Let's be honest: Finding a good gift is hard.
Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries — it's challenging to buy for other people unless they explicitly tell you what they want. Fortunately, I've tried to make it a little easier on you this year by rounding up some fun gift ideas that will *hopefully* make your shopping list a little shorter while also benefitting some area startups and other entrepreneur-led businesses in the process.
For the multitasker
Phocus, a Louisville-based beverage startup, launched in 2017 and has grown its retail footprint to more than 3,200 stores nationally. Its sparkling water, takes natural caffeine from green tea and the amino acid L-Theanine for energy, is meant to give you a boost without the guilt of a high-calorie soda or latte.
Price: $20.99 for a 12-pack
Need help crushing your goals? The Ambition Planner, founded by Deon Stokes, is an undated, 90-day goal-setting planner system that has been designed to be the most all-encompassing and culturally inclusive planner on the market, offering women a robust and aesthetically beautiful space to organize their days, weeks and months while achieving their most ambitious goals.
Price: Starting at $22.80
For the pet lover
Searching for the purr-fect present? Customized plush replicas of people's pets has made Cuddle Clones one of Louisville's fastest-growing companies multiple years in a row. Made from faux fur, each "clone" captures the physical characteristics of their real-life counterparts, from dogs, cats, horses — you name it! The company also offers pet-inspired apparel, accessories, home decor and golf equipment. Be sure to order by Nov. 15 to ensure delivery by Christmas.
Price: $199
For the chef
Bourbon Barrel Foods has all sorts of sauces, spices and other specialty items for those that like to spend time in the kitchen. Its most popular product by far is its Bluegrass Soy Sauce, which uses local ingredients including Kentucky bourbon barrels. By using the barrels as an aging vessel, the soy sauce becomes infused with the essence of Kentucky bourbon and the rich, oaky flavors from the charred barrels.
Price: Starting at $9
"Put some Dan-O's on it!" That's the catchphrase Dan-O's Seasoning founder Dan Oliver used to rocket to TikTok stardom during the coronavirus pandemic. The company offers a variety of all-natural, low-sodium seasoning products that aim to be versatile enough to use on anything from meats and produce to pizza and popcorn.
Price: Starting at $6.99
Louisville founder Adam Hoette recently launched Sandbox Snack Co. to offer an on-the-go snack the whole family will enjoy. The consumer-packaged-goods startup's oat- and almond-flour-based mixes come in three flavors: apple cinnamon, coconut chocolate chip and blueberry vanilla. It’s a just-add-water mix too, meaning you don’t need to have eggs, milk or butter on hand to make it.
Price: $33 for a 3-pack
For the car enthusiast
AutoBio is using scannable technology and an integrated digital platform to bring the car community together in a new, touch-less way. With the scan of a smartphone, an entire profile of the vehicle with photos, specs and history are accessible to anyone through the AutoBio's window tag, which launched earlier this year. This gift would be geared towards restorers, collectors or just proud car owners!
Price: $49
For the best dressed
The New Blak is an ethical and sustainable clothing company based in Louisville. Founded by Amanda Dare, the retailer offers original designs handmade from bamboo fabrics. While the company regularly comes out with new lines, The New Blak is known for its "little black dresses," which are among the most timeless wardrobe piece a woman can own.
Price: Clothes start at $68
Lachian Clothing Co. is all about channeling a spirit of adventure, drawing its name and inspiration from its home in Appalachia. The company conceptualizes, designs and prints all of its shirts in-house, including graphic tees, sweatshirts, hats and mugs. Lachain Clothing Co. recently released its fall '21 collection, which includes a long-sleeved tee that says: "If you say appa-lay-sha, I'll throw an apple-atcha."
Price: Tees starting at $20
With the 2012 launch of Shady Rays, founder and CEO Chris Ratterman set out to develop high-quality sunglasses at a more affordable price point (the best-sellers on the company's website check in at less than $50 a pair) and free replacements under a lost/broken warranty. You can order online, or try them on at the company's first storefront in Lexington.
Price: Starting at $48
As the official bowtie of the Kentucky Derby Festival, Peake Ties can be found everywhere at the annual Run for the Roses. But who needs Derby to wear a tie? The company, founded by Elizabeth Peake, has handmade bowties for all sorts of occasions including holidays, weddings and other special events, and even bowties for your pets.
Prices: Starting at $25
For the sleepy
Wicked Sheets is a business born from sweat — literally. Founder Alli Truttmann, who suffers from hyperhidrosis, developed a moisture-wicking line of bedding that helps keep you cool and dry. Plus, Wicked Sheets's advanced fabrics are hypoallergenic and have been independently tested and certified free of harmful substances.
Price: Sets starting at $65.95
For the teenager
Two seniors at Kentucky Day Country School launched a business after finding inspiration for the use of LEDs following an extra credit assignment. True to its name, Viral LEDs went viral last year on TikTok, garnering half a million in sales of its programmable, 16.4-foot LED light strips. All orders placed by Black Friday will arrive by Christmas, per the company's website.
Price: $49.99
For the storyteller
Feet to the Fire Writers' Workshops
Feet to the Fire has created kits that guide people to begin writing down their life stories in a purposeful, easy-to-follow process with 200 creatively-curated writing prompts. The startup, which began as a passion project in founder Angela Burton's living room in 2015, launched a consumer-facing product during the pandemic to help people combat isolation and continue to tell their stories.
Price: $74.50
For the mixologist
OK so there's no alcohol in this one, but Spiritless is an awesome gift for a bourbon-fiend trying to do Dry January. Spiritless Kentucky 74, launched in late 2020, is a non-alcoholic, reverse-distilled spirit that looks and feels just like bourbon. Co-founders Lauren Chitwood, Abbey Ferguson and Lexie Larsen came up with the idea for Spiritless after years of working with large spirits industry companies who always needed something non-alcoholic to serve that was more exciting than water or cola.
Price: $35.99
Eric Wentworth and JD Mitchell are the local co-founders behind Modica, the world’s first superfood cocktail mix. Modica doesn’t use any preservatives or artificial ingredients, and uses about a third of the sugar that other mixers use. All three of the mixers, which make up to 10 cocktails per bottle, use naturally-sourced ingredients and are fortified with B vitamins and antioxidants.
Price: $17
For the health conscious
Holidays got you feeling a little stressed? Cornbread Hemp's USDA-certified organic CBD products made from Kentucky-grown hemp can help. The company, co-founded by Jim Higdon and Eric Zipperle in early 2019, offers full-spectrum CBD oil as well as organic, full-spectrum CBD gummies and lotion.
Price: Starting at $34.99
Northern Kenucky-based Nature's Willow has developed pain relief products derived from white willow bark. Founder Michelle Mills says she was inspired to find a solution after her mother was diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009 and suffered a severe reaction to another pain relief cream. The company was named among the Best Outdoor Brands of 2020 by Backpacker.com.
Price: Starting at $6
Co-founders Corey Wood, Danielle Wood and Ryan Cheong began brewing kombucha for themselves and for family members with digestive and autoimmune issues. Kombucha is a bubbly, probiotic tea made from three ingredients: tea, sugar and a live culture called a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). Elixir Kombucha, brewed and bottled in Louisville, uses organic fruits, juices, herbs and spices for flavoring, not additives or preservatives.
Price: $40 for case of 12
