In 1996 Lisa Hammond was working as an office manager on a construction site in Las Vegas. The need to do something meaningful led her to start a catalog that would benefit women artisans.
Ten years later Femail Creations earns about $10 million in revenue annually through print and online channels, and is expected to hit $12 million in 2007. Now Hammond's launched another business, Barefoot Parties, which enables women to sell things like charm bracelets and bathrobes at parties in their homes, in a manner similar to Tupperware. Hosts are paid differing levels of weekly or monthly commissions.
Hammond mortgaged her house and put in a lot of sweat equity to get Femail Creations off the ground.
“The idea of creating a catalog seemed like the perfect chance to combine my creative side with my passion for women's issues,” Hammond said. “I didn't want to let the fact that I had absolutely no experience in the cataloging field stop me.”
The Las Vegas-based company mailed its first catalog in 1996 to 30,000 women. The book, which now comes out six times a year, has a circulation of several million.
The founder said she “had a steep learning curve.” Femail Creations' original product selection came from things Hammond had around the house that she liked, such as books and candles. The assortment expanded to include bath and body lotions, children's items, clothing, home décor, jewelry, pets and music created by women artisans from the United States.
The core customer is a woman over age 40. The company's Web site (www.femailcreations.com) went up in 1998 and pulls in a substantial portion of business.
Hammond has appeared on television and radio stations promoting her 2004 book, “Dream Big,” which encourages women to do just that with their lives. The book is in its fifth printing and has been translated into four languages, including Hindi.
“I got a call the other day from a woman in India,” Hammond said. “I guess our message speaks to women all around the world.”
