo, Suzy Goodrick Photography, and Erin Ashley Photography
