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"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely."
When I look back on 2024 for IBP, the word refinement comes to mind along with the profound feeling that this year has been the most defining year for us so far. My recent trip to Paris in November solidified this thought for me through an unexpected lens—exploring the city’s less touristy, more intimate spaces. On one of these memorable outings, I visited the Auguste Rodin Museum, where the gardens displayed an array of unfinished sculptures that would become the metaphor for our year.
These sculptures—large chunks of marble with exquisite forms partially emerging—captivated me. Each piece represented potential, waiting to be revealed, with untouched portions of stone holding raw beauty yet to be chiseled away. Some sculptures Rodin had set aside, perhaps considering them unsuccessful, yet they held their own profound narrative of creative evolution.
For eight years now, since IBP’s inception in 2016, I have invested a lot of hard work marked by blood, sweat, tears, celebrations, struggles, successes and perseverance. If I am being honest, the dichotomy of moments where I consider just throwing in the towel, coupled with moments of disbelief that I have built this one-of-a-kind design firm has been common. Those low moments remind me of the unfinished Rodin sculptures, the ones that he did not feel were successful and set aside.
I marvel in the lesson offered to me that day, the lesson that we are hardest on ourselves in the world of creativity. The drive to keep working, keep refining, keep calm and motivated along with the huge responsibility of keeping my incredible team together has always remained stronger than any fleeting moment of uncertainty.
I am extremely lucky to be surrounded by incredible support from my husband and family, the IBP team, our contractors, vendors, and consultants who enhance our work in immeasurable ways. Their presence is both humbling and emboldening.
In 2024, we learned so much, we experienced so much, we understand so much in terms of the business, our design work, form, function, art and how to combine these often-conflicting concepts into amazing, epic projects that in turn are the inspiration for my unfinished sculpture. IBP has matured enough now to be ready to build on this vision in 2025. We are polishing our tools, rolling up our sleeves and trusting the processes we have implemented. The work is unfinished, but that’s where the beauty lies, we will continue to chisel away, revealing the sculpture piece by piece – trusting that one day our work will take us very far – maybe even as far as that elusive, exquisite fully finished sculpture.
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