Tomball couple turns koozie collection into million-dollar empire

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In the early 2000s, Meagan Morris and her husband Luke had steady, traditional careers in oil and gas. Meagan also dabbled in corporate events planning, which she liked and felt that she did well.

Friends asked her to design and print their wedding invitations in 2011, and by the end of that year, she quietly opened an early iteration of Sip Hip Hooray on Etsy. The initial idea was to create custom stationery and niche wedding products in her spare time. Bespoke save-the-dates and couple-specific koozies quickly became Meagan’s most requested items, so Luke suggested she take some of the insulated drink holders to a local bridal show.

“Those all sold out,” she says. “A popular design was ‘To have and to hold and to keep your beer cold.’ From there I said let’s expand this on Etsy. So we put up 10-15 designs and it really took off.”

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Hip Hooray, shows off French knives Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Hip Hooray, shows off French knives Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

The Morrises never dreamed that a party goods and social stationary business would pay more than their 9-to-5 desk jobs. By 2014 Meagan and Luke both handed in their notices to focus on Sip Hip Hooray full-time. Two years later, the couple was making double their previous salaries. This month marks 10 years of Sip Hip Hooray — Meagan reports the company now generates between $5 to 7 million in annual revenue.

Their success has grown at a steep incline over the past decade. Still, walking away from not one, but two steady incomes was a gamble.

“It started as fun money. You know, trip money and going out to eat money,” Meagan explains. “When we both quit our jobs our families looked at us and were like, ‘Are you sure?'”

She’s the creative, and Luke works the numbers. Meagan never graduated from college and considers herself self-taught. “But I did have that corporate training,” she adds.

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Hip Hooray, talks about items for sale Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Hip Hooray, talks about items for sale Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Foil-stamped business cards were hard to come by when Meagan first tested the design waters. She could make it happen.

“Fancy, but still business has always been our sweet spot. That mix of wedding knowledge and higher end printing,” she says. Morris eventually realized she was spreading herself thin. “I couldn’t give my job my all and my company my all. I wanted to take a chance on myself.”

The leap of faith paid off. Part of her good fortune was just being in the right place, at the right time. The wedding industry relied on traditional-style printing at the time, then Pinterest changed everything. Customization became the “it” trend and Sip Hip Hooray’s presence on Etsy had already garnered a solid following. 

Meagan credits the e-commerce site with catapulting her company. It was the no. 1 marketplace for handmade, vintage and one-of-a-kind items — the visibility was essential. 

Though at a certain level of customization, she explains, Etsy can be limiting. So the Morrises risked everything yet again, and moved their business to a self-hosted website. That’s when Sip Hip Hooray really took off.

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, shows off wedding-themed gifts Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, shows off wedding-themed gifts Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

She even discovered an avenue to grow with her clients post-nuptials. Now products and services offered include gifts for other life milestones like buying a home or having children. Custom door mats and house sketches are a hit with real estate agents.

During the pandemic she pivoted to printing stay-at-home inspired sayings on entertaining essentials. Inner Loop boutiques including Emerson Sloane and Berings stocked her 10-stack frosted or foam cups inscribed “socially-distanced roadie” or “please, keep 6-feet apart.” Sip Hip Hooray expanded into nationwide wholesale in 2020, as well.

By 2021 the husband and wife business partners decided the time had come to open a storefront in their native Tomball. On June 3 of last year a physical location for customers to “elevate the everyday” became a reality.

“We’re confusing because we do so many things it can be overwhelming,” Meagan admits. “We’ve just always tried to make everyday things special, and the store helps people to do that.”

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, shows off matches Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, shows off matches Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.
Jon Shapley/Staff photographer

Meagan Morris, founder of Sip Sip Hooray, poses for a portrait Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at her shop in Tomball.

An ottoman-sized, champagne cork pool float is one of her favorite kitschy items. She imports specialty cocktail syrups and olive oil from a 400-year old tree in Italy, too. 

“This one guy drives in from Pearland every so often for our pickles,” she says. “He had them once in Napa, found that we stock them on Storefinder, and buys us out.

As the Morrises prepare Sip Hip Hooray’s 10-year milestone all month long, they’re also looking to the future. Meagan wants to develop the company’s couture gifting with Face-Time shopping and white glove delivery service. And she’d love to expand her brick-and-mortar to the Heights, Woodlands or Fulshear — eventually.

Luke’s eye is always on the bottom line and doesn’t to stray too far from Sip Hip Hooray’s bread and butter.

“Our top product for the whole company is still custom koozies, per my husband’s direction,” Meagan says.

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