Introduction
Thank you for stopping by! My name is Helen and this is the story of how I found my passion. I started TheCoffeeMonsterzCO as a 15-year-old high school student who wanted nothing more than to bring joy to others through my artwork. TheCoffeeMonsterzCO (TCMC) was not intended to be a business, but rather a place for me to share my bullet journal spreads and doodles. I quickly became overwhelmed with the influx of requests for doodling and handwriting tutorials, so I spent my winter break of 10th grade compiling an ebook with over 300 doodles along with some tips & tricks. I called it My Little Doodle Book, and it's actually still available for sale today! Using the funds I saved from selling this ebook, I was able to purchase my first printer, pack of 25 sticker paper, and a Silhouette Portrait.
When I first started, I would go to school from 8:25am to 2:55pm. Typically there was some extra-curricular or chatter with friends, then I rushed home to do homework. After dinner, that was when all of the designing, sticker printing, cutting, order packing & shipping happened. I would often bring a reusable grocery bag filled with yellow kraft envelopes and carry them to the post office right before closing time. Before I get on with the story, I want to introduce you to our current team at TCMC who makes all of the magic happen behind the scenes. It would be impossible for me to achieve everything I have done so without the support of my family, friends, and our employees who work hard every day to ensure orders are safely delivered to your door!
Fast Forward...
In 2018, I graduated from high school and made quite a spontaneous decision to move across Canada, from BC to ON, for university. There, I attended The University of Toronto for Economics & Marketing.
It was certainly a challenge finding my footing in a new city, balancing school and work, all while trying to maintain some level of sanity. Admittedly, these life changes were difficult for me (despite them being pretty universal experiences) but the one thing that stayed constant was your support. Wherever I went, you were there with me cheering me on through comments and messages. I have built so many incredible relationships with people from countries I dream of visiting and people who live just down the street in my hometown. I appreciate each and every one of you, and I give you my sincere promise that I will continue trying my best at everything I do.
A New Beginning...
Now that I have finished with my Bachelors, I am in a bit of an awkward place that many new graduates may experience. Do I want to pursue a Masters degree? Work in the industry? Learning in school has always been something I genuinely enjoyed, and I hope to one day go back to school and get a Masters degree in Economics. In my last two years of university, I found a passion for Game Theory and I want to study it further. But for now, I feel as though what I am meant to do, and what I want to do is solely focus on my business. In the 6+ years of TCMC, I have never had the chance to devote 100% of my energy to this company and I am confident that there is so much potential out there. This is where I say, once again, my sincere thank you to everyone who have supported me over the past few years. I am not a big risk taker, nor have an entrepreneurial personality, so starting new projects is always scary. But knowing that I have so many people cheering me on whether it be through orders, or comments, or likes, or a message, or in their own home, I am hopeful and excited to see where I can go.
