C&C Classifieds Nº13: Start The New Season With A New Career Move
Fall in love with your new gig.
Fall is finally here, and the change of seasons might make you want to make a change in your career and start off fresh. Either that, or you just haven't had the right opportunity fall in your lap, and you're still searching. No matter what it is, you know we always have your back.
This month, we have fresh new listings that you can call dibs on first from AZIONE PR, Sakura Bloom, Stylehaul, Kopari, Small Girls PR, FashionABLE, our very own #CreateCultivateATL speaker Kelly Mindell's Studio DIY, Tuft & Needle, and plenty others.
To get full access to this month's classifieds, enter your info below. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor!
If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.
What Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY Learned From a 13-Year-Old
Kids these days are crafty.
photo credit: Studio DIY
DIY is more than project-based crafting-- it’s an attitude, a lifestyle, and according to Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY it's also about making life a party. Born and raised New Jersey, Kelly says she's been a DIY-er since birth and an entrepreneur since 15. She moved to LA in 2011, founded her business the same year, and has put her crafty head and hands to good use since.
Dedicated to a good time, Studio DIY gives readers the kind of excited feeling they had as kids. Think: the moment the piñata broke open and candy rained from the sky. The time you had donuts for dinner. The day you spend running through sprinklers. It's joy in motion.
It's also a lot of work.
We caught up with Kelly to talk biz, what she's learning from younger generations, and the one thing she's bad at (that you'd never, ever expect).
How do you DIY your life?
I've always been one to ask questions and not play by the rules. In high school, I asked if I could do an independent study to build my portfolio instead of spending hours in classes I knew I wouldn't use. In college, I did the same and built Studio DIY during the process! I've always worked tirelessly to make these situations my own and, well, if that's not the true basis of DIY, I don't know what is!
How do you DIY your business?
What I love most about DIY is that it's all about figuring things out and finding a solution, and lord knows that running a business involves figuring things out on the daily. The cool thing about blogging is that no two blogs or business models are the same, so I get to make Studio DIY completely my own... and make things up along the way, too
What was the learning curve for you taking something that was crafty and project-based and scaling it into a business?
Was? How about "is"? Ha! Building and scaling this business is a constant learning curve! DIY blogging takes so many hours, such extensive overhead and so much man-power all while things are changing constantly. I have to learn to grow my revenue, bring on and manage new team members and determine which new avenues for the brand are the right ones to take. And that's all in my spare time!
"DIY blogging takes so many hours, such extensive overhead and so much man-power."
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Where do you see the movement heading? Are you interested in getting into the world of AR/VR?
I've noticed that readers, myself included, are placing more and more value on the personality behind the content, versus the content itself. Now that the DIY and blogging markets are so saturated, it's often the person behind the business that people relate to, are interested in or want to build a relationship with. One of the best things I did was start showing and sharing more of myself on my platforms. Sure, I create larger-than-life projects for a living, but I'm also a person... who struggles with infertility, who steps over a pile of clothes to get to her bed, and who really likes watching Teen Mom and eating pizza on a Friday night. It's fun to share those parts of me and build connections with my readers on a much deeper level. And I think that's becoming more important than ever.
What are you learning from the younger generations, especially as it’s related to tech and social media?
So much! I have a growing tween and teen audience and it's been fascinating to learn how differently they consume media. My 13 year old niece helped out at the office over the summer and I quizzed her about everything she knew so I could learn more. YouTube is integral for reaching their generations and that's precisely why we recently launched our YouTube channel.
Life is not a Pinterest board. Can you walk me through the BTS reality-- how much goes into it?
I work around the clock and the work is still never done! Our studio looks like a never-ending craft tornado blew through it. I work with my husband which is rewarding and challenging all at the same time. Most nights our dinner consists of avocado toast eaten on the couch while answering emails. I have certainly not mastered a work life balance, but I know that this is the season to work my hardest so my priorities can shift in the coming years.
How have you grown up as a business woman in the digital scene?
I've gone from being a one-woman show to managing an incredible team. I've also gone from knowing nobody in the industry to now calling my colleagues some of my best friends. Both have been some of the most rewarding experiences in my career, and I am thankful every day for the amazing community of women that surrounds me!
What social platforms are most relevant to your business? Are there platforms you’re more hesitant to grow?
Instagram has been by far the most relevant and important, as far as community building goes. It's where my largest and most interactive audience lives. And Pinterest is integral as far as circulating content and exposing it to new eyeballs each day. It's a big traffic driver. Snapchat has also become far more important to me than I ever expected.
On the flip side, I know I'm not the only one who was thrown for a loop when Instagram Stories launched. On the surface, making the jump from Snapchat back to Instagram seems like a no-brainer (one app, better view counts), but I treat Snapchat very differently than Instagram. Snapchat is my core audience and almost like a built-in focus group. I love having one-on-one conversations over there and posing questions to get real time answers. Yes, I can do that on Instagram Stories too, but the audience is much larger and therefore the response much more overwhelming. It has been nice to have a smaller platform like Snapchat so I can build more intimate relationships. That said, I'm sure I'll find a way to incorporate Stories soon enough!
photo credit: Studio DIY
What parts of your career would you say have expanded your mind the most?
Without a doubt the amazing community that surrounds me, both with fellow bloggers (now friends) and readers. Our community spans the world and it has been so fun, and eye-opening, to learn more about them. About how they learn, what they like, how they range from being 13 to being the grandmother of a 13-year-old. How cool is that!? I love being able to interact with people of all walks of life on a daily basis.
Is there anything you’ve found that you’re just not good at?
Well I have terrible handwriting! Ha! Learning to be a manager has been a huge struggle for me, but as a boss, that's not something that I can just "not be good at" so I'm learning as I go! But the handwriting thing... that's just hopeless!
How do you separate person from brand?
Right now, it's quite a blurred line! Now is the season in life where I am fully immersed in my business and my personal life and business life blend together quite often. However, soon enough the business will be much bigger than myself, and I will be much more fiercely protective over my personal life once there are little ones in the mix!
Your husband Jeff is an integral part of your team. How did you go about building the rest of it?
When I knew it was time to hire someone, I determined two things: what I wasn't good at and what took up the most of my time. Getting what you're bad at off your plate is the most important thing because there's always someone else out there who's good at it. So that was the first major hire I made. Then, when I was in a better financial position, I was able to start taking off the tasks that I was good at, but that took up more time than I had. As the business grows, I continue to look at these two pain points and hire accordingly!
"Getting what you're bad at off your plate is the most important because there's always someone else out there who's good at it."
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What’s next!
We're putting a lot of effort into our new YouTube channel and we're about to launch the biggest endeavor yet for Studio DIY, but that's all I can say... for now! On the personal side, Jeff and I are excited to start growing our family in the near future and begin a whole new adventure as parents!
VIP Tickets for #CreateCultivateATL are ALMOST gone. To hear Kelly speak on "You Do You" grab a ticket before it's too late!
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
Meet The Mentors: #CreateCultivateATL
As we’re gearing up for Create & Cultivate ATL this October, we’d like to introduce you to the amazing women that will part of our mentor sessions this fall.
Our mentor sessions are perfect for those of you who are looking for advice on how to manage your blog or business from some of the best female entrepreneurs in the digital space today.
If you're wondering what mentor is the best fit for you, check out of the ladies below that will be sitting down with you this October. Also, if you haven't gotten your ticket yet, what are you waiting for? Get your ticket now here.
Stay tuned as we add more mentors to our lineup too!
Nicolette Mason, Creator of NicoletteMason.com
Best for: Social Media, Blogging, Writing, Strategic Partnerships
Nicolette is a Los Angeles native who lives and works in NYC & LA . She is a freelance creative consultant, contributing editor at Marie Claire, and pens her blog nicolettemason.com, where she shares personal style snaps, travel, and the many things she loves.
Since launching her blog and graduating from Parsons School of Design, she’s contributed to dozens of publications including Marie Claire, Vogue Italia, Brooklyn Magazine, The L Magazine, Refinery29, Glamour Italy, and more, and has partnered with brands like ModCloth and Addition Elle, where she has a cocktail dress collection launching this spring, to design collections. She has also partnered with Target on the heralded launch of their plus-size brand, Ava & Viv.
Maxie McCoy, Creator of MaxieMcCoy.com
Best for: Life Coaching, Soul Searching, Career Development
An inspiration luminary, Maxie’s work is a new framework for using inspiration to create a life you’re jazzed to be living. It’s an experience that will put inspiration in your driver’s seat and shine a spotlight on your escape route from mediocrity. Her website provides weekly soul-busting writings, videos, and more inspiration than you know what to do with.
Maxie has also written for the Create & Cultivate blog and you can find her pieces here:
Professional Opinion: Maxie McCoy on Cultivating Inspiration
Professional Opinion: Maxie McCoy on When -and How-To Take a Sabbatical
Professional Opinion: How to Take a Leap of Faith in Your Career
Screw the Cue Cards: 5 Tips for Mastering a Live Audience
Don’t be a Bore: 4 Ways To Engage Your Audience in a Meaningful Wa
Jessy Fofana, Founder of LaRue PR
Best for: PR, Marketing, Social Media
Jessy Fofana is our go-to for all things PR. With her PR agency LaRue PR, she has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to utilizing PR to strategically grow brands and get them on the right radar. Not only that, she is our seasoned PR correspondent for the Create & Cultivate blog.
Jessy founded LaRue PR over seven years ago after successfully directing public relations initiatives for an impressive list of well-known fashion, lifestyle and cosmetics brands and retailers. She brings a unique perspective of understanding what every player in the PR game needs. Having worked in magazine publishing, she knows what editors are looking for, and as the co-creator of Femme Arsenal, an indie cosmetic brand, she understands what business owners need to grow to the next level. Get her advice in-person at Create & Cultivate Atlanta!
Mandy Kellogg Rye, Founder and Creative Director of Waiting On Martha
Best for: Blogging, Entrepreneurship, Creative Directing
It all started with a blog and a desire to unite all of the things Mandy loves the most in one place. From how-tos for setting the perfect table and custom crafted cocktails, to what Mandy’s wearing and the beloved “currently coveting” roundup, a glimpse of what’s on her ever-expanding want list, readers know that when they’re in need of a little inspiration, Mandy is just a click away.
Soon after the blog took off and Mandy could no longer keep up with the “where can I buy that?” requests, she decided it was high time to expand the brand. With that, the Waiting On Martha shop was born. On any given shopping day, you can find a variety of products spanning the home décor, tabletop, entertaining, paper, gift, men’s, women’s, kids and even pet categories.
Courtney Kerr, Founder of Kerrently.com and TV & Radio Personality
Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships
Courtney’s life took an interesting turn when she was cast on Bravo’s 2011 docudrama, “Most Eligible Dallas,” which eventually led to a 2013 spinoff show, “Courtney Loves Dallas.” Female viewers were eager to know everything about Courtney’s wardrobe, which was her lightbulb moment to leave her longtime, successful career as a retail shopgirl and venture into the world of style blogging. For two years, Dallas woke up to her every morning on the panel of opinionated women on KTXD’s 2-hour morning show, “The Broadcast.” In 2014, CBS Radio also scooped up Courtney to co-host afternoon drive show, “UNcorked with Leigh Ann & Courtney Kerr,” which airs on their Dallas hot adult contemporary station, 103.7 KVIL. In January of 2016, “UNcorked” went nationally syndicated and began as a weekly online podcast for Play.It.
After 5 years of juggling it all & going 100mph in designer heels, Courtney recognized that it was time to elevate “What Courtney Wore” into a online magazine, appropriately named “KERRently.” In January 2016, “KERRently” was launched and it is where Courtney shares her thoughts on fashion, beauty, travel and just life in general.
You can read our Q+A with Courtney here on our blog.
Cailli & Sam Beckerman, Creators of Beckerman Blog
Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships, Fashion Design, Creative Directing
Sam and Cailli Beckerman have been showcasing their fashion sense and outfits of the day since 2009. Living out the ultimate millennial dream, these twins flew to Dubai just to check out Chanel’s new collection for their blog. The twins’ bold styles revolve around bright colors, eclectic designs, and edgy ensembles. Even their ridiculously adorable Pomeranians dress to impress. From being designers to becoming bloggers, these twins have seen it all and have accumulated a following of over 163,000.
You can read our Q+A with Cailli and Sam here on our blog.
Daniela Ramirez, Creator of Nany’s Klozet
Best for: Blogging, Fashion, Strategic Partnerships
Daniela launched her fashion blog Nany’s Klozet in 2011 to be a fashion diary. Now five years later, she has gained 270,000 followers and over 43,000 YouTube subscribers in both the English speaking and Hispanophone spaces. Some of her partnerships have included Guess, Pantene, Lucky Brand and TRESemmé.
You can read our Q+A with Daniela here on our blog.
Jessi Malay, Creator of mywhiteT and Recording Artist
Best for: Blogging, Fashion, Music, Strategic Partnerships
Jessi Malay, a Los Angeles native, doesn’t just document her her daily outfit inspiration on her blog My White T, but she also has a successful music career. With over 100,000 followers on Instagram Jessi has successfully merged her love of music, fashion and beauty and turned it into a full-time career. Check our Q+A with her here.
You can read our Q+A with Jessi here on our blog.
Keiko Lynn, Creator of KeikoLynn.com and Founder of Brooklyn Brigade
Best for: Blogging, Creative Directing, Entrepreneurship, Strategic Partnerships
Since 2009, Keiko Lynn has shared her fashion, beauty, and lifestyle musings that have served as inspiration to her followers. Not only that, the Brooklyn based blogger has gone beyond the realm of being a blogger and turned into a creative entrepreneur when she founded Brooklyn Brigade creative studio with follow blogger Helena Glazer.
She is constantly creating and looking for inspiration, and shares a peek into her daily life, style, and beauty tips on keikolynn.com.
Kelly Mindell, Founder and Creative Director of Studio DIY
Best for: Entrepreneurship, Creative Directing, Strategic Partnerships
Kelly Mindell, a modern-day artisan and professional celebrator, launched her blog, Studio DIY, during her senior year of college. Her clever, colorful creations has attracted a growing audience of over 306,000 followers that has caught the attention Pocky, Tic Tac, Method Home, and Grease Live. Based in Los Angeles, Kelly pulls inspiration from the West coast culture and has been expanding Studio DIY’s scope by experimenting with fashion, travel, and drool-worthy food, like donut burgers!
Rachel Martino, Creator of RachMartino.com
Best for: Blogging, Strategic Partnerships, Fashion
Rachel Martino is a Francophone fashion and lifestyle blogger based out of Brooklyn that has been able to create an international brand right from her home, with over 384k followers. Not only that, she is 25 and just last year became a full-time blogger after leaving Esteé Lauder Brands as Origins’ Community Manager.
Now, Rachel is fully focused on creating amazing content for her blog, making strategic partnerships that make sense for her blog, and travelling “across the pond” to market to her French audience as well.
You can read our Q+A with Rachel on our blog here.
Adrianna Adarme, Creator of A Cozy Kitchen
Best for: Blogging, Book Writing, Cooking, Crafts
Atlanta-native Adrianna Adarme started her blog in 2009 as a place to celebrate pies and corgis - more specifically, her corgi Amelia. However, her blog has been a haven for countless of recipes and projects that have inspired her 230k followers online.
Following the growth of her blog and social channels, Adrianna launched her first book called The Year of Cozy which has various original recipes and projects for the perfect “cozy” home, and is getting ready to release her second cookbook, A Cozy Coloring Cookbook.
You can read our Counter Culture feature with Adrianna on our blog here.
Carrie Morey, Founder of Callie’s Charleston Biscuits & Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Best for: Entrepreneurship and Food
Carrie Morey became a culinary entrepreneur when she founded Callie’s in 2005 and from then on, she expanded the southern biscuit making tradition by making her brand Callie’s Charleston Biscuits accessible across the country, along with another restaurant in Atlanta’s vibrant Virginia Highlands neighborhood.Today, Callie has authored a cookbook that also includes her entrepreneurial narrative, and also is a guest lecturer at the College of Charleston School of Business, presenting the program’s Entrepreneurship Class.
Jeni Britton Bauer, Founder of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
Best For: Entrepreneurship & Food
Jeni has been making ice creams professionally for two decades. Before that, she studied art, worked in a bakery, and had a serious hobby blending perfumes and collecting essential oils. Jeni founded Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in 2002. Her ahead-of-the-trend vision—using whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows, rather than synthetic flavorings and commodity ice cream mix—coupled with inspired flavors sparked the artisan ice cream movement more than a decade before it would become a top food trend. Jeni is a James Beard Award-winning author of two cookbooks and has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business.
11 Best Atlanta Street Art Walls
All the murals we can't wait to see once we touch down in ATL.
Aside from being a hub for a new wave of female entrepreneurs that are dominating the tech space, Atlanta is also one of the best destinations to go catch some of the best street art that decorates this amazing city.
Some of these walls have probably made their way to your Instagram feed, and if you were wondering where they were or where you could catch a glimpse of them, Atlanta is the place. Thanks to some Instagram stalking, we were able to find some of the best walls and some highlights from our very own #CreateCultivateATL speaker Kelly Mindell of Studio DIY’s wall crawl series with Sophie Loghman. Check out our favorites below!
Make sure to catch us this fall at #CreateCultivateATL and join us in exploring all of what Atlanta has to offer! Tickets on sale now!
