Shownotes
Business Inspiration
Shirley is from a long line of Entrepreneurs but here is the moment that sparked her idea. [3:60]Candle Flickering Moments
The eye-opening experience of working with her first corporate account. [15:03] Working through the surprises of a HUGE wine company project. [18:21]The Gift Basket Business
The history of the gift basket business … and where it is today. It’s an interesting story! [7:02] The reality of being in the business of gift baskets. [11:31]Business Building Insights
The impact her time in the corporate world had on Shirley’s future. [8:39] The value of getting another set of eyes on the situation when issues arise. [22:52] Shirley’s pivot from her gift basket company to training and coaching. [25:07] How to bring in business by going towards the opportunity, not waiting for it to come to you. [28:05] Tips on how to get your name in print. [31:14]Success Trait
Shirley holds integrity as one of her top personal values. She gives a powerful statement here. [33:03]Productivity/Lifestyle Tool
The traditional pen and paper are Shirley’s go to tools.Valuable Book
The Path: Creating Your Mission Statement for Work and Life by Laurie Beth Jones
Contact Links
Website 1 Website 2 Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedInIf you found value in this podcast, make sure to subscribe and leave a review in Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. That helps us spread the word to more makers just like you. Thanks! Sue
Transcripts
Gift biz unwrapped episode 70.
Speaker:If you don't see the potential in the opportunity,
Speaker:let it go.
Speaker:Hi, this is John Lee,
Speaker:Dumas of entrepreneur on fire,
Speaker:and you're listening to gifted biz unwrapped,
Speaker:and now it's time to light it up.
Speaker:Welcome to gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped your source for industry specific insights and advice to develop
Speaker:and grow your business.
Speaker:And now here's your host,
Speaker:Sue Monheit.
Speaker:Hi there.
Speaker:I'm Sue and welcome to the gift biz unwrapped podcast.
Speaker:Whether you own a brick and mortar shop sell online or
Speaker:are just getting started,
Speaker:you'll discover new insight to gain traction and to grow your
Speaker:business. And today I have joining us,
Speaker:Shirley, George Frazier,
Speaker:for those of you who don't know Shirley yet,
Speaker:she is recognized as a world authority on gift baskets and
Speaker:starting a business from scratch in business.
Speaker:Since 1990,
Speaker:Shirley is head of baskets.
Speaker:Tologist at gift basket business.
Speaker:She helps creative people and aspiring entrepreneurs to create a great
Speaker:life for themselves and their families.
Speaker:By turning their passion into a fun and rewarding business Shirley's
Speaker:books include how to start a home-based gift basket business,
Speaker:the gift basket design book and marketing strategies for the home
Speaker:based business.
Speaker:Surely conduct seminars at conferences and trade shows and provide small
Speaker:business advice on CNBC.
Speaker:Most of all,
Speaker:she loves helping entrepreneurs just like you.
Speaker:And I decide how to start a business that stays as
Speaker:small as you want or grows as large as you dream.
Speaker:Wow, Shirley,
Speaker:thank you for joining me and welcome to the show.
Speaker:Oh, Thank you so much.
Speaker:It's a pleasure to be here with you and the audience.
Speaker:Yay. I like to start off by taking a little bit
Speaker:of a creative approach and getting to know you in a
Speaker:little bit of a different way,
Speaker:and that is by understanding your ideal motivational candle.
Speaker:If you were to create a candle that represents you,
Speaker:what color would a candle be and what would be the
Speaker:quote on that candle?
Speaker:Oh wow.
Speaker:My candle color would be a balance between orange and red
Speaker:love. Love orange.
Speaker:Red is such a powerful color that that's why I would
Speaker:milled in a way combined the two colors.
Speaker:And on that candle,
Speaker:it would say stay outside of the lines.
Speaker:Why stay within a small area when all the outside is
Speaker:where the creation lies.
Speaker:So it would be stay outside of the lines.
Speaker:There you go.
Speaker:You're right.
Speaker:Staying outside of the lines allows you to create something new
Speaker:and be something different that will attract people to you because
Speaker:it's not something that they've seen before and it tests you.
Speaker:It makes you stretch further.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:Love that.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:Now, surely I just have to share with all of our
Speaker:listeners when I left my corporate world and decided it was
Speaker:a whole long story,
Speaker:I'm not going to go into that right now,
Speaker:but decided that I was going to start a gift basket
Speaker:business. The first thing that I did is what I always
Speaker:advise people to do is research,
Speaker:go find out what's out there,
Speaker:learn what other people have already done.
Speaker:And the very first person I saw in this space was
Speaker:you, you did a meeting in Chicago.
Speaker:I don't even remember what year it was.
Speaker:It was way back when.
Speaker:So it's so exciting to see how you have evolved.
Speaker:And then here I've evolved past a gift basket business into
Speaker:some other things.
Speaker:It's really cool to be talking to you in here in
Speaker:your story from today,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:where both of us are today,
Speaker:take us back to the early part of gift basket business.
Speaker:How did you decide this was something you were going to
Speaker:embark on in the first place?
Speaker:I have entrepreneurs in my family that go back as far
Speaker:as I can.
Speaker:Well, not that I can remember.
Speaker:I was told by my grandparents and my mom and my
Speaker:dad that we've had entrepreneurs since about 1900 in the family
Speaker:and probably earlier than that,
Speaker:but no,
Speaker:one's around to share that information.
Speaker:I have a great grandmother who grew strawberries in Virginia and
Speaker:shipped them to Manhattan.
Speaker:I have an aunt I've never met,
Speaker:never met any of these people who had a fudge business
Speaker:in Brooklyn,
Speaker:which is where I'm from.
Speaker:And my mom was one of her delivery people.
Speaker:My dad was a color chemist.
Speaker:He had his own color company back in the 1970s.
Speaker:And so that was the foundation for my feeling,
Speaker:the entrepreneurial bug.
Speaker:And I was deciding while I was working downtown New York
Speaker:city in the former world trade center,
Speaker:deciding if I was going to have an intimate apparel shop
Speaker:or what kind of business I was going to have,
Speaker:and my husband made a small gift for a friend.
Speaker:It was a,
Speaker:he wrapped a small core bottle with rocks glued to the
Speaker:bottom of it that he just found in the backyard.
Speaker:He wrapped it in saran and presented it to her.
Speaker:It was a gift that just lifted her spirits figuratively.
Speaker:And from that I thought about gift baskets.
Speaker:It had nothing to do with baskets.
Speaker:It was just a sweet gift that really went to the
Speaker:heart of bringing her out of the funk that she was
Speaker:in. And I thought about gift baskets and started my research
Speaker:as you had started to when we met in Chicago,
Speaker:which like you said was forever ago.
Speaker:I started looking for different.
Speaker:I started going to trade shows.
Speaker:A lot of research went into that foundation.
Speaker:And that's where things started with that small bottle of liquor
Speaker:and the rocks attached to the bottom.
Speaker:Oh, with a shot glass attached to the whole thing as
Speaker:well. Well,
Speaker:of course,
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:It's so interesting because it was that emotional connection you had
Speaker:with the product and that whole experience that made you think
Speaker:I want to pay it forward.
Speaker:I want a business that is fulfilling and provides that feel
Speaker:good. That recognition,
Speaker:that appreciation that relationship between people that then led you into
Speaker:this business.
Speaker:Absolutely. And how established really was a gift basket industry.
Speaker:At that point,
Speaker:It was picking up speed.
Speaker:And this was the early,
Speaker:very early 1990s,
Speaker:like many industries gift baskets have come and go as a
Speaker:focus for gift giving.
Speaker:They've never really gone away,
Speaker:but there is that flow of popularity.
Speaker:And then it pushes back gift basket to have been around
Speaker:from my research since 19,
Speaker:even 1913 or 1916,
Speaker:when gift baskets started through a baby's changing station,
Speaker:being the foundation,
Speaker:not a basket,
Speaker:but an actual changing station with the bibs and all kinds
Speaker:of things that you give to a baby wrapped in cellophane.
Speaker:And from there,
Speaker:it's moved through the depression in the 1920s and thirties,
Speaker:it was a ration gift that was given to the rich
Speaker:during world war two.
Speaker:So gift baskets have come and go in popularity,
Speaker:but it's never gone away in the 1990s gift baskets again
Speaker:was picking up speed.
Speaker:There were people who are giving gift baskets in the real
Speaker:estate industry.
Speaker:They wanted them made by people like us to give to
Speaker:their clients for different industries in different occasions.
Speaker:So when I started in gift baskets,
Speaker:the popularity was there and it was also confirmed by a
Speaker:magazine called gift basket review.
Speaker:That started a month after I came into the business.
Speaker:So it was a really great time to start to dream
Speaker:in a way of how a gift basket business could be
Speaker:built and how it could bring value to the world.
Speaker:Wonderful. So you started the business,
Speaker:got experience with the gift basket business and marketing and all
Speaker:of that type of thing.
Speaker:Did you have experience with that in the corporate environment before
Speaker:you started your gift basket business?
Speaker:Or how did you learn what you now teach?
Speaker:Even though I was not built for the corporate world,
Speaker:I had to put food on the table in some kind
Speaker:of way.
Speaker:And I do credit the corporate world.
Speaker:I, and I was an administrative assistant at the time.
Speaker:I do credit the corporate world for giving me a great
Speaker:foundation in terms of understanding organization and time management.
Speaker:The training that I received through secretarial school helped me with
Speaker:shorthand and typing and those kinds of things to help me
Speaker:then build my business in the business sense.
Speaker:I had to learn the design part because I have to
Speaker:tell you my designs at the very beginning of the business
Speaker:were horrendous.
Speaker:Oh, they were so awful.
Speaker:I still wins.
Speaker:When I look at what I created,
Speaker:the passion was still there.
Speaker:And even if you don't have a design sense or a
Speaker:business sense,
Speaker:you can still build on that.
Speaker:You can still learn what you have to learn because you
Speaker:have the passion for that particular industry and bringing people and
Speaker:corporations together.
Speaker:So that's how the corporate world helped me with the focus
Speaker:on building a good business and how that's done.
Speaker:I want to bring up one point here.
Speaker:Actually two points.
Speaker:Men you've led into it very nicely.
Speaker:A lot of our listeners are,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:everyone is in like the gifting,
Speaker:baking, crafting,
Speaker:designing industries.
Speaker:And all of those are different types of things like gift
Speaker:baskets is different.
Speaker:Your, you know,
Speaker:your product is different.
Speaker:Maybe you're a candle maker or jewelry designer.
Speaker:The product is different.
Speaker:The basic core issues of building a strong business remain the
Speaker:same regardless.
Speaker:So that's why I like in this podcast where we interview
Speaker:different industries.
Speaker:And even if you know nothing about the gift basket business,
Speaker:all of you gift biz listeners,
Speaker:if you are in a creative business or looking at turning
Speaker:your product and craft and passion into a business,
Speaker:all of these guests we have and topics,
Speaker:we talk about remain the same when they're so business focused.
Speaker:So that's number one,
Speaker:number two,
Speaker:surely I know you feel this way because practically everybody who's
Speaker:been in the gift basket business has to address this issue
Speaker:at one time or another.
Speaker:So just for a little more depth into the industry,
Speaker:I want to talk about it for a second.
Speaker:So many people will say,
Speaker:Oh, gift basket business.
Speaker:You know,
Speaker:that's just such a fluff fun,
Speaker:and you know,
Speaker:busy like little hobbyish type business.
Speaker:Oh, how cute?
Speaker:Oh, how sweet,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:you get that kind of thing.
Speaker:Yes. Let's talk about what the business really is like before
Speaker:we move on.
Speaker:Sure, sure.
Speaker:My husband was in that frame of mind that you just
Speaker:described saying,
Speaker:Oh, anyone could put items inside of a basket.
Speaker:Anyone could make a gift basket.
Speaker:And I had to read him his rights and let him
Speaker:know that yes,
Speaker:anyone can throw items into a basket or container and call
Speaker:it a gift basket because gift basket is the universal and
Speaker:umbrella type of term for the actual item.
Speaker:But making a gift basket takes quite a bit of skill
Speaker:and it takes knowing where to find the product so that
Speaker:if you are truly in business,
Speaker:you are making money.
Speaker:You can go to any dollar store or any local store
Speaker:and buy some grass,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:versus shred,
Speaker:which is what we buy as designers,
Speaker:as professional designers.
Speaker:And you can use saran wrap versus high quality cellophane or
Speaker:shrink wrap,
Speaker:and truly put a collection of products together that focuses on
Speaker:the emotions that need to be unveiled through whatever wrapping is
Speaker:used to hold that collection of products together,
Speaker:knowing how to keep items upright and finding the unique or
Speaker:the basic Eden enjoy products is what we look for.
Speaker:We don't just go to the grocery store and pick up
Speaker:Lay's potato chips.
Speaker:And I have nothing.
Speaker:There's nothing wrong with that brand,
Speaker:but we look for unique and clever and enjoyable products that
Speaker:represent a theme and occasion,
Speaker:and not everyone can do that.
Speaker:Anyone can just throw items in a basket,
Speaker:but it's a whole other mindset when you are creating a
Speaker:presentation that will last forever in memory,
Speaker:Exactly creating a presentation and then making an impact,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:with whatever the message is supposed to be building a gift
Speaker:basket. There's the foundation,
Speaker:there's the structure.
Speaker:There's the visibility of the different products,
Speaker:all leading to an end result,
Speaker:which is the presentation and the impact with whatever the message
Speaker:is supposed to be.
Speaker:Whether it's a Getwell appreciation,
Speaker:birthday celebration,
Speaker:whatever it is I've seen.
Speaker:The other thing is I know this,
Speaker:that when you're especially working corporate,
Speaker:where you're doing hundreds of baskets,
Speaker:it is hard work.
Speaker:Oh my gosh,
Speaker:who knew not me.
Speaker:It is physically hard work.
Speaker:Absolutely. A lot of labor,
Speaker:The baskets,
Speaker:those are heavy or pasta with the pile.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Yes. So true.
Speaker:Surely take us to a time just so that we can
Speaker:learn, take us to a time in the business when you
Speaker:met up with something that was really unexpected or really like
Speaker:a really bad time,
Speaker:because we all have them in business,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:business, isn't all beautiful and seeing the dollars coming in.
Speaker:Can you think back with something that happened specifically in the
Speaker:business where you were really,
Speaker:really challenged and then how did you overcome that issue?
Speaker:Could I be challenged in this industry when everything,
Speaker:as you say,
Speaker:as you allude to is roses and light,
Speaker:I could not have had one challenge,
Speaker:right? So,
Speaker:Well, the biggest challenge,
Speaker:two big challenges that I can think of was the first
Speaker:time I started working with a corporate person.
Speaker:And I didn't realize that I was working on the corporate
Speaker:level until I stepped back and looked at the sales for
Speaker:a person and realize that this one individual was a corporate
Speaker:person that I was working for.
Speaker:It's not always the building with 500,000
Speaker:people inside of it.
Speaker:A corporate company could be just made up of one person.
Speaker:And my challenge with that one person was watching my time
Speaker:with that person,
Speaker:just like in building a gift basket,
Speaker:you watch your time.
Speaker:You certainly have all the products,
Speaker:but you don't want making the basket to take an hour.
Speaker:I started to have to watch my time with this particular
Speaker:corporate person and not spend hours with her to get a
Speaker:$50 gift basket.
Speaker:What did she keep making changes or something?
Speaker:Well, it wasn't changes.
Speaker:It was her,
Speaker:it was balancing following her,
Speaker:but her,
Speaker:how can I say this with following her?
Speaker:Like You track her down for approval or getting the information
Speaker:or no,
Speaker:actually she would Me for a meeting to understand what kind
Speaker:of gift basket she wanted to make.
Speaker:But her role in the education system meant that she'd be
Speaker:in her office.
Speaker:But then I had to walk with her to other people's
Speaker:offices for quick meetings that she was having with them.
Speaker:I felt like I was being strung along with out a
Speaker:gift basket in mind.
Speaker:And then finally,
Speaker:after 90 minutes,
Speaker:she knew what she wanted me to make.
Speaker:And then I would go and make it and then present
Speaker:it to her.
Speaker:And it was fine.
Speaker:But the meeting itself just took too many turns.
Speaker:What'd you do about it?
Speaker:I had to school her as we have to educate our
Speaker:customers to let her know that I appreciated her as a
Speaker:customer. However,
Speaker:I was not able to track her throughout her offices to
Speaker:finally get to what she wanted me to create.
Speaker:So I told her that I was happy to meet with
Speaker:her, but it would only be for 20 minutes because of
Speaker:other business that I had to take care of.
Speaker:And even if I didn't have any other business,
Speaker:I had to help her to understand my time limit.
Speaker:Right. And it said to you in a professional light too,
Speaker:you only have a certain amount of time and give his
Speaker:listeners. Also,
Speaker:this is a perfect example,
Speaker:just because people are interested in purchasing from you doesn't mean
Speaker:that you select them as a customer.
Speaker:There are sometimes customers that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:think it sounds like you coached her enough to see that
Speaker:this is how we have to work moving forward.
Speaker:Or also I'm gonna have to charge a fee on,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:$150 for that $50 gift basket.
Speaker:But there may be times customers don't get it and you
Speaker:just need to walk away from the business because it ends
Speaker:up being more output on your end than you're getting back.
Speaker:It's a hard thing to consider specially in the beginning when
Speaker:every single sale is so precious,
Speaker:but something to know right in the beginning is especially with
Speaker:corporate people,
Speaker:you can teach them how to work with you,
Speaker:right from the start.
Speaker:And I think you're more appreciated and recognized as more credible
Speaker:if you do that as well.
Speaker:Very true,
Speaker:really interesting.
Speaker:And I think you said you had two challenges.
Speaker:So that was number one Second was when years later,
Speaker:when I started working with a wine company that called me
Speaker:out of the blue,
Speaker:they found my name on the internet.
Speaker:They needed a prototype that would be made.
Speaker:Thousands of gift baskets would be made from this prototype.
Speaker:And the big challenge with them was that they thought,
Speaker:as we talked about that gift baskets were easy to make.
Speaker:Surely it's just going to throw this together and we don't
Speaker:have to pay her much where a giant wine company and
Speaker:we're going to save money.
Speaker:And another person who is very popular in the gift basket
Speaker:industry said to me that these people have probably tried to
Speaker:get others,
Speaker:to make this prototype for them.
Speaker:And it didn't work out.
Speaker:And now they're trying to get you to work for the
Speaker:same pennies that the other person was going to accept.
Speaker:So again,
Speaker:it became education,
Speaker:the prototype itself wasn't difficult to make,
Speaker:but the,
Speaker:there were a hoops that large companies expect you to jump
Speaker:through. And even if you have never worked with such companies
Speaker:before, you have to take your time and not be so
Speaker:overwhelmed with this is a big company.
Speaker:The fact is that they've come to you because they don't
Speaker:know what to do.
Speaker:So it is okay for you to sit back,
Speaker:determine what they want,
Speaker:how you can deliver it,
Speaker:if you can deliver it and what your fee is going
Speaker:to be,
Speaker:you may never have been in this realm before,
Speaker:but whatever fee you decide,
Speaker:you're immediately to double that fee because they are going to
Speaker:take you through your paces.
Speaker:And you're going to shed a few tears and you are
Speaker:going to get stressed.
Speaker:So you need double of what you think you ought to
Speaker:get. And I got double and the prototype was made.
Speaker:My key to this is not being so excited about working
Speaker:with a big company,
Speaker:find out what they want and decide if you are the
Speaker:person who is going to help them,
Speaker:let the lesson and let the business allow you to grow.
Speaker:And if you don't see the potential in the opportunity,
Speaker:let it go.
Speaker:Don't be stressed.
Speaker:Don't cry.
Speaker:Don't shed a tear.
Speaker:If it's not going to going to work,
Speaker:then it's not what happened to work out.
Speaker:Talk about how it worked out.
Speaker:But I want to just mention a couple of things right
Speaker:here as a focus.
Speaker:You're so right,
Speaker:because when large names come to you and approach you,
Speaker:it's an ego thing and you want that business because you
Speaker:associate it well.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:If I'm working with this ex large company,
Speaker:that means I'm growing and I'm getting better and all of
Speaker:that, which is true,
Speaker:but it can also knock you to your knees because if
Speaker:they cut your price so low,
Speaker:you may actually lose money by doing the business.
Speaker:You might then not be able to accept other business.
Speaker:That's more profitable because you're in production with this big company.
Speaker:And if it ends up only being a one-time thing,
Speaker:really, what has it gained?
Speaker:You absolutely practically nothing.
Speaker:And I'm so glad you bring this up because I see
Speaker:this over and over again,
Speaker:even today,
Speaker:Shirley, I'm out of the gift basket business,
Speaker:I'm into another business.
Speaker:And I will see when I'm working with the larger companies,
Speaker:multi-store chains,
Speaker:they want to get as much out of you as they
Speaker:possibly can.
Speaker:And you have to make sure that you're putting together numbers,
Speaker:that you can live with term because they're not probably ever
Speaker:going to go up in a once.
Speaker:They've negotiated you down.
Speaker:And it's something that you can actually live with really important
Speaker:point. Shirley.
Speaker:I'm really glad you talked about it.
Speaker:All right.
Speaker:So we talked about this prototype that you had,
Speaker:that was thousands and thousands of baskets where you guys then
Speaker:producing all those baskets.
Speaker:No, we didn't.
Speaker:I decided in our negotiations that I would find an assembly
Speaker:type of company,
Speaker:a company that imported a temporary employees to be able to
Speaker:make the gift baskets in an assembly type situation,
Speaker:within a workspace.
Speaker:And I found a place in Virginia that was interesting in
Speaker:itself as well.
Speaker:So the answer is no,
Speaker:we did not make those thousands,
Speaker:but it went through your company.
Speaker:Yes, it did.
Speaker:Yeah. So,
Speaker:but you outsourced the business.
Speaker:Absolutely. Yes I did.
Speaker:Got it.
Speaker:And so you said that was interesting.
Speaker:Is there anything else to share on that topic?
Speaker:I was just going back,
Speaker:talking to another person who was in the gift basket industry.
Speaker:I was very pleased to not to just talk to my
Speaker:staff, but to also get an outside look.
Speaker:And I know the words are not love,
Speaker:but outside motivation from another person to decide whether or not
Speaker:that business,
Speaker:that opportunity was for me.
Speaker:So sometimes you can't just talk to your staff or if
Speaker:you don't have staff,
Speaker:it's not enough to talk to yourself because your mind will
Speaker:set till you either yes or no,
Speaker:without more information that you can't get from your mind.
Speaker:Because if,
Speaker:if it's not there,
Speaker:you're not going to get it,
Speaker:Or you're too close to the situation.
Speaker:Right? So getting affirmation or reinforcement that your thinking is on
Speaker:point, you know,
Speaker:you can do that with someone else who's in your business.
Speaker:I just recently got back from a gift basket conference.
Speaker:And we talked about the fact that a gift basket company
Speaker:that is in somewhat close to your town or the neighboring
Speaker:town, or wherever does not have to be your competition.
Speaker:They can be your friend,
Speaker:because if you're going on vacation,
Speaker:you may need some assistance,
Speaker:especially if you're still a one person shop.
Speaker:And just like Shirley's now talking about just for,
Speaker:I don't know that you had mentioned who the company is,
Speaker:but just for some reinforcement together,
Speaker:and boy,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:surely another option.
Speaker:And I'm just bringing this up as ideas for everybody,
Speaker:not just gift basket people,
Speaker:if you would have seen that you couldn't outsource it,
Speaker:that other gift basket company might've had production people and been
Speaker:thrilled to help you produce those products,
Speaker:you would have paid them something.
Speaker:So it would have come off of your margin a little
Speaker:bit, but still.
Speaker:So don't always think about someone in the same industry as
Speaker:a competitor with you.
Speaker:Another place to look for information is other people that,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:locally, who are also in business.
Speaker:So people,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:from the chamber or any of your other networking groups,
Speaker:that's a great reason to be connecting with other business people
Speaker:too, is not always just to trade leads and get business,
Speaker:but as support for your business.
Speaker:Absolutely on point.
Speaker:I want to talk now a little bit about how you
Speaker:turn. So you're making your in the gift basket business,
Speaker:but now you pivoted and you're doing more teaching and training
Speaker:and coaching.
Speaker:At what point did you do that?
Speaker:And why did you do that?
Speaker:I started with training and coaching in my fifth year of
Speaker:business. And I did that because I felt that I had
Speaker:turned a big corner in business by not only working with
Speaker:quite a few corporations in the insurance industries and other industries.
Speaker:I had also been on several cable broadcast shows.
Speaker:I had been on CNBC.
Speaker:As you had mentioned on the food network on New York
Speaker:morning shows,
Speaker:I felt that I had enough information to share with other
Speaker:gift basket professionals,
Speaker:how they could build their business one step at a time
Speaker:and not stay at a certain level that they felt that
Speaker:they were finished with working with more corporations,
Speaker:getting more influence,
Speaker:whether it was through radio or through broadcast television at the
Speaker:time the internet was not around yet.
Speaker:So there was no social media and such,
Speaker:but I've always loved writing.
Speaker:I've written stories since I was in first grade.
Speaker:And I felt that I was a good enough writer to
Speaker:start writing articles,
Speaker:which I did for several magazines.
Speaker:I also spoke at gift industry shows,
Speaker:not only gift basket shows,
Speaker:but also the big gift trade shows in Chicago,
Speaker:New York and,
Speaker:and such.
Speaker:And that's where the term was made.
Speaker:I, I was still making gift baskets for customers,
Speaker:especially those in education and the other sectors,
Speaker:other corporates.
Speaker:But I knew that by giving back,
Speaker:so to speak to those who were in the industry coming
Speaker:up after me,
Speaker:even though it was just a mere five years,
Speaker:it would help to strengthen the industry.
Speaker:So even if I didn't get some business,
Speaker:I knew that others in the industry would,
Speaker:and I didn't mind stepping back or reaching back and bringing
Speaker:others with me to share their expertise with the customers that
Speaker:they knew that they could get in the future.
Speaker:I love that visual that you just said,
Speaker:surely reaching back and bringing others with you.
Speaker:Haven't heard that before I am going to be repeating it
Speaker:and I will accredit it to you.
Speaker:And for you to share that,
Speaker:does this Get your wheels turning you guys?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:are you a candle maker or you know how to knit
Speaker:and you've been doing it for a long time,
Speaker:perhaps you're in business.
Speaker:Maybe you're not,
Speaker:maybe you're thinking about a business.
Speaker:Is that business producing your product or is that business teaching
Speaker:others how to do it?
Speaker:Just something to think about just a little side note,
Speaker:based on what Shirley's been talking about here,
Speaker:all right.
Speaker:On the sales.
Speaker:And do you have any tips for people about how to
Speaker:capture business?
Speaker:What has worked for you back then,
Speaker:or even today what's applicable in terms of drawing in the
Speaker:business? Drawing in business,
Speaker:I believe goes right back to when we talked about the
Speaker:motivational quote on the candle,
Speaker:which was staying outside of the lines.
Speaker:Once I believed in and was committed to making and selling
Speaker:gift baskets,
Speaker:I saw no reason to only send out postcards and letters,
Speaker:which is a great base because that does keep your base
Speaker:influenced and keep your,
Speaker:it also keeps your business top of mind.
Speaker:And it's not that I'm in the New York area that
Speaker:had me thinking about what I did,
Speaker:but knowing that I was in a decent metropolitan area,
Speaker:I started approaching larger companies visiting them,
Speaker:just so that I could speak with people face to face,
Speaker:whether it was people who I knew who were connected with
Speaker:other corporate people or in the case of broadcast media,
Speaker:going to where the media center was and delivering my information
Speaker:to them so that they could consider having me on television
Speaker:showing gift baskets to millions of people instead of a one-to-one
Speaker:kind of interaction with people.
Speaker:Also in today's day,
Speaker:social media is talked about a lot and social media can
Speaker:be a big help in connecting you with the audience and
Speaker:with the prospects you want to become clients.
Speaker:One way that I connected with a person was through Twitter
Speaker:and that person was sharing different tweets,
Speaker:as it said.
Speaker:And from time to time,
Speaker:I would share a comment with that person and this doesn't
Speaker:always happen.
Speaker:And I rolled my eyes when I read it.
Speaker:Other people had done this,
Speaker:but the person started to communicate with me.
Speaker:And from there,
Speaker:I was not only able to make gift baskets for the
Speaker:person, but also get referrals from that person.
Speaker:Another person on Twitter that I commented with,
Speaker:that person contacted me.
Speaker:And I ended up being on a television show with that
Speaker:person. So things can happen if you,
Speaker:again, stay outside of the lines,
Speaker:don't stay in a comfort zone and just try what you
Speaker:believe could possibly happen.
Speaker:Take the chance.
Speaker:Absolutely. And you will not fall on your face.
Speaker:That's the beauty of having a business and knowing that you
Speaker:can go in any direction,
Speaker:you can,
Speaker:you will not harm yourself,
Speaker:so to speak.
Speaker:You're not hurting children or animals.
Speaker:So you're just taking a chance to see where a connection
Speaker:could go as you move forward and build your business.
Speaker:But it needs to know that you're doing it.
Speaker:So your ego might get bruised.
Speaker:If something,
Speaker:you try doesn't work or you get rejected at the door
Speaker:or whatever,
Speaker:but it's not like you're in a corporate environment where people
Speaker:have to know you even did it.
Speaker:And what if it works?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:surely being on TV several times and being in trade magazines
Speaker:and all of that never would have happened unless you took
Speaker:the champs.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:Another thing is that quite a few publications will put their
Speaker:editorial calendars online,
Speaker:not all,
Speaker:but some will you have the chance to look at that
Speaker:editorial calendar because there is a link to it on the
Speaker:magazine or the publications website,
Speaker:and you can see what issues they are going to report
Speaker:on. If an issue matches up with some information you want
Speaker:to share about your particular craft,
Speaker:your particular business,
Speaker:you can send the magazine information,
Speaker:you know,
Speaker:three tips or something that you believe is going to be
Speaker:of interest to their readers,
Speaker:just plant a seed so that the editor or the reporter
Speaker:can possibly contact you so that you do get your name
Speaker:in the news.
Speaker:So that's another way that you could expand your business.
Speaker:Absolutely great tip.
Speaker:And also just mention this while I'm thinking about it.
Speaker:I don't know if all of you are familiar with Herro
Speaker:help a reporter out another great option.
Speaker:If you just go online.
Speaker:I don't know if it's herro.com
Speaker:or if you do just Googled help a reporter out,
Speaker:you can sign up to get notifications.
Speaker:And what happens is people who are writing articles need interviews,
Speaker:you'll need information from people.
Speaker:You can get notified based on certain categories.
Speaker:You check.
Speaker:If someone is looking for an area of that,
Speaker:you have,
Speaker:and that's a great way to get some additional PR for
Speaker:yourself as well.
Speaker:So true.
Speaker:Okay, Shirley,
Speaker:let's go in now to the reflection section.
Speaker:This is a look at you and some other ways and
Speaker:avenues that have helped you to be successful.
Speaker:If you were to identify one trait that you call upon,
Speaker:that's a trait that you've really had all your life.
Speaker:That's helped you drive to the place where you are now.
Speaker:What would that be?
Speaker:Man would be integrity.
Speaker:I frown for myself,
Speaker:frown on stepping on toes or harming other people in the
Speaker:industry in some kind of way,
Speaker:having some kind of backlash or some make-believe problems with other
Speaker:people in this industry or in business in general,
Speaker:I've always had integrity.
Speaker:I do what I say and if I don't,
Speaker:I own up to it.
Speaker:So at the end of the day,
Speaker:you could always be proud of the actions that you've taken.
Speaker:Absolutely. I rest my head at night very,
Speaker:very easily,
Speaker:knowing that I've done the right thing.
Speaker:Yeah. Bad Day.
Speaker:And what tool do you use throughout your business day or
Speaker:action that you take either to help you propel forward or
Speaker:to create balance in your life?
Speaker:The tool that I use is my pen,
Speaker:my pen and paper.
Speaker:That is the general tool that helps me to map out
Speaker:how I can be productive and what I need to do
Speaker:to keep balance.
Speaker:There's nowhere on this planet where I don't bring pen and
Speaker:paper, a computer 10 fail on you.
Speaker:We can black out or whatever it does,
Speaker:but I will always have at least two pens.
Speaker:I'll put it like that with me.
Speaker:And some kind of paper to write.
Speaker:Plus, you might not have your computer.
Speaker:You might have your phone,
Speaker:your notes app of your phone or something.
Speaker:But you,
Speaker:if you have an idea,
Speaker:you just want to capture it right then and there,
Speaker:because I don't know if you guys are like me,
Speaker:but ideas can be fleeting.
Speaker:Absolutely. Even a minute later.
Speaker:It's like,
Speaker:what was that idea?
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:That's right.
Speaker:So true.
Speaker:Oh my gosh.
Speaker:Surely have you read a book lately that you think our
Speaker:customers could find value in?
Speaker:Oh, I'm in the middle of a book now that I
Speaker:believe would be very beneficial.
Speaker:It is called the path P a T H and the
Speaker:subtitle is creating your mission statement for work and for life
Speaker:it's by Laurie Beth Jones,
Speaker:it is a stellar book in my opinion,
Speaker:that not only gives you the keys to mapping out your
Speaker:path, but also to staying true to what you truly want
Speaker:to do in life.
Speaker:And I have to tell you,
Speaker:I purchased this book for 50 whole cents,
Speaker:add a Bazaar.
Speaker:It was sitting up prominently on a shelf.
Speaker:It was the last day of the Bazaar.
Speaker:And my sister looked at the book and said,
Speaker:Oh, that looks like it's good.
Speaker:And I picked it up and I haven't put it since.
Speaker:Wow. The path Path we'll give biz listeners just as you're
Speaker:listening to the podcast today,
Speaker:you can also listen to audio books with ease.
Speaker:I've teamed up with audible for you to be able to
Speaker:get an audio book,
Speaker:just like this one,
Speaker:the path,
Speaker:which sounds so interesting for free.
Speaker:All you need to do is go to gift biz,
Speaker:book.com. And if you haven't already then make a selection.
Speaker:And the first book is on me.
Speaker:That's gift biz,
Speaker:book.com. All right,
Speaker:Shirley, I would like you now to dare to dream,
Speaker:I'd like to present you with a virtual gift.
Speaker:It's a magical box containing unlimited possibilities for your future.
Speaker:So this is your dream or your goal of almost unreachable
Speaker:Heights that you would wish to obtain.
Speaker:Please accept this gift and open it in our presence.
Speaker:What is inside your box?
Speaker:Oh, I do accept that gift.
Speaker:First thing I would love is partial ownership of an ex
Speaker:Oh, charter jet.
Speaker:Yes, I would.
Speaker:Let's go to the top.
Speaker:Yes. And I don't want full ownership because then I have
Speaker:to find the place to dock the plane and clean the
Speaker:plane and all that partial ownership will work.
Speaker:So that plane is where I needed to be so that
Speaker:I can board it along with may and Pepe,
Speaker:my two Yorkshire terriers.
Speaker:And we can fly to many places where entrepreneurs are and
Speaker:speak with them about their dreams,
Speaker:about their goals and help them to succeed.
Speaker:That would help me to get to a lot more people
Speaker:in a shorter amount of time.
Speaker:Nice and efficient.
Speaker:Absolutely. Yes.
Speaker:I would also accept a facility.
Speaker:It doesn't have to be large,
Speaker:but a good size facility.
Speaker:And when I say good size,
Speaker:it's a place that would hold at least 200 individuals somewhere
Speaker:between 200 and 300 individuals.
Speaker:So again,
Speaker:we can explore the opportunities that allow all of us today
Speaker:to dream,
Speaker:to come out with an action plan that helps all of
Speaker:us. Each of us reach our potential without any thought of,
Speaker:of any obstacles or barriers.
Speaker:I would also accept a pair of Rockport shoes.
Speaker:Let's go down to getting comfortable so that when the gatherings
Speaker:are over or after I get off the jet to meet
Speaker:with so many of you,
Speaker:that my feet feel good.
Speaker:That's the one thing that I cannot put on a back
Speaker:burner. There have been too many times when I've come off
Speaker:stage and my feet are look like potato chips.
Speaker:They are just crumbling from anguish.
Speaker:And I will take a pair of Rockport shoes,
Speaker:size 10,
Speaker:nice and comfortable Who she cushy bottoms in,
Speaker:but attractive got to stay in style.
Speaker:Absolutely. Your gift is so fun because true to form of
Speaker:who you are,
Speaker:your gift is also a gift to all of us,
Speaker:with your learning,
Speaker:your direction,
Speaker:your knowledge and sharing.
Speaker:And that's what you've been doing here too.
Speaker:Yes, absolutely.
Speaker:So on behalf of all of us,
Speaker:we've so appreciate all this information.
Speaker:Now, surely some of our listeners are on the run.
Speaker:They're not near a computer.
Speaker:Our show notes page will have all of your contact information
Speaker:if they end up jumping over onto the computer,
Speaker:but for people who are out and about and just listening
Speaker:and would like to be able to reach out and learn
Speaker:more about you,
Speaker:where is the single location you would direct somebody online?
Speaker:I would direct them to gift basket,
Speaker:business.com. Okay.
Speaker:So the website?
Speaker:Yes. Okay.
Speaker:Super. So if you want to learn more,
Speaker:then jump over to gift basket,
Speaker:business.com. And again,
Speaker:if you're near the computer and pull up the show notes
Speaker:page, you'll see all the additional information as well.
Speaker:Shirley, thank you so much.
Speaker:I knew that this was going to be a value packed
Speaker:conversation and you clearly came through with that,
Speaker:for sure.
Speaker:Thank you so much for all the information,
Speaker:taking your time sharing.
Speaker:I look forward to seeing you again.
Speaker:I'm not sure exactly when that will be,
Speaker:but I know it's in our future.
Speaker:And may your candle always burn bright.
Speaker:Thank you so much.
Speaker:So it's been an honor.
Speaker:Pleasure. Learn how to work smarter while developing and growing your
Speaker:business. Download our guide called 25 free tools to enhance your
Speaker:business in life.
Speaker:It's our gift to you and available@giftbizonrap.com
Speaker:slash tools.
Speaker:Thanks for listening and be sure to join us for the
Speaker:next episode.
Speaker:Today's show is sponsored by the ribbon print company,
Speaker:looking for a new income source for your gift business.
Speaker:Customization is more popular now than ever grant your product of
Speaker:your logo or print a happy birthday,
Speaker:Jessica ribbon to add to a gift,
Speaker:right? A checkout it's all done right in your shop for
Speaker:cross studio in seconds.
Speaker:Check out the ribbon print company.com
Speaker:for more information after you listen to the show,
Speaker:if you like what you're hearing,
Speaker:make sure to jump over and subscribe to the show on
Speaker:iTunes. That way you'll automatically get the newest episodes when they
Speaker:go live.
Speaker:And thank you to those who have already left a rating
Speaker:and review by subscribing rating and reviewing you help to increase
Speaker:the visibility of gift biz on ramp.
Speaker:It's a great way to pay it forward,
