More than ever, I believe it is important to celebrate the successes of women. To work with each other, not against. To lift each other up, to help and to inspire one another. I feel lucky to work alongside so many amazing, talented women every day from our staff, mentors, designers, photographers to all the incredible vendors who make the products we fill our shelves with.
For IWD2020, we asked the women behind our brands to share some thoughts on their success, things they tell themselves in moments of self-doubt and advice for other women trying to reach their goals. If you're anything like me, you love a good Q + A. And, we got some great responses.
Here's to celebrating women.
Tara xx
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Diandra Guglielmello
Founder of Liel & Lentz
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success
Continued persistence and perseverance have really paid off when it comes to our success with Liel and Lentz. As complete novices when it came to starting a business, our path saw many mistakes, rejections and wrong turns, but we always pushed forward and that has led us to where we are now!
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt
In moments of self-doubt, I like to take a step back, think big picture and remind myself of how far we've come. Entrepreneurship is a roller coaster ride, so you have to take the ups and downs in stride.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals
If you have an idea, just go for it! Don't overplan, don't quit your day job. Start a side hustle. Explore the industry you're interested in. Sometimes you just need to dive in and see where it takes you. If you're super passionate about it, you'll find a way to make it happen.
Clarissa Fonseca
Founder of The Hair Routine
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Being adaptable to different situations and circumstances. Yet always staying true to my values.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Look back at the successes that you have no matter how small. In entrepreneurship, Some days are really good and some days are really bad. I try to be mindful that whatever I am going through is not permanent and will pass.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Don’t doubt yourself. Us women tend to think that we are less capable, you’d be surprised how much you can achieve.
Sarah Brown
Founder of Pai Skincare
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Stone cold focus! I started Pai because I developed Chronic Urticaria in my twenties and there was nothing out there – products or advice – that could help me. Since then I’ve been on a mission to make sure nobody else has to do the endless, uncomfortable and expensive trial and error that I did.
If there’s an ingredient or product that I can’t use on my own skin, we don’t formulate with it. That’s always kept me totally focused on where we’ve come from, and where we need to go.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned along the way – it's that moments of self-doubt are fleeting. Be it my own skin, my son’s eczema (I can’t express how frustrating that is to try fix), or challenges I’ve faced in business, chipping away patiently and trusting my gut instincts hasn’t failed me yet.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Whatever the goal my main advice is to go for it. Don't be held back by a lack of self-belief. The first step is always the hardest but feel the fear and do it anyway! And lots of baby steps can actually get you further than you think.
My other advice would be to lean in fully once you've committed to doing something. You cannot reach the mountain summit without doing the steep climb which can be slow and an almighty slog. There are no shortcuts.
Passion is going to propel you forward. If you don't feel that driving force then you're probably pursuing the wrong goal. You've got to have that raison d'être as it's what gets you out of bed in the morning when the going gets tough.
Laura Whitaker
Founder of Wildcraft
Something about yourself that has contributed to your success?
I'm really good at surrounding myself with people who are better than me. I truly believe we all have an aptitude for something but it's impossible to be great at everything. I know what my strengths are and I know what my weaknesses are. I'm in a unique position as a business owner to be able to choose the people that I work with on a daily basis and I've learned to be super thoughtful with those decisions. I know I'm someone who thrives best on a team and we've got a great one!
The thing you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt?
Things will work out. All I can do is show up and do my best, whatever my best happens to look like that day, the rest is totally out of my control.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Do not compare yourself to others. Run your own race and don't be afraid to ask the people you trust for help along the way.
Nadine Artemis
Founder of Living Libations
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Always follow your instinct. The best advice I ever receive always comes from the wisdom within.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Self-doubt arises when I compare what is with what I think should be, and this inner schism is a siphon that drains away vital energy. Self-doubt can stifle the heart’s natural desire to expand. Engaging with life without the lens of comparison deletes doubt and creates vast clarity as the mind is immersed in life’s totality.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Since childhood, I tune into what feels good, and I do not dwell on or move towards what does not feel good. These daily shifts and decisions are a constant fine-tuning of what life is offering. I attune my inner-knowing to focus on my strengths, focus on what I love, and focus on what gets my juices flowing. Cultivating discernment in your life choices, from the micro to the macro, and heeding your inner desires —becoming the connoisseur of your life — is essential to making good goals and meeting them.
Kat & Vic
Founders of Lohn
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
It's such a competitive space. Having worked in the industry for ten years in product development, sales and marketing you see so many different brands, launching every single day. I's a very intimidating market to enter and over time you can get so tempted to adjust your product based on the products that are trending. We think our obsession with product design contributed to our success. Spending over a year on the look of Lohn and designing a packaging concept that is as high quality as the product helped us stand out. We love the branding we've created and it helps us to avoid the temptation to jump on the bandwagon of trends.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Vic's self-doubt comes from the importance she puts on doing things perfectly, and Kat's self-doubt arises from seeing the amazing things other brands are doing on the market (so much so, that she had to delete her personal Instagram account!). Doing something instead of nothing helps us tackle those moments of self-doubt. "That's often all that's necessary to get the snowball rolling, the action needed to inspire the motivation to keep going." We highly recommend this book.
Words of advise for other women on reaching their goals?
Start building up your network. We are both introverts at heart, but that hasn't stopped us from attending events, reaching out to people on LinkedIn, etc. We've heard that there are now only 3 degrees of separation, so just imagine how that will impact your business and goals if you push yourself to get out there and tell your story to the world around you! We've really found value in sharing our journey with strangers, despite how scary it can be.
Tata Harper
Founder of Tata Harper Skincare
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I grew up in Colombia with a very entrepreneurial family…my mother was an entrepreneur and my grandmother absolutely loved beauty. She would host weekly “spa parties” using DIY masks and products I helped her make in the kitchen. I loved the time we spent together creating and crafting, and then having these experiences with so many women. I think it was a combination of both of those things as a child that made me into a beauty entrepreneur later in life…
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I remind myself that I thrive off of facing challenges. Everything at this company has been a challenge! What we wanted to do was radically different and was challenging the status quo – from making everything in-house, to formulas being completely non-artificial, to our distribution strategy, everything has been a challenge. But, it’s what made sense for us. That’s how we wanted to make our products, and that's what still inspires me to this day.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Truly think about making a product that help people live better lives, instead of making more of the same. Always think about how your work and contribution will make the world a better place. Always seek answers and be curious and care about bettering the lives of others with what you make.
Emilie & Natalie
Founders of Well Kept
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
We both bring different skill sets to the business and they complement each other really well and definitely show through in our brand. At the end of the day (literally and figuratively) we both love getting outside and disconnecting from our phones. I think this has enabled us to have really strong values as a brand, and create balance when sometimes it feels like we could work 24/7.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
If it were easy, someone else would've already done it. We struggle with this a lot when trying to find the most sustainable alternatives, sometimes it feels like what we are searching for isn't out there... and so when we are getting frustrated we remind ourselves that it isn't out there...which is why we are doing it in the first place!
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Don't leap without a safety net, but do take the leap - because it's absolutely worth it and if you don't, you'll always be wondering, what if? Write down how you want your day to day to look like at the end of the year and work backwards in creating what that looks like and how you get there.
April Gargiulo
Founder of Vintner's Daughter
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Daily meditation, gratitude practice and developing a growth mindset. I try to look at mistakes or failures as an opportunity to dig deeper and do better.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I have so many moments of self-doubt and most of the time tell myself, “what’s the worst that could happen” and move forward.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Be very clear when identifying your goals and your north star mission. Pursue them with honesty, integrity, a full heart and a lot of hustle.
Julie Clark
Founder of Province Apothecary
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Never give up even when things feel difficult or impossible. Also, it has been majorly important in Province Apothecary's success that we listen to the feedback from our clientele at our treatment space.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I have an amazing business partner and an important network of business advisors and good friends that help me in times of self-doubt.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
You can do it! Continue to challenge yourself and surround yourself with supportive people and colleagues. It is important to realize what your strengths are and where you need support.
Camille Byrne
Founder of Cambie
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I'm a highly empathic person which I am still learning how to manage and protect. I've often been told I'm sensitive and used to see it as a fault, only recently have I started to embrace this. I've come to the realization that this strength of mine has led to the success of CAMBIE because I care deeply about how other people feel when they come into my store. A lot of thought and effort goes into the experience someone has in the space and how they will experience the product once they take it home. People often comment on the vibe of the store, how serene and calm it feels which is done with intention!
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Try not to overthink and always listen to your gut, it guides you well. We all have light to shine, let it shine bright. In a time when it is so easy (and accessible!) to compare yourself to others, remember why you started this all and don't lose sight of how truly special you are. There is space for all of us to shine our unique light!
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Keep your goal in sight and have patience as you keep working towards it. Good things take time and can't be measured day by day or even week by week. Sometimes it takes months (even years!) to see the progression and as a good reminder, make notes of each step and look back on how far you've come. I try to look back as much as I look forward :)
Stacey Davis
Founder of Lovefresh
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success:
I am in it for the long haul. I don't give up easily and that has been a huge factor in our success. The foundation of building a successful business is realizing it takes time, brick by brick.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt:
I have finally realized that I WILL figure it out. My road towards success has taken many turns from where I began... and has landed me exactly where I am supposed to be.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals:
Don't look for immediate victory. Always remember, the turtle wins the race, it takes TIME:) Surround yourself with people who believe it what you're doing .. whether that is hiring the right people / collaborating with the right people or socializing with like-minded people. Excitement inspires excitement.
Narae Kim
Founder of Artifact
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
My ability to observe, absorb and interpret my surroundings through rose coloured glasses.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
It's all wrong, but it's alright. Just try again.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
First. do what you are good at. Second, great things come with time and some failures too. The best painter didn't become the best on the first try, it took years to perfect the craft.
Kate Petriw
Author of Let That Sh*t Go
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
My sensitivity. In our culture too often this is mistaken as a weakness, but I know that this is definitely one of my strengths and has helped to drive my success. Being sensitive to people's emotions has allowed me to be a better boss, co-worker, etc., and more attuned to trends in the marketplace. When first I launched workshops on mental health with cheeky titles that used swear words, it was kind of novel at the time. Because it was it unique it garnered a lot of attention, which helped to drive sales and also the interest of HarperCollins who ended up asking me to write a book.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Great question! We talk about this in our book Let That Sh*t Go. I often challenge my negative self-talk as if I'm in a court of law. When a negative thought comes up, I'll try to gather a bunch of evidence to prove it wrong so it doesn't carry as much weight. If I find something true about the thought, which can be the case sometimes, I'll try to be as compassionate with myself as I can. This helps me to try to radically accept my flaws and forgive myself as a work in progress. For instance, I used to beat myself for my lack of attention to detail, but I know my strength is in my ability to conceptualize and be creative. Sometimes these kinds of brains can't do both extremely well, so while I'm still working on it - if I catch a mistake I'm a lot more forgiving with myself now than I used to be.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
I would just say firstly follow your gut and secondly take action. Every small little step helps to gain momentum, once you get one thing going and see it come to fruition it becomes the motivation for the next big step. Try to set deadlines for yourself, or if you're like me and sometimes need external pressure (hehe) team up with someone or make a move that will lock you into doing, it like paying a venue for space. Getting to where you wanna go is all about the little steps you take that all ladder up to getting you where you want.
Beth Shuman
Founder of 8 Faces
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I feel not overthinking things has contributed to taking chances that have lead to positive outcomes. There are a million ways to do things but I think sometimes having a bit of faith that it will work out is important.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
It’s just a bad five minutes and it will pass.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Tell people what you are looking to accomplish. You would be surprised at how many people want to help you on your journey and see you reach your goals. Also, share what you have learned with others. By taking this approach I have
met some amazing founders and we have helped each other navigate some interesting terrain.
Samantha Stephens
Founder of SamYoga
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.I am determined to go deep and to figure things out. I am committed to process and truly believe there is value in all that we experience.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
F#@! and then... alright, you've got this.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals. Surround yourself with others who inspire you to grow and make time to sit across from them - be present, have honest conversations. Take breaks - get outside, move your body. Be kind to yourself
Connie Lo & Laura Burget
Founders of Three Ships, formerly Niu Body
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
One of our strongest traits is having an extremely thick skin, fearlessness and the ability to not take "no" as an answer. We are relentlessly pursuing our mission of making natural beauty accessible for all women, and always interpret "no's" as just "not right now."
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Luckily for us, it seems like whenever one of us is feeling down, the other is feeling optimistic and can motivate the team. In moments of uncertainty, we look at people we admire and think, if they can do it then so can we.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Break down your big hairy audacious goals (BHAGs) into smaller ones, and do one thing a day that moves you closer to your goal. Always remember your why!
Marlissa Flint
Founder of Mai Lin Jewelry
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I’ve always really leaned into doing what I love and doing a LOT of it. Historically, I never really spent time doing much of what I didn’t enjoy. When I started my business, I knew I could enjoy making things all day, every day so that’s what I did.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I try to be more consistent and do more of what works. I also try to take more time to do things that I absolutely love (like cooking) because it feels good when little else does.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Allow yourself to feel inspired and let it drive you to create the life that you want. Let those feelings of inspiration take over and fill your mind with beautiful thoughts. No matter what your situation looks like, you can do it.
Camila Sinisterra
Founder of Kala Collective
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
My perseverance and my ability to believe that my big goals are possible even through challenging times.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I try to focus on the "why" behind what I am doing. It can be scary, and self-doubt often creeps in, but I try to think - what is scarier, taking the leap and seeing what happens, or not trying at all?
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Get out there and try. Surround yourself with supportive friends, family, and mentors that will both lift you up and ground you. Continue to learn and to find excitement and inspiration in what you do.
Shannon
Founder of Audre
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I’ve been called ‘stubborn’ but I prefer to say I am tenacious! Starting a business from the ground up, with nothing more than my gut to guide me, has turned my bulldog spirit into a grounding force. Yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge all the like-minded, bull-dogged spirit forces around me who have been my tribe of champions. I cherish the people in my life who have been there from my humble beginnings, with their honest feedback and support, motivating me to work harder and smarter. I am always a work in progress!
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
One of my yoga teachers once said, “Don’t be the first person in line to kick your own ass”. I love that. It’s all too easy to get caught up in a negative thinking spiral when you are just starting out, so I always come back to my mantra of “is this helping me or harming me?” That deceptively simple question can be applied to so many facets of life, cutting right through the fog and bringing clarity.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
I have had the privilege of being surrounded by some truly amazing women in my life, all of whom have brought sage and unique perspectives to blend with my own. And one of the most simple, yet ground-breaking perspectives I could offer in return would be: don’t freak out — no one else knows what they’re doing either! Don’t let uncertainty stop you. Get used to pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and say no to anything that distracts you from staying on your path!
Permpreet and Fernanda
Founders of La Patria
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
We founded La Patria on our passion for sustainability and desire for high quality handmade products that have an authentic story. And so we began designing everyday essentials with communities of artisans who have been using time-honoured techniques for making everyday essentials. Our respect for the craft has allowed us to design products that are still true to their origins.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
The path to success can be a bumpy one. But remember that every wind and turn is getting you closer to where you want to end up and brings some learning with it.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Seek out the great coaches in your life who will challenge you, support you and encourage you to achieve your goals. We are very lucky to have one another as business partners, coaches and friends to motivate each other when it comes to our aspirations for La Patria!
Jessica Burman
Founder of Cocoon Apothecary
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
The main things about myself that have contributed to my success are tenacity and patience. It can take a long time to build a business especially when you have to fund it yourself. I had the ability to keep my eye on the prize and suffer through the rough years of not making a profit.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I have learned to trust my intuition and I know that there is a path I am meant to follow. When things seem confusing or murky, I know that there is a bigger picture that I am not seeing and the solution will eventually reveal itself. It hasn't failed me yet.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Treat your business like a journey with no map and be open to whatever comes your way. Don't get too attached to results because you can get easily discouraged. As long as you are loving what you are doing, you are in the right place.
Nitasha Goel
Founder of The Cure Apothecary
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
I’m a fighter, even when things got really hard, I fought through and pushed myself to make my dreams my reality.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
Try, try, try. As an entrepreneur your face with self-doubt a lot but if you don’t try you’ll never know.
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals.
Don’t let anyone stand in your way. If you have a dream, work hard and don’t be scared to pivot and make changes to make your dreams come true.
Graydon Moffat
Founder of Graydon Skincare
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
Living in France at a young age and learning how to cook, starting in a farmer's field, has definitely shaped my journey tremendously. It started my love for food and good for you ingredients, which is what ultimately led me to creating Graydon Skincare. I am obsessed with finding the best ingredients to put in your body, and on your skin, which is reflected in our products. My passion for cooking and superfoods has led me to find success with Graydon.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
I tell myself, "you've come a long way, baby!". As cliche as it sounds, the obstacles that I and my company has faced over the years have been tremendous! I look back to my days of panic attacks during the early stages of my business, and it's truly night and day. It's important to remember how far I've come in moments of self-doubt. There's nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it!
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Arm yourself with the skills you need so that you are enabled to pursue what you actually love. I know, easier said than done. But finding that thing that gets you up in the morning, is so impactful on well-being and happiness. So make sure you are setting yourself up for success - take workshops, do your homework, work, work, work. Get your hands dirty with knowledge until you are ready to take the world by storm with your passion!
Laura Kitz
Founder of Kitz & Daughters
Something about myself that I believe has contributed to my success.
Resilience and adaptability. Growing flowers is not an easy business - there is so much that can go wrong that is completely out of my control. I’ve dealt with everything from crop failures to trees falling on gardens to my flowers simply not selling some days. In order to succeed in this line of work, it’s important to not give up, to be creative, and to try to always have a backup plan.
Things I tell myself in moments of self-doubt.
Self-doubt can sometimes creep in when I compare myself to others. I try to remind myself that I am doing the best I can with the resources that I currently have. I also try to compare my success to my own past growing seasons, rather than to others. If I learn from my mistakes and improve upon the previous years, I consider that a success!
Words of advice for other females on reaching their goals: Don't be afraid of hard work and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are an essential part of learning and growing. And also, don't be afraid to ask for help when needed!
Tara Miller
Founder of Health Hut
Something about yourself that you believe has contributed to your success.
My willingness to take risks.
Things you tell yourself in moments of self-doubt.
No one is perfect and even the most successful people have good days and bad days. Also, I say "you're doing better than you think." I try to remind myself of some of the things I've done that I'm proud of.
Words of advice for other women on reaching their goals.
Keep going, even when it gets really, really hard. Consistency pays off.
