Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Fozio.
Hi Samantha, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Royalton Gifts began in 2016 as a small dream between a mother and daughter who were both born and raised in North Royalton, Ohio. My mom was a teacher in the district for 30 years and I had just recently graduated high school when we began our small business adventure. We saw a need in our town for a place that offered unique, thoughtful gifts – somewhere you could always find something special for any occasion. With the support of our amazing community, what started humbly has grown into the shop we are so proud of today. Every step of the way, our customers have been the center of it all, and we are incredibly grateful to be part of so many celebrations, big and small.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Small business life is most definitely not a smooth road. If it was, I think everyone would do it. In the very beginning, just like any new business starting out, our biggest challenge was getting our name out there and creating a customer base who knew we even existed. There were many long days working the store and even longer nights, but we’ve learned to get creative along the way by coming up with exciting events throughout the year, working really hard to create captivating displays that make people want to come in, and making sure we carry unique products that you can’t easily find anywhere else. Once we had a few years under our belt, COVID hit. What was an incredibly challenging time for so many businesses all around the country was actually a pivoting point in our business. We built and launched a website within 3 days of mandatory closure, we began offering pre-assembled gift baskets and boxes that could be sent to loved ones you weren’t able to see during that time, and we even offered safe-distance delivery right to your front door. We learned to adapt during a very scary time in our world, but it still all goes back to our community. Without their support, especially through COVID, we would not be where we are today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
One of the biggest reasons I love owning a gift store is that I get to be creative every single day. I am someone who needs to be working with my hands and I am constantly dreaming up ideas in my head for truly everything. Whether its something as simple as curating and assembling a gift basket for a customer, or a bigger project like designing and building furniture pieces as displays in the store, I really really love what I do. I think something we are known for is definitely having those unique, one-of-a-kind pieces all throughout the store that you can’t easily find anywhere else. It gives people more of a reason to shop here first knowing that they are going to find something really special. I’m most proud of how this store has evolved in the almost 9 years we have been open. I’m living my dream every single day and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
There’s a lot of things that make me happy: my dog Bayler, my fiancé, my family, my customers….. I think true happiness for me is creative liberty. It’s what drives me everyday.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.royaltongifts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royaltongifts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyaltonGifts1
