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Ma r y E l l en Ha rden
M
ary EllenHarden, president
of Versailles, Kentucky-
basedWall Street Greetings,
LLC, (PPAI 469710) has always
known she wanted to work in the
greeting card industry. During her
senior year at the University of
Kentucky she learned about Wall
Street Greetings and scheduled
ameeting to visit the local
card company.
“Tim [Voss, the co-owner of
the company along with his
wife, Laura] and I immediately
connected when I passed his test,
picking out the 10 bestselling
cards from a mix of designs. The
Vosses asked me to join their
company upon graduation and
started referring to me as ‘the
triple threat’ because I was an
artist with business and sales/
marketing skills,” Harden says.
She started as manager of
product development, then
moved to director of marketing
and art before being named
president in 2013. “This year I
celebrate my 10th year with the
company,” she says.
Harden grew up in Lexington,
Kentucky, the same city she lives
in today; “home toThoroughbred
horse racing, bourbon and strong-
willed women,” a club of which
she is emphatically amember.
Growing up with a psychologist
momand educator dad, she
says that she and her sisters
were “raised on topics of social
interaction and self-improvement.”
Those early words of wisdom
seem to have inspired the
accomplished Harden, who, in
addition to her leadership role
at Wall Street Greetings, is also
the mother of two girls, Rory,
two and a half, and Betty, eight
months, with her husband, Jay, a
consultant at a software company.
While her family is first on her
list when she’s not at the office,
enjoying time with friends over
dinner or brunch is second. “I
prioritize exercise, rest and getting
outdoors. A day on the lake is my
favorite way to relax,” she says.
How the industry’s
youngest supplier
president—a
Millennial!—set
her own course
for success.
by
Julie Richie
Driven To Lead
76
|
APRIL 2017
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