Sondra Noble | Hip Hues
Co-Founder of Hip Hues
Sondra Noble is the Co-Founder of Hip Hues, an event printing company that offers attendees a unique experience of printing their own commemorative gifts during events through creatively swag bars.
What businesses do you run?
I’m Sondra Noble, co-founder of Hip Hues, a company my sister Tracy and I started about 11 years ago here in Nashville. At Hip Hues, we set up branded swag bars at events, where people can customize and print their own branded or just-for-fun gifts right on the spot. Think of it as a photo booth on steroids—but instead of walking away with a picture, they walk away with a custom-made branded gift or takeaway.
We wanted to create something interactive and memorable, and the idea of live screen printing at events really took off. It gives people something to do, and they leave with something personal that ties back to the event they were part of. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s an experience people talk about long after the event is over.
How did you get started as an entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurship runs in our family. Our parents were small business owners, so Tracy and I grew up surrounded by that entrepreneurial spirit. We got to see firsthand what it takes to build and grow a business—the hard work, the risks, and the rewards that come with it. That mentality really shaped us.
For us, starting Hip Hues wasn’t just an idea we casually tossed around. There was an inner fire, a need to take the plunge and create something of our own. We knew that if we didn’t go for it, we’d always regret it. It wasn’t a matter of if we could do it, but when we would.
From the very beginning, we did our research. We searched for other companies offering live screen printing at events, but we didn’t find anything quite like what we had in mind. That gave us the green light to dive in. We knew we had found a gap in the market, and we believed in the concept. That belief kept us going, even through the challenges that came with launching a business.
How do you think about growth in your current business? How do you plan for the future?
For us, growth is all about continuing to innovate while staying true to our roots. We’ve grown a lot since we first started, but the heart of our business—creating fun, interactive experiences at events—hasn’t changed. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve the customer experience, whether that’s through new technology, new event formats, or expanding our offerings.
Looking ahead, we want to keep building on what we’ve already created. We’re always thinking about how we can reach more people, get involved in larger events, and create even more memorable experiences for clients. But we also recognize the importance of staying grounded. We don’t want to grow so fast that we lose the personal touch that’s made Hip Hues a success.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?
My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: Do your research and do some soul searching. Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, and it’s important to know if you have that burning desire to work for yourself, take risks, and commit to your vision. If you have an incredible idea and you see a need in the market, that’s a great starting point. But you need to be willing to put in the work to vet your idea, ask people about it, and make sure there’s demand for what you want to offer.
That’s exactly what we did when we started Hip Hues. We spent time searching for other companies doing live screen printing at events, and when we didn’t find anyone, we knew we had something special. But it didn’t stop there—we kept testing, refining, and learning as we went.
Entrepreneurship has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s not easy, but for me, it’s worth it. I get to wake up every day, continue to build and create, and know that what we’re doing is meaningful. So if you feel that drive inside of you, my advice is to follow it. But be prepared to do your homework and put in the work—it’s a journey, but it’s an incredibly rewarding one.
-
Sondra Noble 0:00
I'm Sondra noble, co founder of hip use, and my business partner, Tracy and I started this company about 10 years ago, 11 years ago, here in Nashville, and we set up branded swag bars at events. And what that means is that in a few minutes on site, people get to customize and print their branded or just fun gift for the event. And so we kind of say it's a photo booth on steroids, but instead of walking away with a photo, they walk away with their branded gift or takeaway. My business partner and I are actually sisters, and we our parents, are also entrepreneurs and small business owners, so we've grown up watching that mentality and what it takes to really grow a business, and what that means over time. And so entrepreneurship is incredible, and it's also not for everyone. For my business partner and I, it was a matter of, if we don't do this, we will always regret it, right? There was an inner need, an inner fire, to do this, and it almost superseded anything. So it really does have to be something that you are, that you believe in, and you're willing to work for so advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, I would say, do some research and some soul searching to see if this is something that you want to do. Do you have a burning desire to work for yourself, to take risks. And if you have an, you know, an incredible idea, you see, and this is where research comes into it. If you see that there's a need in the market, and, you know, you come up with a plan, and you and you vet it, you start asking people about it, you do your research. You see if there's anything out there. That's what we did when we started our business. We search screen printing, live screen printing. You know, we tried, we tried to find anyone else that was doing this, and so do your research right, see if there's a need. Entrepreneurship really has been a huge part of my, pretty much, my entire adult life. It means that I get to get up every day, continue to build, continue to create that this is a really worthwhile endeavor.
