Today we’d like to introduce you to Smriti Barla.
Hi Smriti, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a thoughtful gifter for as long as I can remember.
Even when I was younger, I wasn’t the type to just grab something random and wrap it up. I always wanted the gift to mean something. I’d think about the smallest details, what would make someone smile, what would feel like them. Because to me, gifting was never just about the item. It was always about the feeling behind it. It was a way of saying: I see you. I know you. You are special to me.
During lockdown, when we had more time on our hands, I decided to start making these custom gifts myself instead of ordering them online. At first, it was just for friends. Then friends started asking me to make gifts for their friends. And then those friends told more friends. And suddenly, something that started as a creative outlet became so much bigger. That’s when I opened my Etsy shop. And one order at a time, it began to grow. More custom requests. More repeat customers. More people telling me how the gift made someone cry, laugh, feel loved, or feel seen. Eventually, I launched my own website, and Smriti Designs Gift Shop became official.
But as I continued creating, I realized something deeper. I wasn’t just building a gift shop. I was creating the kind of gifts I always wished existed.
Growing up, and even as an adult, I noticed there weren’t many gifting options that truly reflected my culture. The South Asian humor, the Bollywood references, the nostalgia, the little inside jokes that only our community understands. There was a gap, and I felt it every time I tried to find something that felt like me.
So I decided to build it.
I started designing South Asian inspired gifts, products that felt modern, fun, personal, and culturally familiar. And the moment I did, it clicked. Especially in the Seattle area, the response was overwhelming in the best way. People weren’t just buying products. They were buying pieces of identity. They were excited to gift something that finally felt like them.
And that’s what Smriti Designs Gift Shop has become. A brand built on connection, on culture, on the belief that a gift can be so much more than a product.
It can be a memory. A laugh. A reminder. A feeling.
A way of saying you matter.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all. It’s been an amazing journey, but it definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. In the beginning, I was doing everything myself. Designing, making the products, packing orders late at night, replying to messages, shipping, posting content, and constantly trying to keep up with demand. There were so many moments where it felt overwhelming, especially when I was still figuring things out as I went.
One of the biggest challenges has been figuring out what I wanted the brand to be known for. I built a strong foundation with custom gifts, but I also saw a huge need for South Asian gifts and cultural products that weren’t really available in the market. For a long time, I felt like I had to be everything for everyone. I was trying to satisfy every kind of gift request, which made it really hard to niche down, stay focused, or even explain the brand in one sentence.
Another struggle has been watching more and more brands pop up selling very similar things. It’s hard not to feel discouraged when you’ve poured your heart into building something, and suddenly the market feels crowded. And now with AI making it easier than ever to create, replicate, and distribute products quickly, it can feel like the space moves faster than you can keep up with.
I’ve also always cared deeply about community. I want Smriti Designs to be a space that empowers other small brands and artists too. But that comes with its own challenges, because I never want to contribute to a culture where creators feel copied or overlooked. I’ve had to be really intentional about how I collaborate and how I build partnerships in a way that uplifts others without taking away their credit or customer base.
And on a personal level, one of the hardest moments was when I finally made the decision to quit my corporate job and go all in on my business. It was such a big leap, and it should’ve been this exciting chapter, but shortly after, I had a terrible knee injury that kept me on bedrest for almost eight months. I kept powering through with the help of friends, family, neighbors, and hiring more teammates. But there was no timeline for my recovery. The doctors kept saying 6 months, 9 months, 12 months… and then I kept having surgery after surgery. Even now I am still not fully recovered yet but at least back on my feet! But that was life’s way of testing me. Testing whether I really wanted this, testing if I could adapt and find a solution to keep going. And I’m really proud that I am still going!
Through all of it, I’ve had to learn how to keep going without burning out, how to trust my ideas even when the market feels noisy, and how to stay grounded in why I started in the first place. The road hasn’t been easy, but every challenge has shaped me, and it’s made the business stronger and more intentional over time.
As you know, we’re big fans of Smriti Designs Gift Shop. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Smriti Designs Gift Shop is a custom gifting and lifestyle brand. I create personalized gifts and South Asian inspired products that people can’t easily find in mainstream stores.
What I do:
– Custom gifts like drinkware, apparel, accessories, and curated gift bundles
– Photo gifts that turn personal memories into something tangible and giftable
– South Asian and pop culture gifts including desi humor, Bollywood inspired designs, and culturally specific items
– Bulk and corporate gifting for events, weddings, teams, and client gifts
What I’m known for:
– Custom gifting that feels intentional and personal, not generic
– Designs that represent South Asian identity in a modern, relatable way
– Clean, gift ready presentation and attention to detail
What I’m most proud of:
More than anything, I’m most proud of helping customers curate gifts that truly resonate with the person they’re gifting. Getting messages like “my mom absolutely loved it,” “this is my favorite thing in my home,” or “this gift meant so much, it honestly changed my life” never gets old. That reaction is the reason I do what I do, and it’s the most rewarding part of building this brand.
What sets me apart:
Most gift brands either focus on customization or cultural gifts or bulk apparel and team orders. Smriti Designs can do it all. Just reach out via website, email, or instagram to get a quote!
How customers can shop or work with me:
If someone has a project in mind, they can schedule a 15 minute consultation with me to talk through ideas, pricing, timelines, and customization options. Whether you’re looking for a fun birthday gift, want to create the perfect bridesmaid proposal boxes, need bulk wedding favors, or want something totally unique, I can make it happen.
If you prefer to shop right away, customers can also browse the website for our curated selection of bestselling custom gifts, photo gifts, and a marketplace of South Asian gifts made by other artists and small creators.
Smriti Designs is here for people who want gifting to feel personal, meaningful, and culturally relevant. I absolutely love what I do and I am so excited to help you bring your vision to life!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There are a lot of thank-yous and credit due! I’m really grateful for the people who have supported me at every stage.
First, I have to give so much credit to my college friends. They supported me blindly from the very beginning. I was still learning and experimenting, and I may not have been making the highest quality products back then, but they still trusted me enough to pay for my work, hype me up, and tell other people about what I was doing. That kind of early belief is something I’ll never forget.
I also need to shout out my college roommates, because they truly lived through the chaos with me. Our living room would basically turn into a mini warehouse whenever I was preparing orders, and they never complained about the inventory taking over the space or the constant packaging happening around them. They gave me the freedom to build something before it even looked like a real business.
My family deserves a huge amount of credit too. They’ve helped spread the word in my hometown and beyond, always sharing my work, encouraging me, and supporting my growth in ways that mean more than I can explain.
And a very special thank you goes to Deepali Jamwal and the Live2Dance community in Seattle. Live2Dance truly became my home away from home. This was the community that showed up for me when I had just moved to Seattle, when I was still growing, and when I was still figuring things out. They reminded me I wasn’t alone in wanting gifts that felt relatable. This community also gave me the courage to leave my corporate job. I knew if I struggled they had my back! They’ve supported my brand consistently and they’re the people who keep my number on speed dial any time they need a gift, which is honestly one of the biggest compliments.
I also have to give credit to my Seattle friends and neighbors, especially during one of the hardest seasons for me physically. When I got injured, they showed up in ways I’ll never forget. These are the friends who helped deliver orders for me, picked up supplies from craft stores, helped me keep things moving when I couldn’t, and connected me with teams and corporate contracts. They didn’t just support me emotionally, they supported the business in a real, practical way without asking for anything in return.
And lastly, I have to credit my team. I’m so lucky to have two part time employees: an executive assistant and a marketing lead who work tirelessly to help bring my dream to life. They take on the behind the scenes tasks that keep everything running, help me stay organized, help create content, and help spread the brand online in a bigger way than I could ever do alone. A lot of what people see today is possible because they’re helping me build it every single day.
I’m proud of what I’ve built, but I’m also very aware that it’s been built with a lot of love, community, and people who believed in me.
Pricing:
- 15-Min Consultation – FREE
- Basic Design Service – $30
- Custom T-Shirt Printing – $29
- Average Gift Box Price – $49
- Shipping anywhere in US – $6 or free on orders $25+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smritidesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smritidesignsllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smritidesignsllc/
