Global By Design
Lagrange on a street food tour through the night markets in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where she lived for six months while working on a branding project.
Name
Gretchen Lagrange
Age
51
Location
Bali, Indonesia &
Brooklyn, New York
Occupation
Designer
Education
Northeastern University, BA, Design
When did you go solo and why?
I went solo in May, 2018, after leaving a really awful corporate job in Hong Kong. (It was sold to me as a “creative situation”). I knew I didn’t want to be in New York City full time, so being solo allows me to work from Bali, Hong Kong, and New York, depending on the project. My husband is a photographer, so we both have the flexibility to move around and work from anywhere in the world.
Describe a typical day.
Well, right now we are living in Ubud, Bali, and our plan is to be here until the end of the year. We arrived at the beginning of March right before the pandemic blew up in New York City (which is home base for my husband and me). Even though the virus is not too bad here in Bali, we decided to be extra cautious and stay in most of the time. We are lucky Bali living is very open-air—the weather is warm and breezy, and the villa we rented is quite spacious with a pool and garden. So even though we are isolating a bit it’s pretty easy. We’re also in the middle of the rice fields, so when we take a break from work we can look out on the farmers working in their fields and see Mount Agung in the distance.
Anyway, back to a typical day. Not to sound like an “ubud-hippie,” but my husband and I wake at 6am and begin the day with meditation. It really helps, especially with all the anxiety in the world right now, and it’s a great way to set the tone for the day. Then at about 8am, we’ll do a Zoom vinyasa yoga class on our terrace, or I’ll go off to the gym on my motorbike for about an hour. There’s a hotel here that is closed (like most on the island right now because of the virus) that very sweetly lets me use their gym. Then it’s back home, coffee, shower, and then at my desk by 10am.
Each day is different depending on my projects. Lately it has been a lot of Zoom calls with Hong Kong for a branding project I’m working on there. It’s great because they’re in the same time zone as Bali. It’s not ideal when I am working with a client in New York or LA, which sometimes calls for a 2am call. Not fun. But if it allows me to live in Asia, it’s worth it.
Usually by 6pm my husband and I wrap up our day and go for a walk near the rice paddies to watch the sunset while the local kids fly their kites. Then it’s home to cook dinner, make a few calls with family or friends, and off to bed by 9:30–10pm.
What’s the best project you’ve ever had?
I loved working on a Kickstarter campaign for my husband, Frederic Lagrange. He had just finished his first photography book, Mongolia, which he worked on for 10 years and then self-published. When I started, I knew nothing about KickStarter or how to use or leverage the platform to meet our $100,000 goal. It was a lot of work researching and learning, coming up with concepts for the campaign, hiring a videographer and editor, writing the story, etc. It was very challenging and we had many long hours and sleepless nights. But once the campaign launched and we watched it grow everyday until we surpassed our goal—it was so gratifying and exciting! And because the book and author are so close to my heart, it was rewarding in so many ways.
What’s the hardest conversation you’ve ever had with a client?
Oh gosh, it usually revolves around my design fee, and those are always hard. Especially if the client doesn’t understand what goes into the design—especially the hours! And I have to explain, defend, and justify my fee. It gets exhausting and it’s frustrating—but par for the course.
How do you keep yourself motivated and manage free-floating anxiety?
Faith. Going into this, I knew there would be weeks that the phone wouldn’t ring and yeah it’s totally stressful, but I try to keep the faith that something will come and it usually does. I try and stay motivated during the down times by working on my website or helping my husband with one of his projects. It makes it easier that we both are solo so we can help each other when one of us needs a pep talk!
How do you know when to say ‘no’ to a project?
If the first thing a client says is “I probably can’t afford you.” Also, I try more and more to go with my gut. If a project seems like it will be a nightmare, it probably will be—so I’ve gotten better at respectfully declining.
Lagrange on assignment in Southern Cambodia with her husband, photographer Frederic Lagrange.
Your solo life wouldn’t run without these three tools:
My laptop, What’sApp, and Zoom
Best work habit?
Making my daily to-do list the night before, and sticking to it. Also only opening social media during my breaks.
Worst work habit?
If it’s a really gorgeous day in Bali, I take too many breaks and end up having to work late.
Who else in your life is a soloist?
My husband, Frederic, is a photographer who shoots for magazines like Condé Nast Traveler and Travel & Leisure.
Is your family supportive of your solo life?
Yes because they get to come visit me wherever I’m living!
Who is your biggest professional inspiration?
Fabien Baron. He instilled in me a love of typography from a young age (I was obsessed with Harper’s Bazaar when he was the creative director) and inspired me to become a graphic designer. Ronn Campisi. Ronn gave me my first job as a designer at his studio in Boston. Patrick Mitchell. Pat hired me to join him and Emily Crawford at Fast Company. I was the 13th employee, it was my first magazine job and it launched my career.
What aspect of running a business have you never warmed up to?
I suck at accounting, bookkeeping, invoicing. Anything math- or numbers-related.
Lagrange takes in the Hong Kong skyline at the famous China Club…
..and her workspace in Bali.
What do you do for health insurance?
Suck it up and pay for it. Although expat health insurance is much less expensive and quite good. The stipulation is you have to be out of your home country for six months of the year.
What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve received about bookkeeping, pricing, and/or marketing?
Bookkeeping: Hire someone reputable and good because you suck at it.
Pricing: Don’t ever forget what you are worth.
Marketing: You are your own brand, so make sure you get out there and talk yourself up!
Where do you do your best work?
I need to have a quiet space and a desk no matter where in the world I’m working. I get too distracted at a coffee shop or a coworking space. If there are people working on different projects or there’s free-flowing coffee and snacks—I’m screwed and I’ll get nothing done.
What do you do on your break time?
Because I am in Bali, I go for a swim or take a ride on my motorbike. I love to get outside and breathe a bit to clear my head and get away from the computer.
What’s the one thing about your life today that you most treasure that you wouldn’t have if you weren’t soloing?
Freedom. Freedom to make my own schedule, freedom to work from anywhere. Freedom to say ‘no’ if I don’t want to do something.
A few years ago, Lagrange worked and lived on-site at the Amankila Hotel in East Bali Indonesia. The resort had hired her to produce and design their 25th anniversary book.
Do you have a vacation routine?
It doesn’t happen often that my husband’s and my schedule sync up, so sometimes that means I am traveling with him on one of his assignments or we are taking a few days here and there wherever we are living. The best is when the stars align and we have a month to just go.
Ever miss the stability of a staff job?
Yes, but more than that I miss the stability of a weekly paycheck!
What keeps you up at night?
Do you have three hours? Do you mean right now? A lot. The pandemic, racism, dengue fever (going around in Bali), Donald Trump. Those alone can keep me up all night long.
What advice would you give your 22-year-old self?
Go and travel now! Take that backpacking trip through Europe and stay in a few hostels. The world is BIG. Do it now before you have all that responsibility. I’m trying to make up for that now.
► For more about Gretchen Lagrange visit her website.
