Through the years, I have built wonderful relationships with my customers, but equally important to me are the relationships I have built with my French tablecloth suppliers.
My first contact was with L'Ensoleillade, a small company located in the town of Draguignan, in the South of France. My relationship began when I met the newest owner of L'Ensoleillade. Estelle had recently taken over the family-owned and operated business from her parents. She was my age, and we shared laughter and amitié in that first meeting. In my previous life, I had been a French teacher. I knew little about business nor French business terminology! Estelle was a great teacher and friend.
A few years into my business relationship with L'Ensoleillade and Estelle, tragedy struck. She had invited me to Nice for a trade show. We had discussed getting dinner and drinks while I was there. However, a few weeks before the event, I received a devastating letter from her parents: Estelle had passed. Instead of sharing stories over drinks in Nice, we shared our grief for Estelle's untimely passing.
Since then, I've continued to develop my relationship with L'Ensoleillade. In 2020, I met the newest owners a few days before their wedding in Nice. This past fall, my husband and I visited them at the atelier followed by dinner and drinks in their home. I will always cherish these moments. Relationships with my customers as well as with my French suppliers are at truly the heart of my business.
