Time. Treasure. Talent. These are the three “Ts” of philanthropy, commonly given by you or me to a deserving cause or organization. Growing up in a small town, with a family very active in our church, school, and community, I learned at a young age that giving back was beneficial not only to the recipient […]
It seems weird (read: terrifying!) to say it, but we are officially SIX MONTHS away from Christmas and less than that to the holiday season. And with the holidays can come stress. A survey by the American Psychological Association, 38 percent of people said their stress level increases during the holidays. Another survey, by Principal […]
Recently I was working with a client. And they asked me how I decided on the elements of their custom Connection Plan. Psst: If you are wondering what a Connection Plan is, please reach out. I’d be happy to tell you! (Hint: Client/Customer/Employee recognition is a key component.) Plans and Processes For starters, I’m a […]
One of my FAVORITE parts of creating a curated gift is the design of it. If there is a theme, what is it? How many things can I fit into the theme before it is too many? Staying within the budget is its own kind of challenge. How can I get the best product that […]
“So, what is it that you do?” “What is your business?” These are the questions I get all the time. Because who starts a luxury business in Iowa related to gift-giving!? What does she even do? My business is two-fold. I find gifts for special occasions. I help companies come up with ideas for their […]
I worked at TrueNorth Companies in Cedar Rapids many moons ago. For large projects I lead, I was given directions and autonomy. My boss knew where my strengths were and let me live in those and worked with me on growing and evolving in our weekly meetings. But most importantly, this company knew how to […]
We all love Top 5 Lists, right? Well, this holiday season I shopped at every site, store, and sale you could imagine! I was lucky to locate some great finds for clients, family, and friends. But what were my Top 5’s in different categories? Let’s start with what websites I found the most gifts this […]
You know when you take ALLLLL the personality tests to find out who. you. are. Well, I am pretty sure I’ve taken them all. Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Kolbe, Caliper, StrengthsFinder, True Colors, even the Four Animals Assessment! Every one of these says the same thing: I am equally right- and left-brained, creative and process-driven. I LOVE […]
What’s one of your favorite things? Gifts from family, friends, or a significant other? Maybe something entirely bought by you, for you? My favorite thing is small. It’s barely a thing. It was something my husband gave me in April for our 25th wedding anniversary, just as I decided to start my business. We joked […]
My gut has always been what I go with when it comes to gifts. I’ll be out for a totally different shopping reason and see something that screams, “MUST GET THIS FOR [insert friend or family member here]!” so I do. Who laughs at my think ahead ability: my husband. He laughs not only because […]