March 16th, 2010
Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams are the co-founders of In Good Company Workplaces, a New York-based company that supports women entrepreneurs, not only be providing them with a physical workspace, but also by offering educational opportunities and networking events to help build a business. In a marathon interview/browse-athon, Lancaster and Abrams, whose shopping savvy is as impressive as their business acumen, shared their personal shopping lists, as well as their must-have tools for a successful early-stage entrepreneur.
Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams, In Good Company Workspaces
Adelaide Lancaster and Amy Abrams are the co-founders of In Good Company Workplaces, a New York-based company that supports women entrepreneurs, not only be providing them with a physical workspace, but also by offering, according to Lancaster, “access to colleagues, collaboration, and educational programs to help build a business.” Among those programs: inFocus, an in-depth, month-long focus on a specific entrepreneur, for which I’m honored to be the featured participant for the month of March. As I’ve gotten to know Lancaster and Abrams over the past few months in preparation for the InFocus program, I’ve been impressed both by their business acumen as well as by their savvy shopping skills, particularly on eBay, where both are frequent shoppers.
In a marathon interview/browse-athon, Lancaster and Abrams shared their personal shopping lists with me, as well as their must-have tools for a successful early-stage entrepreneur.
Amy Abrams’ “Shopping Again” Shopping List
With a masters in counseling psychology (a degree that Lancaster shares), Amy Abrams has been helping people launch business for most of her professional career. A master at productivity to begin with, the fashion lover wanted to see how much more she could accomplish by taking her beloved shopping habit out of the equation (eg. what more she check off on her endless to do list with the time and money she’d save if she skipped the Diane von Furstenberg sample sale)? So she presented herself with the ultimate New Year’s Resolution challenge: In what she named her No Shopping Experiment, Abrams decided not to shop from January 1st through April 8th, her birthday. Though she ended up throwing in the towel a bit early, because, she says, “as it turns out, I missed shopping, as it is a creative outlet for me to see what is out there,” she nevertheless made it for almost a full two months.
Now that Abrams is shopping again, she was more than happy to shop eBay with us. A longtime eBay lover, she tells us of her her favorite eBay purchase, “I saw a woman on the subway who had the most gorgeous bag. She said she purchased it years ago. I looked on eBay for a few months and found it. It was a limited edition bag, so it was very rare. A woman was unloading a big collection and the tags were still on! It was amazing and I got it for a great deal. I love it and smile every time I wear it, thinking of how I scored it!” Here’s what Abrams has her eye on right now.
1. Deco Assuit Shawl (buy it now price, $319)
“I purchased a shawl like this when traveling in Argentina. It is amazing. I receive zillions of compliments every time I wear it. They are very rare but worth the splurge. They make any outfit feel like a million dollars.”
2. Antique Gold Bracelet with Rubies (buy it now price, $499)
“I love, love bangle bracelets. And I am a total sucker for rubies.”
3. Gold, Turquoise and Pearl Locket (buy it now price, $591.89)
“Lockets: love, love them. They are amazing and make wonderful gifts too!”
4. Art Deco Platinum and Diamond Earrings (buy it now price, $1,900)
“My most favorite style of jewelry is Art Deco. It is so stylish, timeless and often uses a bezel setting, which I love. When I was getting engaged, my husband took images of jewelry that I liked on eBay that was all art deco style and gave them to the designer, who made me an engagement ring with rubies and diamonds in the art deco tradition. In case my husband is looking for gifts to add to my Art Deco collection, here is something to add to my wish list.”
5. Japanese Antique Sewing Box (buy it now price, $180)
“Vintage wooden sewing boxes are so cute and great for storing jewelry or other treasures.”
6. 1960s Schwinn Tandem Two Seater (buy it now price, $299)
“And what I would really, really love…”
Adelaide Lancaster’s Baby Nursery Wish List
Given that Lancaster and I are expecting our first babies within a few months of one another, I couldn’t resist asking her to share her baby shopping list. While she usually uses eBay to stock up on sporting equipment (“there is no better place to buy golf clubs,” she says), she’s changed her focus of late to stylish nursery decor. “Kids’ style-wise I’m not really into cartoon-y cutesy or pink,” she says. “I would really like the nursery to go with the rest of the house, be something that is appropriate for at least two years (our proposed move date) and generally be a room that makes me happy to be in and look at. It should have pieces that I wouldn’t mind having elsewhere in the house.”
1. Pair of Room & Board Club Chairs (winning bid, $510)
“We are starting with a white crib, white bookcases, cream colored rug, and brown and cream floral curtain. So I’m really looking for accent pieces that help tie everything together and make it feminine but not girly. (We just found out that we’re having a girl.) We need a great white upholstered chair and this one from Room & Board is fabulous.”
2. Dwell Studio Crib Sheet (winning bid, $12)
“Anything Dwell Studio is just adorable and though they are pink, I like these sheets because of the shades used. The style is modern and pretty.”
3. 1919 Vogue Magazine Cover Poster (starting bid, $9)
“I would love to frame vintage Vogue magazine covers, along with vintage Barbie prints and travel posters, for over the changing table.”
4. Eloise (winning bid, $14.75)
“Without giving too much away about the name (hint, hint), I have bid on this original copy of Eloise! Hope I get it.”
5. New Wicker Storage Basket (buy it now price, $24.99)
“White wicker baskets for the white bookshelves.”
6. New Jellycat Stuffed Bunny Rabbit (buy it now price, $14)
“I love the Jellycat plush animals and had a special stuffed bunny as a little girl, so this is a must. “
The Entrepreneur’s Secret Secret (Shopping) Weapons
The physical space at In Good Company Workplaces is wildly different from the stereotypical “office space.” Exposed brick walls, sleek white workstations, and lots of flowers, open space and glass contribute to “productivity and communication and relationship-building” among entrepreneurs who use the space, says Lancaster. “It was important that it was professional but not stuffy, and feminine but not girly.” Here are Abrams’ and Lancaster’s equally stylish picks for entrepreneurs on the go.
Related posts:
Posted in eBay Insider