How to Write a Post-Interview Follow-Up Email That Will Get a Quick Response
Craft an email any recipient will take the time to read AND respond to.
Photo: Anna Shvets for Pexels
Whether it’s with a sense of excitement or dread, sending out the occasional follow-up email is an aspect of adulting most of us simply can’t avoid. And what we’re looking to get out of these messages most of the time is—at the very least—a response.
It seems straightforward, right? But the art of sending a follow-up that actually inspires the recipient to take the time to read AND respond? Now that can be tricky.
Let’s ensure your next follow-up is a success. Keep reading for everything you need to know to craft a follow-up email that warrants a response.
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When to Send a Follow-Up Email
When you send a follow-up email will be unique to your individual situation. However, there are a couple of general guidelines to consider when sending your message so that it remains relevant and has the best chance of being opened.
HubSpot recommends the following timeframes for sending follow-up emails:
Within 24 hours: Sending a “thank you” after a meeting, sale, interview, event, or occasion that justifies an immediate sentiment of gratitude or those follow-up messages that contain time-sensitive info or requests.
Within 48 hours: After submitting important info (for instance, follow-up emails for job applications or other formal document submissions) or, if your follow-up still contains fairly urgent info or requests (those that can’t wait 1-2 weeks).
Within 1-2 weeks: Messages following up on a meeting request or those that go unresponded and require a confirmation from the recipient (maybe a job offer or an email requesting feedback).
Every 3 months: Emails sent as a way to catch up with a past connection or those requesting updates (can be for both business and personal life).
How to Write a Follow-Up Email
1. Identify Your Primary Objective
Before putting your fingers to the keyboard, the first step of writing a follow-up email is to determine the objective of your message.
What’s the end goal you’re looking to achieve from sending this email?
Take a second to ask yourself, are you trying to…
Obtain more info?
Schedule a call or meeting?
Remind someone to do something?
Close a sale?
Say thank you?
Or, something else?
Regardless of what your goal ends up being, this step is necessary to allow you to craft a strong follow-up and include a specific call-to-action (CTA).
2. Provide Context
Discounts and deals, order confirmations, bill payment reminders, and those random messages from Grandma checking in—we are constantly bombarded with emails.
And if your inbox is anything like mine, it’s not hard to find one of many of those messages that make you stop and think—“wait, who is this sender??”
If you’re nodding along, you probably already know that step #2 to writing a follow-up email is critical: provide context around who you are and how they know you. This is especially important if it’s been a while since your most recent interaction or if you don’t have a very close relationship with this person.
Don’t leave any room for confusion that will deter your recipient from responding. Provide context early on in your email by emphasizing your initial conversations or interactions to jog their memory.
Here are a few solid openers you can test out in your follow-up emails:
I wanted to follow up on the message I sent on [date or day if it’s still the same week] about [subject of the first email].
I just wanted to follow up to get your thoughts on [subject of the first email]. Have you had a chance to check out my last email?
Just checking in to see if you’ve had a chance to read my email from [date or day if it’s still the same week].
Just following up to see if you have any questions about my email from [date or day if it’s still the same week] about [subject of the first email].
Quick Tip: Include the subject line of your initial email in your opener to make it easy for your recipient to go back and locate that first message.
3. Make the Purpose Clear
After providing context to refresh your recipient’s memory, move straight into making the purpose of this communication clear.
This portion of the email should be direct and straightforward. Remind the recipient of what you mentioned wanting/needing from the last email or letting them know if that want/need has since changed.
Quick Tip: If this is a follow-up email aiming to make a sale, keep the focus on the recipient here and reframe any statements using “I” to address the benefit or relevancy to them. You might be tempted to throw in an “I think” or “I believe” statement here, but I promise, it’ll be much more effective to keep the reader believing this is all about them.
Here’s an example:
Rather than including: “I think my/our [product or service] could really help you accomplish [benefit]. I would love to hop on a quick call to chat about [opportunity].”
Try something like: “Your [aspect of their business or life] would really benefit from [purpose of product or service]. Would you like to hop on a quick call to chat about this opportunity?”
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This story was originally published on April 20, 2020, and has since been updated.
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Stop Competing With Your Co-Workers, It's Not Healthy
Because there is an “I” in competition.
Photo: Angelica Marie Photography for Create & Cultivate
A bout of healthy competition can be used to keep us on track and maintain our motivation, but how do we recognize when this feeling is no longer beneficial? We are all individuals with a unique skill set trying to advance in our careers, but when is competition no longer healthy? When our personal goals start to become greater than the goals of the company, or when our progress starts to be at the expense of a colleague, we have to reevaluate our motives us. What can we do when we start spelling TEAM with an “I?”
Below are four simple ways we can be better at using our competitive energy to benefit everyone on the team.
“I may excel at X, but I need to work on Y.”
As much as many type-A individuals may not like to admit it, we all have a set of weaknesses in addition to our strengths. Gasp! Jot down in your phone or notebook the skills you rock at and the tasks you could use an extra hand. Seek out a colleague who complements your skillset and work together on a project that requires both of your unique talents. It’s important to be honest with this task as the more truthful you are the more likely you will find a perfect match. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts!
“Where have you been all my life?”
In addition to discovering a complementary skillset amongst our colleagues, it can also be helpful to find a match from a social perspective. The more we get to know our co-workers personally, the less “threatening” they are. Discover common interests by grabbing a latte together on break or a glass of rosé after work… you never know, you may just meet a new friend. When we become friendly with our colleagues, their success will often become our own. Find your partner in crime!
“#Squad”
Now that you and your previous nemesis have become friendly and have complemented each other on a recent work project, it’s time to unite together long term! Discover each other’s personal goals within the company and unite together on common long-term business goals. This unity doesn’t only have to be with one other colleague but can include an entire #squad. There truly is strength in numbers.
“Let's celebrate.”
When we accomplish a goal or finally submit a project we have been working on for months, celebrating is part of the journey! As much as it’s enjoyable to celebrate our own personal success, the party is so much better when we can share the moment with an entire team. Following your next submission with your #squad, plan a special night at your favorite restaurant and soak in all the success that has been accomplished together. No such thing as a party for one!
About the Author: Blare June is a lifestyle blogger from Halifax, Nova Scotia. What makes Blare June's blog unique is that in addition to fashion she writes about mental illness, empowerment, and overall wellness. When Blare June isn't blogging, she is working as a physician specializing in psychiatry in Halifax. You can find Blare June on Instagram: @blarejune.
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This story was originally published on April 12, 2016, and has since been updated.
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How to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader
Real-time feedback is key.
Photo: Create & Cultivate
Being an emotionally intelligent leader means cultivating self-awareness, being able to identify your flaws, and understanding how others perceive you. As an emotionally intelligent leader, you’re transparent and speak the truth to those around you—in fact, you're the first to acknowledge your own mistakes. It also means you are perceptive and allow others to be heard first before responding—all necessary characteristics to leading a strong and productive team.
Does this sound like the kind of leader you want to be? If so, read on to find out how. Ahead, we’re sharing four tips to be an emotionally intelligent leader so you can cultivate a healthy company culture—even if you don’t have an HR department. Psst… looking for more tips for leading a team? Download The HR Bundle and discover an onboarding checklist for new employees, a template for providing performance reviews, a guide for preventing workplace bullying, and more.
Be Open to Exposing Vulnerabilities to Help Better Connect
During 1:1 meetings, focus on feedback and be very open about what you’re struggling with. Oftentimes, people try to hide that, but being open helps everyone feel a little more comfortable sharing.
Include Feelings in the Conversation, Which Can Help People Feel Heard
For example, ask “How are you feeling?” rather than, “How are you doing?” As a leader, be open to sharing when you feel frustrated or overwhelmed.
Give Employees Constant and Real-Time Feedback
After a meeting, share feedback either in person or over Slack. Make it a point to seek feedback by asking, “Do you have any feedback for me?”
Do Not Make Assumptions or Jump to Conclusions
It’s important to be curious and take an inquisitive approach. For example, ask, "Can you clarify what you meant when you said X so I can better understand your intentions?
Ready to take your company’s leadership to the next level?
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What Is Toxic Productivity (and How Do I Avoid It)?
Don’t take the to-do list too far.
Photo: Polina Zimmerman for Pexels
Everywhere you turn, people are feeling the pressure to do something truly meaningful during this time of self-quarantine. Sure, it's great if you can write your next bestselling novel, or re-organize your entire home, but sometimes, that need to be productive can be toxic. Here are some signs to spot if toxic productivity is creeping into your life—and what you can do to break the cycle.
What Are Toxic Behaviors?
First things first, toxic behaviors are behaviors that are harmful to you, your goals, and your daily life. Our culture expresses a lot of value for productivity (we reward the best students, we’re impressed when others pull all-nighters, we glorify the entrepreneurs who boast about their work ethic and lack of sleep). Rarely do we celebrate when people are present, rest well, or set and meet reasonable goals.
Quarantine means that people are at home, trying to work, in the middle of a crisis. And yet there’s never been so much content about how people should be using all this “extra time” to try and pivot their businesses, take every e-course on entrepreneurship, or check things off their endless to-do lists.
Don’t get me wrong, if someone is able to do these things in the midst of food and product scarcity, health concerns, and social isolation, that’s great. But to expect people to be productive during a pandemic is undeniably harmful. If we aren’t being generative in our homes and businesses at a breakneck pace right now, it doesn't mean we are failures, it means we are human.
Toxic productivity would have us see things differently, and it’s hurting us.
Here Are Three Signs of Toxic Productivity
Working to the extent that it harms your health or personal relationships.
Perseverance and determination are admirable, but if your work ethic means that you’re ignoring human requirements like the need to eat, drink, sleep, or go to the bathroom, then your hard work “ethic” is toxic productivity in disguise.
Your family members may repeatedly express frustration with you and complain that you’re “always working,” “never around” or “always on your phone.” What they are really saying is, “We miss you. We need you. Please spend time with us.”
Forgetting obligations and neglecting personal responsibilities is another sign that your tendency to have tunnel vision when it comes to work is harming you and your loved ones.
Having unrealistic expectations for yourself and ignoring important information (such as the detrimental effects of a pandemic).
Many people are expecting their level of output and productivity to be the same right now. When their entire lives have been disrupted. When they are working under stressful conditions at home. IN. THE. MIDST. OF. A. PANDEMIC.
These unrealistic expectations can make an already traumatic situation even worse. Expecting the same output from yourself during a crisis is like expecting a crop to yield the same harvest after a drought.
It’s unreasonable, and will likely add to your stress if you try to maintain your previous standards.
Difficulty with rest or stillness.
If you have a toxic relationship with productivity, you might struggle to be alone with yourself anytime you’re not busy working. When you finally take a break or let yourself have a day off, you might feel guilty. Alternatively, you could feel a sense of restlessness or emptiness during moments of stillness, play, or other things you may label in your head as “non-productive.”
People might complain that you’re “not present” emotionally or physically. For example, you might rush to do the dishes after dinner instead of sitting at the table and connecting with your family. Or you might find yourself feeling impatient while a loved one tells you a long story because it feels like an inefficient use of time.
You might notice feelings of lower self-worth when you aren’t producing, creating, or working in some way, or be distracted by comparing yourself to others that you see as more productive than you.
How to heal your toxic productivity
If you’ve determined that you are one of the many suffering from a sense of toxic productivity right now, you’re not alone. The good news is, it doesn’t have to stay this way. There are lots of things you can do to have a healthier relationship with your need to be productive. Below are a few ideas.
Set realistic goals; adjust as needed.
It’s important to consider the context when setting goals. During this time when there may be extra demands on you (perhaps you’re homeschooling your children or adjusting to working from home), you may need to reduce your goals to accommodate the transition.
Part of being realistic is recognizing that your home office is likely to have more distractions, interruptions, and stressors than your old office. When we are under stress, our ability to concentrate and think clearly suffers, so it may also be helpful to extend deadlines to accommodate increased stress levels.
If you’re managing a team you’ll want to revise expectations for them as well.
Reframe what it means to rest and take breaks.
Rest is not a four-letter word or something just for the weak. Rest is 100% necessary. Studies show that people who take breaks end up being more productive than people who don’t.
Reframe rest to be a vital part of your productivity. See it as a necessary tool to help you reach your goals more effectively. Instead of taking breaks when you feel on the verge of collapse, how about scheduling them regularly throughout your day? You’ll feel a lot better, and you'll likely be able to get even more accomplished.
The Pomodoro method is a great strategy to stay on task while also taking frequent breaks.
Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a way to help us connect to ourselves and the present moment. Mindfulness invites us to observe and accept what is happening around us and within us without judgement. We learn to be more aware of our body and needs. Mindfulness is proven to have all sorts of health benefits, including increasing frontal lobe activity, which is where logical reasoning and executive functioning takes place.
Mindfulness helps us disconnect from our “fight or flight” survival instincts (which often keep us stuck in toxic patterns) and instead gives us the opportunity to connect with more mature, healthy ways of relating to the world.
Calm and Headspace are two apps that I highly recommend if you want to give mindfulness a try.
Get some accountability.
Make sure that you have wise people in your life that can hold you accountable and keep you aware of your self-destructive behaviors. Most importantly, take their advice. When they say you’re working too much and need a break, listen to them.
Define clearer boundaries.
Rework your boundaries with work, or clarify them to serve you better. Establish a few “baseline” boundaries and then refine as needed, such as:
No cell phone at the dinner table.
No more than 3 hours of work at a time before taking a break.
No more than 40 hours of work a week.
You must spend quality time with your kids at least once a week.
You must eat at least 2 meals a day.
You must get at least 6 hours of sleep.
These baseline boundaries are just ideas to help you get started but can be adjusted to fit your individual needs.
Heal your self-talk.
Do you define your sense of self-worth by how productive you are? If so, you may find yourself caught in a cycle of chasing accomplishments that give you a temporary sense of worth, until that wears off and you need yet another accomplishment to make you feel valuable. To heal your self-talk, start seeing that your value is not in what you produce or accomplish, but in who you are.
Ask yourself, “Would I have these same expectations for someone I care for deeply?” If the answer is no, then you shouldn’t have these expectations for yourself, either. Practice learning to speak to yourself the way you would a dear friend.
If you need help healing your self-talk, consider getting support from a therapist. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can be especially effective at helping you heal toxic narratives that have kept you stuck in a cycle of addiction to productivity.
It’s perfectly normal to feel uncomfortable with the changes you’re experiencing due to COVID-19, but this is a great opportunity to get real with yourself and heal from things that aren’t serving you well. When this is all over, hopefully, you can leave behind your toxic productivity, too.
About the Author: Dr. Therese Mascardo is a Filipina-American licensed clinical psychologist, founder of the L.A. Digital Nomads, and CEO and founder of Exploring Therapy, a wellness community that helps people build a life they don’t need a vacation from. She has been featured in HuffPost, Women’s Health, & Tastemade. Berkeley educated, she shares her knowledge in mental health, entrepreneurship, community building, and traveling full time as a digital nomad to inspire people to create more healthy, free, and connected lives they love.
8 Ways to Motivate Your Monday, Sunday Night
When we see potential, we just gotta see it through.
So many of us experience Monday blues comes Sunday night. But taking small steps Sunday night to prep for the week can make all the difference.
We're not saying you'll love going back into the office first thing Monday, but you might have a different feeling about your week by hump day.
Plan your meals.
This is a simple step to saving time during the week. Food preparation allows for easy grab-and-go lunches that are healthy. They save you money (which, saves on stress) and, according to the World Health Organization, with the right ingredients you can boost your brain power by 20%. And who doesn’t need an extra brain boost? Dark leafy greens, salmon, and nuts all boost cognitive function. Plus you won’t waste 30 minutes trying to decide what to Postmates to your desk.
Fill in your calendar.
Filling in your calendar frees up a lot of space in your head. If you start Monday AM knowing exactly what you have to tackle, you can jump right in, instead of spending the morning trying to get organized. Moreover when we handle tedious tasks during down time, instead of during a stressful morning, we’re less likely to make errors.
Draft emails.
OK. While this may feel like “working” on Sunday, spending 30 minutes to an hour to draft important emails you want to go out Monday morning can help you sleep soundly on Sunday night. If you find that you toss and turn all night because you’re stressed thinking about Monday morning, this small step that feels like work, ends up working for your sleep habits.
And a good night sleep should be top priority on Sunday.
Write a Monday to-do list, broken down by hour.
This is a trick that very busy people use. You don’t have to plan the whole week— in fact working just one day in advance has shown to make workers more productive. Chart your Monday by the hour, and as each 60 minutes passes, check it off. The momentum of productivity (i.e. crossing something off a list) has a very positive effect on your work and how you feel about the work.
For example:
- 9am. Answer emails
- 10am. Meeting with team
- 11 am. Come up with creative ideas for Thursday pitch
- 12n. Draft interview questions for X
Declutter your space.
Change your sheets, make the bed, organize your mail. Studies show that clutter undermines your productivity, so don’t let this happen to you.
This includes YOUR CAR. Most of the time we talk about decluttering space, people think about their home, especially a home office or their bedroom. But if you commute to work, and your car looks like the inside of frat house, that’s the FIRST space that’s on your mind when you get to the office. And it can effect your work.
Collect those old Kind bar wrappers, the coffee cup in the center console, and the shoes and jacket you tossed into the backseat. The cleaner the space, the clearer your mind.
Pay any outstanding bills, fill prescriptions, and go to the market.
These are the kind of tasks that stress anyone out, especially when their work week is jam-packed. And small tasks that float around in the back of your head take up BIG amounts of space. Check them off and get ready to check-in to Monday.
Work out.
It’s one of the best ways to get your week off on the right, healthy foot. Working out has been proven to improve concentration and mood, both of which are in hot demand come Monday.
Have a glass of red wine, read a book, have a meal with friends…
Whatever works best for you to relax, with Monday on the horizon, it’s too easy to slip into a negative state of mind. But that not only effects your sleep it also effects which side of the bed you wake up on Monday AM.
Your mood matters, so do something to put your mind at ease. Oh and did we mention that red wine significantly improve memory and motor skills. Cheers to you Sunday night!
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The 4 Non-Negotiables to Look for When Hiring
The secrets to building a great team.
photo credit: Sara Forrest
Katherine Warnock, General Manager at Darling says that one of her greatest strengths as a leader in business is her ability to hire and create a dynamic team.
Katherine says, "through the years my love for people, in all their uniqueness, coupled with my background in strategic, creative and branding-based management has developed a keen eye for talent."
Instead of trying to answer the impossible blanket questions, "how do you build a team?" she tries to point to the rarely promoted non-negotiables when it comes to building a dynamic, driven and seamless team. Here are her top four:
1. CULTURE
This is one of the most important elements I look for when hiring. I am always asking myself when making a hire, “Is this person going to add to our culture or bring it down?” I want contributors, not distractors. I want peaceful seekers of excellence and bold communicators, not toxic gossips or entitled mentalities. I’m very protective of the atmosphere I, as a manager, am asking my staff to spend a majority of their time in. I learned long ago that one must tend to culture the same way one tends to a garden — with intentionality, love and a commitment to warding off the weeds.
2. IDENTITY
Sense of self. I want to know who you are and that you know who you are. It is important to me that you know not only your strengths, but that you are also at peace with your process in the areas you still need development in. The art of process and development is so often overlooked by managers. I have no problem hiring people that still need development. I do, however, steer away from hires where I do not feel a potential employee is self aware of what they do and do not bring to the table.
I love someone who knows their weaknesses and who isn’t afraid of the fact that they are still on a journey. I can work, mentor and shape those types of people. I don’t have room for ego or pretenses; I do have time for process.
3. RESPECT
Do they honor well? Honor and respect are the foundation from which I manage and are therefore traits that I require in any hire that I make. I want to build a culture around people who understand the potency of respect and of giving honor to those above them, around them and below them. I will not hire someone that lacks in this.
So many organizations and businesses today want to see the world changed, sustainable enterprise garnered, people united, impactful reach developed and walls broken down; it’s all an admirable pursuit that starts here, both in making the posture of respect and the ability to honor requirements in any hire.
"I want contributors, not distractors. I want peaceful seekers of excellence and bold communicators."
Tweet this.
4. TEACHABILITY
Can this person be molded? Or do they think they have arrived? Can I give them constructive feedback that yields mature dialogue? Or will I be met with defensiveness? When hiring I want to make sure I am building a team of teachable people who embrace and esteem the importance of growth. I do not care if you have a list of accolades as long as Steve Jobs or Mother Theresa, if you are not willing to press into the best version of yourself, alongside a community trying to do the same, then I will not hire you.
Bottom-line, no one sprints to line up for constructive feedback. It is hard and vulnerable for all of us, but I want to search out those who are brave enough to invite and even pursue feedback. That’s how we grow, by allowing that which we cannot see about ourselves, our blind-spots, be brought to the forefront so we can get there faster, together.
What makes me good at my job? I’ve learned that these foundational pillars can be replicable for anyone, anywhere — employer and job seeker alike — if we are willing to follow them and in equal measure let them mold us. I doubt many would disagree with the above, as they are all virtuous and estimable traits. To that end I’m not actually saying anything new or controversial here.
I’m more asking the next wave of business leaders and business makers (employees) to go beyond the singular, yet necessary, pursuit of abilities by expanding their scope to include these markers which will serve them and the vision far more than skills alone ever could.
An original version of this article appeared on Darling.
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The Future Is Female: These Women Are Owning Male Dominated Professions
A startup tech exec, a tattoo artist, and a video game developer walk into male-dominated professions. Think it's a joke? It's not. Men may still be the predominate gender in many occupations, but women with the guts, brains, and vision to launch ideas and companies are proving that breaking down stereotypes is only a blip of what they're able to do.
Kellee Khalil is the CEO and Founder of Lover.ly, the first bridal search engine that set out to solve the inefficiencies of the wedding industry for a new generation of brides. Founded in 2012 the site is like a cross between Google and Pinterest, with opportunities for advertisers and integrated content. Though the focus may be beauty and bridal focussed, the backend is straight data, numbers, and hardcore tech-- but what else would you expect from a CEO that's been coding since high school?
How have you seen the industry change over the last five years?
The most unprecedented change is marriage equality. In the last year, we witnessed a monumental step forward for our country, and we couldn’t be more thrilled about it. From the very beginning at Loverly, we’ve strived to be as inclusive as possible with our content, and the industry is finally catching up. Barbie and Ken-looking couples aren’t the only representation of love and marriage these days, and it’s about time we start embracing that.
How does it feel to be a woman in a male-dominated industry?
The tech space is predominantly run by men (with less than 5 percent of all venture-backed business run by women). The most successful companies in the wedding industry have been businesses run by men. And the community of people writing checks is mostly men. So, it’s challenging to drum up interest and capital from investors who don’t identify with the pain points of our industry’s primary consumer.
On the flip side, I believe being a woman building this product for other women is actually a competitive advantage. I have empathy for our users and understand their psychology as they are going through the ups and downs of planning their weddings. My mission is to alleviate the frustration and inefficiencies by simplifying the wedding planning process. :)
What do you think are the most common myths about women in tech?
Women in tech is a hot topic that media is covering. Because so few women are in the space, you often see only a few get a lot of media attention. This creates a perception that the world is glamorous and easily maneuverable. The reality is, being successful in the tech industry (as a woman) isn’t always smooth sailing. There are lots of challenges along the way.
How do you work to disprove those?
By continuing to make progress, grow our business, and innovate year over year to great reception from our audience, we prove that we are viable player in our space. Additionally, a big win was bringing on a President and COO, Peggy Fry, a digital media exec with 20+ years experience She too comes from a world traditionally run by men digital media and (advertising), and has held inspiring positions at some of the biggest names in digital media (AddThis, Netflix, AOL). The two of us have a crazy enthusiasm about our product and consumers which is reflected in the business.
Do you think it’s different being a women in tech in NY, as opposed to Silicon Valley?
There are some major differences between East and West Coast women-run technology businesses.. Women in tech in the Silicon Valley do statistically raise more capital. I believe this is due to the pure number of active angel and VC’s in the valley. Access is key. There’s also a preconception that businesses in the SV are more hardcore technology-focused, whereas in New York they tend to be more influenced by the surrounding industries (beauty, fashion, content, etc).
Lina Chen is the CEO of Nix Hydra, a VC-backed company that makes colorful and friendly mobile games popular among women. Chen and partner Naomi Ladizinsky established Nix Hydra in 2012, with the debut game Egg Baby. The game quickly became a massive phenomenon in the U.S. among teen girls and currently touts 14 million downloads with zero marketing spend and an impressive 4.5/5 average score from more than 430k reviews on the App Store. Both founders are Yale graduates and are showing no signs of letting the sexism of the gaming industry slow them down.
What is it like to work in a male-dominated industry?
We have been embracing it because it's a huge opportunity for us! If the industry wasn't so male- dominated, we probably would have had more trouble making a hit game on our first try (because there would be so much more competition in this space) and in fact, our company probably wouldn't even exist. Actually, right now we are mostly ignored by the gaming industry, presumably because what we are doing doesn't interest most people in it, and that is great because it gives us more time to figure things out and grow to an unstoppable size (haha).
More so, what is it like to work in a male-dominated industry where there is a ton of backlash against female gamers/developers. How do you deal with the pressure of both?
Like I said above, we have been mostly ignored because our games are nothing like the games that lots of more masculine developers are interested in playing or making. So we aren't competing with them and I think if someone is neither a threat to you nor doing anything that's of interest to you, your most natural response is to ignore them or be like 'that's nice, girls' and move on.
What made you decide to take on such a challenge in an industry known for its sexism?
Profit. Haha. No but actually when we started this company we were clueless. We had no idea what the industry was like or how to make a game and we didn't know anyone who was even a game maker. The first few game makers (male) we met were super kind, supportive and welcoming and no one warned us about anything negative. We started this whole thing because we couldn't find games we really wanted to play on our mobile phones and figured a lot of other young women probably felt the same.
Where do you hope to see the gaming industry go in the future?
To be a more magical, colorful and friendly place! We love diversity (obviously), but actually not so much for moral reasons as much as practical reasons - it just improves the ecosystem, speeds up progress and leads to more awesome products. So we'd love to see a more diverse industry in every way and we'd like to have had a huge impact on bringing about that change.
How do you see the gaming world changing?
The optimistic entrepreneur in me says it will change in the direction I've described in your previous question!
Mira Keras is a fashion school grad (FIT) and artist currently finishing a tattoo apprenticeship at a shop in Brooklyn called Tattoo Wonderland. According to Mira, the shop goes above and beyond in its commitment to serve everyone, and be inclusive-- which is more than in line with a boss blog post she wrote calling out fat-shaming and Instagram's ban of #curvy. Just last week she tattooed one of our favorite bloggers Christina Caradona of Trop Rogue, who spoke at the latest Create & Cultivate Dallas (check it out on Tattoo Wonderland's Instagram).
How do you feel as a woman in an industry that's heavily dominated by men?
I love being a woman tattooist. Female interest in tattoo culture is rapidly expanding, and I think that it is important to have tattoo artists that are women who understand and collaborate to reach their vision.
Have you had any days that really surprised you as a woman in the tattoo industry?
When I realized that I wanted to tattoo, it was so hard to find a tattooist to mentor, or even tattoo me. Some artists had this no girls allowed attitude, and some did not want to tattoo someone who didn't already have tattoos. Luckily, I found an awesome feminist mentor who has taken me under his wing.
How have you seen your industry change since you became a part of it?
My lifetime is seeing tattooing become way less taboo. It is finding its way to becoming a respected art. I love seeing more women become interested in tattoos, and tattooing. Femme-Only and pro feminist shops are popping up all the time, which is really exciting. There are so many amazing and inventive women changing the former rigid and exclusive rules, and inventing many new genres of tattoos.
What are your predictions for your industry's future?
The future will bring more women tattooing, and more developing in what is to come as far as technology and tattooing. I am always day dreaming of the day there are metallic and glitter inks, women's interest in tattooing is sure to bring in demand for these inventions.