Meet Patricia Cowan | Custom Basket Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Cowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is staying true to my brand. What I mean by that is keeping the reason why I started my business, which is primarily due to a pivotal time in my life and me making the decision to sink or swim. My brand encompasses the idea that each item included in a basket is a trinket for the recipient. Each “trinket” is to be “treasured”. My success is based on the fact that no two baskets are the same, because the base of creating the basket is due to the individuality of the recipient, no two persons are alike. While there may be similarities of items in the basket, as with people, they are never the same. This is actually expressed upfront to my clients.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My passion is more on the creative side of art. I have used my personal life story to tap into what is already inside of me to help others. I discovered my creativeness can help others in a positive way. What sets me apart is I make my products specifically for the recipient through personalization which is done with minimal information. I am most proud of the growth of my business and brand; which occurred by having one on one conversations with each client to make sure we are on the same page. The gift basket market is somewhat saturated but understanding that the need is changing daily has encouraged me to continue to use techniques that will set my brand apart ( such as using a reusable base for each basket that can be used for storage or décor, also allowing the customer to set the price for each basket and I create a basket within that price range). Starting and running my business was not easy, however it is worth the time, effort and sacrifice that I have put and continue to put in because of the joy in bring my clients. My reason for turning my craft into a business is due to me not getting what I desired during a trying time in my personal life, which was for someone to show they cared, if only in a small way with a smile, gift, hug or hello. My business is to bring hope and put a smile on the faces of those that are going through or facing difficult situations in their lives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start at having breakfast at a great breakfast/brunch spot, such as Garden Parc or Breakfast at Barneys. We would venture off to a few historic tours of the Atlanta area (World of Coca-Cola, North Georgia Wine Tour, Atlanta Black History & Civil Rights Tour, The Beltline), take a trip to Savannah Georgia and finish up with shopping in the little Five Points area and local shopping malls.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few people that I would like to thank for supporting thru my journey of starting my business, firstly Debra Baynes, she has been a great support in pushing me to recognize my gift and how it applies to encouraging those that are recipients of my product. Debra has helped me tapped into what is within me to share with the world. Secondly, Kevin Gunnells who has been a great support on this journey, through the research of getting started with my business and providing the tools on how to move forward and maintain. Lastly, I want to thank my sister, Dorothy Thompson, who has been great at encouraging me to expand my business beyond my local area and to offer my products internationally.

Website: www.trinketstotreasure.gifts

Instagram: @trinketstotreasure.gifts

Twitter: @T2Tgifts

Facebook: @trinkets2treasure2016