Each week, Harper's Bazaar's Jo Glynn-Smith interviews a successful woman to find out how she made it to the top, and gets tips on maintaining a successful work-life balance. This week, she met up with Chloe Read, co-founder of Newgate.
"What has been the most pleasant surprise in your business life?
Back when we first started making clocks, the interiors world was full of very small, ordinary, functional-looking timepieces. At Newgate, we felt products that measured the time needn’t be just useful, but could also be stylish, contemporary and large in scale. It was something very different, and everyone told us it wouldn’t work – but actually, people loved what we were doing. That positive feedback was fantastic and, since then, we haven’t stopped pushing boundaries.
What has been the most difficult surprise?
It was only when we started to get recognised for creating something different that other people noticed what we were doing and tried to jump on the bandwagon. When you’ve spent several years developing a design to bring it to launch, it can be very challenging to see copycat versions springing up.
What do you think has been most critical for your success to date?
Our ability to keep innovating and stay creative. Our British design studios are at the heart of the business. My husband, and Newgate’s co-founder, Jim, heads up the creative team. We’re constantly bouncing ideas around and drawing inspiration from the world around us to make each new collection fresh and exciting.
What advice would you give someone just coming in to your industry now?
Be prepared to work harder than you ever imagined!"
Read the full interview online at Harper's Bazaar.
Written by: Jo Glynn-Smith