Meet Samantha Weiss | Business Owner & Rescue Volunteer

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

Hi Samantha, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.

There are several aspects of my business that make me happy. I get a lot of joy out of working with customers to create special, heartfelt gifts. During the pandemic so many people were unable to visit their families and friends so they wanted to create special photo gifts to send on holidays and special occasions. There were numerous examples of special custom orders but there were two that stood out to me.  The first was the mother who wanted to create special coasters to preserve the memories of 4 generations of her family together in various pictures. They had just lost the family patriarch and wanted to preserve special memories for various family members. The second custom order was a photo cube from a mother to a young daughter who had just lost her pet who was her best friend. The little girl clearly loved the animal, and the pictures were very touching and special. Knowing I am creating a memorable gift that will be cherished fills my heart and makes me happy.

Another area of my life that makes me very happy is volunteering at dog adoption events and spending time with the rescue dogs from Cody’s Friends Rescue. I had temporarily stopped volunteering due to COVID over the past year and missed it very much. I recently started volunteering again and it makes me happy knowing I am making a difference for these dogs.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I founded H4G Designs to create beautiful, handcrafted products and support animal rescue organizations. We specialize in photo and custom coasters, magnets, and ornaments on tiles. Our products are made to order, and we work closely with customers to create memorable personalized gifts.

What sets your business apart from others?
One of the areas that sets H4G Designs apart from other shops is our focus on providing a great customer experience throughout the process. We work closely with customers to create their coaster proofs and ensure their images look as good as possible. Oftentimes we will show them different edit options and they are able to choose the ones they like best. Customers appreciate having options and that we take the time to improve their photos for them. Many sites do not allow changes or do not take the time to improve images so this sets us apart from other businesses.

We also work hard to delight customers with the high quality of our products and breadth of designs. We offer over 250 different coaster, magnet and ornament designs ​to provide customers with multiple options. If customers do not see a design that works, we are happy to work on a custom design for them. Customers appreciate the personalized approach, and consistently rate our focus on customer service high in the reviews.

Lastly, our passion and dedication to supporting animal rescue organizations in our community makes us unique. Most weekends we will be volunteering at adoption events, donating products for rescues to sell or sponsoring fundraising events.

Source of Pride/Accomplishments

​I am proud of the relationships we have developed with our customers and I ​am grateful to have many repeat customers who continue to visit our shop and purchase gifts for friends and family members. So many customers come to us seeking special gifts – sometimes it is to remember a person or beloved pet and sometimes it is to celebrate the joy of a wedding, engagement, or birth of a new baby.

I am also proud that we have had the opportunity to support numerous animal rescue groups since inception, a cause ​I am truly passionate about. Since founding H4G Designs in 2017 we have sponsored multiple fundraisers for Cody’s Friends Rescue including their annual Bark and Bling Fundraiser in 2018, a successful Zumba event in Sept 2019 and numerous online fundraisers. In addition, we have sponsored DFW Lab Rescue’s Run for Retrievers event in 2018 and participated in their fundraising event in 2019. This year we will be sponsoring SPCA of Texas’ Strut Your Mutt event in early May and the June transport of rescue dogs for Archangel Animal Network.

What I am Most Excited About
I enjoy the creative process and coming up new product ideas and designs. I try out a lot of designs with different ideas and materials – some which do not work out but some that do and that can be extremely rewarding. Some of the newest product launches I am most excited about are our decorative wall tiles and inspirational coaster designs. We will be offering different floral designs and inspirational designs on beautiful tiles. They are unique and I am excited to showcase them online and at shows.

I am also excited to be approaching a new sales milestone. I believe in celebrating small wins as well as larger ones and setting personal and business goals. I am celebrating this milestone by sponsoring the June transport of rescue dogs for Archangel Animal Network. I had the opportunity to volunteer with the April transport of dogs to Chicago and it was a transformational experience. These are dogs that were at risk of being euthanized in local shelters and are transported to other states that have a shortage of dogs for adoption.

How did you get where you are today business-wise? Was it Easy?

I had been in the corporate world for 25 years and while many aspects of my job were incredibly rewarding, I was ready for my next chapter. I was excited about the idea of working on my business full-time and in August 2020 I made the decision to leave my corporate position and focus on H4G Designs full-time.
In the first few months I missed interactions with colleagues and had to get used to a new routine with less structure. However, I was excited to have the additional time to work on new products, manage my online shop and focus on my business growth strategy.

Christmas 2020 was extremely challenging with the shipping delays and a high number of orders. I did make the decision in October to hire someone to assist with orders and it turned out to be a great decision.

Lessons:

Some days are challenging, an it is important to remember your business “why” and the reason you founded your own business in the first place. Write it down and have it located in a highly visible place. This was especially true for me during the holiday season when the pressure was high and customers packages were delayed.
Organization is key, especially during busy periods. While my products are made to order, I have found that developing templates, repeatable systems and processes that can be duplicated has also been valuable – especially during peak sales periods. For example, I pre-cut some of the most popular designs and have them ready to go when an order comes in for that style.

Hire seasonal employees well in advance of your busy periods. I hired my first seasonal employee in mid-October, and it would have been more beneficial to hire them in early September to train them well in advance of busy season. Orders started coming in and it was difficult to find the additional time to train. While we worked through the orders, this year I will start the recruiting process earlier so they can significantly contribute when the holiday orders arrive.

What do you want the world to know about you, your brand and your story?
About You

I enjoy creating something special for each customer. I am passionate about dog rescues and giving back through my business. I love working on new ideas and creative designs that lead to new products. I’m always looking for ways to solve problems or finding an alternative path to a solution.

My brand
H4G Designs creates high quality, handcrafted home décor products that support animal rescue organizations. Our products help people remember the good times and memorialize someone special or a beloved pet. We truly value our relationships with our customers and strive to deliver great customer service while benefitting a truly worthwhile cause.

My story
It’s never too late to start a new chapter and follow a different path. Although I had been in corporate world for many years, I was drawn to exploring a new, creative path and starting my own business. I learned how much I enjoyed working with customers and the joy that came from creating products that other people love. I wake up each day, excited about the day ahead and grateful for the opportunity to be able to focus on my business full-time.

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 would take them to Legacy West and enjoy the shopping boutiques then would head over to Legacy Food Hall for their great choice of different cuisines in their outdoor eating area/patio.

Next I would take them to Sundance Fort Worth and then to the Stockyards and then to one of the restaurants for some Tex-Mex cuisine.

Then I would go to Uptown and the Dallas Arts District. We would stroll around Klyde Warren Park and enjoy an outdoor art show then would enjoy a vintage trolley ride before we stop for brunch at Bread Winners.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a significant amount of credit to my mother and father who have been my biggest advocates and supporters over the years. They have always encouraged me to express my creative self and focus on activities that I am passionate about.

My parents were also excellent role models for how to treat people. I grew up seeing them treat everyone they encountered with kindness and respect, regardless of their title, occupation or background. They were generous in their time with friends and family, always willing to help someone in need. The foundation of my company is built on creating products that people love, providing a great customer experience and giving back to my community.

I would also like to recognize my husband Alan and my best friend Elyse for always believing in me, supporting me during tough times and celebrating my wins with me.  I am grateful every day that I have them in my life.

Website: www.h4gdesigns.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/h4gdesigns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handmade4good

Other: Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/H4GDesigns