https://www.listennotes.com/e/9061b6961f3e47edaeeb5aef2296cd28

We need to be thinking about other people in a much more serious way. I mean, we should always be thinking about other people, but now is a moment where it should be even more at the forefront of what we're doing and how we behave.

This is your Badass Journey podcast. I am Kareen Walsh, serial entrepreneur, growth strategist, executive leadership coach, and bestselling author. Each week, I will bring you a guest thought that will help you align what you love with what you do in order to build that badass life and business you dream of. Welcome, welcome to today's episode. I have such a gift for you. One of my dear friends, I asked her to be on the show because she has gone through such an amazing journey in launching her first business.

In.

The pandemic last year. It launched right at the end of 2019, and then she had to navigate what to do in 2020 as things changed. As someone who has been in my life since we were, I don't know, five, I think, is when we met in kindergarten, being a part of her journey and also having her support in my life, I felt it was time to share her with all of you and also make sure that you feel that you can be gifted this year. Her company is called Gift Me Chic and she is Elizabeth Jones Hennessy. She and I have had amazing connection over the years and when it comes to not only friendship but business and when She introduced her desires to me when she was navigating how to really figure out what is the business that she wants to build and launch and how does it stay aligned with who she truly is and make sure that all her inner gifting shows and is something that is also relevant and that others can benefit from. Gift Me Chic was born. And so on today's episode, she shares her journey with us. and we dialogue a little bit too about what is it that is challenging or was challenging for 2020? How did she align, realign, pivot as some people say? And then where is she today and what is she going after next? I know you're going to be inspired by today's conversation. Make sure you connect and check out Gift Me Chic. That's G-I-F-T-M-E. CHIC.com and follow Elizabeth. It's Elizabeth with an S. Elizabeth Jones Hennessy on Insta as well as @giftmeshic on Insta so that you can stay connected after you walk away with amazing takeaways from today's conversation. We jump into creativity. We jump into how to really use and curate your inner eye, like what what you desire, what you like to connect with, but also gift to yourself and to others. So I hope you enjoyed today's conversation. You know I love hearing from you. And yeah, let's just jump in. Here she is. Welcome, everybody, to another episode on your badass journey podcast. I am so excited to introduce you to one of my most favorite people in life. and another badass in business, Elizabeth Jones Hennessy. Welcome, Elizabeth.

Thank you. Thanks for having me. I'm really happy to be here.

It is such an honor to share you with my guests because you have had such a most, one of the more recent journeys, especially during a COVID year of launching a brand new business. And since we've been long-standing friends as well as in each other's business lives, like supporting each other as accountability partners and just kind of cheering each other along. I really wanted to have you on the show because I feel like a, the concept of your new business is something that I think should be of top of mind for everyone, especially after a year of feeling like you have to hold on to everything and the, the essence of gifting and you know, sharing and connecting with others kind of got a little bit off kilter. But the second reason too, is that you have been so courageous to stick with it and keep going even through the challenges of the economy that we even had, you know, in 2020. So before we jump into your business model, what it's all about, et cetera, let's give our listeners a bit of your background on how you came to launch Gift Me Chic and become an entrepreneur.

Okay. Well, this was definitely a long journey. It's not something that happened overnight. I've always loved retail. When I was in high school, you may or may not remember, I worked at a store called Spangles in the town of Rye. And that really piqued my interest in retail and buying. I did my senior thesis on that, her business. she took me with her on buying trips, which was really fun and exciting. And so when I graduated college, that's the career path that I chose to pursue. And I went through the executive training program at Sachs Fifth Avenue. And I spent six years of my career at Sachs Fifth Avenue, really working through the ranks from assistant buyer, associate buyer planner to becoming a buyer. and I loved it. It was exactly what I wanted to be doing. I grew up, I like to say, in the fashion portion of the business, but then as a buyer, I moved into cosmetics, beauty, and accessories. And after leaving Bergdorf's, I got recruited to-- oh, sorry, after leaving Saks, I was recruited to Bergdorf Goodman. Also into the beauty world, and I spent four years at Bergdorf's. While I was at Bergdorf's, I launched a brand exclusively, which was called Killian Perfumes. And the brand really took off. It was very exciting. I brought it in from Paris. A year later, the founder and owner of the brand asked me if I would consider leaving Bergdorf's to open his US subsidiary and be the CEO of North America. And I always say it's one of those moments in life when you see a train passing and you have to make a decision. Do I get on the train? or not. And obviously it was a huge risk. I had a young child at home and I was going through a separation at that time. And I said to myself, you know what? This is an amazing opportunity. I'm going to take the risk. And I did. And it was a very exciting journey to move from retail into wholesale and really learn how to build and grow a business. And although you do that as a buyer, it's very different on the wholesale side. And outside of Bergdorf's, we started launching SAC stores. So it was quite perfect for me because I was able to maintain my relationship with Bergdorf's. I was able to pick back up my relationship with Saks. And I had a great relationship with both. And it was really exciting and encouraging as we started to build out the business. And I spent eight years with Killian doing that. And up until the point where the brand got sold to Estee Lauder. And it was at that moment when I had to take a look at myself and what my passions were and what I wanted to do. and of course, you know, well, not of course, but Estee Lauder did say, okay, Elizabeth, you know, what job do you want?

Right.

Yeah.

They'll offer you everything.

Yeah. You know, I've been in those, you know, corporate environments, and I really wanted to step out on my own and get back to retail. But of course, there was a lot of fear involved. I've never been an entrepreneur. I wasn't quite sure how to go about it, you know, based on the fact that brick and mortar is really tough these days. It has been for a while. Everything is happening online. My professional has always been with brick and mortar. So, you know, entering this space of e-comm felt really daunting. And of course, and on top of it, looking at the space of what was out there in my business and not oversaturated. I've always loved fashion, I've always loved accessories, but there's just so much competition, you know, Net-a-Porter and all the department stores and et cetera, et cetera. So I knew that that wasn't what I wanted to do because I really did wanna stand out and do something that was different and more needed. And this led me into, well, the first step actually is it led me to start a blog and that's something that it was sort of this interim portion of my career path and tiptoeing my way into e-commerce. And the site that I launched, the blog that I launched was shoppable. I had affiliate links. I was a member of RewardStyle. And in the process, I was building my Instagram, building the following, sending out newsletters. And at the time, you know, I was really thinking, okay, where do I want this to go? What am I doing? And it was hard, very hard on myself because I, you know, I came from this really strong professional background that I was really proud of. And I sort of said, okay, what are you doing? You're not a blogger. But at the same time, knowing that I was figuring it out and that was okay. And I allowed myself that time to do it. And I, I'm lucky enough that I was able to do it from a financial standpoint, which most people don't have the luxury to do. So I really appreciated being able to take that time and do that. And again, really thinking about, okay, I want to get back to retail. How do I make this a serious business? And I remember very clearly I was in an airport lounge and all of a sudden it came to me, if me chic. And I thought, wait a minute, what is that? You know, it just started.

I love those messages. I love when those messages just come. Oh, yes. so Gift Me Chic was just a calling, like it showed up.

It showed up. And I knew that I'd been thinking a lot about the space and what was I missing when I went shopping online? And very often I need to find a gift for someone and I'd go to a department store website and it's just overwhelming. At first you have to find your way to the gift section.

Yes, it's so true.

And then you have to comb through thousands of products. and what I felt, what I didn't see or didn't have was a concept store online.

If you think curated, like there's that.

Curated and special and someone that with an eye and a professional background that you trust, they know what they're doing. It's not a vanity project. And as I really looked at the space and I started to do research and look at what the competition was, There was no one that I felt was in, and I hate to use the word luxury because luxury connotes expensive and it's not about being expensive, but for me it's very much about being elevated and sophisticated and having a clear point of view. And so this is where I really developed the concept of Give Me Chic. And what excited me was thinking about all the things I see and have seen as I travel. I used to be living between New York and Paris. I was in Paris every month, also traveling quite extensively throughout the world when I was building Killian because we were expanding the brand all over. And whenever I go to a new country, the first thing I want to do is taste the food and go shopping.

Yeah, of course. That's how you get to know what the country's all about, right?

You know, you want to find a souvenir, but for me, it was beyond that. It was like, wow, what are the stores here? what kind of products do they have? What can I find here that I can't find in the US? For me, that's the thrill of the discovery. And I pretty much have a list of brands that are.

Yeah, because you have been.

Yeah, pictures I take notes just for fun.

Yeah.

So that was my springboard. And I will say thanks to you, I was able to get there more confidently because you and I were working together. you know, just throughout that process of leaving the Killian brand and trying to figure out what the next step was in a real professional, serious way. And you really helped me a lot. So I just want to thank you.

And, well, that's our friendship.

You know, time and energy to help me find the clarity. Because sometimes I think that's the hardest part is just finding the clarity. What are you passionate about? What's going to make you happy? Where, what can be successful? in a number of ways, you know, from within your own pride and also financially, we all need to make money. And, you know, so, and I think for me, and again, one of the biggest things you helped me with was getting over my own fear, you know.

I was also knowing that there were examples of concepts that came to fruition once you got the clarity on the concept, you know, when it, this is just something for, for everyone who's listening who's sitting in that, I have this idea and I have no idea where to take it, and it's feels so completely different than what I have been known for. Like there's this fear of the change in identity that happens when you are evolving into that next version of yourself. That sometimes, and I appreciate all of our conversations we had at that time because it was just a time truly for me to listen and help articulate back to you what you were saying and what you actually knew. and you kind of need that in that time of transition to know that it's possible, but also knowing that you could continuously build upon it as you step forward into it. Because I remember those moments of our conversations when you were on the cusp of, do I head the blog in this direction? Do I really build Giff Me Chic the way I want? Should I go into this more of building my own personal brand and then building everything off that? There was all sorts of questions happening, which there should be. because you shouldn't be, our lives are meant to be grandiose and big and high vision. But yeah, to get to that clarity is of course my pleasure because I love every time we have a conversation. And for those of you listening, she and I have known each other since we were, what, like six years old or something like, yeah, five, six, something like that, where we have been woven into each other's lives, where when we have our conversations together, It is so deep rooted in love first that no matter what we are talking about, especially when it comes to business, especially when I, with all my strategies and the ways I'm like, we can figure out how, girl, we could just totally figure out how, like, tell me what you want.

Let's go figure it out.

Like, that's my energy. What I love is that when I can help friends like you who are so gifted and talented, just get that belief in self to say, let's go forward, let's go do it. And who do I need and connect you with who that looks like. It was, that was just like an honor for me to be part of your journey at that time. But to see where you are today is even just more exciting because it's happening, you know? Yeah. So you took that, you took that step. You decided, I'm going down the gift me chic route. You had this awesome list of potential vendors or through your relationships, products you wanted to put on it. You were diving your first dive into like true e-commerce because, you know, the Killian brand had that part to it, but it wasn't under your direct management to lead and launch it. You were more in-store direction. So tell us a little bit about the journey of that leap, right? To put that stake in the ground and doing it, and then the timing too, because I think it's important for people to know the timing that you actually launched and then the year that we had last year.

Yeah. So, yeah, you know, I like to walk before I run.

This is smart.

And this is really what I did for a multitude of reasons. So what I did, I mean, to your point, we said, okay, I'm going to do this. So let me start with my connections, my network. What brands do I love? And I wanted, this was back in back to 2019, like it was so long ago.

It feels it though. I mean, come on.

It's like it was eternity ago. Yeah. And it was it was really the second half of 2019 where I said, okay, I need I want to do this and it would be a shame for me to miss the holiday season. So let me do this in a small way just to get myself off the ground. So I worked with a small branding agency. I found a small web developer, you know, really working within a tight budget. And I reached out to ten different brands and I gave them a deal they couldn't resist. From our standpoint, I'm like, I want you on board. and here's what it's gonna look like. And that's what I did. So I launched around the Christmas time of 2019 with 10 brands. And for me, that was a proud moment, you know, just, okay, you know, I took the first step. And I did some business. It wasn't huge. I didn't put any money into marketing. It was really using my network, sending out newsletters, and Instagram, which I had built, which I realized now, okay, you weren't just a blogger.

No, you were a total, you know, in your space. You just didn't want to see it yet. But yeah, that was beautiful.

Yeah. And so, so that's what kicked it off. And then when I, then we led into 2020 and I saw that there was an opportunity to really take it to the next level. And through you, I met two wonderful consultants, one of whom was a financial strategist and the other one a brand strategist. And we collectively said, okay, there's so much more potential here. So we started with the frame, the hardwiring of the site, the site itself, all the other, the aesthetic of it, the branding. And we spent a good portion of 2020 really putting it all together, making it as beautiful and functional with the best user experience that we could imagine. And also thinking about all the things that we want to come, which we couldn't implement this year. but setting up again the framework, knowing that there is so much potential going forward and things we want to implement into the site. And, you know, it was a year-long process for the most part and through the process as we know COVID hit. And it, my position has always been about thoughtful gift giving. You know, it's fine there's occasions, but there's also all year long. and all year long fine. You also have birthdays and anniversaries and new jobs and all of that. But then there's times where you don't need an occasion to have to give a gift. You say you want to send someone just a small token to say, I'm thinking about you. And COVID made it even more relevant for my messaging because here we are, we're stuck at home, we're scared, we don't know what's going on. and we can't see people, especially our families. And that's when I felt that, you know, we need to be thinking about other people in a much more serious way. I mean, we should always be thinking about other people, but now is a moment where it should be even more at the Forefront of what we're doing and how we behave. So, you know, again, throughout the year, we really Define the messaging and I don't want it to, you know, I wasn't taking advantage of COVID because it was coming before COVID but it's something that I would feel, like I said, that we're strengthened and is strengthened and I hope to be hope then to become the baseline of where we go after COVID.

The thoughtfulness of it all, right? Like I always translate the gift giving like the is you give, you gift your time. and I know on your site too, you have amazing experiences too, with some of the colleagues in your network and the that they that people can actually buy a consultation like it's not just physical product, which is really great because sometimes people need that care. And then there's also the just fun messaging or, you know, you have these awesome stationary cards that have really nice sayings on them and, like, you know, that have, like, a fun, just pick me up to them, but also laughter about it and just witty light.

Yeah.

And then there's really unique artistic gifting, like things, one-oF-A-Kind things that, you know, could only be really seen through your site for getting access to it because they're, they're, like, smaller Brands, which is another, I think, amazing way to give back because so there's so much in the retail world now that has shifted that. people and their purchasing power has become more thoughtful, is what I'm seeing, right? The frivolous way of buying, unless it's like a nice, you know, sweat set, like a, you know, the cool hoodie and the tie-dye fad that's going on and like, you know, all the things where it's like, it's more because you know you're going to use it every single day. The ad hoc buying just to buy it because I see it energy has gone because people are really wanting to have more meaning behind what they're purchasing. And so I don't think it's anything about taking advantage. And if anything, you were already thinking ahead of how a buyer will be become or should become, because it has to have thoughtfulness behind it. And it's an investment, you know, like you're investing your time searching for that item, buying that item, getting that item to either yourself, gifting yourself, I know, is a big part of, of gift me Chic as well, because there are beautiful things there that you're going to want for yourself. But I think it's really great because that thoughtfulness is just needed so much right now.

Yeah. No, it's. It's. It's true. And thank you for recognizing that. It's interesting, you know, because, you know, probably the most used term other than where's my mask is pivoting. Right. Everyone had to pivot because.

So true.

You have to think about, okay, what is my business and how, you know, how does it need to change in order to still be successful during these difficult times? And so you were mentioning the experiences that I offer. And for me, that really was the pivot in a way.

It was an original landscape.

Yeah. Because you're, to your point, you know, yes, you can always send a beautiful candle or a gift of any sort, really. And I do have a multitude of categories that I cover, you know, from home to art, to accessories and books, stationery, et cetera. You know, one of the fun parts actually was this pivot and thinking about, okay, what do people want and need while they're at home? You know, we still want to give gifts. We still want to interact with people. We still want to learn stuff and feel like we're getting out of the house even if we can't get out of the house. Yeah.

No experience.

Yeah, exactly. So this is where, you know, again, I thought, thought hard about it and talked to a lot of people and came up with some really cool ideas. You know, one of the things actually that I think you purchased.

Yeah. With page.

Yeah. The page novic bespoke personalized crystal experience. Yeah. And, you know, i've actually had some, quite a few sales with that, and a number of celebrities were gifted that not too long ago.

Beautiful. Because she's such an amazing, just. just being love page.

Yeah.

But also, like, when you, when you do that session with her, then you also can find the pieces from her collection, too. Not that it was like an entry into her collection, but you want pieces from her collection because they are so beautiful. I don't even have my earrings on today. I think I, after my session with her, I bought two really cool, small hoop earrings and then one big, Crystal one. And then I even did a custom piece with her because I got to build that connection with her. And she knew me through that session we had together. And it was just a so it and she is such a gifted person that just being in her energy and space. Yeah. You leave like elated, you know, I gotta I have to have it on the show too. So my listeners can get to know Paige also. She's amazing.

Yeah, definitely. And for your listeners, you know, I think just as a bit of background, Paige is a dear friend of mine and she's a jewelry designer. But over the past couple of years, she has incorporated crystals into her jewelry in more of a healing way. And so now she's a certified crystal healer and she offers intuition counseling as well. And so, for example, you know, someone could go get on the phone with her for one of these consultations and says, okay, you know, I really want to draw love into my life, you know, looking for a partner and you know, and then of course she'll talk to you about that and what is you're looking for and the energy behind that. And, you know, again, this is just an example, but Rose Quartz is the stone that is known to bring that energy into your life. And so that's how she helps you navigate. And it's not necessarily a cell, you know, like, oh, now, oh, it's not at all.

Yeah, but you want then in your life. And then just having that as an ease as her to be that go-to person. so that in other words, it's the gift that keeps on giving. Like, it's, it's in the relationship that you get to build through your relationships by coming through gift me Chic and the fact that you're giving this opportunity to have access to someone like Paige in her new Evol evolved self. Right. And on top of her amazing jewelry line, it just keeps it so relational like the. And, and so you want to keep going back to it, you know, is what, it was my point. I, I, I. only know her through you. Like if I didn't know you and if I didn't purchase that consult through the Gift Me Chic, I would not have had that experience and these gorgeous pieces now that I have in my house, but also the connection with her. I know I can call for another session if I need to, or if I want to curate now a really cool gift for someone else in my life. Like this is just a new way of doing it. It was a great experience to come through your new business. You know, it's really and deep relationships, which is nice.

Yeah, no, and thank you for that. I mean, it's true is, you know, from so besides Paige, we've offered, you know, a wine tasting with a, you know, a sommelier or a family cooking class with with a dear friend who has something called the Creative Kitchen is her business and a nutritional consult with my nutritionist actually the past- that's huge. and then there's, you know, a few others, but, you know, back to this idea of what do people want during COVID And, yes, it's about gifting in the physical products, but then there's this gifting of spirit, gifting of energy, the gift of learning, you know, a big.

Part of self-care because I think that that was, like, the underlining demand that started to spike, you know, really early in the year was there was this exhaustion of from the fear that happened the first few months, everyone thinking, oh, well, just going to be open in the next few weeks kind of energy. Let's survive this. Right. And when you're in survival energy for too long, then you're off your center, really. Like you create new imbalances and then realizing how long it's actually gone for. Like we all did not expect this. So I think a new lens had to show up on well, how do I actually check back in with myself and how can I still take care of myself in this circumstance? And what's the best way for me to do that? And so for you to have that consciousness in your, I mean, to me, it's more of an expansion versus a true pivot. Yeah, it's just like a new line of offering that is still very much aligned with your thoughtfulness of your brand and how you do business. But I think that that was really just a smart way to introduce to people how else they can actually take care of themselves, but also potentially gift it to someone else. And a lot of people don't think about gifting services in that way, like the self-care services. And I think because of the year we've had, more and more we see that coming up. Right.

Yeah, that's true. Experiences, it's true. And the other thing, you know, you mentioned earlier, in terms of what people are looking for is, and they're not going to find on those big websites of department stores for the most part, are really exclusive special products coming from anywhere. I don't want to just say other parts of the world would be coming from New York. But, you know, being able to go somewhere that is curated, like we said before, and then. And find things that you've never seen before. I mean, I have some brands and gifts that you'll say, oh, I know that brand. I love that brand. But then I have some that you probably won't know and hopefully will find super cool and exciting and interesting. And for me, that's what makes the assortment interesting, is to sort of have the comfort of the ones you know, but then have that thrill and Discovery of the ones you don't know. yeah.

My favorite is when Elizabeth goes on to the. Whether they're, they're not called Market Expos. Like, they're. Yeah, the shows. Because then she, she Grams about it, and so you get to see, like, also, you guys have to follow her on and stuff just so that you can see, like, the process also, the behind the scenes part of what it means to actually curate and her decisions on what actually gets sold. through Gift Me Chic, but also I'm sure ends up in her own home too sometimes. Use that retail license that you got for curating your own home. But it's really cool because there is so much out there. And I do think that when we get stuck in always going to the larger stores to curate our life or the brands that are known, let's just say, then we're missing out. And we're also missing out on helping those artists and or creators of these amazing, beautiful products and services that we otherwise would not have access to unless we are paying attention and finding the entry point, you know, so to have your curation about it, but also you share a lot too, because when you do write about each of the people you are purchasing from, like you are sharing like about the background of that brand or, you know, how it came to be, or if it's an exclusive, you know, creative person, you're sharing the story about it, too. So it's. You feel like you're a part of it, and it's not just, oh, I like that item, and I'm just gonna buy it. You know, like, there's an actual connection to it, which is really great.

No, I I. That's really nice to hear. And I really appreciate that because, you know, the brand is give me sheep by Elizabeth Jones, Tennessee, and I. I never wanted to seem narcissistic in a way, like it's all about me, you know what I mean? It really is a personal story, you know? When I discover a brand, even some of them are my friends and some of them are not. Some I've discovered at the Maison and Up Jay Trade Show that, you know, something like that that you mentioned. And some I found on Instagram.

Totally.

Whoever I, whichever brands I find and connect with and bring to give me Chic, there becomes a personal relationship. because that's how I am. I'm not going to work with you if I don't feel a connection and love with your products and vice versa. You believe in give me chic. And so I've been trying to make them, to share the stories with my audience, to show, and that is personal and for people to connect with it on a different level than they would maybe just going to Saks or any department store and reading about the product and that's that.

Well, it's very rare that you can actually connect with the maker of something when you're going to a larger store. You're dealing with the sales team of that store or whoever has been trained in that brand. You know, it's a very, it's a different system as opposed to, like, the background. And there's value to that. I'm not devaluing that at all. I, the, what I like, what I like about what you are bringing to the table is the unique. the uniqueness of the experience. And when you are investing in that purchase, that there's, there's an actual energy exchange with it. You know, it's not just a, yeah, go swipe my card and buyer's remorse later. Right. I'm purposely getting this because I feel a certain way and I, like, must have it because of not only this is a beautiful object, but then it's also, it, you know, has a great story behind it, too. which is really cool. In this past year, I'm curious, what is a moment that you are most proud of that occurred with, you know, launching and building of Give Me Sheik? Because I remember, and this was before like your soft launch, like you said in 2019 when I was checking in with you and you were like, Someone I don't know bought something. And that was like the most exciting, that is the most exciting moment for any business when it's not in your network. is actually coming and like buying from you. So we cheered that and cheers to that one because that's huge. That means you've gone past, you know, your inner circle. But I'm curious since that moment, because that was in the beginning soft launch, was there anything that happened in this past year that you're like, I'm beyond elated that that was something that I could do, produce, or have experienced in my business?

Yeah, I mean, I will say two things because you're so right. Every time so you know, we're on Shopify and every time we get an order or my phone dings. Yeah.

Beautiful.

Two of my team members. So we always check the phone and we say, okay, this is what we just sold. We got an order. And, you know, right now it's very all hands on deck, right? So we're a small team. We run very lean. And it's, it's really exciting because, you know, now a lot of the orders, the most of the orders coming in are from people. I don't know. And so every time I don't know the person. I don't know.

Yeah, yeah. But it's such, it's so great because that means you've expanded your reach.

That's huge.

Yeah. Yeah.

Thank you. There's way more to go because, again, I'm running lean and I haven't put the funding into marketing that will take me to the next level. That's, that's. But I would say, you know, going back to your question in about a year ago, I actually just did a post, Instagram post about this today, about a year ago, I was walking in the West Village, and I saw Like a piece of street art on a post, a pasting, a wild pasting on a light post. And it was a cartoon looking character with a big head and big eyes. And then this very soft body that was more in a position in sort of a humble way and a heart on her chest. She said, Something good is worth finding.

Oh, beautiful.

I said, oh my God, look at this. It was the beginning of COVID I want to say it was April. and we're really wearing our masks and the streets are sort of empty and we're sort of trying to get a feel of what's going on. And it was really-- I mean, I stopped in my tracks and I said, Look at that. And it was-- it was just-- it really inspired me. I took a picture and I posted it and it was really inspirational. And I didn't know who the artist was. I didn't know anything about it. And somebody commented on my post and said, oh, I love @sign@cbnewyork. She's one of my, it's one of my favorite street art that you see. So I quickly clicked on @SavvyNewYork and I fell in love with her account and I DM'd the artist whose name is Libby Schodel and I said, Hey, I just want you to know I saw your Phoebe and this one and I was really inspired by it and I just want to say thank you for sharing this, your art with the world. Yeah. I didn't have any other ideas. I just felt like I needed to reach out and get in touch with.

You and you shared it. That's beautiful.

And she wrote me back and was really nice and was, thank you so much. And, and then I started, my will started turning, and I said, you know, maybe there's something we can do in the future together. This is what I'm doing. I'm launching a business. And I said, I'd love to see in touch. And months and months go by. And again, I'm still sort of thinking about this, and we're putting together the launch timing and what are the activations we're doing. And I said to myself, you know, I'd really love to collaborate with Libby. And I reached back out to her and we met up and had a tea and really talked about it. And we came up with three different Phoebe personas. And every Phoebe that you see out there in the streets is wearing a different outfit and has a different messaging. I mean, a totally different look. And she, you know, she sketched out a bunch of different options. And we decided on three. And each one had a different messaging, but all related to gift giving and being thoughtful and finding your gift. You know, she's got a gift. And, and, and, and then, of course, I, you know, co-branded them, gave me she. And it was, it was a guerrilla marketing campaign, and it was really cool. You know, it was out on the streets. We targeted Soho, West Village, Meatpacking, Nolita and the Bowery. And we went out and we different sizes. And some of the sizes we did were like these giant I don't even know what you call them, like really giant size.

Yeah, like 18 by 24 kind of thing, like the big.

Yeah. And, and the first time, so we did two rounds of pastings. We did one in November and the other one in December. And when I went out in November and I was with my photographer and one of my colleagues, and we got to the first one and I just started crying, you know? I was like, oh my God, you created that. Yes. I was so happy and so proud. And it's like I had this idea, you know, and then to see it come to fruition was just so special and meaningful. Yeah.

And also that was huge. I can totally understand why also you physically seeing it in the space of New York, like your brand is showing up on the walls in a beautiful collaborative art piece. and just the-- I'm getting goosebumps from it because just your creativity is shining that way, but because you are used to also your decisions showing up physically in a retail store and then not being able to have that experience yet, because we don't know where GIF-ME-SHIC might head towards later, but to have something physical about GIF-ME-SHIC out in the world that you designed with such an amazing artist and now you can walk the streets and see it throughout the, it was throughout the winter. And I'm sure it's sometimes in New York too, right? Like they, they over post on things like, yeah, they over post on them and stuff.

The one that's hit, that's still protected because there's scaffolding that went up. Nice. Let's see the whole scaffolding.

That's awesome. But what a beautiful thing. And also to, to be a present, you know, entrepreneur in Manhattan during the pandemic year where so much has been like shut down and slowed down and closed that you were still showing New York that we got you. Like we are still out here. We're putting beauty up on the walls and we are doing business. We're open for business. Like that is huge. But I love that. That's such a beautiful, that is such a beautiful event to have created for yourself, but also so long standing, you know? Well, tell me again the quote from the first one you saw, her first image.

Something good is worth finding.

Something good is worth finding. I mean, if that's not a mantra to take away from today's conversation, I mean, it's so worth it. Well, this has been so awesome sharing you with our listeners. And I know anybody in the retail space has been feeling or who's a creator with a new product or trying to just put something out there. I'm sure was inspired by today's conversation because it's so easy to give up on your dreams when you're sitting in uncertainty. And what I love about being a witness and a dear friend, cheerleader on the sidelines for you and your journey is that, you know, even though it was scary, you still stepped into it and you're continuing to step into it every single day and learning and tweaking and moving it forward, because that's really what business ownership and putting creativity out into the world is all about. So, so thank you for being with me today and for our listeners to connect with you. Let them know which accounts to follow on Insta or however you want them to connect with you. Obviously, we'll put up the links of Gift Michi, you know, so people can come and check out all your curation for this month and what's available out there, but also to connect with you. How would you like them to to do that?

Yeah, so I have two Instagram accounts, Elizabeth Jones Hennessy and I'm Elizabeth with an S instead of a Z. And there I share everything about Give Me Chic as well as inspirations that I'm personally having throughout my own journey. And then there's the @GiveMeChic account as well, which is very specifically gifting focused. So the two are both fun. They play off each other. Yeah. And then of course, and I'm very open to receiving DMs from my followers and from Potential clients and, and I find a lot of my brands through Instagram. So, they can now during COVID and I can't travel too much.

Right.

Yeah, no, I'd be thrilled to connect with people on Instagram. And then the site itself is www.giftmeshic.com and we do have a customer service email. So if people want to reach out to me, they can find me there as well.

Yeah. And just so you guys know, it's gift me chic. So it's the word gift, M-E-C-H. ic.com just so you make sure you're landing on the right site and connecting with Elizabeth. And in order to thank you for being on my show today and, and sharing your journey with us, I always like to thank my guests by asking, is there something that I can support you on today? Any, any challenge going on in business or something that you want to dialogue on so that I can support you?

No, that's, that's, that's. I appreciate that. You know, the next step for Give Me Chic, now that we are off the ground and I to see all the potential. And when it comes to e-comm, one of the biggest challenges is marketing and knowing how much money needs to be put into marketing to really get your brand out there and take it to the next level, to drive customers back to the site to shop. So I am finalizing my business plan and I'm getting ready to start fundraising. It's not something I've done before. I'm doing different types of training to get myself ready in a multitude of ways. But this is where I'd love any advice or guidance from you in terms of how to navigate this new world and intimidating world, let's call it as well.

Of investing, of like how to attract investors or just the confidence of this next level you're going to. Tell me, what is it that you want to help navigate?

Attract investors. Yeah. You know, because retail is tough, but on the flip side, e-commerce is where it's happening. I need people that are very specific in a way because I'm not math. You know, but I do want to have a wide audience and a wide reach, but with my own eyes, you know, my own care and my own aesthetic. So it's about, I think, finding the right types of investors, you know, even the first step of making the contacts.

Yeah. So, no, these are so such great questions. The approach that I would first start with is similar to how you think about who's your ideal client and you start creating your brand and your messaging and curating your product for who you actually want to attract as a client to buy from you. It's almost the same type of process with, because you're such a creative mind as well, is to really, and you're a manifester. So it's something where if you can really think about who is the ideal investor that you would like to attract in, like almost design that. like, and, and really articulate what type of businesses have they invested in before? Are they, you know, of a certain age? Do they, do they have other brands in their portfolio that you are easily aligned with? Is their lifestyle and the way that they show up in their world, the give back model, the desire for connection, like, really get articulate, similar to how you think about your ideal client, do the same exercise for an ideal investor. Because when you get clear on who you would love to attract the investment from, it also becomes a much easier conversation when you meet them, because you've been sitting in this like a manifestation exercise of bring them to me. Like I am having the conversation with that ideal investor. You're sitting across the table and having that cup Tea or your favorite matcha latte so that you're in that zone already so that when you meet them, you will see them with ease. It is the same also in the energy of investing as you are with any kind of sales because it is a different form of sales. It's just a higher price point that they're investing in and what they're buying has a longer term return to it. But it's the same exact thing, right? So if you think about luxury sales, like if you were going to go out there and buy a brand new vehicle, like there's a process behind that. It takes some analysis and courting and you're not just going to go out and buy a $100,000 car without knowing about it. So you want to think about how are you representing your brand and your business, but also be okay with the fact that it might take some time before they choose to invest. It might take different types of follow-up and lunches, and they might ask you to, you know, well, we would love to see these things. We're interested, but you still need to show us this, like, be open to a dialogue when it comes to investing. And when there's a no, really see it as a not now and ask about, okay, I understand now is not the time for you to invest, what would this need to be in order for you to invest in it? Because then you'll learn from your investor conversations, just as you did as you were building and launching this business on the direction, then you start to go in the conversations you need to have to find again that ideal investor. What I've seen as a challenge for a lot of people is that they'll like say it and spray it to all investors.

Mm-.

And then they're getting so many rejections because there isn't an alignment yet. They didn't think like, this is my ideal investor and this is the category of it. So let me be super focused and go after who I think is best aligned for me as the founder of my business and who I want money from. Because when you start taking money from other people in your business, they're in your business. Right. So you want a relationship, you know, like you want to know that there's a relationship there and not a hostile takeover because that's what happens. and people don't realize because they want the money so bad that they're actually getting in bed with these people. And so you, you, you paint the, if you take the time to paint the picture first and start the process, the process becomes so much easier because then you're like, even though that investor might want to give you money, you might not want to because they're, they're not aligned and, and know that power in your business. you know, it's really important to the way investors to understand how investors look at business models to decide what rate of return they're willing to wait for before they get their money back and then some, right? Because they invest because there's going to be a higher level of return. They're not angel investing, family and friends round, like whatever that looks like. Those folks are not as eager at times to get the highest, the higher return. So it really depends on who you're talking to. But again, know the level of investing you need, who your ideal investor is, and then be open to the fact that it's a dialogue and you're building a relationship and it's going to take a few times before you get to a potential yes. And for every no you get, learn from it, but don't let it hold you because that's something that it can eat, it's daunting. And I myself have a whole new business venture that I am planning to go into too. And I'm also going to be working with Andrea and Jordana, who you mentioned earlier. And we start tomorrow actually because I have this grandiose vision of a business and I'm going to have to do the same thing. So these are the steps that I would actually take myself and I will be when I get to that point where I have to go after investment as well. And it's such a great question to ask because we haven't had enough of that discussion on the show yet. So hopefully that was helpful.

It was incredibly helpful. And it reminded me of the time when we were working together, you know, in the beginning of this whole practice, and you said, okay, Lizzie, you know, let's get your board up on the wall and start pinning the things that inspire you and what do you want Give Me Chic to be and what do you want it to look like and who is your customer? And it's funny because I just did this blueprint human design.

Oh, my gosh. All about it. Yes.

I'm a manifester.

Yeah. Are you a manifesting generator?

Oh, I'm just a manifest.

Oh, hell yeah, girl. Then you got to go hire your generators. I love it.

When you said you're a manifest.

I was like, did she read my. Oh, I know you are. Girl, I know how you show up. That is awesome. And I did an episode on human design a few shows back that we broke down, you know, some of the. How you read the charts and stuff.

That's great. Oh, I'll have to go back.

We send you the links.

Yeah, I will. I will. that.

Yeah.

So, no, that was extremely helpful. Thank you so much. So that's when I'm gonna start. I'm gonna start manifesting it. You have to.

Yeah, but that's who you are also, because that Clarity is how you then see it. Like, manifestation is really allowing yourself the time and space to see what it is you truly desire. And. And then you see it when it shows up so much faster. And with my human design, I'm a Time bender. So I'm someone, that's why it's so easy for me to be in other people's businesses and see their path. No, truly, because I can see the path you're on because I bend time. I can go to the future, come back to the now, and then take help you get there like that. That is how I have been able to manage and own the business that I have and, and be able to support so many others, you know, on their journey as well. So human design helped me a lot to just discover the language. around all of this.

Well, that's cool. I'm happy to hear that. Yeah. Yeah.

No, this has been so great. Thanks again for being on the show. And, and to my listeners, thank you for joining us today. And of course, we love to hear from you what your takeaways are and make sure you follow and connect with Elizabeth and let us know you're listening. I will see you in the next episode. Wasn't that such a great episode? I know you got amazing takeaways from that. What I would love for you to do for me, if you can help me extend my reach, is go ahead and subscribe to the show so you get the latest notification and listen before anyone else. Also, if you could go ahead and post your review, your five-star review will help me get other people interested in this conversation and extend my reach of impact. Most of all, I would love for you to share this with your community. It means so much to me to have you as a listener, and I would love to connect with you. So if you have any questions you would like me to answer on this show, go ahead and email hello@carreenwalsh.com and my team will make sure that I get your questions so we can get them answered on the show for you. Thank you so much for listening today, and I'll see you on the next episode.