Teacher turns medals into business gold

Carlow teacher Ana Coady turned a family idea into Little & Loveable, a growing keepsake business creating personalised sports medal boxes.

Little and Loveable, a personalised gift business based in Carlow, makes keepsake boxes that give children’s sporting medals a permanent home.

The company was founded by Ana Coady, a secondary school Mathematics and Physical Education teacher, with support from her husband John, a full-time farmer with a lifelong involvement in hurling and Gaelic football.

The business was selected by Carlow Local Enterprise Office to represent the county in the Enterprise Tent at the recent National Ploughing Championships in Tullamore.

A problem born at home

“The idea for our medal boxes came from a very ordinary problem at home: John’s medals were scattered in drawers and had nowhere meaningful to be displayed. I created a personalised box to bring them together and tell the story behind them. That practical family idea grew into a business,” Coady says.

Coady says her background as a teacher has shaped the direction the company has taken. “My experience as a teacher has helped me understand children, parents and the importance of recognising effort and achievement, while building the business around teaching and family life has encouraged me to be resourceful, creative and willing to learn as I go,” she says.

Turning medals into keepsakes

The company describes its mission plainly. “Little and Loveable helps families turn children’s sporting achievements and important milestones into keepsakes that can be displayed and treasured, rather than allowing medals and memories to end up hidden in drawers,” Coady says. “Parents often want something personal and meaningful, but many mass-produced gifts do not reflect a child’s own sport, club, crest or story.”

The core product is the personalised sports medal box. “Each box is created for an individual child and can include their name, sport, sporting figure, hair and skin tone, kit colours and up to three club crests,” Coady explains. Designs cover a wide range of sports, including “hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, soccer, Irish dancing, running, gymnastics, swimming, rugby, boxing, horse riding, basketball, athletics and martial arts.”

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Customers order through the company’s WooCommerce website, with each box personalised and finished in-house before shipping. “We also make school and county crest hair bows and keyrings, along with other personalised keepsakes,” Coady adds. “Our aim is to make every item feel like it truly belongs to the child receiving it.”

The company’s customer base extends across parents, grandparents, relatives, sports clubs and gift buyers, and Coady points to demand beyond Ireland’s shores too. “The opportunity also extends to Irish families and sports communities overseas,” she says.

Self-funded and growing steadily

Little and Loveable has grown without external investment. “Little and Loveable is currently self-funded and is growing through product sales and careful reinvestment in materials, equipment, product development, marketing and events,” Coady says. “Our present focus is on sustainable growth, improving our online sales and building greater awareness of the brand rather than raising external investment.”

Behind the scenes, the business runs on a small set of tools. “We use WordPress and WooCommerce to manage our online shop, product options and orders,” Coady says. “Instagram and Facebook help us show the personal stories behind the products, communicate with customers and test new ideas, while Meta advertising helps us reach relevant parents and gift buyers.” Digital design and personalisation tools prepare customer artwork, and online forms collect information for orders, enquiries and competitions. “Because Little and Loveable is a small business, these tools allow us to manage sales, marketing, customer communication and production without a large team,” she says.

Support in Carlow, a stage at the Ploughing

Coady credits local support with helping the business grow. “In Carlow, the Local Enterprise Office has been particularly valuable in providing advice, opportunities and visibility,” she says. That support has led to a high-profile opportunity this year.

“Little and Loveable was selected by Carlow Local Enterprise Office to represent the county in the Enterprise Tent at the 2026 National Ploughing Championships, which is a major opportunity for a small rural business,” Coady says.

She sees a wider appetite in Ireland for locally made products. “Ireland also has a very supportive attitude towards local and Irish-made products,” she says. Running a small operation still brings daily pressures. “Start-ups still face real pressures from material costs, delivery charges, digital advertising costs and the demands of managing every part of a business with a very small team,” she says.

Lessons learned on the job

Coady is reflective about the lessons of building the company. “One of my biggest lessons has been that making a good product is only one part of building a business; customers also need to understand the story, value and purpose behind it,” she says. “I have learned not to try to do everything at once, particularly across social media, advertising, product development and day-to-day order fulfilment. Consistency and a small number of focused actions are more effective than constantly changing direction.”

Understanding costs has been another priority. “I have also learned the importance of understanding costs properly, including materials, packaging, postage, advertising and the value of my own time,” she says. “Listening to customers has been essential: repeat orders, questions and feedback often show more clearly than any plan what people value most.”

Advice for fellow founders

Coady’s advice to other founders centres on starting small and staying focused. “Start with a real problem and test the simplest version of your solution with genuine customers,” she says.

“Do not wait until everything feels perfect before showing your work, because customer feedback will help shape the business. Know your numbers from the beginning and price for a sustainable business, not simply to be the cheapest.”

She encourages new founders to seek support early. “Ask for help from your Local Enterprise Office and other founders, and take opportunities that put your product in front of new audiences,” she says. “Most importantly, focus on the few activities that move the business forward. Small, consistent progress is more valuable than trying to be everywhere at once.”

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