About Brilliantly Brave

Brilliantly Brave is a greeting card publisher with a difference. Care and compassion are our business. We create beautiful, uplifting cards that not only bring joy to the people you love but also directly fund vital mental health support in your community.

How We Work

Here's where Brilliantly Brave is different: We channel 100% of our profits into providing free mental health support in communities in Scotland. Yes, you read that right – all of our profits go directly to funding initiatives like coaching sessions, support groups, and mental health first aid training.

Every card creates a triple positive impact:

It uplifts the recipient with thoughtful design and messaging
It funds vital mental health support in your community
It helps normalise conversations about mental wellbeing

Think of it this way: For every 1,000 cards sold, we can train 16 people in Mental Health First Aid. That's 16 more people in your community ready to offer crucial support when it's needed most.

Close-up: Brilliantly Brave stand at Scotland's Trade Fair, 2025

Our Story

Like many ideas, Brilliantly Brave was born over a cup of tea and a shared belief that business could be done differently. Jean, with over two decades in mental health services, had seen firsthand how underfunding was leaving communities without crucial support. Stuart brought his experience in creating the successful 'I Like Birds' brand, along with a deep understanding of how design could uplift and inspire. Together, we wondered: What if sending a card could do more than just brighten someone's day?

Making a Real Difference

Since launching in early 2024, we've been amazed by how quickly our community impact has grown. We've funded 25 free one-to-one coaching sessions, providing vital support to individuals who might otherwise have struggled to access help. We've established multiple community support groups, including launching an LGBTQ+ Community Drop-in in Lossiemouth that's creating a safe space for connection and support. Our work with women's health has led to the creation of three thriving menopause support groups, while our donation to local peer-support initiatives has helped ensure these vital community services can continue their important work. Every card sold helps us expand this impact further, creating a ripple effect of positive change throughout our communities.

Recognition

While our focus is always on making a difference in our communities, we're humbled by the recognition our approach has received. Within our first year, we were honoured with six nominations at The Henries (think of them as the 'Oscars' of the greeting card industry), including reaching the finals in the hotly contested "Best Contemporary Trend" category alongside industry giants. Our co-founder Jean was named in the prestigious f:Entrepreneur #iAlso100 list, celebrating the UK's most inspiring female entrepreneurs, and our work has even been recognised in the Scottish Parliament. We've already met with royalty to discuss what we do (and even been invited to a Royal Garden Party!). These acknowledgments don't just validate our approach – they help us spread our message of mental health support even further.

Spreading the Word

Part of our mission is to spread the word, and normalise conversations about Mental Wellbeing, both with the public but also the industries we're in. We've featured multiple times in the Greetings trade press in both Progressive Greetings and Greetings Today. We've been interviewed by Brand Untapped. Featured in Total Licensing Magazine. Appeared at Brand Licensing Europe. We've even presented to industry experts at "Nessies Den" - Scotland's answer to Dragons Den

Expanding Our Impact Through Licensing

Our partnership with renowned licensing agency This Is Iris marks an exciting new chapter in our journey. From our first meeting with Sarah Lawrence at PG Live, we knew we'd found a partner who truly understood our mission to transform well-wishes into wellbeing. This collaboration is already bearing fruit – in January 2025, we announced our first licensing deal with Stickers4, allowing us to spread our uplifting messages across new product categories. Every licensed product becomes a new touchpoint for our message, helping to normalise conversations about mental wellbeing while generating additional funds for vital community initiatives. Working with Sarah and her team opens up exciting possibilities for expanding our reach through calendars, stationery, homeware and beyond. Each new product category represents an opportunity to reach more people with our message of support and positivity, while maintaining our commitment to channel all profits into mental health initiatives.

Our Commitment to Quality & Purpose

Every Brilliantly Brave card is:

Thoughtfully designed to uplift and support

Created with input from mental health professionals

Printed on FSC-certified recycled paper, and produced by our zero-waste, solar-powered printing partner

A direct investment in community mental health support

Jean Pryde

Jean is our mental health expert, with over 20 years of experience as a counsellor, life coach, and Mental Health First Aid instructor. Through her business, Green Ribbons, she's trained everyone from local community groups to Rolls Royce, Diageo, The Macallan employees and Veterinary staff through the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. When she's not transforming lives through Brilliantly Brave, she's running The Midlife Mingle community group or possibly operating her digger in Moray! She was selected as one of the f:entrepreneur 100 most inspiring female leaders in the UK for 2025.

Stuart Cox

Co-founder Stuart's journey includes 15 years teaching design and branding in health and social care partnerships, building the internationally successful "I Like Birds" brand, and firsthand experience of homelessness—giving him unique insight into both the creative and human aspects of our mission. His "I Like Birds" brand earned nine finalist spots at the Brand & Lifestyle Licensing Awards, alongside Gift of the Year, The Calendar Awards and a Highly commended at The Stationery Awards. He's also served as a judge for License This! at Brand Licensing Europe.

Let's Connect

We believe in the power of community, and we'd love you to be part of ours. Whether you want to share your story, learn more about our impact in your area, interested in stocking our cards as a retailer or simply want to say hello, we're always delighted to hear from you. Every message, comment, and interaction helps us build a stronger network of support and understanding. After all, transforming well-wishes into wellbeing isn't just our mission – it's something we achieve together, one connection at a time.