This month we are celebrating Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, recognizing female achievements and contributions to our country, culture and community. At Frontgate, we’re lucky to be surrounded by inspiring women each and every day – those who lead, those who create and those who uplift. We’ve selected a handful of these teammates to share what, and who, inspires them to be fearless Frontgate females!
Sydney Dwyer
Planner
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
SD: With all the uncertainty over the past few years, I was able to stay grounded by taking much-needed breaks from the news and social media and instead spending that time catching up or being present with family members and friends.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
SD: I would tell my younger self that the only regrets you’ll have will be with opportunities not taken. Take a chance and do something out of your comfort zone – you’ll never regret that, and you’ll learn a bunch along the way.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
SD: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is someone who inspires me. Despite the adversity she faced, as a woman in a male-dominated law industry and as a working mother in the ‘50s and ‘60s, she never stopped working to reach her goals.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
SD: Effortless
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
SD: My favorite Frontgate piece is the Resort Bath Towel. I have a set and have gifted sets to family and friends. They are the softest, most luxurious towels I have ever owned!
Sandra Smith Fitzgerald
Senior Vice President, Merchandising
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
SSF: Prioritizing my emotional, mental and physical health is always key. I try to practice gratitude – of people, the things they do and of life’s simple pleasures. It’s been fun and exciting to strengthen my everyday relationships as well as reconnect with friends that I haven’t spoken with in years. I always try to make the best of any situation, stay curious and find the fun, which has helped me rekindle some old passions and discover new ones. Due to recent events, life as we know it has changed and I find it rewarding to discover new ways to address to this new normal.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
SSF: Be curious, and a lifelong learner. Be open to ALL feedback because it helps you move forward and grow. Embrace both failure and change – it means you are bold, willing to take risks and able to learn from your mistakes. Don’t worry about the little things. You are the creator of your own destiny and your life’s story, so diversify your skill set and work hard to follow the path and to where you want to go. Treat everyone with respect; be kind, build relationships both personally and professionally, because those people will be important as you journey throughout your life and career. Follow your passion! Be your authentic self – always!
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
SSF: My Aunt, Narra Sherril Smith Asher, who at 92 is still an inspiration to me. Aunt Narra was a trailblazer in her youth, becoming a lawyer in the ‘40s, and building a professional career while raising a family. She lost her husband while her children were young, but faced life’s challenges head on and focused on what was important. She is my example of the ability to balance family and career, celebrating life through all the successes and challenges and being a lifelong learner.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
SSF: Eclectic! I like to combine pieces from all my different experiences, places I’ve lived and treasured collectibles with new pieces to create my own style that is reflective of who I am and where I’ve been.
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
SSF: My favorite for 2022 is our Westport Aluminum Outdoor Kitchen Collection! One of my passions is cooking and sharing those creations with friends and family. With Westport, I have a new place to cook, store all my outdoor entertaining pieces and create the ultimate gathering experience outside!
Katrena White
Customer Service Supervisor
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
KW: Well, I would have to say my family keeps me in a good place. They are amazing, supportive and encouraging. They do not hold any punches when it comes to being honest, yet they are gentle. I also try to have a good work-life balance and try to make the best out of what I have instead of concentrating on what I don’t.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
KW: You are smart, creative, your voice and ideas matter. Don’t be afraid to take risk and when you fail, learn from it and move on.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
KW: Right now, I would select Stacey Abrams. She is best known for being a politician, lawyer and novelist. She was the first Black woman to run for governor in Georgia. Although she didn’t win, she still persevered and continued leading the charge against voter suppression. She didn’t let her own defeat change her passion and commitment to improve the voting rights for others.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
KW: Minimal
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
KW: I love the Super Chill Entertainment pieces. They do all the work so I can enjoy the party!
Katie Kelley Schmid
Proofreader
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
KKS: First, my faith grounds me. Taking time for prayer and worship and being in community with others helps me remember what is important. Second, exercise is essential. I try to work out when my kids have practices or rehearsals. I mostly run, ride an exercise bike and do yoga. Third, I enjoy reading and gathering with my book club – whether in person or virtually.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
KKS: I would tell my school-age self “Your intelligence is a strength. It’s ok to be the smart one. Be a bigger person than those who tease you.” I would tell my early career self “You will carry the skills you learned in these jobs with you throughout your career. Let your successes and not your setbacks define you. The future is bright.”
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
KKS: In my day-to-day life, two women inspire me – my mother and my daughter. My mom was a working mom as I grew up, but she always seemed to have time to bake cookies, make dinner, volunteer at my school and at church and help in the community as well – and in retirement she still gives of her time to others. When I get overwhelmed with everything, I just remember that my mom did it all and made it look easy so I can too! My daughter is 13 and has overcome many challenges. She’s currently in treatment for scoliosis, and what she is going through is so difficult for a teenager. I am inspired by her perseverance to be and do her best.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
KKS: Functional
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
KKS: Hands down, my favorite Frontgate item is the Resort Bath Towel. It’s the only towel I use in my bathroom, and I have given Resort Towels to many family members as gifts.
KaMariea Gravesande
Human Resources Business Partner
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
KG: I literally ground myself to nature through walking outside barefoot, meditating with crystals, focusing on the energy around me and the energy I put out to ensure what I am surrounded with is positive and moving in the direction that I want to go. Life is about balance in all elements and when I sense something is off, I do my best to understand why so I can correct it.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
KG: You know what’s interesting, I’m a believer that our experiences shape our future and I’m proud of who I am today. I need those challenges to see the world through my current lens so this may be weird, but I wouldn’t tell my younger self anything. Instead, I prefer to practice self-awareness of the now so that I can evolve into a better human for the future me.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
KG: There are so many phenomenal women in this world, but I will start with my grandmother, who passed away in 2020. She was a wife for 60 years, a mother of six children and an established career woman – but aside from all of that she had a pure heart. Her home was always open for a warm meal and she taught me many of the values I believe. I also love Michelle Obama for her ability to support and uplift, while staying true to herself.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
KG: Modern Chic
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
KG: St. Kitts Sofa in Weathered Teak with Cushions
Jamie Byers
Digital Content Manager
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
JB: With a 4-year-old and nearly 2-year-old at home there are definitely days when I don’ t feel like I’ve got it all together. But honestly, I’ve started meditating and doing therapy in the past year and they really help. I also “don’t sweat the small stuff.” I focus on what is going to truly make an impact in my life, my family’s well-being and my job. If I can’t get that load of laundry folded or vacuum all of the dog hair up, well, life goes on and I’ll get to it the next day.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
JB: Only focus on what you can control. I used to get so hung up on what everyone else was doing that I lost sight on what I needed to do to make me happy and for me to succeed.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
JB: My mom is a pretty amazing woman and I don’t tell her often enough. She was a single mom with me for a few years and I can only imagine how tough that was. And now, she’s a wife, mother to three grown kids, grandmother to six children and a business owner for over 20 years. She’s a very talented woman who had a dream and made it come true.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
JB: Comfortable (and still stylish, yes I know, more than one word).
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
JB: I own several towels, pool towels, floats, chaises, outdoor rugs, door mats and outdoor furniture, but the one item I have always coveted is our Miller Bobbin Chairs, and now we make them for Outdoor also. One day, when I finally get my house renovations done, I’d love a pair of those chairs in my front sitting room, and maybe one for the back patio also.
Denise Powers
Manager Design Services
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
DP: For me, I would have to overwhelmingly say my grounding comes from my faith in God’s word. For staying in it. I know in my heart we are ALL created equal and called to love all with authority and grace. On celebrating National Women’s Day, it reminds me that as women we are given the gift of nurturing by nature. Let us use this to empower the gifts and dreams of other women. Let us not look to words that are given strength by a society that tries to deem them as the norm. They are not. If we look around us in love, we realize there is nothing to call against. Let us not divide where there truly is no division.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
DP: Be true to yourself and not get caught up societal expectations of having it be perfect every time. Success is not measured in how much we can take on. Take time to breathe, acknowledge in your heart that it is okay to say “no”, and accept that you are perfectly made just as you are!
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
DP: I would have to say two women: my adult daughters. They enlighten me daily by showing me that I raised them to love unconditionally, be strong, independent and fiercely loyal to their strengths in recognizing their individual gifts. They know they needn’t be worried about living up to how society thinks they should be. I’ve done my job in raising them well and I smile as I watch them raise their daughters, my beloved granddaughters, in that same light.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
DP: Lovely
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
DP: For some reason, I adore the Whitman Dining Chair. Keep thinking of it as a home office chair.
Christy Svellinger
Merchant
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
CS: For me it’s self-care, taking time to prioritize my mental and physical health. On warmer days I love being outside or taking a walk. Most days it’s just giving myself extra time in the morning to juice, move my body and relax before I start working.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
CS: Don’t sweat the small stuff and focus your energy where it matters most.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
CS: Whitney Tingle and Danielle Duboise – the founders of Sakara Life. Together they drive to transform lives and empower people to put their health first. Which I think is really important for everyone, especially women, to not put their health and needs on the back burner.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
CS: Earthy
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
CS: It feels wrong not picking an item I’ve developed, but our Resort Bath Towels are amazing!
Catherine Andersen
Senior Director of Web Ops & Analytics
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
CA: Exercise, seeing the joy in my daughter’s face over the most normal of things, and a lot of Bravo (just being honest it is an escape from the everyday).
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
CA: Don’t worry about what other people think of you. Embrace who you are, how you present yourself and what you love. You are exactly who you are meant to be.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
CA: Eva Chen has been someone I look to for inspiration and motivation both in my career and personal life. She is a dynamic leader, creator and mother. She never hesitates to share the struggles of balancing motherhood, career and personal passions.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
CA: Hygge (Danish and Norwegian word for “coziness”)
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
CA: The Soho Swivel Chair in Natural chunky bouclé. A pair of these are in my living room; they are my favorite pieces in my home.
Beth Knoch
Store Manager (West Chester, OH)
FG: Women juggle a lot these days. Add in a global pandemic and life can quickly become overwhelming. How do you stay grounded?
BK: I take a deep breath and smile.
FG: What empowering advice do you wish you could give your younger self?
BK: I would tell myself to take the time to appreciate the little things because they truly are the big things.
FG: Share your female role model – who inspires you?
BK: My daughter, who always has a positive outlook, even when overcoming the challenges and obstacles of raising a child with special needs.
FG: Describe your personal design aesthetic in one word.
BK: Transitional
FG: Most importantly … what’s your favorite Frontgate piece?
BK: Resort Washable Down Blanket
