Does anyone remember about 10+ years ago Sarah Jessica Parker came out with a clothing and shoe line? She was so pretentious and overly confident that it made me not want to buy her stuff. I remember watching her on Oprah and wanting to throw my own shoe at the TV. Ewww. I guess others did not want to buy it either because it completely went away. And so did her line. I don’t even remember where she was selling her products. Certainly not at the mall.
Fast forward to 2015 and I just saw her on Hoda & Kathie Lee talking about her new shoe line and why it’s different. She was much more chill and did not use big, fluffy words to describe her life and style. I don’t even think she reference Sex in the City and she wasn’t sitting on a stage talking with Oprah. Thank God. It made me more curious about the shoes, but more imoprtantly it made me curious about what went on behind the scenes with her business and idea and projection.
Was she super disappointed? Upset? Embarrassed? Or was it a blip in her schedule? A shrug of the shoulders?
Well, like I tend to do, I made up a story in my head where she was really ashamed that her line did not do well and she had to completely shut it down. I pictured her really disappointed and that is why she did not try again for another 10 years. I imagined her saying, “I’m going to do this differently this time and it’s going to be more approachable and low-key.” I’m also not going to blow up social media patting myself on the back.
Now, I have no idea if any of this was felt or said, but it did make me wonder about how famous and posh people hit the reset button. It made me realize that famous and posh people HAVE to set the reset button sometimes. Love that. It makes me think that business is really not personal, it is about the customer needing and wanting to buy what is being sold. Yes, marketing and design helps, but it also has to be easy and fit into the client’s life and lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if you are Sarah Jessica Parker or the Pope coming to DC. People have to buy what you are selling because it is relevant to them. BTW – I heart this Pope!
Thinking this way can take the sting out of our creative businesses. I think of all the artists that let their paintings sit and collect dust at my favorite lunch place, Cassatt’s. They hang on the wall with price tags and labels and some of them have been there for years. I stare at them and wonder where I would put them in my home. No where. At least I have not found one that I want to spend the money on and can work in my space. It’s not personal.
This idea can help us, Friends. Let me encourage you and me that we are not our products, our paintings, our pottery, our paint. There is a gap between us and the work and in that gap is where we need to detach a bit and know that we are okay even if we do not selling our landscaped painting. We are still important and special and creative.
Art is personal. But selling art is business.
Feel good about the work and the process and then let it go. Ha! As if it were this easy. Our sensitivity is what makes us good at creating, which is why it is hard to detach. How about we just lean into it a bit and when we get anxious remind ourselves that we are good and worthy. Even though sometimes we feel scared.
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Wow! So I worked on that Sarah Jessica Parker line that folded. I worked hard on it. I sat next to her to flesh out ideas and concepts. I would get up early to answer her late-night emails before work (along with the emails from production in Asia). I worked very late nights in preparation for presentations and that Oprah show. If you are interested, someday We can chat about what happened to the business. It had nothing to do with her. It did really well when it was in our stores.
I think she would have dumped her famous show and pursued her SJP line instead. What little I saw of the show (to see what all the fuss was about) represented women as shallow, sleazy, and stupid…but apparently all that was overlooked because they had cool clothes and shoes and lived in NYC. So sad.
Not interested in her clothing or shoe line as she does come off pretentious and phony. Who cares how she is behind the scenes if her public persona does not match.
I generally enjoy reading your posts and love your style, but found your reference to the Pope offensive. Please rethink how you refer to the spiritual leader of millions of people.
“….f-ing cool Pope?”
Done.
I don’t follow your comment. Cristen said I heart this pope.
Why are you done?
Your space at Luckett’s looks fantastic. And so too does that peach!
I sense some fear and insecurity in this new post– nothing to do with actresses or their shoe/clothing etc business. I’d like to suggest that you have faith: In yourself, and in your business. And if this new enterprise doesn’t do as well as you hope then move on and continue doing what you enjoy so much and do very well. You’d have gained experience and will do things better and or differently next time. Life is too short!
“There is a gap between us and the work.” Tell the TRUTH. Keep going, girl, we support you! xo
There is nothing wrong in saying you like this Pope.
Christen good for you in thinking ahead of the game. Your a great business woman.
Amen
I generally enjoy reading your posts but this one was very disappointing. You often write about your faith and Christian values, but the 1st paragraph if this post is very judgemental and seems un-Christian-like. Just because someone came off a certain way on television does not mean he/she is pretentious or phony. Why so quick to judge? I find it so disheartening when people belittle others (especially women dissing other women) and it does not seem very Christian or kind. (And for what it’s worth, I met SJP a few years ago and she was lovely and so down to earth- not the least bit phony or pretentious). Let’s all give each other a break, there is already enough animosity in the world.