2020 Women Owned Small Business Gift Guide

This is my first ever gift guide, and I’m so so excited to share it with you! In light of this pretty terrible year that saw so many small business forced to close I really wanted to focus my attention on small, women owned businesses. I pledged to do 80% of my holiday shopping from small businesses this year, and so far I’ve been pretty successful! Check out these 9 amazing brands, and stock up on delicious and beautiful gifts for your loved ones (and maybe a few treats for yourself - I have to admit that I definitely bought myself some fancy jams and candles)

1. Still Kickin was founded by Nora McInerny in 2015 after the death of her first husband.  She’s since started an incredible podcast called Terrible, Thanks for Asking; she hosted one of the most watched Ted Talks of 2019, and she routinely shows up in my top 10 list of people I’d like to be best friends with.  The sales from the Still Kickin shop go towards grant funding for individuals and families going through hard times.

2. Whiled was founded by Alisha Ramos, who is also the founder of the only newsletter I actually read on a regular basis, Whiled was born out of a desire to go back to a time when leisure time was a thing that people actually had.  We’re all so busy these days, and so focused on our various screens and so few of us take any real time to unwind.  Just image, sitting at your dining room table with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, music low or Great British Bake Off murmuring away in the background while you fit and fuss with puzzle pieces until they come together in one of four amazing designs.  Sounds heavenly, right?

3. Savvy Cocoa’s was created by Savannah Williams in Boston, MA.  Originally meant to be a cake-pop shop, she had to pivot when her doctor informed her that taste testing so much cake was decidedly not healthy for her.  She went back to basics, decided on delicious smells over delicious tastes and never looked back.

4. Lucca, a small shop in my town of Cincinnati is owned by Lindsey Estes and managed by an all-woman team.  Lindsey learned machining from her father and took that knowledge, combined it with a love of detail and design to create gorgeous custom-made wood gifts and accessories.   

5. Brins Jam was founded by Candice Ross, a former architect who travelled for work and found herself more intrigued by the spice markets than the architecture.  She turned that plus an abundance of produce sent to her by her family into an artisanal Jam and Marmalade company that has offerings from the basic Banana Jam to more exotic Lemon Saffron jam.  She even partnered with The Metropolitan Museum of Art to make an exclusive line of Jam Labels based on famous works of art.

6.  Overseasoned.  Smash The Garlic and The Patriarchy was a short slogan that food blogger Amy Larson came up with in January 2017 as the historic women’s march was happening in Washington DC and around the country.  She printed out some tea towels and aprons and the rest is history.  Her website has several different designs, including my favorite – the Culinary Goddess shirt.

7. Spruce Creek Studio, is an Etsy shop owned and operated by artist Marisa Eichman (full disclosure – she’s also my stepmother).  She sells prints of her amazing watercolor animals, ranging from birds to snow leopards with a strong focus on opossums.  They’d be perfect for a nursery or kids’ room.  She also sells coffee mugs, my favorite one being Possum Needs Coffee.

8. Hedley & Bennett was founded by Ellen Bennett in 2012. After she realized that the aprons she was wearing in commercial kitchens just weren’t cutting it, she set out to make her own designs.  As every chef knows, a good apron is worth its weight in gold, and these aprons are the gold standard.  They also make chefs coat’s, socks and because this is 2020, facemasks.

9. Firepot Nomadic Teas.  Founded in 2001 by Sarah Scarborough, this Nashville TN based company focuses on social, environmental and financial sustainability.  Part of their proceeds to go fund The Akilah Institute, which is a women’s university in Rwanda.  They offer individual sales as well as subscriptions and box sets.

Even if you don’t buy from these specific brands this year please try to shop small as much as you can. Amazon has enough money - when you shop small, you’re making a difference in a real person’s life.

Happy Shopping!!!