An Inspired Chat with Liz Ross

We recently had the chance to connect with Liz Ross and have shared our conversation below.

Liz , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
For me, integrity is very high up on the list. Especially these days when the very unattractive traits such as lying and cheating have become all too prevalent. The origin of the word can be traced back to a Latin word that meant whole or complete. The meaning has evolved to describe the soundness of moral character, values, principlals and incorruptibility. If integrity is at your core you can look in the mirror and be proud of what you see.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My first work was designing and building costumes for the opera and the ballet, and also working as a theatrical make-up artist. I had just graduated from FIT in NYC and returned to San Francisco. It was a wonderful experience. But having lost many friends in the arts at that time to AIDS, I moved on to a new pursuit.
I became a photo stylist- which was great work. It was during the time budgets were no object and I had many very high profile clients, working on ad campaigns and cookbooks. During that time Williams Sonoma was looking for a new Director of Product Design. They called me and I actually told them I thought they had the wrong number- as I had never done that.
They said the knew my work as a stylist and wanted to meet. Hired for “my eye,” my career as a product designer began. It was amazing on the job training. I travelled the world designing products in many categories and visiting the factories that were making them. Leaving WS I started my own line of tableware called “The Monkey and The Peddler.” There were 2 more forays into the corporate world with RH and Simon Pearce, but working for companies was too confining. I had the idea for a unique snow globe – and then created a collection of 12 which I licensed. When the license ended I took the designs and launched a snow globe company with my husband. We are now 25 years old! We have transformed the concept of a snowglobe from the typical plastic souvenir to an art form. Our philospohy is that our work has to evoke a memory, prompt a smile, or provide comfort and calm. Most of our globes embody all three traits. Our attention to detail and quality is obsessive, and I am inspried everyday, just by walking through the world with eyes wide open.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My parents. During the years when I felt so lost and unsure of what I wanted to do, or “BE” when I “grew up,” they always
inspired and encouraged me, and had confidence in me. That was an amazing gift and foundation to be given.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You will be ok. It’s scarey now because the world is big and there are too many choices, but you will create your own niche. It will take strength and courage, but it will come.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
Honesty, truth, friends and family, birds, cats, elephants, chimps and lilacs.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
I have to say I get that level of excitement with every new product idea and creation.
I’m crazily passionate about it- and it’s so much fun. But also, when I travelled around the world designing for those companies. Those were amazing experiences that I never expected to have. I have been extremely fortunate in that I can say throughout my “career” I have never done anything I did not want to do. I know that sounds arrogant but I don’t mean it that way. I have just been very fortunate and a bit lucky.

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Image Credits
David Westby

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