Good Company Podcast #7: Tuesday Bassen

Today I’m thrilled to share a *new episode* of our podcast, Good Company, with designer and artist Tuesday Bassen. Tuesday and I first met when she adopted a kitten I found behind my old apartment in Brooklyn, but I quickly learned that in addition to have a kind and generous heart, Tuesday was fiercely talented, too.

Tuesday has won numerous awards for her art and design work and recently opened an eponymous size-inclusive fashion line with a brick-and-mortar shop in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Two weeks ago we sat down in the stock room of her shop (which is brimming with excitement and energy) to talk about her entrepreneurial roots in Nebraska, the mixed bag that is social media and how she finds the courage and conviction to stand by her beliefs in life and business. I’m so inspired by her constantly evolving, always transparent and open-hearted approach to business and this line in particular will stay with me for a long time: “I think it’s really important to step outside of yourself and try to listen to other people and consider other people. I just think there’s no point in living any other way.”

Thanks so much to Tuesday for joining me on today’s episode of the Good Company podcast and thanks to all of you for listening! You can check out more of Tuesday’s work here, check out Good Company on Instagram here and pick up a copy of the new issue of Good Company Magazine (or tour tickets!) here. xo, Grace

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HIGHLIGHTS:

“I think it’s really important to step outside of yourself and try to listen to other people and consider other people. I just think there’s no point in living any other way.” (03:51)

“In my baby book there is this great drawing that I did when I was little. it’s this bear that’s really blobular and has long fangs and claws. I love it because I feel like it’s indicative of future me and what my interest were. And I didn’t see it for a long time, I think I finally saw it when I was in college and I was like, “Yes, that makes sense. Skip the stick figures and go straight to a ferocious bear.” (04:24)

“It’s really interesting because I think being a person in the world, it’s often not appropriate to express anger that you’re feeling. At least, it’s not appropriate to lash out at other people, so I think historically art for me has been an outlet for anger and frustration.” (05:05)

“I realized people can and will accept me for who I am and I don’t need to put up a front of a different kind of person.” (06:03)

“I’m also very liberal with the block function if I feel like I need to be, because why are you coming onto my feed and telling me to stay in my lane? I can do what I want, get out of here.” (09:02)

“I think as women we’re trained to be super nice all the time. And I am to a point, but I’ve really tried to let go of a lot of those things that I learned that are just super niceties where you’re making other people feel comfortable over yourself.” (12:11)

“People like it when you need them. Obviously to healthier degree, but when you reach out and you’re like, “Hey, I love you and I need help.” That is powerful to be able to do and I’ve been trying really hard in the past couple months to be like, “Okay. People are just people. I’m a human with human emotions. It’s totally fine for me to say I need help right now. I don’t feel good right now.” (20:17)

“It’s definitely a big risk, it always is, but that’s always the risk taking I’ve been interested in. I think it’s really exciting to try to build something new, and especially with our clothing brand, it was and continues to be, exciting to try to build things as the right way as I feel like we possibly can.” (25:01)

“We have been very intentional about not taking outside financial help. I don’t really believe in working with investors. I know it’s right for other people, but when I strongly believe that when you take somebody’s money you take their morals too, and you take all of the bullshit that comes with them.” (32:57)

“I’m still an illustrator but a lot of my time is spent doing spreadsheets and working on budgets. And a lot of time is spent being scared. We try to make as many informed decisions as we possibly can, but at the end of the day it is intrinsically tied to me.” (33:33)

“Even if it’s three people, even if it’s four people, those four people count. It is important to consider people when you’re considering a space. It makes me feel good that people come in and have a positive experience. I think that’s also reflective on the people that work here.” (36:05)

“Honestly, our goal with the brand is I think about it like we’re making power suits. If you’ve seen my clothes we don’t make power suits, but I think about it as casual clothes that make people feel powerful. And powerful in a way that is like I’ve been considered, my body has been considered, the form of my body has been considered, and the needs of different kinds of bodies. There’s so many different ways to be a person, and there’s so many different ways to be be beautiful.” (40:13)

from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/11/good-company-podcast-7-tuesday-bassen.html

from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/179826380929