Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sara Andrews. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?
Not long after I opened, I got my first larger custom corporate order and I was stoked! I reached out to several other local small businesses and we got to work on getting products ready for what we thought was going to be 35 gifts a week for 4 weeks. The first week went smoothly and the gifts were a hit, so much so that the company asked about doing a total of 75 gifts the second week. I reached out to all of my vendors and we knew we’d all be hustling that week but that we could do it. The third week they asked for 100 gifts! The fourth week, 110, and then they added another week of 100. Each gift contained items from 8 local micro businesses and at the end of the 5th week, we were all happy and exhausted. One vendor even told me later on that he was afraid to open my emails after that out of fear that I’d work him to death again! That opportunity was the catalyst for several of us to scale and grow and I am forever grateful to have had that experience and to have been able to help other small businesses in my area.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
The idea for Wanderful came about after I had my daughter. I developed allergies to certain commonly used ingredients and spent a year or so learning how to navigate finding lotions, face products, soaps, laundry detergent, candles and other items that I could use without having a reaction. I then started working with local functional medicine offices and holistic practitioners to help their clients navigate these product swaps as well. There wasn’t anywhere local to us to buy them so I began thinking of opening a shop. At the same time, the local gift shop closed and there wasn’t another place to buy locally made candles, small batch skin products, etc so I decided to open the shop. I had a few clients who had inquired about having me put together holiday gifts for their staff consisting of local chocolates, bath salts, body oils and coffee and that felt like a great way to combine several of my passions into one business: Wanderful Boxes.
We wanted to provide a space and service to bring intention back to gifting and caring for ourselves and others. There’s a time and place for a Target gift card but there’s something special about opening a gift full of everyday essentials from brands you’ve never seen, in scents you’ve never tried, with luxurious ingredients you don’t see everyday. We are passionate about partnering with and supporting small woman owned businesses, local companies, and people who are striving to make a difference in their communities. By purchasing a gift from Wanderful, you are simultaneously supporting many small businesses at once.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
In March 2020, I received an email from Intuit asking if I’d do a virtual event showcasing Wanderful and my entrepreneurial journey. I was nervous but agreed and before I knew it, it had turned into a 3,000-person event. I’m terrified of video, particularly live, but it was going well, and I was having a blast. Halfway through, the books I’d used to prop my laptop at the right height slid off the desk and my laptop went with it. I finally got logged back into the zoom and my headphones died so we continued the interview on my ipad, sideways camera and all. We all had a good laugh and I still get messages 3 years later about the authenticity of that interview and how they appreciated the true inside look at the life of an entrepreneur. I had more orders that day, that week than I’d had in the previous 3 months, and it completely changed the trajectory of my business.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Gift recipients! I’ve been so fortunate to have incredible clients all across the country who gift Wanderful Boxes for birthdays, real estate closings, client thank yous, holidays, and any other occasion you can think of. This has led to many (thankfully) happy recipients who then purchase and gift a Wanderful Box to someone else. Word of mouth and wonderful relationships with my customers is what keeps us going.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.wanderfulboxes.com
- Instagram: @wanderfulboxes
- Facebook: Www.facebook.com/wanderfulboxes
Image Credits
Charlyn Photography