Fiona Richards

As owner of Cartolina Cards, Fiona Richards enjoys her business's global success and works to connect on the homefront as well

Fiona Richards is the talent behind successful business Cartolina Cards Inc. — Photo courtesy Fiona Richards

Nelson-based Cartolina Cards Inc. is one of Canada's bestselling greeting card lines. Owner Fiona Richards is proud to have developed her business across the country and around the world. Having said that, she is excited about expanding more into the local region and welcomes the opportunity to talk shop with other Kootenay-ites.

Richards has been an artist all her life and a graphic designer and illustrator for 20 years. Cartolina Cards, Richards' main business, has been up and running for seven years.

The artist grew up in Scotland in her grandparents' 300-year-old house, which was full of interesting artifacts from around the globe. She also spent many hours watching her uncle, who was an illustrator, work. Richards said that for as long as she can remember, she wanted to be an illustrator. She incorporates her childhood experiences and her interaction with vintage design into her own creations, and that is the root of Cartolina, said Richards.

What makes Richards tick

“I love designing and illustrating, obviously—but I really love negotiating a deal with a big buyer or an important business partner,” said Richards. “Communicating and negotiating with big players in the industry is very exciting—I love it.”

Despite this, Richards considers herself a thorough introvert, and describes herself as not particularly competitive.

“I'm driven; I love to see business happen,” said Richards. “But I pay no attention to what my competitors are up to—that's just a waste of time.”

She lights up when you talk about business—and not just her own. She is truly happy to share her experiences. Richards said she really admires other business owners—every hard-working, creative entrepreneur who has turned his or her talents into a full-time job and a viable business.

“I love talking to other local small business owners about doing business around the world from the Kootenays,” said Richards. “Hopefully after almost 20 self-employed years as an artist in the region I've managed to inspire a few people to take their skills to the world.”

Richards said that although Cartolina has been thriving in the Kootenays for the last seven years, most of the its business is beyond the regional borders.

“We'd love to connect with more retailers in the Kootenays,” she said. “It's great to be here and we'd love to do more business here too.”