Hey Swagger Fans!
Heather here - I'm hijacking the blog today while Mandy is skiing the Swiss Alps (which we are all very jealous of!) to do a little bragging about our fearless leader. She wouldn't write this about herself, but that sure doesn't mean that I can't share the latest bit of good news with the world, right? :-)
Last Friday, I had the awesome experience of accepting an award on Mandy's behalf. And not just any award, this award named Mandy, CEO of Swagger Gifts, amongst many other top notch local business leaders - 50 of them to be exact- as one of Business Leader Media's "Top 50 Entrepreneurs in the Triangle" this year!
As CEO of Swagger Gifts, Mandy prides herself on offering a truly unique selection of merchandise here at Swagger, often forgoing popular items that can be found duplicated over and over again at mass retailers. This approach gives you all - our amazing customers - the confidence that your gift will not only be appreciated, but that it will carry with it a little "swagger"of its own!
She is actively involved on a local professional level through organizations like Chix in Business, but she has also been recognized on the national level many times because of her willingness to mentor and offer valuable advice and tools to fellow retailers and industry professionals. Under Mandy’s leadership, Swagger has seen exciting year-after-year growth not only online, but in our store here in Lochmere, as well.
Her rock star status doesn't stop there, either. Amidst all the growth and challenges of 2009, Mandy still found the time to create our new in-house program for supporting the community organizations that she has always enjoyed supporting through her business and personal involvements. The Swagger Gifts Community Giving Program
(
http://www.swaggergifts.com/community_giving_program) was launched in September 2009, as a way of allowing shoppers to support their favorite charitable organizations each and every time you shop! The program gives back 5% of purchases to shoppers’ choice of affiliated groups like the Autism Society of NC, the Caring Community Foundation and the Pretty in Pink Foundation.
Business Leader Media honored Mandy and others in a ceremony on February 26 in Raleigh and she will be featured in the magazine’s March 2010 issue - so be sure to scour local newsstands and professional offices and see if you can find her feature! Business Leader has recognized the Triangle’s most prominent business leaders as the “Top 50 Entrepreneurs” since 1996.
So next time you are checking us out on facebook, be sure to send her a little note of congratulations!
--Heather
We love to Entertain - especially outside! Casual get togethers in the backyard are a favorite of mine! How about getting one of these super cute TRAYS (for serving cocktails perhaps), and some MELAMINE PLATES (they won't break when a party-goer drops them), or this super functional ICE BUCKET (the neoprene cover keeps the ice cold)! You will be the Hostess with the Mostess and if you can't really cook (like me), then you can distract everybody with your CUTE STUFF:)! Yes this is how my mind works:) 
We use random.org to pick the winner so there's no funny stuff!
My mom hates taking pictures (hates them), but this one (which I love) was taken this past September in the Mirabelle Gardens in Salzburg (she LOVES gardens so she agreed to taking it;)) when my parents came to visit us. This was at the start of our Sound of Music tour (which she also loves) so I thought it was the perfect birthday photo:)!
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