Meet Women Who Can Help Renew Your Vision

A new, inspirational book offers an array of advice from women who have found success in the design, arts and business worlds.

It can happen to any business owner: You get bogged down in exasperating details or discouraged by a setback, and suddenly you’re wondering, “Why am I doing this?” What you need is a bit of inspiration — something you can find in abundance in Grace Bonney’s new hardcover offering, “In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs” (Artisan, October 2016). Bonney, the creator of the website Design*Sponge, tapped her network of makers, artists and entrepreneurs to assemble a wealth of advice and inspiration for anyone struggling to bring her vision to fruition.

While a handful of names may be recognizable, the vast majority of the women Bonney profiles work outside the glare of publicity. There are chefs, writers, performers, poets and designers of every stripe. Given Bonney’s interest in interior design, it’s no surprise that each profile is accompanied by photos of the subject’s working space that are visually inspirational.

• Rather than organize the book by theme, Bonney simply introduces her refreshingly diverse cast one at a time with Q&A-style interviews. Because she asks similar questions of each interviewee, it can be instructive and inspirational to read the broad range of responses. When Bonney asks, for example, what lesson these business owners have taken away from their experiences, she heard this:^[1]
• “I’ve really had to learn to go with the flow. I am a huge planner, but things often don’t go according to plan. … I have to be prepared to take the givens of any scenario, work with what I’ve got and avoid having a meltdown!”
  —Hana Getachew, textile designer, Brooklyn, New York
• “Always be honest with the customer and make them happy.”
  —Rebecca Wood, potter, Athens, Georgia
• “Your best resource is the company you keep. Surround yourself with creative, smart people whose work you respect.”
  —Veronica Corzo-Duchardt, graphic designer, artist, Philadelphia
• “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to prepare for the long haul, the rise and fall, and let neither define your sense of self.”
  —Karen Young, product designer, entrepreneur, Brooklyn, New York

If you’re looking for a refreshing breath of inspiration to put renewed energy into your business, give Bonney’s book a try.