Hello everyone, with Mother’s Day coming up, I’d like to take a moment to share my story with you. This is a story about family, entrepreneurship, and what it means to build something meaningful.
Building a Business While Raising a Family
I’m a mom of two children—my eldest is 10, and my youngest is 6. Back in 2015, my husband Klaus Yang and I left our jobs at a public company to start our own business. At that time, I was just about to have my first child, who was born in 2016. Honestly, jumping back into work right after giving birth was exhausting—but also incredibly special. My kids grew up alongside the company. In the office, I would feed the baby while he played nearby. They were there for late-night work sessions, helping with shipping, and just being part of everything we were building. Even though it was challenging, every moment was full of joy.
At first, our plan was simple: run an e-commerce bag company, buy products, and sell them. Both Klaus and I had backgrounds in operations, mainly managing Shopify stores and Amazon accounts, so it made sense to start with what we knew.
But soon we realized something important—simply selling products wasn’t enough. Customers wanted solutions that truly helped them. That realization changed everything. We decided to focus on pen plotters and writing machines, not just sourcing products already on the market, but creating and improving them based on real customer needs.
Today, our software has been updated more than 30 times, and our hardware has reached the fourth generation. With each iteration, we ask ourselves: how can we make our machines more reliable, easier to use, and more useful for our customers?
Every Customer Matters
So far, we’ve served over 30,000 customers worldwide. And for us, their satisfaction is the greatest reward.
- Quality Guarantee: If there’s a problem during the warranty period, we provide free replacements. Even after the warranty, customers can always buy parts.
- Remote Guidance: Many customers are new to the machines, so we offer live video support, with our engineers guiding them step by step.
- Software Updates: If the software doesn’t perfectly match their workflow, we work hard to fix it in the next update.
Every thank-you message, every photo of a successfully completed project, reminds us why we do this. It’s not just business—it’s about helping people achieve more with the tools we create.
Challenges Along the Way
Of course, the journey hasn’t always been smooth. We’ve faced our share of challenges:
- Competitors registering brand names similar to ours without providing support, which affected our reputation.
- Malicious negative reviews on our Amazon products.
- Multiple chargebacks from the same address, even after the customer received the machines.
- Customers who promised to pay customs fees but then refused to accept the shipment.
There were nights when I would cry quietly, frustrated at the money and products lost, feeling helpless. But the next morning, seeing my children’s smiling faces gave me renewed hope and strength.
Thankfully, most of our customers are kind and patient. Many are over 50 or not very tech-savvy. The first time we guided them remotely, they were shy, but they followed our instructions carefully. Every time they successfully ran the machine, they praised our team and our products warmly. Those moments made me feel proud of the business I built and reaffirmed that leaving our previous jobs was the right choice.
Brand Spirit: Legacy Over Profit
One of our distributors once asked me, “Would you ever sell your company to a big corporation if they offered a lot of money?” It’s a natural question. Many entrepreneurs think about it.
But from my perspective, having a strong brand soul is far more important than short-term profit. A company lasts because it has a mission, values, and culture that can be passed on. For me, this is not just a job—it’s a legacy.
I want my children—and even their children—to be able to continue this work. As long as there is a need for our machines, we will be here. Money is only a result, not the meaning itself. The journey—helping customers, growing our team, creating something trustworthy—is what truly matters. As the Chinese saying goes, “A parent plans far ahead.” Short-term gains are not our goal; long-term value and meaning are.
Looking Forward
Looking back at the past ten years, I feel grateful and blessed. The support from our children, our customers, and our team has given our business warmth and purpose.
In the future, I hope we can spend more time doing things that truly matter—not just selling machines, but providing solutions for creators and businesses. Not just earning profit, but building a brand that can be trusted and passed down.
This Mother’s Day, I want to say thank you to all of our customers who support us. And to all the moms out there balancing family and career—keep going. It’s not easy, but every smile, every small success, is worth it.
Thank you for trusting us and walking this journey with us. Here’s to the next chapter—together.
Una Tao
CEO of UUNA TEK
April 13th, 2026