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She was a rural mail carrier but quit her job when her daughter Kristin was born. When it became just one income in a house with four children, things got very difficult. Staying home to take care of her newborn daughter and wanting something to do, Angie Bridges, who always liked crafts, made some baskets for her church friends. Her husband Josh, took some pictures of her renderings and finally started selling some of her creations at work.
With just $100 in January of 2000, Angie Bridges, having noticed how difficult it was to get craft supplies, started selling craft supplies on ebay. She worked out of a tiny bedroom at home. She spent many hours looking for suppliers and worked 10 to 15 hours a day. Every dime she made from her ebay sales went back into the new company she called Creative Gift Packaging. Angie didn’t take any salary. When her husband got laid off, he opened a little appliance store. After a year he was called back to work. Finally, Angie got her business out of the bedroom and moved into her husband’s workshop out back. She did everything, bought, listed, sold, wrapped and shipped. In between, she looked for and expanded her list of craft supplies. The business, just kept growing. Angie Bridges had found a niche that needed to be filled.
Thirteen years later, what started with an investment of $100 now occupies 12,000 square feet of crammed supplies. Her company, Creative Gift Packaging, presently ships to every state in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. She has become a dominant leader in the craft supply field. Soon, by this December, they will take over a 25,000 square feet building for a distribution and call center. Their present 12,000 square feet location will be all retail. They employee 10 people. Her husband, Josh, and her son and daughter-in-law have joined her.
Everything was going great until 2010 when this dedicated “work-alcoholic” was diagnosed with breast cancer. Angie stayed positive. She had an operation, radiation and chemotherapy. Finally, she was declared cancer free. It had been a difficult time for both her husband and family. During that time she continued to work, while getting cancer treatments.
With plans for the new distribution and call center and looking forward to opening retail outlets in Shelby and Spartanburg soon, it happened again! Angie Bridges just found out in the last two weeks, that her cancer has returned. It will require another operation and hopefully just some radiation. She is presently trying to get this behind her and once again be cancer free. She stays positive and continues to work. Her husband said, “she’ll probably work again while getting treatments.” She says she wants to “get through this” and if you met her you’d never know the impending problem which she faces.
This is a lady with constant determination to “make it happen.” She is a very humble person and relies heavily on her husband for support. They both feel the success they enjoy is “amazing”. Her husband Josh will be quick to say: “anybody who will work 12 or 15 hours a day, every day, usually cannot help but succeed. He’s very proud of Angie.
As a lady who has been successful in business, she now fights to be successful in life. Let us pray that she, once again, will be declared “cancer free.”
