Are you tired of holiday shopping? Worried about inflation or the future of the economy? Of course, we'd love everyone to give their family and friends some ANTIDOTE hair care. We call it the gift of a happy scalp, healthy follicles, and beautiful hair. There are also tons of articles from retail experts willing to suggest the latest electronic gadget and the newest fashion trend.
Instead, we invite you to save your money, skip the lines, and go for the most sought after gift - a memorable experience!
Now this won’t be easy. It takes deep listening, empathy, and creativity to pull this gift off. And to be fully disclosing, some experiences will cost money.
Here’s how to start:
Listen: Really get to know the person that you have in mind. What are their interests? What do they enjoy doing? What do they love to read about? What do they like to eat? What do they do for fun?
Feel: Put yourself in their shoes. If you were them and got an experience as a gift, what would you want to to? Who would you want to do it with?
Create: This can be the fun part. Of course, you’ll have constraints like time, distance, money,… so this is where you start to put together ideas that will delight your target and still be manageable.
When you give an experience, the options are limitless. Here are some ideas to get your juices flowing.
Our Favorite "Easy" Experience Gifts by Type of Person on your List
- For the person who loves “Giving Back” - organize a volunteer day: Pick a cause that your recipient cares about - consider a food bank, park clean up, animal shelter,... Amp it up by adding brunch before or ice cream break after. Just Google "volunteer opportunities near me" to get started. Here's a TimeOut Guide with just 5 ideas in NYC.
- For the “Foodie” – create a cooking class. Pick a meal theme that interests them, put all of the ingredients together, cook away. Surprise them by inviting friends over to share the meal when it is done. Get extra credit if the cuisine you are preparing requires special tools or spices that your person can take home with them.
- For the “Active Person” – consider bowling, ice skating, or a rock climbing wall. Try finding an activity that your person loved as a kid but hasn’t had time to do in years. Also, many of these indoor activities don’t require a back-up weather plan.
- For the “Puzzle Solver” - create a scavenger hunt: Hide clues to a story or poem along a nature trail or using landmarks in your town. Have your participants find the clues and put them together. Amp it up with hot chocolate afterwards. Learn how to create your own scavenger hunt here.
Of course, there's always the gift of healthy scalp and happy follicles.
4 tips to make your experience come off without a gitch:
- Try to have the experience as close to the holiday (Xmas, birthday) that you are celebrating.
- Think through necessities like bathroom breaks, drinks and snacks, and places to sit and rest along the way.
- Take it slow. An experience isn't about how many paintings in a museum you see or how many miles you log. Stay flexible and follow your recipients energy. If you are taking a hike, have a few check points where you can decide to take the short, medium, or long route.
- Have a back-up plan. Think in advance of your contingency plan. If someone isn't feeling well or the weather isn't cooperating, give some thought to how you'll handle it. Having a plan will take the stress out.
Let us know your favorite experience gift.
- Abigail
