5 Questions With: Tina Finn

Posted February 2, 2010, 10:33 am in 5 Questions With


Tina Finn has a passion for making a difference -- and it seems life wanted her to pursue that passion. With a background in art and time at Hallmark, Tina decided to turn her creativity and time into a new business, called "Fishbowl Cards." Tina says it didn't take her long to recognize that the nearly 55 million individuals living with disabilities in this country, and the more than 100 million family members and friends who support them, have little representation in the greeting card aisles of America's retailers.

In 1998, Tina began working to create and market a line of greeting cards, posters, and figurines, that reflect the celebration of hope, recovery, improvement, achievement, love and support that children with special needs, their families and friends experience everyday. Now, her business is up and running -- click here to buy your own Fishbowl cards!

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1. How did you come up with the idea for Fishbowl Cards, and what in your life makes you so passionate about reaching out to kids and adults with disabilities?

The idea for Fishbowl Cards was born out of a phone conversation that I had with a friend back in 1997 after being laid off. I was hurt and devastated by the way the layoff was handled but I am the type of person that always looks for the positive and never looks back. I truly believe that when a door closes a window opens.

At the time I had over 20 years of experience in the social expressions industry. I had always wanted to start my own company where I thought I could use my creative talents and experience to make a difference. My passion for children kept coming to the foreground and I kept thinking “What niche has never been addressed in the greeting card industry?” By the end of what would be a life altering conversation with a dear friend, the idea for Fishbowl Cards had been born: a gift and greeting card company with the focus on kids and adults with disabilities.

Children with disabilities are my heroes. They are heroes to me because, in so many cases, they are undaunted by their obstacles and fiercely independent whenever and wherever possible. I knew then that I could make a difference and I was so excited about the journey I was about to embark on.

That very day I started making a list of local disability organizations, making phone calls, meeting with people, having brain storms and focus groups. The first thing I needed to know was whether or not people even thought this was a viable and worthwhile idea. The response was overwhelmingly positive and 13 years later that has not changed.

I do not have a disability so it was imperative that Fishbowl Cards was representational, accurate, and inspirational. I started collecting quotes that I felt would be encouraging and inspiring. I began developing boards and designing prototype cards. I started working on names, copy writing and logos. Over the next 13 years Fishbowl Cards would go from front to back burner depending on the job I had at the time but I always kept one eye on...this dream...my goal.

Last November, when the announcement came that the doors were closing where I worked as Art and Production Manager, I knew it was a sign, a window just opened and I started developing the product line. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and proud that I never gave up on Fishbowl Cards. I know this is a personal passion because I work endlessly on it, never losing sight of the cause, the mission, the vision and especially the audience. I do believe the time has come for Fishbowl Cards and I can honestly say that I am “Growing Bolder” because of this unchartered venture.

2. What have been the biggest challenges in business so far? What have been your greatest successes?

The biggest challenge so far has been twofold. The first, is having to do everything myself. I know my strengths and weaknesses and wish I had a few more people on board that could take over some of the tasks that I get hung up on. The upside of this has been that I have learned a great deal through trial and error...lots of error and that experience has been quite rewarding albeit extremely frustrating at times.

The second challenge is getting the word out. Everyone that hears about Fishbowl Cards seems to absolutely love what I’m doing, saying, “awesome idea” and how excited they are about the products, but it’s not translating into exposure or sales. I contact businesses and send dozens of emails out everyday but feel unfocused and somewhat disconnected. If just hard work were all it took I’d be there.

The successes have undoubtedly been the reaction to Fishbowl Cards and the people who want to help in any way possible. It has truly warmed my heart and given me strength to keep pushing forward. I am very proud of the work I’ve done so far, but there’s so much more I want to do to make Fishbowl Cards the best it can be. I hope to create the Fishbowl Foundation to support those with disabilities and pay it forward.

3. How are you Growing Bolder in your own life...what does that phrase mean to you?

Growing Bolder is a state of mind that I feel comes from all of life’s experiences, good and bad. I have worked very hard in my life to overcome the things that I fear and I draw a great deal of strength every time I succeed at these. I now embrace taking risks and “growing bolder.” I do believe it is a right of passage that is sage. Growing Bolder can only be earned. The baton passes only after the long journey. 

Looking back on that fateful phone call back in 1997, unbeknownst to me at the time, I was beginning to go down the Growing Bolder Road. With all of its twists and turns and seemingly dead ends at times the road lead me to today and at this point I only know how to go forward.

4. What are your goals, both personally and professionally, for the next 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?

I will be 60 next summer so I’ll concentrate on the 5 and 10 year goals. I hope that within the next five years Fishbowl Cards will be a household word, with a sensational product line that has given autonomy and brought awareness to the disabled community. The Fishbowl Foundation will be formed, raising funds to help those experience something extraordinary, and for me, to experience the joy of helping others.

5. Who are your heroes; the people you look up to, and why?

In general, my heroes are people that make a positive difference to inspire and challenge others to do the same. People that never give up. People that take risks when others won’t. The firefighters of 911 that looked fear in the face and ran in to the twin towers. Charla Nash, who had her face ripped off by a chimpanzee and is grateful to be alive. I have never had to face that kind of strength but I do hope that if I was ever faced with such a life altering decision, that I would look fear in the face and do the right thing.

On a personal level, my daughter Christen is my hero. At 20 she was diagnosed with acute Crohn’s disease after being severely sick for weeks. Her flare-ups were so devastating that she would have to drop out of school to recover. In 2008 she became so ill that she was put on 500mg of Prednisone and Remicade treatments. She remains on the remicade, a 4 hour infusion every 8 weeks and was finally able to get her science degree in June of 2009 YEEAHH!! She just started her MBA in Sustainable Business and she will use this degree to make a green difference in this world. She is honest, brave, intelligent, hard working, compassionate, and most of all kind. A true hero in my eyes.

Children with disabilities are my heroes. They are heroes to me because, in so many cases, they are undaunted by their obstacles and fiercely independent whenever and wherever possible. When Fishbowl Cards becomes the company that people look to, to send someone special, something unique, then my goal will be reached.

Please help me spread the word, let’s make a difference, offering autonomy to the disabled community. Because “We’re all in this together.”

President and Founder of Fishbowl cards Tina Finn has over 30 years in the social expressions industry. A Rhode Island School of Design graduate, Tina went to work for Hallmark Cards upon graduation. She developed the first lines of award winning cards for Russ and has freelanced for almost every national greeting card company. She has worked as Creative Director for many of the catalog retailers including Current and Walter Drake.

Tina’s goal for Fishbowl cards was to use her expansive experience to put something new and unique in the marketplace. "My hope is that these products will help provide autonomy to children and adults with disabilities and offer everyone with a way to express themselves through the positive images, inspirational photography, and messages. When looking at one of the illustrated cards, I overheard a little girl in a wheelchair exclaim to her Mom, "Mom, look at this one, it looks just like ME!!" My goal for Fishbowl Cards is to bridge a gap, breakdown a barrier, encourage and educate, because we're all in this together."

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