Personalizing a company

Christine Carrillo

Jamie Orr thought about his neighbor wearing a pink ribbon

awareness pin bearing the name of his wife who was fighting breast

cancer.

He thought about his own wife, who suffered from lupus, and the

struggles that they constantly face.

He thought about how he could bring a personal awareness to these

diseases and afflictions.

And he thought of an answer. He started a company called

Personalized Cause.

“The main point of it in my mind, is that it just puts a name

behind a disease,” said Orr, founder and president of the Newport

Beach-based company. “It reminds people that there’s somebody behind

that pin and that was really step one, if you want to call it a

business plan, that was it.”

Once his wife, Cathy, began her struggle with lupus and their

close neighbor continued her fight against breast cancer, he noticed

that many people faced with the reality of such diseases sought ways

to show their support on a more personal level.

“It struck me that when people were sending in these pins, people

wanted names and dates of when their loved ones passed away,” said

the former petrochemical executive. “I think it just makes them feel

better and closer to the person fighting the disease.”

Offering a variety of products, including ribbon awareness pins,

jewelry, charms, apparel and other gift-type items, Orr established a

primarily online company that would personalize each item with names,

dates and messages.

Seeing the need people had to personalize the products he offered,

he decided to also give each one of his customers an opportunity to

extend their customizing a step further.

As a result, he established a means for each customer that

purchases a product from Personalized Cause’s Web site a chance to

donate a portion of their purchase (which averages about 25% of their

pre-tax purchase) to a charity of their choice.

With the convenience of conducting most of its business online,

the company, which launched its Web site in March, also has the

ability to expand its reach beyond its current Southern California

market.

“It’s set up as a online business,” said Orr, who admitted the

idea of being able to work from home appealed to him. “However we’re

getting more involved because you got to get out and talk to the

people involved in it.”

Orr found that the best way to get involved was by underwriting

and sponsoring local charity events. Orr and other representatives of

Personalized Cause now take on a physical role at events put on by

local chapters of national charities, a role that has also enabled

them to get the word out about their services.

“You just can’t sit back ... behind the keyboard ... and do a lot

of good,” he said. “It can’t be a cold business, you have to get out

there, and what’s surprising is that became the most exciting part

about it.”