We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jyoti Pugalia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jyoti below.

Jyoti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

Wellness Bliss Box is here to humanize corporate gifting. You may wonder what humanizing gifting means. At Wellness Bliss Box, our focus is solely on the recipient of your gift. We create curated and customized gifts that show your employees, friends, and family how truly valued they are. Instead of branded merchandise like stress balls or T-shirts, we create thoughtful gifts that are sustainable, eco-friendly, and sourced from equitable small businesses. We also offer customization options that include personalized notecards, tags, tissue papers, or ribbons that can elevate and promote your company’s brand to show genuine care and intentionality.

Employee wellbeing is highly correlated with productivity and a better workspace environment and we aim to help corporations achieve that with our wellness-focused gifts. Incorporating wellness and mental well-being helps de-stigmatize and create a positive culture, which, in turn, increases employee loyalty and engagement.

Jyoti, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Back in December 2021, I kicked off Wellness Bliss Box, driven by my long-standing love for self-care, which took on even more meaning in the past few years. The idea was born during an entrepreneurship class in my MBA program, where our mission was to cook up a fresh business concept.

Life threw its curveballs, and I found myself pondering the ups and downs of life, especially after losing my amazing mom in 2019. She was the true definition of selflessness, always putting others first, which made me realize so many women worldwide juggle being moms, daughters, leaders, wives, sisters, and friends, often leaving self-care on the back burner.

And voilà, Wellness Bliss Box emerged—a gift box company filled with eco-friendly, organic, and cruelty-free products to help women create their little self-care haven right at home. When it comes to sourcing products, we keep it real by supporting women-owned, minority-owned, and local small businesses. We recently became WBENC WBE (Women Business Enterprise certified to increase partnerships with other women-owned businesses because Wellness Bliss Box isn’t just about pampering—it’s about creating opportunities for everyone and weaving a more inclusive social fabric. We also are very proud to donate a percentage of our profits towards CARE.org, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty and champions social justice worldwide.

Launching Wellness Bliss Box has been a revelation, showing me that self-care is a celebration in itself. That got me thinking, why not spread the joy with personalized gift boxes for onboarding, work anniversaries, birthdays, baby showers, get-well occasions, and all those other special moments?

Fast forward to the past year, and we’ve added a new chapter to our story, focusing on spreading wellness at the workplace and creating custom-curated gifts uniquely designed for your individual needs. According to a Forbes survey, over 80% of employers stated that gifts improved relationships with employees and clients, with 48% of them stating that gifting delivered a substantial benefit. With our carefully curated collection of different themed gifts, we offer a one-stop solution for all your corporate gifting needs.

Having been in the corporate space for more than a decade, I have learned that creating a culture where everyone feels seen and appreciated is key. Gifting isn’t the silver bullet, but it’s a fun way to sprinkle positivity by celebrating different milestones and recognizing your employees for their hard work. It helps create a positive work atmosphere and foster meaningful relationships while elevating your brand. Our gift boxes not only provide a diverse range of wellness products but also offer customization options to meet your specific needs. We take care of the entire process, leaving you with more time to focus on other priorities.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Embarking on the journey of starting a small business has been a testament to my resilience. Starting as a solopreneur poses numerous challenges with running every aspect of the business falling squarely on the shoulders – from product research, building partnerships, and accounting to sales and marketing. One of the biggest challenges I continue to face is to increase my market exposure with a limited budget. This has prompted me to unleash my creativity on social media and build my mental strength to become a confident public speaker. This has been very challenging as I am an introvert but I’ve developed coping methods, like the tapping technique, to ease my pre-stage jitters and I am proud to say I have actually now been interviewed for a live TV segment (Localon2) and also spoke on-stage in front of a large crowd of 250 people.

Running one’s own business is undeniably daunting, yet the autonomy it provides is invaluable. Despite the challenges, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Being your boss and pursuing your passion is immensely rewarding. As a business owner, I advocate for what I practice- emphasizing the importance of breaks, self-care, journaling, and seeking support from fellow business owners as essential elements in building resilience.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I have a fun success story to share with you. Marketing and sales is a completely new field for me but late last year, I was checking my LinkedIn feed and found a post celebrating women and making an impact toward better heart health. Immediately, I started reading more because I had lost my mom and my grandfather to a heart attack at a very young age, and could personally relate to this post. I immediately messaged an employee of the American Heart Association to get more involved and perhaps contribute to their organization. She responded within a day to chat over a cup of coffee, she decided to partner with us for thank-you gifts for their donors and volunteers. And it was my biggest order yet!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wellnessblissbox.com
  
• Instagram: @wellnessblissbox
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WellnessBlissBox
  
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wellness-bliss-box
• Inquire Here: https://wellnessblissbox.com/pages/client-gifting