NORTHAMPTON — Small Victories, a retail shop that has taken root downtown, began in the same way the business’s seed paper stationary does: start with dirt, add water and soon something will sprout.

From 2011 to 2022, Small Victories co-owners Isa Wang and Vincent Frano ran The Bower Studio, a retail shop and herbal apothecary in Amherst that sold herbal gifts and seed paper stationary. At the same time, Wang designed and sold enamel pronoun badges under the name Gamut, The Bower Studio’s sister company. The two businesses cultivated their own customer bases and brands over 11 years and began to see some growth.

Then, the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic forced The Bower Studio to close its doors. Wang and Frano pivoted to selling seed cards online and wholesale as a private studio. Gamut also moved into the same space, making it difficult for both businesses to continue to flourish.

“We just found that people were really confused about Gamut pins verses The Bower Studio,” Wang said. “We were operating two different websites and brand identities and shipping things separately out of the same place, and it just got a little silly.”

Out of the fertile foundation of The Bower Studio and Gamut, and watered by the circumstances of the pandemic, the umbrella company Small Victories bloomed. A fully grown business selling plantable greeting cards and professional pronoun pins at Thornes Marketplace, Small Victories embraces the small joys of life through little items, whether it’s a classy pin that affirms someone’s gender identity or a pot of flowers grown from a birthday card.

“I was actually regliding my bathroom counter and after I finished, I posted on Instagram like small victories!” Wang said. “That kind of stuck with me. Whatever we do in our business, we try and give back to the community, and all of our products are small. It’s a representative of our product and our brand ethos.”

Small Victories offers three types of seed cards: wildflower, herbs and new catnip cards. Small Victories shop lead Vince Finch-Brand said many customers purchase the seed cards for weddings or funerals, where recipients can “seed new life” at the beginning or end of a major life milestone.

“I like to keep my cards and my stationery, but only the most beautiful ones make it onto the wall,” Finch-Brand said. “With this, it gives new life to those things.”

While many of the card and print designs take inspiration from Frano’s background in herbalism and horticulture, other designs are more topical to a specific event. Wang said some new designs come from suggestions by children at craft fairs, but others are mission-focused, like a seahorse father card for LGTBQ+ Pride or endangered native trillium flowers for environmental awareness.

“It’s sort of a balance between like what is the popular thing that everybody wants, and what is something that people might not already know but would be thrilled to learn about,” Wang said.

Each seed cards cost $6, but Small Victories also sells seconds, cards that might have a slight mistake or misprint, at in mystery packs of 10 for $20. The store also sells boxed sets of eight cards cards for $36.75, and customers can create their own boxed sets at the retail space.

The pronoun enamel pins are also designed with customers in mind. Wang created the pins to communicate his pronouns in a professional setting, since the only pronoun pins available at the time were cheap plastic buttons. As the product found its audience, Wang received more requests for specific combinations of pronouns, but the demand for each combination wasn’t large enough to justify designing each individual pin. So instead, he created a customizable pronoun pin, where each pronoun tile connects to the pin with magnets.

“I mean people love it,” Wang said. “They love being able to pick their own pronouns and the order. We’re able to add new pronouns all the time because it’s easy for us to just produce a new tile instead of a whole new product.”

The mix-and-match pronoun pins offer a variety of pronouns in both English and Spanish, and comes in double pronouns for $12.50 and triple pronouns for $17.50. Finch-Brand said transgender customers often compliment the pins for their clean design and uniqueness. They also have had people comment on the language used in the non-customizable pins, which politely communicate pronoun preference rather than phrase it as a question.

“I believe that that’s something that only a trans or gender non-conforming person could come up with,” Finch-Brand said. “It’s one of those things where because the people who are producing the product are also the audience for that product, they think of things that other people might want.”

Small Victories consists of a six-person team of all queer artists who bring their values to the company. Ten percent of all proceeds from each purchase are donated to environmental and LGBTQ+ nonprofits. All sales associates, including Finch-Brand, also make the products, and even sell some of their own art in the store.

Wang said some employees say its the first time they’ve had a job where they really care about what they’re doing, rather than simply collecting a paycheck.

“People are looking for a greater sense of purpose in their employment and their work matters or creating value to the community, so there’s a sense of ownership and pride in it,” Wang said.

Emilee Klein can be reached at eklein@gazettenet.com.