Bespoke Gifting Made Easy with The Gift Tailor | Interview with Founder Samantha Worrell

Gift giving season is here! For some, it’s an exciting time and for others, it is really overwhelming. I mean, where to begin? Especially during the holidays, there are just so many gifts that have to be bought and put together for everyone on your list whose interests are unique. Whether it’s for friends and family or even corporate clients and colleagues, the challenge that always remains is curating a gift that the recipient will truly love. Even more so, there never seems to be enough time to get it all done while putting the same amount of effort and energy into a handful of well thought out gifts.

Your gift giving fairy godmother who will make this process a whole lot easier? The Gift Tailor, a company created by Samantha Worrell that boasts bespoke gifting made stress-free and simple! Samantha takes over creative license. Once she’s taken on the responsibility for research, sourcing, wrapping and distributing the gifts, her clients receive a totally streamlined, stress-free service. All they need to do is review, approve, then sit back and look awesome! Samantha brings impact and value to her clients’ lives, firms and key relationships. 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Samantha about her incredible company and how she got started, her process and a lot more. She is truly one of the kindest, most well-spoken people I have met with with a strong passion for what she does and bringing people joy. I am thrilled to be able to introduce her to you all, especially during the holiday season!

Tell us about your company, The Gift Tailor, how it works and a little bit about your background.

Let me ask you to recall the last time you received a gift  unexpectedly? How did you feel? Was there some curiosity and maybe excitement as you opened it?

Well, THAT feeling, that I suspect your feeling right now, is what I help people to create with their personal and professional relationships everyday

For 12 years I was a know-your-client lawyer researching clients for global firms. I’ve taken my deep-dive research experience, combined it with a personal love of helping folks find and give gifts, and now deliver that secret sauce to help busy folks in their gifting situations and projects – business or holiday-related.

How did you come up with the idea for The Gift Tailor?

It came out of personal need, I’ve had times of receiving ‘interesting’ gifts, or even no gift; and times when I’ve really wanted to give somebody a gift but because of life/work I made the gifting a low priority and it just never happened. I thought there must be others that have this problem. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a service that could be me and get a gift? I ended up with how about you provide that service!

Tell us about the process of ordering a gift through your company.

Behind every gift there’s a story. Our gifts are tailored to your need, your context and what you want to convey, so here’s what we do . First we have a call to understand that context, then I go off and do all the creative research and design to curate a gift or a gift collection that would work well for the gifting situation. Clients are presented with 2-3 gift options. Once they’ve selected which they’d like to go with, we source, gift wrap / bag or box, then ship to my client, or now in this current climate, directly to the person they are gifting to. The work is all done by The Gift Tailor. My client is free to focus on their regular work, on doing what they love to do. Their gifting is taken care of, while they sit back and just receive status updates!

During the Holiday season, we’ll also offer an ‘off-the-shelf’ pop-up shop experience with some really cool items. Ideal for those that are shopping late night or last-minute gift shopping and need something to grab-and-go. 

On average, how long does it take you to find and put together a gift for a client?

The greater the notice, the better to deliver the best I can for all my clients. I recommend 4-6 weeks ahead of the date needed in hands but am open to have a conversation for a rush order. My aim is to not compromise the clients already committed to, and still be able to deliver a great job.

Do you find that there is a difference in the types of gifts that people like to receive – i.e. different parts of the country or even overseas?

I do read surveys that highlight preferences and differences based on where in the country folks are. However, because our core offering is so tailored, I think it enables us to go deeper into the culture of the particular company or relationship (business or personal) involved, and build a gifting experience which speaks specifically to that.

Where I have given internationally, on behalf of a US-based client, I don’t seek to localize the gift to where the receiver is because there’s something nice, don’t you think, in not just receiving a gift, but a gift from overseas which you won’t find so readily in your country? So I try to keep that international element in the gifting experience.

What would you say is the most challenging thing about owning your own company? What do you find is the most rewarding about owning your own company?

Both Challenging and Reward is that: You’re your own boss! Some days you don’t have the discipline to work, and some days you don’t have the discipline to stop. Too much of one will make you broke, too much of the other will make you burn out. Now I ask my several times a day, “Am I being the employee I’d want to hire and keep?” I’m also working on being efficient and effective with my work time rather than grinding around the clock for the sake of it.

How do you connect with clients and understand the vibe they are going for when looking to you to put together a gift?

Having a conversation and/or asking them to fill out a questionnaire.

Do you ever feel nervous to present a potential gift you put together to your client in case they do not like it?

Oh, always! I tell people what makes us unique is that this is a service, not a commodity. The Gift Tailor is a representing of your story. I’m trying to capture the essence of my clients’ sentiments and tell their story in a single item or a collection and I find myself really invested in the gifts. While my clients are extremely busy people, they are also very decisive people, they know when they see an idea they love … and when not so much. Because I present 2-3 options, I’ve found there’s always been at least one option (usually more) that my clients like, and that have been suitable for the occasion. 

How do you feel curated gifts translate into true connections?

It can be a way for the giver to show the recipient “Hey, I’m listening, I heard you, I know a bit about you and so I got you XYZ.” Or it can say “I care about you, I want to get to know you better, to build a relationship, so I got you XYZ to share something about me.”

Give us an example of some of your boxes! There must be so many different ideas swirling through your head always.

Ha! That’s very true, there are always gifting ideas in my noggin! Here’s a little show-and-tell. 

True Blue. A hostess gift for somebody who loved the color blue so all the treats in this gift basket had to be packages in a shade of blue, then the red basket was an intentional stark contrast, just making those blues really pop.

Moment of Mindfulness. These are available in the pop-up shop. Extremely popular this second half of the year as the cabin fever has started to set in and because there’s nothing like a warm cup of tea for a good stress reliever. 

Fancy Pantry quarantine care package. A curation of artisanal products from small, women-owned businesses to brighten up a time when we were fighting for whatever was left on the supermarket shelves.

What are some of your goals for The Gift Tailor?

Goal is for the service to continue to bring stories to life through gifting. Help people build and strengthen connections, nurture their business pipelines or express appreciation without costing them TIME.

How do you think The Gift Tailor will continue to impact both the corporate world as well as everyday people who don’t have a green thumb for gifting?

Covid is making it okay for busy professionals to admit we have personal lives and needs outside of work, but we are swamped and can’t, maybe shouldn’t, do everything. For those who want to gift but searching for gifts is not in their wheelhouse or not the best use of their time I can help them with gifts for their personal relationships and professional network.

Where do you see The Gift Tailor a year from now?

2020 has made me really think about the basics. Most importantly, I want to be in good health and wish the same for everyone involved with the company – team clients, partners, suppliers. Next I want to be saying to you, we had a good year. Who knows what the path there will look like, it has been such an unpredictable year. The business is perfectly positioned to be nimble and adaptive as this new normal world evolves.

How do you think The Gift Tailor services will impact this holiday season?

Going into 9 months of working at home all the time, there’s no more hurriedly having a few assistants run to the department store downtown, or form gifting assembly lines in the conference room mid-December. Now that folks are working at home with vastly varying domestic situations, all of this means it just might be better if you outsource your gifting to a dedicated service like The Gift Tailor.

An Inspiring Comeback Story | Interview with Stylish Entrepreneur Lisa Kline

We’ve all had our ups and downs in life… it’s inevitable. Whether you’re working towards your goals and dreams or if you’ve already met them, the trials and tribulations of life simply become part of your journey. The key is to not get discouraged, but find different ways to be a better version of yourself, create even bigger goals for yourself, maybe even re-invent an old idea you had and make it something even more compelling.

That’s exactly what entrepreneur and style expert Lisa Kline did.

Lisa Kline opened her flagship store in 1995 and was a trusted style source for many actors, recording artists, and celebrity clients selling the hottest trends and putting brands on the map for almost 2 decades. Due to some personal reasons, she closed the last of her 6 stores in 2012.

In the last 8 years, she wasted no time to continue blossoming her career. She had a loungewear line on HSN, was a panel judge for a show on Bravo, placed brands on the Today Show and has consulted for several retailers. You can check out her history on www.lisakline.com.

With those milestones under her belt, she found another way to incorporate her on-air experience with her passion for being a style source for others. When the pandemic began a few months back, she started souring PPE for the medical industry and placing brands on a TV network called Shop LC. It was then she realized it was time for her to come back and bring essentials to her customers.

This August will be the 25 year anniversary of Lisa Kline. She has relaunched the website selling essentials for 2020 across all categories with her site, www.shoplisakline.com.

Check out my interview with Lisa as she guides us in depth through her inspiring comeback, her advice for those who may feel “stuck” career wise, how on-air opportunities helped her blossom, the ways she’s giving back, and so much more.

1.  This August will be the 25th year of Lisa Kline – congratulations! Tell us about yourself – where you’re from, how you got started in your career and how you knew what you were passionate about.

Thank you Brielle! I was born and raised in Los Angeles and I knew I wanted a retail store since I was 9 years old. I was driven always by my passion for clothing and style and the vision I had of my boutique from a little girl. I always stayed on the path by working in retail from a very young age and learning the business. I also studied Fashion Design at Syracuse University. After graduating I wanted to open a store by the time I was 25 years old with my designs. As I started going to trade shows with the fashion design program at Syracuse, I knew I wanted to be a buyer and buy other peoples designs. I graduated, came back to LA, worked in retail and started looking for spots! August 5th, 1995 I will celebrate the 25-year anniversary of Lisa Kline, the home of LA style and one very fun magical journey in all ways. Starting with the women’s flagship on Robertson Blvd, it was followed by Lisa Kline Men,  Lisakline.com, Lisa Kline Kids, Lisa Kline Men Malibu, Lisa Kline BH and the Lisa Kline outlet store on Melrose Blvd. We dressed every show in the 90’s and all of 2000’s, and have always been a style source for celebrities, musicians, other stores across the US, and put hundreds of contemporary brands on the map, along with inspiring young designers and entrepreneurs, LK was quite the institution.  

2.    When did you decide to make the leap from being a store owner to a retail consultant? 

After my husband died of a freak accident in 2009 and I was left with 2 little kids under the age of 5 and the crash of 2008, retail changing in all ways, fast fashion taking over with knock offs, it was time to close my brick and mortar shops one by one. I closed all 6 of them by the end of 2011. After the stores closed, I had a loungewear line on HSN, I launched an start up online platform called Vault as their Chief Fashion Officer, I started a brand placement company placing brands on the Today Show, GMA, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Rue La La, all the while I started consulting for companies and influencers and hotels as a designer and buyer. I just had to pivot, and I never stopped going to trade shows and working with brands in all categories, always keeping myself in the game and having my finger on the pulse. I have always been a platform for brands. I just had to figure out a way to do that without my 4 walls in the typical brick and mortar fashion I was used to.

3.    Tell us a little bit about the services you offer that fall under your consulting. 

The scope of my services are broad, and clients can pick what they need help with in an a la cart fashion from buying, merchandising, retail consulting, design, business development and brand placement. You can see all of my services here: https://lisakline.com/services/.

4.    You’ve made quite a few TV appearances. How did that come about? 

My TV appearances started very early on when I just opened my women’s store in 1995. Fox News asked me to be a style expert and they came in one day and filmed me talking about trends. I loved it and always felt comfortable behind the camera, so much that the staff used to tease me and call me one take Kline. I would always ask the producer if they wanted to do another take and they always got what they needed the first time. We filmed all the time in all of the stores and covered all kinds of trends, brand launches, judging, travel segments, we did fashion shows and were on the news, we even had a segment with Gordon Ramsey! The top chef won a shopping spree at Lisa Kline and her gift and shopping experience was filmed in the store on Robertson. I did a show on Bravo called Launch my Line as a panel judge which had 9 segments. Then I had my own loungewear brand on HSN and went live on air for a few years and was always in talks to do my own reality show but never pulled the trigger. 

5.    How has taking on on-air opportunities helped your brand? 

Being on camera back in the 90’s and 2000’s is what made me an influencer back in the day before we had social media. Lisa Kline was featured in so many magazines, with trends, stories, celebrities, where to buy, and basically as an expert. Lisa Kline the store became a brand organically with having my own label in the store mixed in with the other hundreds of brands we carried. We were a platform for brands and in doing so it built my brand. I was very serious about my branding, my logo, my message, my vision, my packaging and even how the staff interacted with the consumer and styled people in the stores. Everyone was trained and all systems were in place which all helped really establish my brand. My store was one of the first stores on Robertson Blvd which was a sleepy decorators street that became one of the hottest streets in Los Angeles to shop. All kinds of boutiques opened up around me and tourists and people visited from all over the world to shop the curated mix, be on trend, take home a piece of LA fashion and source brands to bring back home to their own businesses. A celebrity spotting was always a plus and happened often.  

6.    When the pandemic started a few months back, you started sourcing PPE for those in the medical industry and placed brands on a TV network called Shop LC. How did this idea come about and what did the process look like to both source products as well as place them on TV? Sounds like there must have been a lot of moving parts! 

There are always a lot of moving parts in all I do but luckily it all flows together somehow. I had reconnected with Cindy who is the VP of Merchandising for Shop LC at a tradeshow called Cosmoprof in August 2019. She actually placed me on HSN when I sold my loungewear line. I asked her if I can pitch her brands like I do with the Today Show and the other venues I work with. So I started sending her brands and then when the pandemic started, she reached out to me and asked me if I could help source essentials for the pandemic like masks and sanitizer. It was thanks to her that I dove right into PPE.

The greatest part is I am working with so many people in my industry who have all pivoted, so the relationships are the same and there is a trust factor for over 20 years. We are just selling other items on trend right now, not apparel. The networking has been so much fun, connecting with so many new people and old friends across the world to get people goods from hospitals, nursing homes, TV shows, hotels, and the general public. We know how to work together, source and get things fast to market. That is how we can help and there is a lot of teamwork with PPE. We are all learning a new curve, a new category and products we have never worked with before. It has been very rewarding, challenging, and fascinating at the same time. I feel like I am getting a graduate degree in PPE as I am learning new things every day and starting a business from scratch. It is a lot, and it takes up time but there is something very mysterious about it that keeps me interested. I have learned a lot and it has kept me busy and on the pulse with the pandemic and how I can help others get what they need to be safe. I use all my skill sets in learning this new space and that is why it is satisfying. I have also reconnected with old friends and made new friends for life while I keep expanding my network which helps with all aspects of my business as a whole.

7.    Tell us the details about your latest venture, shoplisakline.com.

While sourcing PPE in March I started getting messages from people asking if they could buy masks and sanitizer from me and protective gear. I knew at that moment it was time to relaunch and jump back into the space to be a trusted source for my clients once again bringing them what they need during these very strange times to stay sane, safe and styled. The focus of my site is “Essentials for 2020” and that doesn’t mean apparel. I will add clothing in all categories slowly as we grow but that isn’t my focus out of the gate.

8.    How do you choose what items to sell on your site? How do you know what your customers truly want and need successfully through just an online platform? 

I have been curating for 25 years so for me it is second nature and just what I do and love doing. As a retail consultant for high end venues I was fortunate enough to be able to attend over 25 trade shows a year across all categories. I have been very focused on gift, home, beauty, food, drink, candy, loungewear, health, wellness, activewear and more. 

I already had my new LK 2.0 store concept done about a year before this pandemic started and I was causally looking for a retail spot in a hotel but never found a fit. So I am curating those categories on my site and following that map which will continue to grow and expand as time goes on. 

Shoplisakline.com is a marketplace for brands and the consumer to explore, learn and enjoy their shopping experience. 

My gift is knowing what the consumer wants in the present day, and my job is to bring them what they need before they know they need it. I am a source and expert, so my customers shop with me because if it is on my site or in my store it is LK approved and trusted to buy and use, wear, live with and enjoy. I am already an established brand so coming back into the game now during this time online is the way the business will go and I will grow it just like I did my retail stores and online for the past 2 decades, this is my new baby and I will do whatever it takes to make it a success. There is a lot to do but that is the fun part figuring all of that out and I do that as I grow each day, each week, and each month. There are a lot more analytics and tools I can use that weren’t around back in the day and I am going to take advantage of all of them to help my business grow. 

9.    Your story over the last 25 years can truly be inspirational to so many who have hit highs and lows in their career. What would you say was one of your hardest moments that, looking back, now you think was a blessing in disguise?  

My story is definitely inspirational, and I have to say that there isn’t one moment that I can look back and say was hard or something that happened that turned into a blessing in disguise. Going full circle from starting out at a very young age and growing the businesses with a hands-on approach being on the floor and able to react and make decisions quickly it was all positive. The high highs and the low lows really were both just as intense, one was good, and one was bad, but I learned from both. Going full circle and making the decision to close my stores was one of the hardest and heartbreaking things I had to do on my own. They were my babies and they were all very unique and had their own personalities and experiences when shopping in them.

Maybe the hardest moment was when I made the decision to close my women’s division that had moved into the men’s store. That tore my heart out, but it was the right thing to do at the time. I have no regrets and feel that I was the first store on the street, and I was going to be the first to leave as it wasn’t the same shopping experience and I didn’t want to have stores if that was how the future was going to be. 

I missed my stores so much over the years and had to grieve the loss of them, it was hard. The beauty now with this pandemic for me is I already went through so much loss and hardship and had to work through it all over the last decade. Now my vision is clear as day, I know exactly what I need to do and what I want to do and create this time around. 

10.  With the pandemic in full swing and causing every type of detours in people’s lives (especially in terms of career), what advice would you give them about sticking it out through the rollercoaster of trials and tribulations?

My advice would be to go deep inside and pull out your skill sets you were born with, that are natural to you, or learn a new skill, or just try new things. You must pivot and lean into what is currently happening. This isn’t the time to be afraid, this is the time to seek out opportunity and creativity and to help others. 

Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center Event Recap | "Eternal Beauty" Red Carpet & Book Launch Celebration

A few weeks ago I was lucky to be a part of press on the red carpet at the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center "Eternal Beauty" Event. Benefiting the American Heart Association With Celebrity Hosts Dean Cain, Aly Landry, Gretchen Rossi, Slade Smiley & Teresa Giudice, BHRC was celebrating their 15 Year Anniversary in LA with a book release of The Trifecta of Health By Dan Holtz & Angie Sadeghi, MD.

What was so special about this red carpet was that it was my first one I’ve done in my career where I was standing on the press line as MY OWN outlet, The Gilded Bellini! I interviewed a bunch of celebs and TV notables about beauty routines, beauty treatments, mental wellness, and even BRUNCH! (Had to).

Check out some of my favorite interviews below!

A Life Changing Work Out with Mark Wahlberg | Motivation, Dedication & A Good Cause

The last 2 days this week have been absolutely killer in the best ways possible. I was fortunate enough to experience an incredible cause: AQUAhydrate hosted a functional-training session at F45 in West Hollywood to support Wounded Warrior Project, alongside the legendary Mark Wahlberg. Wounded Warrior Project is an initiative that Mark stands behind; it is a charity and veterans service organization that offers a variety of programs, services and events for wounded veterans of the military actions following September 11, 2001. Wounded veterans and service members include those who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after that timeframe.

Before our first work out on Wednesday, WWP had veterans attend the class as well. Specially, one incredibly strong vet with prosthetic legs spoke about his experience with and talked about how supportive the organization has been since day one of being admitted into the hospital. He spoke confidently that although he has this disability, it didn’t define his life which I felt was incredibly inspirational. The fact that he could do the work out we were about to do just as efficiently, if not even better than us was really moving.

I actually got the chance to speak with Mark along with my friend Taylor, and he explained to us why he is so passionate not only about the organization, but about the work out as well. For him, strength, motivation, dedication and supporting others is a top priority for him and every time that he works out at F45, he sees people from all walks of life gain strength, smile and continue to build each other up. He even went into detail about his own life changing trip to Afghanistan to visit troops in 2010, and how he viewed little villages from a helicopter. He went on to say how unbelievable it was and how dramatically different life is there. It was so evident that in our conversation, you could see where Mark’s passion for helping others lies. Seeing firsthand things that soldiers have to experience is something he holds close to him and takes with him every day. It was a totally unexpected conversation, and we talked about it for quite sometime.

Not only was the story eye-opening, but it was so refreshing to talk to someone in the celeb world who isn’t jaded at all; in fact, Mark is quite the complete opposite. He is so humble, personable, down-to-earth and he exudes that he is naturally just a good soul with good intentions. He went on to say that no matter your political view or religion, it’s important to recognize and honor those who have served.

We went on to do the F45 work out on Wednesday (which was filled with crazy-good cardio - no seriously, by the end of the 45 minute session I was drenched in sweat and beyond flushed, haha! but in a good way) but thankfully maintained hydration with AQUAhydrate, the ideal water for working out: it’s ultra-purified, supplemented with all natural electrolytes and trace minerals and then elevated to an alkaline pH of over 9 using electrolysis. It is this powerful synergy between alkalinity, electrolytes and minerals which fuels ultimate hydration, balance and performance.

We went to another session on Thursday morning at the Sherman Oaks location. It was awesome to see Mark again and see a whole new bunch of people (a massive group) who are so dedicated to improving themselves mentally and physically. The entire work out is truly uplifting and you get support and motivation from everyone in the room. Day 2 was a lot of lifting which I loved, and it was good we got a break from the cardio! But it still was an insanely intense work out. The great part is you can go at your own pace, and you still can get the results you desire. BTW - Mark is a b e a s t. His strength is incomparable!!! It’s evident that he is a big inspiration in the gym.

I wasn’t familiar with the F45 work out before this, but it’s safe to say now I am addicted! I am looking forward to incorporating this workout into my usual fitness and wellness routine. There’s no going back now!

Huge thanks to AQUAhydrate, Wounded Warrior Project, F45 and Mark Wahlberg for an amazing workout and for a newfound awareness of these awesome initiatives.

Recapping the 2018 San Diego Film Awards | Hosting & Some of My Favorite Red Carpet Interviews

If you follow me on a social media, you may remember that earlier this year I hosted on the red carpet for the San Diego Film Awards! Well the footage FINALLY came out and I’m so excited to share with you. I got to chat with a ton of talented actors, directors, producers, and awards presenters all representing their films that were up for nomination (and that were winners too!). Here are a couple of my favorite interviews with some awesome people.

Can’t wait for next year, and huge thank you to San Diego Film Awards for having me!