CEO & Founder Of Happiness Hampers, Marissa Austin speaks about how it all started.

Hi, I'm Marissa the CEO and Founder of Happiness Hampers, it's my pleasure to share with you who I am and why I started this incredible journey.

On Valentines Day 2014 my world would change with the passing of my husband. A long painful suicide of alcoholism brought on by PTSD. To watch your husband be in such incredible mental pain, but not acknowledge it, was a feeling of helplessness. There was nothing I could do to stop this and as a fixer this wrecked me to the core.

At this time in my life, it put everything into perspective and made me evaluate my life decisions thus far and with incredible grief, I had questions that couldn't be answered like, what is the lesson of life. 

As a child I learned that I was adopted and whilst this is a true blessing, it really did alter how I'd chosen to live my life, at the time unknowingly. Being adopted I thought I didn't belong to anyone, I didn't need to become anything or anyone else, I was free to live my life and trust me I did. I lived my life in the fast lane, left no rock unturned and jumped both feet without a single thought. I was self sabotaging my very existence and in my path I was leaving a trail of self destruction losing possessions, people, family and parts of me in the wake.

I'd have unsuccessful relationships and disliked the person I saw in the mirror. I'd felt what it's like to suffer a mental breakdown and attempted suicide, an experience that made me realise we are an outer house for our internal being. The feeling of my inner self dropping is one I will never forget nor ever wish to revisit.

With no home, 2 boxes of clothes and no possessions, I had to rebuild who I was and what I had. It changed my perspective on life from one of material possessions to one of the free things in life like, be true to who you are, friendship, love, trust, respect, nature among others.

I moved away, rebuilt my life, had a home a job and life was on the up. I was proud of what I had become, but still suffered self esteem issues. I didn't want to look old, so I'd get botox, filler, threads. I didn't like my hair so I'd get extensions, all of these things were false and not me. This proved that I hadn't come as far as I thought I had.

Whilst I was "busy" doing, I hadn't accepted and certainly not dealt with the trauma and pain of my own actions over 40 years and the passing of my late husband. Finally I sought professional help from a Counsellor and my road to raw and open truth began. It was time to face my struggles head on and as scary as that was, for this to stop, it had to be done!

Thankfully after many months with my Counsellor I learnt techniques and came to terms with my past and more importantly loving myself. I learned my behaviour is not uncommon in babies given up for adoption and what I suffered from,  was a fear of abandonment. Subconsciously I was creating events so people did abandon me so I could never be caught off guard should it happen naturally. The quest is an everyday conscious decision to think, act and be proud.

In February 2018, I would be met with another trauma, the sad and sudden passing of my Dad. A relationship between a father and daughter is always special but in my case with sharing no DNA, ours was about choice and characteristics, the love was far higher. My beautiful Dad fell out of bed in his nursing home and suffered a terrible stroke and by his bedside for 71 hours I watched him pass to after life. A special incredibly emotionally draining occasion.

I knew I had to go on, make my Dad proud and keep being truthful and honest with me. I knew for me there was something else, I had a calling to DO more with my life and so one night whilst sitting under a star studded sky, it came to me.

A gift hamper business for when life happens... and so Happiness Hampers was born. 

I was very specific in my mind on what I wanted my business to be. No alcohol, nothing good ever comes from it and no nibblies. This had to be REAL. Life isn't unicorns and rainbows. Life is filled with times of mixed emotions, times of celebrations and times of great sadness. The hampers would tell a story about the items of choice to give meaning to the box but also the words expressed to the receiver.

I myself am proud of where I am, but more grateful that my journey has given light to my business HAPPINESS HAMPERS and that together we can be there for other people who are experiencing life happen. A gift that keeps on giving well after and a special memory that'll never be forgotten.

Our gallery includes hampers for new baby, new home, divorce, relationship breakups, retirement, mental health, cancer care, children's cancer, hospital, pampering, date night, thinking of you, comfort, sympathy and so much more

We truly are, gifting from the heart.

Much Love M xo