Inspiration and Advice from over 100 Makers - and Entrepreneurs

Being a successful designer business woman myself, I was excited to check out this book
as I often am inspired by other talented women. While it's not a complaint, more an observation,
I noted that :
1) After a while, the questions seemed too repetitive - and I got bored and just skimmed through the rest.
Perhaps 2 or 3 different sets of questionnaires would be great to mix it up.
2) I wish the author would show specifically what these talented women made and noted their business
name or website right alongside their name. Many times, I would have liked to see or purchase something
and had to google their name. Then coming to the last page, I see an index..which by then I was over it.

I have to mention that I LOVED the couple of women that drew out their answers...super creative and fun.

OMG Such an inspiration to me. I started out reading about each person but then had to do something else so I put it aside. I find that each morning I select an artist and read about their thoughts. If I do not have time then I just open a page to someone that image inspires me for the day. OH!! I wrote the author and told her awesome this book was to me and GUESS WHAT!! She wrote back. Wow two authors have taken time out of their busy schedule to write me back...So grateful. Yep. If you are about uplifting your thoughts then keep this book on your reading table.

A truly wonderful inspiring bookGrace Bonnet introduces us to strong women ,women who succeed.The interviews about their lives were personal intimate inspiring about how they reach their goals overcome failure a true insight into a group of strong Bright women.The book is also done so beautifully a feast for the eyes.Perfect gift to any woman no matter what their age

I was expecting more from it. Some of the questions are truly poor and do not make justice to the women on the pages and their struggles and accomplishments. I am from Mexico City and I was pretty annoyed by the selection of women from Mexico... Carla Fernández and Cristina Rangel? Two white privileged women from wealthy families that not only didn't overcome anything but are commodifying their appropriation of indigenous handcraft. It is funny that they call it "our Mexican culture" when it comes to textiles and handicraft, but when it comes to recognizing the invisibility of our diverse "pueblos origen" as citizens with equal rights, they are just part of the picturesque landscape we sell for tourism. Or in their case, overpriced clothing inspired by "Mexican culture."

I enjoy reading about powerful women, that have found success in many forms, defying the very concept of "success" in contemporary society. But this book lacks real research on the work these women perform. Cultural appropriation practices should be avoided at all cost if we aim to empower all women. Women from different cultures and backgrounds.

I admire that the author got all of these wonderfully creative women to participate in this book. I love Design Sponge and was sure I would love this book, but I didn't. The women were all asked the same set of questions. I appreciate the effort to control the amount of information gathered. However, this uniformity made the book uninspiring to me, which is the opposite of what was intended. If each woman had been allowed to write a page or two about herself and her work, I think I would have enjoyed it much better. As the book is, I was disappointed and returned it.

Disappointed that the copy I received from the store had a slick and shiny cover, and not the embossed, matte paper cover I've seen elsewhere. The glossy style makes it feel like a cheap magazine and cheapens the content inside. Returning the book, and shopping for it elsewhere.
The content seems inspiring as a pick-it-up and read a page or two every now and then type of book.

Having followed Grace Bonney & Design Sponge for years, I was expecting this book to be thoughtfully written and beautifully photographed.
I was so impressed with the range of voices included, the intelligent questions and the honest and inspiring portraits of truly amazing creatives.
I'm hoping this is the first volume in an ongoing series focused on vital women artists, makers and entrepreneurs.

Similar to Women to Women book by Christina Lessa. But this book I love where Grace asks: "What did you want to be when you were a child?" And my favorite: "What does the world need more of? Less of?" So many had similar responses: More Love, Happiness and Joy, Less Stuff. More TRUE CONNECTION and spending time with each other, Less Judgment. This book if large, beautifully formatted and a great read and one I will definitely review on my blog and share (via the blog) - I don't like sharing favorite books (lol) - buy their own! (teehee)

This kindlebook of In The Company of Women; Inspiration and Advice From Over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entreprenurs by Grace Bonney is a motivational/inspirational compilation. Women from various backgrounds and walks of life are featured along with very helpful/honest insights (such as one of the women making it clear that it is sometimes necessary andor not unusual for a person to endure mockery andor social isolation either from some of their family members, professional associates andor friends on their way to achieving their dreams/goals). Writer/Chef Klancy Miller, Artist/Photographer Lorna Simpson, Artist/Designer/Sculptor Wendy Maruyama, Artist/Author Maira Kalman, Interior Designer/Stylist/Author Sibella Court, Musician Neko Case, Textile Designers Hopie and Lily Stockman, Beauty Entrepreneur Miko Branch, Chef/Television Host Carla Hall, and many more women are featured in this detail packed kindlebook.

This book is such a breath of fresh, inspiring air. The mix of women allows any reader to see herself reflected in the book— how amazing is that? Highly recommend for any woman, especially any young woman, looking for some inspiration....really recommend for just about anyone! Great for a student, a graduation, a holiday gift, etc. Just cannot recommend highly enough. I am so energized by reading this book!!

Disappointing. Every single interview starts out with the question 'what did you want to be when you were younger?' The book is full of wonderful and creative women and should have been a very inspiring resource but the questions are just general and boring. Like 'what is your favorite thing about your workspace?', 'what does success mean to you?' and 'who are your idols?'. Nothing about each woman's specific field or story, and if their job title wasn't listed under their name I would have no idea what each person does. There's a few good tips here and there, but this book certainly isn't inspiring and really just downplays every woman's individuality and accomplishments. Great idea, extremely poor execution and if I was a woman featured in this book I would be insulted.

I cannot believe that there is already a review critiquing the fact that there are no women in sciences represented. For goodness sakes, it was written and put together by Grace Bonney of Design Sponge. It's like going to a vegetarian restaurant and expecting them to serve prime rib. And who cares what careers are represented here, this book is brilliant. We are celebrating women for their work, for their passion and not for their beautify. Great work, Bonney!

I asked for this for Christmas and eagerly dived into the reading of it. What a disappointment. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of Janine Vangool's Uppercase Compendium of Craft & Creativity, where she edited the responses from the interviews/questionaires and let the creative women's thoughts and work shine forward.

Instead I found myself flipping through the pages, the repetition of the bold questions becoming like stones in the way of my reading. I also found that her stated agenda in choosing the profiles obscured the delight I usually feel in reading about other women who have found their way in this hard world. This functioned as a Deus ex machine, their stories secondary as I tried to figure out how these women fit to Bonney's criteria. In addition, there is an assumption that we'll have context about the women; I would have preferred more information as many function behind the scenes in their industries. I love the Design Sponge website and have read it for years; this book is a misstep.

If you want a really good read, where the editor stays off the page, letting the creative world of women shine through, head over to the Uppercase Compendium and dive in.

I found this book inspiring in mainly a rallying-on way, and I feel it is good there. Also, there are nuggets of good business advice throughout.

I would have gleamed much more though, if each of the entrepreneurs included:
1) number of years running their current, successful, business iteration;
2) what happened to all their prior businesses they started;
3) the size of their current business (business income per year, number of full time employees, number of part-time employees, number of free-lance employees, number of contractors;
4) the entrepreneurs’ training/pathway in their creative field, and also their business training/pathway;
5) if they have a spouse/partner who is supporting them (+/- their business) with a high-paying job, if they have a spouse/partner helping on the side to run their business, if they have someone who set them up in their business, or if they have venture capital.

I also wish that the pool of entrepreneurs was more geographically diverse (state-wise & city to town to small town-wise). Alternatively, that the author had chosen to just look at NYC &/or LA and made that her book. I still would have read it, just had different expectations up front.

All the women "IN THE COMPANY OF WOMEN", own their own business. They are interesting women with interesting jobs.

First and foremost....it's the PHOTOGRAPHY that first captures our attention. The portraits of the 100 women against backgrounds in a rooms filled with their work are eye-catching fabulous!!! The layout - of how this book is organized is scrumptious as well as 'inviting-to-read'.
It's fun to read the questions asked of each woman.
..... what did you want to be when you were a child?
..... what was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?
..... what is your favorite thing about your workplace?
..... what does success mean to you?
..... name a fear or professional challenge that keeps you up at night
..... name the biggest over all lesson you learned in running a business
..... has learning from a mistake ever lead you to success?
..... in moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself back up?
..... what does the world need more of?
.....etc.

Grace Bonny said.....
"I traveled across America to interview the vast majority he of these women face to face. Those moments spent listening and learning have provided me with enough inspiration for decades to come and have motivated me to change the way I run my business, and with a renewed focus on inclusiveness and providing a platform for people to tell their stories in their own voices. The lessons reflected in this book come from lifetimes of experiences in places as far away from my hometown as Nigeria, Australia, and Peru".

Furniture designer Tanya Aguiniga, from Los Angles, Ca. says, "success to me means being able to continue doing what I love to do".

Thelma Golden, museum director and chief curator in New York, said when she was a child she wanted to be a curator. She was obsessed with museums.

Samin Nosrat, chef and author from Berkeley California says when she's in a rut and needs inspiration she goes "jumping in the ocean".

Kate Bornstein, Author, performer, activist, from New York, says with the world needs more of is, "more questions, if you were answers".

Roxane Gay, writer, Professor, from Indiana says that she wanted to be a doctor, a surgeon, or an emergency room position when she was a child.

Desiree Akhavan, writer, actor, filmmaker, director, from London, England says the trait that she is most proud of herself is, "my brain is wired to find the humor in every situation".

I'll end with quoting bestseller author of "A Little Life", Hanya Yanagihara ....
She says: "A joyful book that celebrates both the diversity of beauty and the beauty of diversity: in race, age, size, sexuality, and ways of thinking".

Great gift book for yourself - your daughter, sister, mom, or close girlfriend! Men can appreciate this book too!
elysejody

For any woman who is deviating from the traditional path, this book is for you. In your moments of self-doubt or anxiety, you have a 100 friends to support you right at your fingertips. These women have lived through what you may currently or possibly in the future have to endure. Additionally, the advice they give is practical and varied, so if you don't connect with one entrepreneur, there are 99 more options.

Of course, this is a large read, so maybe it will take you a while to get through all 100 or perhaps you'll use it as a reference guide when you're in the dumps. However, you choose, I would recommend following several of the women in this book on social media. It makes the relationship you develop with them even more real and you'll have their inspiration/story no matter where you go.

All in all, highly recommended!

This book is really encouraging and refreshing. I love the diversity of women profiled. Most of all, I am happy for Grace because I've known her for so long and watched her career unfold and admire her dedication and courage throughout the many hard times she has faced, the journey I've witnessed has been incredible, and to see her putting others in the spotlight is impressive and beautiful. I've never met Grace, but through this book I feel as though she is now very at peace with herself, grounded, mature and has found her happy place in life and it is reflected throughout. I'm so, so happy for Grace and for the many women profiled in this gorgeous book who can share themselves and their light with her massive audience. xo

What a great, thoughtful, meaningful group of women. Such a much needed book, because Grace Bonney has just introduced me to some inspirational women I would have probably never come across. I love this book and even before I was finished I've already recommended it via IG, Twitter, etc. More women should read this book and be invigorated to follow their dreams and peruse their passions.
Thank you all!

Very cool collection of women entrepreneurs.

I liked flipping through the pages and cherry-picking what caught my eye. I actually screen-shot a couple of pages to think about and look up more info on.

I will recommend this to other women entrepreneurs and probably look back again myself.

I really enjoyed the candid photography and look into their spaces.