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Meet Kat Furr of XO Gift Co. in Berkeley/Tennyson

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat Furr.

Kat, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all came to life when I got sh*tcanned from my marketing day job of five years. It was that little kick in the ass I needed to get started and it felt like a “now or never” opportunity. With my husband’s full support (and the amazing services offered at the SBDC!), I finally completed my business plan and got the small biz loan I needed to open my doors. When we opened in October of 2013, we were called “Spices of Life Gift Company.” Why yes, my business advisor DID warn me that people would think we were a spice shop, but it was something I stubbornly had to learn for myself, apparently. So after 2 years I finally got tired of telling people where the spices were and decided to rebrand as eXtraOrdinary (XO) Gift Co. It was immediate relief… people actually knew we were a gift shop when they walked in, what a concept!! Not quite a year ago, we relocated to just a few blocks from where we were on Tennyson Street and I’m looking forward to seeing what the summer months bring in our new spot.

Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth is not really the word I would use. 🙂 Fun adventure? Definitely, but bumps indeed. The name change was certainly the first bigger struggle we faced (well, besides getting suckered in to advertising with Yelp). It was quite disappointing to admit that my advisor was correct and that our name, which was obviously personal to me, was a huge mistake. It wasn’t really the people coming in looking for spices that worried me, but the unknown number of people who DIDN’T come in that really haunted me and finally convinced me a change was needed. A rebrand is a big undertaking and there’s quite a lot of money (and time of course) involved. So, it was a setback in a way, but again, it was undoubtedly a wonderful change with immediate gratification.

The move, which I mentioned, was another challenge. The Berkeley neighborhood is no stranger to the changes and growth plaguing Denver. When we moved in, Elitch Bowling Lanes was still our neighbor. We quickly became literally surrounded on all four sides with huge construction projects. No exaggeration. Having to survive years of that was a daily struggle, complete with phone calls to Denver’s parking dispatch, storming into the developer’s office (which conveniently was two doors down) when I would reach my boiling point after seeing the same trucks parked right in front of the shop in a 2 hour zone for weeks on end, listening to constant customer complaints regarding lack of parking, etc. We would have to tell ourselves it would all be worth it when the new apartment buildings were finally full of new tenants. And then, our building went up for sale. Sigh. We wouldn’t get to “reap the benefits” after all. Surprisingly, the sale of the building took just about a year, so with the future of its fate being unknown for that long and a lease closing in on us, we had to make a move. We actually were hours away from signing a new lease on South Broadway when a property owner I know personally called with a potential space just a few blocks away. It was a blessing for sure and we are very grateful to have been able to stay on the street and actually test our theory (and everyone else’s) that there is more foot traffic where we are now.

Oh, and I had our first baby about a year ago… that!

Being a small business owner means constant ups and downs, struggles and successes, worries and celebrations, but I wouldn’t trade any of it.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with XO Gift Co. – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
XO carries mainly handmade in America and Colorado products. To put it bluntly, we don’t carry a bunch of crap from China. We have lots of upcycled/repurposed items that could be called “functional art”. We carry housewares, jewelry, clothing, glassware, tea towels, hats, art, a bit of everything! Most of our products can fit within a few of our favorite themes-Food & Drink, Colorado Living, Music, Travel, Love (babies, weddings, pets).

I would say we are known for being very unique. You won’t see our items all over the place. We constantly hear from patrons how “cool” our shop is or how much they love it. That definitely makes me feel proud when people go out of their way to compliment me as a curator. I really strive to only carry things that I actually personally like and that way I stay true to myself and my tastes and that shows. As silly as it may sound, I am always impressed when men, in particular, get a kick of out my shop as that’s not always the case. I’ve also been told I have a great sense of humor based on the items we offer.

We are a true one-stop shop where you can find that special gift for just about anyone, pick up a greeting card and leave with a cutely wrapped gift. People really appreciate that we offer free gift wrapping and the service we provide in general. We have a lot of fun at XO. 🙂

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Hmmm, what do I like best about Denver… I’ve always appreciated the little “hidden” pockets of stores here and there. I know that’s changing quite a bit, but even after years and years, I seem to come across a little strip just driving around that I never knew existed. There’s a lot of character in that and in these old neighborhoods-Berkeley being one of them and it’s what gives our city the charm it has. What I like least is the danger this character and charm faces as we continue to see so much change and development. Yes, a city this cool is bound to see growth, of course, but with any change comes both good and bad. It’s tough to see the small businesses continue to struggle and get pushed out as the city sits by and allows it to happen with no plan to protect us. It’s disappointing, to say the least. So. Please. Shop small!

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Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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