Mary Liz Curtin is a writer, speaker and consultant who specializes in the gift and home industries. Yes, that means she gets paid to shop ….and take notes of course.
At trade shows and conventions, Mary Liz grabs attendees’ attention with her contagious energy and keeps it with solid, real-life examples of what works and doesn’t. She’s been spotted with large groups of people actually following her around the shows, getting her take on the trends.
When she’s not talking about her passion for all things retail, she’s writing about it. Her insightful tips and quick wit can be spotted in The Penny Pinching Retailer, a monthly column found inside the back cover of Giftware News, the Visual Impact column for Floral Management Magazine and Rep Rap for Greetings, Etc.
As a tyke, in the toddling town of Chicago, she began her career following her mother through the showrooms of the Merchandise Mart. A transfer moved her family to Santa Barbara, where Mary Liz and her mother Bert Curtin opened Finishing Touches, a retail store selling decorative accessories, home accents, holiday ornaments, bath and personal care items. Mary Liz worked as a buyer, merchandiser, manager and sales person.
After college, Mary Liz worked as an independent sales representative, based in San Francisco. From there she moved to New York and a position as Dominatrix of Sales for Fante Stationery. After four three years with Fante, Mary Liz returned to California and joined Mrs. Grossman’s Paper Company, where she rose to the position of Empress of Sales (or Director of Sales and Marketing), and remained for 11 years.
In 1993 Mary Liz used her extensive field knowledge to begin her consulting career. She has worked with established companies, emerging manufacturers, sales representatives and retailers, advising on marketing, sales and management issues..
She sits on the board of directors of Paper House Productions, Inc. and currently chairs the board of Gift for Life, the industry volunteer charity organization that raises money for AIDS research and education through the auspices of amFAR, the American Foundation for Aids Research. www.giftforlife.com
Mary Liz lives in Michigan with her patient and understanding husband, two generally well behaved children, one exceedingly large lap dog, three cats and a constantly changing number of fish. | | |
Gift for Life is a volunteer group of professionals from the gift and home industries who are making a difference by building HIV/AIDS awareness and raising funds for essential AIDS research and education. Gift for Life accomplishes its mission through the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, AIDS prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since its inception, Gift for Life has raised in excess of $3.5 million for amfAR's vital research programs.
Mary Liz and The Girlfriends
Mary Liz and Bert Curtin
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