Chanda Torrey spent most of her life in the nonprofit sector including working for the Peace Corps in Belize. Most recently, she was the Chief Development Officer of the Red Cross where she retired in 2019. Since then, she started Gifter World, an online store for unique gift ideas for those who have everything.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I worked as a TV Producer for years and decided to join the Peace Corps in Belize in my 30s. I loved it so much that I ended up spending 4 ½ years there. When I returned, I worked for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and then most recently as the Chief Development Officer of the Red Cross where I retired last year.

What inspired you to start your business?

I used to be terrified of shopping for others. I had no idea what to get for people and I would second guess every decision I made and then I would be convinced they would hate what I bought them.  Within 30 minutes of arriving at the mall, I would be sitting in a corner crying.  I once bought gifts for my whole family, wrapped them, drove to the post office, chickened out, and never sent them.  Years later, a friend found them still in the trunk of my car and mailed them for me.  I have no idea what was in the packages… It could be cheese for all I know. 

Years later, I discovered the secret to shopping for others and it changed my life. I was trying to find something they wanted or needed but most adults just buy what they want.  The secret is to look outside of the box and get them something fun, unexpected, and possibly something they have never heard about. 

For years, I wanted to start a gift ideas site to help others like me but life always got in the way.  Once I retired last year, I decided to give it a shot and I am so glad I did.

Where is your business based?

Although I live in South Florida, my business is entirely online so it can be based anywhere in the world. I am obsessed with travel so I am looking forward to traveling around the world again soon with my laptop in tow. If I can work anywhere, it might as well be an exotic country with a nice beach and friendly people where I can explore.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Since I didn’t know how to start a website, I kept procrastinating for a while.  I decided to just ‘set a date’ of when I wanted to launch my site in order to push myself to get going.  I watched every YouTube video I could find and read everything.  At first, I didn’t even understand what the articles or videos were talking about.  I would listen to one sentence of a video and then have to google 3 words then do it again for the next sentence. I was truly a fish out of the water but I was determined.

Once I learned the basics, I found a web developer to teach me the basics of web development and to help me when I got stuck.  One time, I thought I accidentally deleted my whole website, so I quickly called him for help.

Then I researched the most unique gifts and worked out a deal with the companies selling the products.  If I send them someone who buys something, they give me a small percentage and it doesn’t affect the buyer’s cost at all so it is a win-win for all.  I started adding products and gift guides and I continued to learn so it really was a “learn as you go” experience. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

I use social media a lot and several magazines and websites have interviewed me.  But mostly, it has been word of mouth. Once someone comes to my site, they end up telling others so it has grown organically.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

It can take months (or years) for google to find you so you show up in Google searches and that has been frustrating. Instead of sitting around waiting, I used social media to share my website.  Google has just started showing me in search results, so I keep seeing huge jumps in numbers every month but it was quite scary for the first several months.

How do you stay focused?

Although I can work from the comfort of my bed, I make sure I maintain a schedule. I wake up at the same time every day and I ensure I add products and/or gift guides every day. I tend to get sucked into whatever I am doing, so I take a lunch break in order to refresh my brain so I can be more creative. If I get writer’s block, I break up my schedule and do something else for a while in order to get my creativity flowing again. 

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I only feature products that have 4+ star reviews and the best price.  If I find something interesting, I search the internet to make sure it is the best price for that item.  Every item is something I would buy, so I take the work out of it for you.  You don’t have to make sure it is a quality item, because I already did that.  Sometimes it is hard because I will see my competitors post a super interesting product that I want to feature, but when I dig a little deeper, I realize it has horrible reviews.  I have to keep telling myself that products that are funny or interesting are not enough… They have to be top quality.

I also have a FREE gift concierge service.  If you can’t find something on Gifter World, send me an email and tell me about the person.  I will search the internet for the perfect gift.  I offer this because I know what it is like to not know what to get and if someone can’t find something on my website, it means I need to expand to cover that type of recipient.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Facebook has worked the best for me.  I started a business page for Gifter World and it has slowly gained followers. I also use LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest, but Facebook seems to work better for me.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Set a date.  When you put a date on your calendar for when you will launch your company, it tells your brain it is going to happen.  Once you have the date, work backward to see what you have to do in order to make it happen.  It is okay to change the date if, once you get started, you realize you need more time, but setting the date gets the ball rolling.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is Facebook because that is where I get most of my customers.  It is an easy way to reach people in a casual way and to connect with them on a daily basis. 

When it comes to blogs, I love all travel blogs.  I love to read about places in the world that I haven’t explored yet and get tips to plan my next trip. I love discovering new places that most people have never even heard about and travel blogs are a great way to learn about them.

My favorite book is Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Often, we think that the best way to motivate our team is by incentives but it is actually more beneficial to give them the freedom to create. When we empower our staff, they will work harder and more passionately, so the secret is understanding how to do that.  

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I know this is a boring answer, but Google is my lifeline. I use it all day long in order to search the internet for the best products. About 80% of my time is spent on Google.

Who is your business role model? Why?

Judy Ranan was my boss years ago while I was in the nonprofit sector and she was amazing.  She gave me the freedom to be creative in how I would raise money and she never micro-managed me.  I knew I could come to her for guidance but she wouldn’t get in the way of me doing my job. Because of that, I blew past my goals every time. I think a lot of people could learn from her and I think of her often.  

How do you balance work and life?

I allow myself to take breaks and time off. I make sure I finish work for the day in time to have dinner with my family and I rarely work on the weekend.  I enjoy my work but it is also important to enjoy time off.  Once the borders open up again, I will be taking a couple of vacations a year.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

I love travel so much that I enjoy planning my next trip.  I like to search for information about countries I’ve never been, dream of my next vacation, look at photos, and plan where I will go.  Since international travel isn’t allowed right now, I have become a sucker for mindless TV.  I love watching reality shows for some reason. I think it is because I can zone out while watching them. 

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I want to continue to write more gift guides and increase my gift categories.  I’ve had people reach out to me and say, “Hey! Can you add ‘such and such’ category?”. I love when people do that because it gives me more ideas.  For the next 6 months, I plan on writing 1-3 gift guides a week, and add 1-5 items per day. I also plan on adding several more categories to ensure I have gift ideas for everyone.

How can our readers connect with you?

Every day, I post new unique gifts on my Gifter World Facebook page, so be sure to follow me at https://www.facebook.com/GifterWorldUniqueGifts