Cups and Creations may be an oversimplification of what you will actually find inside the booth that “Lisa’s Cups and Creations” occupy. When I was first brought into the company Lisa-who not only owns and runs Cups and Creations, but is also president of Fanboys Marketplace-already had an impressive space. But now, some eight months later, has expanded and grown in leaps and bounds.
Lisa’s specialty is tumblers. “My heart is in my tumblers,” she told me. Recently she’d been working on a set of Stranger Things tumblers all featuring different characters from the recent fourth season. It’s impressive to see them all lined up in a row on her desk. Of course these aren’t all staying here at this location. Lisa is one of the founding members that make up Fanboys LLC-sort of the foundation of Fanboys Marketplace. As a result her mugs and tumblers are featured in every Fanboys location, big or small. This recent batch of Stranger Things tumblers will soon grace the shelves of all four current locations.
Don’t pin her down as a one-trick-pony though, Lisa has plenty more tricks up her sleeve. Recently she’s been experimenting with florescent inks-hoping to create a one of a kind way of customizing cups, mugs, and tumblers and bring something new and fresh to her shop. Not to mention glow-in-the-dark designs…just in time for everyone’s favorite time of the year: Halloween!
Walk around her booth space and you’ll find more than just customizable drink ware. She also has a huge selection of t-shirts, crew and v-neck, ready for a custom logo, a favorite phrase, a family name, whatever. I said it before and it bears repeating-she’s the queen of customizable gifts, “There isn’t anything I won’t do.”
Above all else though, Lisa embodies the spirit of Fanboys Marketplace. While interviewing her for this blog post, a customer walked up to ask her about some of her product supplies. Lisa gave her a sample at no charge, “Try it out on your own cups and let me know what you think. I use it all the time and I love it.” I wish I could tell you what the product was but the important thing to note is that much of Fanboys Marketplace is about entrepreneurship. Lisa is a maker first, business woman second. She’s there to help people get a leg up on their own creative practice. If that means eating the cost of supplies off the rack to ensure a customer comes back, that means it’s an investment.
It’s all about customer service. It’s all about building each other up. One of the truly unique things about Fanboys is the focus it has on its community. Fanboys strives to be as welcoming and as inclusive as possible. Community is everything; to be apart of something bigger than yourself. And Lisa reinforces this concept time and again. So, if you’ve visited Lisa’s Cups and Creations once, you might want to consider swinging by again soon. You’re sure to find both with her small business, and Lisa herself, there’s more than meets the eye.
