6 Incredible Founders On The Advice That Kick-Started Their Careers
From words of encouragement to sage guidance – PORTER asks a series of inspiring founders to share the wisdom that has stayed with them as they have built their brands and careers. By KATIE BERRINGTON
Emma Grede
“As women, I think we would do well to be a little more selfish. For a lot of women early on in their career, there is a window where you can really focus on yourself and your career goals, and I wish more people would take advantage of that timing. For many women, we are wired to nurture and over-compromise, and so being a little more focused on what best serves ourselves is no bad thing. This doesn’t stop you from leading with empathy or inspiring those around you. Two things can be true at once: you can make the right decisions for yourself and be a successful leader who lifts up those around you at the same time.” Founding partner of Skims, co-founder of Good American, Safely and Off Season
Laura Jackson
“When I was talking about starting a business with [entrepreneur] Sharmadean Reid, she said to me, ‘Don’t feel like you need to be CEO.’ There are so many other roles within a business where you can make a big impact and still retain control. Hire people who are experts and concentrate on where you can add value to help the company thrive.” Founder of glassette.com
Sophie Ashby
“‘Work on yourself, so you can be there for your team.’ The stress of running a business is not to be underestimated, and that can trickle down and affect studio culture and team morale. I try to better myself through coaching, talking to my peers, seeking honest advice, and self-reflection, so that I can be the kind of leader I want to be.” Founder of studioashby.com
Carolina Bucci
“The best advice I have ever received came from one of my tutors at the Fashion Institute of Technology. I was young and in New York and so busy with life and work, and nights and days were long and filled with everything. He noticed that I wasn’t happy with my design work and was in a creative rut, and he told me that I should allow myself to be bored. That I should try to be bored. Stop running around so much and just daydream. It was, and still is, something I remember every time I need to find inspiration. These days, there are meditation apps but, 20 years ago, in a new and busy city, this was the best advice I could ever have received.” Founder of Carolina Bucci
Sandrine Zhang Ferron
“The best advice I received from a friend when starting Vinterior was to learn to code, so that I could understand the business from the inside out. We are a tech business and, as I’ve built the platform myself, I am better informed when it comes to making decisions and understanding the pain points within the product engineering team. It also meant in the early days I had the technical skills and experience with hiring, managing and challenging decisions whilst remaining credible and understanding the context of each trade-off we were making.
“I am constantly learning and up-skilling so I can continue to understand all aspects of the business and ensure I can ask the questions that need to be asked. I won’t always be the expert, but I want to ensure I can be involved in the conversation.” Founder of Vinterior
Natsuko Shoji
“‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ My mother told me these words to encourage me when I was younger, because home was not a stable, peaceful place for us. This experience has made me stronger and has given me the power to get over tough working conditions in my career.” Chef and founder of restaurant Été