And just like that, 365 days have passed since I launched the Gifts By You online shop. It has been a crazy year, filled with massive excitement alongside great challenges, as I have slowly and carefully begun building the Gifts By You brand and following.
Orders have been regularly coming in, allowing me the privilege of helping to spread kindness and happiness through the act of giving, which feeds my soul (given it’s my love language). I am taken back to last Christmas, when I felt incredibly enriched, knowing as I woke up that morning, over 100 people were celebrating with gifts created especially by me (and my family of elves!).
And to top it off, just the other day, the GBY Instagram page reached its first milestone of 500 followers. As I said then, it's the small wins that lead to the big victories, and I am slowly but surely, getting there.
The significance of the 18th of July is not lost on me. In fact, it was deliberate that the Gifts By You online shop was launched on this day. Keeping the essence of Mandela in everything I do with this business will certainly guarantee success; after all, it was Madiba himself who said, “A winner is a dreamer that never gives up”.
In honour of this special humanitarian, Gifts By You donated a pre-loved iMac and 10GB monthly data access to a small local school, Shylock’s Extra Lessons, run by another selfless man who takes the teachings of Mandela to heart.
“A winner is a dreamer that never gives up" - Nelson Mandela
The long-term goal remains the same: for giftsbyyou.com to become a bustling online marketplace for the talented craftspeople here in South Africa to sell more products, giving them the same pride and fulfilment that I feel whilst helping them provide for their family.
This Mandela month, the campaign to find these talented craftspeople has begun, and I am excited to have received some recommendations and requests that I will be reviewing soon. So watch this space! If you have any recommendations, or would like to sell on the Gifts By You website please get in touch:
As I take one final look back over the past year, I am filled with nothing but pride and gratitude for where Gifts By You stands today. For all that has been achieved would not be possible without the love, support and belief of my family, friends, partnerships and, of course, YOU!
Thanks a million.
