The Becoming series started in 2019. We wanted to hear from women in different walks of life and how they were approaching creativity, career goals, and more–mostly the WHY and HOW beneath it all. It’s been amazing to conduct these interviews and get a “behind the scenes” look at so many inspirational women! You can see them all here.
We launched our second collection of swimwear with Lime Ricki last week and the collaboration has been a total dream each time. I have no doubt that it’s in part because of the sisters who run and operate it–Nicole Bruderer, Jennifer Anderson, and Colette Callister and their wonderful team. They are kind, generous, gracious, encouraging, supportive, enthusiastic…honestly, all the best adjectives I can think of and the best type of people to partner with. I didn’t know much about the company before we had our first meeting in 2022 and I’m constantly learning new things about them, like how they lived in Afghanistan as kids. I can’t wait for you to get them to know them more!
What do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?
Creators! We create a safe and happy space for women of all ages to feel comfortable and confident in swimwear–a place that they will want to get in the water, appreciate the body they are in. We do it with well-designed swimwear, with fit that we have honed for the last 18 years to fit real women’s bodies, and to feel as good as they fit. We love color and bold prints and mixing and matching so women can express their personal style.
Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?
We essentially grew up in Provo, Utah, that’s where we went to high school–AND we also have had the privilege of living all over the world. We like to say we have nomadic gypsy parents who loved to travel before traveling was a thing. For example, they took us to live on a Navajo reservation where Dad worked as a defense attorney for the tribe–when Jennifer and Colette were 1 and 3… then we moved to Afghanistan for 2 years where Nicole was born. Our brave Mom! Then a few years later we bought a VW bus, drove through Europe for 6 weeks, then ferried over to Egypt where we lived for 2 years. We’ve been to India twice, the former USSR (while it still was the USSR!) Asia–all this in the 1970’s! These experiences gave us an insatiable appetite for travel, as well an appreciation for other cultures, backgrounds, and a desire to give back and make a difference.
Also, we love water and swimming. All 3 of us were lifeguards and swim instructors during the summers growing up. [At the SCERA, haha! A local swimming spot].
What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?
Nicole-teacher, lawyer, and a mom–and I used to decorate and then redecorate my bedroom growing up–I love design. Because of my love for design and making things beautiful, my role at LR is over all things design, from website/branding, the stores, the design of the suits.
Jennifer-I wanted to be a professional basketball player, and an Emergency nurse (and I became one! An ER nurse that is–then I went on and became a Nurse Practitioner too, all pre-Lime Ricki). My left-brain skills make me the perfect woman to manage all the business operations, including the financials, shipping operations, and making amazing spreadsheets 🙂
Colette-a lawyer…and I loved to make clothes for my barbies and for me–Mom taught me to sew and made sure that by the time I was 10 I could sew clothes for myself 🙂 **This got me the job of production manager at LR, because I knew all about patterns and sewing. I’ve recently traded that position and moved to the more lawyer-y side of my brain and I’m so happy to be over business strategy.
How has working with family shaped your business?
Haha!! People ask us this all the time… we started LR so we could work together as sisters and make an impact. Though it definitely has its challenges, working together is also the best thing we can imagine–we know each other’s’ strengths and weaknesses, and we are also our best cheerleaders. We have been through a lot of ups and downs together and working together has made us stronger and better. And our business trips are giant sleepovers!
Is there anything more you would like to “become?”
Oh, a lot more! The older we get, the more we realize the more we can become. There are so many opportunities for us to continually grow and evolve… and maybe becoming something doesn’t mean doing something big, like owning a company or doing something grandiose, it means becoming who you want to be. And we are still working on that! We’d also add that whatever we choose to do, whatever it is or looks like large or small, that is our path to becoming. And Lime Ricki has been and continues to be that for us.
You can find the sisters of Lime Ricki:
@Lime Ricki on Instagram
You can also read more about them on their website
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