Meredith Marmande is the creator of Local Lines, a brand new hyper-local coloring book series, where the material is designed to help you explore your community while learning useful skills.
Her first series within the brand is called Green Thumbs, with 100+ pages of colorable illustrations and local gardening tips designed specifically for your USDA growing zone, plus recipe ideas from local cooks, and highlights of local nurseries, food banks, and farmers markets.
And the colored-in images can be used as coupons at special partner businesses all over town.
Just… Awesome!
She sat down recently to share the story behind the books, along with some of her favorite under the radar books, cafes, and community gardens.
So without further ado, here’s Meredith…
1. Okay, tell us about your business! What's the backstory? And how did you get your first customer.
Back in 2020, I saw a tiktok of a mom who made coloring books for passive income. The seed was planted. In 2025, I lost someone that was very special to me, and the idea resurfaced to distract and/or help me process the grief. I have always been torn between left/right brain type of work (currently working in electric utility system implementations), so this seemed like a good outlet for my creativity.
The coloring book market is highly saturated with generalized themes of interest - but lacks local components. I love my neighbors and it takes a lot for me to even venture north Austin, so being local is very important to me.
Hence, the creation of Local Lines.
The idea is to create different series that can be applied to multiple cities, that highlight an experience or activity dependent on where you live - for example, the first series Green Thumbs is about gardening in your USDA zone, planting a tomato in New Orleans will be different than Austin. I’ve got some other series ideas, but for now, just pushing to complete the first one!
Every book will have a section called the “Local Pages” - a spin on the yellow pages, which features vendors similar to the series theme.
For example, for the Green Thumbs Austin - I have partnered with local plant nurseries, grocers, gardeners, and farmer market vendors to create “Color to Redeem” coupons, that provide a sweet exchange of a colored page for a little discount and a new connection.
2. What’s one unconventional decision you made early in your business that you believe set you apart from competitors, and how do you think it shaped your trajectory?
Making coloring books without the local component would be super quick and scalable, but I really wanted to create something that is another way to promote shopping local and community away from screens.
In Green Thumbs Austin, I feature the Central Texas Food Bank, which was super special to me because I really enjoy volunteering at their garden/value their mission, and to have that in the book to share to others is exciting.
That being said, unconventionally, I started with an idea - rather than googling market value.
I am excited about this idea - and because I’m in Austin, I can have more of a grassroots approach for sales through word of mouth - but I will have to make some moves to shape my trajectory when I start expanding to other cities and creating new series.
Love the idea of working with my besties in different cities and states - as commissioned reps, and we could have a company retreat in Mexico! Dreams.
Would obviously love if this could replace my full time job, but if it only funds trips to the beach, I’d be happy too.
3. What’s one book most people have never even heard of that you think is worth reading. (DIG DEEP - we’re looking for the books you’ll never see on the NYT list)
Hmm…it takes a lot for me to venture from mystery reads - so anything from Frida McFadden or John Grisham - or from Dolly Alderton who is hilarious (Editor’s note: This is the Alderton book that hooker her).
This is hard, because if I do venture, it’s most likely a best seller. So because this is a Business publication, maybe Into Thin Air from Jon Krakauer (best seller in the 90s).
4. What’s one belief about entrepreneurship you held when you started that you’ve completely abandoned, and what made you change your mind?
I think I’ve always correlated successful companies to be the ones that are nationally or globally recognized. After doing research, listening to podcasts, there are a lot of ‘geographically’ small and humble ventures - in which the founders are happy and have a lifestyle closer to what I want.
5. What’s one purchase of less than $1,000 that’s made the biggest impact on your happiness, health, or wealth?
One purchase! Too hard. I love buying things for happiness lol. This is a bumper sticker of an answer - but probably the adoption cost for my dog.
6. If you were to recommend one under-the-radar Austin spot to another founder for brainstorming or unwinding, where would it be and why?
Leona! Not under the radar, but it’s pretty south (and I live south).
Check out Local Lines, or follow them on Instagram to keep up with the latest, and stay in the loop as new books and locations are released.
