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The following interview was written by Startup Princess writer, Jessica Cryer.
I hope your birthdays were the best as a child, mine were. Nothing seemed better than getting presents and becoming a year older. But, as we age things start to change. Presents and birthday parties are limited if any and suddenly becoming a year older isn’t so exciting. Wishing you could make birthdays fun again? Wish granted. Thanks to Celest Benn, founder of Free Birthday Stuff, birthdays are fun again!
Free Birthday Stuff is a website offering discounts, coupons and FREE stuff on your birthday! You can join any time and receive cool products and discounts-even if your birthday is today. You can also make suggestions of products you would like offered.
Even though Celest has barely been doing this a year, Free Birthday Stuff already has over 800,000 members! What potential for growth this company has…she gets to market to EVERYONE. Lucky Startup Princess, huh!? Wish you thought of it, don’t you? The amazing thing is Celest had the savings and foresight to think about the backend of the website…and how to keep track of all the vendors that offer free services and coupons, (she just got Six Flags to sign on last week)
online so she didn’t have to do it herself or have the headache of keeping it straight herself. The bulk of her startup costs were spent on the programming of her site before she launched, but this year she will start reaping the benefits as companies begin to pay for their coupons to reach birthday boys and girls all over the country! If our crystal ball is working right, we predict that Celest will start getting offers from major companies to purchase her site in the next year or so…
Enjoy meeting Startup Princess Celest Benn, Founder of Free Birthday Stuff.com!
Name: Celest Benn
Hometown: San Jose, California
Current Residence (City, State): West Hartford, CT
Education: Ph.D. Psychology
Professional Background: I was a simultaneous interpreter (Spanish, French & Portuguese) with the DOD & NASA and then a Sports Psychologist, now I am a stay at home mom and started up www.freebirthdaystuff.com I was tired of all the doom and gloom in the world.
What you wanted to be when you grew up: a simultaneous interpreter I achieved this by the time I was 21 years old.
What you are: A mom, wife and a website founder
What inspired you? Too many glasses of wine at my daughters 4th birthday party. Please go to the site and on the right side 1st drop down you can read the story of how it all began.
How long have you been in business? 1 year, as a beta site and up and running officially as of February 2007.
How did you fund it? By savings and putting money away from paychecks and clipping coupons
Do you have a Fairy Godmother (or Mentor)? No, I wish I did. Are you taken?
Favorite motivational quote: Anything about being positive and not listening to those who will tell you it can’t be done. I have a collection of them.
Family? Husband, son 16 and an 8 yr old daughter. Living life in both ends of the spectrum.
If so, how do you balance family and business? My husband travels from Sunday night to Friday night. I work 9am to 2 pm while the kids are in school. Hockey and figure skating and volunteering in school once a week. Little one in bed by 8pm and son does homework till 11pm. I have a bubble bath and a glass of wine. Sometimes I have time to read a book…oh yes and Tivo when I can I get to watch some fun dribble programs.
What do you want to change most about your world? Well, maybe the answer to that is I would like to change other people’s worlds more than mine part of the reason Freebirthdaystuff is so important to me. Spread a little sunshine around. I am pretty happy and content. I guess as long as you keep having a birthday you shouldn’t complain. The alternative is pretty permanent.
What are you most proud of? My children, my husband (married 29 years) I am 49 so that more than half my life. I’m a positive person and try to find good in others.
What advice would you like to offer other Startup Princesses? Keep you eyes straight ahead, don’t give up and don’t listen to all the doom Sayers. Also, a piece of the pie is better than no pie.
Favorite Magic Wand (tool/resource)? My ability to communicate on the phone with anyone. I can contact any head of state or president of any corporation I have no fear.
AWESOME! Celest, your energy is wonderful. Me too, I can talk to anyone, I have no fears. We connect on so many levels I have a 15, 6 and 4 so different spectrums and we are a hockey family too! I was just starting to dream up ideas for my son’s 16th birthday party, I’m headed over to your site now.
I tried to sign up for your site. I did give my address in connecticut, and the only free coupons and ideas are not coming up in CT at all.