424 | The Reality of Juggling Multiple Business Models with Stephanie Clarke, Dahlia Press

This week on the podcast, we have my friend and Paper Camp alum Stephanie Clarke of Dahlia Press and Chloe Clarke Paper. Stephanie has been on the show a few times, sharing how she started her business and different pivots along the way (episode 021, episode 160, and episode 308). But today, we are discussing where she's at now, including the complexities of running two sister businesses.

She has her greeting card and stationery line called Dahlia Press and a bespoke custom invitation studio called Chloe Clarke Paper.

We talk about the importance of building relationships in wholesale and custom work and the realities of juggling multiple business models including, a brick-and-mortar storefront, online sales, wholesale partnerships with big box accounts, and independent retailers.

You will also hear her talk about the challenges and victories of maintaining consistent growth as a business. This has been a really challenging year in 2025, and she's going to share how she has maintained and sustained during those challenges. We also talk about the evolving industry changes that are happening and how we deal with that, and the strategies that Stephanie uses to keep both her team and her customers engaged.

Today's episode is brought to you by our Paper Camp program. Paper Camp is our wholesale coaching program where we teach you everything you need to know to build strong wholesale foundations. Over the course of 4 weeks, we tackle your product line, sales tools, and marketing plan, and we even talk about how to exhibit at trade shows if that's what you want to do. We start with your product line and go into everything from how often you should be releasing new products to ensuring that your numbers are sustainable for the wholesale market and their price for profit.

Then we move into sales tools you must have for selling wholesale so you make a strong first impression with buyers like catalogs and your terms and conditions. Then, we cover marketing strategies and ways to reach various store owners.

Each week's teachings build on the previous week, and we host weekly live, engaging coaching calls to answer all of your questions. We will open enrollment for our next round of Paper Camp soon, and we sell this program out every time we run it. Join the waitlist, and you’ll get early access to enroll.

MEET STEPHANIE

Stephanie Clarke is the owner and designer of Dahlia Press, a Seattle-based letterpress greeting card company she founded in 2008 after leaving the corporate world to pursue her design passion. In 2014, she expanded into wholesale letterpress greetings and opened her first retail location. Her 2019 launch of sister brand Chloe Clarke, The Art of Paper, focuses exclusively on bespoke wedding invitations. Both companies operate from neighboring studios in Seattle's Portage Bay neighborhood.

Featured in Domino Magazine, The Knot, and The New York Times, Dahlia Press products are now sold in boutique retailers nationwide and major brands including Urban Outfitters, Paper Source, and Barnes & Noble.

With over 20 years of commercial design experience, Stephanie has created visual identities, logos, and brand experiences for companies like Starbucks, Coach, and Marmot. She holds degrees in Art History and Design and lives in Seattle with her husband Chris and their Whoodle, Nova.

CONNECT WITH STEPHANIE

WEBSITE: dahliapress.com | INSTAGRAM: @dahliapress | FACEBOOK: @dahliapress

WEBSITE:chloeclarkepaper.com | INSTAGRAM: @chloeclarkepaper | FACEBOOK: @chloeclarkepaper

Connect with Katie Hunt

Katie Hunt is a business strategist, podcaster, mentor and mama to four. She helps product based businesses build profitable, sustainable companies through her conferences, courses and coaching programs.

Website: prooftoproduct.com | Instagram: @prooftoproduct