WWL (WOMEN WE LOVE): Whitney Crutchfield of WE GATHER

Alright, ladies and gents - we're excited to feature our last (but most certainly not least) female entrepreneur. I always love a reason to reach out to my fellow entrepreneurs, but this process has been exceptionally fun. I'm beyond grateful to know all of the women we've featured in this series, and I can only hope that I'll continue to connect with amazing female business-owners in the future. SO - with that being said - everyone meet Whitney Crutchfield!

Entrepreneur: Whitney Crutchfield of WE GATHER

How I met her: Funny story…back in 2015, I went to a trade show…during the WRONG season. Like, selling hats for Spring/Summer wrong. It was bad. I cried a lot and one day came in after crying so much that people thought I had an allergy attack. I had spent so much money to be there and was super embarrassed that I had made such a big mistake. ENOUGH of that though - some good did come out of it. I happened to be directly across from Betsy of Sylvan Park and we became friends. Fast forward to years later and her friend/studiomate, Whitney Crutchfield, reached out about an event she was hosting in Boston. We quickly became “insta” friends and actually did an event together in NYC at our pop-up.

My bio on her: Whitney is the founder of WE GATHER in Brooklyn. She hosts textile classes and makes absolutely gorgeous handwoven textiles. Plus she’s enthusiastic, beautiful, smart, creative and hilarious. I met her in real life in NYC, and we jumped right into a pom-pom making class together. It took about 10 seconds for me to feel like I had known her forever. I also get completely sucked into her Instagram whenever she posts videos of her weaving. It puts me in a trance!

Here's what Whitney had to say about being a female entrepreneur:

What is one piece of advice you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?

Ask for help! Gather a group of friends/acquaintances that you trust and ask them what they think about your ideas or ask them to help you strategize, and be open to their feedback. More information (almost) never hurts.

Also, I've surveyed my studiomate/friend Laura of Lotto Love and she suggests this quote from Theodore Roosevelt: "Comparison is the thief of joy."

What is one not-so-sexy (sh*ttiest) part of working for yourself that people don't typically see on social media?

Hearing "no" from someone and having no one to blame but yourself. (This is also a good motivator). Also, no health insurance.

If there are things that are "shitty" about starting your own thing, what keeps you going? What's one of the best parts of your "job"?

Waking up and feeling excited instead of dreadful is what keeps me going. Connecting with other people who also get excited about my work is pretty amazing, too, whether they're in the same industry or just curious and enthusiastic supporters. Feeling like I'm contributing something good and productive to the world instead of taking something away from it.

XO,

Christina