Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Christine Martinello of Buford

We recently had the chance to connect with Christine Martinello and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do you think is misunderstood about your business? 
When men ask me, “What do you do?” and I say, “I spread love with the Original Love Box,” they look a bit confused at first glance. “What’s the Love Box? they hesitantly ask. I tell them, “Don’t worry, you can google it.” We all laugh and then can carry on. We first have to overcome the barrier of the evocative title. the Original Love Box is an experience where everyone grows in love and closeness and captures a love story – whether it’s in a family, classroom or in a community.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Our brand story began in 1999, long before people were talking about branding for social good. It was a cold Nov. day in Ohio when inspiration struck. I was a young mom shopping with my 3 young children who were under the age of 5. I was scouting out what the kids wanted for Christmas. We were looking at a dizzying amount of toys when a thought popped into my head, “What can I give my kids to show them how much I love them.” And I thought, ‘nothing here’. Later that night my hubby Bob and I talk about it and we agreed to all write love notes to each other and read them aloud. We did this ‘Love Box’ experience on Christmas Eve and have done it every year since!

For 15 years I would tell friends about this tradition and they would always come back to me and say, “The Love Box was amazing, Can you write a book about it or make it?” Then in 2013 we began creating it and the Christmas Love Box came out in Nov. 2014. Then people wanted it for all year round so we created the Original Love Box and the the Love Box.

People grow closer together in love and tailor the experience to meet their needs. It has been used for birthdays, weddings, and from birth to celebration of life.

We wanted every single family and classroom to do the Love Box so we started the Love Box Foundation charity and partner with schools, non-profits and communities to spread love.

We’re working on creating ‘Love Agents’ with students, teachers, families and communities.

We have ‘Love Note billboards’ on the highways and ‘Love Note banners’ in 20 Gwinnet County parks. So people can feel loved and get mental health support.

Here’s the official intro:
Christine Martinello is a multifaceted individual who wears several hats. Let’s explore her diverse roles:
1. Speaker and Author:
o Christine is an international speaker, captivating audiences with her insights and wisdom about love, leadership and life balancing. .
o She is also a best-selling author, having penned books like “The Momager Guide”, “Atlanta’s Real Women” and 3 books about love.

2. Inventor and Activist:
o As an inventor, Christine has contributed to innovative solutions.
o She is an activist, passionate about harnessing and releasing the power of love

3. CEO and Founder:
o Christine is the CEO of Training Solutions International.
o She is the Founder of the ‘Love Box Foundation’, a heartfelt non-profit organization dedicated to spreading love and transforming people’s lives with education, events, and Love Box experiences..

In summary, Christine Martinello is a dynamic individual who combines leadership, love, and creativity to inspire positive change in the world.

Basically, I’m a Mom who wants to create a loving world and we have ‘Love Agents’ who are working diligently to make positive change. .

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child I was quiet and shy – born as the middle child of an immigrant family. We moved a lot and often felt like the new kid on the block and an outsider. Now I am brave and speak out for truth and what’s right. I now know that if I want to see change, I need to build a team, raise funds and create it. Being an outsider means I don’t need to fit in and there’s freedom in that.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
A fear that has held me back much of my life was “You’re not good enough.” Now I know that I am a child of God and have the most powerful force in the world walking with me – the power of love.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
A cultural value that I protect at all costs is that each person’s life matters and they are loved. Each person has a unique purpose on this Earth and has the right to grow up to be who God created them to be.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say, “Christine was a loving person who inspired others to know that they were beloved, I hope they say, “She raised a loving family despite heart ache, and grief, cancer and great loss. She did not give up fighting the good fight. I I hope they talk about how love notes and the Original Love Box brought people together in creative and fun-loving ways. I hope they smile, laugh and do a disco dance remembering me. Christine was a humble servant leader who made the most of her life and lived it fully with great joy, purpose. Christine left the world a better place.

Thank you, this was a cathartic question.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.loveboxfoundation.org
• Instagram: Christine Martinello
• Linkedin: Christine Martinello
• Twitter: Momager1
• Facebook: Christine Martinello
• Youtube: Christine Martinello

Image Credits
Christine Martinello, Bob Martinello