Meet Katie Hackedorn: stationery shop owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katie Hackedorn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in Conroe with parents that were from Houston, so we spent a lot of time here. My mother instilled in us from a very young age the importance of thank you notes and we always had personalized stationery. I love anything that can be monogrammed! 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We are definitely a specialty shop. We like to work with what we know and are good at, so we try to focus on that. We are hands on and really enjoy dealing with customers to help them find what they are looking for. In many ways paper is a thing of the past and we connect with many people that still appreciate its value and place in the world. The invitation to your party sets the tone for your event. The receipt of a hand-written note in your mailbox always makes you smile. We strive to provide these things and experiences for people with our years of experience in the industry. Outside of Covid, current challenges to our business include the decline in sales of what we call everyday invitations – kids’ birthday parties, holiday parties, bridal showers. More and more of these things have moved online and that has greatly affected the scope and direction of our business. We have adapted by shifting more focus to things people still need and want, like wedding invitations, as well as printing invitations from templates that people have purchased from designers. Sometimes the lessons learned are painful and expensive (“Why didn’t people like this style of invitations when I brought them in in bulk?”) but we are a small enough shop to be able to pivot to more profitable items. What I would most like people to know is that we are happy to help with any of your personalized paper goods needs, no matter how small. We have printed vows for people, single invitations, specialty notecards, whatever the client needs, we try to fulfill that need.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I recently went to the new Kinder building at the MFAH, which was incredible. The museum district and parks are probably a favorite spot to show off in Houston. Restaurants are also second to none here. I could eat Mexican food five days a week, so that’s a no-brainer. I am also a fan of live music (when there was live music to be seen). The Mucky Duck, Heights Theatre are always great. Lastly, I am a tried and true Astros fan, so if it’s during baseball season I would definitely be at a home game.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and friends were very supportive of my efforts to open my own store. I had regular meetings with my dad to prepare leading up to opening. I also have had a lot of help from my co-worker, Michael, whom I have worked with for many many years.

Website: http://katie-co.com/
Instagram: @katieandcohouston
Twitter: @katieandcompany
Facebook: @KatieandCompany

Image Credits
David Tong Dreamy Elk Photography & Design Brooke Schwab Akil Bennett Photography Civicphotos Nancy Aidee Photography Kelli Durham