Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda and Christopher Kahle.
Amanda and Christopher, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Chris and I were both into puzzles as kids, but they were something we’d drifted away from in adulthood. Over the holidays last year (2018), we were gifted a couple of folksy, traditional jigsaw puzzles and with family around it was a nice, quiet escape. We really got lost in them and it turned out to be a great thing to do together that didn’t involve technology. We were hooked, but we definitely wished the puzzles were something a little more suited to our aesthetics – that was the light bulb moment. We spent the next year trying to figure out how to build a puzzle company! We reached out to artists we loved to create the art for the puzzles, designed beautiful packaging and found a manufacturing company to make it all. We launched in early December 2019, just in time for last minute gift orders. We are currently working on growing the company – direct to consumer at findinnerpiece.com as well as through carefully chosen wholesale accounts. We currently have four (500 piece) puzzles and are working on expanding that in the spring with new art and new sizes.
Great, 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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road per se, but one we have both enjoyed being on. Our biggest struggle was finding the right manufacturing company. We started reaching out to manufacturing companies in the USA. Puzzles have been around for a long time and the companies we reached out to have been there from the beginning. Most puzzles are packed in a plastic bag, placed in a traditional size box, shrink-wrapped, and then sent out. We wanted to be involved creatively from the size of the puzzle to the shape of the puzzle piece. We really wanted to put the pieces into a reusable canvas bag and make a beautiful box that wasn’t the typical puzzle box size. It took quite a while to get it right. We had initially hoped to launch in July of 2019. We are still working on how we will manufacture this long term but for now have found that working overseas allows us to get the product made in the way that we want and keep our price point around $30.
Please tell us about Inner Piece.
We make beautiful, modern puzzles that spread quiet time in a loud, distracted world. We’re hoping to spread that message beyond puzzles by donating $1 from each sale to nonprofits that teach youth mindfulness.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
AK – I was into quiet time before I even knew it was so good for me. A total bookworm, I spent A LOT of time cozy in my house, devouring new books. My mom loved to read as well so I have fond memories of peaceful mornings with her reading while she had her coffee and me with my breakfast cereals.
CK – I was a really outdoorsy kid growing up in a rural town in British Columbia. I’m so thankful I grew up in a time before screens and distractions because my distractions were sledding and playing in the woods. It was very, very idyllic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.findinnerpiece.com
- Email: hello@findinnerpiece.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findinnerpiece/
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/findinnerpiece/
Image Credit:
Portrait – Marisa Vitale Photography; Products – Paul Salveson
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