We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Arnett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
My grandfather, who purchased a struggling shoe store during the Depression and went on to create a successful chain of stores, shared his favorite quote with me (Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena”) that I have always taken to heart. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;… so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” The key is to get in the game and never give up – persevere! Remember why you started!

What should our readers know about your business?
Skel & Company is a bright, modern and happy design studio offering funny, sarcastic, touching, sweet and above all, unique gifts and more. Humorous paper products and gifts for clever people. Looking to inspire smart people to laugh more. “I started this brand creating products I loved and would be proud to use myself. It always makes me happy to see others laughing and enjoying them too. And as the saying goes, when you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance. That person dancing is me!!” — Lisa I believe in going the extra mile to make sure the customer is happy. In today’s world of phone trees, recorded messages, email only, proving endlessly that you’re not a robot, etc… I feel it is important to have that human touch and interaction. Providing excellent customer service is critical to the success of a small business. There is a lot of handwork that goes into all of our products and I think the personal touch sets us apart. I love what what I do and I try to express that in our products.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite spots to share with visitors of LA include The Getty Museum garden, a hike to the Hollywood Sign, a drive along the Palos Verdes coastline, a walk on the strand in Hermosa Beach, some shopping on Abbott Kinney in Venice and a visit downtown to MOMA and the Skyslide at the US Bank Tower.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
At least half the credit of my success so far goes to my family – without my 85 year old mom making felt ball flowers and ornaments, my husband building trade show booths, making mini festivus poles and just about everything else under the sun, my daughter keeping me organized and being my part-time right hand man and my son making boxes, tying cords and being my most ardent critic, I don’t know where I would be. They are a God send!!

Website: https://skeldesign.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skelandco/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-arnett-80b21b4/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skeldesign

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.