celebrate

a guide to simchahs

Gift Advice

What's YOUR

Element?

Online gifting expert creates
a business from her passion.

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REUNIONS

Keri Guten Cohen I Story Development

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DRIm

hen you receive a gift from
Lindsay Roberts, you know
it's unique, tailored specifi-
cally for you and conveys the meaning
she's intended.
Roberts of Birmingham is a gift
expert. You may have seen her gift-
ing segments on Fox 2 Detroit, on the
major TV networks or online at popular
sites like El Online.com . If you haven't
discovered her online gift site, www.
thegiftinsider.com , check it out.
At thegiftinsider.com, Roberts and
her team scour the Internet, local bou-
tiques and magazines to recommend
the most creative and under-the-radar
gift ideas. Her website offers ideas, and
then links shoppers to the merchants
who sell them.
The website takes the hassle out of
gift-giving by curating, categorizing
and reviewing options. The site also
features a blog with gift-giving tips and
etiquette advice. And shoppers on the
site often can obtain exclusive discount
codes from merchants for items they
want to purchase.
Roberts comes to this naturally.
"Gifting is a thing some are great
at," she said. "I was always into it and
making gifts for people. It's something I
am passionate about."
For her mother's recent birthday,
balloons floating on the ceiling had
notes attached to the hanging rib-
bons; each note contained a reason
people loved her. For Valentine's Day,
Roberts sent her fiance, Jonathan
Schey, on a scavenger hunt to places

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that held meaning for them. They will
marry July 18.
"One of the things that impressed
me early in our relationship is that he's
a very good gifter," she said.
Roberts had worked in ad sales
for Good Housekeeping in Chicago.
She frequently perused magazines to
track advertising and saw a lot of hot
products.
"I started a blog about unique gifts
or do-it-yourself products to give cre-
ativity to gift-giving," she said. "I left
my corporate job in June 2010 to focus
on this full time. Then I took the leap
and returned to Detroit.
"The site helps you find the perfect
gift," she said. "Items are broken down
by type of person, occasion, gift and
cost. You can't directly buy on our site,
but we direct you to merchant sites. We
act as a marketing tool for these small
companies."
Roberts, a passionate entrepreneur,
also does a lot of spokesperson work
as well as speaking engagements for
various gift fairs around the country.
Although she freely gives advice,
Roberts refuses to reveal what special
gifts she'll be giving to her wed-
ding party, parents and guests at her
upcoming wedding.
"Some are secret," she said with a
laugh. "I will say there will be a lot of
fun gift bags for the out-of-towners,
and the bridesmaids are getting some-
thing from a boutique in Paris." ❑

Lindsay Roberts runs www.thegiftinsider.com.

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Gift Advice From Lindsay Roberts

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celebrate! I March 2015

• Current favorites: a personal-
ized cutting board with the words
"Cooking together since (fill in
date)" engraved in the wood; a cus-
tom designer sketch of the bride in
her wedding dress; and a box with
three wine bottles to be opened on
specific anniversaries, each with an
appropriately timed message from
the giver.

• Don't give something YOU would

like, but something you know THEY
would like.

• Listen carefully to those in your life;
they often unintentionally mention
things they really want or need.

• Don't forget the WOW factor; put a
special touch to every gift you give
this year.