Making StoriesPersonal

In March 2023, I was hunting for a birthday present for my partner. I wanted something truly sentimental, a gift she could keep forever, and a personalised book felt like the perfect idea.

I went online expecting to find a company that could do this for me. Instead, I found a lot of “almosts” and nothing that really matched what I had in mind. So, slightly naively, I decided to make it myself using AI image tools and a lot of late nights.

For the next couple of months, after work each day, I spent three to four hours writing a story and creating the illustrations. Eventually, I finished a book. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours – and it meant the world to her.

I assumed that would be a one-off. Then, later in the year, my best friend had a baby boy. For his first birthday, I wrote and illustrated an adventure book just for him: a story where he was the hero.

Soon, friends started asking if I could make books for their children and loved ones too. That’s when it clicked: this didn’t just have to be my personal project – it could become an easy, accessible way for anyone to give a truly special, one-of-a-kind gift.

In 2025, I called a friend of mine on the other side of the world in Australia – Samuel – and asked if he wanted to help turn this idea into a real business. To my surprise (and relief), he said yes. That’s how Once Upon Your Story began.

Right now, we’re continuing to expand our storybook library, while also offering personalised cards. The very first card we made was a Christmas card for my grandmother, featuring her, her brother, and her sister-in-law.

Seeing how happy that card made her reminded me exactly why this all started: to help people capture the people they love in moments they’ll never forget.

We’re still small, still learning, and still improving – but every card and every future book is created with the same simple goal: to turn the people you love into the heroes of their own story.