Hi, I’m Holly Chayes. I help creative business owners build businesses that work for them and their creative process.

I believe that as creatives we often have the tendency to both reflexively resist structure, and continually delay delegating as long as possible. But I also know that creative business owners need space and time and focus to do the creative work that fuels the all the rest of their business. Which is where I come in. I help your business run smoothly and work better so you have more time to do the creative projects that fuel your business.

I’ve been working with creative businesses since 2014, and since then have worked with clients on all sorts of amazing projects – from preparing for international trunk shows, to launching new websites, to reinvigorating past work, to developing whole new offerings. What I love most about working with creative business owners is helping them develop, implement, and run, business systems and structures that help their creativity flourish.

Clients include: Vanessa a.k.a. The Crafty Gemini (Maker, Teacher, Designer, CraftyGemini.com), Rebecca Mezoff (Tapestry Artist and Teacher, RebeccaMezoff.com), Jill Wolcott, Designer (Jill Wolcott Knits®), Elena Deutsch (Executive Coach, WILL: Women Interested in Leaving (big) Law), Gwen Bortner (Speaker, Trainer and Consultant, GwenBortner.com), Liz Gipson (Teacher, Yarnworker.com), and more.

Before working transitioning into the online business world, I worked as an Costume Designer and Wardrobe Supervisor for theater in New York City, where I honed my love of structured, systematized, creative chaos. There’s nothing quite like a complex schedule, or tracking individual pieces of jewelry to make you appreciate a good spreadsheet.

Projects include: Clytemnestra (Martha Graham Dance Company), Every Soul (Martha Graham Dance Company), The Nomad (The Flea Theater), The Humbling (Hammerton Productions LLC), The World is Round (Ripe Time), The Lying Lesson (The Atlantic Theater Company).

Prior to moving to NYC and working in theater & film, I graduated Cum Laude from Bard College at Simon’s Rock with a BA in Technical Theater: Costume Design and a complement in The History of Fashion.

In addition to practicing many fiber crafts, I have also designed knitwear for hand-knitters. Publishing 40+ individual patterns, and 3 knitting reference books for shawls call the Shawl Geometry Series. I have designed for and in collaboration with: The Sanguine Gryphon, The Verdant Gryphon, The Unique Sheep, Julie Asselin, Tangled Magazine, “Stitching in the Stacks” by Sarah Barbour, and others. This experience has given me an in-depth knowledge of the fiber arts world. This means I can work with and write about your knitting, crochet, weaving, and other fiber patterns without losing vital information, and you don’t have to explain what Ravelry is.

Other projects include:

All of this boils down the fact that I have a deep appreciation for the creative process, and also a profound respect the systems and structures that bring a creative idea to life.

If it sounds like I might be a good fit for you and your business…

FIND OUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER

Holly is super organized and efficient. As you might imagine, it takes a lot of hands to keep a magazine like PLY running. I had been working with Jacey for a few years, and in that time I had started taking over more and more different tasks. We realized that we would need another person to keep up with everything, so we asked Holly to join the team… If you’re looking for someone efficient and organized to add to your team, absolutely, you should reach out!

– Jess at PLY Magazine