We were lucky to catch up with Anita Ivancevic recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anita, appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
When I first started my business, it started from a desire of wanting to use all of my God given talents. I was in a career I was not passionate about and thought that surely, there is more I can do to serve the community around me. I didn’t know the particulars of how I would begin but I knew I wanted to reach my full potential, no matter what. I had a love for gift wrapping as this is something my mother instilled in me at a very young age, going above and beyond to make people feel special and loved by the gift presentation. When the idea of a gift wrapping service popped into my head, my primary thought was how do I share this talent with others? Having never owned a business before, I went into action. Starting with the basics, coming up with a company name and setting up a professional email. address, instagram and Facebook account. I’d say from the time the idea popped into my head to when these items were checked off my lift, it was roughly 4-5 hours. Looking back on it now, I realize that there was a sense of urgency and a desire to take this from just inside my head and make it happen. I meet wonderful entrepreneurs every day who sometimes can get stuck in the idea phase and playing it all out in their head instead of just going for it. The truth of the matter is there will rarely be the “perfect” time or perfect set of circumstances to launch anything. Launches are messy and there is a tremendous value in the learning curve when you launch a business. You also can’t actually account for every scenario or situation and the best thing you can do it get out of your head and into action.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Dallas Gift Wrap Creations is a concierge gift wrapping service with clients across Texas and beyond. We are a pick up and delivery service, we pick up, wrap and deliver or ship out to clients across the globe. We also travel to provide our on-site services to clients who are not in DFW. At the core of DGWC is a profound desire to be of service to our clients, going above and beyond and ensuring the client and recipient experience is top-notch. We essentially take the entire gift giving task off of our clients’ plate. Many of our core clients use us for gift selections and purchases on their behalf, allowing them to sit back and actually enjoy their holiday. I am extremely proud to know that we are helping our clients be present for their special occasions, holidays and events by providing a service that allows them to do just that. In addition to providing the convenience of not having to leave your house in order to gift, our designs and craftsmanship are known as works of art. No 2 gifts are ever the same and it is our goal to create a masterpiece with each gift.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
The key to our success and stellar reputation has absolutely been our consistency. When someone becomes our client they know they are getting the absolute best in gift wrapping design and client experience. I chuckle when I say this, but we will move mountains for our clients. This is further supported by tried and true procedures in place that allow the scaling of my business; each and every team member is intensively trained to execute at the highest level. We have never missed a pick up or a delivery and that is a testament to our desire to ensure that we are the best at what we do. You simply can’t miss a deadline for this client and knock it out of the park with another, it won’t lead to long term success.
Any advice for managing a team?
It is true when they say that everything flows from the top. As a leader it is critical that you are leading with the right mindset and attitude. There is a quote by Charles Swindoll which I lead my team by that talks about attitude: “Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.” In life as in business, there will be peaks and valleys and the key is to keep your eye on the horizon above. Nothing is ever permanent, not the losses nor the success. It’s also important to be realistic about expectations within your team. The truth of the matter is that your business is yours, it’s your baby and no matter how dedicated your team is they will never love it as much as you do and as an owner, you need to be prepared to outwork everyone… especially in the beginning.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://giftwrapcreations.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dallasgiftwrapcreations/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DallasGiftWrapCreations/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dallasgiftwrapcreations