Hidden Gems: Meet Morgan Colwell of Loved Beyond Measure Gifts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Colwell.

Hi Morgan, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started when I became a mom for the first time. I had this vision that I’d get to take a few months off with my sweet baby, pretend like it was summer vacation full of brunches and doing whatever I wanted, and then head back to work and be able to excel in both. Needless to say, I was severely disillusioned.

The reality was that motherhood rocked my world. I struggled to leave the house. Everything felt like a big deal. The sleep deprivation felt next level. I felt like if things didn’t go how they were “supposed” to go, I was failing. So about 10 weeks in, I put my notice in and decided not to go back once my leave was up.

Things got better with time, of course, and I’ve learned there is no “supposed to” in motherhood. But goodness it is still the most challenging, demanding, exhausting, and amazing job I’ve ever had. I think every mom can probably relate to that.

In the last couple of years, my circle has been growing their families and having their 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th babies. Gift-giving has always been my love language and I actually feel guilty if I can’t celebrate someone’s big life events with a thoughtful gift of some sort. But I’m also very aware of how much stuff you acquire with babies, and I didn’t just want to add to the clutter.

Trying to come up with gifts that would be appreciated and needed, I thought back to my time as a new mom and then a new mom of two. The first time around, my world was turned upside down. I felt like I couldn’t function as an adult most days and there was a point within all of that where I also felt really isolated, lonely and, honestly, sort of forgotten. With my second, I spent months preparing activities, busy boxes, and gifts to have on hand when we brought the baby home so we could try to avoid those same feelings in my oldest.

I wanted to come up with a way to help my mom’s friends and their older kids avoid, or limit, those experiences, too. I started casually collecting items to gift to the mom and big siblings every time a new baby was born and I was always met with so much gratitude. I still include a box of diapers and a homecooked meal every time I gift one of my boxes, but I felt like I wanted to focus on showing more love towards mom and big siblings. I know the new baby is getting lots and lots of love and attention already.

I had been told several times I needed to turn my boxes into a formal service. I had always brushed those comments off, thinking there was no way anyone would want to buy anything from me. That sense of failure felt terrifying and I didn’t feel like I had what it takes to do this for the masses.

For some reason, though, the idea of turning this into a true business stuck with me this summer. One day I just decided to jump all in and got to work planning out exactly what I wanted to include in a formal gift box service. And so Loved Beyond Measure Gifts was born.

It’s been a pretty incredible feeling to start something from the very bottom and watch it become a reality. And also create it with the things that matter most to me. Helping support moms and big siblings, being home with my girls showing them what hard work and pursuing your passions look like, and giving back to the community are all things that are important to me and I’ve been able to incorporate all of those things into my business.

I feel like I’ve finally found something I’m passionate about that gives me that sense of purpose I have been searching for. And it turns out it didn’t have to be outside of motherhood, it’s been paired simultaneously with it.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Is there such a thing as a smooth road in business? Especially when it means starting your own? Sure, some of these things have just sort of come naturally. Gift-giving is a skill and passion of mine, so determining what I wanted to go in each box has come fairly easily to me. I’m also fortunate that I have a background in marketing and web design, so most of my website I was able to build on my own and I had at least an initial plan for how I wanted to market my gift boxes.

But goodness, building inventory for something I had no sense as to what the demand would be is interesting, scary, and expensive. You could also call me an over-planner and a bit of a control freak so, even though I’ve found some incredible vendors to purchase from, having to take into account timelines from other businesses has also been something I’ve had to come to terms with. And figuring out best practices for shipping has been an adventure. My husband just rolls his eyes now when a new shipping box I want to test shows up.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?

Loved Beyond Measure Gifts has only been “open” since mid-November and already I’ve felt so much love and support around this little business of mine. I’ve been intentional in making sure my focus stays solely on moms and big siblings. This is where my passion shines and I don’t want to try and force something that’s not there. I mean, if someone came to me and told me they wanted a gift box for a different occasion, I’m not going to say no to putting something special together for them, but I don’t foresee myself ever formally branching out beyond moms and siblings.

Currently, we offer two variations of our “Mama” box along with a box for big brothers and one for big sisters. Many of our items are also available for purchase individually because I know a full box may not be within reach for some and because I know many families have more than one big sibling and may not want to gift more than one box.

I’m also working on adding a pregnancy loss box that should be available in early 2024. Pregnancy loss is something I wish I wasn’t making a box for, but I’ve received numerous requests for it so I’m honored to have the chance to support those families soon as well. And the items I’ll be including in this box are truly amazing. I’m excited to unveil everything soon hopefully!

In our Mama boxes, there’s a healthy mix of items that are related to motherhood (such as a custom tumbler and a journal she can write down all the crazy things her kids say) and self-care items (such as shower steamers – because what mom has time to slow down for a bath? – the most incredible smelling candle with a special reminder that she is Loved Beyond Measure, and filling healthy snacks – because we all know the busyness of each day can easily translate into a missed meal).

GrubHub and DoorDash gift cards are also available to add to a gift box because a hot meal is so helpful to any mom, but distance or personal skillsets and schedules may prevent you from being able to include one yourself. I wanted to make sure this box would be a nice surprise for a new mom but also just as appreciated for a seasoned mom needing a reminder of her worth on a random Wednesday. It’s versatile and doesn’t just apply to one specific chapter within motherhood.

Our big sibling boxes have a heavy focus on making their new title special, lots of open-ended activities to keep them busy, and snacks. Some of my favorite items in these boxes are the custom coloring sheets with big sibling’s and baby’s names included (and crayons homemade by my 5-year-old), a really sweet book about how life changes when you become a big brother or big sister but also all the ways it’s really special, and this awesome Find It tube that is honestly the greatest open-ended activity.

I spent a ton of time searching for other small, local, and women-owned businesses to partner with for these boxes and I’m proud of the partnerships I’ve been able to create and the products I’m able to include in these boxes. Being able to support other “everyday people” in achieving their dreams was important to me. And on top of the items I’m sourcing from others, I also make quite a few of the items on my own, in our home in Windsor.

The other piece I knew I needed to include from the beginning was a philanthropic aspect. So, each quarter, I select a local non-profit and I donate a percentage of my profits to that charity, along with promotion of their work on my website and social media. I plan to try to support organizations with a focus on moms and kids, but I’m always open to learning about new organizations and anyone can nominate a non-profit directly on my website.

I guess if there was one thing I’d want to remind potential customers of, it would be that when you place an order with Loved Beyond Measure Gifts, you’re not only touching the lives of your loved ones, but you’re also supporting multiple small businesses and local charities at the same time. And that’s been special to me – making sure these gifts can be impactful in as many ways as possible.

How do you think about luck?
When you look at the definition of luck, it says “to prosper or succeed, especially through chance or good fortune.” And when put in that context, I don’t know if much luck has gone into my work. I do think I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to stay home with my children; to have been able to take the time to discover my passions and talents; to have people in my corner cheering me on; and to have met some really special and talented small business owners that are willing to partner and work with me.

But I think a lot of that has come from a lot of really hard work and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I can’t say this business has been a product of luck. The idea for these gift boxes came from a really difficult and isolating time in my own life and my desire to keep others from struggling in the same way I did.

Contact Info:

• Website: lovedbeyondmeasuregifts.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/lovedbeyondmeasuregifts
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552568971581

Image Credits
My Roots Photography