Book: In the company of women by Grace Bonney

I bought this book to arrive in March 2025, on women's day time. I started reading then and I liked it but didn't finish it. I decided to give it another go now, in january 2026. It's a beautiful collection of succesful women stories, women who pursued their dreams and passions. #inthecompanyofwomen.

It's amazing, I have read it last year, part of it, and now half an year later is like I'm reading it for the first time again. I wrote some small quotes from each of the women interviewed in the book, in the book each has a few pages of interview.

pg. 10: Danielle Colding, Interior Designer, NY: "Owning you own business is a risk. Evey day is uncertain and an adventure. If you don't get up and get moving, nothing happens. Knowing that your success is completely dependent on you is beyound scary at times, but I woulnd'nt change it for the world!"

pg. 15: Tanya Aguiniga, Furniture Designer, LA: "Success to me is being able to continue to do what I love". "You have to be resourceful, work hard, be kind and constantly innovate". Starting out "I would have taken some business classes, learned more computer programs, looked for grants and hired an accountant".

pg. 18: Maya and Teta Gorgoni, Fashion Designers, NY: M:"I was advised to grow our business no faster that I could sustain it physicaly, emotionally and financially". "I've been thinking fashion most of my life and have worked in several areas: as a fashion model, stylist, fashion editor and designer. The love of fashion is in my blood!"

pg. 20: Tavi Gevinson, Writer, Magazine Editor, NY: she builds herself up through self care aka "walks alone, journaling and doing yoga."

pg. 22: Michele Quan, Ceramicist, designer, NY: "Do something you are fullfiled and energized by". "Let go or be dragged".

pg. 26: Preeti Mistry, Chef, Oakland: "When I wanted to start my restaurant, but had no money or deep-pocketed inverstors, my wife encouraged me to just do it. Don't wait for it, just put yourself out there however you can"."I have so much more to do; there is so much more I want to contribute to the world.". I encourage myself by reading shitty reviews of restaurants that I love and know are amazing and I cook. :-)

pg. 30: Jodie Patterson, Beauty Entreprenor, NY: "Winners are losers who got back up." If you want something go for it. When things get bad, I find a project to submerse myself in. When business was slow, I've redesigne my website, learned social media, started a blog, found an agent and written a book. "Creativity leads back to the self and makes one better. I create to stay up". "My kids relax every inch of tension in my body and bring me back to the woman I want to be."

pg. 34: Linda Rodin, Stylist, Beauty Entrepreneur, NY: "I keep moving forward in moments of self-doubt or adversity. One step informs the next. For better or for worse."

pg. 37: Thelma Golden, Museum Director and Chief Curator, NY: "I wanted to be a curator when I was a child. I was obsessed with museums and fascinated by the many ways in which art and artists could teach us."

pg. 42: Cy Lauz, Lingerie Designer, NY: "Self-doubt is kryptonite, but adversity gives me life! I romanticize the idea of the whole world being against you and you have nothing but yourself and sheer will to depend on. I mean, that's the stuff super-heroes are made of."

pg. 44: Lisa Hunt, Designer, Artist, NY: "Trust your instincts! It's so difficult realizing that your first instincts were right and that second-guessing led to a costly mistake"."I've nurtured the ability to feel nervous but jump in anyway and know that if I make a mistake or misjudgment, I have the smarts to work things out".

pg. 48: Amalia Mesa-Bains, Artist, Curator, Author, CA: "I learned so much trying to understand the work of other women artists" and not focusing only on my own artwork". "La cultura cura | Culture heals".

pg. 50: Malene Barnett, Textile Designer, NY: "making beautiful products is great, but if they don't sell, you don't have a business - it's a hobby".

pg. 52: Cheryl Day, Baker, Author, GA: "I believe that being consistent and dependable has been one of the best ways to build our reputation and to grow our business". "How can I make something better than I made it yesterday?"

pg. 58: Genevieve Gorder, Interior designer, TV host, NY: " Don't talk over the silent moments, let them hang like fruit, even when it gets unconfortable. Someone will fill the void with a more honest self." You should give a portion of everyday to promotiong your business on social media. Impose a "no assholes policy", you don't have time to suffer because of unkind people. Travel, it's a necessity, if we don't see new life, we tend to repeat ourselves.

pg. 65: Samin Nosrat, Chef, Author, Berkley, CA: "central goal- teaching, inspiring and encouraging everyone to cook and prioritize the act of coming together for a meal".

pg. 69: Elise Kornack and Anna Hieronimus, Chefs, Restaurateurs, NY:"When we have a rough night of work, our motto is: You have to push trough. Everything comers to an end eventually and sometimes you just have to push through an experience that makes you uncomfortable in some way."

pg. 73: Kate Bornstein, Author, Performer, Activist, NY: " All roads in life lead nowhere, so you might as well choose the road that's got the most heart and is the most fun."

pg. 76: Karen Young, Product Designer, Entrepreneur, NY:" In life you have to carry on in the face of great challenges and adveristy." " It takes ten years to achieve overnight success." "I learned to build the business that I needed, rather than the one I thought everyone else was building." 

pg. 80: Christine Schmidt, Artist, Designer, San Francisco, CA: " Oddly, having more to do in less time means I work leaner anf have less time to doubt myself." "Looking inside myself rather than to others for innovation or inspiration is the only way I can stay true to myslef and stay jazzed about my work". In moments of self-doubt, I stop thinking and just make. " If you have the luxury of creative practice, it is your responsability to exercise it, relish it and feel gratitude for it [...] and get get other people there." "I need movement, even if it's backwards, to break it up and grow." 

pg. 84: Roxane Gay: "Bills don't get paid with dreams." "giving me what I need, whether is a pep talk, a warm smile, or a sharp lecture on getting over myself".

"pep talk": a short speech that is given to encourage someone to work harder, to feel more confident/ courageous and enthusiastic.

AI: "Getting over yourself" means moving past self-centeredness, excessive seriousness, or taking things too personally, focusing outward, building self-compassion, gaining perspective, and letting go of the need to be right to live more freely and connect better with others. It involves practicing self-awareness, understanding your impact, serving others, and releasing ego, allowing for a richer, less constricted life.

pg. 87: Sarah Neuburger, Artist, Designer, Decatur, GA: "The world looks so different when we remember we are an energy, not an image".

pg. 90: Gauri Nanda, Product Designer, Brooklyn, NY: "People present themselves as who they want to be, not who they are." Just do it, don't get stuck in your thoughts.

pg. 93: Mary Going, Fashion Designer, Berkley, CA: "You have to be willing to be bad at it in order to get good at it." Try/ fail / try again attitude". The most important resource is other entrepreneurs.

pg. 98: Desiree Akhavan, Writer, Actor, Filmmaker, Director, London, England: "Success is the ability to support yourself through your work withouth compromising on vision or values." "The world needs more risk taking, less ego." "Almost evryone fails before they succeed."

pg. 100: Jasmine Wright, Tattoo Artist, San Diego, CA: "keep up with the progression of my peers, and keeping myself on a continuously upward path, pushing my work to its personal best version."" Throw hesitation and insecurity out the window."

pg. 102: Lisa Foawiyo, Fashion Designer, Lagos, Nigeria: " Never say no. Whenever an opportunity comes, take it, difficult or easy, say you can do it. You will make your mistakes, learn from your lessons" It's a good advice and I try to say more yeses than nos and have passed forward this advice.

to be continued...