about us
The Beginning
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 the winter break of 10th grade compiling an ebook with over 300 doodles along with some tips & tricks. I called it My Little Doodle Book. Despite how rudimentary this ebook was, the journaling community showed-up for me and the launch exceeded my wildest dreams. I remember one of the first purchases I made was treating my family out to a celebratory dinner at White Spot!
When I first started, I was balancing being a teenager in highschool with running a small business. Class ended at 2:55pm each day, I engaged in some extra curriculars with friends, then rushed home to do homework. Some days, I would bring a reusable grocery bag to school, filled with yellow kraft envelopes, and carry them to the post office right before closing time. After dinner, that was when all of the designing, sticker printing, cutting, order packing & shipping happened.
Meet Our Team
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!
Helen
a bit of everything
Mama Tater
packing & manager
Papa Tater
shipping & handyman
Sister Tater
idk what she does
Sophia
assistant
Gurbir
assistant
Jan
order packing
Yula
order packing
Erin
order packing
Koey
order packing
Eva
order packing
Evan
order packing
Franny
order packing
Cynthia
order packing
Emily
order packing
Amanda
subscription
Julia
sticker cutting
Eileen
sticker cutting
Assistant Tater
trainee & friends
A Double Life
In 2018, I graduated from high school and made quite a spontaneous decision to move across Canada, to attend the University of Toronto.
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. To be honest, as I think back to that time, I have no idea how I handled everything. I remember the weeks with 4-5 finals, answering emails as I wait outside the exam room, and pulling multiple all-nighters in order to finish my business duties. I called my parents every day at 9pm ET (6pm PT) to make sure we were on the same page; I actually still have the alarm on my iPhone, titled "🎀 Call Mom".
Amidst these life changes, 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, no matter where I end up.
We have donated over 50,000 USD to 15 different charities and organizations through our fundraising efforts in the past 10+ years. Causes we have donated to include the Australian wildfire relief, COVID-19 relief, LGBTQ+ safety, Autism awareness, support of women in Afghanistan, and more. Donation receipts can be found on our fundraising listings or upon request.
We have shipped to over 68 countries since the beginning of our shop. We know shipping costs can be hefty especially for international customers, so we offer both economy and tracked shipping. We work with customers from countries where items are more difficult to import to ensure everyone can enjoy some TCMC happy mail!
We pride ourselves in providing the best customer service possible so you enjoy your shopping experience. If you have questions, email or send us a message and either Helen, Sophia, or Gurbir will get back to you within 1-2 business days. All feedback regarding our products or our store is welcome. thecoffeemonsterzco@gmail.com
While being profitable is important to sustain any business, and I love seeing my work reach more people, I also do not wish to grow beyond what my family and I can handle. We may not be the most well-stocked store, or the fastest store to ship (I promise I'm trying!), you can be sure that your order will be processed directly by us, by hand, and with appreciation.
Currently...
Thankfully, the all nighters paid off and I indeed got my Bachelors woohoo! I was in a bit of an awkward place that some new graduates experience. Did I want to pursue a Masters degree? Work in the industry? Take a break?
Learning in school has always been something I genuinely enjoyed, and I hope to one day go back to school and pursue higher education. 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 first 7 years of TCMC, I never had the chance to devote 100% of my energy to this company. 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 do I have an entrepreneurial personality, so uncertainty is scary for me. But knowing that I have so many people cheering me on whether it be through orders, or comments, or likes, or a message, or offline in their own home, I am hopeful and excited to see where I can go.
Fun Fact No.1
I used to send orders out in dollarstore sandwich bags. I mean, they did their job of protecting the stickers, so I supposed there's nothing wrong with that, but I am so so so sorry for our first customers who received their stickers in wrinkly sandwich bags.
Fun Fact No.2
I saved up $90 to purchase a Wacom drawing tablet when I was 12, and I used that same wacom tablet for the first 6-7 years of running TCMC. I did have to buy a replacement Wacom tablet eventually :(
Fun Fact No.3
I built the shelves for our inventory out of Dollarstore foam board so I could save money; can you tell I love the dollarstore? Since then, I have rebuilt the shelves with my dad, but I still kept my first shelf...despite it being completely asymmetrical and near total collapse.
Fun Fact No.4
Mama Tater used to work full time at a fast food restaurant downtown, come home late at night, then help me pack orders. She is an absolute superwoman and my daily inspiration...
Fun Fact No.5
... although, I do have to admit that at one point in highschool, I did not want any help. I "caught" Mama Tater helping me pack orders before she went off to work, and I got so mad at her for it. Sigh, teenagers are so strange.
Fun Fact No.6
My highschool psychology teacher has purchased my products, after I graduated. Hi Ms. Kim!
I love sardines and trying various tinned fish. I have a dedicated drawer in my kitchen for my sardine collection, and one can find sardine decor littered throughout my home :)
I am an aunt to a 2.5 year old nephew named Luca. He has brought so much joy into my life. Every Sunday, I run to bring a piece of fruit to Luca to bribe him of his love. My sister is expecting again in September, and I'm excited to be an auntie to two nephews!
I love running and going to the gym–it's one of the few moments of my day where I get to unplug from the world and be in tune with my body. Have I ran ran a marathon? No. Have I progressed much in weights? Also no. But I love it.
Despite being called TheCoffeeMonsterzCo, I'm not very knowledgeable about coffee. I mostly chug a continuous flow of instant coffee throughout the day... and possibly due to my ADHD, it makes me feel relaxed. I did recently get into making pourover coffee though, and I'm learning to actually savour coffee haha.
I'm shy, introverted, and socially anxious. This trifecta isn't so great as a business owner, but I do try to put myself out there, as I always walk away having learned something new, and feeling more connected with the stationery community. Funnily, I enjoy speaking with strangers and one of the most fulfilling things in life for me is to make a stranger feel safe and heard.
I don't like cheese, and cheese-adjacent products: cream cheese, cheese on pizzas, cheesecake, and sometimes butter, depending on the day. I'm not lactose intolerant or anything, but I'm very sensitive to the taste and smell for some reason. One time, I took a bite of a cake that my friend convinced me didn't have cheese in it. My cheese senses immediately tingled and I googled the ingredient list as soon as I got home; it did in fact, contain cheese.
gym time :)
sardines
london!
sardines
my nephew luca
sardines
exhausted
sardines
my nephew luca
sardines