Meet Grace Van Niel

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Grace Van Niel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Grace, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

My generosity comes from my parents. They always taught me to help others and to volunteer if you have the time to do things in your community. A lot of people have the mindset that they will only help if they get money out of it, but my parents always taught me that if you have the time to do it that you should. I grew up volunteering at a lot of places and since coming to college I have had a lot of opportunities through my extracurricular activities at school to do so. I love to give back to people and to help others in need. My grandpa always says, “No matter how bad you have it, someone else has it worse”. This always stook out to me because even when your life seems hard someone else will always have more going on and need the extra help.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started my crochet business in July of 2024. I donate 15% of my proceeds from my “Positivity Pickles” to the National Alliance for Mental Illnesses (NAMI) and I also donate crocheted bees for Comfort for Cancer. These organizations will help others that are in need, and I want to be able to put a smile on their faces. They are going through one of the hardest times in their life and I want them to know that they are seen and heard and that someone out there is supporting them.

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?

I am stubborn- which can be good and bad at times. When I want something, I will keep working until I get it. When I started I had no idea what to do but I just jumped right into it. I am the type that will jump in head-first and then figure out the rest as I go. I would tell others to just try it because you won’t know until you try. I think researching about what you want to do it important but you can’t get experience in something without doing it.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

I had written and released my own pattern for a 2-in-1 mouse pattern that is magnetic based on Mickey and Minnie Mouse and it has only sold once. Making your own pattern takes a lot of time and attention to detail so now I am less motivated to make another pattern because it takes so long, and I might not get anything out of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/GracesCrochetBuffet
• Instagram: @_thecrochetbuffet