KC Business Article
Story by Sarah Aylward | Photos by Lisarae Turnbull-Oliva
Greeting card visionary Tim Colley went out on a limb before truly spreading his entrepreneurial wings.
RECOGNIZING YOUR TALENTS AND RESOURCES
Tim Colley, founder and president of Bird Sings, is familiar with overcoming fear in order to follow his dreams. After working for years in sales and marketing, he recognized that his life’s calling lay elsewhere. And so, without a clear plan, he refocused his career. With the help of his partner, Angel Salcedo, as well as family, friends and the community at Unity Temple, he has realized the value of a leap of faith and has become well versed in other lessons he has learned about…
TAKING A LEAP, DESPITE THE ODDS
After leaving a marketing career behind, I sat down with my minister at Unity Temple and told him I wanted a different path. I was thinking about starting a spiritual-based company that made greeting cards. He asked if I would like to run the church bookstore. I accepted, and it brought me such joy. The people who came into the store were complete strangers, but we would connect, and they would open up and cry and laugh and tell me their most personal stories. I started realizing the impact and connection I could have with people.
NEW BEGINNINGS
The store was amazing, but I didn’t have much money. I had to file for bankruptcy, and so there I was: bankrupt, broke and running a church bookstore. But I am not ashamed of that fact. Bankruptcy is not the end. It happens to a lot of people. It just means getting rid of all the old so you can start from scratch for the new.
STARTING SMALL, STARTING TODAY
If I had thought about it and really understood what it would take to start a greeting card business, I would not have begun. There I was in the middle of a tough recession, living in the backyard of the world’s largest greeting card manufacturer. Who was I to think I could make it? But it was just something I had to do, like breathing. I believe that fear is nothing but a feeling; this is how you prove faith is real. I had enough money to print a couple dozen cards, put them on a shelf and watch what would happen.
RECOGNIZING YOUR TALENTS AND RESOURCES
People tell me over and over again that the product I create is perfect for this time and place. They say people need hope and inspiration now more than ever. When I write [a greeting], I sit on my couch with my laptop and select an artist’s work I admire and think of someone who I love and a special occasion. Then I write as personal as I can, and it just flows. I might do 24 cards at a time. I let them sit for a couple of days and then go back and edit. That is when I consider the customers and how to make the cards usable for everyone. As much as possible, I like to maintain the intimacy of the card. I write most of the cards, and in the beginning I would write and design the layout myself before handing them to [my partner], Angel, who would cut and score the cards and handle the business. He was my go-to guy and has been very supportive.
BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR
Start with what you have at your disposal right now, and every single day take a step forward. The resources you need are in front of you. Don’t use money as an excuse for not starting now. When you create a space and environment that people really love, they want to take a piece of that home with them. I didn’t expect the store to do so well, but it pays the rent for our office space, store space and the salaries of the people who work there. It brings legitimacy to our work, and we are able to use it as a testing ground to introduce new products.
FINDING A PRODUCT THAT WORKS
I’m so proud of our line of handmade greeting cards. They are elegant and poignant with a minimalist design. The cards are made in-store and have been picked up by Dean & Deluca in Kansas City. Soon the cards will begin appearing in other Dean & Deluca locations nationwide. March was the biggest sales month we have ever had. I also am excited about our new line of “Be the Change” t-shirts. I wanted the shirts to have a purpose, so I picked words, such as “serenity,” “actualize,” “conquer,” etc. Each shirt has an [accompanying] affirmation printed on its inside. The line has done so well, we will soon be introducing them nationally.
COLLABORATING WITH CONTRACTORS
Artists living in Kansas City produce the artwork featured on Bird Sings products. I get the joy of helping them expose their work all over the country. What I hope differentiates our company from others is that none of our products feel like they came from a factory line. If you turn the card over you will find a photograph of the person who created the cover art as well as a short artist statement. If you go to our Web site (birdsings.com) you can read the biographies of the artists and connect to their personal Web sites. Our artists even do personal appearances for the store from time to time. We want them to be as successful as possible.
Music to Our Ears
Although Bird Sings has been in business just a few years, the company is already making an impact on the local and national greeting card scenes.
• In less than three years Bird Sings has built a national company, opened a flagship store and established relationships with major retail store chains.
• Bird Sings cards are the second-most prominent greeting cards sold in Kansas City metro grocery stores and are available in 37 states.
• The store at Unity Temple on the Country Club Plaza now offers workshops to assist others who want to identify their own natural talents and use them to make a living.
• The company boasts six store employees, 35 independent sales representatives nationwide and works with four local printers and multiple freelance designers.
• Bird Sings cards can also be purchased locally at stores such as The (New) Dime Store in Brookside and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
