Another Shot

A decade ago, designer Sigrid Olsen got the news no entrepreneur wants to hear: the namesake apparel brand she'd spent some 25 years building was shuttered by its owner, Liz Claiborne Inc., a casualty of the recession.

The past decade has brought other low points, like the sudden death of her husband, Curtis, in 2013. But it's also been a time of reinvention and rebirth. She's built new business ventures, all under the umbrella of Sigrid Olsen: New Designs for Living. The list includes creative well-being retreats she leads in places like Tulum, Mexico; artwork she sells online; and apparel and home accessories she designs and sells through licensing agreements at places such as Dillard's and HomeGoods.

Olsen, a Sarasota resident, writes about her life and recent career shift in a new book, “My Life Redesigned: Embracing Change, Aging Gracefully and Finding Magic in the Simple Things.” She talked about those topics, key business lessons she's learned and her current ventures in a recent interview with Business Observer. Edited experts follow.