Photo by: Eva Zar
Ali Kriegsman, Co-founder and COO of Bulletin, embodies everything about what it means to be a true HarperSage "Duo." She is soft, yet strong, analytical, yet creative, and she hails from the west coast, but truly thrives on the east coast (in our opinion). In short, she is a woman that contains many, many multitudes, and it's magical to witness.
She's built a wholesale marketplace empire, earning her an esteemed spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, but she is much more than just a businesswoman -- she is a writer, a musician, an artist, a connector, and a master at keeping it real. Read on to hear more about her day-to-day as she navigates life, work, and style as a Duo We Admire!
What skills do you think every female entrepreneur should embody to succeed?
Hard skill: sales.
In order for your company to survive and thrive, you need to grow. It is always a challenge, and one of the most daunting parts of running a business, but it is absolutely key. Sales is essentially the art and science of getting people to buy what you’re offering. And a really good salesperson works on perfecting that science. You need sales know-how regardless of whether you’re selling soap or software.
Soft skill: Moving on and learning from failure.
You will not get everything right the first, second, or even third time, and you need to stay resilient in the face of disappointment. Your job is to solve puzzles and fix problems, and you can’t give up if you don’t solve the puzzle or fix the problem immediately.
Compare your work-week vs. weekend mentality.
Work-week mentality: Take it a day at a time, find small breaks in the day, manifest a yummy lunch, breathe, the team the team the team, how is Alana doing, move your body, keep it up, keep going, stay grateful, stick it out.
Weekend mentality: Baby needs a bath, read my book forever, sleep the fuck in, let’s cook, YouTubes “aliens, evidence.”
What are the highs and lows of your workday?
My highs: Zooming with my team, making Alana laugh, writing our weekly Newsletter, seeing new retailers sign up, seeing new retailers order, talking to our brands, catching up on industry news, and 1:1s with my direct reports.
My lows: Getting out of bed, realizing I’ve been looking at a screen all day, missing my mom, missing my brother, back-to-back call stress, and reading the news.
How do your morning and night routines differ?
Morning: VERY “programmed” and rigid. I do the same events in the same order every morning.
Night: VERY loose and free. I might play around on the piano, I might binge Lizzie McGuire, I might make an elaborate snack, I might keep working, I might FaceTime my family. So many possibilities on the wheel.
What word summarizes your week-day style? Weekend style?
Week-day: Comfortable.
Weekend: Comfortable.
What is the perfect transitional work to evening look for you?
OH YES.
I have this sexy V-neck bodysuit that fits so perfectly under an old 90's Ralph Lauren Riding Jacket I got off Etsy. I usually pair it with super tight black jeans, and a pair of bold ankle or over-the-knee boots. If you do it with minimal makeup and beachy hair it's work vibes. If you wear it with minimal makeup and beachy hair it's night vibes. If you take off the jacket you’re basically Catwoman. It just...shapeshifts.
How have you changed as a businesswoman since Bulletin launched?
Wow what a loaded question. When I first started Bulletin with Alana, I was 24, inexperienced, young, optimistic, naive, energetic and brazen. Now, I am 28, and I am much more measured, have more experience, the same optimism and more inconsistent energy.
I really want to mega-scale my company. When we first launched, I just wanted parts of it to function better, or function at all.
Name an iconic duo!
Ali Kriegsman and Alana Branston (CEO of Bulletin).
We’re both Gemini-Cancer cusps - whatever, I’m getting all astro on this Q+A, but I think she’s magical, and I never imagined I’d accomplish anything like this, let alone with someone so fabulous.
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