Emily Arnold
How did you come by the concept of the giftery?
The Giftery came about in lockdown 2020. I had been working in a recruitment job, and had managed to get my candidate a job during Level 4 lockdown.
We were both so relieved, and I wanted to give him a gift to say thank you for having faith in me, even in what felt like the strangest, most difficult of times. However, once I started thinking about what I might get him, I realised I didn't know what he might like - Does he like beer? Does he like wine? red or white? Does he drink at all? What's his address? Can I ask without seeming creepy?
At that point, I filed getting him a gift in the 'too hard' basket, but the problem stuck in my mind. What if there was a way to choose a selection of better, more interesting gifts, and then let the person who is receiving the gift, have the final say?
And so, The Giftery was born.
What are you most excited about?
Having a whole range of incredible gifts, right at my fingertips. I've always struggled with giving gifts, to the point where I don't tend to give gifts as I get too overwhelmed trying to pick something for someone.
It's like I've designed The Giftery FOR ME, and am letting everyone else use it. The way we work with our Gifting Partners also means that we can stock specialty products like cheese, cake, flowers and plants.
We've got plans down the track to take advantage of the technology we've built too, so watch this space.
What do your dreams for The Giftery entail?
I want to see Kiwis able to give thoughtful, interesting gifts, from small producers here in New Zealand. Working alongside so many incredible small businesses inspires me to push The Giftery to be the best online gift giving experience it can be.
We're only just scratching the surface with the website we've created, and I am so excited to see where this journey takes me. Look out, world!
Denise Arnold
Denise's other life is as “the Tauranga lawyer who does charity stuff in Cambodia”, so stepping into The Giftery is quite a change in direction. Denise shares a bit about her 'why'.
Why are you involved in The Giftery?
What parent doesn't want to help their child achieve their dream? When Emily came to me with the idea of The Giftery I loved it, and my investment as half owner has given Emily the confidence and backing to put her dream into action.
But it goes beyond that too. I love buying presents, but I have to admit to the odd failure. Some failures are the stuff of legend now! Sadly, some are still hidden in cupboards. It got so bad that Emily's sister, Tegan, started providing me with lists and links to websites for her birthday and Christmas.
I love the joy the perfect gift can bring, the perfect thank you, timely acknowledgement or expression of love. The thought of helping this happen was pretty compelling for a gift lover like me.
My sister said she loves the concept of the Giftery because she knows if she buys something for someone through The Giftery the selection is going to be style led, on trend and something that will be fail safe. What a cool thing to bring to life!
How does this relate to your work with the Cambodia Charitable Trust?
I founded the Cambodia Charitable Trust in 2008 and I am the Director. I would usually be travelling to Cambodia several times a year but have had to accept my team on the ground in Cambodia are perfectly capable of delivering the usual support for schools, sponsored children and teachers. If you want to know more you can see on cctnz.org.nz
The Giftery donates 5% of profits to the Cambodia Charitable Trust. We don't know what that will look like, but we have big plans for the children in Cambodia.
Where do you see The Giftery taking you?
While I hope I am keeping my end up, Emily is the drive behind The Giftery. I am a Director in the Tauranga law firm Lyon O'Neale Arnold and have more years in the law in me yet. I will be responsible for the business management side of things, leaving Emily free to be creative.
My work as a lawyer and my project management work in the charity sector give me skills that I can bring to the table with the Giftery.
