Tough times can make or break a person. That truth has been proven time and time again, and that is true as well for the story of Matt Maier and his business, Design a Stone, an e-commerce business that was born during the most difficult of times.
Design a Stone’s business offering seems simple enough, but the demand for their product has been overwhelmingly popular. The company currently provides personalized lawn decor that comes in the form of stones with engraved names or addresses on them. They have become a huge hit among garden owners and homeowners alike who are looking for a unique finishing touch to their home facades, front lawns, or backyards.
The company’s founder and CEO, Matt Maier, is the epitome of an entrepreneur who finds a way to adapt and adjust amidst difficult circumstances. “In 2019, I was in the hospital caring for my young daughter Macie who needed a heart transplant,” recalls Maier about one of the most difficult times in his family’s life. “During this difficult time, my service-based business began to decline since I couldn’t be present with the company while I took care of my daughter.”
But what time Matt wasn’t spending running his business would go towards studying e-commerce while he was in the hospital with his daughter. For six months, his life would take a large detour as Matt’s daughter would spend all of that time confined in a hospital room. But after a full recovery from a successful operation, Matt would get back to work to apply what he had learned. During the time his daughter was recovering, Matt focused on e-commerce to sustain his family’s financial needs. He would also dive deep into creating a product offering, business plan, and website where he would sell a novel idea of large engraved stones for decorative purposes.
Today, that business idea has turned into a reality— Design a Stone, one of the country’s leading personalized lawn decoration companies and one of the first in that subcategory to break into the digital era of commerce. Design a Stone takes pride in providing a product that will last one lifetime or even more. The company only uses top-quality materials and equipment to ensure that customers get their money’s worth on their purchases. The paint that goes on the proprietary stone doesn’t fade or peel easily, guaranteeing that people’s ornamental pieces don’t lose their visual value.
It’s hard to deny that Matt’s leadership, adaptability, and ingenuity also play a very vital role in the company’s growth and success. He knows what it takes to be an effective businessman and service provider. “I want to show our customers they can trust we are going to make sure they are 100% satisfied from their shopping experience to making sure the product exceeds their expectations all on time,” explains Maier. “We read and learn from all of our reviews to see where we can improve. I want to show my employees my loyalty to them, the company, and our growth. I have an amazing group of employees that treat the company as if it was their own and treat the products as if they are going in their yard.”
Matt hopes that the next five years for Design a Stone will continue to poise controlled growth and development. As the company grows, he promises that quality will never decrease and that the business will continue to provide livelihood and opportunities for others.
Opinions expressed by CEO Weekly contributors are their own.
