Appreciating the Art and Science of Business

A founder’s evolution has to mirror her company’s. It’s true, of course. It was just a lot harder to confront when taking my own next step. Truthfully, I didn't want to. 

My brother and I’s conversation about transitioning my role was a turning point. You can take two paths, he said. You can be an isolated designer in your atelier. Or, you can be forward facing for the business and learn how all the pieces fit together. You have to evolve either way. Which do you choose? 

I was heartbroken. I didn't become a designer to spend my days in sales meetings. My childhood dream was being in the atelier. Letting go of that was hard to reconcile. Years later, it’s the best decision I’ve made. The strategy side not only surprised me by being more interesting. It enables me to pursue my passion with greater impact. I learned the value of merging art and science in business, from creativity to crisis management. 

Are you a head or heart person? I’m innately a heart person, still, enough bruises taught me it can’t be my sole compass. I soon learned one can go bankrupt holding a pretty, overly priced bag no one wants or listen to the business. The choice was unsurprisingly easy. The mindset shift took practice. 

Design and marketing were my sole focus for a decade. For my second decade, I needed to understand the nitty gritty of every department. It was a learning curve fueled by raising my hand and asking questions. 

The more I sat in on finance meetings, the more I learned data and design can co-exist. They actually complement each other. Our Janine sweatshirt has been a bestseller for three years. We know women love the ruffled sleeve and created over 10 iterations, from t-shirts to dresses. Our Jett purse is a fashion statement, falling on the other end of the spectrum. The two pieces are the perfect storm of art and science; A little risk here, a lot of consistency there. A clear view of our sales reveals what the brand needs and where we have creative license. 

Communication leans more on art. A pitch is never just about achieving your goal. It’s understanding: How can this be mutually beneficial? Partnerships or investments may be about funding. Still, deal terms don’t evoke imagination. My objective is to paint a vignette of what we can create together. 

There’s one circumstance where vulnerability always precedes strategy: You have to speak from the heart when your back is up against the wall. Every founder’s faced a do or die moment, with a bank or manufacturer, where we’ve said: I'm not a number on a piece of paper. I'm a living, breathing human who’s poured my entire life into this. I'm asking you to treat this situation as a human, not a spreadsheet. People step up when they feel the gravity for your team. Human connection is a life raft in a crisis.

There's no formula to succeed in business. We’d all be retired if there was. The question of when to follow my head or heart used to be intimidating. Now, it’s innate. With time, you even learn to appreciate the tension. The delicate balance is what keeps you growing as a founder and business. 

How do you merge the art and science of business? Let me know in the comments!