Brad Holdgrafer, Co-Founder of Formerly Yes

An Interview: A Fresh Perspective With Formerly Yes Co-Founder, Jenna Holdgrafer

When Brad and Jenna Holdgrafer spent a year living on a sailboat and another year living in Portland, they realized it was time to focus on necessity, intentionality, and patience. We sat down with Jenna to chat about what it takes to start your own business, what it’s like working with your other half, and what’s next for Formerly Yes.

You’ve gone through a lot of interesting chapters in your relationship which have brought you to this point. What has been the most trialling?

A lot of our friends and family think Brad and I live a pretty fast paced life, but we don’t look at it like that. Brad and I love a fresh perspective, love pursing life outside of the box and we find ourselves most comfortable when we’re challenged and learning. We love taking life and turning it upside down to find new opportunities. We lived on a sailboat for a year, that taught us a lot about necessity and intentionality. That’s where we first started thinking hard about the idea of owning less but better—our shop’s mantra. We also lived for a year in Portland, Oregon. Brad was at Wieden & Kennedy. It was an intense year full of long hour work days. But that’s where we first had the desire to work for ourselves. We don’t have a problem pulling long hours, we just wanted the hard work to go towards our future and we wanted to pull those long hours together. And now, we’re young business owners and putting this shop on the map takes every ounce of energy, every bit of creativity and every second of your time. I’m so glad we’re in this together. Our social life may be hurting because of this small business, but our relationship has never been stronger.

Is there a long term goal for your ongoing partnership in business, beyond Formerly Yes? How can you see it developing?

Within the next few years Brad and I want to move in to designing and manufacturing our own products. Looking at design with a holistic approach. I think we see it developing just like most things we do—a couple of sleepless nights and a bottle of wine.

What is the key to balance in your professional partnership with Brad?

The balance is rooted in patience. Patience for Formerly Yes, patience for the slow days, and patience towards each other. We both look at the store with different lenses. Brad sees good design through function and aesthetics. I see good design through management, the future of the store, and customer service. Each of us is a leg of the store and we can’t run forward without the other person.

In your perspective, what is the most powerful tool Brad has for success in design, and business in general?

Humility. He lets his work speak for itself. He works hard and he’s always learning. He doesn’t settle. He approaches every project with intensity and gives it 110%. Whatever is on his plate consumes him and he doesn’t quit until it’s perfect.

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Listen In: What's In Brad's Headphones

When it comes to music, Brad Holdgrafer is inspired by everything from underground hip-hop to minimal melodies. We asked him his favorite five songs right now and he impressed us with dvsn, JMSN, James Blake, and of course— Chance The Rapper. Unexpected and totally refreshing.

Everything You'll Want In 5 Minutes

WORDS BY: ZARNA SURTI

Built upon the diversity of independent designers and impeccable quality, Formerly Yes Co-Founder Brad Holdgrafer says, “We always say we aren’t here to sell products, but instead the idea of design. Hopefully in the search for those things we can start to find what Los Angeles design will look like to the rest of the world in the coming decades. For now we are just husband and wife at a little store in downtown Los Angeles.”

But we know they’re a lot more than that, so we sat down with Brad and Jenna to chat about their three favorite pieces in the store. Be warned: you’ll probably want everything.

Brad Holdgrafer

1. Sori Yanagi’s Tea Kettle

This is my absolute favorite product. Designed in 1953 (even though it looks like it was designed yesterday), it’s the perfect representation of what we want the shop to aspire too. It’s not minimal for the sake of minimalism, but for functionality.

2. ET66 Calculator by Dieter Rams

Dieter Rams is the reason I started designing. It’s very humbling to have a couple of his products in the store. His ten commandments of good design are a great place to start for any aspiring designer and something we are constantly reminding ourselves to look at.

3. Facility Department

This is a favorite book of ours. Justin Chung studies a number of people who he calls “noteworthy individuals” that inspire him. The photography in the book is so honest and beautiful. There is a sense of purity when flipping through it that makes me proud to be a creative.

Jenna Holdgrafer

1. The Boskke Cube

It’s a wonderful example of function and aesthetics working together perfect. A bit of problem solving for us brown thumbs. It’s just a very simple acrylic plastic square that holds a bunch of water. Over time the moisture from the water pulls through the small bit of terracotta in the bottom and adds the needed amount of water to the herbs or plants. It’s honestly one of our best sellers in the shop.

2. Josh Herman’s Bud Vase

Josh is a local ceramist down in San Diego. He blends eastern and western design into his design and sculptures. He uses a volcanic glaze to his pieces that gives each one it’s own unique look and feel.

3. Octopus Key Holder

This little key ring is one of the least expensive things in the shop, but in our household, the most used. It eliminates the issue of handing over your entire set of keys to a valet or house sitter or in our case, the person opening the shop that day, without having to hand over your entire key set. It’s a smart solve to a simple little problem.

Brad Holdgrafer