We started Handpicked to give people a trusted source of unusual and inspiring gift ideas. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a present well received and it’s our mission to make that simple. Our Expert Panel make sure we stay on track but we hope, with our blog, we’ll hear more from you too. Comment away!

Our buying team have trying to track down all the loveliest souvenirs with which to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. Our favourite so far is this gorgeous jug by Jan Constantine. See all our ideas here.

Woman & Home Jo McGivern and Jo Malone

I’m a huge fan of Jo Malone products (one of my favourites is the modern classic, Lime, Basil & Mandarin scent), and love the way Jo Malone’s simple packaging can make even the most chaotic bathroom seem a little more ordered and indulgent. As a businesswoman, I have always been incredibly impressed by the way a small idea and flair for scent was turned into a global empire. No wonder that, when I was given the chance to meet Jo in person, and ask her for some tricks of the trade, I jumped at the chance.

Woman & Home magazine offered women who had recently started a business the chance to benefit from a mentor session with the mega-successful Jo Malone. I was invited to a studio in central London for a photo session, and got the chance to ask her a bundle of questions. The answers were really interesting, and gave me lots of inspiration for The Handpicked Collection.

From Jo, I learned some lovely tips on retaining the small company feel as your business grows, both from a customer point of view and staff. Even when her business was huge and selling internationally, she was in touch with all levels of staff and was non-hierarchical. I have a close relationship with all our team at the moment as we are small, and it was great to hear that she managed to continue great relationships when her business grew. She gave me tips such as keeping closely involved at all levels as much as possible. For example, making sure I regularly spoke to customers when they called so that I could learn about what they were ordering, and what they liked and didn’t like about the company. Our customers are the most important thing to us so, as we grow, we never want to lose touch with what they are feeling or saying.

I also discovered that feeling exhausted while running a business was all part of the course! Jo was extremely friendly, very helpful, and really generous with her time. I’m now more addicted than ever to her products, particularly the Jo Malone white jasmine and mint bath oil.

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