Like any small business owner, I was always on the lookout for ways to market my company after its 2009 launch.
Soon I discovered Hollywood gifting suites that are set up at high-profile parties and events. The celebrity attendees have the opportunity to try the products, and they also take photos that can be used for promotional purposes.
In August 2010, I signed a contract with a gifting company and agreed to pay $8,000 in exchange for product placement on a reality show. I also sent $2,000 to $3,000 worth of products for show participants.
When I noticed that my products weren't on any of the episodes, I immediately called the company. Someone there said it was out of their hands, even when I offered to be placed on the next season. Eventually, the owner of the company got involved, but he denied any liability because he wasn't the actual person that signed the contract.
As a new business, hiring a lawyer would have been too expensive; it was cheaper to just write off the loss. But now I will only work with companies I've worked with in the past, and I always deal with a top executive.
Diann Cattani's embezzlement of a small business started off as an innocent mistake and then quickly got out of control.
