The Thirteenth Christmas Tree

I have always had a deep love (read: obsession) with Christmas. So, when my sister offered me what would be my thirteenth Christmas tree to spare herself the trouble of transporting it across the country during a long-distance move, I welcomed it with open arms. 

Little did I know, that single gesture would set off a chain of events beyond my wildest dreams.

As someone who loves a good visual theme, I quickly imagined my ideal decorations for the tree. However, when I searched for the specific items, I realized they didn't exist—plain glass ornaments with monogram etchings were nowhere to be found! So, I learned how to make them myself.

The First Big Step: A Series of Missteps

While visiting a local boutique at that same time, I discovered they sold etched glassware. Curious with some questions about techniques, I asked if it was made in-house and ended up discussing my own newly started crafts. The boutique owner loved my ornaments and suggested I sell them in her boutique, leading to me spontaneously renting booth space and hastily naming the venture "Krafty Kade". (I signed the lease before I'd even left the store.)

With no clear direction beyond knowing I'd be selling Christmas ornaments, I juggled this new endeavor alongside my successful dog-related business, Kade Kimber Dog Couture, which had grown from a late-night idea into a wholesale dog clothing and accessories brand distributed in hundreds of retail stores across eight countries. Confident from that, I naively ventured into the boutique space.

The whole thing felt like such a disaster. From reselling estate sale finds to furniture refinishing (which I quickly grew to despise) and attempting rhinestone monogrammed decals, failure was frequent. Only when I leveraged my expanding sandblast etching skills for drinkware did I find some success.

But a chance hotel hot tub conversation would soon pivot my path entirely.

The Hot Tub Conversation That Changed Everything

In a hotel hot tub, of all places, I randomly met a group of strangers that included a successful Raleigh realtor. After later gifting him monogrammed glassware in a follow-up conversation, he invited me to visit his business networking group. But, prior to doing so, I knew I needed a much more marketable name for my venture.

Inspired by my affection for Raleigh, known as "The City of Oaks," and the joy of gifting, I ultimately renamed the business "Oak City Gifts". I created the branding and built an information-only website. (The ecommerce site came much later.)

Eventually joining that realtor's networking group sparked a word-of-mouth driven expansion, especially among realtors and brokerages. To meet that growing demand, I began to invest in machinery for in-house production to ensure quality and efficiency. This also enabled the creation of completely unique gifts, mirroring the success of my etched ornaments.

Redefining Corporate Gifting

My journey eventually shifted from offering individual gift items to crafting curated gift boxes, all of which paralleled my professional career in corporate marketing. Observing the lackluster effects of traditional corporate gifts, which often felt impersonal and transactional (as promo items are by their very nature), I was motivated to change how companies approached gifting.

Leveraging my marketing expertise, I focused on transforming corporate gifting into a brand-aligned experience, emphasizing branded packaging while keeping the gifts themselves unbranded. This approach ensures the gifts remain personal and memorable, truly delighting recipients and leaving a lasting impression without overt branding.

The Growth and the Constant in Our Journey

Oak City Gifts has transformed from a solo operation on my back patio to a dynamic team in a Raleigh warehouse and design studio. Starting with sandblast etching in a plastic tub, moving through storage units and subleased spaces, to integrating a workshop at home, today we operate in a full-scale warehouse.

Our approach has evolved from relying solely on my own marketing skills to employing a team with strategic marketing expertise, ensuring our gift boxes not only delight but also deliver significant ROI for our clients. 

Yet, through all these changes, our core principle has remained steadfast: a commitment to maximizing client lifetime value.

What Sets Us Apart

Oak City Gifts distinguishes itself in the gifting industry by first aligning with or developing marketing strategies tailored to client objectives before curating our gift boxes. 

Beyond mere recipient consideration, we adopt a comprehensive strategy that integrates brand-wide marketing efforts, offering (at no additional charge) gifting strategy development for companies without a marketing team. 

This integrated design approach ensures our gifts resonate and are effective, avoiding the pitfalls of generic offerings. Even our pre-curated boxes are crafted with specific goals and scenarios in mind, adhering to the belief that when you try to be applicable to everyone, you're relevant to no one.

Our commitment to this methodology allows us to maintain our unique position in the market through every phase of our company's evolution, standing out for making the gifts people remember!