We’re Dina and Dina (Dom) Proto~ Yes….there are two of us! We manufacture greeting inclusive cards and gifts for the Le***an, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Q***r (LGBTQ+) community and the people that know and love them. Our dream started in 2004 when we celebrated our first Mothers’ Day together. At that time, our oldest daughter (then 17 years old) could not find a card to give to us that she d
idn’t have to edit. That experience was the catalyst that put our family on a journey to fill the void for other families like ours. We began to design greeting cards based on everyday occasions that we experience yet were unable to purchase. The greeting cards are both visually and verbally appropriate for the LGBTQ+ Community. At the heart of Teazled Greeting Cards and Gifts is a story that every woman entrepreneur can relate to—two women with little to no knowledge of the greeting card industry had a dream to fill a void that not only ourselves but other families experience. We did exactly what every entrepreneur is told not to do.... we borrowed from our 401k plans and utilized all of our subsequent tax returns to create the company name, logo, branding as well as product development over the last 4 years. We did that because we believe there’s a need and we can fill that need. We began to design greeting cards based on everyday occasions that we all experience yet were unavailable to authentically represent our family. We’ve already accomplished our biggest dream...to make a positive impact on the lives we touch. And we continue to do that every single day. Now it’s time to make sure our greeting cards and gifts are available to everyone. With more than 15 million American adults over 18 who identify as LGBTQ+ and the 80% of Americans who have a family member or friend that’s LGBTQ+ we know there’s a need….we need to be where they can readily find us. How can we not love what we do? We get to touch so many lives! Time and again people share their stories with us whether it’s about coming out themselves, the support they had hoped to receive or whether they’re a family member wanting desperately to tell their loved one they support and affirm who they are. We’re more than just a card company, we’re a safe space to share who you are and find a way to convey that to those you love. And we’re a space for the 80% of Americans who have an LGBTQ+ family or friend to find just the right words or gift to convey how they feel. That’s a pretty powerful space to be in, and we’re so very honored. This is so much more than a job, we’ve created a living breathing entity to serve a neglected market segment. When you have a job; you come in and go home, leaving your day behind you. When you’re vested both financially and emotionally it’s more than that….it’s what gets you up at 5am even though you sent to bed at 2am, it’s knowing you’re impacting someone’s life and leaving an indelible footprint. That’s when you decide there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all that you hope to and you’ve just got to get one more thing done before you go to bed or get up extra early to cram in all you can.
