Emmie Penney went from helping other businesses to running her own
PASADENA — Emmie Penney was working at The Venture Centre in Pasadena when Gifts of Joy first opened.
It was one of the businesses she helped with in terms of developing a business plan.
A few years later, Penney was working with the Women’s Enterprise Bureau when owner Joy Seaward decided to sell the shop and approached her to help find a buyer.
“So, I started calling a couple of clients that I had at the time.”
After a few calls Penney, a lover of gift shops, got to thinking, "Why am I doing this, I would love that little business."
She said, “It was the love of the concept more than anything.”
On Oct. 8, 1993, Penney and her partner, Otto Goulding, purchased Gifts of Joy.
“That’s how it started,” she said with a laugh.
Even though she had a background in working with businesses, having her own was different.
“Putting it to practice is completely different than running workshops and talking to people who are doing their business plan. When you actually go to do it it’s quite different.”
But after 27 years Penney and Gifts of Joy are still going strong. In 2001 the store moved to its current location at 59 Main St. and two and half years ago she branched out into online sales.
Penney had been sending items to customers outside the area anyway but just didn’t have the platform for an online store. Her son pushed her to get it done and it turned out to be a Godsend when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“We already had our base set up. There wasn’t a learning curve.”
When they closed on March 19 she and Goulding thought they would be able to keep up on the rent for a couple of months, three if they put their own money into it.
“But then what would we do after that, it was a real concern.”
The first week was scary and Penney had to lay off her staff.
But then she started to post items on Facebook and offer curbside pickup.
“And the orders started coming in,” she said.
“I was on my own filling orders upon orders.”
As the curbside pickups increased, so did the online sales. Penney said both helped her survive the pandemic closure.
“It kept us afloat and better. We had so much support. I really think they bought into the support local thing.”
With the shop now open to the public at reduced hours and with limited occupancy, Penney has started to reach her customers by holding Facebook Live events to showcase the products at the shop.
For her, finding those products “comes natural.”
Growing up and living in the area, Penney knows the people and what they are interested in.
Going into her 28th year in business, she’s got no plans to retire just yet.
“God no, not when I enjoy it too much. You’ve got to have a reason to get up in the morning.”
She loves to work in the warehouse, manage the online store and buy for the shop.
Behind the Business is a regular feature that introduces you to local businesspeople. Want to suggest someone that should be featured? Email your idea to diane.crocker@thewesternstar.com.