The Upsides of Self-Funding Your Biz, From Eadem Co-Founders Alice Lin Glover and Marie Kouadio Amouzame
For Eadem co-founders Alice Lin Glover and Marie Kouadio Amouzame, the path to getting their inclusive, clean skin-care brand off the ground started with their own pocket books. The duo, who met while working in marketing at Google, had discovered a blank space in the market for clean skin care formulated with melanin-rich skin in mind. It was a gap in the industry they knew intimately as women of color (Amouzame is West African and French, and Glover is Taiwanese-American) and years of searching for products that never quite suited their unique needs. Soon after, the idea for Eadem was born. Then came the daunting task of securing cash flow.
The pair decided early on that venture capitalists were off the table. “I’m not sure the venture community was ready for us and interested in our vision,” says Glover, who together with Amouzame, launched Eadem in 2021 with a dark-spot serum designed with its proprietary “Smart Melanin Beauty” formulas made by women of color, for women of color. “We didn’t want to compromise what we were trying to build.”
Venture Capital, otherwise known as VC funding, is a private equity investor that provides capital for startups or small businesses in exchange for an equity stake in the company. The biggest benefit is undoubtedly having the financial anchor to boost your business, but it doesn’t come without compromise. In other words, there’s another cook in the kitchen when making business decisions that impact revenue. The reality is that less than one percent of startups raise venture capital, reports financial resource platform Fundera.
Most entrepreneurs end up financing through good old-fashioned bootstrapping. Nearly 70 percent of small businesses rely on personal savings to finance their business, according to a recent survey by the MetLife and U.S. Chamber Small Business Index.
“I know VC funding is so sexy and everyone wants that headline and it’s so important to them, but how much of your company, or yourself, are you selling in exchange for that?” asks Glover. Self-funding grants you the opportunity to have more flexibility, control, focus on long-term growth, and more authenticity in your decisions. Since launch, Eadem has skyrocketed to success and is now on the shelves of Sephora.
However, bootstrapping does come with its own unique challenges (including not always seeing a paycheck right away). “It’s both a curse and a blessing,” admits Azouame. “You see all these other brands that launch the same day, if not the same week as you, and they have $2–$3 million, and can do all these things like get employees and run ads, and everything looks so beautiful. Then on our end, it’s just the two of us doing everything.”
While it can be stressful, Azouame attests that self-funding forces you to be creative with your money, who you’re going to work with, how to convince people to take a chance on you, and in so many other ways.
“I think that [bootstrapping] is one of the best ways to learn, even after having worked in tech,” she says. “We learned so much in the first two years by being self-funded.”
The pair acknowledges that self-funding may not be for everyone, but attest that sometimes it’s just about taking that blind leap of faith.
Tune into the latest episode of WorkParty to uncover how the founders launched their business to success, what the beauty industry can do to be more inclusive, and why brand storytelling is so important.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2nyZrvLa1PyNYRkVEgfis6?si=6Q9cMOHATH6TB6Xvine1yw
RESOURCES
To connect with Alice Lin Glover click here
To connect with Marie Kouadio Amouzame click here
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To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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Hot Takes With Cheval: Don’t Forget Yourself While Chasing Your Dreams
Diem Co-Founder Emma Bates on Human-Centered Technology and The Power of Female Communication
ABOUT THE EPISODE
In today's episode of WorkParty, Jaclyn is joined by Emma Bates, founder & CEO of Diem. If you attended Create & Cultivate's Austin Pop-Up event earlier this year, you might've already heard from Emma on one of our panels where she spoke about women paving the way with blockchain technology.
If you're not familiar with Diem, it's a community-powered search engine designed for women. Diem is a Techstars NYC portfolio brand backed by leading investors like Flybridge, Acrew, & Sellation. By trade, Emma is a marketer and a community builder. Her entry into marketing was somewhat untraditional–in that she started out by growing her personal blog to 100K+ readers at age 19, and later transitioned into corporate marketing roles at some of the fastest-growing consumer brands in NYC and the UK. Prior to founding Diem, she worked as the Head of Global Marketing at the direct-to-consumer luggage brand, Away, where she found her passion for connecting with consumers through brand partnerships.
When she's not sidestepping her way into another entrepreneurial endeavor, she works to create social change as a lifelong advocate for gender equality. Emma has also been featured in Forbes, HuffPost, Entrepreneur, and The Cut for her unique approach to marketing, community building, and partnerships.
In this episode, she shares the importance of adding a human element to technology and product design, the power of female communication, and how she's working to bring inclusive, reliable information to people all over the world.
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RESOURCES
To connect with Emma Bates click here
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click here
To sign up for the Diem newsletter click here
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click here
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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Outdoor Voices & Try Your Best Founder Ty Haney Shares How to Leverage Web3 to Build Powerful Communities
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Live from our 2022 Small Business Summit event, Ty Haney joins Jaclyn Johnson for a keynote conversation about building community in Web3. If you're listening to this episode it's because you believe in doing things. Big things. And Ty Haney is on the same page. Haney founded Outdoor Voices–a vibrant, fun-first athleticwear brand back in 2014.
During Haney's time with Outdoor Voices, the brand became synonymous with IRL events that brought shoppers together to celebrate movement. And today, she's here to talk about how to bring that same IRL magic online with the next wave of community-driven technology.
Haney's new brand TYB, which stands for Try Your Best, makes Web3 community-powered growth tools that allow brands and fans to directly link, come together, build, and win together. And if you don't know what that means, it's okay! By the end of this episode, you'll be a pro.
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RESOURCES
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click here
To follow along with Outdoor Voices click here
To follow along with Try Your Best click here
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click here
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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How to Build a Portfolio Career With CEO and Selling Sunset Star, Emma Hernan
ABOUT THE EPISODE
Live from our 2022 Small Business Summit event, CEO and Selling Sunset star Emma Hernan joins Bunita Sawhney Executive Vice President of US Financial Institutions at Mastercard for a fireside chat about what it takes to build a portfolio career. While you may know her from the hit Netflix show, you may not realize that Emma Hernan is someone whose business savvy goes far beyond what's depicted on the silver screen. As a self-made multimillionaire, Emma is not only a realtor at one of Los Angeles' top agencies, The Oppenheim Group, but she's also an entrepreneur and CEO of Emma Leigh & Co, as well as an angel investor. In other words, her plate is very full.
It's clear that she loves the work she does, and her drive and passion to help other female entrepreneurs grow and succeed is evident from the moment you meet her. We're lucky that she's here today to share tips on how to vary the types of work that you're doing, what investors are looking for, and how to persist with founding a business even when you come up against obstacles. (Plus, she might even spill a little Selling Sunset tea!)
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RESOURCES
To connect with Emma Hernan click here
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click here
To start bingeing Selling Sunset click here
To follow along with The Oppenheim Group click here
To follow along with Emma Leigh & Co. click here
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click here
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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Cass Dimicco On Parallel Pathing Your Personal Brand With Your Business
Today’s guest is multi-hyphenate Cass Dimicco–a successful entrepreneur, content creator, and creative director. Lauded by the media as “a true tastemaker, one of the fashion world’s ultimate ‘it girls and style icons,” Cass is not only a trend-setter for her highly engaged audience, but she’s also the founder, designer, and creative director for her own successful jewelry line, Aureum Collective.
Cass had leveraged her eye for style and ability to forecast fashion trends into full-time digital content creation in 2017, leaving her previous role as a corporate buyer and product designer in fashion. Aureum Collective was later founded in September 2019 when Cass and her husband recognized a gap in the market for a jewelry brand that fulfilled a luxury aesthetic without the luxury price point.
Listen below to learn about her journey from influencer to entrepreneur, and her best advice for launching and scaling a corporate brand in line with her personal brand.
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RESOURCES
To connect with Cass Dimicco click HERE
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click HERE
To follow along with Aureum Collective click HERE
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click HERE
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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Bella Hadid & Jen Batchelor On Leading a Sober-Curious Movement and Changing The Age-Old Social Ritual of Drinking
Bella Hadid isn't sure how cans of Kin Euphorics showed up in her fridge, but one sip and she's glad they were put there.
Working in the modeling industry may be glamorous, but, as Hadid learned, can take a toll on you physically and mentally. So when she discovered and frequently drank Kin Spritz, a non-alcoholic apéritif, she noticed her mood was instantly boosted and she felt good making it through the multiple shows or late nights. Hadid wasn't sure how this drink was capable of making her lifestyle better, but she had to find and connect with its creator Jen Batchelor.
Hadid and Batchelor's instant chemistry was undeniable because they both came from backgrounds where they felt the burnout of their life choices, and wanted to improve their mind, body, and soul. It was as if the stars had aligned. Hadid signed on as a co-founder of Kin Euphorics and together they are building a booze-free culture. Hear Hadid speak from our LA Conference about her new lifestyle and what led her to entrepreneurship below.
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To connect with Kin Euphorics click HERE
To connect with Jaclyn Johnson click HERE
To follow along with Create & Cultivate click HERE
To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)
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Doing Too Much Led To Work Exhaustion- Here's How I Bounced Back
As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to feel like you need to be doing it all, and all the time. However, this mindset has the potential to put you on the fast track to work exhaustion- aka burnout!
If you’re currently in the midst of burnout or feel like you’re on your way there yourself, know that there's hope for recovery and avoidance altogether. We spoke with 15, high-achieving women who’ve experienced burnout as a result of doing too much all at once. Luckily for them (and for you), they’ve since bounced back by implementing more sustainable strategies to ensure they are thriving both personally and professionally.
You are capable of doing a lot, but you don’t always have to be doing everything. Take the advice from these successful entrepreneurs.
Katie Ward
Owner of Katie Ward Photography, a brand, editorial, and portrait photographer based in NYC and the Hamptons.
My experience: I experienced severe burnout at the end of 2021. I am the primary parent and primary earner in my household and I had been exclusively pumping for a baby, spending three hours a day driving my older child to and from school, as well as working more than full-time. I ended up having to dip into savings to take two months off to get back to baseline, sleep, and figure out my priorities. The biggest strategy I employed was to significantly raise the prices of my offerings. Doing so enabled me to work 25 to 50 percent less, while still being able to support my family both financially and emotionally.
My advice: Sometimes there is no avoiding burnout, especially with the unrealistic expectations that society has placed on everyone, but more specifically on working moms. But there are tools we can use to get through it. Focusing on getting enough sleep, eating regularly, and finally getting a therapist who I felt comfortable opening up to helped me a lot.
Ashita Shah
CEO of Arunashi, a combined 11th-generation fine jewelry atelier that specializes in rare and one-a-kind gemstones.
My experience: Burnout is real. With kids and an active social life with work dinners and friends, it was like the hamster wheel with no end in sight. Outsourcing and hiring a good reliable team for me was worth the weight in gold, from managing life at work to managing the home and the kids. Time management and planning have also been extremely helpful. With a monthly brain dump and a short daily list of goals, it allows me to get to the finish line in smaller chunks versus being overwhelmed by it all.
My advice: Hire. I can't tell you how much sanity and peace of mind this will bring to you. Hire to manage all the things you can't do—from filing papers, to creating and managing schedules for home and personal life, to answering general emails—so you can focus truly on what you can do. Hiring a few great individuals is all it takes to stay ahead of the curve and not feel like you are gasping for air.
Dorothy Kolb
Founder and CEO of dk east associates, providing clients with customized business strategies, financial confidence, and a curated network of professionals, experts, and allies.
My experience: Because I'm in the service space as a fractional CFO, I'm always working for others. I pride myself on my bespoke offerings but it has also, on occasion, left me feeling unsupported, tapped out, and burnt. As a single mom of four, I also need to be fully myself for my sons. Burnout has manifested itself in me feeling empty, crushed, and useless. I have built up a network of colleagues, experts, and allies who I can rely on not only for referrals but for help. Referring along parts of work not only allows me to source the best for my clients but allows me to take a break knowing my clients are in amazing hands.
My advice: It's so important to have a bunch of resources. Now and then you just need to refer out some work to someone you fully trust so that you can regroup. Trust me, it pays itself back in multiples.
Rossalvi Marte
Founder and CEO of Marte & Co., a consulting agency specializing in business marketing and branding for personal and lifestyle brands.
My experience: The first time I experienced burnout was in my corporate career. This was a mental burnout since I’m a mom of two toddlers and I did not have time for anything after work. I would bathe and feed my kids quickly so that they could be in bed as soon as possible. After starting my business, I experienced burnout again because I said yes too many times when I should have said no. What helped me the most was working with a naturopathic doctor and life coach at the same time. Making time for self-care is also now a non-negotiable for me.
My advice: Spend time thinking about what drains your energy and what boundaries you need to start implementing in your life today. Block time on the calendar for true self-care and commit to it.
Mellinda Abbott
CPA at Abbott and Company LLC, a boutique accounting firm working alongside successful entrepreneurs to ensure their growth and success.
My experience: I would say I was a member of the “I can do it all” club until my late 40s when divorce and a health scare forced me to stop and evaluate. I learned to be sure that each day I focus on the things that are meaningful to me—the ones that put a smile on my face and feel good.
My advice: Pause, sit with yourself, and identify what is important to you. If you are not healthy and happy, no one else in your life will be either.
Shay Paresh
Founder and CEO of SHAYDE BEAUTY, a skincare line made with melanin in mind.
My experience: I’ve had several burnout moments throughout my career because I overextended myself. It’s important to re-evaluate your priorities and learn to set boundaries. Learn to say “no” more often. Saying no allows you to say “yes” to the commitments you want to make!
My advice: Set aside time to disconnect and participate in an activity you truly enjoy, such as attending your favorite workout class or connecting with a community that is personally meaningful to you. It’s vital to surround yourself with the right people, personally and professionally.
Ashley Rector
Founder of Laura Alexandria Marketing, a female-powered social media micro-agency working with venture-backed businesses to expand their reach on social media.
My experience: Burnout is very real and very scary. I was a practicing attorney for several years while simultaneously running a side hustle focused on building authentic communities. I thought I could do it all and that I had no boundaries. I hit a breaking point where I mentally collapsed and couldn't handle it anymore. I had to take a step back, identify the things that brought me joy, and evaluate how I was spending my time on a day-to-day basis.
My advice: We are a sum of all of our small actions. When you start to skip things that fill up your bucket here and there, you don't realize that those actions of putting yourself last add up tremendously. So don't skip the morning indulgent coffee, the 10 minutes in the park with sunshine on your face, or the manicure.
Carlye Morgan
Founder and CEO of Chalonne, creating luxury Apple Watch bands for women, hand-crafted in France with the finest leathers, gemstones, and solid gold.
My experience: Growing up, I was told that women could have it all—they could have a career and a family and life could be wonderful. But in reality, I found that balancing a career and a family was incredibly challenging. Around the time my daughter was four years old, the long hours, stress, and politics at my corporate job began to take a toll on me emotionally and physically. Since many factors in my work environment were completely out of my control, I decided to take control of my own destiny and walk away, which was one of the hardest decisions of my life. But once the weight of my stressful job was lifted, I was able to get back to myself and reinvent my career on my own terms as an entrepreneur. Granted, it was a very risky thing to do. But sometimes, you have to take a great risk to get a great reward. I have not regretted it for a moment and in hindsight, I just wish I had done it sooner!
My advice: It’s incredibly hard to do the same thing for many years, feeling like a hamster on a wheel. I would recommend attempting to make a lateral move to a different position within your company. I did that successfully for years and it helped keep things fresh and interesting.
Belma McCaffrey
CEO of Work Bigger, a career coaching platform for high achievers who want to find their purpose.
My experience: One of my most significant burnout experiences happened when I was working full-time at the largest news organization in the world. At the same time, I had my first son and was working to launch my first coaching business. I was trying to "have it all"—the success, the family, and the business. I didn't know it at the time, but my self-worth was based on my level of success and achievement. It was this harmful belief that led to my burnout. My No. 1 strategy was to take a pause and rest, and work on my self-worth and my confidence.
My advice: Understand where your burnout is coming from. One place to start is by identifying your emotional triggers. Emotional triggers are events or experiences that trigger a negative emotional response. These can show you what you need to heal so that you can learn to work from a healthier place. You can learn to set boundaries and say no, which is critical for getting your power back.
Jenna Sereni
CEO and Founder of HandsDown, the shopping platform built for communities and friends.
My experience: Burnout is so very real, and especially as a parent and a founder, there is so much to juggle in the pressure cooker that is this career. That said, after 15 years I think I’ve finally unlocked my escape when it comes to burnout. If you’re going to be taking on a big job, an exceptional challenge at work, or a new project, first check in with yourself and think about the balance you’ve been able to create as it relates to your personal self-care. What brings you peace? What makes you feel at ease? For me, it’s a 30-minute daily morning workout, short meditation, and monthly mani-pedi. My No. 1 priority when setting up my day, my travel schedule, and my personal vacation schedule? It all revolves around my self-care needs. Because ultimately, if I don’t take care of myself, we’re at risk of it all unraveling.
My advice: Find what brings you peace and makes you feel at ease, and make that a priority. I promise, carving out that small amount of time will be worth the effort in setting up the habit. Two helpful resources are Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty and Atomic Habits by James Clear. Read these two books and you’ll be on your way to a lifestyle that prioritizes your personal health, setting you up to crush it in your professional one.
Michelle Glauser
Founder and CEO of Techtonica, a nonprofit that helps women and non-binary adults with low incomes overcome barriers to entering tech careers.
My experience: As someone who founded an intensive tech education nonprofit and managed it while working another full-time job, I have both personally been affected by burnout and advised many people dealing with it. Even during the toughest times, I make sure to get enough sleep and regular exercise, because no combination of other things can make up for the foundation sleep and exercise provide. I also found that identifying the feelings I have and sharing them—whether with a friend or in my journal—helps me process and move on. When you care so much about the work you do, you have to remember that your value isn’t defined by your level of productivity. Be intentional, consistent, and unapologetic about taking time to recharge.
My advice: When you feel the most overwhelmed and in danger of complete burnout, it usually feels like the worst time to take a break, but it’s the most essential time to take a break. I recommend everyone use a trauma-informed tool we recently implemented at Techtonica called a WRAP, or Wellness Recovery Action Plan—create, share, and stick to a personal doc that lists what you will do regularly to maintain wellness, what triggers a stress response for you, signs that you are overwhelmed, and what you will do to recover.
Felicia Kashevaroff
CEO of Tend Task, a newly imagined tool for household organization.
My experience: My experience with burnout came during my years as a stay-at-home mom. Since I wasn't "working," I felt compelled to prove my worth by joining every committee and acting as room mom for all three of my children's classrooms. I planned fundraisers and sat on nonprofit boards—important work, but did I need to do it all? My partner couldn't understand that these responsibilities, combined with the mental load I was carrying at home, were simply too much. Ultimately, his refusal to value my time and contributions forced me to do it myself. I learned to say no more often and started exploring the meaning of equitable partnership.
My advice: My most meaningful advice is to value your time. It's your most precious resource. Say no without guilt and call on your friends, family, and your partner if you have one to support you when you feel burned out, or feel burnout approaching.
Emily McDonald
Co-Founder of My Founder Circle, a community for early-stage female founders to help them launch and scale their companies.
My experience: I faced major burnout with my first start-up, The Stylist LA. I was working more than 80 hours per week, raising investment, and ran a large team. I always put myself last. These factors resulted in massive burnout. I realized I needed to put my needs first. I needed to prioritize sleep, exercise, and healthy eating, which in turn made my work even better. Working 80-hour weeks wasn't helpful in the long run, even though it felt like it at the time. Putting myself and my mental health first is ultimately so much more productive for my business.
My advice: Remember to give yourself grace. Find a confidante, a therapist, or a business coach who you can be 100 percent honest with. Open up to them about how you are feeling and have them assist with strategies to get through it. Take a step back and give yourself space from the office, from your work, or whatever you may need. Try and move your body, get some sleep, and put your phone down. All of these things help when going through burnout––but they also help in avoiding burnout. Remember: there is so much more to life than work, even though it's hard to see when you are in it.
Marika Adamopoulos
Founder of Marika Creative, an agency specializing in stunning visual experiences, boldly and strategically supporting global businesses to increase their revenue.
My experience: As both a creative and an entrepreneur, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that burnout is a familiar place for me. Especially when I was first getting my business off the ground, I was working eight days a week, 57 hours a day. I didn’t take a true vacation for three years, and, at one point, I was taking on up to 20 photo projects a month. This pattern and the stress it induced led to some pretty significant health challenges, bringing me to a place where I was forced to make some changes.
My advice: Schedule your rest time and plan all your work-related tasks around your non-negotiable “you time.” Burnout is fairly easy to avoid if you set up a structure in your days, weeks, months, and years where you create the time you need to work through internal battles, lay on the couch and do nothing, lift at the gym, or whatever you need. As someone who’s experienced burnout many times, a big piece of overcoming it is realizing that it is okay to step away from your work, and to realize that you’ll be more successful and productive if you do step away for a time. Talking this through with a coach, therapist, or strong friend to help you get to that understanding internally can be really useful, and can then get you to the place you need to develop the rituals that will work best for you.
Katherine Sprung
Founder of Sprung On Food, a series highlighting food and beverage companies and featuring food conversations with musicians and public figures.
My experience: I've owned and operated Squish Marshmallows, a small-batch artisanal marshmallow and confections company, for eight years. When you're a sole owner of a bootstrapped business, you wear an incredible amount of hats, and you're working non-stop. After seven years of running the business, five of which I ran a brick-and-mortar retail shop with pop-ups and satellite locations, I was burning out quickly, especially going through the height of the pandemic. For me, the best way to give myself the freedom I needed and not completely run myself down, was to not renew my lease and close my brick and mortar, basically changing the model of my business.
My advice: Evaluate what you're doing, and where you're putting your time. For so long we've been told to "hustle," "no days off," and "sleep when you're dead." Those are all the things that are burning us out. My favorite mantra has always been to be the tortoise, not the hare. If you're driving yourself full force, not stopping, you're not only going to crash and burn, you're going to miss out on life. We often think that the business that we're in, or building, is the only thing that's happening and unless we're only sleeping three hours a night and working around the clock, nothing will get done. Sure, we could all use more hours in a day, but what we need to do is shift our mindset and give ourselves more grace. Slow down, work hard, but allow yourself room to breathe and live outside of your work.
About the author: Gesche Haas is the Founder/CEO of Dreamers & Doers, a private collective that amplifies the entrepreneurial pursuits of extraordinary women through thought leadership opportunities, authentic connection, and access. Gesche's been featured on Bloomberg TV, CNNMoney, The New York Times, Huffington Post, Business Insider, Forbes, Fortune Magazine, Refinery29, Broadly/Vice, and other major media outlets, as well as at the United Nations, where she spoke during the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Pivoting In Your Career In Your 30s: It's Okay And Here's How To Tackle It
Your 30s are a divergent decade—between life milestones and relationships, you develop into the adult you want to become. With shifting priorities and life perspectives, you might come to realize the career path you're on is not the final destination. (You may also be experiencing burnout.) Maybe it's time to consider pivoting in your career.
The good news is that your career doesn’t have to follow a linear path. There is no one-size-fits-all solution and you are not being graded on your commitment to your first career path. You get to reinvent your work life as many times as you want. Just because it sounds daunting does not mean it's not doable.
So, where do you start when you’re looking to change careers, or maybe you don’t know what kind of change you’re seeking. We know it can be overwhelming to contemplate a complete change, so whatever your mindset, the following tips will help you begin your journey.
1. Assess your network
The benefit of changing your career path in your 30s is that you’re not starting from square one. First, go through your contact list, starting with your email address book and LinkedIn connections. Is there anyone you already know in a role that interests you? Do you have a mentor at your current job that could advise you on the next chapter of your career? Make a spreadsheet of your closest contacts and note their job title, your relationship with them, and why they could be a promising resource for your new career journey.
The goal is to begin researching new career directions with the support and guidance of peers you’ve already established relationships with. This might be a good time to try out a LinkedIn Premium account to maximize your networking, and you'll also have more access to hiring managers.
2. Assess your skills
Ask yourself what top skills your current job requires. Do you interface with high-profile clients or oversee your company’s internship program? Do you have project management software development experience? Maybe you write your company’s social media posts or sell marketing automation solutions. No matter what you are currently doing, your skills are transferable. As an exercise, write out the primary responsibilities of your current role and what skills are required for each. Brainstorm how those skills will translate into a new career field.
3. Take classes
The internet has democratized access to continuing education opportunities. Research the kind of certificates or credentials that can introduce you to, and give you experience with, a new career field.
Platforms like Udemy and General Assembly are great resources for education and career transformation. Both companies specialize in in-demand skills and offer thousands of courses online. Through ongoing education, you can hone new skills, while also understanding the full scope of interesting new career paths.
4. Be open-minded
Maybe you know what career field you want to go into, but if you don’t The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a great resource for beginning your research. It outlines different industries and career sectors, as well as qualifications for becoming that type of professional. You might not know your dream career already exists!
Another free resource to check out is "The Career-Switching Handbook for 30‑Somethings." It's an ebook from The Wharton School that details data-driven strategies for advancing your career through job-hopping. No matter where your research takes you, be open-minded to careers you have never considered before.
5. Plan for salary changes
Lastly, changing career paths will affect your salary in the short term. But don’t fret! This is a temporary reality of starting anew. Salaries, like career paths, are not always about incremental growth. Consider side hustles or part-time work that pays the bills, but still allows you the time to develop into your new career path.
Written by Dana Kelly
Former Harvard Meditation Advisor Shares Steps On How Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Doubt
Doubt: It’s one of those one-syllable feelings that can feel catastrophic as an entrepreneur. About four in ten newbies and business owners experience this all-too-common emotion, but its ubiquity doesn’t make it any less challenging. According to former Harvard Meditation Advisor Kassi Underwood, the present moment has a lot to offer uncertain entrepreneurs—even if, in this very moment, it’s hard for you to believe that sitting with your doubt is the way to go.
An author, podcaster, and entrepreneur, who holds a Masters of Divinity from Harvard, has come against her fair share of self-questioning. Below, she offers her perspective on what doubt actually is, why it may manifest more often for women and non-binary entrepreneurs, and what to do when you find yourself in the grips of this emotion.
So, what is doubt? And why does it run more rampant among women entrepreneurs
Underwood has a simple definition: “Doubt is fear. It’s that simple,” she says. “A lot of things that we label with more complex terms are just fear. Guilt is fear. Doubt is fear. Doubt is, 'I don't know if I can do that,' which is another way of saying, 'I'm afraid I can't do this. I'm afraid.'” Mic drop, right?
Understandably, this doubt (aka fear) doesn’t target all people equally. Women and non-binary entrepreneurs—and particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) —are up against discrimination that makes the fear more readily available. Since women-founded startups receive just 2.3 percent of venture funding and the funding gap is even bleaker for founders of color, it makes sense that you may constantly be asking yourself questions like, “Can I do this?” and “Are the steps I’m taking leading me toward success?”
What’s more, as women, we may be more likely to question our leadership skills in the C-suite. “Those of us who grew up as girls are programmed with the beliefs that we should be quiet, or we're going to come across as bossy or rude or demanding,” Underwood says. “We're taught that we're not supposed to care about money, or that if we do that, we're a gold digger or we're too masculine. There are so many insults that come with being a female entrepreneur.” If any of this sounds familiar, know that your experience is normal (which is not to say it’s acceptable or fair that you have to deal with it.)
Over time, systematic change like more funding going to women entrepreneurs will hopefully take the burden of doubt off all of our shoulders (or, okay, at least lighten the load). In the meantime, however, Underwood has five steps to help you approach doubt with mindfulness. So go ahead: Plug into the present moment.
1. Meditate (for one minute!) in the morning to reduce your overall quantity of fear triggers
No surprise here! Diffusing doubt doesn’t start the moment you begin to feel uncertain; it starts the second you open your eyes. If meditating for 20 minutes feels daunting to you, never fear. Underwood has designed a one-minute, daily meditation that you can do in the morning to head off doubt before the day has even begun, so you have less “Ahhh!” moments later in the day.
2. Identify and put words to your fear
“If a fear comes up, first of all, identify what you’re afraid of in the moment. Like, ‘I'm afraid that I'm going to send this email, and they're going to say no,’” Underwood shares. Once you’ve taken a pulse on what it is that has your heart racing, you can start working through it, which leads us to…
3. Identify the “lie you’re telling yourself”
“In fear, there's always a lie that I'm telling myself,” Underwood says. “One of the most prominent lies that women tell ourselves is, 'I can't handle that. If this goes to shit, I won't know what to do next.' And, of course, that's not true. You're gonna figure it out like you're a badass woman and you're gonna know in the moment, what to do next, but you can't solve a problem that's not even happening.”
Find your lie.
4. Write out the worst-case scenario and the best-case scenario
Now that you’re holding your fear in one hand and your lie in the other, you’re ready to plan. “The next thing to write down is, 'how would I handle the worst case scenario with courage? What's that look like?' And then what's the best case scenario? What news do I want to create for myself, my life, and life in general?”, says Underwood.
For example, if the worst-case scenario is that you lose a client, the best-case scenario may be that you now have an open slot for a cool new client that aligns with your values. Bam.
5. Keep the fruits of this exercise nearby
“You can put some of those lines up on your fridge or in your office,” Underwood advices. “They will start inspiring you and help you cut through those moments of doubt. So you'll be in doubt, but you have already done the exercise. You're like, ‘Oh, right. I don't believe that anymore. Like I actually can handle this. Even if the bad sh*t happens, I can handle it.” You absolutely can!
Written by Kells McPhillips
How to Build a Success Mindset in Four Simple Steps
It’s not as complicated as you might think.
Photo: Create & Cultivate
So, you’re ready to take on the workday. “Cute outfit? Check. Phone and laptop? Check. Coffee? Check. Wait. Am I missing something?”
You might feel like you’ve checked all the boxes needed to be successful but still find that next level of achievement to be elusive.
Here’s the deal, mindset is often the deciding factor between an individual’s success or failure. It’s the invisible “X factor.” We see this in life, business, with our clients, and in our own lives. Every action we take starts in our mind, making it essential that we maintain a mindset that will propel us in a direction of positive growth and the accomplishment of our goals.
While you’re probably familiar with this topic, what most people don’t talk about is exactly how to create the right kind of mindset to get the results we’re all looking for.
It might seem like successful people just instinctively know how to do this, but when we take a closer look, it’s not something that is reserved for the chosen few. It can be cultivated, and it’s not as complicated as you might think.
Ready?
Here are four simple steps to help you build the mindset that will set you up for success.
1. Check Your Input
What are you feeding your mind? Just as we focus on what we feed our body in order to feel our best and maintain good physical health, we need to give the same attention to the information we consume to maintain good mental health.
So many people watch, read, and listen to content without giving any thought to the impact it’s having on their life. According to this study, adults in the United States spend a daily average of 12 hours and 21 minutes (over 50% of their day!) consuming some form of media...and that doesn’t even account for reading printed content!
Consuming information isn’t the problem, because that’s just part of life; rather, it’s all about the kind of information you are taking in. What we focus on shapes who we become.
Use input to help you build a success mindset by intentionally seeking out good, positive material that will help you grow personally and professionally. Wondering where to start? Look for a good book, an inspiring podcast, or attend an event.
Get in the habit of asking yourself: Is this {show, book, music, movie, etc.} helping me to get better, filling me with positive emotion, and adding value to my life? If not, think twice before investing your time there.
2. Establish Healthy Habits
Habits are incredible time savers, helping our brains to make decisions easier by avoiding conscious deliberation about what to do. Consequently, habits make up a large part of our daily activity, and the right ones will fast-track us to success.
Here are four that we recommend (we like to call them the four power practices): gratitude, setting goals, positive affirmations, and reflection. We make it a habit to practice these every morning and every night. Though simple, they are powerful tools for creating a mindset that produces growth and achievement.
3. Cultivate Your Community
It’s been said that you are the average of the five people closest to you. One of the ways that we can build a success mindset is by intentionally investing time with people who inspire us to be better, think differently, and achieve more. Do your close friends make you feel encouraged and uplifted when you are around them?
Are you making connections with new people? Not only does this add excitement and fun to life, it also helps us to broaden our perspectives and stay inspired.
Connecting with a community is a crucial component to maintaining the right kind of mindset. Surround yourself with other like-minded, high achievers who will support and propel your ambitions forward.
4. Reevaluate Your Self-Talk
Ok, admit it, you talk to yourself. The truth is we all do, and our words have power. In order to build a success mindset, we need to first become aware of our internal dialogue. What do you say to yourself when you feel pressured, make a mistake, win big, or when you are trying something new? It can be easy to encourage a friend, yet sometimes we don’t speak to ourselves as kindly.
Catch yourself when you start to think “Ugh. How could I have messed up again? So stupid.” and switch your self-talk to something more encouraging like, “That’s alright. I can do this. I’ll get it next time!”
Reading and saying statements of positive self-talk can help to dilute the negative and make these positive beliefs about ourselves our first response.
We believe in you, and now it’s time for you to believe in yourself too.
Remember, the best version of you, in both life and work, is closer than you think, and these four simple steps to a success mindset will help you get there!
“...So, let’s try this again. Cute outfit? Check. Phone & Laptop? Check. Coffee? Check... Mindset? CHECK! Let’s do this!”
Photo: Courtesy of Candice Henry and Lauren Henry
About the authors: Candice Henry and Lauren Henry are success and influence strategists for the next generation of leaders and co-founders of Aretios. When these sisters aren’t in the classroom teaching leadership and personal development as professors, you’ll find this dynamic duo traveling the world, living out their dreams, and teaching other young professionals how to do the same! Ready to start living your best life? Connect with Candice and Lauren at aretios.com and @aretiosofficial.
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Losing Sleep Over Tomorrow's To-Do List? You Need to Declutter Your Mindset (Here’s How)
Don't let overwhelm take over.
Photo: ColorJoy Stock
When we think of "clutter," most of us picture an episode of “Hoarders” or hear the soothing voice of Marie Kondo (two very different ends of the spectrum). But even the tidiest among us struggle with messes we can't see: mental clutter.
Clearing your mental clutter is the best way to invite peace and calm back into your day-to-day life. Here's how to recognize, clear, and recover from a cluttered mindset.
Physical vs. Mental Clutter
Physical clutter is easy to recognize: the clothes piled on the floor, that "junk drawer" in the kitchen, the trash on the floor of your car. Mental clutter, on the other hand, is a little harder to spot. And unfortunately, it can be even more detrimental to your mental health than a physical mess.
Mental clutter takes many forms, but it most often shows itself as overwhelm:
Losing sleep over tomorrow's to-do list
Forgetting important tasks or dates because you're juggling too many responsibilities
Constantly feeling tired, drained, or overworked
Having little motivation to do anything after work (even things you usually enjoy)
Neglecting self-care in favor of work or family responsibilities
What Causes Mental Clutter?
If you're feeling like this, you're not alone! So many of us let our little stresses pile up over time, creating a “Hoarders”-style mound of mental clutter.
Just like small slips create clutter over time, small improvements can clear it out, create space for calm, and help you step into a clutter-free mindset.
Some of the biggest contributors to mental clutter are:
Your phone and computer. Between the endless notifications and opportunities to distract ourselves, it's no wonder our digital lives are full of clutter. I'd never tell you to break up with your devices entirely, but in order to eliminate the stress they cause, you have to reevaluate your relationship with them.
Your to-do list and calendar. How much time do you spend stressing about that ever-growing to-do list? All those tasks and appointments add clutter to your life. The trick is prioritizing the important stuff and eliminating the rest.
Your daily routine. If you're regularly switching between tasks, procrastinating on projects, or just not finishing your work, it's time to streamline and declutter your daily routine.
These all create and perpetuate mental clutter, but they're also some of the best places to invite calm back into your life. That's what decluttering is all about: clearing out the junk to make space for the good stuff.
How to Declutter Your Mindset
Decluttering your mindset doesn't happen overnight, but there are real steps you can take towards a more peaceful life. Follow these steps to decluttering your physical and digital space, and watch the mindset decluttering follow suit.
Step 1: Take stock of your environment.
Before you can start decluttering your mindset, you have to get real about everything that's contributing to your overwhelm. Grab a journal and let's take a good, long look at your environment.
How many notifications do you get in a day? How much time do you spend staring at screens? What does your desk look like?
Now, be honest with yourself about your stress level. How often do you think about those notifications, worry about emails, or lose sleep over your to-do list? Do you have a healthy work-life balance? Do you feel well-rested?
This part isn't going to feel good. That's okay. Having a clear starting point is the key to mapping your way out of the clutter.
Step 2: Envision your decluttered life.
Next, imagine what your life would look like entirely decluttered. No need to picture your home Kardashian-level clear or your to-do list entirely empty. Just figure out what your ideal day-to-day life looks like:
How would you start your day?
What would your workspace look like?
How much work would you get done in a day, and how would you feel about that work?
How would you wind down in the evenings?
Don't hold anything back! Dream up your ideal life, and make that visualization part of your daily routine. Meditate on it, journal about it, put it on your vision board, whatever you like. When you keep your goals front-and-center, you'll be more likely to make subconscious decisions that get you closer to it. (That's manifestation at work!)
Step 3: Set boundaries.
This is where the actual decluttering happens. Compare your present to the decluttered life you want to get to and start making adjustments towards that goal.
Here are some easy first steps:
Turn off notifications on your phone.
Tidy your workspace, and surround yourself with positive images and affirmations. (I love a good vision board!)
Check off small to-do items you've been procrastinating on, like doctors' appointments and home maintenance.
Delete old, unused files and emails from your computer.
Set aside part of your day to spend time away from screens.
Schedule self-care into your daily and weekly calendars.
Commit to starting your day without your phone in hand and putting your devices away an hour before bedtime.
Donate clothes you no longer wear, books you won't re-read, or anything in your home that's taking up space.
These tiny changes will set your decluttering in motion. Plus, the fewer external distractions you have, the less internal clutter you'll have to deal with.
Step 4: Practice self-care.
Newsflash: Not all self-care is fun. Sure, it sometimes looks like bubble baths and face masks. Other times, it's way less glamourous. But that doesn't mean it's any less necessary!
The not-so-pretty parts of self-care are where the true mental decluttering takes place. By working through the stressors in your life, you create space for more peace and calm. It's not easy, but it's definitely worth it.
You can practice self-care and declutter your life by...
Taking control of your finances. Money is the greatest stressor in our adult lives, and it's also a huge source of clutter. Organize your accounts, start tracking your money, and make a plan to pay off debts.
Dance-clean your space. Even if you hate household chores, there's something therapeutic about blasting your favorite music and dancing while you clean.
Get outside. Fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for your mental health. Take a walk outside (without headphones!) to refresh your body and declutter your thoughts.
Plan your week. Grab your planner and outline your projects, meetings, and self-care time throughout the week. A solid schedule leaves less time for distraction and clutter.
Talk it out. When in doubt, reach out to a close friend, a family member, or a therapist to talk through your mental clutter. They might be able to recognize stressors you can't see in your own life.
Of course, make time for fun self-care, too! Any form of undistracted, intentional self-care re-centers your focus on what really matters. And the more energy you devote to taking care of yourself, the less likely you'll be to fall back into old patterns of distraction and self-sabotage.
Decluttering Your Mindset Takes Time
Decluttering your space and your devices won't magically declutter your mind, but it does get the ball rolling. Over time, you'll notice your inner thoughts start to settle as your environment becomes more controlled. And as you prioritize self-care, your body will finally get to recover from the stress that builds up day-to-day. Trust me, your future self will thank you!
If you’re working on your self-care routine, get my free phone boundaries guide, check out my holistic decluttering course on everything we just covered or follow me over on Instagram for more self-care tips.
“Decluttering your mindset doesn't happen overnight, but there are real steps you can take towards a more peaceful life.”
—Livia Boerger, Self-Care Coach
About the Author: Livia Boerger offers a fresh approach to self-care and teaches that it’s never too expensive, time-consuming, or long bubble baths surrounded by candles. She is on a mission to help high-achieving female entrepreneurs redefine self-care on their terms, prioritize rest and live intentionally so that they can live a calm life free of overwhelm.
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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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