In September, longtime friends Ashley Bronczek and Candace Ourisman traveled to France for the annual home decor and gift trade show, Maison & Object Paris. They shopped. They ate. They drank wine. They shopped some more.
“We had an amazing experience there. We found so many wonderful treasures there and in the Parisian flea markets and the boutiques,” says Bronczek. “Plus, we’re best friends, so being able to have a week in Paris to shop and eat and drink without our kids waking us up was just amazing.”
If this sounds glamorous, it’s because it is. But the duo was also technically working. Bronczek and Ourisman are the co-founders of Secretly Gifting, a D.C.-based gift-giving concierge service that takes the stress out of finding wow-worthy gifts for your loved ones. The working moms launched the local company about a year and a half ago after they realized they were both the go-to shopping expert within their respective friend circles.
They turned their gift-giving expertise into a business and 18 months later they’ve built a hefty client base that includes both personal and corporate clients throughout Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland, D.C. and beyond.
It works like this: clients fill out a Secretly Gifting questionnaire (or set up a phone call) to provide details about the person who will receive the gift. Bronczek and Ourisman take that information and search for just the right gift. Within 48 hours, they present two options and their client makes the final selection. From there, Bronczek and Ourisman handle the purchasing, custom gift wrap and arrange for delivery—all in secret, of course.
With their second holiday season in business, the women behind Secretly Gifting are busier than ever. But, they say, building those personal relationships with clients remains paramount to finding the perfect gift.
“Repeat customers have been very special for us. Getting to know our clients and their friends and family, it really allows us to deliver a really impactful gift,” says Ourisman. “It’s funny because we’re very behind the scenes, but we secretly love their family and friends as well.” // secretlygifting.com
Check out unique gifts for hostesses that Secret Gifting suggested in our December 2018 issue.
