June, 2005 - The original Mirassou Winery (Mirassou), in its 150-year family business legacy depended on the strong optimistic vision of its matriarch Henrietta Mirassou in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The makers of Mirassou wines now are pleased to join with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) to honor women business owners who generate success against all odds – those who stand firm in an optimistic view and conquer adversity to create success. This award is truly for those who view the glass half full, where others might see it as half empty. The NAWBO Mirassou Business Optimist Award is designed to recognize concrete elements of business optimism and to establish a platform to inspire other women to do the same.
The NAWBO Mirassou Business Optimist Award focuses on a woman business owner that has generated a successful business record despite facing adversity that could include (1) lack of capital or other resources for either start up or business development; (2) natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, hurricanes or other major events that affected business; and (3) didn’t listen to naysayers and who said it couldn’t be done.
Winner receives an award prize of $10,000. Winner also receives airfare, hotel accommodations and conference registration to attend the June 11, 2005 awards ceremony in Orlando, Florida.
Ms. King’s Winning Submission
For more than two decades, Blooming Cookies has been planting smiles on customer’s faces for every occasion imaginable. In 1984, Ann began growing the business out of her Atlanta home and expanded to become one of the most successful customized cookie and gift companies in America.
The company has gone from delivering its products out of a baby blue station wagon around Atlanta to becoming Federal Express’s highest volume customer in the Southeast. The company has been featured in media outlets like NBC’s Today, Southern Living, Entrepreneur, Fortune, Inc. Magazine, and Oprah’s Oxygen Network. Blooming Cookies bakes and delivers hundreds of thousands of mouth-watering cookies presented in hand painted customized flower pots with a big splash of creativity. Ann’s Blooming Cookies were first discovered and sold in the local Epicure Department of Neiman Marcus. As the demand grew for her personalized products, she expanded the company and eventually moved, along with her staff of customer service agents, designers and artists to Atlanta’s Midtown.
Recognized by other gift leaders in the field, Blooming Cookies was chosen for product development and fulfillment for FTD.com. Prior to founding Blooming Cookies, Ann was a Flight Attendant with Delta Airlines and published a travel newsletter and magazine. Ann has served as Chair of the Dekalb Humane Society. Currently she serves on Emory University's Goizueta Business School's Graduate Women in Business Advisory Board and is a member of NAWBO’s Atlanta chapter and CEO Roundtable. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia.
Business Overview
Blooming Cookies Personalized Gifts is a national gift company specializing in the sale and production of custom gifts and arrangements through e-commerce, catalog marketing, and FTD.com. The gift assortment is designed around the creative theme of gourmet cookies on stems, iced cookies, shaped cookies, and related products, including flowers and live plants. The public appeal of the product line comes form the uniqueness of the arrangements, the personalization options for each customer, the quality of the cookies, which compare with top national gourmet brands and fresh gourmet bakeries, and top notch customer service Blooming Cookies Personalized Gifts was founded in 1984, and has experienced steady growth as a national gift company since its inception. The company is located in the midtown section of Atlanta, Georgia and has 13 full-time employees plus seasonal staff generating average sales for the past three years of $1.7 million per year. The no-compromise commitment to quality, uniqueness, and value of Ann King, the company’s CEO and Founder, established the foundation for the strong niche the company holds in the gift industry today.
Overcoming Adversity
It seems like a life-time ago that I started Blooming Cookie Personalized Gifts with a $500 loan from my parents out of my home in Atlanta. I assembled the arrangements that I sold in my bedroom by putting a piece of plywood across the bed. Delivery was a challenge as I bounced back and forth across town in my borrowed baby blue station wagon. Eventually, I was able to move the business into our first store front location that was 200 square feet in size.
The Women’s Mission kitchen manager was kind hearted and made the cookie dough for me from my mother’s special recipe. A local bakery pitched in and baked the cookies for me until I was able to buy my own oven. My first plight into the hard knocks of the business world happened when the former bakery sold my recipe to a national hotel chain that to this day offers you warm chocolate chip cookies upon check-in. I received no compensation for this.
Within that same year, my landlord decided to sell the building so I had to move. I had limited funds for moving, so I went to a bank for a $2,000 loan. I was turned down and told that I should sell part of my business in order to raise enough capital to move. I refused to give in so I continue to go to banks until I found someone willing to take a risk.
I knew that I needed organizational assistance. I was overwhelmed participating in every aspect of the business. I decided to ask for help and approached SBA/SCORE and Georgia State University Business Resource Center. I was given advised that ranged from my business being a fad that would not last seven years to I could not be helped because nobody understood my business model. Failure not being an option, I left both places more determined than ever. I had faith and trust in myself and felt in my heart I could make this business successful.
As of 2005, Blooming Cookies Personalized Gifts has overcome some of the most difficult events to any business owner and is thriving successfully. To say that it has been a difficult road is a major understatement. Along the way of my journey, I lost both parents and my best friend, whom were very dear to me, and this was ten times harder than any fire, law-suit, or any other difficult event. Your perspective changes to realize that life is really about the ones’ you love and the ones’ that love you. My new perspective helped shape the products that we now produce. I realized that people like to send special gifts to other people that express feelings of love and gratitude. I believe that our gifts send a message from one person to another and they should be heartfelt and expressive. I feel that our customers need to have a choice to send a gift that is a “one of a kind” gift made especially for that person and not just SKU # off of a shelf in a box.
I believe that most people would have stopped the insanity many years ago and pulled the plug on the business; however, I’m like a wind-up toy that hits the wall repeatedly until it finally finds a way around the wall. I never give up and try to see the greater good in each situation. After twenty-one years, I feel as passionately about the business today as I did when I started it. Good fortune has shined its’ light upon me as I have surrounded myself with truly special folks that work in the business with me and are as passionate about the business as I am. Most of the Blooming Cookies employees have been with the company many, many years.
I realized that we all have challenges and growth opportunities in our lives. Challenges are a gift to help us grow spiritually and as a person. To say ones’ life is better or worse, harder or easier is not a judgment that we can ever place on another person or ourselves objectively. My optimism comes from the deepest belief that there is nothing that I cannot handle and that I will always be okay. My business and its’ adversities as well as successes has molded me into the person that I have always wanted to be. My trials and tribulations have taught me patience and humility as a person and this in itself is immeasurable in the success of Blooming Cookies Personalized Gifts.
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The original Bloomey Story is a heartwarming tale of what
it means to share. The story embodies our company's philosophy.
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Bloomey has been busy making all sorts of announcements. Find out the latest
news!
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Many famous people have received Blooming Cookies over the years.
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From concept to creation, Blooming Cookies takes exceptional care in creating your gift.
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Blooming Cookies has touched many people's lives over the years.
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See what our customers are saying about us.
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Learn how Bloomingcookies.com gives back to the community.
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