Michael Mills’ Midlife Makeover: Why I Started LuxGiftsnGoods.com

What do you do when there is an interruption of everything?  You can either evolve or go extinct like a dinosaur.  Extinction is not an option.  After my mother passed of pro-longed illness in 2016 and my law career of 2+ decades was in ruins, I started e-commerce company and Nashville-based LuxGiftsnGoods.com.  It was time to reinvent myself and my life and begin again.

I had prior success during after the 2008 Recession as an accidental ebay power seller essentially selling everything not nailed down from my home as an income supplement. So, after my mother’s death, I wanted to have something that was 100 percent mine, encompassing my ideas and vision that would also utilize my creativity and former design training as an architect.  My attorney training has been useful in addressing corporate and contractual legal matters and flexing the occasional muscle when necessary.

There have been bumps along LuxGiftsnGoods.com’s four-year journey with finding the right support persons for web design, advertising consultants, vendors and so forth.  We continue to progress despite challenges with the economy and Covid-19 fallout.  Providing customer support, holding vendors accountable and making and keeping everyone as happy as possible have been particular 2020 challenges.  The largest issue with the Covid-19 pandemic has been with vendors not being able to get the products that customers desire.  We are all part of a global supply chain whether desired or not.  I explained to someone recently that this is how our world works as “Bananas don’t grow in Tennessee.”  One of my greatest joys has been working with both domestic and overseas vendors ranging from Greece with Karvelas Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Oregon with Northwest Bierhaus Jerky to the Philippines with Mount Mayon Pili Nuts and many points in between.  I like having an international business, being a CEO and continue to enjoy walking through the doors that has opened.

The e-commerce world and retail world are continuing to evolve.  New players will emerge as old one exit.  The major players such as Amazon may experience backlash as most of LuxGiftsnGoods.com’s vendors don’t permit selling on third party web sites but only on your own site so as not to cheapen and dilute their brand.  As LuxGiftsnGoods.com enters its fifth year online and approaches holiday season 2020,  Lux will be running a lean and mean operation infused with optimism for the future, new vendors and streamlined processes.  Watch us as we GROW!

About LuxGiftsnGoods.com

Curated luxury gifts and home goods retailer Lux Gifts and Goods was founded by e-commerce entrepreneur and attorney Michael J. Mills as a response to a need for truly unique and luxurious gifts and home goods for the home, women, men and pets.