Chaya Krinsky of TOV Furniture: Why Trusting Your Inner Voice And Operating With Absolute Confidence Can Disarm Industry Skepticism

How does a successful, strong, and powerful woman navigate work, employee relationships, love, and life in a world that still feels uncomfortable with strong women? In this interview series, called “Power Women” we are talking to accomplished women leaders who share their stories and experiences navigating work, love and life as a powerful woman.

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chaya Krinksy.

Chaya Krinksy is the Co-founder, creative director, and lead designer of TOV — A female-focused furniture brand dedicated to creating trendy, fashion-forward furniture and home decor that doesn’t break the bank. Chaya and co-founder Bruce Krinsky built TOV out of a need for more youthful representation in the furniture industry. A Long Beach, CA native with a unique approach to design, Chaya oversees the brand identity of TOV from the sourcing of materials, initial designs to the production process. Inspired by her boho roots, current design trends, and vibrant pastels, TOV bridges the gap between the old guard of furniture sales and the new under Chaya’s unparalleled eye. TOV operates with one rule — Don’t be boring, and Chaya’s design style is anything but.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

I was born in Long Beach, California, and I would describe my childhood as pretty idyllic. I’m the 3rd of 7 children, so watching my parents provide a happy and loving home for all of us growing up along with working full time was always something I remembered growing up. I grew up loving art, design and always gravitated towards color and creativity. Those characteristics followed me as a hobby throughout my life. I eventually found myself in New York for college, where I met my husband and Co-Founded what would subsequently be known as TOV.

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

I followed in my parent’s footsteps and became a Teacher. I loved it and still look back fondly on that time. When my husband, Bruce started working in the furniture industry, we realized a huge gap in the market for feminine furniture at an affordable price. Bringing me on made sense because of my passion for interior design. Working with your spouse is difficult, but starting a new business in an industry that had never entirely accepted women was a gamble. For me, creativity was always a massive part of my personal life, so that when it made the shift into my professional life, it felt natural, especially when I was doing it with my partner.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

There is no handbook for manufacturing overseas. When we first started manufacturing and sourcing from different countries, we needed to learn how to adapt to the cultural differences of each country we were visiting. In the early beginnings of TOV, I scheduled a 48 hour trip to China with only one other female colleague of mine to check on a new product line. Upon arrival, I immediately found out that 5 of our containers had been funneled out the back door. I was alone, and people saw that as an opportunity to take advantage of me because they thought that they could. It was the first time I had to think on my feet and make demands to ensure the success of my business. Ultimately, I look back on this experience as a significant learning experience for me.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Flexibility is key. When it comes to the moving pieces of the furniture industry, such as; manufacturing, production, and distribution, you have to be flexible because often they will not be. Acknowledging that the ability to pivot at a moment’s notice has been a valuable commodity for us and allowed us to change with the times. We live in a world in which the speed of E-Commerce is moving so quickly that if you don’t move with it, you’ll be left behind.

I function with very little sleep. My ability to operate with very little sleep has always been a quality that has helped me succeed. I can keep it moving with 2–3 hours of sleep when we’re at trade shows, reaching a deadline, or communicating with manufacturers overseas. It’s nearly impossible to be on top of communication with different time zones and be well-rested. Saying this might get a reaction from some, but it has always worked for me.

I trust my inner voice. Many people, especially when starting a new business venture, operate on a lot of doubt, but that’s never been me. I wear a lot of hats in addition to being TOV’s lead designer, including creative directing all showrooms and marketing campaigns as well as overseeing our Marketing Department. When it comes to making decisions, I always follow my convictions and stand tall when questioned. I lead by this example when operating internally. I have found that confidence can be contagious. When your team sees you exuding poise in your decision making it champions them to do the same.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. The premise of this series assumes that our society still feels uncomfortable with strong women. Why do you think this is so?

Society has always been male-focused. Even now, my partner Bruce will be addressed before me in meetings because their immediate assumption is that I’m just a plus one. I think society doesn’t want to grasp women are capable of making major business decisions entirely. We’ve come so far in the last ten years in our industry specifically, but there is still a long way to go.

Without saying any names, can you share a story from your own experience that illustrates this idea?

A few years ago, we attended a show in China where I found myself at a dinner with 100 other men. Someone came up to me and said, “It’s so sweet you joined your husband for this meal,” and before I could interject, my husband very quickly corrected them with a “What do you mean, I joined her.” It wouldn’t be the last time I would hear a comment like that thrown my way, but it did mark the first time we realized that we were about to make waves in this male-dominated industry.

What should a powerful woman do in a context where she feels that people are uneasy around her?

This all goes back to confidence. If you own your decision and your position of power, it leaves little room for people to feel uneasy.

What do we need to do as a society to change the unease around powerful women?

The more the media accepts that women are equals, the more society will. You will never read a Forbes article that says “Top 10 Men Entrepueners” or “10 Men Founders”. When Men executives come into the fold, they need no introduction, but the girl boss narrative always has to be displayed for women. We need to look at eliminating that separation in the media because women understand business just the same.

In my own experience, I have observed that often women have to endure ridiculous or uncomfortable situations to achieve success that men don’t have to endure. Do you have a story like this from your own experience? Can you share it with us?

When we traveled overseas, there were never toilets available for me. You can understand the problem when there are only male restrooms, and you’re the only woman. After a few years of powering through discomfort, I finally put my foot down and said, “If you don’t have a toilet for me next time, I will not be coming back.” The next time I visited, a toilet was put in the ground for me to use every time after that. The mere fact that they didn’t have any need for toilets for women in the first place speaks volumes. It might be small to some, but it was what I needed to feel respected.

In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women leaders that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?

The idea is that as a female executive, I can’t make methodical decisions. Because I am a mother and a woman, all my choices have to come from a place of passion, anger, or impulse. Creatively those impulses have always made me successful, but I have always been able to make sound decisions regarding the business side of things. You can be both impulsive and disciplined, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Let’s now shift our discussion to a slightly different direction. This is a question that nearly everyone with a job has to contend with. Was it difficult to fit your personal and family life into your business and career? For the benefit of our readers, can you articulate precisely what the struggle was?

At the start of my career, it was a lot easier. My kids were younger, and they weren’t as aware of travel and the time away. As they got older and needed us more emotionally, we knew we had to completely shift our approach to parenting to make sure they were being given the proper attention. At first, that was the biggest obstacle, trying to be present in both worlds simultaneously and making sure to give 100%. I have three daughters, ages 15, 12, and 7. One of my biggest struggles was setting the proper boundaries between work and home as they grew older and making sure that their specific needs as growing young girls have always been important to me. I am a mom first. So while yes, it has always been a struggle to provide that balance, my kids always come first. Everything I do through my business is to set an example for them. I know it’s cliche, but it is about balance and figuring out what works for you.

What was a tipping point that helped you achieve a greater balance or greater equilibrium between your work life and personal life? What did you do to reach this equilibrium?

I decided that I would write out my life on paper and prioritize what was important to me. I wrote out what I wanted my daughters to see when they looked back on their childhoods and how they would feel about having two parents who ran a successful business. Putting pen to paper helped me in building solid boundaries between my work and home life. When I’m with my kids, I’m present and put work on the back burner. When I’m working, traveling, and at shows, I’m in full work mode. It’s never perfect, but as they grow older, I’m learning more and more.

I work in the beauty tech industry, so I am very interested to hear your philosophy or perspective about beauty. In your role as a powerful woman and leader, how much of an emphasis do you place on your appearance? Do you see beauty as something that is superficial, or is it something that has inherent value for a leader in a public context? Can you explain what you mean?

My entire life, I grew up hearing, “Oh, you look like Barbie,” which isn’t surprising as I have long blonde hair and I’m from California. Comments like that used to bother me. I always felt that if they were saying that, I wasn’t being taken seriously. At some point, I asked myself, “What’s wrong with Barbie? absolutely nothing!”. I can be myself and still be taken seriously as an intelligent, capable woman. This might be deemed unpopular, but I put a significant emphasis on beauty both internally and externally. I feel the best on the inside when I look best on the outside. As I said earlier, confidence is everything, and I always advocate doing whatever you need to feel that. Don’t think enjoying fashion and beauty makes you superficial, especially when you run a business that is so heavily dependent on keeping up with trends. A large part of TOV is creating pieces that reflect what is going on in pop culture, and the products TOV makes reflect so many different women’s personal styles. I think embracing what makes you, you.

How is this similar or different for men?

​​Beauty standards for men are different. Of course, we’ve seen a slight shift with the rise of social media of men who are starting to explore grooming, but you can’t compare the emphasis placed on women. With men, people tend to open their ears before they open their eyes. As women, it’s usually the opposite.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your opinion and experience, what are the “Five Things You Need To Thrive and Succeed as a Powerful Woman?” (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Flexible. I’ve stressed this already. As a mother, a wife, and a business owner, you can are constantly being pulled in so many directions. Things happen, and you need to adapt and prioritize what is urgent and what can wait. Every day something comes up in my life where I have to shift my priorities.
2. Don’t take no for an answer. I never take no for an answer. I always operate under a “not now’ policy. Saying not now is different from saying no. You may say to yourself, “ill try again in a month, a week, a year,” but never no. My stubbornness drives people crazy (especially my husband), but it has helped me tremendously in business, knowing I will get what I need to get for my team, TOV, and customers. The word no doesn’t exist
3. Lean on other women. Accept support when needed. Women’s pressure can be extreme, and there is no better support than from colleagues in your industry, even if it comes from a competitor. Be active in your community and build a network of people who share your interests and goals. There is no shame in asking for help and lending it when needed. It is important that I build other women up and know when I need to be built up.
4. Make self-care a priority. It’s ok to take time off for yourself. Get your hair done, get your nails done, and seek professional help. Take care of yourself mentally and physically. It sets an excellent example for my girls when I show them that it’s ok to take a moment for themselves. This practice has helped me further my career. I know when to stop and say, “… give me a sec.”
5. Celebrate your successes. Whenever we reach a goal or have a moment of great success, I am always the first to insist on celebrating the moment. In my experience, everyone is always so in a hurry to go on to the next big thing, but small celebrations make for even larger accomplishments. It can be anything from a team lunch, a night out, or even a high-five at the office. I always try to take the time to acknowledge the great work my team and I have done. Two years ago, we exceeded a projection for Black Friday weekend. This was the first time I took a moment and pushed for a celebration. Even if it was going out and buying a pair of shoes I had been eyeing, I congratulated myself for my hard work, which felt powerful. I will never forget that moment. I will always look back on the times where I stopped and said, “I worked hard, now let’s have some fun, “… even if you’re having some fun with shoes.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

Gary Vaynerchuck! I listen to him every day. He helps me in my parenting and my business. I would love to have a very quick on-the-go coffee because I don’t think he sits down for lunch ever because he’s so energetic and fast-paced! That would be a dream come true for me.