Home -> Stories

Back in 2012, I was in need of a change. I had traveled the world for my job, which led to some amazing opportunities and experiences, but something needed to shift and I wasn’t sure how to make it happen. So I quit. This was the second time I had quit something - I was a cross country ski racer and I could sense when it was the end of my ski career but it was really hard to admit that and be willing to move on. Quitting skiing was hard then, and it was just as hard as when I decided to leave that first job. I had been there for 5 years and I had spent significant time in China, Thailand, the Dominican Republic and Spain. I found the travel thrilling and I loved learning about the different cultures and understanding the proper way to do business in these different countries. 

When I quit, I had no plan. That’s kind of the way I roll, and most of the time it works out. I did have an absolute backup plan, which was to move to Montreal to take care of my nephew if all else failed. But I had it in my head that I could start a footwear development and sourcing business on my own, I just had no idea how I was going to do it. I had a few months of savings that allowed me to have some space. I thought I was going to be bored, but it was awesome. I rediscovered my love for skiing and made it up to Teacup Nordic on Mt. Hood several times a week. In between, I met countless people over coffee (Lovejoy Bakers, you have my heart!)—and that’s when I met Robby. At the time, he was working at Icebreaker, and I was laying the groundwork to start my own agency. He often saw me heading to meetings at Lovejoy, then making my way to Powell’s to dive into more business books. Side note—Powell’s, the largest independent bookstore in the world, is simply the best. It was also the first place I visited when I returned to Portland in August.

Fast forward several years, Robby had joined me at my agency and we successfully ran it together for over a decade. The agency was super fun and we were able to weave our work and personal life together as we traveled to Asia and Europe. When we had our first child in 2018, I thought I’d have her and jump right back into work. I completely misjudged that. It was such a strange feeling—I just wanted to stay home with her. I realized that if I was going to spend time away from Svea, it needed to be for something that truly challenged me in a new way. But honestly, I wasn’t sure what that was.

The first picture is of me and Svea skiing when she was young. The next photo is of Robby making dumplings with some employees of the factory we worked with at our agency. The final photo was taken at while hiking in Hong Kong, after a product development trip to China.

I didn’t have an idea for this next phase of life. So we hired a business coach. And they convinced us to spend 20% of our time on “other.” That could be anything - it could be going for a run, meeting people at a coffee shop, doing random research online and yes…going to Powell’s books. It was a hard step to take and I wasn’t convinced it was going to work. 

Then, suddenly, about two months into giving ourselves this freedom, the idea of Bivo came about while skiing on Mt. Hood. It just popped into our heads during a conversation about drinking out of plastic. And we haven’t looked back since. Everything was in place - we had a product development team, we understood how to make things, we understood the market. We were so excited - and still are. 

Recently, I have been pushed by some advisors to get out more. My role has always been to think of new ideas and stir things up. Vermont is a small place and it’s easy to get stuck in the bubble. After a pretty tough (and awesome) call with an advisor one day, I went for a walk with Robby, and told him I recognized things need to change. I love looking forward and thinking big. But in the day to day work, it’s easy to get sucked in. 

I touched on this in my last Founders’ Series post, and I mentioned change was in the air. I have gotten out now, talked to more customers, spent time out of the office, and have given myself permission to pull myself out of day to day operations. It’s so fun and it really does open up opportunities. I am the jumper and I definitely lean on going with my gut. That gets harder as Bivo grows because the risks are getting bigger. But it’s what I am best at, and only gets unleashed when I give myself the time. 

I recently wrote about our previous leadership coach, Mark Koensigberg. Of all the things he taught me, it was giving myself permission that has made the biggest impact on me. It’s hard to step away from my desk and let things slide off, especially when that means others might have to pick it up. But, giving myself permission to do what I do best is freeing, rewarding and good for business. Taking time and allowing space may feel selfish, scary and potentially even like a waste of time. But I guarantee good things will come out of it.