In the Company of Women

I just recently finished reading the book "In the Company of Women".

It's filled with words of wisdom from 100 ladies from all over the globe who are makers, artists, and entrepreneurs.

These are my people! And my heroes like Anna Bond, Cheryl Day, Dana Tanamachi, Joy Cho, Christine Schmidt, and Maira Kalman are part of it. 

It's written by the talented Grace Bonney and she says, "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 picked up a lot of encouraging nuggets (as seen by the page flags) and here are some of my favorites:

"I could not find a product that I liked for my skin, so I created my own. I was fifty-nine." - Linda Rodin (stylist and beauty entrepreneur) 

* * *

"Winners are losers who got back up. Full stop. If you want something, grab it. Get it. It's yours, damn it. " - Jodie Patterson (Beauty Entrepreneur)

* * *

"I've nurtured the ability to feel nervous but jump in anyway and know that if I make a mistake or misjudgement, I have the smarts to work things out. It wasn't always like that -- with age comes wisdom." - Lisa Hunt (Designer and Artist)

"I define success as being able to match one's passion with a deep sense of purpose." - Thelma Golden (Museum Director and Chief Curator)

* * *

"I think success is a very personal thing. For me it's the legacy you leave behind when you're physically gone from this earth. Did you help anyone? Did you contribute to the betterment of your community or society as a whole?" - Cy Lauz (Lingerie Designer)

* * *

"Almost everyone fails before they succeed." - Desiree Akhavan (Writer, Actor, Director)

* * *

"Maybe I define success as simply doing things I don't think I am capable of doing." - Dominique Browning (Author and Activist)

* * *

"It takes ten years to become an overnight success. " - Anishka Clarke (Interior Designer)

* * *

"Success means staying true to the vision and values I held before ever setting out to be successful. As long as my work continues to foster joy, celebration, community, generosity, and simplicity, I'm on the road to success." - Dana Tanamachi (Graphic Designer)

"I don't compare myself to others. I'm not in a competition." - Christine Schmidt (Artist and Designer)

* * *

"Be authentic. Own your work style and don't ever think you have to change who you are to be successful." - Cheryl Day (Baker and Author)

* * *

"Be you and not another." - Olimpia Zagnoli (Illustrator)

"I ask myself if what I am doing is making me happy. Would I want to put my energy in a different direction? So far, realigning myself with my goals and priorities does the trick." - Sarah Neuburger (Artist and Designer)

* * *

"I also learned that sometimes you work hard and passionately on something you love, and it may not work out. That's okay. You live to tell about it. You come up with other ideas and something will grow. Something will work if you're just patient and persistent. - Klancy Miller (Writer and Chef)

"As a business owner I know the importance of being able to network and make personal connections with your customers. It's something I work on every day. And trust your instincts." - Lisa Hunt (Designer and Artist)

* * *

"I've learned to say no primarily as a mother and now as an experienced member of the design community. No is powerful. When you can say no, you have worth. I've learned that by saying no to certain jobs and other aspects of life, I can be more balanced, and often offers that are more valuable quickly follow." - Genevieve Gorder (Interior Designer and TV Host)

* * *

"Trust your vision and be patient. Don't let go of your goals, but let go of your expectations " - Elise Kornack (Chef and Restaurateur)

* * *

"Hire professionals to do the things you are not good at or knowledgeable about. They key takeaway was that you don't have to be able to do everything on your own. Look to the experts when you need to." - Danielle Colding (Interior Designer)

* * *

"Never just show the product. Always show the lifestyle." - Rebecca Wood (Potter)

* * *

"People often go into a business because they love something: baking pies, building furniture, designing clothes. The reality of being a business owner is that your occupation is not Pie Maker, Furniture Builder, or Clothing Designer. Your occupation is Entrepreneur. If you don't love business, you will not love your job." - Mary Going (Fashion Designer)

Thank you for reading. I hope these words have inspired you today.