1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I am a wife and mother of two boys ages ten and five. For the last 4 years I have been a stay-at-home mom running lots of carpool. Before that I spent 12 years working for Aquent, a global staffing and consulting firm. I opened and managed the Atlanta office for 10 years before I moved into a role as VP of Global Accounts. I enjoy lots of sports, especially tennis and golf and spend time volunteering at my church.
2. What do you enjoy most about your profession? I really enjoy the variety of my profession which has included web site design and development as well as sales and marketing. But I have mostly enjoyed finding the products that I carry on my site as well as the women designers behind them all. I have found some great products that are unique, fun and functional. The designers of these products have all been very easy to work with and exude lots of enthusiasm for their products and my web site.
3. What are some of the trends you are noticing in your profession/industry? We have more options to buy great products than we use to. I can remember going to the local mall with my sisters and mother every Saturday. Now you are seeing more and more on-line purchases, catalog purchases and even home trunk shows are on the rise. Buyers are also looking for unique and one-of-a-kind items, which are more difficult to find when items are mass produced. Women don’t want to go to a dinner party in a fabulous new outfit and jewels only to find that someone else is wearing the same thing
4. From where do you draw inspiration? I draw inspiration from my father. He was always willing to try new things and continues to be adventurous. He worked very hard to put food on the table and put three daughters through college, but he also made time for us to snow ski, canoe and bicycle ride. Even at the age of 76 he remains fearless.
5. Tell us about the organizations your company supports? I currently am supporting three organizations: Ovarian Cycle which raises money to find an early detection test for ovarian cancer, Bouje Publishing which publishes a fictional children’s series by Jennifer Bouani exposing kids to entrepreneurship and Multi-Tasking Woman which celebrates the complete woman.
6. What life event or incident made you choose to support them? A very good friend of mine is a 13 year survivor of Ovarian Cancer. She truly shares her enthusiasm for life to everyone she meets. Ovarian Cancer kills one out of every two women that are diagnosed and the key to survival is early detection. Since my company’s ambition is to support women designers and women owned business, the charities I am looking to support are geared toward women issues.
7. What one thing would you like to learn this year? I would like to learn how to be more patient. I like things to move quickly and I need to learn that not everyone is on the same timetable as me. I need to slow down and enjoy the process and not just the end result. At this point, I am so excited about these unique products and the women-inspired producers that I want them to get them maximum exposure immediately.
8. What is the one thing you would like readers to know about you? About your company? I have a true passion for my site and the women inspired products that I represent.Women entrepreneurs and mom entrepreneurs can accomplish so many great things. I’ve been fortunate through this experience to be exposed to so many “gifted” women and I have found an outlet through my business to showcase their skills.
For More information visit: www.GiftitWomen.com
