1. How did your journey in the corporate world inspire the creation of Go Above and Beyond?
My background is in working with people and specifically around building, maintaining and nurturing business relationships. I have worked in a myriad of different industries and in a range of business roles across 7 different countries, but the common element has always been the value of the connection and relationships. When I thought more about this, gifting is a really simple way to convey to someone how important they are. Gifting has been used for centuries for this very reason – it’s nothing new!
We do it in our personal lives:
- to acknowledge and recognise events such as birthdays and anniversaries,
- to recognise and welcome guests, visitors and new arrivals (babies!
- to reward achievements and success like graduations and new jobs
- to offer a memento at an occasion like a wedding or housewarming
- to genuinely thank someone for something.
Why not do this for business too?
Great business is all about building great connections and relationships – the value of our business is directly related to the value of our business connections and relationships. I wanted to create a space where businesses could give a outward representation to demonstrate physically the value they place in these connections and relationships – A place where businesses could use gifting to acknowledge, recognise, reward, offer and thank the people and businesses that really matter to them
Go Above and Beyond was created to make this easy, seamless and accessible.
2. What sets Go Above and Beyond apart in the competitive world of corporate gifting?
There are 3 things that set us apart
1. The quality of the items within our hampers. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING is hand-picked by me and it must be an item that I would eat, drink, use or desire to have in my home for a long time. Each item within the hamper must be special. It must be a true gift and not something that the recipient could pick up anywhere. It must be of exceptional quality and not just a cheap version of something to fill space within the box. It has to have a story about it or be meaningful to the recipient, so it sparks awe, conversation and wonder.
2. Customer Service to our clients and to the recipients. Our clients mean the world to me and every day I Go Above and Beyond to ensure their gifts are a true representation of their business and truly represent the value of the connection and relationship they want to convey to the gift recipient. Whether we are doing 1 or 10,000 gifts for that client, the recipient only opens one and that must be perfect.
3. Tailor Made Gifting. We have recently launched a service where our clients can opt for a one-off gift that’s tailor-made for the recipient and we can do, Tailor Made Gifting, at volume, for no additional cost!
Imagine this – you have a client that you want to acknowledge, recognise or reward, you know they don’t drink alcohol, have 2 dogs at home and have just come back from a fabulous holiday to the Puglia region in Italy. Why would you gift them a cheap bottle of wine and a 3 pack of Ferrero Rocher?!
Simply tell us what you know about the recipient and how much you would like to spend on the gift and we will do the rest for you.
3. Why is the business called Go Above and Beyond? What does that mean to you?
I named the business Go Above and Beyond and I live by that each and every day in my business and in my personal life.
It can sound like a cliche by why be ordinary when you can be Extra-ordinary?! It’s about ensuring my clients demonstrate they Go Above and Beyond for the people in their world.
I live by it in my personal life too – with everything I do, with every day and with every relationship and connection, I will always Go Above and Beyond.
It’s more than a business name – it’s a mantra – it’s my North Star.
4. How do you maintain the high quality and uniqueness of your gift collections?
Firstly, it has to pass my own test. Do I want this item in my life or my home? Would I personally gift this item to my own family and friends? If I was to receive this item as a gift, would I be delighted to have it in my world and be proud to show it to family and friends? If the answer to any one of these questions is not an absolute YES, then it’s a hard NO and the item will not even be considered!
To stay current and unique, I am constantly, and I mean constantly, on the lookout for new, delightful, fun, elegant, sophisticated or delicious items to include within our collections. I like to source as locally as I can but I am not against gaining inspiration from overseas whilst travelling for new little gems!
5. Life must be busy and hectic for you! Outside of business, what are your interests or hobbies that help you relax and stay inspired?
I have an absolute love of the outdoors. I love nature, fresh-air, being active and tackling the elements! Whether that is out for a walk with the dogs, a run on the beach, skiing in the mountains or out in the paddocks with the horses – I love it all! It gives me the time and space to relax, recharge, revitalise and to remain inspired and creative. When I can combine this with overseas travel … well that’s a perfect combination!
