Ep. 174: Colony Founder Jean Lin on Balancing Bravery and Recklessness

<p>Design entrepreneur and founder of Colony, the designer’s co-op, Jean Lin, grew up in suburban Massachusetts as one of a handful of non-white kids. With two brothers, she was a card-carrying tomboy until her teenage years when she leaned into fashion as a way to express herself. Influenced by her mother’s work as an educator for the incarcerated, she initially followed a career path into social services before reconciling with her undeniable yearning to study fashion design. After getting fired a few times, launching a few businesses, and gaining a smorgasbord of experience in a handful of roles, she bet her life savings on a dream and founded Colony, a community of designers that reimagines the design gallery business model as a supportive ecosystem, while celebrating American design to an international audience.&nbsp;</p><br><p><a href="http://www.cleverpodcast.com/blog/ep-174-jean-lin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Images, links and more from Jean!</a></p><br><p><br></p><p>Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:</p><p>QWIN is an alt-cannabis brand that explores all cannabinoids found in hemp to create unique formulas and experiences. Go to <a href="https://www.myqwin.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">myqwin.com</a> and enter code CLEVER30 at checkout to get 30% off your entire order.</p><br><p><br></p><p>Please say Hi on social! <a href="http://twitter.com/CleverPodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/cleverpodcast/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cleverpodcast" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a> - @CleverPodcast, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amydevers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@amydevers</a>,</p><br><p>If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/clever/id1106679693?mt=2" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leaving a review</a>, <a href="http://www.cle