Interview Tidbit: Selima Salaun of Selima Optique

(image by Tong Jiao of OnTheInside)








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!

From Shazi’s we rushed uptown a bit to the flagship store of Selima Salaun creator of Selima Optique on 7 Bond St. The store experience is gorgeous and we were absolutely enchanted with Selima! Here are a couple things we left thinking about:

Adelaide – Selima said “freedom is much more expensive than money”. I’ve been thinking a lot about that.

Amy – I love how Selima has experimented with her business over time and is keenly aware of the successes and failures which have strengthened her business, her brand and her confidence as a savvy businesswoman!

Thank you, Selima!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Shazi Visram of Happy Baby

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!

Next up we had the chance to reconnect with Shazi Visram, whose brain child – Happy Baby Food – has been proliferating store shelves and gaining tremendous momentum over the last couple years! In addition to a lovely pre-natal couples’ yoga video (Thanks, Shazi!) here’s a couple of things we walked away with:

Adelaide – I was so interested to learn that Shazi has found a mentor in Gary the founder of Honest Tea. There are obviously similarities between their brands and strategies.

Amy – I was impressed by how she passionate and committed to her mission she is. Both impact her daily decisions about new product development, growth and collaboration opportunities.

Thank you, Shazi!

- Adelaide & Amy

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

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

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

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

Interview Tidbit - Amy Voloshin of Print Fresh

(samples from their vintage archive)










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!

To kick off our first Philadelphia interview day, we visited Amy Voloshin at Print Fresh. This amazing company designs prints and textiles that are then sold to all sorts of stores - ranging from department stores to Anthropologie for them to use in their clothes and fabric products. It was awesome to see their offices, which included a design room, screen printing room, and vintage fabric archive!

Aside from serious envy about this very cool job, here are a few things we walked away with:

Amy - I found it so heartwarming that Amy feels she is working in her dream job because she is creatively fulfilled - and that this self created "dream job" is her deliberate act of creating work that works best for her!

Adelaide - Relinquishing control is a challenge for most entrepreneurs, but I was struck by how comfortably Amy began hiring people right from the beginning. She has and is considering many growth options for the firm and she knows that each of them require getting the right talent at the table.

Thank You, Amy!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Frances Lappe

(Frances pictured with her daughter Anna)







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!

Frances Lappe has been hailed by Gourmet magazine as one of the 25 people who have changed the way we eat. Frances was writing and teaching about the impact of our food choices on our health, economy, politics, and humanity long before it was in vogue. She wrote the revolutionary book Diet for a Small Planet more than 20 years ago and since then has been waiting for the rest of us to catch up with her. We were honored to have the opportunity to speak with her.

Aside from gratitude and awe, here are a couple of things we left thinking about:

Adelaide - I was amazed by Frances’ ability to continually create new solutions and alternatives when the existing options didn’t appeal to her. Completely unsatisfied with contributing an ounce less than she possibly could, Frances’ entire career has been about creating opportunities for her and others to make necessary changes in the world. Over the years she has leveraged several formats and outlets including books, foundations, speaking, writing, and community building. I am in awe of what one person can do.

Amy - I was so intrigued by her mantra that it is "not possible to know what's possible". It was clearly her way of channeling fear as energy. Besides it is a wonderful statement that in many ways defines and fuels entrepreneurship.

Thank you, Frances!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Sarah Endline of SweetRiot

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!

SweetRiot has been an amazing brand to watch grow over the last several years. It not only has a unique product but a tremendous social mission. We were excited to share some time with Sarah Endline, one of several social entrepreneurs that we are interviewing.

Aside from some yummy treats, here are a few things we walked away with:

Adelaide- I was inspired by the amount of passion that Sarah clearly has for both her business and her mission. She was determined to be a social entrepreneur early on which has clearly shaped the feel, growth, trajectory and soul of the business.

Amy- I was struck by a great phrase that Sarah used when speaking about the importance of connecting with a community. In her case, she spoke of her community of entrepreneurs, many of which are friends but said the attraction was based on an “entrepreneurial chemistry”

Thank you, Sarah!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Noha Waibsnaider of Peeled Snacks

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 have known of Peeled Snacks practically since its launch and it has been terrific to see it grow so much over the years. We had a great time on Noha's office roof deck (ooh-la-la) talking about her journey!

Here are a few things that were on our mind when we left:

Adelaide- I was impressed by how resource Noha has been in acquiring research and data and feedback. Customers and supporters have really help to determine what is on the shelf and the way it is presented. Noha has been open to hearing feedback and new ideas even when they haven’t matched up with her original plan. And it has paid off! Many of their best-selling products have come from customer suggestions.

Amy- I was impressed by her thoughtfulness around making charitable contributions that had a lasting impact. Instead of just giving donations, they established a partnership with the American Farmland Trust which helps to increase support to farms in the US.

Thank you, Noha!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Grace Bonney of Design Sponge

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!

Being a total home decor and design junkie, Adelaide was particularly excited to meet Grace Bonney the creator of Design*Sponge. It was also quite cool to meet at her apartment and see so many of her creative ideas in action - and to meet her two feline office mates!

Here's just a couple things we walked away thinking about:

Adelaide- It was interesting to learn that design*sponge began not as a business aspiration but as a way to gain experience and score a print editorial job. A lot has changed since 2004! It has not only become a business of its own, it has opened up lots of other opportunities including a book!

Amy- I was struck by Grace’s commitment to her vision of the company. She was clear that it was important to her not to forget the reason that she started the company and that she felt her company would lose authenticity if she made decisions for others.

Thank you, Grace!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit:: Emily Powell of Powells Books

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!

As complete book lovers, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to connect with Emily Powell, the woman soon to take the helm of Powells Books.

Here are a few things that stuck out from our terrific conversation:

Adelaide- I was really struck by a metaphor Emily used about “firing bullets, not cannons”. She used this to describe their continual experimentation and recalibration efforts. It is clearly important to Powell’s to be invested in a process of continuous improvement. With open eyes and ears they are always asking, “how can we do this better?”

Amy- It was very interesting to me that Emily spoke of connecting with a few different groups of entrepreneurs to get support. She cultivated specific communities (women CEO’s, retail groups, e-commerce group) and was clear that one group was never enough and that affiliating with several groups afforded many outlets for her as an entrepreneur.

Also, I was thrilled to hear that she is inspired by retail stores that are sell products that are very different than books. That these stores are a source of inspiration to her and she brings ideas from her store visits back into the business by shopping (a girl after my own heart).

Thank you, Emily!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Darla Cohen of Fork in the Road

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 originally met Darla Cohen, of a Fork in the Road, through a blog post she wrote on her husband, Jason Cohen’s blog. The post was about business growth and we quickly crafted a supportive reply on our own blog. It was a pleasure to get to learn more about her and her story.

Here were just a few takeaways from our very interesting conversation:

Adelaide- Our conversation was a good reminder of how important it is to consider how your business fits into your life. Darla is a great example of how clarity around your goals helps you to craft a business and work life that makes you happy and satisfied.

Amy- Despite being steeped in a culture of high-tech entrepreneurship, Darla still recognized her own validity as a small business and entrepreneur and found the right path for her and her business.

Thank you, Darla!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Michelle Madhok of SheFinds.com

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 have known Michelle Madhok for several years and have loved watching SheFinds.com grow in scope and reputation. We were thrilled to visit her stylish office, right here in the flatiron hood.

Here are just a couple things that we took away.

Amy: It was reminded how running your business and continuing on a path towards what you believe in can open the door to many unexpected possibilities – in Michelle’s case, she has national corporate sponsorships as an online personal shopping expert, making for a fantastic but unplanned opportunity.

Adelaide: Michelle really underscored for me how important it is to find the right peers at various stages of the entrepreneurial process – which is not always easy if you’re growing quite quickly. I was really impressed by how much emphasis Michelle places on continued learning and cultivating the right corporate culture for SheFinds.com.

Thank you, Michelle!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Lotta Anderson of Lotta Jansdotter

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!

Lotta Anderson of Lotta Jansdotter has been at the top of Adelaide’s interview wish list for years. As a home design and textile junkie, she has long loved her Lotta Jansdotter purchases. We spent a very rainy, rainy morning cocooned away in Lotta’s gorgeous studio office.

Here were just a couple things that we learned.

Amy: I was really taken with Lotta’s belief that running a business is as creative a process as designing!

Adelaide: I was amazed by how each avenue of business success has opened more and more doors of opportunity. These opportunities have allowed her to completely change the nature of what her business is about: from textile designer to a home décor/design brand, to a handmade/DIY expert, to inspiration and lifestyle icon. I can’t wait to learn about all the new, upcoming projects!

Thank you, Lotta!

- Adelaide & Amy

Interview Tidbit: Angie Davis of Byrd&Belle

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!

Last winter, Adelaide, like many others, fell in love with the grey felt ipod/iphone sleeves. Ever since she’s been intrigued with Angie Davis’ Byrd&Belle store. We were thrilled to learn more about this entrepreneur.

Here are a few things that stuck out:

Amy- I learned just how central autonomy is to Angie’s feelings of happiness and success. That autonomy ranges from having creative control of her products and designs to creating her own schedule and routine – Angie loves never having to set an alarm clock!

Adelaide- Angie’s story really highlighted for me how important the role of experimentation and trying new things is. It has played a critical role in the evolution of her business ( a la the runaway success – a felt laptop sleeve). But at the same time she is responsible for creating collections and that requires careful curation and restraint. A great creative and artistic paradox and challenge!

Thank you, Angie!

- Adelaide & Amy