Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: Creators in the Home Space with ShopMy

Date: September 3, 2025
Location: Live from the Fenimore Lane Design Summit, Mayflower Inn & Spa
Host: Ariel Okin
Moderator: Grace Feely Hunt, Home and Design Editor at Luxe Interiors & Design
Panelists:

• Tiffany Lipinski (Co-Founder, ShopMy)
• Eliza Harris (Chief Creative Officer, Sister Parish Design)
• Louise Rowe (Founder, Charlotte England)
• Erin Jenny (Founder, Underwater Weaving Studio)

Episode Overview

This episode features a live panel discussion on the theme of “Community in the Home Space,” exploring how some of the most creative voices in interiors—designers, makers, curators—build, nurture, and activate engaged communities around their brands and projects. Hosted by Ariel Okin and moderated by Grace Feely Hunt, the conversation dives into building authentic brands, collaborating with others, the role of storytelling in business, and practical advice for aspiring founders.

Panelist Introductions (02:18–08:37)

• Tiffany Lipinski: Co-founder of ShopMy, a platform that connects creators and brands for affiliate partnerships. Background as a college food blogger (02:18).
• Eliza Harris: Chief Creative Officer of Sister Parish Design, a family business rooted in her great-grandmother’s legacy (decorated the Kennedy White House). Focused on reimagining archival textiles for modern use (03:35).
• Louise Rowe: Founder of Charlotte England, a passion project-turned-business crafting rattan furniture and accessories. Loves working with off-the-grid artisans and once covered Hollywood red carpets (04:33).
• Erin Jenny: Founder of Underwater Weaving Studio, which she started with her mother. Runs weaving workshops and clubs, and has a background in fashion publishing (06:03).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Building Community in the Home & Design Space

Defining Community

• Louise Rowe (Charlotte England):

  • Community exists among customers, internal teams, and the craftspeople themselves (09:17).
  • Shared values and authenticity are essential.

  “I think the word authentic does get overused, but authenticity, you know, so believing in what you stand for.” – Louise Rowe (11:24)

• Eliza Harris (Sister Parish Design):

  • For Sister Parish, community is woven through female family connections and storytelling.
  • Creating spaces that let customers feel comfortable, not intimidated by “gatekeeping” in design.

  “The upper echelons of design sometimes can seem really intimidating...what I try to do is anyone who knows about Sister Parish or comes to our website just feels really good about being there.” (16:22)

• Tiffany Lipinski (ShopMy):

  • Views creators as “entrepreneurs, founders of their own business rather than just content creators” (15:07).
  • Building community through tools that empower these founders.

• Erin Jenny (Underwater Weaving):

  • Community formed organically through hands-on workshops, nostalgia, and storytelling—especially the mother-daughter narrative (15:10).
  • Good product and compelling story are key: “The good product tells the story, and the story is interesting, and so that's what people are drawn to.” (15:11)

Nurturing Community

• Accessibility & Approachability:

  • Eliza: Decoupage classes and tag sales make design approachable; newsletters provide a personal touch (16:22–17:53).
  • Louise: Offers practical advice via blogs, Substack, and “roomscapes” to connect with curious design fans (18:23).
  • Erin: Keeps engagement direct and personal—Instagram DMs, emails, and even a “basket hotline” (21:31).
  • Tiffany: Feedback shapes product development—community feels ownership in platform features (23:33–24:26).

• Active Listening:

  • Tiffany prioritizes “listening more than pitching” to understand and respond to creator and brand needs (40:25).

Collaborations & Partnerships (26:13–35:29)

Being Selective and Strategic:

• Collaborations must align with the brand, have clear objectives, and excite all involved.
• Time and resources are limited—successful collaborations are only undertaken when the alignment and energy are right.

Memorable Collaborations:

• Eliza Harris: Collaboration with Uniqlo on T-shirts: “It was a very unexpected collaboration...cool kids on the subway in Sister Parish T-shirts” (26:42).
• Louise Rowe: Future stationary and children’s line collaborations, always chosen for unique skills another brand brings (29:42–31:19).
• Erin Jenny: Views “everything as a collaboration,” emphasizing clear objectives and boundaries (32:09).
• Tiffany Lipinski: Events and in-person connections, such as the Fenimore Lane Design Summit, are key for ShopMy’s collaborations in the home space (33:53–35:28).

“The good ones have a way of combining, like, rock and roll and sister paranormal. Those two, the most unexpected pairings are the best types of collaborations because they really start to get your energy.” – Erin Jenny (33:22)

Personal Growth, Career Trajectories, & Practical Founder Advice (36:00–50:34)

What Drives Progress?

• Erin: Running workshops and teaching tactile skills; reconnecting to craft and tradition (36:00–37:49).
• Louise: Consistency in following up and persistent self-belief—adversity and setbacks are inevitable, but resilience is key (37:52).
• Eliza: Deep product empathy—“I am the customer; I make what I personally would want” (39:20).
• Tiffany: Listen to stakeholders, respond and build solutions accordingly (40:25).

Advice for Aspiring Founders

• Erin:

  • “Just try a lot of stuff...take the opportunity to learn new things and maybe something will hit.”
  • Find your personal throughline via meditation and introspection (41:47–44:22).

• Louise:

  • COVID pause allowed her to slow down, reconnect with her heritage, and discover her true calling.
  • Recommends gradual transition: “If you can do a bit of both for a while...it really helps there be a bit less pressure.” (46:45)

• Eliza:

  • Gather a breadth of experience before starting your business, learn from mistakes while working for others (47:34–48:43).
  • Growth is incremental: “Life is fast, but it’s also slow. So, like, just take your time.”

• Tiffany:

  • “Do something on the side first before making it your main thing...de-risk what you’re doing and also learn more about yourself.”
  • Keep your “day job as long as possible” to explore what excites you (49:00–50:34).

“You can work an 80 hour week and feel extremely drained, or you can work an 80 hour week and feel you can work 80 more hours somehow because you’re excited about what you’re doing. So I would say… pay attention to the stuff that you’re really excited about because that’s the thing that gives you the endless energy to keep going.” – Tiffany Lipinski (00:00 & 50:34)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authenticity in Brand Building:

  “Consistency with the aesthetic and the messaging and having a very strong presence and...a story...is crucial.” – Louise Rowe (11:17)

• On Breaking Down Barriers:

  “I have hated the fact that...fabric and wallpaper businesses always kind of seem...locked away in a D and D building...So what I try to do is anyone who knows about Sister Parish or comes to our website just feels really good about being there and doesn’t feel embarrassed to ask a question.” – Eliza Harris (16:22)

• On Collaboration:

  “It has to be all of those things, and it has to—you have to be really clear about your objectives...If you have too many objectives with it, then it’s not going to work.” – Erin Jenny (32:09)

• On Learning by Doing:

  “Not everything in life is—I mean, life is fast, but it’s also slow. So, like, just take your time.” – Eliza Harris (47:35)

• On Transitioning to Your Passion:

  “My number one advice would be to keep your day job as long as humanly possible to learn...because depending on what it is, maybe you could be a better content creator from actually doing the other thing.” – Tiffany Lipinski (49:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:18–08:37: Panelist introductions & personal backgrounds.
• 09:17–17:53: Building and defining community for home brands.
• 18:23–25:05: Nurturing and growing community—channels, accessibility, approachability.
• 26:13–35:28: Collaborations, finding the right partnerships, and memorable examples.
• 36:00–41:24: What helps each founder connect and grow; practical tips on networking and community-building.
• 41:47–50:34: Personal stories of taking the leap, advice for new founders, the importance of slow growth and dual careers in creative entrepreneurship.

Conclusion

This panel offered a rich, multi-faceted exploration of what it means to build and nurture a design-loving community—whether through authenticity, storytelling, collaborations, or championing craft. All panelists underscored the importance of passionate engagement, resilience, and listening, both in business and in building connection. Their advice for anyone looking to jump into the home or creative industries? Trust your own taste, go slow, learn on the side, listen first, and let your energy lead you forward.