Whitney Cecil of Almanac Industries
This interview is part of the Lady Boss Co-Host Series
Whitney Cecil of Almanac Industries is co-hosting the March 2017 edition of Lady Boss at Artifact Coffee in Baltimore. Get tix here.
Let's get to know her
Q: What's your current guilty pleasure?
A: Late night solo ice cream runs
Q: What are you listening to lately?
A: Maggie Rogers, Atomic Moms Podcast and Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids Podcast
Q: What's your favorite app or resource of the moment?
A: Habit List and Instagram
Q: Who Inspires you right now?
A: The ten year olds rocking it on Master Chef Junior
Q: Current mantra (or phrase, or Affirmation...)?
A: Just start. (I spend a lot of time thinking and planning and overwhelming myself, the first step is always the hardest but then all the good stuff follows)
What makes her a boss
Q: Tell us about your business.
A: Almanac Industries makes handcrafted goods in paper, leather and cloth. My husband and I design, cut, print and stitch everything that leaves our studio. We focus on letterpress printing for other designers the first half of the year and our own product line for the second — though everything has started to overlap lately. We are mostly known for our screen printed leather accessories. Want a wallet that's rooted in history and handmade process but has a touch of modern color or pattern? That's us. Or if you need a letterpress printer with crazy attention to detail? That's also us. It's all fun and we like to keep it open ended.
Q: What accomplishment are you celebrating right now?
A: Getting our very first wholesale order from Salt & Sundry. We've always been smitten and now we get to be a part of it.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: It's ever changing — but right now, its our amazing 2.5 year old and my growing belly.
Q: What's one tip you want to share with other entrepreneurs?
A: Slow it down and say no when you want to.
Q: Why should others join us for lady boss?
A: As a lady boss who works mostly alone, it was really inspiring for me to sit in a room of women who have both very similar experiences and very different ones all at the same time. We shared some fun stuff and some nitty gritty and thinking back, it continually motivates me.