Interview Tidbit: Claudia Hanlin & Jennifer Zabinski of The Wedding Library

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

It was wonderful to take a trip up town and visit The Wedding Library - an innovative and interesting business model that has been a NYC staple and industry leader for more than 10 years!

We were particularly eager to speak with Claudia and Jennifer as The Wedding Library is a model that we ourselves have looked to learn from many times.

Aside from the gorgeous and colorful bridesmaid dresses here are a few things we left thinking about:

Adelaide – I was so interested by all the creative ways they have found to grow their company. The extensions of their business model have not only been innovative, but they have all been structured in a manner that suits their own needs and goals.

Amy - I was also intrigued by the many dimensions of their business that have evolved over time. While they set out to create a resource library, they have added event planning and retail components in order to more fully meet their clients’ needs and requests! And they have such a dynamic partnership!

We are really excited to see the new directions that The Wedding Library is going in the short and long term. These ladies have been such leaders in their industry and we have hardly seen it all just yet!

thank you, Claudia & Jennifer!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Janet Hanson of 85 Broads

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

We were thrilled to have the pleasure of speaking to Janet Hanson, founder of 85 Broads - a leading global network of professional women.

There was a lot to learn from Janet's experiences and story! A couple things that we were left musing about:

Adelaide - I thought it was so interesting that Janet was really able to reframe ex-corporate employees as "alumni" in a way that her former firm wasn't and couldn't appreciate. Janet instinctively knew the value in creating this kind of affinity both to the firm and amongst the women who had left.

Amy - I was impressed by how Janet really saw a need for herself and her peers - connecting the women in finance who were exiting in droves - and decided to create an innovative solution. That solution has morphed and evolved over the years into a formidable business with tremendous global reach and social capital.

Thank you, Janet!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Joy Cho of OhJoy!

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

I have long been a fan of Joy Cho's OhJoy! blog, so it was such a pleasure to connect with her and hear more about her business, brand, and story.

Aside from lots of sage advice, here are a couple of things we were thinking about afterward:

Adelaide - I was really impressed by how deliberate Joy has been to grow her business in a way that allows for designing remain central to her role. Case in point, after a brief trial run instead of continuing to produce products Joy moved to a licensing model.

Amy - It's amazing that her foray into entrepreneurship was accidental - but as she described a happy accident! And how amazing that shortly after getting started Joy was offered her dream job (at a company she always wanted to work) and she turned it down because she realized she already had her dream job - her own business.

Thank you, Joy!

- Adelaide & Amy

LILLA P: Rethinking direction and business strategy

This month we have been profiling Pauline Nakios of LillaP. We have talked about feeling like a real business, demanding to be treated like a client, and building a business that allows you to focus on what you love.

When we spoke to Pauline, we asked about business directions that have changed over time. Pauline had a wonderful example of a strategic direction LillaP pursued and then decided it was not the right direction for the company. The majority of LillaP's customers are small boutiques throughout the country.

Pauline has direct contact with many of the store owners, managers and buyers and has a keen sense of the individual boutiques clientele. For example, Pauline spoke about how brighter colors from her collection are more popular in the south. In NYC and LA many of the boutiques sell tons of basics like black, white and navy. These boutiques have loyal client followings and each store proprietor knows a lot about their specific customers likes and dislikes.

Several years into the business, LillaP was approached by Bloomingdales. This was an exciting opportunity for LillaP as a goal of the company was to sell to large retailers. Initially, they felt there were many potential benefits in landing an account with such a big retailer who obviously had strong brand recognition and deep pockets to place a large order.

On the other hand, Pauline learned that corporate retailers have lots of requirements, (such as specific packaging) that smaller boutiques do not find necessary. What made it most challenging was the lack of direct contact with the person who was selling the product. Unlike her direct connection to a store owner, Pauline found it difficult to establish a relationship to the numerous sales people at all of the various store locations.

When she visited the NYC store, she discovered that clothing was not merchandised well and many styles and colors were piled up in the stock room. Pauline realized that drawbacks of selling to a large retailer outweighed the benefits.

She decided that in the future, LillaP would not pursue larger retailers but instead would stick to selling to the customers they know and love - small boutiques!

Meet Pauline by joining us for a private talk and tour of her showroom on May 26th from 3-5pm.


- posted by Amy Abrams

Interview Tidbit: Wendy Mullin of Built by Wendy

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

After an amazing meeting with Sunny Bates, we scrambled out to Brooklyn to visit the Built by Wendy office and warehouse and meet the women behind the fabulous brand, Wendy Mullin! In addition to her fantastic staff, Wendy works alongside Julie, an adorable dog who was quite welcoming.

Aside from a sneak peek at some of the upcoming designs, here are a couple things we walked away with:

Adelaide – I was really taken by Wendy's appreciation at a very early age with Betsey Johnson and how she created a whole store and life experience in order to brings shoppers into her world. Wendy has recreated that strategy with her own brand exceptionally well!

Amy - I enjoyed learning that Wendy's current approach to her business is "less is more". She spoke of having less stores and wholesale accounts than she had in the past but that she is making just as much money. She has less to worry about and is a lot happier - in her words "more chill". It sounds like Wendy has done a wonderful job of making her company work for her needs!

Thank you, Wendy!

- Adelaide & Amy

Special LILLA P discount for IGC Community!

Pauline, owner of Lilla P, who we have been featuring all month through our inFOUCS program has generously offered all IGCers 20% off your entire purchase for the next 2 weeks!!

To redeem please enter IGC20 at checkout on http://www.llillap.com/ (valid from 5/17 - 5/31)

Also, we hope you are planning to join us at the private tour and talk at Pauline's showroom in the meatpacking district next Wednesday, May 26th from 3-5pm. to rsvp please send an email to us at igcrsvp@gmail.com with LILLA P in the subject.

In the meantime, catch up on some of the LILLA P conversation we've been having on the blog:

When it's hard to feel like a real business

Demand to be treated like a client

Building a team, business, and brand that allows you to focus on what you love

Happy Shopping!

Interview Tidbit: Sunny Bates

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

We can not underscore how amazing it was to have the opportunity to meet Sunny Bates. There is not much that Sunny isn't involved in and there isn't much that she hasn't done!

With a burning desire to be on the leading edge of what's important and what really matters, Sunny has started and sold ventures, been a sought-after partner, collaborator, investor, and strategist. She is an inspiration and model of how to continually do work that is interesting to you and that meets your needs!

So, aside from a deep sense of admiration, here are a few things we walked away thinking about:

Adelaide – I was really impressed with Sunny's clarity on what is exciting and interesting to her (both in the present and past) and I was really inspired by the constant professional tweaking, adjusting, and exploring that she has employed in order to be involved with new projects that continually suit those interests.

Amy - As a business owner and a mom, Sunny spoke of integrating her two worlds in an effort to have the best of both worlds. I loved that Sunny described herself in relation to being a business owner, mom, boss as being "good enough". She spoke of how hard women are on themselves and that often doing a "good enough" job goes a long way! I could not agree more!

Thank you, Sunny!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Samantha Edwards of Gif+d

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

After wrapping up our trip to Philadelphia, we were scheduled to meet Samantha Edwards creative genius and branding extraordinaire at her amazing Tribeca flat (just saying it that way because she's British!), which happened to be one street over from our favorite dress designer Selia Yang!

Aside from a zillion design and decor ideas (really her apartment is amazing) and lots of love for her little pup, Stella, here are a couple of things we walked away with:

Adelaide – I find it just amazing that the evolution of her business has really been on account of Sam keeping on accepting one creative challenge after another. The result is that her work has become more and more comprehensive and her business expanded accordingly. In actuality, we learned that Sam has has two separate businesses (one with partners and one that is solo) that pursue different directions providing her with a lot of creative versatility.

Amy - I thought a lot about Sam's advice to never burn a bridge - she spoke of how despite being a big city, NYC is a small town, especially within given industries. It made me think about how important it is for growing businesses to contemplate the importance of their reputation in the long run and how when you need to part ways in business dealings you should strive to do so on good terms.

Thanks, Sam!

- Adelaide & Amy

LILLA P: When it is hard to feel like a "real" business

This month we have been featuring parts of our conversation with Pauline Nakios of LILLA P. (Catch up on posts here and here and join us for the end-of-the-month event!)

One thing Pauline, Amy & I talked about was the psychological safety net that business owners sometimes give themselves at the beginning of a new venture.

Sometimes people feel that if they act like their new business is not real or at least not a real business then they can’t really fail. Instead, they think if they are just sort-of trying something then they can also just sort-of stop doing it when they want without feeling badly about it.

Pauline shared that she felt this way when she started more than 10 years ago. She said that if she believed that she was “not a real business” then it wasn’t a big deal, but once she proclaimed her legitimacy and that she was really trying her hand at entrepreneurship then she had a lot more to lose.

We have talked about this phenomenon – The Impostor Complex - before.
It is challenging to assume and own a new identity. Once you claim that you are doing something or want something then, of course, it means more when you don’t get it. However, I would also argue that if you don’t claim it you are more likely to not get what you want. After all, our businesses are reflections of what we make them.

Most everyone who knows us knows that we are big fans of ventures of all shapes, sizes, and intents. And it shouldn’t be surprising that we believe that if you don’t take yourself seriously for your efforts – whatever they are – then you’re unlikely to get any serious rewards. Why? Well you’re unlikely to treat your venture or yourself with the same level of respect & you’re unlikely to convince others (customers, vendors, partners, etc.) that you’re doing something worthwhile and interesting.

However, where this whole impostor complex becomes a bit tricky and catch-22-ish is when you look at the cost of feeling like you have go into everything with a certain amount of certainty and seriousness.

It’s also true that prematurely claiming or owning something can unnecessarily tie us to experiments we’d like to abandon. And worst of all, the pressure to prematurely declare something formal may prevent us from experimenting and trying our hand at things in a more organic way.

So for the record we are fans of both experimentation AND legitimacy. And think that we’ve seen this continuum negotiated best when folks are comfortable in both roles, have clear boundaries and points of evaluation, and are articulate about their intentions.

For example, “we thought we try doing this because the climate seems right and are willing to give it a good 6 months before we evaluate whether we’d like to formalize it or move on” or “Doing XYZ has always been a passion of mine and I figure now was a good time to see if I could make a business out of it and if I even like the process of running the show. I’m planning to test it out for a few months before I decide if I really want to invest more.”

These are both clearly examples of experiments, and are quite different from legitimate ventures where people have invested a tremendous amount of time, energy, capital and resources. Where folks really seem to get stuck is moving from the “experiment phase” to the “legitimate phase”.

Some ideas on how to navigate the transition:

1. Be clear about whether something is an experiment or not…if you are seriously relying on the business revenue and viability, then it is no longer an initial experiment

2. Be very clear about what your goals and intentions are (for now). Nothing will make you feel illegitimate faster than comparing what you are doing to someone else’s goals.

3. Be respectful of the time and energy that you are investing in your venture and speak and behave in a way that demonstrates that – chances are others will follow your lead

4. And of course, as always, surround yourself with resourceful peers who are on your same wave-length and can validate your experiences as an entrepreneur!

Thanks, Pauline, for all the brain food!

- posted by Adelaide Lancaster

Press Alert: IGC on CNN!

We were thrilled to be featured on CNN's The Turnaround at the beginning of the month!

The clip can be viewed here

A special thanks to

Amanda Hofman of Urban Girl Squad
Emily Wolper of E. Wolper, Inc
Eden Abrahams of Clear Path Executive Coaching

for their time and thoughtful contributions!

IGC is Expanding! A new space offers full-time desks & offices

(picture of the 4th floor since the new space isn't quite ready yet!)



We are so thrilled to announce that we are growing and will now be offering FULL TIME monthly membership options starting June 1st! Better yet, the new space is on the 3rd floor of our existing building!

These FULL-TIME memberships include access to either a permanent personal work space or furnished office. Both options have unlimited 24/7 access and all-inclusive pricing and offer everything you need to get your work done without the hassle of setting up your own office or making a long term commitment.

Our DEDICATED DESK membership provides you with a personal work space within an open, curated office, while the PRIVATE OFFICE membership offers a beautiful, furnished office in a great city location and in the company of other women entrepreneurs.

Click here for further details and a list of all the cushy amenities. A floor plan is available upon request.

Please email Amy if you are interested in either of these offerings: amy@ingoodcompany.com

LILLA P: Demand to be treated like a client

During our conversations with Pauline of LILLA P, we talked a bit about what it is like to be in uncharted territory, whether that is new to business or perhaps just new to the phase you are in.

Pauline issued sage advice, which was to always demand to be treated like a client. It can be tempting to follow the lead of others when you are in the novice position, especially when dealing with vendors or in other business-to-business relationships.

Pauline recounted an experience with a manufacturer in which she let the other company drive the bus because she didn't feel experienced enough to set the terms, tone, or tenor for the relationship. She indicated that it was a big, costly learning experience for her and that since, she has always played the role of the savvy client even when the process was new to her.

Pauline's advice has sat with me since and given me reason to pause and think about the various business relationships that we have.

It is easy when starting something new to follow the path of least resistance, to rely on the more experienced people at the table, and to assume that their past experiences have generated work patterns and policies that are effective and efficient.

And, isn't tremendous when you do hire vendors that just make the whole process so easy? They effortlessly bring their expertise, experience, and systems to the table and immediately solve your pain? But the reality is, that this is a lot to expect and taken with Pauline's advice, I have a feeling that this kind of assumption can really set everyone up for failure and disappointment. It is just too simple to be steamrolled by a process that you don't understand and that may not work for you.

Better to evaluate each relationship, recognize when you are the client, and insist on being treated as such.

Of course, the shoe fits on both feet. It is also important to recognize when you are not the client and to learn to treat the other party accordingly.

-posted by Adelaide Lancaster

Book Learnings: The Value of 2 Sets of Eyes and Ears

(image courtesy of DandyLionPress)










Today marks our 50th interview! Wow, we are half-way there.

We have regularly been sharing some of the things we have been learning along the way, such as the mixed reactions to the word entrepreneur.

Something else I have been thinking about is how valuable it has been to have 2 sets of eyes and ears in the room during the interviews.

Amy and I often talk about how we use our very different styles, thinking preferences, and approaches to our advantage. As it turns out, the interviews are no exception.

We have frequently found that we hear and remember very different statements and each think to ask things that they other wouldn't have.

Literally, as we leave Amy will sometimes remark about an interesting thing the woman we spoke to just said. And it will be as if I never heard it. Then I will comment on something I thought was interesting and that will have been completely under the radar for Amy.

Luckily all of them are recorded and available for replay!

At the beginning of this process we had contemplated using a divide and conquer technique in order to accomplish more in the short amount of time that we have. I'm so glad that we didn't.

Doing these interviews had really made me appreciate the importance of diversity of thought and perspective, allowing knowledge to evolve and conversations to transpire, and to not jump to any conclusions!

Can't wait for round two, which kicks off with a trip to Boson on Monday!

- posted by Adelaide Lancaster

LILLA P: Building a team, business, and brand that allows you to focus on what you love

This month our inFOCUS business is LILLA P and the woman behind the brand, Pauline Nakios. Pauline is just delicious and we have so enjoyed learning about her business.

LILLA P celebrates the t-shirt and is designed for both the modern lifestyle and aesthetic. The collection, which is known for being easy and comfortable, provides women with beautiful colors, fabrics, and styles and quickly converts new customers into loyal followers.

One of the things that stuck out to us most about Pauline and LILLA P is the extraordinary journey she has been on and how through the many tweaks and advancements, Pauline has gone from juggling almost everything that needed doing to carving out the role that she loves the best and focusing on her strengths, which might be different that what you would expect from a fashion brand such as LILLA P.

In the early days, Pauline ran LILLA P out of her garage fulfilling each order herself and getting her hands dirty in every aspect of the business. Now she has a staff and partner (her husband) all of which allow her to play the role of creative director and focus on what she loves which is continuing to craft the brand, interact with the market, sales representatives, and customers.

Pauline’s efforts to remain connected to the customer show in how relatable and authentic her company and brand are. And, it should come as no surprise to those familiar with the gorgeous and flexible clothing that the LILLA P line is inspired by Pauline’s grandmother.

We found it so refreshing that Pauline has been able to achieve such success with LILLA P without being overly schooled in fashion or design and without being on the technical side of the business. She has truly been able to craft and deliver a vision leveraging her own strengths as well as the talents of the people around her.

A very interesting model and example for us all to consider!

Meet Pauline and the LILLA P brand and go behind the scenes at her showroom on May 26th.

Interview Tidbit: Linda Lightman of Linda's Stuff

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

We round out our first day in Philadelphia by visiting Linda Lightman mastermind behind Linda's Stuff - a giant in the fashion consignment world and the #1 seller on eBay. On any one day, she has more than 40,000 items up for sale. Considering that all the merchandise was kept on site, I was more than a little worried about how long it might take to drag Amy out of there!

Aside from wide eyes and a dropped jaw, here's a few things we left with:

Amy - I was so inspired that after 7 years, Linda absolutely loves coming to work and how she really turned her passion into a business. She loves her work and it shows.

Adelaide - It is amazing how much Linda's stuff has changed over the years alongside changes in the industry, the social media and web worlds, and eBay itself. Linda talks about her business history as a constant and continual learning process. It is clear that Linda's Stuff is as successful as it is because Linda has invested in continuous improvement, by setting aggressive goals for herself, and doing what it takes on the business side to meet them.

Thank you, Linda!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Megan Brewster & Erin Waxman of Art Star

On this exciting book journey we have the pleasure of interviewing nearly 100 women who are running interesting, inspiring, and innovative companies. While we of course will be including lots of details in the book and discussing the interviews over the next year, in the meantime we wanted to share a few tidbits from each amazing interview!

Our second stop in Philadelphia was at the famed Art Star boutique in Northern Liberties. There we had the privilege of meeting owners Megan Brewster and Erin Waxman.

Aside from several purchases, here are a couple things we took with us:

Amy - I was so taken with how strongly they believe that being a working artist goes hand in hand with being a business owner, and also how making an impact on their community is central to their business mission. In fact, they want to eliminate the term "starving artist"!

Adelaide - Outside of the artist community, Megan and Erin have leveraged a lot of support in their local community. They are well loved by their neighborhood, the Philly press, and the Philly indy scene. Each time they have wanted to grow, change, or accomplish something they have been successful at rallying the community around them to make it happen!

Thank you, Erin & Megan!

- Adelaide & Amy