Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Slater and Lindsay Marko. They shared their story with us below:
We are Emily Slater and Lindsay Marko, co-founders of A Signature Welcome, a bespoke gifting company creating custom corporate, wedding welcome, and everyday gifts. We became instant best friends in 2003 on move-in day freshman year at The University of Georgia. Ten years later, we found ourselves in Charleston, SC with a vision for a one-stop-shop to create beautifully packaged, thoughtfully curated gifts for all occasions.
Emily started her career as a writer and managing editor for a lifestyle magazine. In 2009, she began working in Charleston for a nationally distributed luxury bridal publication where she had the opportunity to work closely in both editorial and sales divisions with elite wedding professionals as well as fashion icons like Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang.
Lindsay started her career in finance after graduating from UGA’s Terry College of Business. In 2009, she entered graduate school in New York City at Parsons the New School for Design and worked for Donna Karan, The Row, and Jimmy Fallon, while spending late nights designing a fine jewelry line, Bissell & Blaise.
In 2014, A Signature Welcome emerged as a luxury wedding welcome gift company. A Signature Welcome remains a thriving gifting company that curates gifts for any celebration, domestically or internationally. A Signature Welcome packages and ships more than 5,000 packages per year. It continues to grow in gifting numbers and clients.
Some of the company’s most notable gifting projects have included custom gifts for Madewell brand, the Carolina Panthers, U.S. Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin’s wedding, the NBA All-Star Tournament in Charlotte, NC, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s inauguration, and the wedding of Martha Stewart’s niece.
A Signature Welcome also has been named a Bulldog 100 company, meaning it is one of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or operated by a University of Georgia alumnus.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “struggle,” but a challenge that we have experienced, particularly as women business owners, is growing our families and balancing running a business and all that goes into it. This October, between us, we’ll have welcomed five children into the world while simultaneously operating A Signature Welcome. Lindsay and I make a great team and have always been able to work symbiotically.
A huge part of our success and ability to work through business struggles has been due to our trust in each other, communication, and simply having a partner to bounce ideas off of and help pick up the slack when one of us needs it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We curate beautiful custom gifts for corporate groups, weddings, and everyday clients. Through our bespoke gifts, we help our clients tell a story and make a lasting impression on their recipients. We can customize almost anything, making each gift unique and one-of-a-kind.
Pricing:
- Opening minimums for custom orders is $5,000
- Individual gifts begin around $100-$125 per gift
Contact Info:
- Email: emily@asignaturewelcome.com
- Website: www.asignaturewelcome.com
- Instagram: @asignaturewelcome
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asignaturewelcome/
Image Credits
Corbin Gurkin, Lauren Jonas, A Signature Welcome, Charlotte Jenks, and Lewis Kayla Barker
