Please give us a brief overview of your venture.
GiftWell is a mobile phone app that allows people to make gifts or donations of cash electronically.
Put simply, any time you would give cash with a card, or pool money for a common cause, GiftWell is the way I see everyone transacting on these occasions. Instead of making a special trip to the ATM and purchasing a card, a gift of cash can be made via the app accompanied by a special personal message to the recipient, saving users both time and money.
The GiftWell app can be used for weddings, birthdays, christenings, fundraisers, baby showers or office gifts for a colleague. Its application is varied and once enough people have the app on their phone making gifts of cash, putting in for a group present or giving to a fundraiser will be super quick and easy.
GiftWell is convenient, safe and great for everyone. It is free to download the app and costs nothing to create an event. All transactions are handled securely via PayPal or Stripe.
What prompted you to start your own business?
I worked for employers from the time I left school until I had my first child. There are various reasons why I found comfort in working for other people – capped responsibility levels, a sense of camaraderie with colleagues and reliable pay cheques – but I have always wanted to start a business.
When I had the idea for GiftWell the timing was right for me to finally do my own thing – I was on the verge of going back to work after having taken time off to have my two boys.
How difficult was it to make that first leap?
It was really hard for me to tell my boss, who is also my mother-in-law, that I was going to take some time away from law to pursue my start-up. It was difficult to decide not to return to the family business and a job I loved. I am lucky enough to have felt true job satisfaction; I worked with wonderful people and bosses who cared about their staff.
Deciding to take a sabbatical from the law to pursue a venture that was little more than an idea at the time was a bit unexpected.
In other ways, it felt like the right move because I always had that voice in my head telling me to be brave and go out there and be my own boss one day. I believe in GiftWell and I want to share it with people. That has been motivation enough to make my move.
What have been your biggest challenges?
What wasn’t easy was taking the road less travelled, and the feeling that I was letting my workplace down. But there was also a gut instinct saying, “you have to do this”.
The biggest challenge has been to shelve my career and go against the grain of the conventional path I had carved out for myself, especially in circumstances where I was very happy in my job and being welcomed back after a few years away. It is much easier to leave something when you’re unhappy – it makes more sense to change things up in that situation.
And your greatest triumphs?
The best part of this journey so far has been seeing the GiftWell app come to life and receive a positive reception since its launch. I created GiftWell because I personally have a real use for it, and it has been encouraging to learn that other people feel the same way. My longer-term vision is that GiftWell appears on most people’s phones and that everyone uses it as a convenient way to transact in their everyday life.
Social media is new territory for me and I must admit that every time someone likes a post or follows GiftWell I feel excitement. There is something really powerful about people supporting each other and I am overwhelmed by the number of people who like the GiftWell app and who have gone out of their way to tell me so.
What has helped you along the way?
Unconditional support from my husband who is my best friend and who has known me a long time, above all else. Any time I feel like I need a boost to keep persevering I turn to him – he is a very hardworking person himself, who has always believed in me and my dreams to have a business of my own.
A solid network of friends, family and people in business has also been critical. I have a particular close friend who is very supportive yet honest and always happy to give an opinion or advice. Sometimes I think it takes just that one person who can tell us the things that we know deep down but that always sound better coming from someone else.
Being told to just go for it by someone you respect can make all the difference.
What advice do you have for women considering going out on their own or unhappy in their jobs?
I think the biggest message is to stop thinking too much about it and just do it. Consider the worst thing that can happen and if you can handle that, take the leap.
I’m not saying be reckless. A bold move is a good idea if you have a solid plan in place and you are prepared to connect with the right people, back yourself and work hard. I once heard someone say that an overnight success takes 10 years to achieve. I find that these words help me to keep going and be patient.
From what I have seen from successful people around me, hard work always pays off in the long run if you are prepared to put your head down and listen to your inner voice and your customers.
My advice to anyone who wants to go after an idea they believe in is to surround themselves with a supportive network of people – friends and family who will be there to celebrate the victories and have their back when the chips are down.
There’s obviously a spectrum of scenarios when it comes to a start-up. Some ventures require huge amounts of capital and risk, and others don’t. Some ventures can begin with a toe-dip alongside a day job, others need full time 12-hour days from the get-go.
One of the most valuable things people can do if they’re unsure about timing is speak with a career coach, to help them assess exactly where they’re at in the scheme of things. Making the decision to leave a job, even when unhappy, is not easy when it means entering the unknown.
Above all, however, the greatest rewards happen when risks are taken. Having some comfort in the idea that no challenge lasts forever, that most things can be turned around at times of failure, that plenty of people have done this before us, and that every experience is an opportunity to learn has been reason enough for me.
"I created GiftWell because I personally have a real
use for it, and it has been encouraging to learn that
other people feel the same way."
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