How This Blogger Is Fighting the Plus-Size Retail Problem
Throwing retail a curve ball.
As a size 14/XL fashion blogger, one of my top pet peeves is being denied the experience of brick and mortar shopping.
I would love to spend a Saturday out shopping with girlfriends, but I almost never do it. And here’s why: even though I represent the average size woman in this country, I can’t walk into most brick and mortar stores and fit clothing on my body.
Take J.Crew and Madewell for instance. Two brands that are steeped in Americana and accessibility, unless you wear above a Large in which case you are directed to shop online. Let me repeat, I wear the average size in this country, but I can’t walk into J.Crew and buy a sweater! Does anyone else think that is nuts? My bruised ego aside (and trust me, it is bruised), do these retailers know how much money they are leaving on the table? Jenna Lyons, I love you girl but what are you thinking?!
Looking at it objectively, it’s not hard to see how this came about. As the ultimate luxury good, fashion has always been an industry built on exclusivity. Unless you possess the required means, access and body type, high fashion simply is not available to most.
Maybe the problem is that for too long this high fashion “you can’t sit with us" mindset has trickled down to the retail level, creating a world where average women like myself can’t walk into an average store and shop.
But if the old model is a trickle down from fashion into retail, I think we are starting to see a new model: a trickle up from social media into retail.
"We are starting to see a new model: a trickle up from social media into retail."
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Thanks to social media, body positive women like Ashley Graham, Iskra and their over 6 million combined followers have given a voice to an entire swath of previously ignored women. Women like me who spend on handbags because we can’t walk into a store and buy clothing, or who are too frustrated with shopping to enjoy it as an activity with friends.
Thanks to the influence of social media, we are seeing mass brands start to welcome more of us with open arms. This can only mean a win-win for everyone, retailers included (cha-ching!). Aerie has been at the forefront of this with their popular #unretouched campaign and commitment to inclusive sizing in their brick and mortar stores. At Ann Taylor there are rumblings of a plus line launching this year (yes please!). And while Kate Spade isn't exactly a mass clothing retailer, did you know they carry up to size 16 in store?
I think we all know there’s enough room for everyone in the retail world. And it’s refreshing to see brands starting to wake up! Here’s to hoping the day that I can walk into J.Crew and buy a sweater can’t be far off.
Katie Sturino is a size 12(ish) New Yorker who believes great style can look chic at any size. She started the12ishstyle.com to introduce girls like her who wear sizes 12-18 to fashion forward brands across extended and plus sizes. Click here to read her piece on Turning "Big" Into Business.
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6 Women Share Their Career Struggles
The only way out is through.
photo credit: Brooke Lark
So you can’t ride a horse and drink a cup of coffee at the same time. Neither can we. When it comes to life and career we hold ourselves to tippy-toe top standards. We want to be able to do it all and at the same time too. Newsflash: it’s impossible.
Even the greatest and brightest among us have faced challenges. Like one of our favorite authors and writers Kelly Oxford who once told us she feels like she can’t forge ahead, “every time I have PMS.” The struggle is real, but you’re not alone. Which is why it's all the more important to share these stories, reinforcing the reality that everyone goes through it.
Read through how 6 amazing women mitigate the hard points in their respective careers.
Lauren Conrad on how her relationship to her career has changed:
“I've been able to find more balance in my career over the last few years. There was definitely a point in my life when I took on too much and was burning the candle at both ends. Since then I've learned the value in saying no and learned to delegate. It can be hard to trust others to work on a brand that you spent so much time on, but you can't do it all.”
“I’ve learned the value in saying no and to delegate.”
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Sarah Michelle Gellar on taking a major risk:
“As my career has shifted drastically that has certainly taken some adjustment. At my age it would have been so easy to just stay and continue an already successful career, but instead I took the leap and try something I had never done before. Its been exciting, scary, rewarding and quite the adventure.”
Rachel Bloom on a point in her life where she thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’
“I've never fully turned away from the arts, but there were points in college that my self esteem was so low I didn't know if I could make it in this business.”
Kristen Ess on challenges she’s faced:
“The hair industry can be very competitive and sometimes nasty. Other hairdressers/colorists will talk about you as if they know you or circulate gossip and it's a bummer. There were many times when I would hear about something ‘about me’ that was so inaccurate or just plain untrue and I had to learn really early to block that out and know that people who participate in that are just not for me.”
Cleo Wade on a point in her life when she thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’
“I think we all have mini moments of that feeling throughout our day. Our brain is constantly second guessing our decisions. I think you know you are doing something great if you have moments of feeling overwhelmed.
“You know you are doing something great if you have moments of feeling overwhelmed.”
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Lauren Paul on the realities of fundraising and non-profits:
“Starting and running a non-pro:t is incredible but when you sign up for this you have to know that it becomes a 24 hour job. It was important for Molly and I to look at the hours we were pouring into Kind Campaign and find a healthy balance between that and our family, friends and personal lives. It was also important to figure out how we could take some of the jobs we were carrying and bring people on board to help lighten the load.
All my sisters out there who work in the non pro:t space know how hard fundraising is. There were many points in the first couple years where we were really struggling to get by financially. We would hold grassroots fundraisers with the occasional sponsor. We made a lot of personal sacrifices as a result. Everything changed a couple years ago when we had a huge fundraiser that raised enough money to make all of our programming free of charge for schools. We are proud to say that all assemblies have been free since 2013!”
Have something you’re struggling with? Share with us in the comments below. It's self-caring.
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What You Missed: Work + Wellness Panel at Topshop
There may have been a baby blizzard outside, but our Work + Wellness pop-up at Topshop in Soho was still packed with panelists, audience members, knowledge, and some fab outfits thanks to Topshop Personal Shopper.
We took it to the audience at times-- asking who felt burnt out, who had cried in the last week, and despite decreased visibility outside, inside the store it was very clear: we all felt the same way-- a little burnt out by the 24/7 nature of work and life, the tech tear, and that no one can do it alone.
Here are six of our favorite takeaways from last night.
START YOUR DAY OFF RIGHT
But know that means different things to different people.
“When I first started working, I was so eager to impress my boss,” shared Colleen Wormsley of Shine. “The sun would go down, I would still be working, and I missed being outside. So in the morning I made the conscious decision to walk. To take the subway farther away, so I could have that 15 minutes in the morning to clear my head. To start my morning that way.”
Nicole Loher, who works a full time job, trains for triathlons and is a wellness influencer, says that she is constantly taking small steps to get it right, but echoes the idea that ‘right’ and ‘well’ are subjective— a word that host, model, and dancer Ally Love brought up.
Case in point: the morning of our panel Nicole woke up at 4am to train with her swim coach. “Every day is a work in progress for everyone,” she shared.
IT IS POSSIBLE TO FULL TIME/ PART TIME & BE HAPPY
Ally Love, who is a part of the “slash generation,” works best when busy. But doing five jobs and attempting to give her one hundred percent to all of them, was proving too challenging. Doing everything for the multi-talented woman meant she had to realize she wasn't going to do it “all” alone. “If you’re going through divorce, you go to a really good lawyer because you want it to end well. If there’s something wrong with you, you go to a good doctor because you want to live. The same thing goes for your career," she explained. "If you want things to go well, outsource to really great people.”
“I had to ask for help,” she told the audience. “I created a team knowing I had to trust other people who knew what my end goals are and how to leverage opportunities.”
“Burn out is real,” shared Nicole, piggybacking on that idea. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help.” “Find what you love to do in your full time job and try to make sure that your full time and part time job can merge,” explained the wellness influencer who in her full time job likewise manages influencers in the wellness space.
Or know what you do best. “I made the part time, the full time,” said Jessy Fofana of La Rue PR. Speaking of:
KNOW YOURSELF
Keeping up with the web and social is a struggle for everyone— from the most seasoned influencers, to those who appear to have their content game on lock, to the women on panel.
“You have creativity," said Ally, "but creativity comes in different ways. I get creative when I get exhausted. That’s when I find new effective ways to grow. So know your energy type. I need to get depleted to sit down and have a great idea.”
"Your success level is not established by how active you are, but how productive you are."
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“I need to use a lot of my unnecessary energy to tap into the power within in,” Love told the crowd delving in a little deeper. “Other people have that direct connection. Your success level is not established by how active you are, but how productive you are. Trust that inside of you.”
BE CONSCIOUS
“For people who are working weekends and nights and feel like there is an expectation that they put in a lot of time— there probably is that,” said Rebecca Willa Davis, Deputy Editor for Well + Good. “But I also think that even in our downtime we are taxing our systems. We’re watching Netflix while we’re on our phones, while we’re eating dinner, while our friend is sitting next to us,” she said. “We're not fully embracing our downtime."
Rebecca understands that the content game is 24/7. “When you send out a newsletter seven days a week, there’s no way to get around that.” But she qualified, “There are ways to make sure that free time feels like downtime, so when I am working, I’ve had some relief.”
It other words: unplug, get outside, and pay attention to the friend sitting next to you.
“Think about how your non-work time will benefit your future work time,” added Colleen. “Some of my best ideas that I never would have thought of happened because I turned off, went and saw a friend and had a conversation.”
AND ALSO BE A CONSCIOUS BOSS
Rebecca shared that she typically sets aside nights and weekends to get emails out, but even though that schedule works for her, it wasn’t the healthiest for her team.
“When I was sending out these emails late at night or on the weekends, the people on my team felt like they had to be on at all times because their boss was on at all times.” Adding, “I think of work and wellness as not only wellness for myself, but wellness for my team.”
So what did she do? She downloaded an add-on that schedules when her emails send. “It’s so simple,” she explained, “but allows me to work within the schedule that works best for me, without imposing on other people.”
ON AT ALL TIMES?
Do we need to turn up or turn off?
Millennial burnout is real. Nicole shared that a few years ago she was working for a company she was so passionate about, but spread too thin. “It was a taxing, emotional rollercoaster,” she said. She was crying every day, working 15 hour days, and she was only 23. “I wasn’t able to focus on myself, get in my workouts, or even see my friends and family.” She left that job, without anything lined up, and then wrote about it openly on the internet. She credits this as her own “personal point of becoming well again and moving on.”
"When you let go of something good, you’re only making way for something great.”
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“It took a lot to admit to myself that I was burnt out. It was a really scary moment to quit my job. But I think 2017 is a great year for millennials and the slash generation because you don’t have to be one thing anymore. When you let go of something good, you’re only making way for something great.”
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What You Missed from Our Work + Wellness Pop-up at Topshop
Looking good and feeling good = #2017goals
2016 was about balance, but this year the topic on everyone's mind is wellness. Sure, they go hand-in-hand, but we're widening our gaze.
Which is why we gathered at Topshop at the Grove LA last night to chat with Lizzy Okoro, the founder and EIC of BUNCH Magazine, Christina Topacio of Jig + Saw, Maya Washington, also known as Shameless Maya, and Tara Sowlaty and Jessie De Lowe co-founders of How You Glow.
The conversation veered from finding boundaries while pushing yourself to the bigger picture of wellness as vibrancy. Here our 5 of our favorite takeaways.
1. SHARE YOUR IDEAS
There is a fear that if you share what you're working on, someone will come along and snatch it up.
Lizzy Okoro says it isn't so. "Tell everyone your idea, no one will steal it," Lizzy told the audience. It keeps you accountable.
"Tell everyone your idea, no one will steal it."
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Christina echoed the sentiment. "If someone steals it, it was never yours to begin with; it was never going to pop off."
2. THE TECH ADDICTION IS REAL
Jessie, who in addition to How You Glow, works as an Art Therapist says that she's seen an upsurge in social media and tech addiction, and that it's not going away any time soon. To combat the blue screen haze craze, the glowing gal and mama-to-be practices a phone free bedroom. She doesn't have a bedside table, which makes keeping her phone out of her room at night easier.
"I don’t bring it in bed with me, it’s not allowed. If you don’t look at it right before you sleep and right when you wake up, there is 20 minutes of clarity," Jessi shared. She also urged attendees to find healthy boundaries in how, when, and why they are consuming content. "The digital world isn't real," she said, while acknowledging that it's still an integral part of our lives and businesses. "You can't see it and you can't smell it," she said about digital, making it all the more important to get outside.
photo credit: Josh Escueta
3. FIGURING OUT HOW TO 'THROW IN THE TOWEL'
Most of the women on panel had the ah-ha moment when they knew they had to leave one job to focus full time on their passion.
Christina recently shut down her blog of ten years, Profresh Style, to focus full time on her new Jig + Saw venture. "The money can't be the driver of any entrepreneurial dream," she told the crowd. "You'll always fall broke." Lizzy, who was working as a school admin during the day and BUNCH at night, had her moment when she knew she couldn't do both. "I was sucking at being an employee, sucking at BUNCH, I wasn't a good friend, a good girlfriend, and at that point I realized, I had to go." Qualifying, "Well, 'go' in 6 months, I couldn't afford it."
The Editor in Chief added, "When you literally. just. can't-- all the time, that's when it's time."
Jessie kept it simple but straight-forward. "If your job is making you physically ill," she shared, "it's time to go."
5. ABANDON DANGEROUS THINKING
Lizzy brought up the cult of busy and hashtag glorifications that take us down the dangerous rabbit hole of wanting to work all the time. "#sleepwhenimdead," shouldn't be a thing. She was burning the candle at both ends when a friend told her, "Listen, if you take a night off, go to the movies and your business fails, you need to get out of that business." It stuck with her.
Maya, who's social experiment with Shameless Maya and "shamelessly" promoting herself for 365-days was an act of truly accepting her whole self, told the crowd to "be aware of what’s trending, but be aware of what works for you."
"It’s so easy to get caught up in the hype, but you’re going to lose," she said.
photo credit: Josh Escueta
5. ACCEPT 'VICES'
The How You Glow gals are all about balance. Working out, eating healthy, and indulging. Jessie shared with the audience that they should "build in allowed vices, so it doesn't feel like you've messed up."
Paraphrasing Picasso, Tara told the audience one of her favorite pieces of advice is to "Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist."
6. WITHOUT RISK... NO REWARD
Maya brought it home telling attendees, "You gotta give up to gain."
"You gotta give up to gain."
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"I had to give up so much," she shared about her career. "Personal relationships, sleep, everything came at a cost. So you need to evaluate what your priorities are, but also really examine yourself. You are in control of your life."
We are heading to NY next Thursday for at Work + Wellness panel at Topshop Soho. Get in on the convo and RSVP now! Space is limited.
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The 5 Key Blogger Takeaways from Our First Style Summit
The 5 keys you need to know to create a strong blog and brand.
Photo by Jessica Bordner
What a 2017 it’s been for us at C&C! And it’s only January.
Last week alone, we launched our first ever Create & Cultivate 100 list, and then hopped on a plane to Florida for our very first Create & Cultivate Style Summit at The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills.
If you couldn't make it to Fort Lauderdale and missed out on Saturday’s Style Summit (and the amazing florals thanks to Designs by Darenda), we’ve culled some of the best tips from our amazing panelists. From how to utilize your Instagram feed as a business medium, to creating a brand and a business as an influencer, to diving into doing fashion full time.
IF YOU WANT TO BLOG FULL TIME, YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT TIME.
Contrary to what the outside world may think, blogging= not so simple. You don’t get 100K followers overnight, and brands don’t come running to partner with you because you own a blog.
Although they have established large followings, many of the bloggers from Saturday, including Stephanie Hill of The Style Bungalow, Nikole Powers of In High Demand, and Symphani Soto are still looking to grow their followings.
And getting to where they are has taken considerable time. “You have to give it time and invest the time and energy in creating good content and creating a great brand,” says Stephanie. “It doesn’t come easy.”
USE YOUR REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE AND APPLY IT TO YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Blogging full time may be a dream job for many, but for many influencers it started as a side hustle. Use this to your advantage. How?
For those starting out, a rule of thumb to follow is to absorb as much knowledge as possible, which seems obvious, but success is in the details. Pay careful attention to how your current role might help inform your business strategies as a blogger. Also be sure to cultivate relationships and don’t burn bridges.
“The industry is very small,” says Kristen Leahy of Fancy Things Blog. “I’ve applied my knowledge I’ve learned in the PR industry to running my blog, and the connections I’ve made have helped me grow my blog as well.”
Gorgeous florals by Designs by Darenda.
ALIGN WITH PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAKE SENSE FOR YOUR BRAND
Making money. At the end of the day, that’s also what blogging is about. And when you’re first getting started it’s very tempting to say “yes” to dollars. Forget outfits, you need to pay rent.
However, when you’re building a brand, you want to make sure that you are committing to a collaboration that will help your brand in the end. “When working with a brand, you have to think whether they’re going to help or hurt your brand,” says Nikole Powers.
Also, it’s not all about the money. Keep in mind that you’re also creating brand that is a reflection of who you are. “If you become a blogger just to make a lot of money,” says Stephanie Hill, “this gig is not for you.”
In short: “Don’t be a sellout,” says Natalie Suarez, who took a moment in between dropping knowledge to hit the Sideshow Booth with sister Dylana (see below) and snap a few shots.
INVEST TIME IN MAKING A MEDIA KIT
While your website and your social media channels serve as an archive for all the amazing content that you have created, when you’re looking to grow your brand and establish a professional presence, you have to invest time in creating a media kit.
All the girls on panel this weekend have created their own media kits, whether they made it from scratch or bought a template on Etsy to help them start. And it’s also not rocket science if you feel intimidated by creating one.
“My media kit is simple and states the facts. Report impressive numbers, add beautiful imagery that you already have on your blog, and showcase notable collabs,” says Stephanie Hill. “Also, make it as easy as possible for brands and potential collaborators to read your deck. They don’t have time to read essays.”
Natalie and Dylana Suarez in the Sideshow Booth.
BUILD CONTENT TO YOUR OWN STANDARDS, NOT ANYONE ELSE’S, AND STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF
Last, but certainly not least, the one key to creating a brand as an influencer is to make sure that you’re creating YOUR OWN BRAND. Blogging is a very competitive field, to say the least, so you have to make sure that your content is able to stand out and not blend into what everyone else is doing.
“Don’t build your content to live up to everyone else’s standard. Do you,” says Kristin Clark of Living In Color Print. If you tune out of what everyone else is doing, you can create amazing content on your own. “Be inspired by others, but always make sure you are always doing you,” as Nikole Powers would say.
What were your favorite takeaways from Create & Cultivate Style Summit this weekend? Let us know below!
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C&C Classifieds Nº25: Be Our Next Social Media Manager!
The month is flying by. Don't let opportunities fly by too.
Photo by Sarah Natasha Photography
Can you believe we're half way through January? Time is flying right past us, and while we don't mind that so much, we have to make sure that we're not letting opportunities fly right past us too.
This week, we have a fresh new batch of classifieds to continue help you make 2017 the best year ever, including an opportunity to join the Create & Cultivate team! If you're not much of a Social Media Manager to join our team, then maybe the other options will catch your attention. Check out this week's listings below, and sign up for our newsletter for full access!
CREATE & CULTIVATE
LOS ANGELES, CA
If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.
C&C Classifieds Nº24: Camron PR, FabKids, Amazon, and more!
Don't start slacking on your new year's resolution just yet.
photo credit: Bloguettes
You've made it through the first week of January 2017! We hope that it's been smooth sailing thus far, and while we're at it, how are those New Year's resolutions coming along?
If you're still on the hunt for the one gig that is going to be a home run for 2017, we've got you covered. From FabKids to Camron PR, and including internship positions here at C&C, enter your name and email below to get full access to this week's classifieds!
If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.
6 Quick and Dirty Tips for Marketing Yourself
Build trust, not walls.
photo credit: Bloguettes
Are you looking to grow your following in 2017? Here are 6 quick easy to follow tips.
1. BUILD TRUST
If you’re asking yourself what’s more important going viral or a steady band of dedicated users, think on this:
Exposure is great. It can make you feel like you’re doing something right and the world is catching on for good reason. But exposure can also leave you bare naked in the public eye with no plan to backup your following. Trust is the most important element to growing exposure and that doesn’t usually happen with a viral hit. You want to grow your influence steadily, giving your followers a reason to stick with you, not give you a 15-second-of-fame career.
2. MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY
If trust builds brand loyalty, than consistency builds brand recognition. According to Lauren Hooker, founder of Elle & Co, “recognition is key to branding. It's why we automatically think of Chipotle when we see a foil-wrapped burrito or Apple when we hear Siri's voice or an iPhone ringtone. These businesses don't switch things up regularly; they maintain consistency across all of the visual and invisible components of their brand.”
She advises, to “choose fonts, colors, and imagery and use them over and over again. Over time, people will begin to associate those design elements with your business and easily recognize your graphics.”
“Consistency,” adds Lauren, “also makes your brand appear professional.” Speaking of…
3. ALWAYS APPEAR PROFESSIONAL
We turn to Lauren again for this, who says, “First impressions are huge; they can make all the difference between someone taking you seriously or writing you off. If you're just starting your business, you don't have to look like you just started your business.”
4. DON’T EXPECT INSTAGRAM TO DO IT ALL FOR YOU
Instagram is an amazing tool that can broadcast your brand to millions of people. That’s the goal after all. But it’s not a magic app.
Instagram is the connector, it’s not the business. Use it wisely (and maintain consistency), but if you want to market yourself, you need to cast your net wider. There are a TON of fish in the Instagram sea and you need the social platform to funnel back into something else.
"Instagram is the connector, it’s not the business."
Tweet this.
Whether it is a website, a service, or a product there needs to be something. Especially if you want to build out your brand to do more than schlock products in paid posts.
5. PARTICIPATE IN OFFLINE EVENTS
A like will never replace a handshake. And in many ways, they are not even comparable. You can pay your rent with a like, but you can bank on an IRL relationship. That means, attending conferences, like the upcoming Create & Cultivate New York, where you meet with like-minded professionals. Or pitch yourself to companies to speak on panels.
6. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR COMPETITION
Marketing yourself isn't solely about you. You can't change the game if you're standing in one place. While an authentic brand is a successful brand, you also need to have a leg up on the competition. That means keeping in tune with what they're doing.
Fine tune your marketing efforts as you go. Pay attention to their audiences and see what they want and how you can provide a better service or product to them. Learn from their mistakes, and know that you can do much better.
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How to Rejoin the Workforce After Extended Time Off
What if you don't have recent work experience?
Figuring out how to get back into the workforce after extended time off can be frustrating. Many jobs want to hire candidates with recent work experience, and if you don’t have that, the job application process can be extremely daunting.
While it may appear as if you’re stuck in a perpetual state of unemployment, there are many ways to get back into the workforce after extended time off.
STAY ACTIVE
Even if you’re not working for profit, one of the most important things to do when you’re trying to get back into the workforce after extended time off is to stay active. Start volunteering at a local charity or at local businesses/community centers.
When you have a large employment gap and you’re looking for a job, the worst thing you could do is sit around. Staying active in your community will give you something to put on your resume and it will help you network. You never know who you’ll meet and who will notice your work ethic. A recent government study found that volunteering is associated with 27% higher odds of employment.
Volunteering isn’t only about networking, but it gives you something current to put on your resume. If your last position ended years ago, your resume may often get overlooked simply because of the fact that there is nothing current on it. However, if you start volunteering, you can use that to fill in the time where you weren’t working. Even if you volunteer once a week or once a month for a span of time, you can use that to fill in employment gaps.
NETWORK
According to studies done by Glass Door, referrals are associated with a 2.6 to 6.6 percent higher chance of an accepted job offer. Reach out to recruiters, friends, and industry professionals to put the word out there that you’re looking for a position. Often people won't know that you’re in the market for a new role, and if they don’t know, they can’t help you. It’s a very small world, and you never know who might have an industry connection or information on an upcoming availability.
Go out and get coffee with friends or family in your industry. Pick their brain and ask if they have any suggestions for how to brush up on your skills and get back into the workforce after extended time off. They may know of an opportunity which you can use to boost your resume or skill set.
Similarly, reach out to recruiters. People seem to have this notion that it’s better to get a job on your own instead of working with a recruiter, however, it is the complete opposite. Recruiters often have inside knowledge on positions that haven’t been posted to the public. They also have direct interaction with hiring managers and will be able to get your resume in front of someone immediately. How do you get in touch with a recruiter? Do a simple google search or look for recruiters on LinkedIn. Recruiters are always looking for strong candidates, so if you can reach out and highlight your motivation or skills, they will almost always be willing to help with your job search.
TAKE A CLASS
Are you volunteering and networking but still find yourself with extra time on your hands? Take the opportunity to learn a new skill or brush up on old skills by taking a course. If you want to get out of the house and have somewhere to go, look into community college courses. Don’t want to make that sort of commitment? Go for online courses which you can do at your own pace.
Platforms such as Lynda.com charge a small monthly fee and offer courses in many different areas. They’re all video based and let you take your time to finish them at your convenience. Aside from giving you something to do, this gives you the opportunity to add more to your resume. Have you noticed that a lot of the positions you want to apply for require knowledge of a specific software? Look it up and watch a tutorial video so you can put that you’re familiar with the software on your resume!
EXPLORE CONTRACT OR TEMP POSITIONS:
While there seems to be a negative connotation with the words “temporary” and “contract,” these positions can open many doors for you. Contract and/or temporary work can help you in 4 main ways:
- It will give you current work to put on your resume
- It gives you immediate income while you’re searching for a long term position
- It lets you network with industry professionals
- It gives you the opportunity to show off your capabilities
There is truly no downside to temporary work. While it’s not always smart to take a position in an industry or path you’re not interested in, temporary work gives you the opportunity to explore your options and networking opportunities.
__________
While it may be intimidating and daunting, there are many ways to get back into the workforce after extended time off. The most important things are to stay active and highlight your skills and abilities. Don’t be stagnant and wallow in your sorrows. Take charge of your life, get out there, and make something happen!
A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.
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How to Apply for Out of State Jobs in 2017
New year, new state-of-mind.
photo credit: Lovely Indeed
If your plans for 2017 include a move, here’s how to apply for out of state jobs. There seems to be a common fear of applying to out of state jobs, but it’s actually fairly simple. The best way to apply for out of state jobs is to apply as if you were in state. What does this mean? Keep reading to find out!
FIX THE HEADER ON YOUR RESUME
The first mistake many people make is that they don’t change the header of their resume. The first step to applying for out of state jobs is to change up your header so it reflects the location where you’re applying to. No need to include an address, but if you’re applying for jobs in Boulder, Colorado, include “Boulder, CO” in place of your current address.
Employers often shy away from out of state or long distance candidates because they simply don’t want to deal with travel/ or potential relocation costs, and want to start scheduling interviews quickly. Eliminate the opportunity for employers to write you off because of your location when initially reading your resume by applying as if you were in-state.
The way I always explain it to clients is this: If it comes up, be transparent and explain that you’re going to relocate, however there’s no need to give people the opportunity to pass you up because of your location.
"There’s no need to give people the opportunity to pass you up because of your location."
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If a company feels that you’re the right candidate for the job, location won’t matter.
DO THE RESEARCH
This territory comes with applying for any job, but it’s especially important when you’re applying out of state. Because you’re going to have to relocate for the position, you need to show recruiters and/or hiring managers why you’re worth the hassle, and why you really want the position.
Do your research on the company and job so you can include company specific information in both your resume and cover letter. A great way to do this is to find an area which you believe the company can improve and discuss how you feel you can improve it for them.
BUDGET WISELY
If you’re applying for out of state positions, you need to be ready to hop on a plane (or jump in the car) and get there for an interview. If you reached out and applied for an out of state job, it’s your responsibility to pay the cost of travel and relocation.
If a company is pursuing you, meaning they reached out first, you can expect cost of travel and relocation to be covered, however if it’s the other way around, it’s all on you. The easiest way to ruin your chances of landing an out of state job is to be fussy and unaccommodating. If you want to land a job (and move) out of state, you need to be ready to jump at the opportunity. If a company feels like you’re too much of a hassle or that you’re not willing to make the necessary arrangements, they will likely go with another candidate (probably a local choice).
________
2017 is a new year and holds new opportunities. If those opportunities include a big move, learn how to apply for out of state jobs the right way. The best way to apply for out of state jobs is to act as if you’re a local candidate, show potential employers why you’re the solution to their problem(s), and be ready to jump at any opportunity.
When applying for any job, it’s important to show employers why you want the position and why you’ll be the best fit, however when you’re applying to out of state jobs, it’s even more crucial. If you can’t show employers that you’re worth the risk of hiring someone in another state, you won’t be able to land the job. The bottom line is that you need to show employers that you’re willing to do anything to get the position. Show them this and you’ll be good to go!
A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.
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The Time-Management Survival Guide for the Busy Woman
We've got the secret and it's easier than you think.
You’ve finally made it! You’ve worked your butt off to get to this point and now it feels like everyone and I mean everyone is counting on you. The worst part is that now you seem to have NO TIME to enjoy any of it ‘cuz you’re so franticly trying to keep a billion and a half balls in the air. You’ve tried just about every organizing technique ever created and often beat yourself up for not fitting in that relaxing cup of hot coffee right after your 20 minute morning meditation and yoga practice followed by a productive and fulfilling day with your hair, makeup, and outfit looking chic and finishing the day with a delicious and healthy dinner and quality time spent with your loving partner. Ah, to be a woman that only exists in the movies.
Don’t worry, there is hope... and lots of it.
The secret is that Time isn’t a thing to be managed. WTF?!? I know, right.
Time is just a form of measurement and those pesky clocks just keep ticking no matter how much we try to control them. Our relationship with it is what we have control over. If you’re on the edge of throwing a mini-tantrum I totally get it. As a fellow passionately multi-hyphenate who desperately wants to feel in control of some part of her life it took me a bit of kicking and screaming to come around to be willing to try a new approach since my current one left me exhausted and frustrated. So without further adieu here are three (not time consuming and hugely effective) ways to change your relationship with time.
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE
Radical acceptance is accepting life on life’s terms. You know those weeks when you map out exactly what you’re going to get done over the next couple of days and then your car breaks down or your son gets sick or your basement floods and there go all of your plans there are a few paths you could walk down in this moment.
• You could flip out about how much time and money you’re going to lose and that it’s not fair that this had to happen now.
• You could accept that this is what’s happening right now, it won’t last forever, and that your ship will right itself when this storm passes.
Then, grabbing a post it note (it’s that size on purpose) and making your To-Do List of 1 thing that would make you so happy to get done would be the way to go. Everything else you may get done is gravy.
THE POWER OF NO
Believe it or not people often respect someone who says “no” maybe even more than they do the person who says “yes” to EVERYTHING. It is not your job to do everyone else’s job. The key is to say “no” gracefully and authentically. Here’s how:
• Empathetically acknowledge the person who is asking for your time and attention. i.e. “I could see how that would be really stressful” or “It makes sense that you’re really having a hard time with this.”
• Be honest. i.e. “I wish I could give your situation the full attention that you and it deserve but I can’t right now.” or “Thank you for thinking of me but I, also, have a ton on my plate and wouldn’t be able to do my best work if I took on another project.”
Short. Sweet. To the Point. Even if the person gets all snarky in the moment it’s not like they’re going to hate you forever this person already values your and your your opinions and abilities... and if they do who needs ‘em.
CELEBRATION
Since you’re the type of gal who’s got her eye on the prize you may be whizzing past all of your wins along the way. That is NOT OK, Sister. Focusing on the process as opposed to focusing on the prize just may get you where you want to go faster, or at least getting there will probably be a lot more fun, and you deserve that.
Make a three part celebration list.
• Level 1: (I completed that thing that’s been weighing on me)
• Living room dance party, happy hour with your best girl friend, and extra 30 mins of Netflix, a beautiful hike etc.
• Level 2: (That was a ton of work and I did that s@#* like a champ)
• That bag you’ve been eyeing, a new tech toy, a spa day, an impromptu three day weekend.
• Level 3: (OMG! It really happened. I’m freaking out I’m so excited.)
• That trip you’ve been hoping to take at some point, upgraded kitchen appliances, a new car.
Now you have to make it part of your routine (like every morning in the shower or when you brush your teeth at night) to acknowledge how cool you are then celebrate.
Maybe, you’ve only remembered to meditate once in the past two and a half months, you’ve been wearing the same shirt for three days, and you’ve ordered Thai every night this week. As long as you’re practicing accepting the fact that your life is rolling that way at the moment, releasing the fear of what everyone else thinks about you, and celebrating the victories that have gotten you to this moment you’re leaps and bounds ahead of most people on the planet.
If you have additional ideas of how to change your relationship with time and things that have worked for you in the past share the wealth with your fellow wildly busy female friends in the comments below.
Sharon Freedman has been a professional actor and voiceover artist for over 15 years and trained at The Coaches Training Institute with a desire to be more of service. A few years back she looked death in the eye and found that mindfulness and other evidence based therapeutic methods like DBT saved her life which inspired her to create her coaching practice Stress Reduction Joy Production. She owns being a work in progress and practices bringing as much fun, creativity, and authenticity to the world as she can. Join us on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/stressreductionjoyproduction/
An original version of this post appeared on Blog Society.
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Why These 3 Creatives Chose This Platform to Build Their Brands
You're pretty good looking, for a site.
Building a brand is like building a home. You need a great foundation. The right tools. Someone who knows what they're doing...
As avid Squarespace users ourselves (seriously, shoutout to the platform that makes our blogging lives the best!), we wanted to know how these three creatives chose and best utilize the platform.
A fashion blogger slash entrepreneur. A food stylist. And a designer. They all picked the same platform. By chance? Not at chance. Scroll through to see why these successful women all designed their sites with Squarespace, why, and what they're doing in the biz world.
photo credit: Tyler Topacio photography via Profresh Style
CHRISTINA TOPACIO, FOUNDER PROFRESH STYLE
Like many fashion bloggers, Christina Topacio started her blog in 2008 with a desire to express herself. The ultimate goal was to land a coveted job in the fashion industry. But what she created was so much more than a job.
With a growing fan base and a new creative venture, JIG + SAW, we caught up with the OG blogger to see why Squarespace is the space for her.
Why did you choose Squarespace as your blog platform? And why does the layout you use work for your brand?
Squarespace just works for me. Since Myspace days, you kind of teach yourself to code and it gets so time-consuming. For me, I wanted to think more about the content of the site rather than all the many design elements to be coded and placed. Squarespace gives me the ability to be unique and caters to exactly what I want my readers to engage with. The layout, Horizon, was perfect because it allowed my photos to shine while not overshadowing my written word. I literally sound like an advertisement but I'm not kidding when I say, Squarespace is the sh*t.
What design advice do you have for those putting together a site now?
Think about what you want people to be attracted to first and foremost, almost like, the first impression rose (cue The Bachelor). I knew I wanted people to know about me and why I started this blog and what else I'm working on. I made sure that was the focal point. If your blog is your main priority, ensure you choose a layout that works for that. If it's your beautiful photography, make sure the layout highlights large-scale imagery. Just think about how you want people to view you/your work/your services. You only get about 5 seconds of their attention before they choose to leave... or stay.
"You only get about 5 seconds before they choose to leave... or stay."
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Why do you have the option to “read in traditional mode?” Options, options, options?
Ohhh, good one. Back in the day (2008, heyyy!), content was read like an infinite scroll, reading blog post after blog post, without the need to click to view. After making marketing my profession, I learned about CTR and its importance and thus, the index view. Higher CTR, higher pageviews. HOWEVER, I also realized after activating that, some wanted to view in that typical blogger mode, where you scroll and scroll to read more + more. Thus, the traditional mode was made. Both are important and they cater to the users' experience. I wanted to captivate both.
Let’s chat JIG + SAW for a minute. Why after years of blogging was it time to expand your offering?
JIG+SAW was born out of the idea that there are all these creatives, and what felt like, no place for us to go. JIG+SAW offers that live component of engaging on daily basis, with hopes to make something great together in the form of a cowork space. And, we also offer specialized services for young + growing businesses looking to expand in customer acquisition and brand awareness. The two business ideas go hand in hand at JIG+SAW and I can't wait to grow it. The blog will remain as its own little archive for the readers its cultivated over the years but I have so much more to do and say and create with others. And that needed another outlet outside of the blog, that still involved all the wonderful creatives + brands I've met and will meet over the next, coming years.
What has been the most rewarding part of doing both?
I love the idea that blogging doesn't just stop at blogging. It cultivates (hey, hey!) ample opportunities beyond your little space on the web. So many friends have gone off to become creative directors, designers, consultants, entrepreneurs and all because of their blog's start. Profresh Style was a place to call my own when my friends didn't understand my love for fashion. It's grown into a community, sharing our vulnerabilities and growth with one another. My readers helped me gain enough courage to chase after the things that were important to me - that connection is irreplaceable. To be understood and accepted, it can't get any better than that.
MEGAN, FOUNDER APPRVL NYC
Megan Mussari launched Apprvl in the spring of 2014. With a background in fashion and textiles, she knew that she wanted to create products that were unique, crafted with "intrinsic personality." Blending the Japanese art of Shibori with the aesthetics of curated vintage pieces, she's found her calling.
2016 proved to be her biggest year yet, with collaborations with Nordstrom, and stockists from the west cost to Tokyo carrying her goods.
Megan says her brand is made for the curious, so naturally, we had questions.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you developed your business?
I have always been a doer. I'm 26 and feel extremely fulfilled that I get to physically make products everyday to share with my customers. My business began developing when I was 23 and had a few years of fashion design industry experience under my belt and felt very very bored, and disgruntled. I was dying synthetic fabrics with synthetic dyes for a larger fashion brand to make their showroom samples, and couldn't help but think there has to be a more environmentally friendly way to work with color. In that same job I saw a lot of fabric being thrown away and barely being donated or re-purposed. I would try to save as much as possible and would carry overflowing bags of lace and silk over to FIT to donate to their design program. I began to learn the basics of natural dyes, starting with the gateway dye of Indigo, working with unwanted textiles to create more modern pieces that I wanted in my home. I eventually had a few commissioned works of throw pillows, blankets and wall hangings which led to a my first wholesale accounts!
You run the company from your artist studio in Brooklyn. Are there other people in the studio with you? What’s the design process like?
I am extremely lucky to have an awesome shared studio with my friend Alex Andrade who runs Burnin' For You Candle Co. It always smells amazing while we work, which is especially beneficial if I am working with a dye that doesn't smell that great! We have become each others official Guinea pigs on new products and ideas. We also share our studio with illustrator Matt Villaverde whose drawings are probably the only ones to make me laugh out loud.
My design process stems a lot off of what I feel is missing in my home or wardrobe, and what of those I can make from mostly second hand textiles. I also love to use materials in a way unintended for them, giving the customer a new perspective. When I create the DIY kits, I poll a lot of my friends on what they would want to learn, how it could fix a problem in their home or wardrobe, and then begin to test my instructions on them making sure everything is understandable and that they get the results they want! Our design process is very inclusive and very fun!
How do you decide on collaborations?
When I am considering collaborations I have to keep my business guidelines in mind. When I am approached I have to explain that most of the time with my work it can be a slower process. I only use natural dyes, and if the fabrics are synthetic or from animals they must be secondhand or unwanted scraps. I really like to collaborate with brands and people who have similar values and aren't just trying to make a buck, but trying to spread a message or simply make an awesome product that is beneficial in one way or another.
Your site is absolutely gorgeous. Aside from beautiful imagery, how did you decide on the design?
First I will say that Squarespace makes web design extremely available and simple for anyone to create a beautiful website. Especially for people like me who can be a little impatient with the digital age, their templates are clean and professional, and understandable to put together. I went through a few different templates in my first few months of being in business before settling on my current set up which fits my needs perfectly.
What were some key elements you wanted incorporated when you put it all together?
I needed something where I can showcase my process, have an easy to navigate e-commerce section, an event calendar and a place to blog all of my collaborations, travels and experiences through this business journey. My products and images usually have a lot going on in them, so I wanted a clean site that doesn't add to the chaos, but compliment it.
How is designing a site in any way like designing a piece?
When designing a site it has to feel 100% you, not rushed and really thought out. You design with the customer in mind. You have to edit it, make sure that everything matches whether it is the fonts, spacing, inconsistencies in your language etc.
"When designing a site it has to feel 100% you."
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Just like if I were to be making a blanket, pillow or bowl, you wouldn't want a mess of different colored threads or varying stitch sizes holding it all together for everyone to see.
ABBY STOLFO, FOOD STYLIST
With a degree in finance and a baking story adventures of burning two batches of chocolate chip cookies, a career in food styling is not where San Francisco-Based Abby Stolofo "never would have imagined a career in food."
And yet, her good taste trumps her baking skills. Her site, the food she shoots and her career, are positively yummy. We went behind-the-scenes of Abby's brain to find out more.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you developed your business?
After a stint as a financial advisor and discovering that sales really wasn’t my jam I decided to go to culinary school. It was a comprehensive program but I really fell in love with pastry. I was living in Idaho where I’m originally from but after the program I started applying for jobs all over the country. I ended up in a well-respected restaurant in San Francisco where I did 9 months as a pastry cook before a co-worker introduced me to her neighbor, a professional food stylist. I’d never been on set before and barely had a clue what it was but it turned out to be a dream come true and the timing couldn’t have been better. Everyone in the food styling world is freelance so I’ve technically been a small business owner for over six years now. I learned food styling by assisting the very best in the industry for several years and in January of 2016 I went out on my own as an independent lead food stylist, hence my website.
Why did you get into the world of food styling?
Well, like I said, it was kind of accident. A very, very fortunate one. Now that I’m here, what I love about it is the variety. Most jobs last one to two days. Cookbook projects will last a week. Two at most. And then you’re on to the next thing. There’s a lot of problem solving involved. You’re always working in new settings with new ingredients and new recipes and each one presents a unique challenge. I love to cook and I think it’s one of the few jobs in the food world that you can actually earn a decent living from. Especially in San Francisco. I’ve gotten to travel and work with amazing brands and companies that I really admire. I also love being a small business owner. It’s the craziest most rewarding thing.
What are some behind-the-scenes tricks that you can share?
Oh gosh I’m SO glad you asked actually. I’m getting ready to share every behind-the-scenes trick I know through a series of food styling webinars and workshops made just for food and lifestyle bloggers. I’m hosting the first free webinar this month actually and was inspired by my time at Create & Cultivate Atlanta. I met so many brilliant content creators that really wanted to take their food photography to the next level but didn’t know where to begin. So, yes, all the insider food styling and photography tricks you can handle coming your way soon. Ha! In the meantime what I can tell you is that 99 percent of what you see in pictures really is food. And it’s the actual food. So often people think that what I work with isn’t actually edible and that’s not true. I don’t think I’d enjoy it if that were the case. There’s a lot of oil brushed onto things to keep them looking fresh. Lots of tweezing and water spritzing happening. If what we’re selling is ice cream it’s actually ice cream but if what we’re selling is chocolate sauce, it’s pretty likely that what’s underneath that sauce is a mixture of vegetable shortening and powdered sugar. Still technically edible ;) Most any turkey see was probably only cooked for a total of 20-30 minutes. Butter-Flavored PAM and instant mashed potatoes (for so many reasons) are in every food stylist’s kit.
Your site is absolutely gorgeous. Aside from beautiful imagery, how did you decide on the design?
Yay! Thank you so much. Well, it was a team effort actually. Ultimately I wanted something that was entirely outside of what everyone else in the industry was doing. When you’re breaking in you’ve gotta kinda make a scene, right? Like I wanted people to open it up and go, “Whoa.” And remember it. I wanted the overall feel to be light and bright and for the design to be clean, fresh, and modern. It had to be in order to showcase the images. There’s so much happening with the photography that the design had to compliment, not compete. For that reason I didn’t really integrate color into the design elements. It would have clashed with the food. I wanted a timeless logo and strong fonts that I wouldn’t tire of. I also wanted something that reflected my personality. Food styling to me is seriously the best job. It’s so much fun and I wanted a site that reflected that take. I had Pinterest mood boards and a general idea of what I wanted it to look like layout-wise but what I lacked was graphic design skills. I hired the insanely talented team at GoLiveHQ and they truly brought what I was envisioning to life. In ONE day. It was insane.
"When you’re breaking in you’ve gotta kinda make a scene, right? "
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What were some key elements you wanted incorporated when you put it all together?
I needed a clean, seamless way to organize and display my food photos. My absolute favorite is the sliding banner where I get to showcase some of my favorite shots. I also knew I wanted a fun headshot to round it out. I hired a photographer friend to take them and my very best girls and I had a ridiculous time in the studio one day getting literally hundreds of shots (I’m much better behind the camera.) There was cake and meringue and clothing everywhere. I always knew I wanted one long scrolling page that was easily and quickly navigated. It all just came together so perfectly and the platform was pretty much non-negotiable from the start. Squarespace is basically trendy cocktail party in the front, comfy coffee shop in the back. I absolutely love it for so many reasons, one being how intuitive it is to use which has been key to easily keeping it updated with new imagery.
How is designing a site in any way like designing a shot?
Pretty similar actually. In designing my site all of the elements really needed to work together in order to create a clear, professional brand identity and something that truly catches your eye. Designing a shot is like that too. At the start we always ask, “Okay, what is the story we are trying to tell here?” Everything is gauged against the answer to that question from the selection of props to the light to way the food is styled and presented. It has to be consistent and cohesive to tell the story. A lot of the time you only get a moment in front of your audience. The message has to be clear. Your own online brand and presence should tell a story too.
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The Business and Beauty of "Big"
Why rejecting the status quo is smart.
Image credit: The 12ish Style
I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life. Growing up, all I wanted was to seem smaller, shorter, slighter…anything to blend in with the body types I saw on TV or in magazines.
Before social media, traditional media was the only game in town and there was simply zero interest in showing diverse sizes or encouraging women to be happy in their own skin. Of course, media is different now. And still, sadly, headlines like “Lose Weight” or "How to Get a Flat Stomach in 30 Days” still dominate the messaging; headlines every woman has seen so many times they barely register anymore, leaving behind a general sentiment of “you are not good enough as is."
"I’m not small. I'm big. A word I have been running from my entire life."
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My journey to realizing I am in fact "good enough as is" took place fairly recently. While I've never had overly negative thoughts about my physical appearance, I always felt I wasn't invited to the party. Designers stop at a size 8 or 10. Models are a 0. Any actress over a 6 is considered plus size in Hollywood. The subtext is clear. Acknowledging that I wear a size 14 is not something I would have done four years ago.
But when Man Repeller featured me in an article two years ago on how to dress for a body type that contrasts Leandra's, I saw positive feedback from women across the country and realized I wasn’t alone! I had always assumed a size 4 must be the average (10 years spent working in fashion in NYC will do that to a girl) and that I should try to cram myself into that ideal. But perusing the comments on the Man Repeller story, I could see there must be a whole country full of women like me who wanted to accept themselves but struggled to find a way in.
Boom. That’s when The12ishStyle was born. A place where you dont actually have to rearrange the outfit or hunt for sizes that will fit you because the work is done. Just shop! Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!
With the average woman in this country wearing a size 16 (turns out it’s not a 4, lol), it’s insane to me that the fashion industry for so long has not only ignored such a huge part of the population, but in doing so, deemed it un-chic to be average. But when Ashley Graham landed the cover of the legendary Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue this past February, that all started to change. Suddenly a whole new conversation has opened up and we are looking at a multi-billion dollar and growing industry that companies are scrambling to join.
"Accept yourself! Put your confidence on first!"
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As for me, I’m thrilled to be on the forefront of this movement. Celebrating my size instead of conforming to existing ideals not only unlocked my own self acceptance but also led to the career I love so much. Of course pushing up against the status quo of any industry isn’t easy or all that comfortable. You might get laughed at or even worse, you might get no response at all. But if you can find an open space and connect with an audience that no one is talking to, it’s worth it.
So many things motivate me on a daily basis. Helping women learn to accept and love themselves is at the top of the list. But so is working to change the status quo. Last year, the plus size industry, valued at $17 billion, made up about 5% of the total apparel market in the US. A glance at the numbers suggests it’s merely a niche market, but with most women in this country wearing a plus size, clearly that’s not the full story. Everyday I see a massively underserved population of women who just want to shop but lack options. As brands continue to wake up, I know this will change over time.
In the meantime, I will be here outside of the mainstream fashion box, continuing to push the envelope. No more running from the word “big” — from here on out I embrace it.
Katie Sturino is a size 12(ish) New Yorker who believes great style can look chic at any size. She started the12ishstyle.com to introduce girls like her who wear sizes 12-18 to fashion forward brands across extended and plus sizes.
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How 3 Harvard Women Regained Their Confidence Post Graduation
Climbing the ivy isn't the easiest on your ego.
photo credit: Lily Glass Photography
A week before starting college, I came across a quote that said, “Going to Harvard convinces everyone that you’re special, and you that you’re not.” When I read it, I wasn’t nervous because I had the hubris of a girl who didn’t apply to any safety schools and graduated at the top of her class. Less than two months later, I got my first midterm test grade, a D in Linguistics, and called home crying. I had been knocked down several pegs and my confidence took a significant hit. In the 10+ years since, my confidence has slowly returned, and I was curious to see how other women have dealt with losing confidence and gaining it back. I asked three of my closest friends from Harvard about the different ways they’re regaining their confidence since college and how it can apply to your careers.
HOW DID ATTENDING HARVARD ERODE YOUR CONFIDENCE?
Going to Harvard was a truly humbling experience. As one friend put it, “Harvard reinforced the ‘impostor syndrome’ that many women suffer from.” She asked herself questions such as, “Did I get in because I'm Hispanic? Did I really take full advantage of everything Harvard had to offer?” Beyond these feelings were the daily difficulties that came with trying to succeed in such a rigorous environment. One friend described the high expectations as, “Succeeding was the baseline. There were fewer opportunities to excel and do something praiseworthy.” My friend, Allyson, felt that no matter how hard she worked and how much she studied, she couldn’t catch up. She likened it to feeling as if some people were starting ten meters ahead of her in a race based on the higher levels of preparation they had received in high school.
HOW HAVE YOU REGAINED YOUR CONFIDENCE?
Many of these situations translate to the workplace, and are well documented in articles on women’s confidence. However, I am more interested in how we can continue to improve our self-assurance when faced with demanding environments.
Allyson is an eternal optimist and adventure seeker who has done business development at Disney Parks and Resorts and is now a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group. She is also the co-founder and CEO of easyBiodata, an online dating platform for the Indian community. She says she felt emboldened in college when she was successful in areas where other people weren’t. She says she “didn’t even know about Wall Street before college,” but she heard speakers such as Carla Harris and was inspired to try to enter the industry. She was hungry to get internships as early as her sophomore year. Her professional success with securing great internships much earlier than most people brought back some of the confidence that was rattled in her freshman year.
Another friend is an opera aficionado, fishing fanatic, and startup and technology ninja with 10 years of experience in ecommerce and pet tech. She has found ways to build her confidence in everyday life. She feels powerful when she “uses critical thinking in areas that are not her expertise.” This could be anything from managing her own finances to making medical decisions for her parents. She knows she can find the information she needs and pull together the right people and resources to get the best possible outcomes. She stresses that it is important to “take a step back to get perspective on how far you’ve climbed, and give yourself credit for victories. Maybe your professor [or boss] won’t give you a pat on the back, but you can sure give yourself one!”
"Take a step back to get perspective on how far you’ve climbed, and give yourself credit for victories."
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My third friend is a tri-lingual artist, soccer player, and new mother who has worked in the consulting, public health, and software industries. Her confidence is influenced by both her professional and everyday life. She says her confidence changes based on the people she is surrounded by, including when she has a boss who believes in her and her abilities. It also improves when she participates in activities that make her feel strong and excited.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WOMEN IN HIGH PRESSURE JOBS?
What I found most encouraging in my conversations with these three women is that they never suggested shying away from tough situations. Two of them went back to Harvard for their MBAs, even knowing how difficult it would be. The other friend left a successful career in retail ecommerce to join a startup with a whole new set of obstacles to overcome. Their advice for women in high pressure environments boiled down to three things:
1. Continue to step up and take on challenging roles. “Heading into unknown territory lets you test your wings. Don’t be afraid to step out into scary places because you never know what you can do. Don’t be discouraged from trying, even if you don’t succeed at first.”
2. “Form relationships with everyone you can at your company from the mailroom worker to the CEO. People respect the effort and it will make you more efficient and productive.” Having that full perspective of your business will empower you even when you feel like you may not have all the answers on your own.
3. “Seek out mentors and supervisors who believe in you and want to give you opportunities.” During those times when your self-assurance may wane, it helps to have someone you admire to remind you that you’re great, and create opportunities for you to stretch yourself and grow.
I am excited to put their advice into action, and look forward to showing off some of that pre-Harvard swagger at the earliest opportunity!
Florence Evina-Ze is a business strategist with experience at McKinsey, DevaCurl, and Deloitte. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School and likes writing about the intersection of beauty and business on her blog, beautyflo.co.
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Want to Know How Long Your Resume Should Be?
If it's not skimmable, it's worthless.
photo credit: Kristen Meyer Salvage Design
How long should your resume be? The truth is, it depends. The way I always explain it to clients is if you really need the extra page and have useful career information (i.e. important metrics or well respected companies/jobs) to include, use it. However if you can easily condense all important information to one page that is reasonably spaced and reader friendly, go for that.
RULE OF THUMB
My general rule of thumb is that if you have 1/3 of a page or under on the second page, try to make it fit by searching for “fluff” words, extra spacing, etc. If you have more than 1/3 of a page and everything is important content about your career, it’s actually better to have it spread out between 2 pages to make the document more reader friendly. Note that the key phrase here is “reader friendly.” If you can fit everything onto one page, but your resume is dense and hard to read, that won’t benefit you.
If your resume is not skimmable, (Studies show that hiring managers and recruiters look at individual resumes for an average of 6 seconds each) it is basically worthless. That statement may seem harsh, but the reality of the job market suggests this is true.
"If your resume is not skimmable, it is basically worthless." #hardtruth
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Someone who presents an information-dense resume squeezed onto one page with half inch margins is almost sure to get very little attention solely based on the fact that no one wants to sift through it.
THE GOAL OF A RESUME
Many people think that the goal of a resume is to get you a job, but the real goal of a resume is to get you an interview. A resume alone can’t land you a job, but it can intrigue others to want to learn more about you. Think of your resume like a movie trailer. It highlights all of the best parts and persuades people to want to learn more (in an interview).
WHAT YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF
When answering the question of “how long should your resume be?” answer these questions:
Are there any jobs on your resume that are no longer worth including? (i.e. positions over 10 years ago, internships 3-5+ years ago, etc.)
Do you have useless verbiage/information on your resume such as references?
If your resume is 2 pages, are those 2 pages used wisely? Is there unnecessary spacing? Are you including plenty of facts and metrics about your achievements?
THE BOTTOM LINE
Make your resume clear, concise, and easy to read to ensure you get noticed. Making it easy for hiring managers or recruiters to immediately view your strengths and skill set is one of the main things that will get you an interview.
It’s hard to give standards regarding who should have a resume over a page and who shouldn’t, but generally, about 5 years in the workforce or less will stay within 1 page, and time over that may potentially overflow. With that said, it is important to remember that this is a generalization without taking industry into account. An engineer who has extensive training and certifications, but is only 4 years out of college may have a 2-page resume, where someone who’s been working for 20 years with only 2 jobs at the same company may be able to fit it into one.
How long should your resume be? There is no one-size-fits-all for a resume, so as long as you stick to a reader friendly, to-the-point style of writing, you’ll be fine.
A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.
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C&C Classifieds Nº17: Apple, Spotify, Patagonia, and more!
You might be a little thankful for the opportunities headed your way.
When you're a natural born hustler, not even the holidays can stop the hustle. Sure, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but when you have a career drive that can't be stopped, nothing can get in your way.
If you're looking for your next career venture this Thanksgiving, we've got you covered. To see all of this week's new classifieds, enter your name and email below for full access!
Happy Thanksgiving!
If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.
Here's How to Actually Support Women at Work
Send this to your male colleagues.
Putting his money where his mouth is, Brett Gelman, best known for his role as Brett Mobley on Adult Swim series Eagleheart, severed ties with the network over misogynist policies. Earlier this year Adult Swim announced its full roster of new shows, returning series, and specials. Of the 47 announced projects, exactly zero were created (or even co-created) by women.
Taking to Twitter, Gelman told his audience, “If you are a straight white man you must actually help others and take action and not just say that you support them. Tweeting isn’t enough.”
He also shared the following with Paste Magazine.
"Every white liberal straight man needs to take action and work at unifying all peoples of our sides, and stop making women, and people of color and the LGBT community fight it out themselves and just pat them on the back. We have to take active roles in supporting them, defending them and hiring them."
Gelman is one outlier sparking a conversation among both men and women who are asking: 'how do I *actually* support women at work? You know besides simply saying you do. There's impotence in only talking about something, but that doesn't mean you have to quit. You don't need to refuse to work, but you need to put in the work. Equality doesn't happen in a vacuum.
"You need to put in the work. Equality doesn't happen in a vacuum."
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Joanna M Pawlowska, Senior Manager at NPR's Generation Listen, shares three ways that men can start really supporting women at work.
MIND YOUR IMPLICIT BIAS
"It’s there, shaping your attitudes and reactions to women, even when you’re not conscious of it," says Pawlowska. "If you find yourself responding negatively to a woman, notice and explore your reaction. Would you feel the same way if she was a he? Take this implicit bias test."
We all have implicit biases. What matters is paying attention and taking stock of where they live.
MAKE ROOM
"Women speak less in meetings," says Pawlowska. "So, invite women to speak first. Notice if they are being interrupted, especially by male colleagues."
In January 2015, Sheryl Sanberg and Wharton business school professor Adam Grant wrote a piece for the New York Times where they discussed "speaking while female." The colleagues cited a study from Yale professor Victoria L. Brescoll. Not only did the study find that women speak less than men in meetings, it also found that male executives who spoke more often than their peers were rewarded with 10 percent higher ratings of competence. When female executives spoke more than their peers, both men and women punished them with 14 percent lower ratings.
This study follows a long narrative proving that not only do women speak less in meetings, they are judged more hardly than their peers. A study by Brigham Young University and Princeton researchers in 2012 showed that women spoke only 25 percent of the time in professional meetings. That means men took up 75 percent of an average meeting. The study also found that when women were left out of the conversation, they found it harder to sway discussions during majority votes on issues.
If you don't speak up, you won't get heard. Which is where this next part comes in handy...
HAVE HER BACK
"If your female colleague shares a great idea at a meeting, vocalize your support and help her build wider buy in," says Pawlowska.
This ties back to minding your own bias. Take stock of what ideas you're supporting in meetings. Seriously, keep a tally. If you notice that you're only supporting the ideas of other male colleagues, take an active role in your own biases and make a point to support the women. Listen to the idea and encourage its float to the top of the conversation.
You don't need to support something simply because it's coming from a female co-worker, but you do need to pay attention to what you're supporting and why.
These are a few steps we all can take. Have other ideas? Share in comments below!
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Why It's Great That Not Everyone Will Love Your Work
Fear not the unfollow.
The more connected that our world becomes, the more influencers there are, the more social media posts and best practice philosophies that there are, and the more comparison there is. We're bombarded with other people’s messages and a nagging feeling that we're not enough; that we could be doing so much more.
There’s better technology, cameras, styling props, improved platforms, more readers to capture, more email addresses, more Instagram followers to acquire and so on....Everyone else (apparently) is doing so much better and so much more than we are. They have more followers, bigger numbers, better websites and collaborations.
This perception and overwhelm often translates to inadequacy. We feel bad about what it is we’re doing.
It isn’t enough. Except, it is.
Focusing on 'what everyone else is doing' is less than helpful. You need to protect yourself and find the balance between being in a bubble and being inspired by those killing it around you.
BUBBLE VS. INSPIRATION
Put the comparison game aside. Focus for a sec on the cold-hard truth that your numbers aren't as big and your profile isn't as out there as someone else's? First of all, this will always be the case (unless you're Kim K).
Second, the reality is that not everyone will love you and your work. This is the truth for all of us and no matter how awesome you are or your work is, there's someone who it won't speak to. Whether from a brand perspective or your prospective audience.
Do you know why?
Because your message isn’t what they’re seeking and that is perfectly OK. In fact dare I say it's fabulous?! It means that as you're doing your thing, following your heart and speaking your true voice. Genuine and authentic followers, subscribers and even customers will follow.
Again, no matter how rockin’ your work and profile is, not everyone is buying what you’re selling and this is absolutely OK. An online course I studied this year highlighted a very important point when it came to sales pages. It discussed the concept of clearly stating within your copy who your product or service is NOT for, hence advising prospective customers that maybe they aren't prospective customers after all. That this concept was as crucial as telling them how fabulous whatever your selling was too.
There’s a two-fold strategy to this exercise; first off you've more than likely circumnavigated away from the future painful and unsatisfied customers of your business and second, you’ve represented up-front and unabashedly who you are what you’re all about to those who want to hear it.
Following my studies I decided to take these lessons a step further and extend it to all of my work and communication; to really own my space and what I’m doing. I wasn't in competition with anyone else and it wasn't for purposes of profit or profile. I chose to fine tune my voice, allow it to be heard even more clearly and not hold back with anything; whether that be a product, recipe or social media post; in case I put someone off.
"I chose to fine tune my voice, allow it to be heard even more clearly and not hold back with anything."
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GUESS WHAT?
I have put people off. Silently and without issue. I’ve also gained more subscribers, followers, profile and engagement; with these there come further excitement and possibility. You could argue it’s the whole quantity over quality debate. Although there was an initial drop off, and perhaps overall my numbers will be smaller from "owning my space" and therefore being more of a niche, but those who’ve elected to hear from me on various platforms actually want to hear from me.
I treat that as sacred and I know they feel that from me too. I’m able to deliver better quality to them because I’m not spreading myself thin trying to please and appeal to the entire world’s population. If you need further proof of this, check out how many blogs there are devoted to the humble succulent (and yes I love them too!)
We're all different and our tastes reflect as much. Learning to accept this point is the best thing that you can add to your blog. Do your thing and do it with all that you have. People pick up on and respond to that and besides it feels awesome!
So the next time that someone unfollows you or unsubscribes from your list fear not (within reason), wish them well on their quest and welcome with open arms those who have remained instead.
Nadia is a 29 year-old Sydney-sider, devoted to providing inspiration and tools to empower women in living a life of wellness; to be the best that they can! As an author, speaker and recipe developer she is a big dreamer and living proof that we can each do and be what we choose. Departing the corporate world in 2013 to follow her heart, Nadia has found it and attempts to seize the day, everyday. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram and on her website.
An original version of this article appeared on Blog Society.
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Why Artist Jess Rotter Says You Should Take Time to Be Bored
Only boring people are #blessed.
From Jess Rotter's "I'm Bored."
Boredom is a thing of the past. With smartphones and streaming video, the world at our fingertips (!!!), how could it not be? Isn’t that what we wanted? Wasn’t it our mothers who told us, “only boring people are bored.”
But artist Jess Rotter is bored. And the LA-based creative responsible for those rad Lenny Letter illustrations and official merch for musicians like The Grateful Dead and Cat Stevens, is proud of it, proposing a new way to think about boredom.
It’s what her new book of illustrations, “I’m Bored,” is all about.
Raised in NY and deeply influenced by her dad's vinyl covers and the world of 1970s rock-n-roll, Rotter says she moved to LA when the rat race of the city wasn’t working for her anymore. “There were a lot of ups and downs,” she says of the city that raised her. “I came out here [to LA] and sorted it out, but then I thought, ‘I’m bored.’” She turned that feeling into art.
“The book,” she notes, “as cute and funny as it can be, can be super heavy. The characters are alter egos. The dog is all about a desire to feel cool and relevant. The ostrich is broken-hearted and depressed.” A wizard on an old-school telephone asks, "Mom, am I relevant?" to the voice on the other end. They wonder, "Now what?" They tell us, "I'm trying."
Image: Jess Rotter
The sentiments shared by the characters typify a kind of life fatigue we all feel at points-- the exact kind of fatigue we try to escape by keeping up with the cult of busy. If we're bored, then what we're left with are our thoughts. *Shudders*
They each also represent a desire from Rotter for people to get back to the “story” of moments. She believes that when things are over-documented stories lose part of their luster. She shares a tale from a friend who told her about being a small child trying on his grandfather's lederhosen. "It was this insane memory," she says of his retelling, "and has always stayed a fond memory because he never had an actual photo of the event."
In that undocumented moment, “the story becomes more exciting. That’s the soul, that’s the beauty," she says. "But now we’re afraid to forget or we’re afraid to deal with the moment.”
"We're afraid to forget or we're afraid to deal with the moment."
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“Maybe we don’t need to go back and look at everything. Maybe let’s try being in the moment because we’re documenting every day of our lives.”
For Rotter, dealing with and being in the moment means dealing with the subsequent boredom. A feeling that no longer makes us comfortable, but does make room for creativity, rare moments we wouldn't otherwise notice, and for us to hit the space key in our brain.
In this day and age it’s a sacred sentiment, where everyone, including Rotter, hops on their cell phone in the grocery store line or the elevator ride. “You’re giving your brain a little thumb-suck,” she says of the social media stream. The constant coverage is driving the bus. The Tweeting, the hashtagging, the stories layered on top of each other. There are not moments of boredom because we don't allow them.
To get into the bored zone, Rotter says we, “have to train ourselves to go backwards."
Image: Jess Rotter
The election comes up. How could it not? During the 2016 Presidential race the media never allowed for information to sit. There was always a story, never a dull moment, and we were all active participants.
"Life bounces between good and evil constantly," she shares. "Now the ball has been thrown in a different direction. The world is about the change in a major way. This electron was such a swamp, he [Trump] brings it out of people. He knows what buttons to push. It’s like the purple slime from Ghostbusters.” She sees some positive, hoping that now, more than ever, “that this wakes people up to express themselves.” That communities “open up and make art."
"So many people are at their lowest levels," she says. "This is their anti-establishment takeover. And art is one of the things that is going to get us through this shit.”
"There are not moments of boredom because we don't allow them."
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“Everybody’s eyes are opened," she explains. "People are awakened in a weird way. They’re depressed and awake. They’re feeling things and maybe people will turn off the phones.”
Maybe they'll bored. Maybe we'll relearn how to sit with our thoughts. Maybe boredom will change the world. Jess Rotter, for one, wouldn't mind.
In the meantime, pre-order "I'm Bored," now.
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Why It’s Important to Have Women in Your Life Who Succeed
"Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are."
Source: Darling Magazine
Looking back over my teens and twenties, I realized that many of my close friends happened to be strong, successful women. I don’t know if I was drawn to them because of how inspiring they were or if our paths just collided that way, but one thing I know is that their influence in my life has helped shape me into who I am.
Aren’t you always fascinated by what makes people the way they are? What is it that successful women do differently that sets them apart? I think the best way to find this out is to surround yourself with them; people who are just being amazing at life, and who will encourage you to be amazing at it, too! There’s a lot to be said for humbling yourself and gleaning from someone who’s living out their dreams already; their wisdom is invaluable.
Learning how to celebrate other women’s successes is a beautiful quality and something that will benefit everyone involved, but it’s not always easy. Sometimes, instead of feeling inspired we can feel insecure, or even jealous. We’ve all been there, and it’s an easy trap to fall into. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t beat yourself up. It’s what you choose to do with those feelings that really matters. Try countering your negative thoughts by acting in the opposite way; this is powerful and can help you to form new habits.
Having women in our lives who are going after something big, who are believing in who they are, and who are using their strengths encourages us to do the same. By embracing their achievements we can let their stories become models for our own successes.
Here’s why I think we need successful women in our lives:
They inspire us.
Often successful women are full of innovative ideas. They think creatively and don’t let themselves be limited by what others say can or can’t be done. They’re good for exchanging ideas with, and can give us valuable tips that could have taken us years to learn. Usually, these women are doing something they’re passionate about and naturally want to share their inspiring stories with us. They take risks and expect us to, as well.
We become like them.
Who we surround ourselves with is a good indicator of who we will become. Women who are good at what they do often got there by surrounding themselves with others who were already achieving. These type of women will most likely push us to be our best and to accomplish more than we might on our own. Whether our dream is to become a CEO of a large company, a nurse, or a mother, we will be a benefit by being around women who are living it out already.
"Who we surround ourselves with is a good indicator of who we will become."
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They understand us.
Every successful woman started somewhere and has probably been where we are at some point in their journey. They might just know the next step we need to take. High achievers have usually learned a lot about the work-life balance and may be able to offer advice and wisdom that we can apply to our own lives. They often understand the struggle and challenges involved in getting where we want to be and can offer guidance.
They motivate us.
In order to move forward, we need to have motivation. Women who are successful are often action-oriented, which can give us just the kickstart we need. They are natural problem solvers and can offer practical solutions to our challenges or situations.
They see what we will be.
Women who are succeeding generally have high expectations of themselves and others; when people expect a lot from us, we tend to live up to it. Having women in our lives who see the best in us can be a huge factor in our success. These type of women can often see talents and skills that we might not be able to see in ourselves and can help to draw them out.
From my experience, there is a richness to opening ourselves up in vulnerability to those who we are inspired by. Their confidence and passion is contagious, so let’s start an outbreak of women who believe in their own greatness.
"Confidence and passion is contagious, so let’s start an outbreak of women who believe in their own greatness."
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Who would you consider to be a woman like that in your life?
This piece originally appeared on Darling Magazine.
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