Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Gimre and Jen Schleyer.
Valerie and Jen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Charming Touch Parties was born out of a love for creating beautiful, sweet and special occasions for those we love the most! In 2007, when our two sets of twin babies were just two months and six months old, Jen and I – Valerie – met and became fast and best friends. We soon discovered that we shared a love for celebrating special occasions and creating sweet, fun parties for our children. When our babies became toddlers and our toddlers started to become little people, we both started to daydream about what would be next for us….both of us had left careers – Val a marketing career, and Jen one in Human Resource management – to start and raise our families, and both were beginning to think about what we’d do when our little ones became not so little anymore! We had spoken on many occasions about how fun it would be to design and throw parties as a JOB…and what wonderful partners we’d make with Val’s love of styling and creating party themes and designs, and Jen’s love of creating sweet, special decorations. Life was still pretty busy with our little ones, and neither of us felt like it was quite the right time to make any big changes…but we never stopped talking and thinking about this ‘dream job!’
In a bit more time, when Val’s twins went off to kindergarten and Jen and her family moved away for what would only be a year, Val decided to take a chance and give it a go with creating what would become Charming Touch Parties. She started out designing and creating beautifully styled, custom decorated, amazing parties for clients at their homes. This model was a huge success for more than a year! The requests kept coming in, and things got busier and busier. In that time, Jen and her family made the decision to move back home to Geneva, IL. And in 2014, Val & Jen joined up and became partners in operating Charming Touch Parties as it is today…a successful Etsy shop that creates & ships beautiful, custom party decorations all over the country! We create custom décor for any and all of life’s most special occasions…baby showers, first birthdays, wedding showers, adult milestone birthdays, baptisms, graduations, anniversaries and more!
What started off as a daydream between two friends and a part-time job/hobby has turned into a full-time, truly rewarding career. We feel blessed to work a job we love, while still having the good fortune to stay home with our children. Charming Touch Parties primarily sells on Etsy and recently hit a milestone of over 13,000 sales. Our company is growing each month, and we are so grateful for our success thus far. We wake up every day excited to do what we both love and we both look forward to what new adventures and opportunities await!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with most working Mothers, perhaps our biggest struggle is balancing work and family time. While our professional efforts are largely focused on growing our business, we are constantly making efforts to be present with our growing children, families and friends — sometimes easier said than done when our shop is busy. Setting designated work hours (and sticking to them) has proven helpful. Staying organized, assigning responsibilities, and designating certain days for various work tasks is key. We are also in a constant effort to grow and improve our business. This year, we introduced tiered pricing on many of our products, which allows us to cater to different audiences. We are now offering more budget-friendly offerings, while still offering our more deluxe/detailed decor that we’re known for. Now, our target audience is larger and we have wonderful options for everyone.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Charming Touch Parties – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Launched in 2012, Charming Touch Parties is a boutique party décor business based out of the Chicago suburbs. We create beautiful and detail-full handmade party decor elements. We believe in quality products, great service and stunning results. All of our items can be customized to your celebration’s theme’s colors and patterns and personalized to your specifications.
With style, charm and a modern flair, Charming Touch Parties has gained notoriety amongst its peers nationwide for creating unique, personalized and beautifully custom decor for every client.
Contact Info:
- Address: Geneva, IL
- Website: www.Etsy.com/Shop/CharmingTouchParties
- Email: charmingtouchparties@gmail.com
Image Credit:
Jennifer Kaye Photography — Geneva IL
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