We had the good fortune of connecting with Virginia Tomic and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Virginia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was tired of working for someone else and was at the age where I wanted more flexibility, freedom and ability to do what I wanted. With a lot of experience in marketing and business development, I had the confidence to start from scratch. I always had a passion for packaging and gifting, so I tested different ideas and then formally launched The Carolina Company!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Most all of my previous positions involved creating a product/service, team and building everything from the ground up. So I learned from an early age to create a plan, trust my vision and make things happen. I also had several managers early on in my career that helped me to understand people and how to produce results. I am most proud of the employees I coached along the way and who I still keep in touch with. The biggest challenge I found was the limits placed on me by others. The position I excelled at most was one where I was responsible for the leadership of both internal and external customer satisfaction. I spent a great deal of time listening to my customers and delivering what people needed and wanted. This customer service strength is the core of my own business. Many of our clients have asked us for customization such as gift boxes with their logo or adding specialty items to a gift. Our service is what differentiates us from the major gift companies.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There is so much to do in Wilmington NC, but I do have a few favorite places to visit. I enjoy taking friends and family to the beach and having a glass of wine or two at Oceanic in Wrightsville Beach. Southport is also on the list when friends come to visit. I love to check out all of the gift stores there and then head to lunch at Oliver’s on the Cape or Fishy Fishy on the water. Downtown Wilmington is also a must see and depending on what my visitors want to do, we love to shop around and go to Cloud 9 for an exceptional view of the area. It is not all about wine and food -we also have community pickle ball, tennis, golf, gym and swimming pool if any of my visitors feel ambitious.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I owe my work ethic, independence and creativity to my parents. It was my mother who said if I didn’t start my own business, I would regret it. My mom is 85 and we work together every day and are living the dream!

Website: thecarolinacompany.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarolinacompany

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-carolina-company

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinacompanygifts

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/thecarolinacompany/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutNorthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.