Best Friends Help Families Tell Their Stories, One Journal at a Time
When Stephanie Peters and her best friend, Sarah Autry, struggled to find the right journals for documenting their child’s milestones, they sensed a business opportunity: If they were looking for tasteful, keepsake-quality journals, other families probably were too. In 2020, the two moms teamed up with their husbands, Garrett and Garland, to launch Duncan & Stone Paper Co. from the Peters’ garage in Fayetteville, Arkansas. They started by offering just five guided journals — selling them on Amazon — all designed to help people document life’s milestones by answering simple prompts. The idea quickly took off. Within months, the four co-founders were working nights and weekends to keep up with demand.
Today, Duncan & Stone offers more than 50 unique products — including baby books, grandparent memory journals, and recipe books — that help families preserve memories and share stories across generations. Its products are available through Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Faire, TikTok Shops, and in more than 1,000 brick-and-mortar stores nationwide.
Digital tools play a crucial role in the company’s growth and success. Data-powered ads help the team efficiently connect with millions of interested customers, and smart analytics tools mean the team can track which ads are performing best and ensure they spend their ad dollars efficiently. In addition, online customer reviews help them build credibility, increase visibility in search results, and compete against much larger brands; the team integrates Etsy reviews directly onto their Shopify-powered site to give customers more confidence when making a purchase.
Garrett worries that proposals to restrict online content moderation — including efforts to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA 230) — could undermine those valuable online reviews and ads. “We support smart, intentional reforms that make online platforms safer and protect consumers,” he says. “But any changes to content moderation law must avoid undermining the tools and services small businesses rely on.”
Learn more about Duncan & Stone: https://www.duncanandstone.com/
