We were lucky to catch up with Nancy Gale recently and have shared our conversation below.
Nancy, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Whether you grew up with a silver spoon or in poverty, resilience is your greatest asset. The beauty is that resilience is not something one is born with; it is a choice. Resilience is what will get you beyond the wall.
When I was a teenager, my mom became severely ill, spending the greater part of four years in the hospital, in and out of consciousness, fighting for her life. Four years and 13 surgeries later, the doctors credited her strong desire to live as the driving force behind her unexpected and inspiring recovery. There were so many times she could have given up, but she never did. She chose to live a life of perseverance and resilience.
Inspired by my mother’s indomitable will and with the full support of my father, as a young adult I set out with complete confidence to fulfill my dreams. Yet, in an instant, my charmed, rose-colored world was rocked, when in a quaint New England town, I was brutally attacked and raped by a stranger. Faced with the shattering challenge of this assault, it was up to me to make a choice, and I made one: that one night … that’s ALL he gets. I chose NOT to let this experience define me. I chose to focus on all I was so fortunate to have. I committed to step through this and use it to inspire others. I chose to be resilient.
The funny thing about life is that overcoming one challenge does not mean that we are given a pass to avoid others.
The day after Thanksgiving of 2011, my amazing mother was murdered. Murder. Something I never thought would touch my still rose-colored world. I knew at that point, more than ever, I had to call on my resilience. I had to dig deep and persevere. After seven long years, her assailant had not been caught. The case was not getting the resources it needed and it went cold. With relentless tenacity and a formidable support system, I was able to get the investigation revived and on October 24, 2018, the man who murdered my mom was finally brought to justice and sent to prison.
I could have been broken by any one of these experiences, but my life is a testament that my circumstances do not define me and my challenges do not dictate my constitution.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I founded JAMAH in 2000 as the first true American luxury, Made in the USA, bespoke handbag brand. Growing up in Detroit, I witnessed firsthand the benefits of manufacturing in the United States and the value of American craftsmanship. Distraught by a world that was convinced that Made in the USA luxury paled in comparison to European fashion houses, I sought to disprove this myth by forgoing overseas mass production and embracing exclusive, made-to-order designs with an American identity.
Ten years after founding JAMAH, on February 22, 2010, I established AMBITION, an entrepreneurial non-profit for disadvantaged youth. AMBITION has taught countless students innovation, solution-driven thinking, confidence and professional work ethic, providing thousands of dollars of scholarship support to the next generation. In founding AMBITION, I pioneered an innovative business model centered on the interconnection of cause with commerce.
Too often, cause marketing becomes: “Find a cause–any cause, act like you care and use it to make a buck!” In response, I wanted to catapult a movement where cause is a part of the mission of every business, where we hold ourselves to a standard higher than the typical “percentage of proceeds” promotion. I envision a world where cause and commerce are so intrinsically connected that the question becomes: “what is your cause?” rather than “do you have a cause?”
The success of JAMAH provides the bandwidth to support AMBITION. By design, JAMAH and AMBITION are inseparable. Mutually dependent on each other’s success, one cannot exist without the other.
My career took its most exciting turn yet in 2022. In a stroke of innovation, I launched the groundbreaking JAMAH Motorcar Collection, marrying the sophistication of high-end motorcars with the elegance of the JAMAH brand to craft bespoke handbags and weekenders that reflect the luxury of clients’ automobiles. The first of its kind, the collection was featured in Modern Luxury and Robb Report.
As an entrepreneur who has spent my entire career innovating–from Made in the USA bespoke luxury, to AMBITION, to the JAMAH Motorcar Collection–my journey embodies the importance of resilience and perseverance in not only my personal life but my business as well. I am committed to inspiring and motivating the entrepreneurs of today and tomorrow.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Perseverance
When I launched JAMAH 24 years ago, my mission quickly became to build the first American luxury, Made in the USA bespoke handbag brand. When I shared my dreams, I was met with rolled eyes and declarations that there will never be another Hermes. People argued that no one would ever care about luxury Made in the USA. But nobody talks about the years it took for the big fashion houses to gain worldwide popularity. I knew that luxury is not a business of overnight success. Luxury takes time. Luxury takes grit. Luxury takes perseverance. At long last – after a quarter of a century – my perseverance is paying off! Every JAMAH bag is made-to-order by artisans at our studio in downtown Los Angeles. Not only has JAMAH been written up in Vogue, but over two decades later, we have had the honor of being featured in the esteemed Robb Report, Modern Luxury and Upscale Living, where we were named a Top 10 Fashion Classic (right next to the famed Hermes Birkin Bag)! After almost a quarter of a century, JAMAH is on fire with the 2022 launch of the groundbreaking JAMAH Motorcar Collection taking the industry by storm. That is the beauty of pursuing your passion – of persevering – and perhaps being a little bit insane. Every dream becomes an achievable task.
Work-life Blend
I do not subscribe to the notion of work-life balance. Over the last few years, this controversial phrase has become a buzzword for people in the business world. Everyone is striving to find perfect harmony among their career, families and hobbies all while maintaining their mental health. But I firmly believe that every other area of my life is happier because I love putting time and energy into my business. Instead of work-life balance, how about work-life blend? Work-life blend is my philosophy that recognizes that our lives are richest when instead of trying to compartmentalize the things we love, we allow them to fuse together into one beautiful existence.
Tuning out the Naysayers
One of the biggest lessons I have learned as an entrepreneur is to tune out the naysayers. What is a naysayer? Someone who sees shortcomings before they see potential. Someone who shuts down ideas instead of seeing them as a starting point. Someone who can’t dream for themselves and certainly can’t dream for others. When I first founded JAMAH, I heard from many naysayers. I was told that my dream of founding the first American luxury, Made in the USA bespoke handbag brand was impossible because there would simply never be another big fashion house. Can you imagine if Steve Jobs had listened when he was told there would never be another Microsoft? By no means am I against constructive criticism – there have been numerous times in my career when I needed to be reined in! But experience has taught me that the most valuable feedback comes from those who support us. And that’s how I realized: If You Are Not My Cheerleader, You Cannot Play In My Sandbox. With hindsight, I am so grateful I tuned out the naysayers–JAMAH’s popularity with celebrities including Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Jessica Alba, Channing Tatum and Carrie Underwood landed the line in Vogue, InStyle and People among others, as well as on television’s Gilmore Girls and Extra. In a sweet and satisfying twist of irony, the voices that questioned my dedication to the impossible are the same voices now praising my commitment and perseverance.
As JAMAH emerges as a preeminent American luxury brand and as AMBITION continues to provide access and exposure to youth, I look forward to the day when a young entrepreneur beginning his or her journey hears my story, reflects on my path and is told that Nancy Gale’s way is the way to do it, only to hear him or her respond with “the hell with Nancy Gale, I’ll do it my way! After all, her company slogan is BE WHO YOU ARE.”
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
I grew up at the ideal dinner table. My parents encouraged me to ask questions, to challenge the status quo and to develop a set of principles by which I would live my life. My childhood wasn’t without challenges, and my parents taught me how to make the most of tough situations.
My mother Helen was my greatest hero, my loudest cheerleader and my personal inspiration. She showed me how to live a life of purpose, joy, compassion and laughter. Helen lived her life to the fullest. When I was a teenager, she experienced four years of serious health challenges resulting in a two-year hospital stay, but she always insisted on greeting each day with enthusiasm. Never giving up and never letting the fragility of life escape her, my mom rebounded with a ferocious will to live.
When I was young, many winter Sunday mornings, my dad and I would make a donut run. We’d say goodbye to my mom, hop in the car and hit the road. But what we called the “donut store” was actually an iced-over empty parking lot, where we’d spend the next half hour “doing donuts!” I loved the shuddering feeling in my stomach as we slid over the ice. This special time with my dad reminded me how important it is to make time to have fun together. We would always be sure to stop at the real donut shop on our way home so that my mom wouldn’t get suspicious!
My mom infused me with spirit. She was always energetic and taught me that it’s our responsibility to be excited and stir up a genuine interest in ourselves. My dad taught me to be calm. One of the greatest things he gave me was this reminder to constantly ask myself in every situation: is this going to matter in the grand scheme of things?
I pass on to you a game we played to bring on the calm. What others might call meditation, my dad and I called S.T.O.P. We played it regularly and It goes like this:
Settle down… Relax
Take a breath… Oxygen intake
Own it… Take Responsibility
Poof!… Let it go
I still S.T.O.P. 1-2 minutes, three to five times a day!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jamah.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamahbags
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamah
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancygale/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jamahbags
- Other: https://www.ambition.org
Image Credits
1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia TZ, Photo by Scott Williamson/Photodesign Studios
