Vendor Spotlight that time that I found out that every order I sent out had broken cookies in the package. BWR: That must have been discouraging? Daria: Well it was, there was a time I felt like giving up. I had my name on the line, I felt like maybe I had made a big mistake giving up my dream wedding for this. I was fortunate, my husband stood by me and we decided that we had to take it day by day. We did a lot of breakage tests. In fact we would try different packaging methods and then literally kick the boxes around the office playing soccer with them. It took us years but now we have breakage under control. BWR: Obviously your perseverance paid off, what was your first big break? Daria: I had the opportunity to do the food show in New York. Well, I did the show and landed a couple of huge clients, Sam’s Club and Cosco. Don’t ask me how, but they were our very first big clients for the upcoming Christmas season. With that opportunity I was able to add some staff, mainly family, and started getting calls from all over with potential clients asking why they had never heard of us. Long story short we began to grow because Sam’s Club and Cosco gave us our first break on their dot-coms. BWR: Now, seven years later, how large has Lady Fortunes become? Daria: We have two selling seasons, peak and off peak During our off peak time we will have 13 to 15 full-time employees.. As a matter of fact to keep people employed we just added a product line offering candy sugar decorations. During the holidays we grow all the way up to 30 – 40 employees BWR: What advice do you have for others just starting out? Daria: Opening up your own business is the most exciting thing
you can do. But you must also recognize that this is your baby. Lady Fortunes was my first baby, it requires your attention, you must nurture and care for it. It isn’t a job, I’ve never had a boss like I do now. I’m responsible for a lot. I can’t be out having fun or playing golf when I need to tend to business.
BWR How do you select a new product? Daria: It usually come in the form of a request from our customers. They know we specialize in the unusual cookie so they may ask for something a little unusual or extra. It is from these inquiries that we develop additions to our line.
BWR: One of the things that strikes me is that you seem to be strongly value driven. Daria: Values are important. We have team meeting about this all the time. Our strongest is family values. I’ve brought my sister in to the business, even my father pitches in, I know every employee by name and their family as well. I strive for happy people. Also important is hard work, a strong work ethic. We are a team and need everyone to pull their own weight. We care about each other.
BWR: In reviewing your web site I noticed a strong commitment to charities. Tell me more? Daria: I’m one of those people who believes in helping at home. We do a lot of local charitable work plus special funds across the nation. Coming in October we will do a special fund raiser for breast cancer. For me I feel that charity is internal as well as external. We give our own employees a very special benefits package. I have very strong commitment to advocacy for small businesses. I hope someday to be heard in Washington D.C. to let them know just how difficult they make it on the small business.
BWR: Looking at your accomplishments what do you consider your biggest business mistake? Daria: One of my biggest mistakes is also my greatest strengths. I’m very open and trusting. I have had a few employees leave, taking with them what was priority information they shared with our competitors. But, I also believe in Karma. Three of our largest competitors have gone out of business because of their ethics. I started out letting employees take home damaged product to their family. Over time I found my inventory suffered so I had to put in place controls to avoid problems. BWR: What is your best selling product? Daria: It has to be our giant gourmet cookie with its own personalized messages. We keep adding new variations to our lineup to meet new demands. We keep expanding our product line. In fact we are now expanding into a kosher line,
BWR: The last thing I would like to hear about is your VERY impressive collection of quotations you have. Daria: This is my own personal quotation collection. I’ve been collecting them for years and continue to do so. BWR: One final question Daria, where do you see yourself in five years? Daria: Lady Fortunes is my first business, it’s my baby. I’ve been extremely blessed. I feel that I’m doing something. While I ‘m not saving the world, I am sweetening it. BWR: If I were to read between the lines I hear you saying that we have not heard the last from Daria Artem? Daria: You could say that. BWR: thanks for your time.
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