Meet Carmen Feher of The Gift Box Co. in Queen Creek

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Feher.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Carmen. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in a small town in Mexico, my parents struggled to make ends meet. Gifts were not something we received or gave very often. I wanted nothing more than to give my mom an amazing Mother’s day gift, or my little sister something beautiful and unexpected for her birthday. When I was 14, we moved to the US in the quintessential search for a better life. We still struggled for a bit but for the first time in our lives, we all had presents under the Christmas tree. When I went to college I got my first job and the very first paycheck I ever received, I spent on presents for each member of my family. It was an absolute joy being able to give them something they would love as opposed to something they needed. Throughout the years, gifting was always something I enjoyed doing. However, I never thought of doing it professionally.

It all started at my 9 to 5 job. I have been in the mortgage industry for about seven years. Working with loan officers and realtors who were always looking for the perfect closing gift, I would always have all these ideas, so I started putting those ideas to work. And then I realized that there was a huge need for assistance in finding just the right gift for every occasion. It can be so overwhelming to think about what to give the person who has everything for example, so why not turn my gifting hobby into a business that could help others a little. And that’s when The Gift Box Co. was born.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road but I have tried to keep it as fun as I always intended. As soon as I got started making plans for the business, I realized that there were already a couple of amazing local gifting companies well established. I felt a little discouraged that my idea wasn’t new and the last thing I wanted to do is appear as a copycat. However, after much soul searching and talking it over with my husband and my sister (who each make up half of the voice of reason in my head), I realized that the valley is a big growing city, with room for all of us. And each of us has our own style that makes us unique. So I marched forward.

I still work in a mortgage, so time management is key in order to do all that needs to get done in order to keep moving. Having an online business allows me to operate mostly from home. Being a home-based business has its own challenges since you have to make space not only for inventory but also for workspace, office space and storage. Luckily, I have the most supportive husband in the world who is not only the muscle of the operation but also the delivery driver, set-up guy, therapist, etc!

Tell us about your company. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
We are a gifting company. We curate gift boxes and baskets for just about any occasion and can design something with the client’s input and ideas, or create something unique for them. We help clients celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, engagements, weddings, holidays and so many other important milestones. Gift boxes are also great to say thank you, or I’m thinking of you. We have created simple but thoughtful gifts and also grand and elaborate ones, and we always try to include products from amazing local companies. I often tell my clients when they are trying to come up with a gift idea, gift something the recipient wouldn’t normally get for themselves or wouldn’t normally get from someone else. Our gift boxes are meant to be little indulgences, no matter how big or small. This is where our motto came from, “Gift Beautifully”.

Something that has also been important to us is to give back. Gift boxes/baskets do great in charity fundraisers so we take part in these whenever possible. There are causes dear to my heart that I will always champion but we are also open to requests for donations from organizations or other causes. One of my favorite things to do is giveaways. In the beginning, winners were chosen randomly but now we carefully choose winners that we believe would benefit or deserve a much-needed treat.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
When I was in first grade growing up in Mexico, I decided that year I was going to get my mom a great Mother’s day present. So I started to save up change. When Mother’s day came along, I grabbed my savings (it was just a handful of change) and marched myself to a little corner store that sold knick-knacks and gifts. I went up to the salesperson who turned out to be the owner of the store, put my change on the counter and asked what I could afford to buy with that. He asked me what it was for and I said for Mother’s day and I explained I had been saving up. The very kind man said “Oh how nice! I’m sure we have something your mom would love, let me see”. He then came back with a pair of dangly, very colorful earrings. I thought they were gorgeous and that my mom would love them, I was sold.

The earrings cost more than the change I had but at the time I had no idea. The kind man not only made me believe I could afford the earrings, but he also made it seem I had enough left over for gift wrapping. He carefully put the earrings in a box and wrapped them in beautiful gift wrap and ribbon. I have never been more proud or excited about a gift I am giving.

Now that I think back, I can remember exactly what the earrings looked like, and they were not the prettiest. However, I can also remember how much my mom loved them and how happy that made me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thegiftboxco.shop
• Phone: 480-395-9877
• Email: thegiftboxco@yahoo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegiftboxcoaz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theGiftBoxCoaz

Image Credit:
Stuart Feher

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