We Asked Women How They’re Shifting Their Mindsets (And Saying OUI) in 2019
What will you say “yes” to in 2019?
Sponsored by Oui by Yoplait
The night before my very first “move-in day” of college, my parents sat me down for what felt like their final pieces of advice. I predicted what my mom was going to say — work hard, be safe, buddy system, enjoy yourself (within reason). But my dad surprised me. He told me to say “yes” to everything, something I’d never heard from anyone before. Yes to taking a class you never thought you would take, yes to studying abroad a year early, yes to falling in love. Yes. Yes. Yes.
That’s not to say that embodying a “yes” mantra is easy. In all honesty, I’ve forgotten how important it is to say “yes” with my other responsibilities that have taken precedence. But our words have a direct impact on our mindset. By saying “yes” — even if it’s “yes, I can take on this project, but I’ll need an extra day” — you will bring confidence and positivity into your life. This is exactly why I’m making it a priority to say “yes” this year. And I’m not alone — Oui by Yoplait recently asked attendees at this year’s Vision Summit, “What are you saying “OUI” to in 2019?” And the responses will inspire you.
Oui by Yoplait believes in making the best satisfyingly thick, subtly sweet, fresh tasting French style yogurt. Their approach to French style yogurt starts with simple, non-GMO ingredients, poured and set in individual glass pots for eight hours. And to top it off — “Yes” is literally in their name, which makes them the perfect companion as you say “oui” or “yes” in 2019. Take it from the women who attended the Vision Summit. They’re saying yes to “opening my business,” “embracing my imperfections,” “new perspectives,” and “no more negative self labels.” How great are those? And the Create & Cultivate team has their own ideas...
“I’m saying “OUI” to me. Knowing my value and validating my own wants and needs all 2019.” Tyeal Howell - Marketing Manager
“I’m saying “OUI” to more sleep and more money and less parking tickets” Natalie Tran - Graphic Designer
“Balance. My “OUI” is for more life balance in 2019.” Natalie Pirzad - Project Coordinator
“More creative output. My “OUI” is for more creativity in 2019.” Jenay Ross - Talent Coordinator + Event Producer
“My 2019 “OUI” is for more time with my cats and the people I love.” Heather Records - Senior Director of Digital Marketing
What will you be saying “yes” to this year? I know I’ll be saying “yes” to every exciting opportunity that comes my way, in order to let happiness infiltrate everything I do. And I’ll be starting every morning with a glass pot of Oui to get the day started the right way.
Lily Comba works in business development for an online marketplace. By night, Lily lives an entrepreneurial life. After working as a Career Consultant for two years at her alma mater, Scripps College, Lily developed a passion for helping women in their careers. She embodies the mantra, “If not me, who? If not now, when?” in her work as a career advisor to college students, and creative and business strategist for fellow entrepreneurs. Catch her running around Los Angeles or at lilycomba.com.
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We Asked 8 Women What Makes Them Feel the Most Confident
What makes you feel confident?
Confidence. A word that’s thrown around in discussions with your friends, colleagues, fitness instructors -- seemingly everywhere. While the dictionary defines confidence as, “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities, ”I argue that we each have unique definitions of the word. For me, confidence means being authentically myself in all facets of my life. For my best friend, it’s feeling comfortable in her own skin. Confidence is different for everyone — but the common thread? We can all benefit from a little bit more of it.
Confidence is crucial in so many areas of our lives. Feeling confident in the workplace is complicated. We can get so entrenched in the day-to-day that we forget to acknowledge our efforts and value. Acknowledging your achievements can help you boost your attitude, get you that raise and so much more! If that sounds impossible, you can make a small step today with the help of IT Cosmetics.
We recently hosted an intimate brunch to celebrate women that Show IT Off. Jamie Kern Lima, Founder & CEO of IT Cosmetics, has poured her “heart and soul into creating truly innovative and effective problem-solving products that make you look and feel your most beautiful.” Developed with plastic surgeons, IT Cosmetics creates clinically-tested, makeup and skincare products that provide life-changing results. The product that gives all women an instant confidence boost? Their award-winning Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50. It’s your all-in-one extra dose of confidence that is not only full coverage and color-correcting, but also features broad-spectrum physical sunscreen, anti-aging ingredients and all the hydration you need! Hyperpigmentation? Dark circles? Other skin concerns? Don’t worry, it really does it all, and comes in a range of shades and three finishes, including original, illumination and oil-free matte to complement every skin tone!
Want to hear other ways to feel confident? These women Show IT Off and share their wisdom below.
“I feel the most confident when I’m at home with my baby, and I just take all my makeup off and put my favorite moisturizer on.”
“My cat eye eyeliner is what makes me feel most confident every single day.”
“The thing that makes me most confident is probably a bold lip, I don’t have one on right now, but when I have a red bold lip, I’m the most confident.”
“What makes me feel more confident is having good skin. I’m obsessed with skincare, so I never sleep with makeup and I always wear sunblock.
“A bold lip makes me feel the most confident because, even if I don’t have any other makeup on, it just draws attention to my smile and it makes me feel really glamorous.”
“My sense of humor.”
So tell us — what makes you feel the most confident?
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How This Brooklyn Beauty Brand Is Shaking Up A Traditionally-Stuffy Industry
Just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way.
We were thrilled to partner with Amika, a haircare company known for their Instagrammable packaging, at our Miami Vision Summit! We sat down with Chelsea Riggs, Amika’s brand president, to talk about how the company is doing business differently, with an eye toward philanthropy, self-expression, and approachability.
As an independent beauty brand, what are some of the benefits and challenges of operating in Brooklyn, NY?
A benefit of being a Brooklyn based company is the access to talent. Brooklyn, and especially the specific neighborhood where we are located, is full of creative and young talent. Early on being in Brooklyn was a little bit of a hassle for new hires, but it is now a major benefit for more than 50% of our staff who also live nearby. Williamsburg & Bushwick are home to one of the biggest artist communities in all of NYC, which influences the type of residents due to proximity to the best restaurants, boutiques, events and nightlife. The community which we live and work also inspires the overall essence of the brand and company culture.
One of the challenges of being in Brooklyn is the ease of access to clients, vendors and industry events. Many are in Manhattan, and purely due to NY traffic and transit system it can be a challenge for clients to visit our office or for our team to hop over to a vendor for a meeting. Oh, and the NYC rent!
The brand has experienced tremendous growth over the years. How did you manage to get its name out there and onto the shelves of big retailers?
Sometimes things look like an overnight success on the outside, but we’ve been at it for almost 10 years! As an early hire for the company, I played a large role in developing and executing our distribution strategy in the early days. We were in Birchbox, Sephora, Bloomingdales and a handful of local retail partners within 18 months of launch. Having a unique product(s) and strong branding is the first step in getting your product noticed by retail merchants and editors. It’s important to choose retail partners who believe in the potential and have the ability and incentive to increase the brand equity. It turns out many of these retailers happen to be premium or indie retailers themselves and understand the point of difference it brings to their company to have independent and/or exclusive brands.
The methods we used the grow the brand were based on our limited budgets, as we were (and still are) 100% independently owned. We first started with Facebook & YouTube as our main marketing channel (before Instagram days), then we introduced PR when we got a small budget, and soon after we began mass sampling when Birchbox came into the market. We are a professional salon brand and our stylists all over the world are our biggest brand advocates. They are trusted resources for hair products & trends, like a facialist or dermatologist would be for your skin. We tapped into social media to communicate our brand philosophy and use it as a vehicle for education and inspiration. These are still core methods we use today, but as we’ve grown, and our budgets have as well—we have a lot of additional support to choose from.
However, in today’s market you have a plethora of brands entering the beauty industry every year due to lower barriers-to-entry. There is no shortage of options for retailers, so you really need to have a product and brand that is addressing a market need. What’s amazing about starting a brand today, even in a crowded market, is the ability to communicate directly to your customers. Social media is game-changing in that respect. You can learn exactly what your clients’ needs are, in real time, and include them in the product development process. You can see how they interact with the product, how they recommend it to their closest friends, and have a direct relationship. It’s an amazing switch from the traditional beauty industry approach, or really any industry. It’s also very important to merchants that you have a strong digital presence and connection to your core customer.
Just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way.
Amika is also rooted in philanthropy. We’re big believers that responsible businesses are the future and have the power to change the world. Why is it important for brands to pay it forward?
Amika has always given back, since we were able to. However, only this October we announced that we have partnered with one organization that we are whole-heartedly passionate about: HairToStay. It inspires me to work with such an amazing organization that is only just beginning and to play a part in their journey. HairToStay is a nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness and financial aid for scalp cooling technology, a treatment which can prevent hair loss during chemotherapy.
It’s our mission to do a part in spreading the word about scalp cooling as an alternative to chemotherapy related hair loss. Cancer treatment affects all of us, whether directly or through a friend, family or colleague. As a business, we can use our voice, and amplify the message through our large network of professional hairstylists and salons to educate clients about this new, amazing technology—so that cancer doesn’t have to define you.
How has social media impacted the success and growth of the brand?
Since we’ve used social media as a core marketing focus since the early days, we’ve seen a lot of changes. It started out as an outlet to communicate directly to our customer, give a sneak peek into the behind the scenes world of the brand, and break down brand-customer barriers that previous existed. Today, social media serves as a platform to not only interact but also learn from our customer, provide education and inspiration, and facilitate a community of not just Amika fans but hair junkies. Influencers have played a massive role in increasing the brand visibility and trust in the products. While we still stay connected to a large number of influencers, we have a select amount of ongoing partnerships with those who align with our brand ethos and that beauty enthusiasts trust.
What is the biggest hurdle you’re currently facing as the president of an indie beauty brand?
One of our biggest hurdles right now is scaling the brand. We have a strong core of loyal Amika fans, but how do we take what has worked so far and spread that to a larger base of beauty consumers? With all the success and triple digit growth year after year, we still have tons of room to grow. Only a small base of people who have heard of the brand have tried it, which on the positive side, means there is a tremendous amount left to grow!
If you could go back to year one, what’s one piece of advice you would give yourself?
Don’t be afraid to do things differently. It’s something that we inherently always did because I (and the founders) did not come from the beauty industry world. A lot of the advice we received back then was from industry veterans who gave us the lay of the land and how “things are done around here.” We entered the market as outsiders, bringing a fun & colorful hair product to the professional salon products world–which historically was very stuffy. We had a direct relationship with end consumers and retailers, which was technically a no-no at that time if you wanted to be a pro brand. These two things set us apart and gave us the momentum to create something the market needed, which is now an entire category itself–prestige hair care. While it’s not to say that advice from people who came before you aren’t relevant, you must find your own way of doing things too. Just because “that’s the way it’s always been done” doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way.
We’re also big believers in speaking things into existence (hey, Oprah!). What is your dream partnership for Amika?
We are big believers of collaboration, it’s even listed in our core values collaboration over ego. It’s a tough choice, because there are so many amazing brands we would love to partner with. But, the one we would most definitely choose is off-white. I mean, who wouldn’t want an off-white blow dryer! They also say to Dream Big, right?
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Five Affirmations From Aerie Role Models We Should All Repeat Daily
Repeat it. Walk it. Live it.
In January of 2014 Aerie shared the beginning of their “untouched photo” campaign featuring women in their most natural state. The images went viral and the comment section became an open door for anything and anyone. Cut to almost five years later and the power of positivity has been real for the brand. What once was simply an inspiring ad campaign has now transformed into a powerful movement to empower all women to love their real selves.
Women everywhere have come together to support each other and celebrate these images of authenticity and beauty. We passed the mic to five Aerie Role Models at the Vision Summit to get the biggest lessons they’ve learned about self love, the inside scoop on what it’s like to partner with Aerie, and their favorite affirmations to start their day.
Meet the Panelists
Brenna Huckaby
Brenna’s athletic career began with gymnastics, but after getting amputation surgery, Brenna got her first prosthetic leg and thanks to her mom, uprooted her life in Louisiana and moved to Salt Lake City to pursue snowboarding. She’s a 2018 Paralympian, Two-time Paralympic medalist, 3-time World Championship gold medalist and honestly the list goes on, but Brenna Huckaby says she’s “A person first. I’m not an athlete with a disability or a brand ambassador with a disability. I’m a person. I decided to stop letting my past dictate my future. I stopped holding on to the fear of “what happens if I get injured?” and I just went for it. Stop allowing people to label you in a sub category. That shouldn’t exist. I hope my work shows other people that they have the power to dictate how the world sees them.”
Iskra Lawrence
Iskra has been working with Aerie for 5 years with a front and center view while the brand grew from campaign to movement. She says, “Being a role model is wonderful but terrifying. Every single day I’m super aware. One thing I was told is that when you’re a role model, you have to diversify your feed and diversify your life. Diversifying your life will make you more round minded and open to other experiences. For me, being a role model is a constant discovery of trying to be the best you can be.” When her first untouched photo was published with the brand she was terrified. She hadn’t ever read negative comments about her body. After the campaign photo was published, the haters started rolling in. “I got so excited because I couldn’t believe the world had not seen images like that. I broke some societal norms about what a women should look like. If something scares you or you don’t see yourself represented, you have to step up and do that. Please stand up and do it. We need you.”
Monique Coleman
Monique is an American actress, dancer, singer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and recently launched her own talk show ‘GimmeMO’, a movement to empower and motivate the next generation, distributed on Discovery Life network. Before the show started, she spent years pitching it and being told that her story wasn’t important, that the timing wasn’t right, that people didn’t want content to help them feel better about themselves. So, she set out to produce it herself and she did it. We spoke about authenticity and working on projects you’re truly aligned with as a creative. “We need to be authentic and aligned with things that make us feel good. It’s all about alignment. Things we believe in and things that make us feel good may not be the most popular today but they WILL be the most long lasting.”
Jess Weiner
Jess Weiner is a CEO and Cultural Changemaker whose work has played a role in two culture shifting moments: Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty and Barbie’s new look introducing 4 new body types, 7 new skin tones, 22 hair styles and 24 eye colors. Safe to say Jess knows a thing or two about female empowerment. She reminded us that, “It’s so important to remember that we’re more powerful when we come together. We can’t underestimate the power of representation. I believe systemic change is possible, it’s a marathon not a sprint.” She spoke to us about the power of owning your social platforms and content creation strategy. When we talked about social media and the comparison game Jess chimed in and said, ”It’s easy to go to the lowest common denominator and compare yourself, but the REAL power is knowing that you don’t have to go through a gatekeeper. Everyone sitting here is the CEO of their own media platform. YOU have the power to publish your story.”
Stephanie Campbell
Stephanie Campbell knew that after college she wanted to work in marketing for a brand with a mission. As the social media manager for Aerie she’s doing just that. Stephanie talked about her experience working for the brand and how much she loves doing work that inspires and encourages women to celebrate themselves and honor their natural beauty. “I’ve always been an Aerie girl,” she says while speaking on why she loves the work she does. “We’re not telling our brand’s story, we’re telling the story of our customer to our customer. We’re inspiring and uplifting the women who shop with us. We ask “who are the women who make up Aerie?” And then we find inspiration from other women’s stories of life. We know that as women, we are stronger together.”
What affirmations do you repeat to yourself on a daily basis?
Click to tweet!
“I have the power to create change.”
- Stephanie Campbell
In front of the mirror making eye contact with yourself say: I am enough.
- Iskra
I am in control of everything that I do. I have the control.
- Brenna
Don’t outsource your power. Allow yourself to feel the fear and say “I am here and I matter.”
- Monique Coleman
I deserve the best and I accept it now, gracefully and graciously.
- Jess Weiner
Do you have daily affirmations? Share some in the comments!
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How This Company Helps You Plan Your Wedding Remotely Without Taking PTO
Save the PTO for the honeymoon.
When we think back to the fantasy wedding we dreamt up as kids, the day was filled with effortless joy and a setting fit for a princess. But fast forward 20 years or so, when you’re actually getting married, and the reality is much different — perhaps without the horse-drawn carriage. Finding your match and planning your lives together is a beautiful thing. But planning a wedding? That isn’t always pretty.
It’s becoming more common for couples to take valuable paid-time-off (PTO) to plan their special day. The entire process can feel like a second full-time job. There are more details and logistics that you didn’t think were possible. And while planning your wedding is a precious memory you’ll always have, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice other areas of your life.
And that is where WeddingWire can help. As the destination for couples looking to get things done when it comes to wedding planning, WeddingWire is a smarter way to coordinate your special day. Nearly 83% of couples plan their wedding online — but with so many venues, planners, and suggestions out there, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.
WOMAN WITH A PLAN
WeddingWire provides the most in-depth information, inspiration and planning tools, to help you make choices you can feel confident in. They have a directory of over 500,000 global wedding professionals — local to your ceremony location — and 5 million global vendor reviews. Now that’s comprehensive. And with their Vendor Manager feature, you can find, save, and mark these vendors as “booked.” Save the spreadsheets or sticky notes for another time, WeddingWire has the organization you need at home and on the go. Especially with their app, which includes wedding day countdown, messaging ability vendors, as well as access your wedding planning checklist.
$AVVY PLANNING, MADE EA$Y
Even better? WeddingWire is completely free. And with an average wedding costing close to $30,000, high quality resources that don’t break the bank are truly a gift. Speaking of which, WeddingWire also helps you compare vendor pricing and availability, as well as provides tools for tasks like budgeting. In fact, their Budgeting Tool will help you track spending, set up payment schedules, and redistribute funds. This is the peace of mind you and your wallet both need when planning a wedding.
MAKE YOUR LIST + CHECK IT TWICE
Bringing together two families can be heart-warming and exciting — but the guest list and seating chart can feel like a scramble. The first step, make sure you have a clear understanding of who’s related to who, who’s friends with who. And second, use WeddingWire’s Guest List Tool to build and track your guest list, in addition to marking off whether or not they sent a gift. Pro tip: Have stationary ready for those Thank You notes.
And the seating chart? They have a tool for that. Once you reach this stage in the planning process, this feature can help you lay out your floor plan and drag and drop guests from your list. And if you really want to make sure your in-laws happy, WeddingWire has a Hotel Blocks feature that allows you to find and reserve hotel rooms for your wedding guests. Now everyone will be well-rested, perfectly seated, and gets a Thank You note. Kudos to you!
All this to say, save your PTO for your honeymoon. WeddingWire is the leading online wedding marketplace to help you plan your wedding with confidence. From their app to their budgeting features, WeddingWire gives you the power to plan your wedding efficiently and effectively. Because your big day deserves to be the day you’ve always dreamed of — maybe with that horse-drawn carriage, after all.
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