We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Grahame and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
By nature I’m not a risk taker at all, but as I grow as a person and the vision for my life and business evolves, I’ve intentionally been practicing taking more risks. If you’re not a risk taker, building your risk taking muscle on baby step at a time makes it easier for sure! Being ok with making a mistake or something not working out as I imagined it would is something I still work on, but I’ve grown so much since I started my business.

What should our readers know about your business?
Smart Cookies began not as a business at first, but as myself and four girlfriends from Vancouver BC getting together each week to set and help one another reach our financial goals . We called our money club the “Smart Cookies”. We were so successful in our weekly meet ups that within a year Oprah caught word of our story and we were featured on her show. From the biggest stage in the world, the business of Smart Cookies quickly grew beyond our group of five and the Smart Cookies community soon became thousands of woman across the world, two books with Random House an even our own TV show.

When I moved to Denver in 2010 the girls and I decided that I would take over the business as the sole owner and continue the brand in the US. For several years I kept the brand going with online courses and workshops while I also grew my family.- raising Jack and Violet.

But a few years ago as the kids grew older I knew there was something more the brand and business, but to be honest I wasn’t at all clear on what it was.

It wasn’t until I was doing my vision board one night ( a practice I’ve done for as long as I can remember), I was struck by how hard it was to find a simple, beautiful and minimal linen pinboard to use to vision board. I wanted something that was beautiful and something I would be proud to put up in my office. So I figured out how to make one and soon had people asking how they could get one too.

From there a complete pivot was set in motion.

Smart Cookies has always been a community of creative, inspiring dreamers building the life of our wildest dreams together, now we have the beautiful products to help bring our dreams and visions to life.

It’s been a wonderful challenge getting in the world of physical products, but I love it and more than anything I love hearing how much our customers and community are loving the products. Lauryn Bosstick of Skinny Confidential recently ordered a Vision Board Kit and called the pinboard ” the most beautiful board for vision boarding she had ever seen.”

Over the past couple of years I’ve learned to give myself grace, to be ok making and growing from mistakes and to enjoy the journey. A lesson that has come up for m=e over and over again in. my life is this: when you’re following your dreams and listening to your gut – where it might lead you might just be more incredible that you can even imagine.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite spot is actually just outside of the city in Winter Park. A night or two at Devils Thumb Ranch, enjoying the sprawling views of the valley, the grazing horses, there’s something so peaceful and magical about it.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Smart Cookies was founded by myself and four best friends in 2006. Although I’ve run the business solo since 2011 – it simply would not exist without them. To have the continued support and sisterhood of Angela, Katie, Robyn and Andrea is one of the greatest gifts of my life. And I can’t forget my family – my husband Jason, kids – Jack and Violet, my mother in law Charlotte and father in law Ron. They have not only been my biggest supporters as I’ve pivoted the business in the past two years but they’ve also helped make and package hundreds of pinboards.

Website: smartcookies.com

Instagram: @smartcookiescollective

Image Credits
Andy Skye and Margot Flynn

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