09/14/2026
Ten years ago, I opened my first little shop.
That shop no longer exists.
But somehow, the business kept going.
I didn’t have a big celebration this year.
I went for a walk and bought myself a cupcake.
And maybe that was exactly right.
Ten years ago, I thought I was starting a gift shop. I had no idea how much this business would teach me about people, relationships, risk, resilience, faith, and myself.
The business I have today looks very different from the one I opened in 2016.
I had a retail store. I lost that space. I had to rethink everything. I pivoted. I learned corporate gifting. I made many mistakes. I found new opportunities. And I worked with clients I never imagined I would serve when I first started.
There were many times when I wondered why things weren’t moving faster.
Even on my 10th anniversary, I caught myself thinking about everything I still haven’t accomplished instead of everything it took to get here.
That stopped me.
Ten years is not only about revenue, growth, or where I thought I would be by now.
It is also about what I know today that I didn’t know in 2016.
I understand my customers better.
I understand relationships better.
I understand business differently.
I know now that creating a beautiful product is not enough.
You have to build relationships.
Create opportunities.
Ask for help. This is a big one for me.
Get into the right rooms.
And sometimes, create the room yourself.
And I’m still learning.
Thank you to every client who trusted me with an important gift. Every person who referred me. Every supplier, friend, mentor, organization, and person who opened a door along the way.
Most of all, thank You, my dear God.
For the doors You opened.
For the ones You closed.
For the lessons I didn’t understand when they were happening.
And for allowing me to still be here, building.
Ten years of JNJ Gifts and More.
I’m grateful for what has been built.
And I’m very curious to see what the next ten years will become.
