Why This Founder Says Wait Until You're 30 to Start Your Business

When she read “The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell, Ivka Adam, founder and CEO of Iconery, immediately identified with the archetype of the Connector. Connectors make things happen through people. They galvanize people and act as catalysts for change. 

So it makes sense that the idea for Iconery, a curated online selection of fine jewelry, was born from Adam’s idea of creating an ideal online business model, one where you “don’t have to hold inventory but have the vibrancy of a marketplace.” A business that connected a marketplace model with e-commerce. 

“I knew I wanted to build a marketplace where I was supporting designers and their passions,” the founder says. “My passion is to support other people’s creativity, and give them access to manufacturing in a vertical that is very capital intensive.” For instance, the cost of gold, diamonds and other gems, as well as the labor cost in stone-setting, is very expensive. From funding to manufacturing access, Adam knows the fine jewelry market is a difficult passion to pursue. 

She took no shortcuts on the road to Iconery, and believes that entrepreneurs should actually wait until they are in their thirties to launch a startup. She bootstrapped the company, used up her entire savings, and moved home to live with parents. “I was 35, living at home, single. It’s a really tough place to be, and founder depression is real.” But she adds, “When you have twelve years of experience behind you, it’s so much more compelling to investors, they trust you. And you’ve made enough life decisions that you know how to make decisions quickly.”

Adam has always been incredibly thoughtful and strategic about her career, learning early that the road to success is paved with good connections. Home-schooled until high school, she went to a “ton of summer camps, where I had to very quickly learn to make friends.” She credits this as one of the experiences that has informed her networking ability.

While in business school at USC, Adam worked at three different startups. One of those was Cash Warren’s (Create & Cultivate keynote Jessica Alba’s husband) startup, ibeatyou.com. She also knew that she wanted a product management internship at eBay, but at the time eBay was only recruiting from the top four business schools. “I had zero chance of getting an internship there,” she says, “Plus no one ever does product management internships.”

But that didn’t stop her. She leveraged her product management experience at ibeatyou.com, and then “networked the hell out of eBay.” 

What does that mean? She might want to thank mom for those summer camp experiences. 

At the time Adam knew no one at eBay, so she did some research and found out that there was one recruiter who was going to be at the National Black MBA Conference in Texas. Adam hopped on plane and headed to the conference just to meet that one recruiter and get on her radar. She also went through all of her connections on LinkedIn to find an in. Through all of her networks she was only connected to two people at eBay, but they both happened to be product managers. “So,” she says, “I scheduled a 30-minute coffee with each of them.” She flew up to San Francisco, on her own dime-- the cost of all three trips was about a thousand dollars-- just to have those coffees. But another one her beliefs is that, “You have spend money to make money.” 

“I got on their radar, I showed them that I was gung-ho eBay — I was a longtime customer, I knew the ins and outs of the site, and I had read up on everything.” When the time came for internship offers to go out, one of those coffees resulted in an internship in product management. AKA: she did the impossible. 

“You can’t expect an internship to come to you.” she says, “You have to go out and fight for it.” 

"You can't expect an internship to come to you. You have to go out and fight for it."

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“I also believe,” she adds, “in putting all your eggs in one basket, instead of spreading yourself too thin.” She stays that if a company can see that you’re on fire to work there, it will feel real, authentic, and they’ll take you seriously. 

Some of the best advice she ever got was during that eBay internship, where she was told “To set the goal to get to know two new people at the company every weekend.” That meant she was having lunches with VPs and coffees with a wide variety of people throughout summer of 2008. When offer time came in the summer of 2009, which she points out was “one of the worst financial climates to finish school,” only 5% of her graduating class received job offers.  Adam got one of the top offers.

She credits the offer to building her network the prior summer. And by the time she was ready to leave eBay she had advanced from intern to Head of Mobile Marketing for North America, while simultaneously working as the Chief of Staff to the CMO. 

“The big company experience is really important. It automatically gives you an incredible network. Because of my time at eBay,” she says, “I now know the CMO of Facebook. I know the CEO of One Kings Lane, and a ton of people at Pinterest and Google.” People she worked closely with at eBay are now leading teams and departments at other startups. She can ping them anytime. “It’s an automatic, built-in network.” 

But even so, it wasn’t a straight shot to starting her own company. She moved to LA and was recruited by another startup, Modnique, which she joined as VP of Marketing and Mobile Development. In July 2014, a private equity firm bought the company's assets and laid-off all employees. When it happened, Adam was on a backpacking trip, trekking the John Muir trail in the Eastern Sierras. She was quite literally finding a different path without knowing it. “It was a bit of a shock to come off the trail to no job,” but it’s something she says is simply “the nature of business,” and has been an invaluable asset in starting Iconery.

She had the big company experience. She had the startup growth experience. “Between the eBay experience, which was a true marketplace, and Modnique, which was true e-commerce, I knew there were pros and cons to both business models.”

One of Iconery’s main strategies to lowering costs is using CAD design software to create a 3D model that is fed into the 3D printer, which in turn prints the model in wax, and that wax model is cast in metal. They’re using technology to reinvent an age-old industry, and the company is at the intersection of fashion, e-commerce, and the 3D printing technology.

Stone Fox Bride14K Yellow Gold Skull Ring

Another strategy was making the deliberate decision to find a team of experts. She did a ton of research when building her team, cold emailing and reaching out through warmer introductions from past connections at eBay. The response was enthusiastic. The women she approached were excited about Iconery’s new take on the jewelry industry. Her team consists of an award-winning CAD designer, a woman who runs jewelry product development who has been in the jewelry industry for 40 years, and fashion industry veteran Andrea Linett, one of founders of Lucky magazine. “There are a lot of startups,” Adam says, “who think, let’s do this, we can be scrappy, let’s teach ourselves, and find young, cheap, talent. My team is a little more expensive than the average startup because we have incredible expertise.”

It’s the opposite of what we often hear: say yes and figure it out. It’s an approach that mirrors the kind Adam has taken with her entire career: strategic and thoughtful. 

However, she always says it’s so important for startup founders to understand their limits when it comes to uncertainty. “If not knowing whether the company you work for is going to be around in another month freaks you the fuck out, you’re not a startup person. It’s sexy to be in a startup, but there’s tradeoff. Being at Modnique really tested me, and made me very comfortable in uncertainty.”

Startup Tip: Understand your limits when it comes it uncertainty. 

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The business model was so compelling, and airtight, she knew she had to go for it. “I was looking to poke holes in Iconery, looking for any opportunity to find area of risk, and I had two other job opportunities. But I knew what I was aiming for.” 

“I had other options and I powerfully chose Iconery.” 

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com

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Finding Joy in Your Work: The Joie de Clare Vivier

“My strategy is definitely slow and steady,” says Clare Vivier, Founder and CEO of Clare V.  the CA-made luxury leather handbags, apparel and footwear line that has a definitive California cool imbued with a French timelessness. “But to be an entrepreneur you have to trust your instincts.” 

In bright red socks and silver shoes, carrying a matching vibrant red leather drawstring pouch, Clare is her brand through-and-through. 

“The thing I strive for— and I think I hit, thankfully, is making a product that feels special and makes people feel confident to buy something on their own without having to subscribe to a trend.” 

Poppy Napa Drawstring Pouch. 

Clare first made waves on the fashion scene in 2007 after asking herself the simple question: “Why don’t we have cute work bags and laptop bags for women?" So was born La Tropezienne, a single vegetable-tanned leather tote, the first to hit her blog and website. So was born Clare V., a company started in her home where Clare and her earliest first employee, Jocelyn, were hand-sewing bags while learning the ins and outs of wholesale and e-commerce. 

By 2012, she had done $2 million in sales and was still self-funded. She took everything one day at a time, something she says is still her absolute motto. “I was self-funded, and didn’t have family money to put in, so every dollar I earned I put back into the business.”

The brand is now on the cusp on turning ten. A double-digit feat.  

“I own five stores now,” she says, the fifth of which just opened in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and the first still selling and sitting strong on a lovely corner in Los Angeles' Silverlake neighborhood. “A lot of people are scared of owning retail stores, but I’m excited by that. A common thread among entrepreneurs is the desire to take a risk. 

“A common thread among entrepreneurs is the desire to take a risk.” 

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In the beginning she was entirely self-funded. “I wouldn’t say it was a conscious decision, but every dollar we made I put back into the business.” She liked having “complete autonomy and producing locally,”--  a part of the Clare V. story that is extremely important to her. 

When she first started she had little experience in the fashion grind world or in production. “When I knew I could no longer sew the bags myself, I thought, ‘I don’t know anything about production in China or India, and I’ve never been to those places.’” Nor did she have money to travel and scope it out. So her solution was the alternative right in front of her: produce in L.A. 

Every place she went— from where she bought her leather to where she purchased the bags' hardware— she would ask questions about production, eventually falling upon her first factory, one of five local L.A. factories she still uses today. 

“There are many things I love about this company. I do what I love. I get to design. I love that I am creating jobs for people in the community— meaning our factories are growing because of us and they are creating jobs in Los Angeles county.”  

As for hiring practices and expanding? When the company was smaller she was hiring friends, and friends of friends; people who could do the job. “We all can be scrappy and smart, if we’re willing to put in the work,” she says, “but at this point I’m looking to hire people who are qualified who also fit into the culture of the company."

Adding, “I never realized how important it is when you have a growing company to keep transmitting the beliefs, ethics, and aesthetics— everything that went into making this company.  As you grow, so does the potential for that message to get watered down. You really have to find creative ways to transport that message and you need to transmit the message of the company loud and clear to everyone that’s hired."

Part of conveying the message to the team supporting her from the studio in Atwater Village (and beyond) is the open-floor plan of the office. There are leather samples to the back right, bright light that shines through west-facing windows, and an easy, relaxed feel to the space. Which is something Clare says her newest employees keep telling her reflects the aesthetics of the company. "We're no-nonsense," she says, "but we don't take ourselves too seriously."  

‘Liberez les sardines’ print, referencing Ile de Re’s fish by way of French street art.

Hers is an open-door policy. She also shares her office space with three other women: Lizzie Swift, Art Director, Colleen Englestein, Director of Product Development, and Greta Heichemer, Design Director. Something we’ve seen from many successful CEOs. 

“So I’m interrupted 900 times a day,” she says, “which, I love. But when outsiders, or say, my sister comes to visit me at the studio, she’ll say ‘I don’t know how the hell you get anything done, you are interrupted every five minutes.’”  

People wander in and out, but Clare recognizes this as her employees really wanting her input— information she's happy to share because it means they have an real interest in the brand and understanding her vision.  

“You need to transmit the message of the company loud and clear to everyone that’s hired.”

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Even when she was legally required to rebrand from Clare Vivier to Clare V., the through-line of the company helped her ride that wave— the logo may have had to change but the meat of the company was still, undeniably Clare. 

“It’s not a 'label' that’s going to make you feel good. It’s looking at something and knowing, 'this is going to be beautiful, for me.'”

That’s what she strives for when creating her product— something that feels special while imbuing the wearer with confidence. With five stores, five factories, and no plan to slow down, she's looking to forward to "having more retail stores, growing our e-commerce presence, and telling our stories in more places." 

Consider us ready to listen. (And wear.) 

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updateswww.ariannawrotethis.com

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Kelly Ripa Is Not a Diva For Taking the Week Off

We've all found ourselves in tricky work situations. An unexpected firing. A demotion. A bad performance review when you were expecting a glowing one. When your boss hires outside talent for the job you were gunning for. (But you were promised they promoted from within!!) 

It's always "difficult" to process (read as: fire alarms, bells ringing, hot body, time moving differently and slow) when a bomb gets dropped on you in the office. But these kinds of situations don't only happy to lower-level employees. Even the top dogs get "blindsided." 

Case in point: Kelly Ripa. Last week after Tuesday's taping of Live! With Kelly and Michael, the longtime host was called into a meeting where she was told her co-host, Michael Strahan would be leaving to take a full-time role at Good Morning America. The next day Ripa was not on set when Strahan announced his departure alongside Ripa's stand-in, Ana Gasteyer of Saturday Night Live fame. And that's when the media went ham on Ripa, who was labeled as a "diva" for taking the rest of the week off. 

“She is acting like a child, a diva and hurting her reputation with this sort of behavior,” a source told the Daily News. “It makes her look bad and makes all the horrible rumors about her bad attitude off camera seem true.” But is diva the right word? Not exactly, but we'll split hairs over that another time.  

Voice of reason, Oprah, came to Ripa’s defense, telling Entertainment Tonight: “Blindsided is never good. I don’t know who’s in charge, but somebody should’ve said, ‘This is gonna happen.’ You shouldn’t have to read it in the paper. Ever.”

1. HAVE THE INITIAL EMOTIONAL RESPONSE SOLO

It's OK if you get emotional about office politics. Robots and machines haven't replaced us in all capacities after all. And while we don't think you necessarily have to step outside to cry, if you are going to have an emotional response, it's best to do outside the presence of your co-workers or boss. No matter what, it looks unprofessional to have a fit-- even if it's justified. This is the time to phone a friend. (Or if you're in a position like Kelly, take a few days off-- a luxury we understand is not available to all.) And then approach the situation with a cool head. 

2. TRY TO SEE IT FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE 

You're mad as hell. We get it. For Ripa, this was the second time in her career similar events occurred. In 2011 Regis Philbin also informed Ripa of his departure 20 minutes before announcing it live on air. It's not great to feel so disrespected in the workplace, especially when you are clearly dedicated to your job. However, if and when possible, think about the possible reasons as to why the blindsiding occurred. It may help alleviate some of the anger, and actually motivate you to do better. 

3. SET A MEETING AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS 

If you don't know how you're doing, ASK. If, instead of promoting from within, your company brought in outside talent-- ASK WHY. Instead of brooding in the corner with your headphones on and talking smack at the Nepresso machine, set a meeting and ask specifics. Your boss has expectations of you, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have expectations from the company-- especially if they were discussed as options upon hiring.

"Your boss has expectations of you, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to have expectations of them."

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You can't always know when it's going to rain, but you can always have an umbrella in your trunk. The more prepared you are, the better your chances of dodging the droplets. 

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The RealReal Is Changing the Way Millennials Shop

For the modern career woman, a wardrobe that works for her is clutch. If she also happens to have a Proenza Schouler lunch clutch for afternoon power meetings, all the better. But the woman who thinks she doesn’t have the salary to fund a Saint Laurent wardrobe, should think again. Because though you might not be in the position (yet) to ask for a promotion, you can give one to your wardrobe.

So how does one craft a closet that keeps up with fashion and doesn’t break the bank? It’s RealReal simple.

The RealReal is the must-shop luxury consignment site, offering the largest selection of pre-owned items across women's and men's fashion, fine jewelry, art, and home. With 4.5 million members, it's quite literally the real deal, it’s changing the way modern millennials are approaching fashion.

THE NEW, SMART WAY TO SPEND

Forget fast fashion, this is smart shopping. With items up to 90% off retail, the first thing you can do is fill your wardrobe with 7 key items that never go out of style.

For under $1,000 dollars you can nab these essentials for spring and summer: Frame Denim, Equipment Silk Button-Down, 3.1 Phillip Lim Straight Leg Pant, Stella McCartney Blazer, Elizabeth and James Long Vest, Loeffler Randall Textured Leather Ankle Boot, Raquel Allegra Tee.

These are basics that you will wind up replacing far less than those inexpensive items that tend to get ruined quickly.

We also tend to take better care of clothing that we know is worth more, and won’t fall apart in after a couple of wears. The bonus is, you won’t be playing host to a hoard of knock-off, inexpensive pieces taking up coveted space in your closet.

WHY IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO CONSIGN 

The RealReal makes the consignment process so incredibly streamlined for a busy working woman. No lugging an old IKEA bag full of clothes you no longer want to a shop.

You can choose free in-home pickup or free shipping, and the turnaround is fast. Priced-to-sell, items are photographed and merchandised and typically sold within 3 days.

Which means you can:

GIVE YOUR BOSS SERIOUS WARDROBE ENVY

She might even start to wonder if she’s paying you too much. (She’s not.) Swapping out your clothes is like borrowing from a besties closet. If you replace two items per month, instead of stockpiling clothes you end up donating, you end up saving money by seemingly splurging.

Sellers receive up to 70% of sales, which means you can turn that right around and invest in a new piece. Like that Chanel Boy Bag you have both eyes firmly fixed on.

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This Designer's Boss Encouraged Her to Leave Her Job

Client Z to the E to the N. 

Multi-hyphenate Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors is interior design #goals. Have you seen her #shelfie game? Or the way she mix and matches patterns? She didn't always think she'd be a business owner. 

It was a former boss who encouraged her to break out on her own, and from that point she didn't look back. Currently, she has more ideas than time-- and is in the midst of designing her dream home-- so what else can she take on? Plenty. 

There’s no such thing as perfect in the beginning (or middle) of launching your business. When you decided to launch Amber Interiors where were you in life? What was going on?

I was fortunate enough to have an amazing job working with a really gifted interior designer for a few years. When my husband and I had our daughter and bought our first house at 28 years old, I decided to start my blog as a way to share the process of our remodel. I thought I had some semi-decent content and thought it would be fun to at least start the blog and share with family and friends. We definitely didn't have a lot of money, so we tackled a lot of the projects on our own and I was a bit of a DIY fanatic. I am not sure if it had to do with luck, timing, or what, but I got some attention from a few really big bloggers, and what felt like overnight, my name started to get out there a little. My old boss picked up on my enthusiasm for all things design and was kind enough to tell me she thought it was time I went out on my own. The rest is history. I was definitely scared and didn’t feel “prepared” but I was laser focused on making something happen…even though I wasn't quite sure what that was and was kinda “winging-it” for a while. 

Why was then the right time? 

I don’t know, but when I lost my job, that kinda catapulted me to do something bigger. I was a "work from home" mom, so I would literally be feeding my little and commenting on blogs, and when she would nap or go to sleep at night I would stay up for hours blogging, pintresting, and creating my business. It felt like I was on autopilot for a while just making small steps forward in a direction where I would have a couple clients, or start to get noticed for my style etc. I didn't know it was the right time, I was just moving forward, and doing what I could, when I could. I basically had no clue, I just had an insane drive and a lot of blind faith. 

I basically had no clue, I just had an insane drive and a lot of blind faith. 

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From day one, what were you thinking about that you’re still thinking about now? What has been a through-line in your business? 

I have always thought, "What’s next?" Social media and Pinterest is mostly a blessing, but it can be aggravating, especially in the beginning. I think because there is so much saturation now, it's really hard to determine where an idea or design style originates from. I remember feeling so stoked to have my work out there in the world and feeling like it was so unique to me, and then I would go on Instagram or Pinterest and see someone completely do the exact same thing after me and watch commenters congratulate them on their talent etc. In the beginning it bummed me out, because I was like, “hey thats MY IDEA” but then I just started telling myself it was an amazing compliment to have someone like what you did so much they wanted to re-create it themselves. Now I always strive to do “what’s next” and do better than my last job and the spotlight of social media forces you to push the envelope with each project. 

[Related content: How to Handle Competition In a Creative Field.]

"The spotlight of social media forces you to push the envelope with each project." 

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How do you differentiate yourself as a designer?

I don’t think there is a definitive answer to this, however I hope I have established my style and brand enough that it can be recognized as my work. I think maybe the use of patterns and how I mix styles in almost every project I do differentiates me to other designers. I can take a big box sofa, and make it look unique with fabrics and pillows etc. I love to mix, thats my jam!

For new designers, what do you think is more valuable? School or experience? You did a little of both. 

90% experience and 10% school. I never mastered CAD, so I have to rely on my team to do computer drawn technical drawings for me, which can suck when I think faster than I can draw. So I say, go to school and learn CAD and Photoshop, and the usual stuff like excel etc. and then get yourself a job! Even if you're just getting coffee for a design firm for a while, thats OK as long as you immerse yourself around creative people and absorb everything you can. I learned way more in the field working for a designer than I ever did in school. 

What’s your favorite part about being a designer?

EVERYTHING. I swear I LOVE my job so much, I pinch myself that I get to make a living doing what I love. It’s always changing, and I get to be creative in so many different ways. I would not work so hard if I didn't truly enjoy every single second of it. Even the crappy days aren’t so bad.

What’s one aspect of the business you would change if you could?

Budgets! Haha!!!! No but actually, budgets suck but they are part of the job. So I tolerate the challenge, but work on managing clients' expectations with what their budgets can realistically do for them. I don’t know if I would change anything, but I hope to get to a place where I can be extremely selective with the projects I work on. Unfortunately, I have to pay the bills, but I am so lucky to have such rad roster of clients so far!

Client Z to the E to the N.

Sometimes as an entrepreneur your biggest strength is also your largest challenge. Would you say this is true for you and what would that be?

I feel a great expectation to do something different with each project. Unfortunately, some clients want you to just do what you did last time and don’t want to do much different than what they have already seen. That can be such a challenge because like I said….I am always thinking “Whats next?”!! As a business owner with multiple employees, I need to make sure I look out for the growth of the business, as well as balance what pays the bills with jobs that are super fun, but maybe a little less money. Those are usually the ones I am most fond of in the end! 

You opened Shoppe, Amber Interiors last year. How are you feeling about the move into a physical location?

It’s so great! I have heard so many horror stories about retail locations and opening an actual brick and mortar, but knock wood, my husband (also my biz partner) and I love it and have had some really positive feedback. We feel like we are a part of the local community but also are proud of going for it and throwing caution to the wind! We kept asking ourselves “whats the worst that can happen” and so we feel good about the big jump. As crazy as this sounds we haven't even been opened a year and are already expanding and making it larger! Again, I pinch myself daily….but we are just going for it!  

Do you think it’s important for your business to have an offline shop?

Totally! We have tons of items in store that are not online. There are lots of vintage pieces, and higher end antique rugs, that I think need to be touched and seen in person rather than on a computer screen. Plus we have some vignettes in the store and have an amazing sales team to help you pull pillow combos, or pick the perfect accessories and rugs. 

So, now we have to ask "What’s next?"

Oh, my favorite question! Well I am writing a book, and developing a product line to sell in the Shoppe. I am also designing and starting to build our dream house, which I am so flipping excited about! At the moment I have more ideas than time, so I am trying to work smart on my passion projects and seizing the growth opportunities available to me now. At the moment the future looks bright!

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com

Let's Make Every Day #EqualPayDay

First put into law in 1963, The Equal Pay Act was aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on gender. It’s a law that has not changed, despite the fact that women still make less than men.

"Because it's hard enough to get your dream job, you shouldn't have to dream about equal pay too." 

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Today is #EqualPayDay. A symbolic day that marks how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year. We believe that women should earn equal wages for equal work, and that this is a battle all people should fight.
 

The Blogging Business Key Nobody Is Talking About

Being a style publisher in 2016 is a multi-faceted job if there ever was one. Creating blog posts, photoshoots, running a website, liaising with brands, networking, researching, snapping, Instagramming, and more - all within a week’s work. If you categorize all these tasks, you’ll see they fall into three block pillars: Content, Business Management, and Tech.

This division is technically right, but it doesn’t identify the most crucial factor: that all three pillars overlap, and understanding the intrinsic relationship between them is the key towards the longevity of your blogging business.

So what is this mysterious intersection between the pillars of your business? And why is it important to understand and develop it?

WHAT IS THIS MYSTERIOUS INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE PILLARS OF YOUR BUSINESS?

Translating an overarching business vision through your digital presence is the one thing most publishers should consider when thinking of all the tasks their job entails. And it’s not even their fault. To put it simply, nobody in the industry is really acknowledging it. Well, almost nobody.

I launched my company, chloédigital, when it became clear to me that there was a gap between the fashion and tech worlds that was stopping great publishers from moving forward. Through our membership, my team and I now offer bloggers access to an all-rounded support system to strengthen their personal brands and power their online empires.

At chloédigital we look after some of the most successful blogs in the industry and the common factor that makes top-tier bloggers stand out from the competition is very clear: their business vision is holistic and cohesive.

Working closely with leading influencers around the world (a few of which will be panelists and mentors beside me at C+C DTLA!) has put me in a unique position to gain insights on the fashion industry whilst still having a foot in the tech world myself.  I have seen first hand how working with a multidisciplinary tech and strategy team can be a pivotal point to grow a blogger’s online authority. But there is still much more to be done in terms of connecting all aspects of an influencer’s presence and decisions, on and offline. Working with a PR agency on one end and a tech team on the opposite end, with any content decisions torn in the middle, is just not an efficient way of approaching your business anymore.

The future of digital publishing lays within integrating every team and detail cohesively to reach new goals.

A very extended misconception about style publishers is that, as mainly creative professionals, content creation is the aspect of their business that drives most of their strategic decisions. But the reality in digital publishing is that, when there is a disconnect between the technical and creative side, it is actually the technical side that holds the veto power in key decisions. Let me give you a couple of examples of things that are commonly heard:

“I would love to add a new awesome functionality to my blog that I’m sure my community would love, but I’ve never seen anything like it so I doubt I can do that on my site,” or “I was very excited about the new style of blog post I published recently but it seems my readers didn’t respond very well to it; I’m not quite sure how to look deeper into these reasons, so I will just go back to standard content”.

Great ideas, content, and opportunities for innovation that get lost in translation as soon as a tech barrier is encountered. This is exactly why bridging the gap between fashion and technology is essential in order to keep digital publishing thriving. When there is seamless communication between content creators, agents, sponsors, designers, developers - that is when new things can be both conceptualized and well executed.

"Bridging the gap between fashion and tech is essential to keep digital publishing thriving." 

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If you’re a style publisher truly looking to create a sustainable business, stop thinking of tech and fashion as opposites. Connect your teams, think always big, and start creating a multidisciplinary space within your working process that allows you to push boundaries.

Growth Hacking 101: Become A Hacker To Boost Your Business

It’s very normal to apply money to your marketing efforts to ensure that your messaging is put out into the world. But what if we told you that its possible to grow your business with little to no money. All there is to do is becoming a hacker. 

Now we don’t mean becoming a hacker where you hack into databases and leak information. And no, it doesn’t mean that you need to start taking IT classes. We’re talking about becoming a hacker in your own marketing techniques and taking smart and strategic shortcuts that will successfully bring the attention that you want to your brand and make it thrive. It’s taking marketing to the next level and thinking outside of the box when creating campaigns. 

See how you can start implementing growth hacking into your marketing strategy with the tactics below.

Emotional Shock

There’s a saying that goes “bad press is good press.” When you apply emotional shock and a sort of a naughty factor to your marketing, you will get the eyes that you want. When you hit an emotional chord with your messaging, be it positive or negative, your audience will not only turn from passive to engaged, but they are more inclined to share your message with their peers, thus increasing your virality. 

Does Sarah McLachlan’s ASPCA commercial ring a bell? If that commercial made you shed a tear, that’s emotional shock at its finest. Also, if you’ve seen digital brands drop f-bombs in the collateral, you can rest assured that they’re banking in on emotional-shock. 

Stereotyping

Take a moment and think of your markets’ traits and habits. Think of where they shop, where they hang out, what they typically do on a Sunday morning. 

While stereotyping is highly looked upon as a no-no, at the end of the day, that is essentially what marketing entails when you’re studying your market. You tally up all their similar traits and align your marketing strategy to their habits, likes, and dislikes. However, when you’re using stereotyping when you’re implementing growth hacking, you have to think even further outside of the box.

For example, as obvious as it is to sell gym clothes at a gym, you have to tap into to what other places your consumer goes to. Hit them from all the angles that they would typically go to as well, be it a juicery or a massage therapy clinic that specializes on athletes. Generalize your demographic and market to them where people will have an even stronger affinity with your brand.

Influencer Endorsements

While endorsements may seem as a tactic to show a product, they are more useful to represent an ideal and who people aspire to be. Take for example all the athletes Nike has been able to have as their spokespeople - it’s not necessarily to promote a certain sneaker or a kind of legging. It’s always to endorse an ideal lifestyle, to become the next Maria Sharapova or the next Serena Williams. 

Influencer endorsements are what define what is cool. And if you get the right influencers to back your brand, more consumers will follow your message. 

Enforcing Exclusivity 

Exclusivity is key when growing your brand. The more accessible it is, the more people are less inclined to actually sign up for what you’re selling.

Take Facebook for example 10 years ago when it was only available to college students. You can bet that everyone who had a Facebook account felt as if they were a part of an exclusive cool kid’s club, and everyone else who didn’t have access wanted to be a cool kid. After a while, Facebook started allowing more and more people in on the secret, and eventually became the dominating social media network that it is today.

Long story short: make your business a cool club that everyone wants in on, but only a few can have it. 

Build Your Business To Be Anti-Fragile

As business women, we have to take this saying to heart: a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. 

We don’t live in a perfect world, and in business, things will always go wrong. As the world becomes more and more complex, businesses have to know how to navigate unsteady waters. To make your business survive these challenges, you have to make your business anti-fragile. This is where your business can thrive and benefit from changes, and work like a muscle getting stronger and stronger as it’s put through stress. 

Mold your business plan to where it can live through changes and prepare for the worst if it were to happen. Then you’ll see that if worst comes to worst, your business will survive and can face the next oncoming challenges.

Do you have you own growth hacking tips that you’ve used in your own marketing strategies? Let us know your thoughts and sound off below!

Priscilla Castro is Create & Cultivate's Director of Social Media. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she got her degree in Journalism from Cal State Long Beach and pursued a career in marketing. She has worked with FILTER Magazine, LA Canvas, and was previously Editorial Director at BeautyCon. Follow her@kodeofkondukt. 

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Files Historical Wage Complaint

UPDATE 5/26/16: The USWNT gained another ally in the fight for equal pay today, as the US Senate animously approved a non-binding resolution calling on the U.S. Soccer Federation to “immediately end gender pay inequity and to treat all athletes with the respect and dignity those athletes deserve.” (via Huffington Post)

This is a great first step in setting a precedent for equal pay across the United States, and goes to show that taking a stand and fighting for equal pay does pay off.

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Today, the New York Times published a piece outlining an official complaint filed by five players from the U.S. women's national soccer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The complaint states that the U.S. Soccer Federation pays women-- current reigning World Cup champions far less than their male counterparts. 

Five players-- Carli Lloyd, Becky Sauerbrunn, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe-- signed the filing, arguing that every player on the women's nation team is paid thousand of dollars less than the men. 

Although it was only these five high-profile members that signed the complaint, Sauerbrunn Tweeted, "Five players signed the complaint, but the decision to file was whole-heartedly supported by the entire team. #equalplayequalpay#thegals.”

According to the filing despite the fact that women generated 20 million dollars more in revenue than the men in 2015, they still earn four times less than the men. If they make the World Cup roster, female players make just 44% of what their male counterparts earn in bonus earnings: $30,000 to $68,750. Also included in the filing is the requirement for women's and men's teams to play a minimum of 20 "friendly" games per year. However, while the women get a bonus of $1,350 if they win a friendly match, the men are guaranteed $5,000 even if they lose, and can make up to $17,625 if they win, depending on their opponent's FIFA ranking.

It's a complicated issue, some citing that revenue disparity is not accurate. Others saying that if pay should be revenue based, then it's important to address the discrepancies that happen from the gate-- like field disparities between teams. "You must ask yourself why the potential for revenue generating is less?" wrote one commenter. "Why isn't the revenue pouring in when you have the highest viewed soccer game period? There is more going on here than people just like men's sports better."

During an interview on NBC's Today show, Lloyd, the 2015 FIFA women's player of the year said, "I think that we've proven our worth over the years. Just coming off of a World Cup win, the pay disparity between the men and women is just too large."

"I've been through numerous CBA negotiations, and honestly not much has changed,'' Solo told Matt Laeur. "We believe now the time is right because we believe it's a responsibility for women's sports, specifically women's soccer, to really do whatever it takes for equal pay and equal rights and to be treated with respect."

Laeur then raised an interesting question asking the four players who appeared on camera if they'd heard from any of the male players. It was met by uncomfortable laughter until Alex Morgan answered: "I'm sure they are in support of us. My husband plays professional soccer and he's very much in support of me." Lauer also asked the women if they were willing and prepared to boycott games or strike. The issue was skirted. 

What unfolds will be interesting, potentially history-making, and serves as an important microcosm to address the pervasive sexism and wage gaps that affect all women. 

What If You Could Only Work 35 Hours a Week?

The idea of a 9-5 is laughable for most of us. The Great 40-Hour Work Week Myth. A concept adapted after the Great Depression in efforts to stimulate the job market, 40 hours was considered a shorter work week. It was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 passed, which established the five-day, 40-hour work week for everyone, which is still observed today. 

In France however, a 35-hour work week is the current law. The cap, introduced in 1999 was flagship reform of the Socialist government in power in efforts to fuel job creation. 

In January of this year, in what is likely to be one of the final big policy initiatives of President Francoise Holland's government, Holland and Socialist prime minister Manuel Valls proposed an overhaul of the policy. It was not met with welcome arms. Quite the opposite, working to divide an already fractured Socialist party.  Of the country's 3,400 page labor code, 125 are dedicated to working hours-- hours many citizens see as a major tenet of the Socialist party. 

On the 9th of this month, protestors took to the streets as Holland and team presented draft reform of the labor code to cabinet. 

All of this uproar got us thinking. Surely we're better off than the 1800s when it was standard for men, women, and children in the U.S. to work 14-hour days thanks to the Industrial Revolution. But with the average worker in the US clocking 47 hours per week, what would a 35-hour work week even look like? 

And when, if ever, would you be in the prime position to pitch it to your boss?

THE FAIRYTALE THAT NEVER CAME TRUE

This one has nothing to do with princes, and everything to do with market principles. 

Once upon a time in the '30s, influential economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that as technology advanced and made us more productive, the work week for man would become much shorter. In an essay called, "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren," Keynes anticipated a 15-hour work week. Today, we are working longer hours than ever, though one part of Keynes theory came true. 

Technology has made us faster, more connected, and in effect more productive. We link up with international clients with the click of a button. We can upload and market from our phones. Yet advancements have increased our workload, blurring the boundaries between on-the-clock hours and off.

Technological progress also fueled a consumerism boom, so instead of working less, people started buying more. The easier it became to market and distribute goods, the more we bought, and the more bought the more we had to work to bankroll our consumer tendencies. 

THE BENEFITS FOR YOU, YOUR BOSS, & THE ECONOMY 

The Indeed Job Happiness Index 2016 scrutinized data to rank job satisfaction in 35 countries as well as major cities in the US and Europe. The study, released earlier this month, revealed that the happiest workers in the US live in Los Angeles.  According to Indeed the happiest workers in LA are those with “personal assistant, creative director, production assistant, and teaching assistant” roles. Might this have something to do with the non-typical work hours of those jobs? Perhaps. 

According to the study, "Compensation consistently ranks as the least significant factor when it comes to considering what makes people happy at work. However, although the work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction." In other words: shorter hours. 

"The work-life balance correlates closely with overall job satisfaction."

Tweet this. 

There are other potential benefits. Shorter hours for one worker means more hours for another. Which is why some economists believe that a shorter work week is a job creation tool. 

Shorter hours might also mean a reduction in stress, anxiety, be better for your overall happiness, and reduce child care costs if applicable.  It would mean less money, but if the saying is true, money can't buy happiness. 

To deliberately work less would mean that you would also have to deliberately buy less. 

SO IS A CONDENSED SCHEDULE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Hard to say. If you want to broach the subject with your employer, the best argument for a shorter work week is that it has been proven to increase productivity. But you also need to consider that the adage of working smarter, not harder applies to the case of the 35-hour week. 

If you have only four days to complete assignments you would typically finish in five days, it's economical for the company, beneficial to your mental health, potentially giving you the opportunity to find happiness and live-work balance. 

Is that, and a reduced pay check, worth the extra day off to you? Because you can't have your cake and eat it too in this case-- no matter what the French do. 

Or you could simply move to LA, where we might have the happiest workers and the angriest drivers. 

 

Your Blog Is Money and You Don't Even Know It

SO YOU'VE GOT A BLOG.  

Your analytics are telling you that people are reading your content. Now you know you want to make the leap into monetization on your website without losing your authentic voice. What’s next?

AFFILIATE MARKETING.

I know it doesn’t sound sexy, but I can assure you, it is. This is your gateway to $$$!

Affiliate marketing at its core is simply placing trackable links within your content to get paid when your users shop. Aside from the obvious benefit of getting paid for promoting products you already love, affiliate marketing will give you data around your shoppers’ behaviors. This data will be crucial for you as you learn about your demographic. You’ll gain insights into what products and brands your readers respond to. You can then use these statistics and success stories as part of your media kit and story when speaking to brands and marketing yourself. You’ve just armed yourself to become an insanely professional, money-making machine.

[define it: Affiliate Marketing: At its core this practice is simply placing trackable links within your content to get paid when your users shop.]

You are probably wondering where you go to get these mysterious monetizable links. If you haven’t already, create an account on ShopStyle Collective, ShopStyle’s influencer network. You’re going to be able to access links, data on your link performance, and insights into your shoppers’ behaviors in one handy login. There’s even an app so you can monetize on the go!

Now that you’ve got your ShopStyle Collective account, there are a variety of ways to create links. You can do so within the interface, use the toolbar link generator, or create widgets for your blog. It’s fairly self-explanatory.

Now that we’ve discussed why and how, let’s talk about the most important issue: where.

You don’t want your site to look like one big advertisement, nor do you want to miss out on opportunities to earn revenue. The goal with affiliate marketing is to build upon content you are creating organically and simply add another layer of visual interest, while driving your readers to brands and products you love.

"The goal with affiliate marketing is to build upon content you are creating organically."

 

Tweet this. 

Affiliate marketing also gives you a lens through which to think about your content calendar — do you want to create entire style guides for a season with looks for every occasion? Link those products! Create gift guides for holidays and special occasions. I personally love content where bloggers create how-tos and share ideas for how to wear trends or incorporate statement pieces. One of my favorite bloggers, The12ish Style, does a series where she re-creates celebrity looks in her own unique style. I actually just bought a sweater today from one of these posts (proof they actually work!).

KEY TIPS FOR PLACING LINKS 

Make sure you are hyperlinking any photographs on your blog to the primary item you are showcasing.

• Always use text and hyperlink, describing your products right underneath the top photo of your post — many readers won’t scroll down to read your entire post.

• Hyperlink any text that describes a product throughout your post.

• Provide alternatives — if you are showing a $2,000 Chloé bag, you can contrast that with a more affordable bag in a similar style as an added opportunity to drive traffic and convert your readers into shoppers.

Another great spot for links is within a scrolling widget beneath your post. ShopStyle Collective’s widget helps you generate a scrolling visual where you can add multiple product options beneath each post. These products can be directly related to your content or they can be another place to get fun and creative. Let’s say you are posting an amazing recipe for truffle french fries or a crazy-cool birthday cake. You can include your favorite cooking tools, new apron, dishes, or serving pieces in the widget beneath the post to impart additional visuals, stylish objects, and drive more traffic to shopping partners. The idea here is to give your readers access to your aspirational lifestyle, which they already want to re-create for themselves (and their own Instagrams).

One more idea: use the widgets for vacation packing lists — so necessary (and shoppable) with all the summer travel opportunities right around the corner!

Hilary Sloan leads ShopStyle’s North American business development team and works with top brands like Net-a-Porter.com, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Barneys New York to monetize via affiliate and creative partnerships. In building relationships with brands and working with ShopStyle and ShopStyle Collective’s blogger community, she realized that many young bloggers don’t quite have the tools to get started on building their business. She’s spoken in the past at Create + Cultivate, IFB, and other blogger conferences on the topic of monetization, revenue, and brand partnerships. When not at ShopStyle, Hilary can be found applying all her skills to her own mini influencer, her dog, Ella Bean.

Resource Roundup: Ignite Your Business With These Four Tools

When you’re starting a business, you’re going to need an arsenal of tools to help you make all the right connections and teach you the tricks to get your business off the ground. You could go on LinkedIn and reach out to your entire network and pick everyone’s brains on their best marketing tips, or cold email a few founders and see what were their biggest hardships when they started their company, but you still have to go beyond that. 

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite resources that take you away from hours of online research and let you make IRL connections that are meant to make a lasting impact.

General Assembly

General Assembly (GA) is a global educational company on a mission to empower a global community to pursue work they love. Focusing on the most relevant and in-demand skills across data, design, business and technology, GA is confronting a skills gap through best-in-class instruction and providing access to opportunities.

GA works with students online and in person across 15 campuses in 4 continents. GA also works with companies as partners in course development and graduate placement as well as helps companies stay competitive in today's digital landscape. Additionally, GA’s focus on affordable and accessible education combined with their education-to-employment approach is helping to create a diverse talent pipeline. 

If GA sounds like the place where you want to start taking notes to apply to your business asap, you’re in luck! If you’re in Los Angeles this Monday, March 21st, our founder Jaclyn Johnson will be having a keynote as a part of GA’s #OffCampus festival.  Find out all the details and RSVP here!

Creative Mornings

Created in 2008 by Tina Roth Eisenberg, aka Swissmiss, Creative Mornings came to life out of a desire for an ongoing, accessible event for New York’s creative community. The concept was simple: breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning a month. Every event would be free of charge and open to anyone.

Today, Creative Mornings has grown far beyond its New York border and has taken over 137 cities worldwide and has brought some of the most creative minds from music, business, design, marketing, advertising and so many more. Not only that, Creative remains free thanks to the support of their generous sponsors and partners. Anyone is welcome to attend, just RSVP to their events, and you’re all set.

The Book Shop

If you work in marketing or advertising and are still looking to sharpen up your skills in the field, The Book Shop is for you. The Book Shop offers you the chance to work harder than you’ve probably worked at anything in your life with some of the biggest creative professionals to create big ideas that change companies. With the one-on-one interaction that they offer, not only are you getting knowledge from some of the biggest head honchos in the biz, but you’re making amazing connections that will help you career in the long run. The Book Shop works to be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life that will ultimately land you the career you’ve been dying for.

ThinkLA

If you’re based in Southern California, thinkLA is a non-profit association founded to promote LA as a network of creativity and innovation in media, marketing, and advertising. With their memberships, you’re able to tap into their unparalleled networking and social activities, year-round knowledge-building through their events and programs, and be able to volunteer at their industry-related charities like Ad Relief and MAT Program. ThinkLA has been able to bring in some of LA’s biggest visionaries, dreamers, innovators, and creators into their network, so if you want to hang with the cool kids in LA, join ThinkLA.

5 Ways to Make Your Fashion Business Profitable in Year One

Year one for every business looks different. This guide is for brands that already have a strong foundation (year 0) under their belt. Year zero is your startup phase and those startup costs should be considered separately. Some of those costs may include: branding, pricing, website, samples, manufacturing, marketing plan, sales plan, assortment plan, and a cash flow plan. In year zero you are also determining if you will be a collection based brand (a brand that sells tops, bottom, dresses – i.e. a whole collection) or if you will be an item driven brand (a brand that focuses on making one particular kind of product – think Bonobos when they first launched). If you want to create a brand with a budget in mind, start with item driven products then expand later. 

To make a business profitable your revenue needs to surpass your expenses. Seems simple, but it takes strict financial planning and strategy to take advantage of every dollar spent.

KNOW WHAT YOU WILL SPEND MONEY ON THIS YEAR, AND CUT ACCORDINGLY. 

Make a list of all the activities for the year you think you will spend money on (marketing, photo shoots, etc.) then start to rank them in order of costs and potential revenue (it's tough to know exactly in year one what will make you money). Focus on only the top 3-5 opportunities. Brands waste tons of money doing a lot of marketing activities poorly. 

LEVERAGE NETWORKS TO GET THINGS DONE AND GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT. 

When minimizing cost you need to trade off with time. Example: The less money you want to spend on hiring a graphic designer, the longer it will take to find a good one that is in your budget. This is especially the case when looking to leverage your current networks to execute something. Your friend who is really good at "X" may not have the bandwidth to do you a favor for three months. So, plan accordingly. Start by making a list of everything you need to get done for your business, for this example we will use a selling campaign. You will need to hire Photography, Hair, Makeup, and Graphic Designers, etc. Your next list should be everyone you know in your network, including Facebook Groups and other groups you are a part of. Finally have a list of things you can do for others.  When writing the posts' message include your offer and see who is open to trade. The low end of a photo shoot done professionally can run you $5,000, so if you have the time to pull this off working within your networks, you might save a chunk of change. 

DON'T PRODUCE EXCESS INVENTORY UNLESS THERE IS DEMAND. 

I’d rather you create demand through having a strong social media profile and 2-3 units on hand per item to sell online. Instead of producing your manufacturer's minimum at a lower price and getting stuck with aging goods. These days brands are launching with strong social media 6 months to a year out before the product launches. Why? To create demand, so when the products are available for sale, there is an audience. You do need some product to fulfill demand when your site launches, but wouldn’t you rather sell out and start to build demand, then have too much on hand?

FOCUS ON SELLING IRL.

It takes time to build your ecommerce following, and to get picked up by wholesale retail accounts. I have noticed that my clients who focus on selling in real life at markets, friends and family events, trunk shows and through co-branded popup events see a far higher increase in sales right away. This is because people can touch and feel your collection and you can sell to them with your charm and passion for your product. Build each event with a 360* marketing strategy to take advantage of every dollar spent. Example: Have a friend at the event taking pics for social media, give shoppers 10% off if they follow you on IG, and sell samples/damages at a big discount to get rid of inventory you cant normally sell. 

STOP TREATING YOUR BUSINESS LIKE A HOBBY. 

Hopefully, since you are reading this, you actually want to make money in this business. This means you cannot have a 4-hour work week or magically have a business you love. It’s just not possible. You should be clocking in 60 + hour workweeks if you are really hustling. If you have a day job, that means you are working on this nights and weekends and lunches. You need a plan of action. For every dollar that you spend and every hour that you spend on your business you need to outline the 3 ROIs you are getting. Those ROIs (return on investment) won’t always have financial implications, but they might have brand awareness implications and that absolutely will help you in getting sales. It takes the average brand 18 months of selling to really see a pick up in sales and to understand their customer. 18 months means 3 seasons of pitching, product development, sample making etc.

"You should be clocking 60 + hour workweeks if you are really hustling."

Tweet this. 

There is no magic wand to make your business profitable in year one, but there is smart planning and smart execution that can get you there. How you set up and manage your business goals and brand vision can bring you closer to profitability. But keep in mind, the industry is not set up so that the brands with the most exposure, press and sales make the most profit. In fact, many highly visible brands are in debt. But, by following the tips above you will keep yourself on the safer side of cash flow management and be a stronger, wiser CEO for it. 

Syama Meagher is the CEO of Scaling Retail, a consulting firm for fashion and retail brands. Her Launch My Brand course, 6-weeks to building your business foundation starts 3/31/16. Watch Syama in action on Scaling Retail TV, The Channel to Grow Your Fashion & Retail Business. 

Sarah Kunst Is Part of the 4%, But She's Changing That

In an op-ed for Fortune last month, Sarah Kunst, founder of Proday, referenced a report published by Digital Undivided called Project Diane. The report found that just 4% of female-led startups are run by black women, and that those companies pull in about .01% (an average of 36K) of funding typically raised by a successful startup. She wasn't surprised by the findings, but she wasn't impressed either. 

And while Project Diane calls that 4% "the real unicorns of tech," Sarah is no mythical creature. She's astute and purposeful in her own efforts and her leading work to bridge the digital divide. 

We checked in with Sarah pre-SXSW where she will be joining us on panel: How to Launch Your Business, Create Community, and Stay Relevant in the Modern Marketplace. 

The stories we hear about women in tech, and WOC in tech are usually upsetting due to the lack of diversity and frustration of fundraising. But let’s talk about the positive to start. What are some surprising conversations you’ve had about Proday? 

The best thing about building Proday.co into an app that connects pro athletes with their fans for workouts has been the support from the sports community. The doors that have been opened and the help I've gotten from top athletes and agents has been beyond my wildest dreams. I'm so grateful for it. 

What’s the most surprising backlash you’ve experienced?

Many tech investors have gotten jaded or burnt and they are afraid to believe that someone can finally break through in a crowded market that's seen a lot of failure. Much like many investors weren't hot on Facebook a decade ago because Myspace seemed unstoppable and Friendster had failed, I sometimes talk to investors who think that fitness and apps are hard markets and that because no one has won the entire thing yet, no one will. It's fun to prove them wrong. 

Where do you see your work changing what you’ve called the “broken dynamic” of venture funding? Can you talk a little bit about the stats in the Project Diane report?

My work is building a billion dollar company in the sports, fitness and content space. That I do that as a black female founder may make me an outlier in an overwhelmingly white male tech world, but it doesn't change my mission or discourage me. It's kind of cool to beat the odds and know that my success will only help pave the way for more like me. 

Businesses with diverse leadership teams are proven to do better in the marketplace, and yet parity is still rare at high-level jobs. Why do you think it is so hard to break this mold?

People who run the most successful funds and countries in the world aren't dumb and they aren't incapable of changing things when they put their minds to it. They are though, not incentivized to make these much needed changes. When you see top execs fired for not having diversity in their teams you will see a change. Releasing diversity data from top companies in tech is a start, but there needs to be accountability and action for these execs to take the truth to heart and start building diverse companies that will deliver better returns. 

"When you see top execs fired for not having diversity in their teams you will see a change."

Tweet this.  

Why is it important for you to invest in other women?

I invest my time, money and expertise into things that will make me money. When I was a venture capital investor that meant focusing on founders who I knew would be successful. Clearly, female and minority founders will be successful so I've invested in a diverse group of founders as an investor and advisor and I know that I will see huge returns on those bets. 

Piggybacking on that, you’re female and black in an industry known for blatant sexism. How does the idea of intersectionality influence your work?

Well, if I tried to split the parts of me that are black from the parts of me that are female, I'd literally die because humans aren't capable of separating their race from their gender any more than you can put ingredients in a smoothie back into their separate, pre-blended form. Intersectionality doesn't 'influence' my life, it is my life. It's all of our lives. We all are the sum of our experiences and bringing that whole self, all our parts, into our work is vital to innovation. 

In what ways do you think it is a key component of building a strong movement? 

If we ask people to silo themselves - to not like a certain kind of music or dress a certain way or be a certain thing because we assume that their resume or race precludes them from certain interests or traits, we're being close-minded and shallow. Close-minded and shallow people rarely change the world for the better. Be open minded and don't be afraid to go deep. Don't assume to know where someone else 'intersects' and what drives them. Ask. If we remind ourselves that everyone we meet has intersects that we'd never expect, it's a lot easier to remain open to the new ideas and innovation they bring. To think that we're a sum of our demographic qualifiers devalues all of us. 

"To think that we're a sum of our demographic qualifiers devalues all of us." 

Tweet this. 

Be sure to check out Sarah on panel at #CreateCultivateSXSW.

Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her at www.ariannawrotethis.com

Startup 101: Your Year One Essential Checklist from Above the Glass

FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS GROWING FASTER THAN EVER. BUT TO CAPITALIZE ON THE WHIRLWIND OF OPPORTUNITY, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE STORM FROM WITHIN. 

Enter, Danielle Yadegar and Heather Serden, co-founders of the freshly launched Above the Glass, an online platform providing women in business with straight talk interviews with women in business and actionable take-it-to-the-bank advice. Like free downloads, because Above the Glass wants to see you succeed. They believe that, "without a doubt economic empowerment and the capability to start businesses should be available for all women.”

So, if you are on the precipice of launching, download the Startup Essential Checklist from Above the Glass, and get the engine on your business running. 

To download the checklist, enter your information on the the form below and a link to the free download will pop-up. Good luck! 

The 6 Personality Types Every Startup Needs

Your startup is your tribe.

You spend more time with them than you do with your family (#sorrymom). There are shared lunches and late hours and at certain points, you all wear every single hat. Because when you’re working to build something together, you switch hats, pants, shoes; the words “I can’t do that,” are not part of your vocabulary. In many ways each of you is the "ideal worker"-- something that gender and labor scholars have identified as the person who shows up early, leaves late, never says no, never gets sick, answers emails morning, noon, night, weekends, makes every meeting, is a go-getter, ad infinitum. These are employees who work hard and challenge themselves on a daily basis. In a dream world, every team member of your start-up is that person.

Here on earth however, there are specific people that fit better into certain roles and make the squad function like a well-oiled machine. 

THE VISIONARY 

Often the CEO. They think big and small, they see far ahead but also catch the tiniest of details right in the moment; the little things you would never even notice. Nothing gets past them, but it's because the Visionary knows how they want to see their vision executed. Thinking outside-the-box is one part of their supernatural abilities. They are highly-functional, fast-paced, and fastidious. "The ways in which people consume everything," says Jaclyn Johnson, Founder and CEO, "has changed significantly. So if we are not evolving, we are not doing our job. We want to help advance the new creators, the thinkers, the other dreamers. And we've only just begun. We don't want to create a pipeline of new workers, we want to burst open the whole channel and see what happens." 

"We don't want to create a pipeline of new workers, we want to burst open the whole channel." 

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THE CLOSER 

The Closer has perseverance and structure like you wouldn’t believe and solutions to any problem. In part it's because they’ve "been, there, done that"— and bring experience from many industries to the table. They know how to work a conversation to their advantage. They are great at team management and turning ideas into action items— especially at executing the vision of the dreamer. Bess Wyrick, Senior Events Producer at Create & Cultivate is our Closer. "It's just not an option," says Bess, "to not get it done. And if you have that attitude at work, don't expect to go very far. You take an idea, or you have an idea, and you make it happen. If it doesn't look or feel right, you do it again. We've nixed entire concepts day-of the conference because it wasn't perfect. I mean, look, there's no wrong way to enjoy a glass of wine, but there is always a smarter way."  

THE UNICORN

Part social butterfly part go-getter. The unicorn of the the bunch is known for making magic, and doing it with pep and a smile. Hope Evans, Accounts Director. is as gregarious and unicorn-like as workers come.  From meeting with clients to working with talent, she's the ultimate team player. Because part of that sociable charm is the inherent caregiver— keeping team morale up even as stress rises. "It's not magic," says Hope, "it's about chemistry, about making a room feel at ease by making every person feel taken care of-- from talent, to speakers, to sponsors, to everyone who has purchase a ticket. If you treat everyone as an individual, your company will standout as a whole. Especially day of the conference, it's a runaway train that you just have to ride, and make sure everyone is riding along with you. No one falls off this train. No one."  

THE NO-NONSENSE TYPE

Follow-through is one of the main traits of the no-nonsense employee. Enthusiastic but firm, the no-nonsense type is a bit like sandpaper— firm, tough, but smooths out anything. For C&C that’s Steph Chang, Director of Events. She’s a nose-to-the-grindstone, no-nonsense worker that will always be crystal clear on what she needs-- especially if she doesn't like the way you're doing something. "When you're planning events you are dealing with so many vendors, sponsors, the venue, parking, food, people, everything--  everything where you can't see the work, a ton of work went into it. So you have to be firm, tenacious, get everything in writing. If you miss one detail, Rome topples. And we've already learned that lesson. From big picture, to the nitty-gritty, nothing is falling apart on my watch, even if it means a sternly worded convo, or two." 

THE HEART 

You know the person. They're always saying yes. They are there to talk out an idea with you, jump in, give you their thoughts, and share their best ideas-- all the while grinding out what's on their own plate. The Heart sticks on brand and is less concerned with credit than with crafting the right message. At times our Heart, Director of Social Media, Priscilla Castro is a headphones on and head down worker. But tap her shoulder and she's right there with you. "A startup like ours is about the collective, so even though my job revolves around spreading the word, it's important that everyone else on the team is on message as well. Which, yes, means breaking from my to-do list and jumping in where I'm needed."  

THE PISTOL 

A bit of a worker bee that’s self-motivated, the Pistol is a straight-shooter that fires off ideas, and gets work done at the same speed. The Pistol doesn’t wait for ideas to come to them, nor do they second-guess themselves. Editorial Director, Arianna Schioldager says, "We don't take what we're doing lightly, and the idea that our conferences and content are encouraging young entrepreneurs to take major leaps fuels our days and nights, but that responsibility means we have to always be innovating. Always providing the best. That means tons of ideas. Plenty of which get thrown out. But you have to keep shooting, and shooting straight or we lose the trust of our audience and attendees. We shoot the moon every single day, and even though this makes for tough moments, no one ever said landing the moon was easy."

"We shoot the moon every single day, but no one said landing the moon was easy." 

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#Facts: What Beyonce Did Right That Kanye Got Wrong

In the music world (and the world in general) it's a widely accepted fact that Beyoncé is Queen. It's not just her music, her sweet dance moves, her all female drum line, and that hot sauce in her bag, she's a proper shrewd business woman who understands how to werk online and offline engagement in ways that boost her brand and staying power. Remember when she banned photographers from her world tour after unflattering images emerged? That image is locked up. 

ON THE OTHER HAND.

While there are some who believe Kanye can do no wrong, there are others who think Ye's methods are spastic, unedited, and unpredictable, but not in a business savvy way. Though there is much more to Yeezy than shoes and strange Twitter outbursts, his lack of self-control is one of the reasons he's *maybe* $53 million in debt. 

From a marketing perspective we're breaking down #facts.  

Pressing the Button When It’s Hot

Did anyone see Formation coming when it dropped on us that week like a gift from the heavens? Probably not. Beyoncé has mastered the art of surprise by releasing music without marketing it at all. With loyal and powerful fans like The Bey Hive, they flock to anything Queen Bey drops. Everything she touches is essentially gold, and her marketing strategy is making sure that it drops at the right time. There’s no teasing - no keeping you waiting. However, as we saw with Formation, releasing the video right before the Super Bowl was the perfect opportunity to have millions of eyes glued to their screens that Sunday and start a conversation that is still keeping some people a little salty.

Kanye on the other hand…

For months now, Kanye has been tweeting endlessly about his album The Life of Pablo (formerly known as Waves, formerly known as SWISH). Okay, we get it Kanye, you can’t make up your mind. It’s ironic that the new album talks about things that were just trending a month ago, however, we can see that timeliness is not Kanye’s forté when it came to releasing TLOP. We kept waiting…and waiting…until finally, he released it. Last time I remember, the album was supposed to be released on February 11th, but Kanye must have missed the calendar alert and remembered that he needed to release three days later. Trust us, we understand the need for perfection, but we're not sure if stalling is the best strategy to keep your fans waiting, especially when you’ve been hyping it up for months.

The Medium Is Not the Message

Formation is on Tidal. The Life of Pablo is on Tidal. Guess who’s not forcing us to listen to their music on Tidal? 

It seems like everyday Kanye is force-feeding Tidal to us, but is Beyoncé forcing us to listen to Formation on there? No. It makes us think, was The Life of Pablo truly the masterpiece that Kanye has been getting us ready for the past two years, or was it just an album to get people to give in to Tidal? Kanye keeps stressing how “cool and great” Tidal is, but Beyoncé released the video, left it for streaming on Tidal, and her work was done. With the song and video released and a mind-blowing performance that started a very heated nationwide conversation, it was evident that Beyoncé’s message extended far beyond that “hot sauce in my bag” lyric. Beyoncé is well aware of the power her name and brand holds, and doesn’t need to constantly push her fans, because she knows how they will react. 

Although Kanye is authentic and speaks what’s on his mind with no filter, he doesn't consider the reaction his fans and followers will have to anything he says, endorses, or releases. Granted, it is his brand, however, the lack of strategic marketing and awareness of what his fans respond well to can definitely dilute the power behind the brand. Kanye is essentially a persistent salesman that won’t stop knocking at your door, but he needs to face the #facts, and learn that nobody likes it when they’re being sold.

Lack of strategic marketing & awareness of what his fans respond well to can definitely dilute the power behind the brand.

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Is All Press Good Press?

Safe to say that most of the times that Kanye is on a headline, it doesn’t put him in the best light. And after Formation, press for Beyoncé has seen the good, bad, and ugly. However, both Bey and Ye know that everything that they do is under a microscope when it comes to press, and both have reacted in significantly different ways. 

Just yesterday, Kanye made headlines ranting about Taylor Swift, his album, and oh what a surprise, Tidal. There's a vicious circle to the Kanye show because everything he says or tweets is bound to make headlines. More often than not, it’s not positive. However, he’s very well aware of this, and only continues to fuel to fire. But noise for the sake of noise?  At a certain point people will change the station. What is he truly talking about besides himself? Is he really using the press to show that he is the next Pablo, or are we missing the real masterpiece? 

In Beyoncé’s case, although there’s been both negative and positive comments about Formation and the Super Bowl performance, she has directed the conversation to address a much bigger societal issue about race and the importance of being unapologetically black. She has ignited an important discussion, whereas Kanye’s message gets lost in translation.

She has ignited an important discussion, whereas Kanye’s message gets lost in translation.

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Queen vs. King aside, if there' s one we've learned it's that staying cool, collected, composed, and savvy a la Beyoncé is the way to go. Know the power behind your brand, use it strategically, yet always be unapologetically *professionally* you.

In the words of Formation, “always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper.”

"Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper." -Beyoncé

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Meet the Boss Women Making Waves in the Caribbean

Searlina Bodden, editor of lifestyle Instagram edit Blacktie and Barefoot talks lifestyle consumerism in the Caribbean, why brands and bloggers need to take a look at the tropical career woman and introduces us to the muses behind the movement.

A few weeks ago, a fashion and philanthropy event organized by the Cayman chapter of 100 Women In Hedge Funds, an influential industry organization with a chapter in Grand Cayman received coverage, very positive coverage, on MSNBC. Having covered the event for B+B, as well as assisted with some of the logistics, I was delighted.

In the interview on the Squawk Box that addressed the health of the boutique business, CEO of Nicole Miller Bud Konheim referenced the designer’s recent trunk show and spring collection showing in Cayman. Mr. Konheim expressed his pleasant surprise that a boutique in the Cayman Islands could generate what was apparently huge volume over a two-day event, relative to the size of the market. Out of all the boutiques in the world where Nicole Miller’s designs have been thriving for 30 years, he chose to mention the Cayman Islands.

National pride was just a small part of what started buzzing in my brain. What was a small comment on national television had inadvertently given credence to an idea that had been taking shape for the past nine months on Blacktie + Barefoot. 

I started B+B on accident. One day, I made the decision to stop editing on my own feed and dedicate an Instagram account solely to interpreting global lifestyle trends for Caribbean working women.  I started posting. I attended Create + Cultivate Chicago. I made a commitment to experiment with the idea for one year, spending no money on advertising. I didn’t even link it to my own personal social feeds.

I knew that women in the Caribbean faced an interesting challenge with accessing global lifestyle trends. We depend on import from “mainland” big markets like the US and the UK for our goods from fashion to food. And while online shopping and now shoppable editorial feeds close the purchasing gap, that satisfies only one part of the online lifestyle experience. In fact, from a consumer standpoint, the shoppable element is great but the truth is Caribbean women love to travel. A lot. We get island fever and we travel for fun. For food. For nightlife. And we travel for clothes.

This woman, or Blacktie Lady as I fondly call her, is a high potential prospect not simply because she can afford items on the luxury lifestyle market, but also because if she is approached in the right way, she will hop a plane to come and have the experience you have sold to her via your feed or your blog. You can take her past the online purchase into the brick and mortar experience, which will inevitably create new behaviors that bring her back again and again.

However, in order for both the brands and the bloggers to see the buying power behind the Blacktie lady, it became clear to me that Blacktie had to be more than simply a trend edit. I now needed to tell a story.

So I took to my surroundings; the very group of women who inspired me to start broadcasting tailored content in the first place; females who reflect the diversity, purchasing power and influence of the Caribbean career woman. 

As for what is next for Blacktie and Barefoot, there are many exciting developments in the works including our web launch and extended shopping features tailored specifically for the offshore customer. What I am more excited about, however, is continuing to tell stories of women across the Caribbean and perhaps even being a small part of a movement that gives them an even richer, even more relevant online experience with the tools to design their best life.

 For now, meet three women who have inspired this journey thus far. 

Christina Bodden – 46, philanthropist, mother of 2, art enthusiast, avid reader and book collector, style enthusiast with a penchant for handbags, classic silhouettes and timeless beauty looks 

Occupation: Partner, global law firm

Side Hustle: Board member of the Cayman Islands National Gallery, Global Counsel Member of 100 Women in Hedge Funds

Day Dream: Art, literature and vintage fashion dealer

Travels to: New York, Miami, Dallas, London

Wears: Theory, Nicole Miller, Diane Von Furtstenburg, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Prada, Gap jeans, Lululemon & Nike activewear 

Eats: Power smoothies in the AM, farm to table salads with fresh fish and chicken, typically light breakfast for dinner

Lives for: Her sons, beauty and art

Isy Obi - 36, Fashion designer with a love of modern design, art and architecture, eternal shoe addict and recovering finance professional.

Occupation: Creative Director and Fashion Designer, Isy B.

Side Hustle: Shoe blogger at isybshoes.com, writer, contributor at Real Life Magazine, Board Member - Cayman Tennis Academy Fund and a huge supporter of Caymanian and Caribbean artists.

Day Dream: Yay! I live my dream everyday.

Travels to: Wherever my dreams take me - in 2016 I'm heading to Singapore, Indonesia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Park City, New York, Miami, South Africa, Botswana, London, and Paris

Wears: Diane Von Furstenberg, Marchesa, Marc Jacobs, Isy B., Tamara Mellon

Eats: Slow Food (Member of Slow Food Cayman). Avid locavore and supporter of the local farm-to-table movement.

Lives for: Travel and adventure with my explorer husband, early morning yoga and meditation practice on the beach, letting go of false limitations and living my highest potential, my family and good friends.

Amanda Kong – 31, kite boarder, travel enthusiast, soul searcher, a woman of many styles and many eyes, an imbiber of my surroundings, a cat of 9 lives (maybe 7 left), eclectic to the core 

Occupation: Financial Regulatory Consultant

Side hustle: a friendly ear, a kind word, a humanitarian consideration, a perpetuator of health and fitness in balance

Day dream: to see the world - all of it – and to see its history played out before me

Travels to: From the deserts of Rajasthan to the shores of Mauritius, I've had a kaleidoscope of experiences yet so much more remains. I want to travel to have an experience - the culture and food, style, cinema is all rolled up into it. So I've been around the world and still have a long way to go.

Wears: Anything I like. I gravitate towards a sporty, casual look with good quality classics for work. On the weekends, I live in a bikini and cur offs, if I am not in the gym. 

Eats: Protein shakes, salads, and MEAT! But I always leave space to try something new. 

Lives for: The roller coaster that is life.

Searlina Bodden is the founder of @blacktieandbarefoot

Photos: Kenroy Lumdsen Photography @kenroylumsden; Hair and Makeup: Steven Jensen of The Salon Cayman @feelinvybz and Ruthanna Young-Hull of Renaissance Salon Cayman @renaissancesaloncayman; Nails: Ann-Marie Bryan of Polished Cayman @chunnyb2

ITK: How to Price Yourself Part II Based on IG Follower Count

Instagram is a powerful visual marketing tool, and a highly engaged audience is something that brands are willing to pay good money for. Studies have shown that Instagram provides brands with 25% more engagement than other social media platforms. 

What brands are looking for is a good like to follower percentage-- about 10% and engaged commenters who have long-term interest in your feed. For example, not a group of followers you got for #followforfollow. If you've purchased your followers, the engagement will never be what you need. A better way to spend your time (and not money) is figuring out how to position your brand and self so that your engagement is real. There's something to be said for faking it till you make it, but with IG, it's not the case. It doesn't look good to have 50k followers, 36 likes, and 1 comment from your BFF on a post. 

However, if you have a big, authentic following (congrats!), there is money to be made.

Figuring out what to charge a brand can be tricky, especially when you're just starting out. What they are banking on is targeted marketing that increases brand awareness and leads to sales.

Here is a reasonable breakdown of what you can change. Keep in mind, there is no one size fits all model, and price points depend not only on the brand's bank account but also how specifically you're targeting an audience. If you are posting for an athletic wear line, and you're a yoga instructor with a high follow count, you might be positioned to charge more. 

You can also charge more based on case studies and proven ROI driving traffic.

This is often done two ways. The first is with a dedicated hashtag created by you and the brand. With websites like Keyhole, you can track how and where the hashtag has been used. 

Second, if the brand provides you with a dedicated Bit.ly link that you can share in your bio (you'll often see this listed in the IG post as "link in bio") they can track how much traffic you're driving from that link. The more clicks, the more green. 

6 Boss Retreats to Take in 2016

When you’re a boss there are a lot of work trips you need to take. Jetting from east to west coast to meet with clients. Hopping on a plane last minute to close a deal. Heading a company’s campus to meet with the CEO. And while there is something to be said for being a go-getter on-the-go, giving yourself the opportunity the chance to recharge and reset while also gaining perspective from other business owners is key to keep your business moving forward. 

There is lots of value in learning and absorbing, especially when you are doing so among other entrepreneurs you admire. Besides, forging new relationships will improve your skills as a leader.  Some people even say that successful people spend 30 minutes a day improving their people skills— so why not take a few days or even a week, to work on that and more?  

The Antigua Retreat. If you’ve wanted to be treated like a senorita boss, lounging in a mansion, margarita in hand while also masterminding with “THREE 6-figure-earning business brains AND 10 other genius entrepreneur-itas,” then this is the boss week retreat for you. There are only two spots left on this retreat that takes place February 13-20th. Pack your bag, a bikini, and your boss attitude. 

Passage. Forget failed resolutions. Over 21 days - the time it takes to form new habits - this retreat will gather a group of dreamers and disrupters to live, work, and explore new ways to exist in the modern world. The programming is crafted to expand minds and the adventuring is designed to develop and nurture personal practices for the body and spirit. Prepare to evolve your notion of community and work to impact the greater good. Head to Costa Rica from January 22-February 14th and #findyourwild. 

The Boss Lady Retreat Experience is a weekend retreat in the mountains at an undisclosed location. This is an annual event that will take place in September for all boss women and those inspiring to become bosses.  At this retreat the attendees will experience the beautiful scenery from one of the best luxurious cabins. There will be motivational speakers, life coaches, romance consultants and more. They are currently planning their next event. Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the details. 

The Remember Me Retreat is a unique journey of self-discovery, self-love and appreciation for women seeking guidance in making transformations and reclaiming the woman within. The retreat takes place in tranquil Anguilla, BWI. The relaxing yet intimate retreat is composed of in-depth personal exploration, group sharing and inspirational sisterhood. The retreat encourages you to nurture your mind, body and spirit. Get your tickets for August 16-21, 2016. 

The Rad Photographers Retreat. For all you creatives with a camera, this retreat is for you. At RPR, the plan is to tap into goals, fears, insecurities and ultimately break down those intrusive walls to help other like-minded creatives grow. Gather with your peers in an intimate lodge setting, sit around a dining table with coffee and a fireplace with a glass of wine, and reinvigorate the reason you were crazy enough to become small business owners in the first place. Takes place March 9-12th in Blue Bounds, Wisconsin. 

For over 25 years, The Writer's Retreat has been providing an “intensive learning experience for small groups of serious-minded writers who are committed to improving and completing their novels for submission.” Taking place on a private Texas ranch May 12-19, 2016, you’ll participate in workshops, intensive writing, and one-on-one meetings with industry professionals.