Grace Bonney - In the Company of Women

In the Company of Women

Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs

Grace Bonney

Principal Photography by Sasha Israel

For Julia,
whose company is the greatest gift Ive ever received

Contents

Introduction

Activist Marian Wright Edelman said, You cant be what you cant see. Visibility is one of the most powerful tools we have in inspiring people to pursue their dreams and educating them about all the amazing options that exist. My goal with In the Company of Women is to provide motivating and relatable examples of all kinds of women running their own businesses, so that any woman, anywhere, can open to a page and see herself reflected.

I started my first business, Design*Sponge (a daily website dedicated to the creative community), in 2004. Running my own business has been the most rewardingand challengingpart of my life so far. Its taught me to take risks and stand up for what I believe in, and has given me more self-confidence and pride in myself than anything else.

Over the past twelve years of running Design*Sponge, my goals have shifted dramatically, from wanting a place to talk about art and design, to creating a platform for handmade work, to providing advice and resources for the people behind that work. Just like people, businesses and their goals change, and now I find myself making professional ideas and inspiration as big a part of what I do as celebrating art and design.

Exactly a decade ago I held my first in-person meet-up for women running their own creative businesses. Frustrated by the knowledge that less than 40 percent of all businesses in the United States are run by women, I wanted to create an event that would work to change those numbers. That series, called Biz Ladies, was an immediate success and has now grown into a regular column on Design*Sponge, spawned countless local groups, and launched companies and collaborations across the country. What I learned from organizing these groups was profound and boils down to this: women want to run their own companies and are much more likely to do so if they have the support of other women around them.

Im proud of what weve done as a community to support these business owners, but in 2014 I had a realization: the majority of women-centered business events, books, and platforms were promoting the same type of woman over and over again. These success stories most often belonged to young, straight, white, cisgender women. I am 100 percent in support of any business thats bringing good into the world, but I was acutely aware of how many women (women of color, women from the LGBT community, and differently abled women) werent being celebrated or included in these discussions.

In the Company of Women highlights over one hundred of the most talented women I know. From young media titans and mother-daughter fashion houses to inspiring painters and poets, the women in this book are shining examples of what we can become if we work hard and support one another. These businesses are diverse: fledgling start-ups to companies with decades of experience, one-woman shows to larger corporations with hundreds of employees.

I traveled across America to interview the vast majority of these women face-to-face. Those moments spent listening and learning have provided me with enough inspiration for decades to come and have motivated me to change the way I run my own business, with a renewed focus on inclusiveness and providing a platform for people to tell their stories in their own voices. The lessons reflected in this book come from lifetimes of experiences in places as far away from my hometown as Nigeria, Australia, and Peru.

While each womans story is unique, their messages are universal. Theyve overcome adversity, gone great distances on their own, and learned the power of working together to achieve their goals. In many cases, they have inspired one another, and they are role models for the generation to come. Any one of these women would inspire someone to pursue their passion, but together, they are an undeniable force.

Grace Bonney

Danielle Colding

Interior Designer

Brooklyn, NY

Knowing that your success is completely dependent on you is beyond scary at times, but I wouldnt change it for the world!

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I wanted to be a professional dancer. I danced throughout my childhood, high school, and college. Eventually, I danced professionally for Robert Moses Kin in San Francisco.

What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?

To make sure to hire professionals to do the things you are not good at or knowledgeable about. The key takeaway was that you dont have to be able to do everything on your own. Look to the experts when you need to.

What is your favorite thing about your workspace?

The art. There is an incredible Sol LeWitt mural on one wall [shown at left] and a gallery of some of my favorite fashion and inspiration pictures on the other. It definitely is a more is more space, and it feels good to be in it. And now I share it with my husband, so it has become the real center of our home. Its his favorite room in the house too.

What is the biggest sacrifice youve made in starting or running your business?

Security. Owning your own business is a risk. Every day is uncertain and an adventure. If you dont get up and get moving, nothing happens. Knowing that your success is completely dependent on you is beyond scary at times, but I wouldnt change it for the world!

What does success mean to you?

My quality of life. And for me, quality of life is having the freedom to make choices that are not fear based. Whether its the ability to choose the kinds of projects I want to take on and can learn from, or the ability to take a month off to travel. Freedom to choose is the ultimate luxury.

Name the biggest overall lesson youve learned in running a business.

That it is a business before all else. Regardless of the type of business it is, you must treat it as a business first and foremost. Even if you are a creative person, the daily nuts and bolts are really about honing your business sense. Without that, it is very difficult to be profitable and thus have creative freedom. It is something I have battled since I started my business.

In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?

I get help. I talk to my friends and colleagues. I am not shy about my vulnerable moments. During those times, I need to talk. I need to hash things out. Wearing my heart on my sleeve certainly doesnt work with everyone, but I have an incredible professional support system that I can rely on in times of adversity.

What quotation inspires and motivates you to be yourself and do what you love?

A quote from Emerson has stuck with me since high school. It has always encouraged me to stay true to my path and to follow my own heart: It is easy in the world to live after the worlds opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.