<p><iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="175" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vicky-barone-of-barone-co/id1517156345?i=1000718842712"></iframe></p>



<p>Just because a maker isn&#8217;t already a household name, that doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;re not already a big fan! You have most likely seen (many times!) and possibly even purchased the uplifting, inspiring and heartfelt greeting card designs of my guest today — and not even known it. For the past 24 years, Vicky Barone has been quietly licensing her designs behind the scenes to larger card brands like Papyrus and American Greetings. While she has stayed behind the design curtain, her thousands of cards have generated millions of dollars in products sold. Now Vicky has officially entered the stationery spotlight solo with her own brand, <a href="https://baroneandco.com/">⁠</a><a href="https://baroneandco.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barone &; Co.</a><a href="https://baroneandco.com/">⁠</a> While it’s a huge shift and a big risk, it’s also an enormous creative opportunity.</p>



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<p>We discuss Vicky&#8217;s transition from freelancer to founder, but also the evolution within greeting cards and communication over the past quarter century. What is the difference between humor and relatable humor? How difficult is it to debut an inclusive brand in these times — to say nothing of this challenging economy?</p><div class="inline-post clearfix"><div class="see-also byline">See also</div><div id="block-wrap-98000" class="block-wrap-native block-wrap block-wrap-23 block-css-98000 block-wrap-classic columns__m--1 elements-design-3 block-ani block-skin-0 tipi-box block-wrap-thumbnail ppl-m-1 clearfix" data-id="98000" data-base="0"><div class="tipi-row-inner-style clearfix"><div class="tipi-row-inner-box contents sticky--wrap"><div class="block block-23 clearfix"><article class="tipi-xs-12 clearfix with-fi ani-base tipi-xs-typo split-1 split-design-1 loop-0 preview-thumbnail preview-23 elements-design-3 post-18158 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-off-the-press tag-nss2017 tag-showusthemoney tag-alexis-mattox-design tag-at-some-point-press-and-bindery tag-design tag-flair-paper tag-gold-foil tag-good-juju-ink tag-illustration tag-ilootpaperie tag-legion-paper tag-letterpress tag-little-lovelies-studio tag-lovebird-paper-co tag-national-stationery-show tag-paper-lovelies tag-parse-parcel tag-porkchopstick-studios tag-sparkvites tag-stationery tag-stationery-trends tag-stationery-trends-magazine tag-the-witty-gritty-paper-co tag-warren-tales" style="--animation-order:0"><div class="preview-mini-wrap clearfix"><div class="mask"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/hey-nss2017-showusthemoney/" class="mask-img"><img width="100" height="100" src="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=100%2C100&;ssl=1" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?w=800&;ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=150%2C150&;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=770%2C770&;ssl=1 770w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=200%2C200&;ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=350%2C350&;ssl=1 350w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=460%2C460&;ssl=1 460w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=500%2C500&;ssl=1 500w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=293%2C293&;ssl=1 293w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=75%2C75&;ssl=1 75w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=390%2C390&;ssl=1 390w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=585%2C585&;ssl=1 585w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=24%2C24&;ssl=1 24w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=48%2C48&;ssl=1 48w, https://i0.wp.com/thepapernerd.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Photo-May-09-1-43-24-PM.jpg?resize=96%2C96&;ssl=1 96w" sizes="(max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px" /></a></div><div class="meta"><div class="byline byline-2 byline-cats-design-4"><div class="byline-part cats"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/category/off-the-press/" style="color:#b79b0d" class="cat">Off The Press</a></div></div><div class="title-wrap"><h3 class="title"><a href="https://thepapernerd.com/hey-nss2017-showusthemoney/">Hey #NSS2017, #ShowUsTheMoney!</a></h3></div><div class="byline byline-3"><span class="byline-part date"><i class="tipi-i-calendar" aria-hidden="true"></i> <time class="entry-date published dateCreated flipboard-date" datetime="2017-05-11T13:36:46+00:00">May 11, 2017</time></span><span class="byline-part likes-count"><a href="#" class="tipi-like-count " data-pid="18158"><span class="likes-heart"><i class="tipi-i-heart-o" aria-hidden="true"></i><i class="tipi-i-heart" aria-hidden="true"></i></span><span class="tipi-value">0</span></a></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div></tipimidc>



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<p>We also discuss the role of social media, specifically Instagram, to a brand. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vicky_barone/">⁠</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/vicky_barone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vicky&#8217;s personal IG page⁠</a>, starring much of the same work that adorns her cards, has over 50K followers, while that for <a href="https://www.instagram.com/baroneandco/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">⁠her brand⁠</a> is still growing. Do online likes translate into business growth? Does generating work for social media undercut creativity? Whatever role you play in the stationery community, there&#8217;s plenty to consider here — including of course Vicky&#8217;s colorful, uplifting work!</p>



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Vicky Barone of Barone & Co.
