Phidon Story: Madeline McInnis
Madeline leading a session at the annual WLU Film Symposium.
Name
Madeline McInnis
Occupation
Writing Coordinator, Wilfrid Laurier University
Fun Fact
During my undergraduate degree, I founded the club Laurier Association of Planners and Stationers (LAPS).
Must-Have Item from Phidon
Best Gift to Give From Phidon
About Me
Most people who have met me in the store probably know me as the slightly-awkward but well-meaning part-time sales assistant behind the counter! I should have known that fountain pens would become more than a hobby when I made my first purchase in my second year of university: I couldn’t decide between the Pilot Metropolitan or the Lamy Al-Star, so I bought both. The collection has only grown since then (“always one more”, as we like to joke), and I was lucky enough to join the Phidon family, after being a regular customer for a few years, when I started my master’s program in 2019. I have very strong opinions on pink and black inks, and I can’t resist a rose-gold or light pink pen. Though I no longer work regularly on the sales floor (due to starting a full-time job at Wilfrid Laurier University), you can still find me stocking shelves after hours or writing the Phidon blogs and newsletters.
Madeline uses Leuchtturm1917 A5 dotted notebooks for all of her university notes and work planning. She especially loves the archiving stickers that each notebook comes with because they allow for such easy organization and storage! Pictured here are the colours Nordic Blue and Copper (a special edition colour that is no longer available).
How I Use Stationery Daily
I use my stationery most often for note taking and work purposes, but I would be totally lost without my bullet journal. I find that it is so helpful for keeping a busy life on track while still having an outlet for creative expression. I would also recommend a bullet journal for anyone looking to take some care of their mental health. A full journal entry can seem daunting, but even a few dashes on your page will help you feel organized, on track, and accomplished.
Favourite Phidon Memory
Helping customers find the perfect notebook is an everyday occurrence when you work at Phidon, but I will never forget one of my favourite experiences of helping a lovely young lady find the perfect notebooks. After all, these two notebooks would be held by her and her fiance as they got married and would contain their vows. There was a very certain set of requirements: the notebooks had to be small and slim, and they couldn’t be a flashy colour. We quickly decided on the Traveler’s Notebooks passport-sized refills, and the watercolour notebooks have the least amount of pages. Those were the clear winners.
This interaction would be memorable enough already, but what came next will forever cement this lovely lady into my memory. She asked if we did calligraphy on site, and I told her about our classes, not understanding what she was really getting at. She then repeated her question and asked if I did calligraphy. At this point, it clicked. I told her that I do it as a hobby and there was no way I could write on something so important, but she assured me that she only wanted “his vows” and “her vows” written on the covers. I took on the challenge because of how much faith she seemed to have in me — a total stranger. I took the notebooks to the back room, fully expecting to have to buy replacements of these notebooks with my own money because of a mistake!
And I saw every mistake right away: it wasn’t quite straight, the spacing was off, this, that, and the other thing was totally wrong. When she returned an hour later, despite my apologies, she was overjoyed. She took them with her, excited about the personal touch. I never saw her again, but I often think about the small part I had on such an important day for her and her fiance.
Thinking back, this experience taught me two important things. Firstly, after struggling with my mental health for years and nitpicking every mistake I ever make, I realised that no one is as critical on me as I am on myself. The mistakes I noticed on brush calligraphy didn’t matter to the bride, if she even noticed them at all. Even on a day that must have been so important to her, what I saw as mistakes didn’t matter.
Secondly, this experience truly made me realize how important the things we sell at Phidon are to the people who come through the doors, and now to those of you who shop online. For the bride, these weren’t just notebooks: they were a memory and tangible reminder of the promises of love that she and her, I assume, now-husband were making to each other. She may not be a regular, but it means the world that she trusted us, trusted me, with such an important part of her journey.
This bride shared her story with me, so it was easy to know how important these products were to her. However, since then, I’ve tried to keep the same mentality while I meet people and interact with them as I work, even when they don’t share the reasons behind our interactions. I no longer work in-store at Phidon, but the same mentality goes while I tutor students in writing at my full-time job at Laurier. Whether it is a small notebook that will contain vows or the latest special edition TWSBI Eco colour to add to a collection, a book report that a student will never think about again or a huge scholarship proposal, every interaction is important because it is important to the person looking for help. I hope we all can feel some of the faith that the bride put into me that day, and I hope I can help to spread that positivity to others the same way she spread it to me.