Personal Gifting Co

We Make Gifting Unforgettable

Conversations with Lisa Paden

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Paden.

Hi Lisa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Lisa Paden and I am the founder and owner of The Personal Gift Basket Co.

The Personal Gift Basket Co. is a full-service artisan gifting business specializing in gift designs for corporate events, and personal gifting occasions. I created The Personal Gift Basket Co. in 2003 while working full-time for a local investment firm.

I wanted to do something that I absolutely had a passion and drive for and that would bring me out of corporate America. I can’t say the process was as smooth as I thought it would be, however, in 2015 (yes, 12 years later) I retired from corporate America and began running my business full-time.

It was one of the hardest, scariest, yet most fulfilling steps I’ve ever made in my life. Over the years, The Personal Gift Basket Co. has had the pleasure of working with amazing brands like Mercedes Bens, AMC Networks, and Delta Dental to name a few.

I live in St. Charles county with my amazing, supportive husband (who happens to be one of my biggest cheerleaders) and our chocolate labradoodle named Milo. My husband and I have four amazing children (all grown) and one beautiful and talented granddaughter. When I have free time, I love volunteering at my church, cooking, baking, and spending quality time with my family and friends.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not! I have cried HOT tears and wanted to give up many times but every time I thought about giving up I would find the strength to make it another day. I always feel back on my Why.

Pricing was one of my biggest struggles. I was afraid to price my gifts and services adequately because I was afraid my clients would think I was too high and they wouldn’t want to do business with me. I was so stressed about making a great impression that I would basically give the gift away without making a sustainable profit! You definitely can’t run a business like that.

Another issue I faced early on was that I thought everyone could do what I do, but I quickly found out that everyone can’t and they needed my expertise. There are many people who can do it, but don’t want to or don’t have the time to, and I learned that if they can’t do it or can but don’t want to, these people are my clients.

There is value in knowing your worth and not being afraid of it. The right clients will pay.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Personal Gift Basket Co. creates artisan gift baskets, gift boxes, and care packages for corporate events and individual gifting needs.

We are known for working with our clients to create personalized gifts that make the receiver feel valued and appreciated. I am most proud of knowing my clients by name and building lasting relationships with them.

It’s important for my clients to know who they’re working with.

What matters most to you? Why?
There are a few, but first integrity and character are number one. I want my clients to trust that I have their best interest at heart and that I listen to their needs. Gifting is so much more than things in a basket or box, it’s the why and the end result. I want to help capture that for each client I work with.

Second, I want to make sure I am giving my clients the best their money can afford. This is why I take seriously the products (food and non-food) that we curate for our gifts are from companies I know and trust.

I am always on the lookout for aesthetically pleasing packaging that looks great in a gift. Still, more than that, I am looking for the people who make the items: small companies, women-owned companies, and family-owned companies that love what they do just as much as I love what I do and have a story behind why they do what they do.

Pricing:

  • Our gift prices have a wide range, from $30 to whatever your heart desires.

Link to original article in VoyagesSTL

Father’s Day Is Around The Corner

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“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.” – Anne Geddes

With Father’s Day around the corner, you have the perfect opportunity to return the love and dedication he gives to you and the family. It is the ideal time to let him know how much he means to you and celebrate him and all his lovable qualities. So, how do you help him feel appreciated this year?


We know that sometimes dads can be a little tricky to shop for. But there are plenty of creative ways to do this Father’s Day that you can pull off and make it one for the books. While you could buy Dad gifts or send a Father’s Day card, we know what he really wants is to spend time with you!

Unwinding with Him

Here are some relaxing activities to do with your dad to give him the kind of break he deserves.

Pamper Day with Pops 

  • A trip to the spa is always a good idea. Booking at your nearest spa and wellness center will surely give him the pampering he needs. To add to that, you can spoil him a little more by making a pamper kit for him that includes some special grooming treats like a selection of travel aftershaves, a fancy beard oil, and the like.

Brunch Out

  • Treat dad to a delicious meal that he can enjoy without cooking. Dine at his favorite restaurant and order all of his favorite dishes. Before heading out, you can surprise him with a broquet—that’s a dude-ified bouquet of gifts, instead of flowers, artfully wrapped with butcher paper and tied with a ribbon. It will be a sure-fire way to celebrate and give him a pleasant day. 

Pick-Me-Up Picnic

  • This can be at a nearby picnic location with scenic views or at your mini garden at home. Prepare dad’s favorite sandwiches and snacks, plus some tasty desserts and a good bottle of wine. And while preparing your picnic basket, why not put together a fun Father’s Day gift basket, too? Figure out his passions or hobbies and curate a gift basket that fits your dad’s style. We bet you will make him extra happy with this super cool and thoughtful gift. He’ll surely be able to chill with nature, delicious food, and the warm company of his family.

If you want to skip the DIY part, the Personal Gift Basket Company can help you with all your gifting needs. We offer high-quality gift baskets and care packages specially curated for the people who matter to you. Here are a few that will bring a smile to your Dad’s face.

Deadline for Fathers Day OrdersShipped/Mailed Orders

Shipped: Monday, June 13th

Local/Hand-Delivered Orders: Wednesday, June 15th

Order Today

The mission at The Personal Gift Basket Co. is to create and deliver high-quality, artisan gifts along with exceptional customer service to every client, no matter the cost of the gift, making us unforgettable.

Employee Appreciation Day – March 4th

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I’m a firm believer in making employees feel valued and appreciated. Whether they’re lucky enough to work from home or in the office, these are the people who make you look amazing, who help run the business like a well-oiled machine every day. There are many moments in an office setting to celebrate your employees, like work anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, and retirements, to name a few. These special moments are also wonderful ways to connect and show appreciation. 

Whether you’re giving a little treat for a job well done or sending custom care packages for an upcoming sales trip, showing your staff they are valued and appreciated in a special way will go much further than a quick shoutout in the team meeting. 

From your executive team to the admins, they all play a vital role. Employee recognition is great for employee satisfaction and healthy productivity in the workplace.

I know these past couple of years have been trying on big and small companies. Maintaining a dependable, loyal, hardworking staff has become harder than ever before, and this is more of a reason than any to celebrate the ones who have stuck it out, worked overtime, and been there through the tuff times.

Mark your calendars for Employee Appreciation Day on

Friday, March 4th, to celebrate your fantastic staff.  

Are you looking to tweak your current employee gifting program or start a new one? We’d love to help; click here to contact us and schedule a time to chat.

Lisa Goes to The Atlanta Market

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We have recently returned from five amazing days at the Atlanta Mart at Americas Mart. The Atlanta Mart is a wholesale tradeshow located in beautiful Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The tradeshow spans over three buildings and a little under 27 million sq. feet. It is a premier gift, décor, gourmet, and lifestyle market. The mart is the nation’s largest, with over 8000 brands. It’s impossible to experience everything even in five days. It’s a gifting entrepreneur’s dream. There is so much to see, taste, feel, and experience, from floral to chocolates to candles to stationary.

One of my favorite parts of attending the market was previewing the upcoming seasons’ trends. Meeting the curators and makers of the gift and food items we currently carry face to face helps us build and strengthen those relationships even more. We shopped some of our longtime favorite existing wholesale vendors and got many opportunities to meet many amazing new ones.


We are always on the lookout for new trends and fresh gifting ideas to incorporate into our future gift designs for you to enjoy.

Our creative juices flowed, and we’re excited to share our new gifts soon, so stay tuned.

The Art of Small Business Gifting

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Small businesses are the heartbeat of every industry. The contribution to the countries revenue and the effect on employment is significant. Today, we have no shortage of unique, talented, and creative entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur myself, I love everything this amazing life has to offer, but most of all, I love getting the opportunity to help another company look its best. We often get questions about client gifting and how that looks for a company. I’ll share with you how I can help answer questions like:  


What should go in our company gifts? 

When is the best time to send gifts?

Is sending out gifts going to cost me a lot?

Having Second Thoughts About Gifting?

Hesitant about adding gifting to your company’s relationship marketing? Trust me when I say I understand. But think about it this way, clients don’t usually expect to receive a gift from you; they only want a good product and outstanding customer service. So when you do go above and beyond with gifting, you make a BIG impression. When corporate gifting is done right, the client experience is taken to the next level with thought and creativity!

Why Add Gifting?

I am sure many other companies do what you do, yet your clients have chosen to work with you. Maybe it was your connection at a networking event, or perhaps they loved your company’s brand. Clients are constantly bombarded with perfect product images, enticing blog posts, and seemingly perfect people. But once the smoke clears and they commit, they not only become part of your team, you’re now on theirs as well. Gifting is an effective way to connect further, deepen the relationship and build trust and commitment to your brand.

The Goal of Gifting to Clients

When I meet with potential clients for the first time, I want to know their goals for adding gifting as part of their relationship marketing. Here are a couple of common responses to my question.

They want to give an experience

The goal for any company is to stand out among the sea of competitors. To help in that process, creating a memorable client experience is a top priority. Creating this experience can look many ways depending on what type of company you have. A few examples would be sending a thank you/onboarding gift when they choose your company or sending a gift for their anniversary with your company.


They are looking to introducing the company/rebranding

Coming up with unique and memorable ways to introduce or reintroduce your company can be a tedious process. This is the perfect time to create a new gifting program to help elevate brand awareness, stay top-of-mind, and generate buzz. 

Helpful Tips

No matter how you choose to accomplish the goal of adding gifting to your relationship marketing program. Whether you hire a gift service like The Personal Gift Basket Co. or you do it all in-house, here are a few tips that can help you along the way:

  • Don’t Over-Brand Your Company

Share your brand but don’t over-brand. When giving a gift, try not to overwhelm the client with branded products. Have a healthy balance of branded and non-branded items. 

  • The Gift Should Reflect Your Brand Image

When you think of your company, think of 2 to 3 words that describe your brand. When creating a gift design, make sure you use those elements. The gift needs to make sense and elicit the same meaning and feelings your brand does.

  • Your gifts should be duplicatable

When you can find the perfect items that reflect your brand, you want to duplicate the process. You want to be able to create the same gift each time a gift is needed. Do you really have the time to be in stores shopping for gift items when you bring on a new client? You will spend a lot of time and eat away at efficiencies and profit by doing this. A smart way around this is to offer different gifting levels. For example, if a client spends a certain amount with your company, they get a gift (you can have different levels of this as well), or if a client refers someone, they get a “thank you for the referral” gift. Doing this will keep the process uniform. 

  • Create a manageable gifting budget 

I called this “gifting smart.” Choose a budget that you feel comfortable with, even if things get tight. I say that because I believe that even in tough economic times, corporate gifting is still a vital marketing process. 

  • Include your branding elements in your gifts 

Visual elements that tie in your branding are key. The client will recognize things like your brand colors and logo. Adding features of your brand keep things cohesive and shows thought and creativity.

  • Your gift should make sense 

The items in your gift should complement each other. Don’t add a branded flashlight in a charcuterie gift. Or add a delicious gourmet cheese to an office essentials gift. You get the point. Thoughtful gifts can have a more significant impact and create a loyal connection with your brand than adding random items without any thought.


I’m always sharing some of my favorite client gifts on our Instagram page, so please go follow us. Also stay tune to next month’s blog where I will be sharing Holiday gifting made easy (is that even possible?).

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