We Tapped 3 Foodies for Work-From-Home Meals to Whip Up With Pantry Staples

Photo: Courtesy of RASA

Working from home makes you miss things like chatting about “White Lotus” over lunch with your coworkers. But just because you’re WFH with no one to discuss the finale with doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take that lunch break. Whip up something delicious with these easy recipes made with ingredients you probably already have at home.

We tapped Mia Rigden of RASA, Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones of Food Heaven, and Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking and asked them to share their go-to work-from-home recipes—and it’s safe to say they did not disappoint. From everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup to not-so-boring pasta, you’ll be eating well this week.

Kitchen Sink Soup

An excellent way to make the most of unused produced that’s sitting in your crisper drawer, this soup, courtesy of Mia Rigden, a nutritionist and the founder of RASA, is nutritious, flavorful, and a perfect way to reset. Make a big batch and freeze leftovers so you’ll always have a healthy meal on hand.

Instructions:

1. Heat coconut oil or ghee in a Dutch oven. 

2. Add onions and garlic, stirring until fragrant, then add vegetables and stir for a minute or two longer.

3. Add broth then enough water to cover the vegetables (about two cups). Let simmer for 20-30 minutes and puree in a high-speed blender (or with a hand blender) until smooth. 

4. Season as desired and serve with a squeeze of lemon, a splash of olive oil, and some sea salt

For a step-by-step tutorial, watch the Ask an Expert Live segment via Create & Cultivate’s Instagram here.

Mia Rigden

Nutritionist and founder of RASA

Turmeric Vegetable Fried Rice

This recipe puts a colorful spin on traditional fried rice with extra anti-inflammatory power! Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and the founders of Food Heaven, bring us this easy and delicious way to make the most of super-spice turmeric!

Instructions:

1. When cooking your brown rice, add 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric to the boiling water, and cook as per package instructions. Set aside once done.

2. In a large pan, heat the sesame oil, and add the onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

3. Add in the eggs, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Then add in the mixed vegetables, 2 cups of cooked turmeric rice, and the soy/tamari/aminos.

5. Cook over low heat for 4-5 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat, and mix in the cabbage and sprouts. Add salt, to taste, and top with scallions. Enjoy!

Recipe Note: The vegetables in this recipe are totally flexible and you can use whatever frozen/raw veggies you have stocked in the fridge. 

Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones

Registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, and founders of Food Heaven

Calabrian Chili Pasta

Pasta, our fave go-to for easy dining, doesn’t have to be boring! Gaby Dalkin is a trained chef, recipe developer, entrepreneur, and the founder of What’s Gaby Cooking, shows us how to spice up the pasta you are probably eating for the millionth day in a row.

Instructions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook the Cassarecce according to the package directions. Once al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for future use and set aside.

2. In a large sauté pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the lemon zest (saving the lemon juice for later) and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the Calabrian hot pepper paste and stir until everything is evenly incorporated.

3. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. If you need to add a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to thin it out, go ahead. Add the lemon juice and toss to combine. Season with salt to taste.

4. Sprinkle the pecorino over the pasta if desired and toss to coat and serve immediately.

Gaby Dalkin

Founder of What’s Gaby Cooking

This story was originally published on April 13, 2020, and has since been updated.

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Ask a Confidence Coach—11 Tips to Take Your Career to the Next Level

Photo: Create & Cultivate

Show of hands: Who has heard the phrase “confidence is key” before? Are you with me on this? From elementary school murals to iPhone screensavers, this common phrase is plastered everywhere, and for good reason. I truly believe that confidence is key for many areas of your life, but if you’re like me, I only think about confidence in personal settings. My personality, looks, and sense of humor are all things that I easily see as areas needing confidence. But the one area I’ve always struggled feeling confident in? My career. And that’s where Heather Monahan comes in. 

Monahan is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of Boss in Heels. Having successfully climbed the corporate ladder for nearly 20 years, Monahan’s book “Confidence Creator” illustrates the tough lessons she’s learned throughout her career that have helped her develop the self-assurance necessary for getting what she wanted in life. Below, Monahan shares 11 ways you can take your career to the next level by feeding your own. Here’s what she recommends.

Figure Out Where Your Passions and Talents Lie

When you are spending your time in your superpower you feel so confident. What I mean by that is if your talent is highlighted when you are interacting with others, but you are currently in a job where you only interact with spreadsheets on your computer, you need to change roles. Figuring out where your passions and talents are is critical to becoming your most confident self at work. This is the single most important thing you can do. When we speak about what we know and love, we are more confident.  Identify your superpower and spend your time there. 

Bring Your Confidence to Work (Even If You Have to Fake It Sometimes)

Confidence everywhere is important. Here is an example: I was hired by an association to give my keynote speech. On the conference call the week before the event, the new president was laying out expectations for me. This is what he said: “Heather, this is my first year as president and there is so much pressure on me to create a stellar event. If your speech is amazing then I am golden, if you blow it I fail. You cannot blow it.” I laughed in my head. I could hear how he was lacking confidence in his new role. Thankfully, I am very confident in my speaking abilities, and here is what I said: “Have no fear. I will nail this and you will look like a superstar. You can take that to the bank.”

He started laughing and thanked me for being so confident, it put him at ease. However, if I had said to him, “I am so sorry you are feeling this pressure. It sounds really hard. I can promise I will try my best,” (while a fair response) it would not have been the confident response my client needed in his moment of fear. Bringing confidence to work is the difference between existing and excelling. People want to work with people that are confident because it makes them feel comfortable.

Confront Your Misconceptions and Limiting Beliefs

This is the million-dollar question. Statistics show that women feel less confident than men beginning at age eight. What this says to me is the way we are raised—the self-limiting beliefs that are imposed on us through culture, society, media, and the “lanes” that are created for women—all impact our confidence. We are told to be a certain weight, look pretty, be kind and gentle, be smart but not too smart, and on and on. What I have learned over the last two decades is pretty much everything I was taught as a child needs to be re-examined now.

I was raised as the “social” one and my sister was the “smart” one. I walked through life carrying these labels with me and allowing myself to be limited as a result. Confronting these misconceptions and moving into my fear allowed me to create confidence in myself; however, it was pretty scary. Realizing that we create our own reality and we allow for or choose not to accept others’ opinions or limitations is incredibly empowering. For years, I had played small at work because I saw that it allowed others to feel more comfortable. When I would rise up or step into my power I would see others feel uncomfortable. 

Deciding to own my power has allowed me to take off in business and in my life. It starts with you and me deciding to live our lives by our own rules. Confidence is a choice. 

Make Goals and Stretch Yourself Every Day

There are so many things. Leverage LinkedIn. Everyone has a personal brand. Make the conscious decision to hold the pen when orchestrating your personal brand. If you don’t do this others will be writing the outline for your brand and deciding your story. LinkedIn is a fantastic place to showcase your highlight reel at work. This is where you want to list your accomplishments, accolades, and reviews. We live in a word-of-mouth society and the best words are the ones others share about us.

The next time someone says, “Great job!” convert that feedback in the moment and ask that person to write a review of your work on your LinkedIn wall. Get in the habit of doing this and watch the credibility and traction you create. Have a goal. Whether it is to make 10 sales calls today or to reach out to three new potential mentors, you need to have a big picture goal and vision of your future and you need to have micro-goals that you will accomplish each day. Surround yourself with people that are ahead of you, as they will help to stretch you beyond what you see as your current potential.

“Make the conscious decision to hold the pen when orchestrating your personal brand.”

Be Prepared to Step Into the Uncomfortable Sometimes

If you lack confidence, you will not pitch yourself for the job that doesn’t exist or for the promotion right in front of you. The first time I pitched myself for a vision I had, which was not an existing job, others said to me that it wouldn’t work and others had the same idea, but the company wouldn’t want to implement it. In that moment, if I lacked confidence, I would have accepted that answer and backed away. Thankfully, I was confident in my abilities at work and I called the president of the company, met with him face-to-face, and closed him on my idea. 

That idea more than doubled the company’s revenues during my tenure at the company. If you want to move up, you need to create confidence so you can step into the uncomfortable and move beyond what has always been. When you create confidence, you also allow yourself to innovate and see things others might not be able to see.  Confidence allows for creativity and authenticity which are key in getting ahead at work. 

“Faking it ‘till you make it will help you to get through difficult times, but it is never the long term answer.”

Confidence Is Earned

Confidence is such an interesting thing. I believe we are all born with the same baseline. However, we are immediately impacted by our surroundings and the individuals we are interacting with. There are so many people that I meet who have amazing parents, wealth, and health and create confidence immediately from their surroundings. What is interesting is those same people as adults when faced with losing their parents crumble. When your confidence comes from an external place it can’t be sustained.

I know this first hand. I had associated my confidence with my job title and my paycheck. The day I got fired, my confidence came crumbling down. The important thing to know is regardless of if you have confidence today or don’t, you can create it in any moment. The act of reading this article is creating confidence as you are accessing knowledge to better yourself. Confidence is not something that some are born with and some are not. Confidence is something that anyone can create and that can falter at different times in your life or different areas of your life.

Some may be confident in their personal life but not at work and some may be really confident in their workout but not when dating. Confidence is different at different times in your life and different situations, but through practice and discipline, you can become masterful in creating it and realizing your true potential.

The “Fake It ‘Till You Make It” Mantra Works… Until It Doesn’t

This mantra served me well in corporate America. Back in the day, I lacked confidence at work for many reasons. One of the big issues is because I had been told by many to dress a certain way, look a certain way, and change how I really am. The more you move away from the authentic you, the more you chip away at your confidence.

Over time, my confidence was dropping. When that happened, I began to allow others to treat me poorly at work. When I allowed for that, my confidence started spiraling. I still had a very high position in the company and would have to address employees and audiences often. In those moments, I would fake my confidence. I would take the stage or the mic and “pretend” I was ultra-confident. This worked and so many people believed it. The real fail is I didn’t believe it. Faking it till you make it will help you to get through difficult times, but it is never the long-term answer.  

Practice Gratitude and Visualization

Using affirmations daily works. As does:

• Writing notes on the bottom of your shoe, which is a great reminder to pick you up when your confidence dips. 

• Wearing your power color to work will allow you to feel your best.

• Putting yourself first and investing in you will build your confidence. 

• Deciding to no longer apologize and instead thank others will help you to feel stronger.

• Taking others off of the proverbial pedestal will allow you to feel on level ground with others which creates confidence. 

• Scents like lavender or anything that resonates with you can help when you are lacking confidence.

• Creating a confidence playlist and theme song will help you to ignite confidence before a big meeting. -Writing down three things you are grateful for each day will shift your mindset. 

• Practicing visualizing the life, promotion, meeting you want to happen will start things in motion and ready you for your dreams to manifest.”  

Clothing Can Be a Powerful Tool

For years, I would wear a navy blue pantsuit because I had listened to the prescriptive direction others had imposed on me. These days, I rock ripped jeans and bodysuits and I feel powerful. Being true to your style and what you feel great in will always help you to be more confident. Trying to follow what others tell you will work is a recipe for failure. You have the answers for you. You know what you like to wear and what you don’t like to wear. Show up as you and shine your light ripped jeans and all.  

Ditch the Fear and Do It Anyway

For years, I sat paralyzed by my fear. I would go to work in a toxic environment and cry at home at night because I felt stuck at the job that paid my bills. I was so fearful I would make excuses as to why I had to stay. I never thought, “Why don’t I leap and see what happens?” I now see fear as a green light that means GO! Not only go, but go faster. If I had leapt years ago, I would be so much further now. Done will always be better than perfect and failure only occurs if you quit. I am not a quitter. 

I have had countless failures since I was fired and re-invented myself as an entrepreneur but each failure leads me to a new place, a better place as long as I just keep going. Like anything, you can build your strength and conquer new levels of fear. Start small and take baby steps. Talk to a new person in line at Starbucks today. Then tomorrow use that experience to allow you to share your new idea at work with your boss. Keep amassing these small wins by confronting your fear, and before you know it, you will have momentum that will propel you to smash through fear. What’s the worst that can happen?

This story was originally published on July 15, 2019, and has since been published.

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So, You’ve Started Your Business—Now What?

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Navigating your way through the many challenges, ups, and downs of a small business is a daunting experience but one that many of us are willing to take to pursue our passion and realize a dream. But when you do hit the green light, many of us are left wondering, what now? What next?

Thankfully, Amber Tolliver founder of Liberté revealed some of the basics in her recent IG Live for the Create & Cultivate Ask an Expert series. Ahead, we share some of her tips from the workshop to help you in your process as a small business owner.

Business Basics

Take a Moment
This is the start of a marathon and the hard work is just about to start. However, it’s important to celebrate every win and acknowledge your steps forward.

Make Sure You’re On a Strong Foundation

First things first—a lot of the time we focus all our energy on the product or service side of the business but the business side of business is your foundation and needs to be strong if you are going to succeed. 

• How has COVID shifted your market landscape? 

• Are there changes that need to be made to better serve your business goals?

• Is your business established in a way to support those goals?
  

Get Organized and Protect Your Business

Be proactive about what you’ll need in the future. Do you have the necessary legal docs for business operations?

Fun Fact:

A lot of founders don’t know this but law firms will advance you billable hours to help you properly establish your business and provide you with standard legal docs you’ll need to properly run your business.

Make sure you are protecting your assets. 

• Is your intellectual property protected? 

• If you’re using consultants or speaking with anyone regarding confidential information, make sure you have them sign a consulting agreement or an NDA.

Learn to Delegate

As brand founders, our business is our baby which makes it hard to hand over tasks and entrust others with work. With that being said though it’s imperative for you to do so.  

• I can do my books but that doesn’t mean I should. 

• Hire experts in those areas that are the most important

Navigating the Day-to-Day

Do Not Beat Yourself Up

Mistakes are bound to happen in start-ups, it’s a part of the growing process. Do not beat yourself up over it or dwell on the mistake. Acknowledge it, learn from it, and move on.

Personally speaking, I have experienced this first hand. When I first started on my entrepreneurial journey I wanted to be perfect and precise but when I wasn’t, I would shift my focus to the mistake I made instead of what the lesson was. 

• Focus on the lesson and be grateful you can keep learning

Master the Pivot

Now more than ever it’s important to be flexible and agile. We have now an idea of what to expect as we move into the second half of 2020 or what the markets will do in response. 

Stay focused on what your goal is while remaining flexible on how you’ll achieve it. 

If you allow yourself to remain open to alternative routes you may find yourself in a space you never could have imagined.

Avoid Operating in a Vacuum

It’s quite easy to develop blinders as a founder, especially in early-stage businesses. 

• Make sure to build a team that will support you in the areas you need help

• Develop an advisory board whether it’s an official one or not it’s important to get advice from people who know more than you.

• Have a mentor or career coach you can go to for support. Business advice is one thing but support for you and the business leader to working to become is another.

Park Your Ego

Being a founder doesn’t mean you’re an expert in all areas of business. If you think you know everything then you end up closing yourself off to new ways of thinking or doing things

• As you grow your team, remember to inspire them through your leadership and collaborative mindset. 

Never Stop Being a Student

You know what you know, you know what you don’t know but you don’t know what you don’t know. Be open to learning!

• New perspectives will give you more viewpoints on your business which means fewer blind spots. The goal is to get a 360-degree perspective so you can see all sides and achieve success.

About the Author

A former fashion student, lingerie model, and frustrated 32E bra shopper, Amber Tolliver is the founder of Liberté, a luxury lingerie brand made for the modern woman. With an extensive 17-year career as a standard and plus-size model, Amber has worked for numerous lingerie brands and was also the face of Aerie’s “Real” campaign in 2013.

While garnering accolades for being a relatable inspiration to young women, her work as a model ultimately fueled her desire to create a brand that meets the needs of women who were ignored by the traditional American lingerie market. Most important to Amber is shifting the perspective of what is possible in bra manufacturing by providing size-inclusive collections, in comfortable and beautiful styles women deserve.

Raised just outside of Chicago and a former student of Columbia College Chicago and FIT, Amber makes New York City her home. In addition to running Liberté, she is actively involved with Girls Inc. of New York and is a dedicated plant mom.

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Ask an Expert: How to Boost Your Engagement and Build a Following on Instagram

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Create & Cultivate

Have you ever found yourself on a rollercoaster of emotion when it comes to Instagram? One day you’re flying high and people are clamoring to engage with your content—and the next? You’re shouting into the void with only crickets to respond. It’s time to ditch the not-so-fun ride and cruise into sustainable growth, engagement, and community building.

In this installment of our Instagram Live series Ask an Expert, Dre Fox, the CEO and founder of TimeOfDre Media, lays out a framework to follow to boost engagement, build sustainable growth, and cultivate a community on Instagram. Scroll on for her tried and true tips and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into our next Ask an Expert Live.

Why Does Engagement Matter?

Instagram is a fickle platform that judges success by your ability to create conversation and interest amongst your online community—a.k.a. you keep people on the platform. So IG favors those that receive high engagement as a way to incentivize that creator to keep going, but also the platform reaps the rewards of your community building.

In short, the more engagement—likes, comments, and shares—you get, the more Instagram will push you in front of new eyes.

Engagement Is Not What You Think!

Creating an online community is not a product of spending 10 hours a day on the platform dropping “cute pic” comments on everyone that you see, it’s the product of alignment.

Here is how I like to break it down:

When your message, your audience, and your content are all aligned, you can easily boost your engagement, your following, and your impact within the online space.

So, Let’s Break It Down

Find Your Niche

The specialist advantage or “your niche” is the most critical piece to nail on your Instagram page, because if your profile is hard to understand, most won’t click “follow,” which results in lower engagement.

So ask yourself, what topic or area can I provide the most insight or help to someone else in the online space? This doesn’t mean you need to be an award-winning expert or a top person in that space, but where can you draw the most insight and knowledge?

We want you to be a “go-to” or a wealth of knowledge to one group of people!

Attract People Who are Invested in You

If you truly want more engagement, you’ll want to have an audience of people that are invested in your content and inspired by your words. That can’t be created when your audience is filled with the wrong people.

So your first task is to revamp your bio to be geared towards your new topic and the people that would be interested in your niche. The goal here is that once you’ve made over your bio, you can hand your phone to a stranger and they’d be able to clearly state what you do and what you talk about!

Create Valuable Content

Think back to the best friend or mentor you ever had. They likely helped you, made you feel good about yourself, made you think deeper and pushed you to be better. This is your job on social media as well!

People are HIGHLY attracted to those that add value to their lives, for free.

So, identify the top 10 problems someone in your niche is having and break it into the following categories:

• Tips

• Example: 3 tips about (problem 1)

• Advice

• Example: Ways to avoid (problem 2)

• Resources

• Example: Struggling with (problem 3)? Here are some apps for….

Once you start creating value-driven content for your aligned audience, engagement will naturally increase without having to spend hours a day engaging.

Be a Champion of Others

Picture this, you get a nice comment, a thoughtful comment on your post from someone, you take a look at their profile and realize they’re speaking about topics you have interest in—you are clicking follow and bingeing their posts.

Conversely, you get a “cute pic” comment from an account that has nothing to do with your topic. You’re not going to follow them, right?

It’s pretty simple really, engagement is most effective when your heart is actually in the game and you’re trying to build an audience of like-minded people, not collecting likes.

Some best practices around active audience building is to comb through related hashtags and competitor accounts for people that will LOVE your content. Reach out, leave them a nice comment, engage with their stories and encourage a future relationship!

Once they are able to pop over to your page and see that you have amazing and helpful content, they’ll click that “follow” button and become a long term fan.

So What Does This All Mean?

It means that engagement is not about working more or working harder to scour the internet, it’s about being intentional and thoughtful with the relationship we are building. Having that narrow focus and an audience full of excited fans will carry your account much further than one full of thousands of dead accounts.

It’s time to niche down, create more value for others and spend your time creating relationships—the true secret to increased engagement!

“T

he more engagement—likes, comments, and shares—you get, the more Instagram will push you in front of new eyes.”

—Dre Fox, Founder and CEO, TimeOfDre Media

About the Expert: Dre Fox is the founder and CEO of TimeOfDre Media, a Forbes and Washington Post featured social media agency located in Austin, Texas. After many years of helping Fortune 500 companies improve their social experience and brand awareness online, Dre was inspired to focus on building the brands of small businesses and public figures. Her core passion is helping people just like you, realize their dreams online.

Right now, TimeOfDre is offering 30% off The Elevated Instagram, a foundational Instagram course using code: CC30 for all readers of Create and Cultivate. Please check out Dre over at Instagram for more free social media advice each day.

Psst… Want more intel on how to build a following on Instagram? Buy your ticket for C&C’s Digital Beauty Summit on Saturday, July 25th to tune into Dre Fox’s IG workshop.

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3 Black Female Founders on How to Be a True Ally

Beyond posting messages of solidarity on social media, true allyship means acknowledging your privilege, holding space for your Black colleagues, friends, and community, and striving to be actively anti-racist. “It’s about amplifying the voices that are most impacted,” activist Tamika D. Mallory recently told Vogue. “A good ally places themselves in between the system and those people the system is harming, using their privilege to allow the voices of the impacted folks to be heard and protected.”

In order to do just that, we passed the mic to three Black female founders who generously offered to share their thoughts on allyship with our community as part of our Ask an Expert Instagram Live series. Ahead, we’re sharing just a few of the many takeaways from our conversations with Jasmine Marie, the founder of Black Girls Breathing, Devi Brown, a wellness educator, energy healer, author, and the founder of Karma Bliss, and Nikia Phoenix, a self-love advocate and the creator of Black Girl Beautiful.

Scroll on to learn more about how you can show up for Black-owned small businesses, hold space for Black colleagues, friends, and communities, and approach allyship with heart, humility, and kindness, according to these founders.

If you missed any of these insightful conversations, you can watch them in full via our Create & Cultivate IGTV channel, here, here, and here.

How Allies Can Show Up for Black-Owned Small Businesses Right Now

“I

t’s going to take more than the month of June to make an impact.

We need you to be consistent in your efforts and keep it going.

—Jasmine Marie, Founder, Black Girls Breathing

Get Local

“The biggest point I want to make is get local. It just takes you opening your eyes a bit to identify those businesses that could use your support and impact your local economy.”

“If you Google African American festival in your city, I guarantee you that there are some bands that have been highlighted that have been doing working in your city and you may not have heard of them.”

“One way that I like to look for Black-owned brands for myself is the Nile List. It’s like a directory for Black-owned businesses. They’re currently building what would feel like a Google for you to search and support Black-owned businesses.”

Be Consistent

“It’s so important to keep it going. Keep your actions consistent. This is not just a one-off.”

“Black people are hundreds of years behind in terms of financial wealth, so it’s going to take more than just the month of June to make an impact. We need you to be consistent in your efforts and keep it going.”

“Go share that message with other people within your circle that are looking for ways they can be active with how they combat against overt and systematic racism.”

Commit to 360-Degree Advocacy

“Take a look from your seat of privilege—and the title or the job that you hold—and say, How can I further impact service-based Black-owned businesses or initiatives that could use my voice and use our corporate dollars?”

“If you are at a major corporation, lots of major corporations have what is called a supplier diversity team. This team’s job is to source Black-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses to put them into the supply chain, so it’s not just the same network of people and agencies and businesses that are receiving support from corporate dollars. Get tapped into your supplier diversity team.”

“Maybe you’ve started [a business,] how diverse is your team? Is there a way for you to be very specific in seeking out talented Black professionals and freelancers who need a platform and opportunity to showcase their art and not do so for free? We know how Black culture has impacted mainstream culture, however, a lot of Black creatives are not being paid for their services at the rates that they should be.” 

”If you are contracting Black-owned vendors, be more of an advocate. Look at the numbers and make sure you’re paying them the same amount as you would a white-owned agency. Are they selling themselves short? How can you show up for them? As an ally and industry insider, let them know they need to up their rates before getting more business or taking on more clients.”

If you missed our conversation with Jasmine Marie, the founder of Black Girls Breathing, you can watch it in full here.

How to Hold Space for Black Colleagues, Black Friends, and the Black Community

“

Holding space is to be with someone without judgement, to practice active listening, and to really hear someone’s truth, no matter what it is.”

—Devi Brown, Wellness Educator, Energy Healer, Author, and Founder, Karma Bliss

Make This a Journey

“This is a journey and you have now signed up to dedicate the rest of your existence to being the most expansive, elevated version of who you are to show up as your highest self to show up in wholeness and to actively serve the world, not just people who look like you.”

“It’s important that you realize that your own unlearning and your own path to expansion and enlightenment is going to be a journey. This is not something that you are going to understand by binge-watching every documentary about the Black experience or listening to every podcast, this is also going to be an excavation of self.”

“It is a journey for you to unlearn all the belief systems that we now as collective consciousness outgrown. All the belief systems that can no longer serve you because they were not equally serving everyone.”

Commit to Continued Education

“It is not a Black person’s job to explain the entirety of their experience—the entirety of their generational trauma—in a way that you understand so that their feelings can be validated. That is your journey. That is your homework. You do not need to add to the work or emotional processes of a Black person.” 

“This is going to be a constant life’s education. It is not just a documentary you’re watching this weekend, it’s also really realizing that this is collectively our human story. So, what are the ways that you are going to elevate your education and knowledge and your heart in service to others and knowing other people’s experiences?”

Show Up in a Supportive Way

“For all of us, that’s going to look different. Really see what impact do you want to have on the Black community now that you're aware of the challenges that are faced, the privilege that you’ve lived, and the inequality that is a part of every day for people.”

“As you’re doing this great unlearn, you also have the opportunity to be invested in the Black community, in your human being brothers and sisters, in a way that can supersede just this dismantling that we’re doing now.”

“How can I use my unique gifts, my unique calling, to be of service not just to myself but all underserved communities? Where can I best be used? How can I really show up in a way that’s uniquely mine and in a way that best serves other people? Where exactly do you want to make a difference?”

If you missed our conversation with Devi Brown, a wellness educator, energy healer, author, and the founder of Karma Bliss, you can watch it in full here.

If you’re looking for ways to continue your education and this process of unlearning, we’ve put together a list of 11 Books to Continue Your Growth in Being Anti-Racist.

How to Be an Ally With Love and Kindness

“

You have power. You have so much power, so use that power for good.

”

—Nikia Phoenix, Self-Love Advocate and Creator, Black Girl Beautiful

Acknowledge Your Privilege

“Acknowledge that you have been able to move in and out of this world in ways that others have not. There are certain privileges that come with being a white woman. You are able to be ignorant to the truths that people of color experience every day. This is a hard fact.”

Listen to Your Heart

“Breathe into your heart and exhale through your heart. So often we are listening to try to formulate a response, to try to formulate a rebuttal, instead of genuinely acknowledging that the person in front of us is a human being acknowledging their humanity.”

“When we’re able to listen with our hearts, we’re listening, we’re feeling, and we’re seeing through those eyes of compassion. We’re not trying to be right, we’re listening, we’re seeing through those eyes of compassion. Listen with your heart.”

Be Humble

“As an ally, specifically an ally to people of color, you are not aware of the microaggressions and the prejudice, the systemic racism that people of color experience on a daily basis. You don’t experience that.” 

“Be humble, hold your tongue, and don't try to whitesplain a person of color’s feelings and a person of color’s emotions.”

“You have to listen. You have to humble yourself to learn and realize that you don’t get kudos you don’t get any brownie points for being an ally.”

“People of color have been in this fight for a long time and so much of what we’ve been saying has been falling on deaf ears.”

“Be humble enough to silence yourself when a person of color is speaking and sharing how their feeling because their feelings are just as valid as your feelings.”

”Part of being humble means confronting the part of you that allows your ego and your privilege to speak instead of your heart.”

Have Grace

“Have grace for yourself in your quest to be a true ally. Take those Ls, take those losses, because those are ways for you to learn.”

“You don’t have to show up and be perfect. Practice is not about being perfect. It’s about learning. Be okay to take those Ls.”

“It’s okay to make mistakes—because guess what? When you make those mistakes, when you open yourself up, when you’re vulnerable, you open yourself up to the truth and the work that you need to do.”

“Have grace for yourself and have grace for the people that you are an ally to. The person that you are attempting to be an advocate and an ally to, they may not be able to vocalize how they’re feeling.”

Be a Helper

“We are always looking for the helpers. If you have acknowledged your privilege, you’re listening with your heart, you can be a helper by using your privilege for good.”

“Make sure that you are using your privilege to open doors for people of color, and when you open those doors for people of color, make sure that you are listening to them.”

“When you see that a person of color is not being treated fairly, speak up.”

“Being an ally means being able to acknowledge that maybe you haven't been doing enough and that you can do better.” 

“Seat at the table, pass the mic. Make sure that I have a plate to eat off of and that that plate is full. You cannot say that you are giving people of color opportunities if you are not paying them accordingly.“

Check Yourself

“You can always take time to check yourself. Check how you’re feeling, check and see if your ego is speaking or if your heart is speaking.”

“Check yourself about your intentions. Before you post something, before you write something, before you react to someone, check yourself. Get in touch with your heart and how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling that way. Check yourself, it’s a saving grace.”

“Even though you may believe that you are one person, you can positively change your community, positively change your environment, positively change your world. You have power. You have so much power, so use that power for good and help change some of these racist systems.”

If you missed our conversation with Nikia Phoenix, a self-love advocate and the creator of Black Girl Beautiful, you can watch it in full here.

Editor’s note: The book recommendations Nikia Phoenix shares during this IG Live are, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for our weekly schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

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Ask an Expert: The Three P's of Launching a Beauty Brand

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“When you cannot speak directly to the buyer, your product speaks for you.”

—Elle Johnson, Founder of Elle Johnson Co.

So you have a great business idea—now what? Between identifying a void in the market that you can fill, developing a quality product that you’re proud of, and defining your brand’s mission, aesthetic, and voice, getting from concept to launch can be overwhelming—especially when you’re entering a category as crowded as beauty.

To get into the nitty-gritty details of what it really takes to launch a brand in the beauty industry, we tapped Elle Johnson, founder of the botanical-based luxury skincare line Elle Johnson Co., for insight. In the latest installment of our Ask an Expert series, she breaks down the complicated process into the three p’s: purpose, product, and packaging.

Scroll on for some of the highlights, as told to Create & Cultivate by Johnson via IG Live. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it in full here, and be sure to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram Live.

Purpose

What is the fuel that is pushing you to launch this brand? What is the story behind your brand? Is there a void that you’re filling? Who are you helping? What need are you meeting?

The best beauty brands are the ones that are addressing a need for their consumer base. So, who are you targeting your product to? You want to know: Who are these women? Where do they work? Do they have children. Do they travel a lot? All of these things will help you learn how to market to your demographic and meet their needs.

Product

What is your product? What is it made of?

When it comes to creating a product, there are two options: Private label or manufacturing. With a private label, you go to a lab or a developer and they have an array of products that have already been created, deemed safe, and are ready to package. With a manufacturer, you have complete creative control, which can be extensive and expensive.

A few things to consider when developing your product:

• Is it safe?

• Is it clean?

• Who are you selling to?

• Is it a lifestyle?

• Is there room for growth?

Packaging

How do you want to package and sell your product?

The packaging is so key. As you go into retail placement, you have to think about so many things: What does your packaging look like on the shelves? How does it compare to your competitors? Does it have an educational element?

When you get to retail, you are going to be on the shelf next to your competitors, and when you cannot speak directly to the buyer, your product speaks for you.

About the Expert: LaVonndra "Elle" Johnson is the founder of the botanical-based luxury skincare line Elle Johnson Co. She has a formal background in branding and became a skincare enthusiast after witnessing so many women struggle with skin conditions, oftentimes leading to lowered self-esteem and confidence, and a reliance on artificial beauty. Follow her on Instagram.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

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Ask an Expert: How to Take Back Your Time and Get More Out of Your Days Without Running Yourself Ragged

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

Start believing that you actually deserve to be happy, regardless of whether or not everything on your to-do list gets done.”

—Whitney A. White, Creator of Take Back Your Time

We've all been known to “rise and grind,” but as we’ve had to learn the hard way, activity is not the same thing as productivity—it's time to bid adieu to the "I'm so busy" mantra. More often than not, attempting to tackle a never-ending to-do list just leads to feeling stressed, burnt out, and, ultimately, unfulfilled.

In this installment of our Ask an Expert series, we asked Whitney A. White, the creator of Take Back Your Time, to share her expert time management tips. Ahead, she breaks down four critical mistakes that are holding you back from living the life that you want and the actionable steps you can take to break these bad habits and get more out of your days.

Scroll on for her tried-and-true tips for maximizing your time, honing your focus, and avoiding burnout. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it in full here, and be sure to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram Live.

Mistake #1: Taking pride in being busy.

“Stop thinking that working like crazy and being exhausted is some kind of badge of honor.”

“When you’re on the verge of burnout, you’re less efficient, less effective, and way more prone to mistakes. You are juggling so many different balls that, at any moment, they could all come crashing down.”

“If you keep doing this, you’ll be trapped in the anxious feeling that everything could fall apart at any moment.”

Step #1: Prioritize outcome over activity.

“Focus on outcomes over activity. When you get off that hamster wheel and focus on outcomes, you can stop being busy and getting the most important things done.”

“Prioritize achieving the goals that really matter and taking pride in accomplishing what you truly want to do.”

Mistake #2: Trying to tackle to never-ending to-do lists.

“Stop feeling like you need to do every single thing that ends up on your to-do list.”

“We all intuitively know that some things are more important than others, but when we’re trapped in the realm of the never-ending to-do list, getting anything done feels like an accomplishment.”

Step #2: Nix low-value tasks.

“Not everything on your to-do list absolutely has to get done. You want to be investing your precious time in the tasks that are truly most important in your life.”

“This will give you the brain space to focus on high priorities that really matter. You will start to feel empowered. Remember, you have a choice in what you do with your time.”

Mistake #3: Thinking only you can.

“Get over feeling like no one else can do as good of a job as you can.” 

“Because you think no one else can do as good of a job as you can, you’re afraid to let go. You end up convincing yourself that you have to do everything yourself.”

“By making this mistake, you walk around with the weight of so many responsibilities on your shoulders.”

Step #3: Delegate, delegate, delegate.

“You are not the only competent person on the planet.”

“When you delegate, you can reap the benefits of applying laser-like focus to the tasks that truly matter to you.”

“True focus feels like you are operating at your peak level and you know that nothing can get in your way.”

Mistake #4: Sacrificing what you can’t get back

“Stop believing that you have to sacrifice your health, wellness, and happiness in the present in order to get where you want to go in the future.”

“When we over-index in one aspect of our lives and neglect the others, we end up feeling unfulfilled because there are parts of ourselves that we’re not letting flourish.”

Step #4: Give yourself permission to prioritize your own happiness.

“Start believing that you actually deserve to be happy, regardless of whether or not everything on your to-do list gets done.”

“Enjoy your life today in the here and now. Invest your time in the ways that you really want to—you don’t want to be grinding all the time just to feel unfulfilled.”

“That feeling of freedom and personal fulfillment is truly priceless.”

About the Expert: Whitney A. White is the founder of Afara Global, an organization that helps startups, corporate innovation teams, and nonprofits launch and scale new products and services. She is also the creator of Take Back Your Time, a transformational coaching program designed to help business leaders get on a clear path to achieving the goals that matter to them most. Follow her on Instagram.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

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How to Talk About Money With Your Significant Other (No Matter How Stressful the Times Are)

Photo: Jack Sparrow for Pexels

Whether you’ve been together for years or are just starting to date, talking about money with your partner can be fraught at any stage of the relationship. 

In fact, it’s often harder to bring up personal financial beliefs than it is topics like your sex life, politics, or even religion. During a pandemic, it’s even more challenging, yet deeply necessary. With so many households losing one or both incomes or simply feeling anxious about money, now is the time to foster open communication with your partner about money and how it makes you feel. 

As a financial therapist, Amanda Clayman, a financial therapist and Prudential Financial’s wellness advocate, is here to guide couples through this conversation all the time and is here to tell you that you are not alone and it gets better. With practice and an emotionally aware approach, you can navigate financial power dynamics, underlying assumptions, insecurities, and conflicting money styles and actually use money to bring you closer together than before.

Here are some tips to get you started.

Take an Emotional Litmus Test 

Money has a dual nature as a symbol and a tool in our lives. Before moving into a conversation about how you and your partner use money practically (to pay the bills, shop, etc.), consider what significance you symbolically place on money in your lives. Do you mentally tie your savings to your sense of self-worth? Or perhaps certain spending behaviors help you craft your personal image? These core meanings we attach to our money often go unexamined but can explain much of our emotional response when our financial lives are disrupted.

With the pandemic in full swing, job security uncertain, and markets moving up and down, it is normal to have a tidal wave of feelings. Take the time to acknowledge each one and think about why you are responding that way. Ask yourself what that feeling is trying to tell you about your values. By sharing these money triggers and truths with your partner, you can connect on a deeper, more meaningful level instead of squabbling about numbers.

Remember There Is No “Right” or “Wrong”

The way we choose to handle money is based on temperament, past experiences, and family learnings. These factors create a unique money style for each of us, and chances are, yours is not the same as your partner’s. Suspending judgment is essential in exploring money as a couple. Like any highly personal topic, the temptation to protect your own decisions by labeling them as objectively “right” is strong, but it is impossible for either of you to share the vulnerable details of your financial actions and feelings if this attitude is part of the conversation.   

Get to know each other’s money styles and stories by asking what money was like growing up for your partner. What was their first financial memory? How did they hear money talked about as a child? The more you know, the more you can emphasize and see not only the logic but the emotional reasoning behind choices that may have puzzled you before. When you both step back from trying to convert the other to your money style, you open the door to more creative solutions and compromises. 

Make It a Date—and Lean on Each Other

There never seems to be a good time to talk about money, even though it’s constantly on our minds.  Take the awkwardness out of beginning the discussion by making regular monthly or bi-weekly “money dates” with your significant other. Try ordering takeout from your favorite spot or opening a bottle of wine so you can both look forward to the conversation instead of dreading it. In these times of uncertainty, you may feel the need to increase the cadence of your money dates to once a week or more. Just remember, when more stable times return, don’t give them up! Choosing to talk about finances when times are good will provide you with a sense of normalcy when you need to talk about it in times of stress. 

These regular dates also allow you to keep each other grounded, especially during a crisis. Money is directly wired into our sense of survival, so when things feel out of control in our financial lives, we are wired to be reactive in a way that is not necessarily proportional to the actual threat. Consistently talking through these feelings with your partner will provide a perspective other than your own to gauge how well your emotions are matching up to reality. Gently support your partner and turn toward each other to decide on a healthy response to money stress and not make rash decisions in a silo. 

In conclusion, personal finance can be one of the most emotionally difficult topics to initiate in a relationship, but the more you practice it, the less scary it becomes. In times of upheaval, like this pandemic, we have a choice to let our anxiety drive us apart from our partners or have brave, productive, and affirming conversations. Times of difficulty are also opportunities to expand our empathy and find a deeper level of connection with our significant others. The important thing to remember is that this pandemic and subsequent financial uncertainty is neither you or your partner’s fault and will pass with time. In the meantime, Let’s come together on the things that matter, like supporting each other emotionally and remaining present. 

About the Author:  Amanda Clayman, a financial wellness advocate for Prudential Financial, is a widely recognized leader in the field of financial therapy. She helps her clients decode how thoughts, feelings, and associations shape their financial choices and identifies how those patterns serve and limit them in their lives. For over a decade Amanda has been helping people move beyond shame and frustration to find opportunities for personal growth embedded in the financial challenges they face.

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Ask an Expert: How to Create Financial Wellness By Rebuilding Your Personal and Financial Life Post-Layoff

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

Taking the time to create a financial roadmap will help you feel more in control and take the uncertainty out of your future financial picture.”

-Kathy Entwistle, Senior Vice President of Wealth Management, UBS Financial Services Inc.

It happened. It’s not a drill. And you most certainly aren’t happy. Why would you be though?  You were part of a major layoff, a restructuring, or some other term your company arbitrarily chose to deliver bad news, and now you are wondering what to do. You don’t want to spend time on a government web page endlessly scrolling for answers on unemployment, and you definitely don’t want to breach the subject with your friends or family yet. 

That is exactly why Kathy Entwistle, the senior vice president of wealth management at UBS Financial Services Inc., has outlined clear, actionable steps for you to take because while it is always acceptable to ask your network for help, a little preliminary research can bring a sense of independence and the power to stay positive and keep moving forward. Consider this your go-to source for handling all things personal and financial wellness for the next 30 days. 

Find your best Spotify playlist, give yourself a hug, and let’s get to planning your next act!

Put Yourself First 

Take some time to process the fact that your day-to-day life has changed. Not only is social distancing starving the human condition for connectivity and engagement, but your routine and purpose will have to be redirected, too. Find time over the next few days to look inside, reflect, pause, and even try meditating if this is not something you normally do. There are many great mediation apps, and most are offering free trials. 

Set Your Goals and Objectives

Whether you choose meditation or some other form of internal reflection, one important guidepost in your checklist and planning will be your purpose and intention. Setting an intention as to your schedule, routine, and plan to get yourself back on track will be crucial. The less intentional you are about your goals and objectives, the less effective you will be in pursuing them. 

Let’s start with your career intention and work our way to your financial intention. LinkedIn just became your new best friend (or same old friend for some who use it often). Reaching out through messaging, connections, and coffee breaks will provide exposure to the people who can provide proper guidance, advice, and possibly even the interview you wanted all along. 

A great book to read to help guide you on your new career path is called, “What Color Is Your Parachute?” It will give you some great questions to ask yourself when assessing your career intention, and possibly, a new career path.

Assess Your Resume

Find time to recraft your resume and ways to be a storyteller rather than a fact board. Make sure your resume tells your authentic story and is crafted to the right target audience for jobs you will now be applying to. Let’s not forget; your current connections at your company are extremely valuable. Reach out to both those who have been laid off and those who haven’t, but you know well. Their recommendations and willingness to help you on your next path are not to be overlooked!

Review Your Financial Plan

You want to first reacquaint and understand where you stand financially. How much you have, how much you need, and where you can pull cash flow from. Is it your portfolio kicking off dividends or coupons from stocks and bonds? Do you have an emergency fund with three to six months of easily accessible funds? Do you have anyone who is depending on you?  

Make sure to take a look at your credit card statements or activity online. This will tell you where you might be able to cut costs, like shopping for clothes online or ordering takeout. Just as you would block off time on your schedule for meetings, block out time on your schedule to review your plan, we might even suggest you accompany it with a matcha or your favorite cold brew.

Review Your Severance

The standard is two weeks of severance for every year you have worked at the company, but that is not mandatory. Make sure you take the time to understand what they are offering you, you are even permitted to try and negotiate. 

Also, check to see about your health insurance coverage. Will your employer be providing Cobra coverage and for how long? If you have a partner or spouse, make sure to account for yourself on their benefits when appropriate. 

Not everyone’s package will be the same, so focus your energy on yourself and what you can control. While we are still in the assessment stage, we are already moving forward. Keep that playlist rolling!

Review Your Debt

If you have credit card, auto loan, or student debt, now might be the time to conserve and preserve your cash. Don’t pay anything other than the minimum until you get back on your feet and are in a better position to get back on track and put together a plan to reduce your debt.  These are debts that you will want to be able to eliminate once you have your cash flow back in place and you have an emergency fund set aside.

Map Out a Savings Strategy

It might seem that much more difficult to worry about your day-to-day expenses let alone remember to stash away some for later, but it is important to keep saving, even if you have to decrease your contributions to your savings account. Ideally, you would not be selling any of your investments to fund your day-to-day expenses so you can continue to let your nest egg grow, however, we realize that you might need to sell some investments to get by.

Come Up With a Selling Strategy

You will want to be aware of any tax impacts of selling investments with unrealized gains. Unrealized gains are taxed at capital gains, instead of your higher ordinary income rates, and could cause an even larger burden if you don’t have the funds to pay the taxes. You will also want to keep in mind your long term investment strategy. If the investment has good prospects for future return or it is an investment providing cash flow, you might want to rethink selling that position just for liquidity.

Consider Borrowing 

Think about borrowing, as long as the rate of return will outmatch the rate of borrowing and opportunity costs. For example, rather than selling your investments to access cash, think about keeping your long term investment strategy running and borrowing for short term liquidity. When you get back on your feet, you will be happy to see your nest egg was compounding for a longer time and without any tax drag or reduction in size.

Money can be stressful. Not having money can be very stressful. Taking the time to understand your financial picture and take the steps necessary to create a financial roadmap will help you feel more in control and take the uncertainty out of your future financial picture.

About the Expert: Kathy Entwistle is the senior vice president of wealth management at UBS Financial Services Inc., providing straightforward financial advice tailored to the life you lead. Kathy has been in the financial services industry for more than 25 years. A former stay at home mom who donated her time teaching local financial classes to women, she rose to the heights of being named a "Forbes America's Top Women Wealth Advisor" in 2017 and 2018. As a seasoned multigenerational practice within UBS Private Wealth Management, Kathy, along with her son and the rest of her team, has guided generations of sophisticated families as well as senior executives and entrepreneurs through complex financial challenges.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Process, Cope, and Move Through Grief Right Now

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“In order for us to heal, we have to feel our feelings.”

—Dr. Morgan Francis, Licensed Mental Health Therapist

Grief is something that most of us are experiencing right now. In the wake of COVID-19, just consider all that we’ve lost: the lives taken by the coronavirus, the lost livelihoods, the depleted savings, the upended routines, the canceled plans, the postponed weddings, and so much more. Odds are, each of us is processing and attempting to move through one of the five stages of grief right now.

In this installment of our Ask an Expert series, we asked Dr. Morgan Francis, a licensed professional counselor with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, to share her insights on how to process, cope, and move through grief right now. Scroll on for some of the key takeaways from the conversation and follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into the next installment of the ongoing series.

The 3 Us

“In order for us to heal, we have to feel our feelings,” Dr. Francis wisely points out. In order to do so, there are three things about grief that we all need to be aware of and understand, a.ka. the three us:

U #1: Unique. “Your grief is unique,” explains Dr. Francis. “Your loss is unique to you. There’s no benefit when we compare our suffering. Your pain is worthy of being recognized and being noticed. Your pain matters.”

U #2: Universal. “Your loss is unique, yet it is universal,” says Dr. Francis. “We all feel it and can relate to one another though everyone’s grief is unique to them.”

U #3: Uncertainty. “There is so much uncertainty right now, and it’s an uncomfortable place to be,” notes Dr. Francis of the current COVID-19 crisis. “Here’s the thing about uncertainty, it allows possibility. There’s a lot of possibility right now in your life. There’s going to be a change and a shift.” 

If you’re struggling with uncertainty (U #3), Dr. Francis suggests the following exercise: “Think about a time in your life when you didn’t know the outcome, she explains. “Then ask yourself what have you overcome when you didn’t know the outcome?”

This could include anything from moving to a new city, starting a new job, entering a new relationship, or having a child. “There have been plenty of times when you haven’t known the outcome but you adapted and you made it through,” she reminds us.

The Box Breathing Method

Originally developed by the Navy SEALs to help them cope with their environments, box breathing is an effective tool for reducing anxiety, calming down, and grounding yourself, explains Dr. Francis.

To practice the method: Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and finally hold your breath for four seconds.

“You can repeat as many times as you need to until you feel more grounded and calm in your body,” says Dr. Francis. “It’s a great tool for regulating how you feel in your body.”

The 5 Stages of Grief

According to Dr. Francis, it’s important for you to name what you are feeling. “Grief is not a linear process, the key is to identify which stage you are in so you can start to understand and feel your feelings,” Dr. Francis reminds us. This is where the traditional five stages of grief come in handy:

Stage #1: Denial. “We want to remain in our preferred reality,” explains Dr. Francis.

Stage #2: Anger. “We’re mad about our reality,” she offers. “We want accountability and we want somebody to be responsible for what happened.”

Stage #3: Bargaining. “It’s the idea that if I did this, could I have that,” Dr. Francis explains.

Stage #4: Sadness. “It’s the feelings of hopelessness and helplessness,” she says.

Stage #5: Acceptance. “In this stage, you’re starting to accept the reality,” Dr. Francis explains. “However, this does not mean that you like this reality.”

Dr. Francis recently launched a new online course, Loving Yourself Through Loss, and is offering Create & Cultivators $100 discount with the code CULTIVATE100.

About the Expert: With over 20 years in the mental health field, Dr. Francis is a licensed professional counselor with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology. She is the founder and owner of Scottsdale Premier Counseling, a private practice in Arizona providing individual, couples and group therapy. She specializes in the treatment of body image and eating disorders, self empowerment, sexual compulsive behavior, mood disorders, relationships, and trauma.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Reduce Anxiety and Fear Right Now

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“Resilience is something that you can cultivate.”

—Michelle Kuei, Author, Life Coach, Speaker, and Founder of elevatelifecoaching.org

If you’re feeling anxious as a result of COVID-19, your’e certainly not alone. In fact, more than one-third of Americans (36%) say that coronavirus is having a serious impact on their mental health and most (59%) feel that coronavirus is having a serious impact on their day-to-day lives, according to a new poll by the American Psychiatric Association.

For tips on how to cope with anxiety and fear in the midst of this crisis, we tapped Michelle Kuei, an author, life coach, speaker, and the founder of elevatelifecoaching.org, for the latest installment of our Ask an Expert series. Ahead, we’re sharing three actionable steps she swears by for dealing with anxiety and fear during coronavirus and beyond. Be sure to follow Create & Cultivate to tune into the next conversation.

Step 1: Understand Your Fear

“You’re probably familiar with the following acronym: Fear is false evidence appearing real. It’s our body’s natural response to the unknown. 

So, here are a few empowering questions to ask yourself to start understanding your fear:

1. What are you telling yourself when you are afraid?

2. What are you afraid of?

3. Is what you’re afraid of real? (Avoid falling into the trap of that acronym.)

4. How likely is it that what you’re afraid of is going to happen?

Recognizing fear is step one, and now you have a choice: you can run away from fear or you can overcome it by creating a safety net.”

Step 2: Create a Safety Net

“Start by asking yourself: What is the worst thing that can happen? You might lose your business, you might lose your job, you might not be able to pay your rent. Think through all your worst-case scenarios and write them down.

Then, look at your worst-case scenarios and ask yourself: How likely is it that it’s going to happen? If you feel like the worst-case scenario is a likely outcome, come up with a plan. Planning can help us reduce some of the unknowns and can help alleviate the fear and stress that comes with uncertainty.

Another way to manage fear: Fake it till you make it or, as I like to say, face it till you get it. Start thinking about your fear as a part of you and you don’t need to get rid of it. The fear is showing up because it wants to protect you. Instead of resisting it, walk with it.”

Step 3: Cultivate Resilience

“I recommend that everyone keeps a judgement journal. Journaling is a great way of keeping track of what happens and as an outlet for our emotions.

To start a judgement journal, here’s what you do: Keep track of your negative thoughts, and for each negative thought, come up with two different ways of looking at it.

This is a process that we call “reframing.” Every statement that we use and the phrases that we speak to ourselves matter. The more that we can train ourselves to have a different perspective we train ourselves to use those different judgment muscles, such as gratitude and resilience.

Remember, resilience is something that you can cultivate.”

About the Expert: Michelle Kuei, Pharm.D., ACC, CPC, ELI-MP, is an author, life coach, speaker, and the founder of elevatelifecoaching.org. She’s an ICF associate certified coach, a certified professional coach, a certified energy leadership index master practitioner, a certified Cor.E transitions dynamic specialist, a WomanSpeak Circle leader, and a doctor of pharmacy.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Negotiate Lower Bills and Save Money Right Now

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: picjumbo.com for Pexels

If you’re feeling anxious about the state of your finances right now, you’re not alone. The coronavirus pandemic is causing nearly 9 in 10 Americans to feel anxious about money, according to a new survey from the National Endowment for Financial Education. Almost half (48%) of individuals say that they’re worried about paying their bills (28% for both housing payments and utilities).

For tips on how to negotiate lower bills and save money right now, we tapped none other than Nicole Lapin , the New York Times best-selling author of “Rich Bitch,” “Boss Bitch,” and “Becoming Super Woman,” for the latest installment of our Ask an Expert series. Read on for some of the highlights and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into the next conversation.

Step #1: Reevaluate Your Spending Plan

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for creating a budget, but as a general guide, Lapin recommends breaking down your income like this during COVID-19:

• 65% of your income should go toward essentials. (This is your rent, your mortgage, your car payment, your groceries.)

• 30% of your income should go toward your endgame. (This is your retirement plan, your emergency fund, and anything else that’s for “future you.”)

• 5% of your income should go toward extras. (This is your Netflix subscription, your morning latte, etc.)

Step #2: Negotiate, Negotiate, Negotiate

“You can negotiate anything,” Lapin explains. “Your medical debt, your cable bill, your utility bill, your car insurance, the annual percentage rate (APR) on your credit card—ALL of it is negotiable. The worst thing they can say is ‘no,’ and the answer will always be ‘no,’ unless you ask.”

When you’re making calls to negotiate your bills and payments to places like your cable provider or your credit card company, Lapin recommends using the following key phrases to use to get the best deal possible: “What’s the best you can do? Can i talk to a manager? Can I talk to a supervisor?”

When it comes to your rent or your mortgage, there are a lot of relief programs available right now, including moratoriums on evictions and a pause on payments. That said, “the first thing you do when you talk to your landlord is ask for a deferment (3 months is pretty standard),” offers Lapin.

“Then, ask about what you’re signing up for: Will your payments be prorated? Or will monthly payments simply start up again?,” she notes. “And don’t be afraid to ask for a break in payment or ask to put your security deposit toward your payments.”

Psst… For more insights on how to negotiate from Nicole Lapin, sign up for her free scripts and templates at nicolesfreebies.com.

Step #3: Get All the Benefits You Possibly Can

“There is no shame in the unemployment game,” Lapin reminds us. "Careeronestop.org is the best place she’s found to apply for unemployment. “Click on the COVID button and go to your state, go through all the prompts, and apply for unemployment.”

If you’re a small business owner who hasn’t been approved for a loan through SBA (the U.S. Small Business Association), don’t forget about credit unions and fin-tech companies. “Apply through Paypal, Square, or Cabbage,” Lapin recommends.

Then, go after all the grants. “Grants.gov is the best place to find a treasure trove of all the grants out there,” says Lapin. “The more niche and random you can get, the better (the PEN organization for authors and writers, for example).” 

Last, but not least, find out when you’re getting your stimulus check. “Go to irs.gov/getmypayment to look up the status of your payment,” says Lapin. You can also find out if you can expect a direct deposit or a paper check in the mail.

About the Expert: Nicole Lapin is the New York Times best-selling author of “Rich Bitch” and “Boss Bitch.” She has been an anchor on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg and hosted the nationally syndicated business reality competition show, “Hatched.” Her third book, “Becoming Super Woman,” is out now. She’s also the founder of personal finance masterclass The Money School and co-hosts the “Hush Money” podcast on iHeartRadio.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Get Legal Protection for Your Small Business

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

Although we’re in the middle of a pandemic, there is going to be a large wave of new businesses. If you don’t take the time to protect your business now, you will end up spending 10-20x more money in the long run defending yourself.”

—Andrea Sager, a small business attorney

As a small business owner, or someone wanting to start a small business, there’s one part of your business you can’t ignore: LEGAL. In reality, it doesn’t matter what size business you are. No matter what stage you’re in, there are legal protections you must take into consideration if you want to keep the money you make. 

Enter: Andrea Sager, a small business attorney shaking up the legal industry with her Legalpreneur plan which provides all-access to her firm for small businesses. Every day, she works with business owners who are on the verge of losing everything because they don’t have the right legal protections in place. Don’t let that be you.

Below are three ways you can protect your business during this pandemic and beyond, according to Sager. 

Entity Protection

Sole Proprietor

It’s important for your business to operate as some type of legal entity. If you have not created a legal entity for your business, then by default, you are a sole proprietor. Sole proprietors get no legal protection for their business.

A sole proprietor is personally liable for the debts and obligations of their business. Personally liable means if your business owes a debt or is sued, then creditors can come after your personal bank account and personal assets. Operating as a sole proprietor is risky. It’s scary to be in a position where your personal assets are on the line. The good news is that setting up a legal entity will provide you with the protection you need. And it doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.

Unlike a sole proprietor, legal entities provide personal liability protection for business owners. When you operate under a legal entity, if your business owes a debt or is sued, the creditors can only come after the business’s bank accounts and assets, not your personal bank accounts and assets. It’s nice to know that you’re not at risk of losing your house because your business fell behind on some payments. 

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

The most common legal entity small businesses operate under is a Limited Liability Company, a.k.a. an LLC. Operating under an LLC is usually the best legal business entity your business can operate under, because it is easy to setup and it provides great liability protection to its owners.

To set up an LLC, you must file paperwork with your state and pay a filing fee. Before you file the paperwork, you need to have a few things figured out so you’ll be able to complete the paperwork. Some of the things you need before filing your LLC are the name, a registered agent, and how it is going to be managed. Once you’re approved through your state, the LLC does not give you any federal trademark rights. Trademarks are discussed further below.

Corporations 

A corporation is typically not the best fit for a small business. Corporations have more fees and maintenance involved. However, if you plan on having investors, a corporation may be the best choice. 

Contracts

I’m sure you have heard the term “get it in writing.” That is always a good rule of thumb in business. Contracts essentially define a relationship between parties. Contracts are important whether your business sells goods or services. With goods, contracts define price, delivery, the refund policy, shipping, when and how payment is due, and quantity. Issues can arise in any of those areas so it’s important to have them defined in writing.

Services contracts may need additional terms to help protect you. Service contracts can define what exact services will be provided. Some services are dependent on client response. Service contracts can allow you to terminate the contract if the client isn’t being responsive. Sometimes the result of a service can be subjective. Service contracts can protect you from a client saying, “I’m not satisfied with the service and I’m not paying.” 

Why It’s Important to Have Terms and Conditions

If you run a website for your business, you’ll want to make sure you include terms and conditions. Terms and conditions are not required by law, but they’re are something you will want to include because it’s the contract between you and the visitors of your site. Terms and conditions can protect you if someone uses your website to make defamatory comments or infringe on someone else's intellectual property rights. Those are things you are not going to want your business to be liable for. There are lots of sample terms and conditions on the internet, however, it is best to have a licensed attorney draft terms and conditions for your website to fit the specific needs of your business. 

Why It’s Important to Have a Privacy Policy

If you collect any kind of personal information from your customers/clients then you will need to have a privacy policy in place. Personal information includes names, addresses, mobile telephone numbers, email addresses, and so forth. A lot of states have privacy laws that require you to disclose what personal information you store and how you use it. There can be big penalties for not complying with privacy laws. Like terms and conditions, there are lots of sample privacy policies on the internet, however, it is best to have a licensed attorney draft a policy that fits your business. 

Intellectual Property

There are three types of intellectual property: trademarks, copyrights, and patents. It’s important to understand the difference between these because they protect different aspects of your business. And whether you know it or not, many times intellectual property is the most value part of your business. 

Trademarks

A trademark is a word, symbol, or combination thereof that is intended to identify and distinguish one merchant from another. Essentially, trademarks allow consumers to distinguish who is offering what goods or services. You can apply for a federal trademark registration for goods or services that let consumers know your goods and services come from you, such as your business name, logo, slogan, podcast name, service name, product name, and many more. 

In order to obtain federal protection, meaning you are the only one that can use that term or logo throughout the United States, you must apply with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The trademark application process takes at least six months, and the average amount of time is nine months. Filing a trademark application can be difficult, so it’s best to work with a licensed trademark attorney when filing. 

Copyrights

Put simply, copyrights protect original works of authorship (content): podcast episodes, photos, videos, this blog post, books, songs, movies, and many more. The purpose of copyrights is to award creators for their creations by protecting the expressions of their ideas. 

The neat thing about copyrights is that you don’t have to obtain a registration to have rights. Once you create a work, and it meets the qualifications, it’s automatically protected by copyright law. However, you can register your copyright with the United States Copyright Office, which does have its benefits. First, having a copyright registration allows you to sue someone for copyright infringement in federal court. Additionally, a registration allows you to recover attorney’s fees in a copyright infringement lawsuit. Meaning, if you win an infringement lawsuit, the other side will probably have to pay for the cost of legal fees.

Although we’re in the middle of a pandemic, there is going to be a large wave of new businesses. If you don’t take the time to protect your business now, you will end up spending 10-20x more money in the long run defending yourself. Do what you can now to protect yourself.

About the Expert: Andrea Sager is a small business attorney shaking up the legal industry with her Legalpreneur plan that provides all-access to her firm for small businesses. After working for a large law firm working with large businesses, Andrea realized her true passion was helping small businesses embrace and protect their business and intellectual property. In just under 2 years, Andrea has become the go-to attorney for entrepreneurs, protecting everything from their brand names to their courses and blog posts.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: What to Do When Your Revenue Is Significantly Slashed, According to a CEO

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

I haven’t taken a paycheck since February, its more important to me to think about the company long term.”

—Dr. Heather D. Rogers, founder and CEO, Doctor Rogers RESTORE

In this edition of our Ask an Expert series, Dr. Heather D. Rogers, the founder and CEO of Doctor Rogers RESTORE, joined us on Instagram Live to chat about everything from how to keep your business alive to how to get your best at-home skin.

For the uninitiated, Dr. Rogers is a dermatologist and CEO who is managing both her practice and her business in the midst of this crisis. She is seeing patients, hand packing orders, and wearing more hats than ever before—all while giving up her salary.

Scroll on for some highlights from the conversation—including why you should focus on your mission—and follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into the next one.

Your Brand Pillars Matter

“Being a brand right now, you really have to have very clear ideas of what your pillars are. Don’t start a company unless you can say why you are different and what you bring to the marketplace in three sentences. If you’re trying to bring something better to market and help people, that is something there is always space for.”

Less Is More When It Comes to At-Home Skincare

“When you’re at home, don’t overdo your skincare. Don’t do 15 masks a week, don’t over-exfoliate. Make sure you wash your face, moisturize your face, and wear sunscreen.”

“You should wear sunscreen even if you don’t go outside. When you’re inside, if you’re by a window, you will get UVA, which will break down collagen and give you brown spots—I always recommend a zinc-based sunscreen.”

“When your skin is agitated, less is more.”

Give and Get Support (We All Need It)

“I haven’t taken a paycheck since February, its more important to me to think about the company long term.”

“The really big banks are not going to help you here, you need to find the small banks that you can build a relationship with who will really go to bat for you.”

“We started a campaign called Help the Healers to give our products to healthcare workers. It feels good for us to do it, it helps the healthcare workers, and its also creating content.”

“I’ve been working really hard to be responsive to needs without being reactive because everyone needs a little more help right now. You need to thank your staff every day and recognize what they are doing every day.”

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Handle Your Money in This Crisis, According to a Wealth Advisor

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“The best way to ease our fears and anxiety about money is to get involved. Ask questions. Know what you’re dealing with.”

—Roxana Maddahi, Wealth Advisor at Steel Peak Wealth Management

With money anxiety at an all-time high in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, one thing is certain (despite the volatile state of the markets): We need to close the financial literacy gap for women. According to the 2019 Women, Money, and Power Study, commissioned by Allianz Life Insurance Company, 57% of women wish they were more confident in their financial decision making.

Enter Roxana Maddahi, a wealth advisor at Steel Peak Wealth Management who’s passionate about helping women take the lead in financial planning and helping us realize that it’s not as intimidating as it may seem. In this installment of our Instagram Live Ask an Expert series, we tapped Maddahi to weigh in on how we should be handling our money during COVID-19.

Scroll on for some highlights from the conversation and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to tune into the next one.

Q: I’m currently experiencing a lot of anxiety around money during COVID 19. What can I do to ease my concerns?

A: It’s normal to have anxiety around money right now—26 million people have lost their jobs, most businesses have slowed down, and we have no idea when this will all end.

My advice is: Get involved with your money. Get online access to your bank accounts, your retirement funds, your student loan providers—and talk to the people that help handle your money.

Call your CPA and tell them that you want to be involved and a part of the conversation. Call your financial advisor and let them know what you need, what your goals are, and what your desires are. Don’t be scared, don’t be nervous. There’s no harm in being aggressive and making sure that you’re part of the conversation.

The best way to ease our fears and anxiety about money is to get involved. Ask questions. Know what you’re dealing with.

Q: I’m not invested, where do I start? Is now a good time to be making investments anyway?

A: I do think it is the right time to invest if you’re not invested already. If you want to invest in the stock market, you want to have a timeline of at least five years because markets tend to go up and down and you want to allow for time if there is a pullback (like we’ve seen recently, for example.)

The great thing about investing that’s happened in recent years is that there are very few barriers to getting invested in quality investments. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) allow you to invest in a theme of stocks, making it easy to diversify your overall portfolio. I personally invest my own assets in ETFs because they tend to be less volatile.

Q: What about other future planning like retirement and education savings?

A: It’s a great time to explore what your options are if you’re looking ahead to retirement or starting to save for your kid’s education.

For saving for retirement, make sure you’re looking at a qualified retirement plan—a 401k, IRA, a SepIRA. The benefit is that they allow you to put money away before tax, so it’s subtracted from your taxable income. The money that you can put in it now, the more that it will grow and that can be very powerful.

For saving for a kid’s education, I like the 529 plans. They’re easy and accessible and allow you to grow your money without paying taxes on it. You’re able to invest your money, let it grow, and then not pay capital gains tax on it.

The caveat with the 529 plans are that they can only be used for education—for college tuition, books, room and board, and now even private school. If you use them for anything else (say, your kid decides not to go to college), then you have to pay a 10% penalty plus tax if you don’t use this money for education.

Q: Where is the most important area for small business owners to focus their financial energy right now and why?

A: Continue to invest in your employees. If you haven’t already, I would take advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to continue to pay your employees.

Everyone who owns a small business knows how difficult it is to hire people, to train people, and to have a group of people that works well together. If you can’t afford to pay your employees full salaries, think about what you can do to keep them onboard until we see that rebound.

You want to be able to crush it after this is all over, so I highly recommend investing as much as you can in your employees and doing all you can to keep them motivated and going during this process.

About the Expert: Roxana Maddahi is a wealth advisor at Steel Peak Wealth Management. She helps millennials plan their financial lives and invest for their futures. She’s on a mission to help women take the lead in financial planning and realize that it’s not as intimidating as it seems.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: Jaclyn Johnson on Pivoting to Digital, Managing Cashflow, and Being Transparent During COVID-19

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting live discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Create & Cultivate

Our very own Jaclyn Johnson, the founder and CEO of Create & Cultivate, went live on SoFi’s Instagram this morning to talk all things pivoting in the time of COVID-19. In conjunction with Create & Cultivate’s daily Ask an Expert series, she joined SoFi spokesperson and career expert Ashley Stahl to chat through everything quarantine has meant for her small businesses (aka Create & Cultivate) and her employees.

Jaclyn talks community, the upcoming digital Money Moves Summit, and ways you can set yourself up for success post-COVID. Whether you are a business owner, just got laid off, or have a business you want to launch, Jaclyn has guidance for you. Read on for all the highlights and some killer advice on how you can come out on the other side of quarantine as your best self (without learning how to bake bread).

On pivoting…

“I think we’ve officially adjusted to the new normal.”

“As an event focused company, we had to pivot quickly to the digital realm.”

On advice for business owners feeling unsure…

“Before doing anything drastic, give it a beat. We’re in the middle of a transitional period where we’ll know more in two or three months where the market is going, where the trends are going, and what will be happening.”

“Number one, take a look at your business: Are their ways to transition into a digital world? If there is, double down on that. Think about what’s working and put all your energy into that.”

“Think about how you can move quickly and nimbly in this environment to keep money coming in.”

On how to nurture community…

“When it comes to community, it’s challenging. You don’t want to come off as ‘buy, buy, buy,’ but the reality is we’re in an economic situation where we need to be supporting small business owners and we need to be a part of that conversation.” 

“It’s important to be authentic and to be vulnerable. Now is not the time to be like, ‘We’ve got it all figured out, we know exactly what’s going on.’ It’s about finding a way to be there for your community in a way that’s impactful and informative, but also realistic because everyone is going through it.”

On employee relations…

“It’s really important to be transparent about what’s going on and be over communicative and let them know that you’re figuring this out as well but keeping that line of communication open.”

“We have to shift the way we think, we have to shift the way we’re doing business. So really allow your team to bring ideas to the table.”

On navigating furloughs and layoffs…

“You don’t want a lot of voices in the room when it comes to decisions like this. It can be even harder to navigate these conversations.”

“This is, hopefully for a lot of people, a temporary situation. So, if you are on the other side of this, don’t take this personally as a ‘career fail’ this is a pandemic that we’re dealing with.”

“It’s about having your employees understand how the government can support them as well.”

“We’ll be coming back from this and businesses will want to hire because they will be incentivized to hire.”

On transitioning to online…

“What we’ve found is that people are spending so much time online and they want to better themselves.”

“People are trying to improve themselves through online content.”

“Everyone should be asking for help during this time.”

On keeping money in your business...

“One, look at your accounts receivables and see where you’re at with that—and look at what your late fees are if people are overdue to maximize that money that’s coming in. Two, think about, ‘Where am I spending each month and where can I reduce this cost?’ For us, there were things we used for events like Spotify and Rent The Runway that got nixed. We put everything on hold in that space. Three, cash flow is really important right now. Think about how you can make incremental dollars without spending on talent or consultants or whatever it may be.”

“One thing we’ve really doubled down on is Instagram ads because usually when you spend money on those you can make money. Think about how you can maximize your ad spend.”

“It’s about being really conservative with your cash flow right now.”

On the Money Moves Summit…

“The Summit is all about pivoting in the new normal. So, it’s about entrepreneurs, business owners, freelancers, creatives, or someone who got furloughed or laid off. It’s really for anyone who is looking to thrive, not just survive, post COVID-19.”

“Our event is $29.99 and all the proceeds are going to a grant for a small business owner. That is something we wanted to do not only because of what’s happening in the world but we wanted to give back to our community in some way.”

On providing value while working from home…

“I think what is important is being proactive and bringing things to the table. If you feel like you’re not getting your message across, create a list of the things you’ve got done or that you think we should be doing. Be proactive about it.”

On reconnecting with your purpose…

“What has historically happened in times like this is innovation, which is an exciting good thing that we can look forward to.” 

“Use this time to think about what are people going to need coming out of this? Where is there space in the market? Where is there white space to take advantage of and that you can build something for? Also, what excites you and makes you happy?”

On making big changes…

“Think about what you want and then make a 6-month road map.”

“I don’t think now is the time to make rash moves. I think being strategic makes a lot of sense. But it’s important to look at things that aren’t working.”

On setting the foundation for a brand…

“I always say, ‘Think of your full-time job as your investor in your company.’ Look at your paycheck and see what you can put toward your next venture, and then understand what you need for a three-to-six-month runway for your business.”

“Start planting seeds, see what’s out there, see if there is interest.”

“Don’t launch a replica of what someone else is doing. Think through how you can put a spin on it or make it uniquely yours. Or look at what someone is offering and look at what is missing.” 

“You cannot go into anything thinking, ‘What if,’ you have to go in thinking, ‘What’s next.’”

On the best thing to do for your business right now…

“Take a deep dive into your customer. See what they like, what they’re reacting to. I think this is a great time to poll your audience. Learn about your audience and what they want.”

On partnership and sponsors…

“Sponsorship is tricky right now. The people I am reaching out to right now are people I have really good relationships with, people I have worked with a couple of times or known for years.”  

On generating creativity…

“Set up fun activities for yourself like a wine and paint night or gardening. It’s about taking time to enjoy little moments.”

“I think it’s important to manifest the future.”

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Boost Your Immunity and Stay Healthy at Home

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting live discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Mia Syn

Health is on all of our minds a lot these days. You’ve been wearing a mask, washing your hands, and staying inside, but have you done anything to boost your immune system? Now more than ever our bodies need support to stay healthy. As we adjust to our new normal we need to remember that taking care of ourselves is more than a mud mask or an Epsom salt bath.

If your healthy choices have been lacking (same, we don’t blame you) it’s probably time to reevaluate. There are lots of ways that you can improve your health and keep your immune system in tip-top shape even while you’re stuck at home. To find out how to step up our self-care, we tapped Mia Syn, a registered dietitian nutritionist, to share all her tips on our Instagram Live Ask an Expert series.

Scroll on for her expert tips on boosting your immune system and staying healthy while navigating the new normal during COVID-19.

1. Can you really boost your immunity through diet, or does it come down to genetics too?

Good nutrition is essential for a strong immune system, however, there is a genetic component in the case of seasonal allergies or autoimmune conditions like celiac disease, for example. Additionally, as we age, our immune system starts to decline, that's why we classify the elderly as immunocompromised. No one food or supplement can prevent illness but there are certain nutrients that play a specific role in the body’s immune system

2. What are some diet changes I can make to boost my immune system right now? And how long does it take to come into effect?

These vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients specifically play a role in immunity but following a balanced eating pattern—not cutting out any food groups is important so that you don’t fall short on any of those. Getting these nutrients from food is preferred but not always possible that’s where supplements may be of benefit. I recommend talking to a dietitian who can evaluate your current diet and make recommendations accordingly. 

• Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and it’s only found bioavailable in a handful of foods like eggs, fatty fish, and organ meats. Vitamin A is also found in some fortified foods like milk and cereals—read the nutrition facts label. However, foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, and lettuce contain beta carotene which our body is able to somewhat convert into vitamin A.

• Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so our body does not store it, we need to replenish it regularly. Besides citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit, it’s also found in bell peppers, kiwi, and strawberries. There’s also research to suggest that vitamin c may help shorten the duration of a cold.

• Vitamin D is found in a handful of foods like salmon, mackerel, tuna, some fortified milk, and cereals. It can be synthesized by our skin when outdoors. 

• Prebiotics and probiotics: Prebiotics are non-digestible fibers that selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria found in foods like asparagus, onions, and leeks. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that add to the population of healthy microbes in your gut found in foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kombucha.

• Protein is a key building block for immune cells and antibodies that helps our immune system do its job. Protein comes from meat dish dairy, nuts, seeds, seeds, and legumes.

3. What supplements should I be taking to support my immunity?

This goes back to the previous question about nutrients specifically playing a role in immunity and where you might be lacking in your diet. 

• Vitamin D – Many people may benefit from a supplement if they don’t consume foods like sardines, oysters, and other fatty fish or fortified foods regularly. Talk to your dietitian or physician who can evaluate your diet better to determine if a good fit

• Probiotics – Healthy individuals could benefit from taking a probiotic supplement, especially if you aren’t eating fermented foods regularly. People with a weakened immune system should speak to their doctor first. 

• AllerLife is a supplement that I am working with right now. It’s drug-free, completely nutrition-based, and is designed for allergy sufferers to take in conjunction with their current medication to address those allergy blah feelings that remain even after relieving your allergy symptoms with your allergy medication. I like it because it contains those immunity-supporting nutrients that I had described including zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D, so it kind covers all those bases. If you are an allergy sufferer and suspect you might be falling short on some of those key nutrients, Allerlife could be a good solution. 

4. How does my lifestyle impact my immune health? What can I do to strengthen my immune system?

I suggest incorporating all food groups, and not being restrictive. Eat:

• Plenty of fruits and vegetables

• Healthy fats to help you absorb and utilize those important fat-soluble vitamins that play a role in immunity like vitamins A, D, and E.

• Protein into each meal and snack, which is a key building block for immune cells and antibodies, helps our immune system do its job.

• Filling in the gaps with supplements wherever needed

• Limiting alcohol – in moderation if you do drink

• Not smoking

It’s also essential to exercise regularly:

• The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week (30 minutes, 5 times a week) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (like a brisk walk) or 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic activity (running, cycling,). Strength train at least 2x per week. 

• Exercise also makes you feel good, lowers stress, helps with weight management, increase energy levels, support muscle and bone health, brain health, memory, helps you sleep better

You also need to manage your stress levels:

• Scientists are looking at the link between chronic stress and its relationship to immunity.

• They are making progress and studies suggest that it may dysregulate the human immune system.

Getting enough sleep is also incredibly important:

• There is a link between lack of sleep and getting sick.

• The CDC recommends that adults get 7 or more hours per night.

• Lack of sleep can affect mood, memory, blood sugar, impair judgment.

• Researchers say getting good sleep can strengthen your immune system by enhancing your ability to adhere to and destroy cells infected by viruses and other pathogens.

5. How does sleep or lack of it lower my immune? How many hours of sleep should I be getting a night? 

Getting enough sleep is important for people of all ages to stay in good health. The CDC says 1 in 3 Americans don’t get enough sleep. Studies show that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick.

But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and stroke, depression, and even early death. How much sleep you need changes as you age. Adults aim for 7-8 hours per night. AllerLife Sleep contains those immunity-supporting vitamins and minerals plus melatonin which is a hormone that we produce in response to darkness and helps promote a restful night’s sleep.

6. How does gut-health impact my immunity? What foods, supplements, lifestyle modifications should I be making to support a happy gut? 

About 60-70% of our immune system is in our gut. Having a balanced and diverse gut flora can support a strong immune system. 

• Not only can the food we eat POSITIVELY impact our gut health but some things that can negatively affect it include:

o   Hydrogenated oil

o   Refined carbohydrates

o   Trans fats

o   Added sugars

o   Low fiber intake

o   Stress

o   Antibiotics and other medications

o   Not enough sleep 

• Two things that we can incorporate into our diet that support a healthy gut are prebiotics and probiotics:

  • Prebiotics – asparagus, onions, leeks, garlic, oats 

    •  Non-digestible fiber that selectively stimulates the growth of beneficial bacteria. 

  • Probiotics – yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha

    • Beneficial that add to the population of healthy microbes in your gut. 

7. What are healthy fats and which ones should I be eating? How do they help?

Fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E play roles in keeping our immune system strong. Because they are fat-soluble it important that we consume healthy fats to aid their absorption. Fatty fish contain omega 3 fats, which are considered essential because our bodies cannot them on its own. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats found in plant foods like avocado, nuts, and seeds are also beneficial. The fat you want to limit is saturated found in fatty meat and high-fat dairy. Trans fats should be eliminated which are found in a lot of processed foods like cakes and cookies—always read the label.

8. Do probiotics actually work or should I be eating fermented foods instead? Which ones should I be taking?

By definition, probiotics are live, friendly bacteria that offer a health benefit by assisting the body’s naturally occurring gut flora. Additionally, they challenge the immune system in a healthy way and help make it stronger. They also help our body absorb certain vitamins and minerals including calcium, iron, and vitamins A, D, K, and E to name a few. Fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, and kimchi are sources. 

Probiotics supplements are individualized. Some ways to know if it is working is maybe your digestion is more regular, using the bathroom regularly. Pay attention to how you feel. In some cases, you may feel worse. People with a weakened immune system should speak to their doctor first. Find one that works for you.  

9. Can you share how much water I should be drinking a day? How can I consume more water and can I get it through food too?

Water is the “forgotten nutrient.” Many underestimate its critical importance and the need to stay hydrated. We need it for the functioning of cells and organs, it aids elimination and helps carry nutrients to our cells. The CDC has recommendations for total daily fluid intake adult men is 3.7 L or about 13 cups and 2.7 L or about 9 cups for women. This comes from drinking water, but also foods you eat and other fluids like coffee. Hydrating produce include watermelon, bell pepper, tomato, leafy greens, and cucumber

10. I’ve read that stress can really impact immune health, but it’s hard not to have stress and anxiety right now. Any advice?

Studies suggest that chronic stress may dysregulate the immune system. Exercise and meditation have been shown to help with management in some individuals. Finding what works for you is key.

About the Expert: Mia Syn is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) based in Charleston, South Carolina. She’s a nationally recognized nutrition expert and host of Good Food Friday on ABC 4. She holds a master of science in human nutrition from Columbia University and has been featured by dozens of major media outlets including Women's Health Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and BuzzFeed. As one of the most recognized and trusted young dietitians in the country, she has helped hundreds of her clients, and millions of her readers lose weight, improve their health, and adopt healthier eating habits.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Develop a Content Marketing Strategy That Resonates During COVID-19

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Vlada Karpovich for Pexels

We’re in the midst of a pandemic, and there is no doubt that emotions are running high. As a marketing agency, it’s our job at Elevate My Brand to know when to adjust and pivot our own, as well as our client’s, marketing strategies. Because of all that’s happening with COVID19, you’ll likely have to adjust your messaging and be strategic in the way you approach your audience. Here’s how.

Step Up Your PR

While now may not be the time to be pushing sales, it’s a great time to step up your PR presence and get your name out there. Times are uncertain, but if anything is true, it’s that we’re all in this together. When COVID-19 started to unfold, the first thing I thought was, “How can I be of service to those who are struggling?”

As a small business owner myself, I saw it as my responsibility to use my expertise to help those around me. So, I wrote an article on 5 Marketing Tips to Stay Profitable During the COVID-19 Pandemic and our team worked their PR magic to push that article everywhere, with one goal: to reach and help as many people as possible during this difficult time. But one and done doesn’t cut it anymore, so we also penned the follow-up article, How to Elevate Your Brand, Strategize, and Execute in These Strange Days to give the next steps and a more positive future-looking perspective on how to approach things now that we’ve been in it for a few weeks. Things are changing rapidly, it’s your duty to support your community with whatever gifts you have. When you start there, you can’t go wrong and it’s clear that you aren’t tone-deaf or tackily selling.

With everyone shifting their focus to digital, now is also a great time to push your message out on socials via content collaborations. Instagram Lives have skyrocketed in popularity, with many large platforms hosting live takeovers, such as Create & Cultivate’s Ask An Expert series, which you have hopefully had a chance to see! Since we’ve all been #WFH, social media usage and engagement have increased over 30% so take advantage of this and reach out to as many sources as possible to see if they are willing to share your message.

Not only will you be helping your community, but you’ll be building brand awareness as well. This means that when things do open back up, you’ll have built some new top of mind awareness that will help you get back on top quicker. 

Adjust Scheduled Content

Running on a schedule makes life so much easier, I know. But in a time like this when life is so unpredictable, it’s important to step back and take things day by day and that includes your marketing strategy as well. If you scheduled content to go out on your social channels and blogs, you’ll definitely want to take a look at it and see if it’s still appropriate for the times. At Elevate My Brand, we have had to pivot a little bit with our blog posts, pushing back topics to make room for content having to do with COVID-19. Sometimes, adjusting your content is as easy as changing a caption for a photograph. Want to post that picture of your product with a group of people? Be sure to let your audience know that this photo was taken pre-quarantine so your followers don’t get upset that you’re not following social distancing rules. 

It takes a lot of work to properly plan and execute a successful marketing strategy, and you don’t want all that hard work to go to waste. While scheduled events and meetings may have been disrupted by COVID-19, that doesn’t mean that they should be canceled. We’re lucky to have technology on our side so that most of these scheduled events can be converted, rather than having to be canceled. Each year I host a women’s networking event called our Elevate Spring Salon, which is a schmooze and booze that supports a different non-profit each quarter. Obviously we can’t proceed as planned, but we have decided to convert the event to digital which should still give us a community feel, support the cause that we’re standing behind and, continue building brand awareness and visibility. P.S. fun isn’t canceled, it’s just converted. 

Don’t Be Tone Deaf 

As I mentioned earlier, emotions are running high right now. Everyone is reacting to the situation in a different way, so it’s crucial that you take note of your audience’s heightened sensitivity during this time. Listen to your community. What is it that they want and need right now? With social media and surveying tools like Survey Monkey, you can actually ask, what a concept! 

Ultimately, you have to trust your instincts. Maybe it’s not the time to push that ad or sell that product. Now’s the time to be authentic and really showcase your brand values. Funny, positive and uplifting content is always welcome, just be sure that you’re being sensitive to the current situation and adding value, not just acting as if nothing has changed. 

We’re going to be in this for a while, even after shelter-in-place orders are lifted. So the faster you can shift your messaging and positioning, the more successful you will be long term, and the less of an uphill battle you’re brand will have when this is truly over.

About the Expert: Laurel Mintz, J.D., M.B.A. is the CEO and founder of award-winning, Los Angeles-based digital marketing agency Elevate My Brand. Laurel’s gift is connecting with people and their stories. After all, companies are made up of people, and stories are just narratives that are the foundation of great marketing. Laurel’s energy has been the driving force behind the agency’s growth since it launched in 2009. Her awards include the 2017 Patrick Soon-Shiong Innovation Award, the 2016 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Company award, the Los Angeles Business Journal 2016 Women In Business Award, and more. 

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: Why Tapping Into Consumer Sentiment Is Key to Success in COVID-19

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

Photo: Courtesy of Jenny Gorenstein

As a brand, it is more important now than ever to listen to and connect with your consumers. We are all isolated and feeling alone in the midst of the chaos of COVID-19. Consumer needs are changing, the economy is heading for a downturn, and there is no way to get face to face with customers, so we have to step up our virtual communities.

In this installment of our Ask an Expert live series, we tapped Jenny Gorenstein, the chief growth officer at Foria, to talk us through how forging connections now can carry brands through COVID-19 and allow them to thrive on the other side. Scroll on to read some of the best advice from the conversation and be sure to follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram to join us for the next one.

Now Is Not the Time to Push Products

“There is no playbook for how to market through a pandemic. We are leading with compassion now more than ever about how we are showing up in people’s inbox and on people’s feeds.”

“It’s not about pushing product right now.”

“Don’t focus on your own brand’s initiatives, show up through goodwill.”

“People just want to know how they can feel more connected to themselves and others and that’s the content we’re putting out right now”

Digital Content Is Key

“We’re all always on our phones. We’re addicted to our phones. That is how we are connecting now. From a brand perspective, there’s a lot of ways to meaningfully connect. Don’t put out things that are overproduced, show up raw, and give things that allow that person-to-person connection. Let people into your homes. Tap into influencers who already have the trust of others and are helping people get through.”

“We scrapped all of our marketing plans, which hurt because you take months building those plans, but we want to create content in the moment. We’re working harder than we ever have because we can’t plan.”

“You want to show up in a way that is resonant with what people are going through and what their life looks like.”

“We have a really playful brand and are leaning into that.”

“We do a lot of content that allows people to pause and take notice of nature around them and that is doing well right now. This is nature’s greatest reset, were all feeling more connected to the outdoors than ever.”

Work With Influencers and Reach Their Communities

“If you don’t have a budget for influencers, that’s okay. I think the organic route is the way to start anyway.”

“Start with gifting product. First and foremost, you want to make sure they love your product and your brand before working together. Try: Affiliate networks and giveaways.” 

“Think about promotions you can do that keep your profit margins but make your products more accessible. If people are curious that gives them a reason to try and once you have them you can get a consumer for life.”

Embrace the New Normal

“Success can come in so many forms you can use Instagram as a means to drive business, you can use Instagram as a means to drive engagement or you can use Instagram as a means to educate.”

“The world of tech has opened up the most amazing toolbox for brands to create dynamic conversations.”

“Lead with the people behind the brand. Lead with heart. Lead with compassion.”

About the Expert: Jenny Gorenstein has focused her career on building innovative and iconic brands and media companies. Prior to joining Foria, she spent 15 years launching InStyle.com's digital ad business from the ground up, helping to grow Refinery29 from $0 to $100M in revenue, and joining pre-IPO Snapchat to take it’s retail business to the next level. Always drawn to mission-driven and early-stage startups, Jenny is passionate about driving cultural currency and sustainable revenue growth. She is a people and idea connector.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!

Ask an Expert: How to Create Compelling Content and Grow Your Instagram, According to a VP Influencer Marketing

We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. While the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!

“

The longer you wait, the harder it is to grow.”

—Rachel Zeilic, VP of Influencer Marketing at WhoWhatWear

With engagement on social up 30% since social isolation started, now might just be the perfect time to be growing your Instagram or finally figuring out wtf to do with TikTok. But in the midst of a crisis, creating good (and respectful) content can feel really difficult. In comes, Rachel Zeilic, VP of Influencer Marketing at WhoWhatWear, to answer all your questions.

Wondering what to post, when to post, what to pay for, or if TikTok is the right move for your brand? Rachel drops lots of advice on our IG LIVE on how to navigate social media in the midst of COVID-19. Tune into this Ask An Expert to make sure you don’t miss a single tip. We bet you’re already scrolling through Instagram, might as well scroll with purpose and grow your brand.

We Want Your (Respectful) Content

“Don’t make any assumptions. Don’t say, Now that we’re all working from home, because that isn’t true for a lot of people.”

“There really is a space for audiences to turning to influencers for comfort for information for distraction, they have a lot of time on their hands right now and time is a precious commodity so let’s serve them.”

“Stay away from anything that is like ‘this is a must-have’ because, if it’s not groceries or masks, it isn’t a must-have.”

“Some things that are performing really well right now is comfy chic, working from home outfits, beauty routines, anything affordable, people are still interested in spring trends, and they also want some escapism.”

“Now is also a time to give things away for free. Even if you’re a brand who could be doing well giving some at-home DIY recipes, people will really appreciate that and remember that when commerce opens up again. More than ever they will remember the brands who stepped up and are giving to the community.”

“This is the first time really in a long time where influencers’ lifestyles are really close to their followers’ lifestyles. They aren’t jetting around the world or wearing designer outfits. So this is a really great time for influencers to connect with their followers in a really relatable way.”

Get On TikTok

“TikTok is not like Snapchat or other platforms where they were popular but there was never really brand integration. TikTok is really different, the way it’s built is really engineered to be successful for brand campaigns. Particularly one feature, the hashtag challenges. That is incredible for creating UGC (user-generated content). To me UGC is gold. If your customer loves you so much that they are creating content, they aren’t an influencer, they aren’t getting paid, if they love the product so much they are creating content that is gold.”

 “I think working with TikTok and ‘TikTokers’ absolutely should be part of your campaign given that the demographic aligns, it is a predominantly Gen Z audience. Also the KPIs of the campaign, you need to understand that currently TikTokers or influencers can’t link out anywhere, so if you’re expecting to see immediate sell-through from your campaign, TikTok is not the place to do it. But its great of awareness, you can reach massive audiences.”

“With regards to brands starting their own accounts on TikTok, it really depends if you can do it in a way that’s native to the platform. It’s really not going to work if you’re using the same kind of content you use on Instagram and other platforms. You should only be investing your time into growing a brand account on TikTok if you can do it in the way that is organic to TikTok.”

“The longer you wait, the harder it is to grow.”

Embrace Pay-to-Play

“Yes, it is a pay-to-play world. That being said, relationships and organic strategy are important to stretch your dollars.”

“It’s worth spending a little money on a consultant who can help you know how to spend your social budget.”

“Influencers assets on paid social perform so much better than campaign assets.” 

“A lot of influencers have dropped their pricing or are more flexible on pricing right now.”

“Paid social pricing is down right now as well. You can make your budget stretch so much further right now.”

Insta Tips & Tricks

“We’ve been saying to influencers, Instead of getting a picture and then thinking, ‘Ugh what is my caption going to be?,’ why don’t you write the caption first and tell a story and then reverse that and think of an image that can convey that story?’ I don’t think they all have to be long, and they shouldn’t be long if you don’t have something to say. But every brand has a story to tell and every influencer has a story to tell and I think that can be great. It’s like micro-blogging.”

Tools to try:

• Planoly

• Unum

• VSCO

• Tezza 

“You should post as often as you can while creating quality content and without seeing a dip in engagement rate. The more you post the more your engagement will be spread out.”

About The Expert: Rachel Zeilic is an O.G. in influencer marketing, starting way back in 2007. She is currently the VP of influencer marketing at WhoWhatWear, running influencer campaigns for everyone from Walmart to Gucci. Before that she was creative Director of Majorelle at Revolve, and before that she founded two labels, Stylestalker and The Jetset Diaries.

Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert. 

Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!