Rebecca Minkoff is passionate about two things: fashion and entrepreneurship. The “Fearless” bestselling author created a space for her brand that was launched in 2005 on luxury shelves — and is determined to do the same for other female founders by making space for them in the market. In 2018, she cocreated the Female Founder Collective, which grew from 3,000 applications in the first week to a whopping 20,000 members in just five years.
What makes this collective different from the rest? It’s a private membership community that offers webinars and one-on-one mentorship to help members find practical solutions. “We have boardrooms where we group a certain number of founders together to tackle a certain issue and topic or support them again with other experts in that arena,” Minkoff explains. The Female Founder Collective also hosts pitch competitions and grant opportunities.
Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart, Minkoff points out. “You have to be in it for the long haul and weather the storms, because they do come,” she says. “Don’t start it unless you have enough grit and determination to fight it out.” But if you have a product or an idea that truly excites you, Minkoff wants you to take the plunge. “You could be that next female-founded company that changes culture, society, your neighborhood, whatever it is; take that opportunity to not agree with what’s going on, but disagree, and start on that path,” she adds.
Beyond sharing her advice on entrepreneurship and fashion, Minkoff shares her personal favorite everyday products, along with her ideal day off, which she’d spend focusing on her children. “Their weekends are packed with sports and playdates, but if I could truly take the day off, I’d start by sleeping in and squeezing in a workout. Then, I’d spend the rest of the day doing whatever they wanted. There’s nothing I love more than following my 2-year-old’s lead and exploring the world through his eyes. Whether it’s a bike ride, a trip to the playground, or visiting ducks and geese at the dock. My greatest joy is finding peace in the simplicity of those moments and how effortless happiness can be,” she says.
Ahead, find out what tools Minkoff uses throughout her day to practice self-care and feel good.
