In 1987, Daniel and Suzanne Maher were travelling around Australia but couldn’t find a decent greeting card to send home.They decided to hand-make some and post them back to friends and family.
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The response was: "These are cards are lovely, why don’t you guys do this?"
So they did, and now Bellingen-based Affirmations Publishing House sells its greeting cards, books, stationery and gift ranges in over 32,000 stores around the world.
Suzi has always been the creative genius behind the team.
"Parked on the beach in Far North Queensland we recorded our aspirations in a dream journal,” she said. “It sounds a little hippy now, but we truly believed we could make our dreams come true using the power of positivity. On revisiting those words written so long ago, every sentence has come to fruition.”
Today, August 22, Affirmations is celebrating 30 years in business and also the anniversary of opening the doors of its headquarters, the pink art deco building next to Bellingen’s Memorial Hall on the main street.
""It used to be the Commonwealth Bank,” Dan said. “See that dint in the window at the back? That's a bullet hole. Someone took a pot shot at the bank manager when he refused a loan.
“Well, that's the story …”
For the last three decades Dan has been the sales manager for a team focused on creating positive messages, spreading love, enriching the spirit, and most importantly connecting family and friends the world over.
The team has grown exponentially. On any day you'll find designers, administrators, social media and marketing communicators and warehouse staff working happily as the in-house speakers blast out an eclectic mix of tunes from a myriad of decades.
Add 15 Australasian-based sales reps and an office in Auckland to the blend and you have got a company that has successfully transitioned from the dining table to the boardroom.
Affirmations have recently started selling into America and Canada, after the number three greeting card company in the USA, Leaning Tree, found them exhibiting at last year’s London Progressive Greetings Live Trade Fair, the world’s biggest greeting card fair.
If sharing positivity has been their mission, sustainability is their mantra. From the very beginning, Dan and Suzi made a promise to work ethically using the most environmentally-friendly processes and sustainable materials.
The Bellingen headquarters is powered by solar, both New Zealand and Australian offices are carbon neutral, and they continue to collect soft plastics for repurposing into an array of recycled products.
In 2017 and again this year, Affirmations was awarded the Sunny Award for the region’s most sustainable business.
Suzi said they feel blessed and grateful for the support they’ve received and the fact that the hard work they’ve put into the business (which didn’t actually feel like work, as they’ve loved doing it) is having an impact.
“We’ve had so many layers of support over the years, from family and friends, to our business and creative mentors who have totally believed in us,” she said. “Every day continues to offer us new opportunities and life adventures. One of our intentions from the very beginning was to travel widely, which is certainly coming true as we plan our next international trade show. We cannot wait to see what the future brings."