Experts say that recalling positive memories can have a direct positive effect on our mood. We immediately feel better when we remember the fun we had at our wedding, the excitement of buying our first home, or the time we spent with grandma in the kitchen learning how to bake.
Think about having that memory close by every day. A cutting board with that recipe, written in your grandmother’s handwriting, on display in your kitchen? Every time you looked at it, you would be reminded of those beautiful moments, and those feelings would come flooding back, lightening your mood and reminding you to be grateful for all the people that have come into your life. Round Trip Studios, a local small business specializing in creating meaningful gifts since 2015.
Round Trip Studios’ mission is to create beautiful, functional, and meaningful gifts that celebrate the moments we are grateful for, whether it’s an important event, like a wedding or anniversary; remembering them makes us feel good. They design and create engraved gifts that celebrate these memories and strive to make beautiful and functional products that will be used or displayed daily. So every day, you are reminded of that moment and the feelings of love, appreciation, and happiness that goes along with it.
Round Trip Studios was founded in 2015 by two best friends, Susie Jelinek and Alison Wawrzyniak. Wanting to give family members meaningful gifts, they took their child’s drawings and engraved them on acrylic to use as Christmas ornaments. This first gift’s success spurred the decision to start a company offering this service to other families. Armed with great ideas and supportive husbands, their first year in business was busy.
They bartered with a local business to use the equipment they needed, working after hours until well past midnight. Entrepreneurs by night and mother’s by day, the first year flew by. They learned a lot, designed a lot, and managed to invest in their current studio in Milton.
Five years later, they have built a successful company that caters to families and professionals wanting to give branded gifts.
One of their popular items is an engraved live-edge charcuterie board. Realtors love giving these as a closing gift because they can customize them to their clients and add their logo to the back and the gift box. This adds a beautiful piece to the home and starts a conversation about where they got it from, which can then act as a potential referral.
Their products can be personalized to suit the needs of the occasion and the recipients. You can choose from a variety of designs or create your own. For an extra meaningful gift, try engraving handwriting, footprints, or child’s drawings. Giving a meaningful gift is easy, and seeing your loved one’s reaction when they open that gift is priceless.
The pandemic has created a unique opportunity for people to reflect on what matters, with personal relationships being the most important. Round Trip Studios believes the act of giving a gift has changed from simply marking an occasion to showing how much that person means to you.
It’s easy to see why Round Trip Studios is thriving despite the current business climate. With the Provincial restrictions added, Susie hasn’t entered the studio in almost a year. Alison works alone in the studio doing all the physical work of engraving, packaging, shipping. Susie works from home and is responsible for the design work, website maintenance, and product development, among other things.
Being a small online business, Round Trip Studios counts on referrals to build trust with new clients. Word of mouth, clients sharing their stories, and their many online reviews, you can see why families keep coming back. Surrounding yourself with an everyday item that triggers those endorphins to bring a happy memory to your day and then sharing it with others is so special. They have an excellent client base locally, and their goal this year is to grow the business outside of Canada.
Author: Audrey Gill, Toronto, Canada. If you have stories to share kindly email: – audreygill29@gmail.com
