An Interview with Carlos Llanso, Executive Director of the Greeting Card Association
We recently had the opportunity to chat with Carlos Llanso, Executive Director of the Greeting Card Association (GCA). Carlos has mentored hundreds of makers in the industry and has served the GCA in some capacity for over 22 years. While Carlos has a knack for all things design and publishing, he would say that he’s in the business of developing relationships. Throughout our conversation with Carlos, one thing was very evident: He is passionate about mentoring makers and wants everyone to know that the world of publishing needs the unique flair that you bring to the world of greeting cards.
There’s Room at The Table for Your Stationery Business
You may think that big greeting card brands like Hallmark and American Greeting Cards have the greeting card industry cornered but think again. It turns out that wholesalers and retailers are looking for the uniqueness and beauty that can often come from independent artists and designers like you. Read: They want what you have to offer!
You’re probably thinking, that’s great news, but how do I get my cards in front of those big brands? We asked Carlos how stationers can bridge the gap between selling directly to their customers and getting into retail stores. He gave us some golden nuggets that we know will help you on your journey to making those coveted wholesale relationships.
Tips on Getting Your Greeting Cards in front of Retailers
Here are steps you can take to scale your stationery business and make the leap into the wholesale world:
Join an industry association.
Industry associations like the Greeting Card Association (GCA) exist to help makers network with each other, grow their businesses, and find community in the world of greeting cards.
“For the majority of people in the greeting card world, it’s not me or you, it’s me and you,” shared Carlos. When you choose community over competition, you’re choosing to invest in other stationers just like yourself who are looking for inspiration and help on the journey to better themselves and their businesses. Carlos reminded us of the adage, “A rising tide lifts all ships.”
You owe it to the industry and your fellow makers to participate. Your active participation in associations helps to keep the industry active and vibrant. “Fueling the needs of makers is critical to the industry, which is critical to your business,” Carlos said.
But these industry associations do more than just provide community for business owners, they also help you work on your business acumen. As creatives, we are really good at creating, but the business side of things can be hard to navigate. Joining an association helps you learn those valuable business skills as you navigate what it looks like to be at the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship. Carlos shared that the GCA provides monthly learning opportunities and coffee chats that help members do just that.
Start small. Be intentional.
Sell On Faire.
When you want to get into the wholesale world, one of the best places to start is Faire. Faire is an online marketplace for retailers, helping them to buy unique products for their stores all in one place. That’s great news for makers everywhere. “Faire has changed the retail market significantly,” said Carlos. “It’s super helpful and levels the playing field.”
Retailers get to shop from hundreds of thousands of unique brands without having to leave their store, which means that you have the opportunity to show off your line to independent retailers across the globe. When you open a shop and start selling with Faire, you get paid through their platform from the money you’re making. And the fees they take come from that money as well. The platform makes it super easy to gain exposure and make those wholesale relationships you need to grow.
Build A Book of Business.
“As a small maker, most industry reps aren’t going to take you on unless you already have a book of business. And normally that happens at the trade show,” Carlos said. One of these trade shows (put on by GCA) is called *Noted and it’s specifically for greeting card designers.
“*Noted is a can't miss! We co-located it with NYNOW and it was an undeniable success. The show is planned and executed ‘by the community, for the community’ and it shows. The Pitch Program, now in its fifth year has generated millions of dollars in orders for our participants and the coaching and mentoring GCA offers the exhibitors is an important component of that success. The show has grown from 30 exhibitors in 2025 to 63 in 2026 and we expect to grow it again in 2027.”
Carlos shared that some greeting card designers opt to hire their own sales reps to travel around and make those wholesale relationships for them. Having someone be able to focus on making those in-person sales and show off your line to retailers will go a long way in growing your book of business. But hiring your own sales reps isn’t always the easiest thing for small greeting card businesses that are just starting out. “Most people start on Faire,” Carlos shared.
Know your customers and prospective customers and reach out. Social media has made the process of prospecting so much easier. By browsing retailers’ social media pages, you can look at what they offer to see if your greeting cards would be a good fit. Carlos said that some GCA members recommend going on Instagram and finding other greeting card lines to see who they sell to. This will help you see what’s out there and what stores you can reach out to as well. But here’s a caveat: “Never pay for a customer list,” warned Carlos. With so much information at our finger tips, it’s just a waste of money and you are likely to be scammed into paying for an inaccurate list.
If you make a sale to a retailer and they don’t purchase from you again, it can be a little defeating. But “don’t lose hope,” said Carlos. “You at least have a good lead. This is someone who saw you and liked what you made. Reach out and ask why your cards weren’t successful. Ask if it’s okay if you reintroduce another line and send samples. That customer now knows you. You didn’t lose a customer; you just lost an active customer.”
“One of the great things about doing outreach in the greeting card industry is that it’s not weird if you send your product to a customer,” said Carlos. “Pay attention to your customers. If they posted on Instagram about celebrating five years in business, send them a card! The beautiful thing about greeting cards is that it already has your business logo on the back.”
Outreach in this industry just means doing little things to nurture those relationships and adding prospects. Carlos recommended Flodesk or Pipedrive as a resource to help you do just that.
“The first mile is always the hardest,” shared Carlos. “Then, once you start gaining accounts, you’re able to keep building.”
How to Capture A Retailer’s Attention
“The same things that make a buyer stop and pick up a card—originality, creativity, authenticity, and quality will make a retailer stop and engage with an exhibitor at a trade show.
“Don't be a back of the book lurker! Stand up front, engage everyone walking by your booth, bringing them in with a sample, a cookie or a killer smile. Remember that the buyer needs you as much as you need them,” said Carlos. “By introducing them to your line and not making it easy for them to miss you, you are doing them a favor. Maybe your line is a great fit for their store, and your first move made it so that they didn't miss you. Or maybe it's not a good fit and that’s okay.”
Scale Your Greeting Card Business with PrintsWell
Once you start growing your book of business, you’ll need a high-quality printing partner to help you meet the growing demand. That’s where we come in. PrintsWell has set the standard in the quality of paper and printing for stationers over the last 30 years. Fill out an application and let us partner with you as you bring your designs to the world.