Story & Lesson Highlights with Garrett Peters & Stephanie Peters of Neighborhood

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Garrett Peters & Stephanie Peters. Check out our conversation below.

Garrett & Stephanie, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
Garrett here. A normal day looks like a mix of work time and spending time with our sons. I always start my day in the sauna. That has become a place to think, read, relax as I am starting my day.

From there I either go to the office or work from home during the morning. That is the bulk of my “work day” if you will.

Lunch is pickleball. I typically play pickleball at our local gym with some friends and get active.

Afternoons are for catching up on emails and following up on work items. I try to wrap that up as early as possible so I can hangout with our sons. We have a 13, 11 and 8 year old.

It is summer time currently so there is plenty of free time for activities or swimming. During the school year, I like to pick them up from school then come home and enjoy time with them.

For Stephanie, “slow mornings” are my thing… After I get my kids off to school I want to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee before launching into any activity. Mornings are a mix of meetings and work most the time. Afternoons are for errands and any motherly duties I need to take care of! I typically pick up my boys from school and then at the house the rest of the day with these boys and Garrett!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Garrett and Stephanie Peters here. (written by Garrett)
We have been m arried for 16 years, and business partners for 6! We started Duncan & Stone Paper Co. in 2019 with some of our best friends – Garland and Sarah Autry.

Prior to that I (Garrett) worked corporately in NW Arkansas in consumer packaged goods community selling to Walmart and Sam’s Club.

We started Duncan & Stone with the vision to create a world class prompted keepsake journal brand. Duncan & Stone Paper Co. is a stationery company that combines timeless design with effortless journaling. Our mission is to connect generations by preserving the life experiences of each person through simple, guided prompts. In a world that chases the momentary, we believe in capturing the moments that matter most through the beauty of handwritten story telling.

We sell on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, TikTok Shops, etc.

Personally, Stephanie and I have three amazing sons. They are 13, 11 and 8.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
My mom. She taught me what it means to be dedicated and consistent at your job. She was a junior high math teacher for 40 years. She was extremely hardworking and always showed up.

I can’t imagine doing anything for 40 years, haha! I have been really challenged by the way she served and worked at her job. She was super hardworking, and taught me a lot about that.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell myself to RELAX! Don’t stress about not having all the answers. Don’t fret about not having a plan. Don’t worry about tomorrow, because you can only focus on today.

I was always a very driven young person – even at a young age. I thought I had to outwork everyone and “win” at everything…

I would say that your identity and your value do NOT come from your output or your performance.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I would say that my closest friends say that what really matters to me is my faith, my family and my friendships.

Those three things take top priority in my life and I try to build my life around those things. Showing up for the people that matter most is very important to me.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Goodness yes. I feel like I lived that exact thing out for a few years…. For me, when we started Duncan & Stone it was a “side hustle” since I had a full time job.

My goal was to eventually work for the business full time and be a true entrepreneur. Well, in 2021 it happened. I officially quit my job to run the business. I had made it, and gotten what I wanted… Or so I thought.

It turned out to be the toughest year of my life. I was overwhelmed by the business, and ended up feeling very unsatisfied.

Luckily after a tough year and a half, we started to figure a lot of things out and I began to unravel some of the issues I was facing.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

Coffee? Workouts? Hitting the snooze button 14 times? Everyone has their morning ritual and we

Highlighter Series
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?

Our deepest wounds often shape us as much as our greatest joys. The pain we

Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Culture, economic circumstances, family traditions, local customs and more can often influence us more than