CLM funkey monkey

Two years ago CaryLiving interviewed mom and entrepreneur Laura Kelly,
owner of Funky Monkey Paperie in downtown Apex. Back then, she was just beginning to thrive in her new
location. A lot has changed since then, as we found out recently.
the funky
monkey flies
Written by Christa Gala
Photography and artwork
provided by Laura Kelly
As a child, folks didn’t take Laura Kelly’s art seriously. With a quarter
from her mom’s purse, Kelly would trace it to create heads and then
draw quirky characters from there. Family members chided her for
being silly and kept reminding her she had to find a serious career
for her future. Needless to say, they’re pretty quiet today.
In addition to owning the Funky Monkey
Paperie in downtown Apex, Kelly, 37, also
lays claim to two separate design lines: Paper
Girls and Laura Kelly Designs. And she
recently signed a licensing agreement with a
national check printing company that will
bring her royalties for at least the next two
years and possibly for five years after that.
"Checks in the Mail found me at the national stationary show in 2004," explains Kelly
of her most recent development. "They
came into our little booth and they had their
nametags on, and I just ignored them. I
thought they were a collection company.
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When I found out what they were looking
for, I couldn’t wrap my mind around how
my art could support a check company."
Basically, Checks in the Mail, allows customers to choose any background they want
for their checks—from sunflowers and animals to licensed cartoon characters. But now,
people can customize their checks with
Kelly’s "Paper People" to reflect their families
and occupations. Today, Checks in the Mail
has nearly 150 of Kelly’s images from which
folks can choose. And Kelly gets paid a royalty each time an American family builds
their background from her characters.
Offering:
Of course this has led to other things, including being featured
on the company’s Expressionery.com website, which specializes
in stationery and gift items. The site is aggressively marketed,
and Kelly’s art has now been featured in Parents, Child, Baby
Style and Woman’s Day, among other magazines. The whole
thing is pretty overwhelming for this mom who insists she’s just
like everybody else.
Teeth Whitening • Crowns • Implants • Bridges
Bonding • No Prep Veneers/Lumineers
Cosmetic Smile Makeovers • One Visit Crowns
Sedation Dentistry • Complete Family Care
Preventative Dentistry • One-hour Whitening
Qualifications: Dr. Charles A. Mann graduated
from the University of North Carolina School of
Dentistry in 1999. After dental school, he continued his education at the Las Vegas Institute
for Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry. He and his
team have also completed Dental Boot Kamp
together to help communicate with and serve
patients better.
"I’m getting calls from other companies asking to license my art
on items like wrapping paper, jewelry and puzzles," says Kelly.
"And I didn’t know how all of this worked a year ago. It’s going
to mean a lot of possibilities for my family because it’s income
I’m not used to having."
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Like most entrepreneurs, Kelly has had her share of challenges
to deal with, not the least of which has been financial.
Area of expertise: Dr. Mann and his team love the challenge of full
mouth makeovers including porcelain veneers, crowns, and a combination of both. Dr. Mann has also been trained in oral conscious
sedation to help fearful patients have relaxing and stress-free dental
visits. In addition, he has also been trained on CAD/CAM technology,
CEREC, and offers one-visit crowns, inlays, and onlays.
"To have your own business, people assume that means I have a
lot of money. That’s not always the case," Kelly says. "My family’s money has been tied up in keeping things together with payroll, product development, marketing and advertising."
(919) 462-9338 • www.drashleymann.com
315 E. Chatham St. Ste. 100 Cary, NC 27511
FLOWERS
on
BROAD STREET
Kelly and her husband, Doug, have always worked as a team. In
the past, if his business, which involved restoration contract
work, was going strong, Kelly would delegate to others and
spend time with their two sons and vice versa. "We have a great
focus for our family and are able to always have their needs met.
They’re our primary concern," Kelly says.
studio one photography
Truly, the business today is a family affair. Doug Kelly recently
put his business on hold to join Funky Monkey—as a Paper Boy,
Kelly jokes. Their two sons, Dylan and Dawson, ages 9 and 7
respectively, also help out, boxing up stationery orders and running errands.
"What a dream to be able to have your whole family be a part of
the same journey and career," says Kelly.
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May/June 2006
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TIPS TRIED AND TRUE
In addition to Kelly’s licensing agreement,
she’s been working these past two years to
strengthen her retail location.
"It’s been really fun, and it’s really busy. It’s
grown a lot. We have a website up now so
our customers are ordering personalized stationery from all over the United States,"
Kelly says. "We’ve fine-tuned a lot of procedures, and we’ve built a team of employees
that is really amazing.
"I’m really excited about it and proud of
myself, but I wouldn’t be doing what I’m
doing if I didn’t have the people that I do it
with," she continues. "Nobody wins unless
my whole team wins with me—and that
means my employees and my family."
Still, Kelly maintains most people can do
what she’s done. She hasn’t always been an
entrepreneur. At one time she worked in the
public school system and she’s also tried selling other people’s products, but after a while
her heart just wasn’t in it.
Kelly has three tips for starting a business—
and growing it into a success. First, ensure
you have support from the people or person
you live with. That tip helps with her next
piece of advice.
"Make sure that what you’re doing is yours
and that you own your vision. It should be
what you love and something that comes
from your heart, your dreams and your
soul—not somebody else’s," Kelly says.
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Finally, just let go and have a little faith. "Make responsible decisions, be willing to take risks, and trust that it’s all going to work out. I do stress occasionally, but for the most part I just keep right on going.
"I think all of us have something that we’re capable of," Kelly says. "And not
everybody wants to have their own business so if you want to take your talent
and use it toward somebody else’s business, that’s great too. But if you want to
have your own, make sure you’re doing your thing or you’ll only get so far and
then it’s not yours."
What do the next two years hold for Kelly? She’s not sure, but her mind is open.
"I’m talking a much bigger game now of what’s possible for me as an artist than
I was 10 years ago because I just didn’t know."
INTELLIGENT EXERCISE
FOR PROFOUND
RESULTS.
Strengthen, Tone, and
Invigorate your body,
mind and spirit at our
studio.
TAKE A SHORTCUT!
Too much to do but not enough time? Laura Kelly, owner of Funky Monkey
Paperie, employs these shortcuts at home.
We have 70+ classes
a week and offer
private sessions
7 days a week.
PILATES
Delegate: In the Kelly household, a checklist resides in the hallway and each
family member is assigned chores to be completed and checked off each day. If
a family member needs support, he or she asks the others for help. Problems
with the list are addressed openly at family meetings.
Equipment Classes • Mat Classes
Private Training • Teacher Certification
YOGA
Flow, Hatha & more • Prenatal, KIDS & TEEN • Private Training
Cook ahead: Kelly shops in bulk and occasionally cooks ahead and freezes
meals.
MENTION THIS AD AND TAKE 10% OFF YOUR
FIRST PACKAGE OF CLASSES OR PRIVATES...
Share responsibility: Laura and Doug Kelly work as a team to keep the business
and family running. They communicate frequently and if one is busier in a certain area, the other picks up the slack.
LOCHMERE PAVILION
2425 KILDAIRE FARM RD.
CORNERSTONE
270 CORNERSTONE DR
919-851-7221
www.trianglepilates.com
Patty Geiger, Owner