I met the unstoppable entrepreneur Lisa Sun at a showcase for Project Gravitas in LA. There was a group of the most fierce and badass ladies I’d come across (curated by Lisa) and the energy in the room was really phenomenal. Lisa’s story is incredibly inspiring – not only has she got a brilliant concept and company; she’s determined, driven and committed to helping women feel their best, strongest and most confident self. Needless to say, we’re MASSIVE fans of hers and Project Gravitas. I have the cape jacket and am mildly obsessed! I wear it to all my most important meetings and whenever I wear it, I feel like a superhero.
What do you do and why do you do it?
I am the Founder & CEO of Project Gravitas, which really translates to dress whisperer & confidence booster. I started Project Gravitas as a confidence company, not just a fashion company, because I want to help women be their best selves. When I was 22, my first boss told me that I didn’t have any gravitas, and that I should go “buy a new dress, wear big jewelry, and great shoes.” When I asked her what she meant, she said that I’m the first person I look at in the mirror in the morning, and if I see something good in myself, I’ll take that confidence with me through the day. For me, clothes have always played a big part in how I feel about myself. So, we create clothes using luxury fabrics, artisanal tailoring, and patented built-in shapewear technology, with no retail markup, and we give back to a different charity each month, selected by our Woman of Gravitas. Customers regularly write to us about how our product makes them feel, how it’s helped them ace an interview, get through a breakup, and stand a little taller. Hearing about the difference we’ve made in women’s lives is a huge source of motivation for me.
What’s the best gift you ever got?
My favorite gifts have come from my Project Gravitas team. They gave me a giant “BOSS” necklace for my birthday and a gratitude book for secret santa, with photos and loving notes from everyone on the team.
What’s the worst gift you ever got?
One of my boyfriends in college gave me a necklace pen for Valentine’s Day. He explained his reasoning – “you like to write and you like jewelry!” – but needless to say, it stayed in the box.
What’s your advice for all things love, sex and dating?
Have the courage to see the best in yourself. At some point in our youth, we all learn words like “skinny” and “fat”, “ugly” and “beautiful,” a revelation that usually ushers in a lifelong battle between being self-confident and self-concious. I believe that we all have the capacity to choose confidence. It can be scary and daunting, but when you decide to see the best in yourself, you’ll carry that confidence with you throughout your day…and your date.
What’s your go to pick me up?
I sweat it out at Soul Cycle…but my secret guilty pleasure is watching Korean and Taiwanese television dramas (they’re rom-coms on 16-episode repeat).
Tell us about your first heartbreak…
My first heartbreak was my college boyfriend of 7 years (yes, the boyfriend that gave me the necklace pen!). I was 25 (quarter-life crisis), and it meant letting go of college nostalgia and our intertwined groups of friends and family…and embracing a new chapter in both of our lives.
Tell us about a time you Bounced Back better than ever
In November 2008, I had gone through a breakup and I had just found out that I didn’t get the promotion I had been working so hard for. My dear friend gifted me 4 VIP passes to Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet Tour, and within a day, three of my best friends (one was in Chicago, one was in Seattle, and one was in DC) were on flights to spend a weekend dancing and laughing. First, this moment proved to me the power of girlfriends, those who will drop whatever is happening in their lives to be there for you in an instant. Second, Madonna always helps – she’s the queen of the bounce back!
