Why Genevieve Padalecki Says the World Is a Crazy Place Right Now

Rocking a black "We Should All Be Feminists" tee on Saturday at Create & Cultivate Seattle, digital darling Genevieve Padalecki took to the Microsoft stage to chat all things tag, snap, story, and social. 

Though the Cali-native, who now calls Texas home, admits she's relatively new to the social game,   she's clearly caught onto the rules. Genevieve boasts a highly engaged audience-- woman's got a 25% engagement rate. If you're wondering what that means, know it's relatively unheard of in the blogging world. 

So what does the actress (she's classically trained), blogger (of Now and Gen), mom (of three), and wife (she met husband Jared on the set of Supernatural) think about this crazy, social world we live in? We found out. From how often she posts to her thoughts on political content, you've got to read through! 

You launched your blog this year and saw immediate success.  As part of the launch strategy you worked with skincare brand Elemis and crashed their site with a giveaway you hosted, thats MAJOR!.... How has the transition been going from social only content to long form blogs?  

It’s been really surreal! I loved working with Elemis as I actually love their products, so it felt like an organic partnership that was really natural and aligned. Also, I’m breastfeeding currently as I have a 6 month old and so I’m really cautious of beauty brands that are low chemical and more natural. We decided to host a giveaway on the blog as part of our launch strategy - my followers really love a giveaway, and it was fun to create a space for them to participate! Yes, they actually BROKE the link in bio on Instagram...we were all trying to figure out why the link wasn’t working and TONS of comments were coming in, and after a LOT of confusion we figured out that they crashed the site where the giveaway was hosted! Pretty crazy!

I enjoy creating long format content because I get to tell more of a story. Long form blogs provide a space for narrative to build and for people to go deeper...I always think of social as a “tease” and a great place to foster community, but long form blogs are a DESTINATION where you can drive people and encourage them to go deeper...which is really fun in the beauty space, because we’re always looking to discover new products...but I especially love it for some more of the emotional pieces, like blogs about parenting, or an open letter that my husband wrote to our 3 children on the blog which was really rad too. The letter really moved people and was WAY too long for a social post!

"Authenticity always wins. Be unapologetic about who you are, and have no fear."

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What’s changed the way you create content the most in the past year? Do you love it or hate it?

I am really new to the social media game. I officially launched my Instagram prior to my blog earlier this year in March, and became really strategic about what I wanted to post about and promote. I had been private on Instagram for a while, but figured it was time!

We all know video is happening with IG LIVE and Facebook Live and algorithms propping up video the most. How are you all using it to build your businesses?

I only post once per day, and try to get more active in stories. I use my static “feed” as a place to post more curated things, and photos that I want to have a level of “permanance.” I use IG Stories to post what’s happening in real time, mainly of the kids eating...there is always a TON of food! I’m a big foodie and I love to cook, so that content tends to go there. Kids and food. LOL.

From a business perspective, your audience wants to really connect authentically. Videos, especially in stories since they delete after 24 hours, gives people a really inside look. I’ve seen a lot of engagement in stories, as well as fans screenshotting the stories because it’s much more intimate, fleeting, almost uncensored….there used to be a lot of focus on curating a gorgeous feed, which is still important, but there is so much connectivity in IG Stories, Boomerangs, videos...it’s also a place where I share my thoughts on the political climate or what’s happening in Texas (with the hurricane, for example).

There’s literally a million places we could be sharing content if we wanted. How do you decide what platforms to use? And what type of content goes where?

Social media is kind of like hosting a party. If you are creating an experience for your people, they will hang out there with you. It can be anywhere you are really, heavily engaged. Which is why there are “experts” in each space - youtube, pinterest, etc. Instagram is where I hang out because it’s the platform I’m most interested and engaged with personally.

"People are really looking for permission to be real."

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As a mother who shares these amazing moments with your family, how do you decide what to share and how to share it when it comes to your family? Do you stick to any self made rules?

Personally, I try to be as open as I can about motherhood being messy. My most vulnerable posts, when I felt like I SURVIVED through a day, have gotten some of the most beautiful and best responses. I think people are really looking for permission to be real. I want to create a safe space and open up some of that dialogue.

I decided to launch my new blogging business while I was 9 months pregnant, I basically gave birth to my new baby and my blog at the same time. It hasn’t been easy, and I don’t want to hide that. There is a level of perfection that people try to project on social media, since everything is so highly curated. I love a pretty picture too, but I also try to balance brand partnerships and the curated stuff that I shoot with a photographer with a selfie I shot at midnight breastfeeding my baby and zoning out to Bravo. We all can be a little more vulnerable.

You’ve collaborated with brands, you’ve put political issues into the work, which as a new content creator that can be scary-- how are you deciding on content and what you want to put out into the world?

One of my first collaborations straight out of the gate was with Pop & Suki. One of my friends is a co-founder, and when Odette was born, we decided to announce our baby name on a heart keychain with the brand and created a space for others to personalize hearts with their names on it. 50% of proceeds went to the Human Rights Foundation, and the other 50% went to Planned Parenthood. We raised over $200,000 for these causes.

Not everyone is going to like what you stand for. And that’s fine, because there are enough people out there who will show up and stand beside you to do what’s right. The world is in a really crazy place right now, and anything I can do to spread awareness I will show up and do. Maybe it will reach one person, or two, or three...that is the beauty of having a platform. Use your platform for good.

I’m constantly amazed about how many brands are aligning with more causes every day. People are really conscious right now, and awake. They want to know they are spending money with a brand who is doing something to better the world.

I also worked with SECRET who launched a new campaign about transgender people, and what it must feel like for them to walk into a restroom and feel judged. That is a reality for many people, and something that should be shared and neutralized.

Any final advice for all the content creators out there in handling whatever gets thrown their way next?

Authenticity always wins. Be unapologetic about who you are, and have no fear. Perfection is bullshit, just find your voice and have a vision for what you want to create. Make sure to stand for something. That’s how you will find your tribe, keep giving, consistently.

Photo Credit: Smith House Photography/Alyssa Dawson Photography

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can find her here. 

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Cultivating Vuja De Is Great for Good Business

Why do we do things the way that we do them? 

When it comes to business this is an important question to ask. Do we operate on auto-pilot day-to-day? Do we respond to client emails in the similar fashion? Do we ever think outside the box? There is an aspect of work that's monotonous. We find ourselves in situations that are very familiar, moving sluggishly through the day's to-dos.

This is especially true of jobs that require routine. It makes many of us frustrated, bitter, and bored, and eventually less productive than we should be. But watching the clock is no way to go through your day. 

Enter vuja de.  It's the reverse of deja vu, thought up by the late comedian George Carlin who told his audience it is “the strange feeling that, somehow, none of this has ever happened before,” even though it has in fact, happened many times over. 

It's a feeling where all of the sudden you can look at a Groundhog day, month, year, and see it with fresh eyes. It's how the comedian went through most of his life able to come up with fresh material. And it's something that can be wildly helpful when you're stuck in a professional rut. 

Here are four tips for cultivating VUJA DE. 

THINK I'LL GO FOR A WALK OUTSIDE. NOW.

(go right now.) 

New ideas and insights often come from looking at a similar situation in a different light. That one project you've been working on that isn't quite working, take a walk. You may be looking at the exact same buildings, people, cars, coffee shops surrounding your office, but brain imaging has shown that after just 20 minutes of walking your brain LIGHTS UP, releasing a protein called  BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). What BDNF has the ability to do is repair the memory neurons in your brain-- effectively acting as a reset switch. So when you head back into the office or that drab cubicle, you can look at the exact same problem with a new eye. 

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT IS IN THE BACKGROUND

What are you focussing on? Maybe you look at a computer screen all day. Or perhaps there's a photo on your desk that's your go-to for zoning out. (JK we know you scroll Insta at work.) But what are you really looking at? We don't only continuously scroll our tech, we've started applying that practice to work. It's time to get your thumb off the screen and your finger on the pulse. 

If you heighten your senses to pay attention to "background" noise (for those who do yoga you've probably experienced this sensation during Shavasana) you will bring new ideas to the forefront. It seems silly, but if you're having a hard time doing this, squint. 

 "It's time to get your thumb off the screen and your finger on the pulse." 

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WHAT IS THE INTENTION BEHIND WHAT YOU'RE DOING?

This is something that Beyond the Mag founder Sophia Macks brought up at Create & Cultivate Dallas. There is a lot of repetition in the blogging world: cupcakes, macaroon, ice cream cones against brick walls.. it gets old. But when you set an intention behind what you're doing you can make something very similar feel and look brand new. But you have to work on cultivating the meaning behind the idea. Are you posting a shot of cupcakes because that's what's hot? Give it meaning and you will give it staying power.  

SHIFT SOMETHING SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT 

Setting schedules and being organized can prove immeasurably useful when you're a busy person. But if you have every moment of your life and work penciled in, something autopilot kicks in and you fall asleep at the wheel. However, here's the good news: you can erase pencil. If you have a team meeting every Monday at 10AM and ideas are starting to feel stale or your team isn't bringing the best to table, change the time of the meeting. The setting is still the same, the people are still the same, but this tiny shift can actually cause a shift in thinking. A different time of day will produce different ideas. If you always have your meetings in a conference room, try meeting in the kitchen, or on the rooftop garden. A very simple switch can prove significant. 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, EAVESDROP 

Info is there. Ideas are too. It's all around you, often coming out of the mouth of a stranger. And though we've been told it's rude to listen in on others' conversations, you're not doing it for gossip's sake-- you're doing it because a simple word or turn of phrase can legit change how you interact with your world and your work. 

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

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RSVP Now! For An Intimate Evening in LA with Create & Cultivate & Club Monaco

We’re teaming up with Club Monaco to host a little GNO in our hometown of Los Angeles! Come mix + mingle with fashionable ladies, shop + enjoy a conversation with our very own Jaclyn Johnson, Geri Hirsch of Because I’m Addicted + Courtney Halverson of Pretty Little Fawn. Enjoy champagne while you shop the Fall 2017 collection + explore the ever-evolving notion of the modern woman. 

The evening is open to the public with RSVP, but it will fill up fast. Be sure to sign up + show up early to gain access! 

THE DETAILS 

Date: September, 14th 2017

Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

The Location: Club Monaco 

401 N Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, California, 90210

Our Club Monaco pop up event is free & open to the public. RSVP is required & does not include a plus 1! We suggest arriving early as space is limited! 

*By signing up, you are opting in for emails from ourselves and our partners. You will always have the option to opt out.

RSVP Closed

You're Not Following This One Rule & It's Costing You the Job

photo credit: The Jungalow 

You have a great resume and you’ve applied to multiple jobs, but haven’t gotten a response. What’s the problem? It might be that you’re not following this one simple rule. You might not be following the directions on the job application. It sounds so obvious and so simple, but it’s far easier to mess up than you might think.

Don’t be an overachiever

Career Builder estimates that 44% of millennials ages 25-34 have a side hustle and take on multiple roles at once. You might be one of those who constantly strives to do more and put your best foot forward, but this is not the place to do it. When a job application asks for a specific set of documents or portfolio pieces, provide exactly what is asked and nothing more.

It sounds tempting to go above and beyond what is asked of you, but what this really does is create more work for those on the other end. With an average of 250 applicants per job application, (one Google recruiter estimated that the company receives around three million resumes annually) recruiters and hiring managers already have enough information to sift through. Adding just one more document or piece of information exponentially adds to their workload, which won’t necessarily work in your favor. Instead of including additional information or sample work, try to include the most pertinent information that effectively highlights your achievements in the least amount of space.

Provide the right information

If the job application asks you to discuss a specific detail or why you would be great at a specific role, make sure that you actually discuss that information. It’s easy to get side tracked and talk about other details or qualifications, but it’s crucial to follow the directions and include the information specifically noted in the job description.

For instance, if a job description asks you to show how you will help the company build on industry trends and lead the team in customer satisfaction, highlight your achievements that reflect your ability to do this. Discuss times when you used innovative tactics to excel in customer service. The more specific and relatable information you can provide, the better.

For best results, create SOAR stories that directly relate to the information or qualifications requested in the job description. This will help you get noticed, and will also help prepare you for a potential interview.

Read everything thoroughly

"We are continuously anticipating what we will see, hear or feel next," Dr. Lars Muckli, a researcher at the University of Glasgow's Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology told Phys.org. This is why it’s so easy to miss something crucial when reading a job description. We often anticipate and make assumptions about what is being asked of us instead of actually looking at the text. Every single job application is different, and it’s important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to your resume. Make sure you read the job description and application thoroughly and make note of specific requirements, requests, or directions. 

Highlighting key words or phrases throughout the job description is a great way to ensure that you’re including exactly what is being asked of you, and it will also help you create a more customized resume. By noting the specifics of the job description, you will be able to integrate these into your resume and cover letter to create a more effective and searchable document. 

____________

It’s easy to feel like more is better, but when it comes to applying for jobs, it’s not. If you’re not following the directions and reading the specifications of the job application, you may be costing yourself the role. Do your homework, send in exactly what is asked of you, and create a concise document that highlights exactly how amazing you are. It’s better to give one example of a time you achieved greatness, than to drone on about multiple vague experiences.

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 a Burning Man Honeymoon Led This Founder to Change Her Biz Model

Like many new couples, after Portland-based event rental company Something Borrowed founder Lane Bigsby married the love of her life, they went on a honeymoon. But instead of heading to a tropical destination or on a romance-and-baguette-filled trip to Paris, the freshly wedded duo headed to the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Yes, that's right. They went to Burning Man, honeymooning at the mecca of anti-capitalism. But Bigsby came home with a renewed idea for her biz. 

So, we caught up with the founder to chat humble beginnings, what she notices when she first walks into a room, and why sustainability will always be a part of her biz. 

What inspired the beginnings of Something Borrowed? 

When I was planning my wedding, I noticed there was a lack of decor that was unique and less traditional. I scoured the area trying to find exactly what I needed for our small wedding, and after failed attempts to find anything I could rent, I ended up sourcing vintage and reclaimed items. I had thought of the idea of starting a rental business, but kept going back and forth with myself as I had just started a corporate job that I thought was going to be "the one" (aka my career job). After our Burning Man honeymoon, I came back with a much clearer sense of what it is I wanted to do with my life and working for corporate America just didn't feel as authentic and meaningful as it once did.

How did you being to compile your stock? Did it start with one piece? Multiple? 

Our hand-curated collection started off small, with the left over wedding items from my own wedding (vintage china plates, rustic wood crates, antique mason jars, etc.). It felt like such a huge leap to branch off into furnishings and upholstered seating, which I did about nine months later. But, I quickly saw the demand for the few furniture pieces we had and I knew that was the direction to take the business, especially considering there was no one else doing what we did at the time.

Was sustainability always part of the Something Borrowed story and what inspired that route?

Sustainability has always been at the core of Something Borrowed. After moving to Portland from a five year stint in Phoenix, I wanted to educate myself with local recycling regulations. Phoenix left me feeling very wasteful and I knew I had to make personal changes. Being raised in a very rural part of Alaska where we literally "lived off the land", instilled in me how much we can get by with so little. I went through a 6-week training program with the City of Portland, and later became a certified Master Recycler. My own wedding produced less than one small grocery bag of waste as my rule was that anything we needed for our wedding was to be easily recyclable, reusable, and repurposed, such as my wedding dress which was made from old dresses and fabric scraps. Sustainability is not only part of my personal beliefs, but one of our core values and has earned us a Gold Certification with the City.

No matter what way you swing it, events produce a lot of waste. There's a lot of one-time usage. But you create beautiful environments AND care about the environment. What are some easy switches we can make when throwing an event? 

Whenever possible, work with vendors who make sustainability a priority. Such as caterers or florists who source from local, organic farms. In fact, you can ditch the flowers all together and instead opt for longer lasting potted plants, which still help bring an event to life but are not ditched after one use. Instead of paper signage, opt for something cooler such as acrylic or treated wood which can be written on and reused many times. When you're looking to source, look to your local community first, versus buying into the temptation of a big box store who may have items trucked or shipped in from out of the country.

"When you're looking to source, look to your local community first."

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What are some ways you encourage your customers to be more eco-conscious?

We always try to offer suggestions on ways our clients can repurpose or use what they already have. We work with a lot of clients for their wedding and one tip we recommend is to reuse floral from your ceremony and incorporate it into your reception. Also, instead of using throw-away items such as plates and cutlery, opt for durable dishware. If cost is an issue, opt for basic place settings which are less expensive, but dress up your table with cool, colorful glassware or table linens that can help pull your look together so that it's cohesive.

Portland and the PNW are definitely a city leading this charge of sustainable. What is it about being in Portland that has inspired you to be even better?

We are surrounded by nature... the coast to the West and mountains to the East. One of the countries largest urban forest sits directly across the river from our warehouse and we want to do what we can to preserve its natural beauty. The City makes it easy to be as green as possible, offering programs and services to residents and businesses wanting to do their part, but who may not know where to start.

What are a few secret tricks of the trade for creating a beautiful and memorable event? 

Excite the senses! You must not only create a visibly pleasing space with decor and lighting, but don't forget about the music, drinks, food and scents. Also, put effort into the theme of your event as this will spark the interest of your guests. It allows them the opportunity to step out of the ordinary and mundane, and into the extraordinary.

What is the most important part of an event?

The atmosphere you create for your guests. Orchestrate an environment that will WOW your guests, leaving them talking well after the party has ended. This might be curated decor that speak to and enhance your brand, interactive activities giving guests something to do, or creating swoon-worthy scenes that are so picture-perfect, you can't help but want to snap a photo to share with others which in turn creates buzz for your next event.

What is your favorite part of an event?

I love seeing how a blank slate can be transformed into a beautifully stylish space. You put in the hard work, plan for months, hand select your vendors and then to see it all come together is priceless!

When you walk into someone else’s event what is the first thing you tend to notice?

I tend to notice the details first. Does the scene fit with the brand or message of the event? Are there cool aspects that you may not have seen yet? People crave the unique and interesting and when I see this, I know the organizers put a lot of effort into truly understanding who their guests are and what vibe they want to create.

Photo credit: Something Borrowed Site

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Meet the Latinas in STEM Inspiring the Next Generation

Jazlyn Carvajal, Diana Albarrán Chicas, Cecilia Fernández, Kimberly Gonzales, Joanna Gonzalez, Desiree Lassiter, Maribel Mendoza, and Nidia Trejo make up the Latinas in STEM Board of Directors, an organization founded by 5 MIT alumnae looking to formalize the service work they were doing in their respective communities. 

The founders of the organization are all first generation American women who have been the first in their families to attend college. They have careers in industry with a long track record of community service. The current board consists of professional Latina women who are interested in providing Latinas with mentorship, resources, and access to careers in STEM.

The stats around women in STEM aren’t great. And the barriers to entry for women of color are compounded. A lack of role models, lagging outreach, and overall limited parental awareness, leads to dismal numbers. So you’ve heard. 

But with organizations like Latinas in STEM, founded in 2013, there is hope. And not only on the horizon. 

Their goals include: inspiring young women to consider STEM careers, increasing the number of Latina women pursuing STEM careers, and creating a network that enables women in STEM to survive. Their programs include K-12 student and parent outreach, college student support, and professional development that enables their network to grow and reach more students. 

It’s vital work that serves the community and world. 

More from the Board of Directors below. 

What is the most important step you took to get here?

The most important step was starting a dialogue among friends about the need in our communities and our desires to help our communities in a more formal matter. It was a simple Facebook group message sent among friends that eventually led to the formal organization of Latinas in STEM. 

What are some challenges you’ve encountered along the way?

There have been many challenges for us as a group. To begin, the group is currently completely volunteer run, meaning that we all have day jobs as STEM professionals. As such, one of the challenges has been carving sufficient time to help our organization progress along the way. Luckily, we have had a lot of support from our networks and other organizations who have similar goals. 

What keeps you going?

Knowing that we can encourage Latinas whose shoes we were once in -- to do well in math and science subjects, get good grades to enter college, and follow a career path of their dreams. 

Who are the people you consider your mentors or influences and why? 

Our first mentors and influences for many of us were our families. We have all had various mentors throughout our careers including each other. 

What is the best piece of "real talk" advice you've received? 

Stay humble. Know that your career path and your goals may change over time, but stay true to yourself along the way. 

What is your favorite life advice?

One of the greatest things we can have as women is education. Our knowledge and opinions are valuable to share with the world to help make it better. 

Is there a time in your lives when you've thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'

We’ve all overcome a lot of adversity in our lives. We move forward and make opportunities by being proactive. 

What’s next? What are the five year goals?

Next, we plan to expand the organization, and hire full-time administrators to help us continue the work that we are doing. As we mentioned, currently we are 100% volunteer run, but we want to expand our work by reaching out to more people nationwide. We need more woman power, and so we hope to formalize the group even more. 

What is a habit or routine you swear by?

Share your big goals with others- it makes you accountable and also may open new doors. 

"Share your big goals with others- it makes you accountable."

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How have your relationships to your careers changed in the last five years?

Embracing the idea that mentoring the next generation of STEM experts outside of our individual, professional work is an important part of our career journeys. 

How have your personal relationships changed in the last five years? 

We encourage one another to embrace failures and share these stories with our Latina members. It’s important for our members to know about our successes as Latinas in STEM, and it is equally important to tell our stories of roadblocks and lessons learned. Although it can be difficult to think back on difficult situations, our stories can be what inspires our members to continue pursuing and thriving in STEM fields. 

What does female empowerment mean to you?

It means supporting and mentoring one another to achieve our goals. It means being critical of each other in a way that helps build other women up, and not tear them down. It means helping other women achieve their dreams. 

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A Day in the Life: From Auto Designer to Sustainable Fashion Boss

Designer Vicki von Holzhausen grew up next to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, a school she calls, "one of the best for design." In high school she attended their industrial design classes where she discovered a love for the automotive.  "Cars," von Holzhausen says, "are basically the most intricate and impactful products one can design so I immediately gravitated to them." She ended up attending Art Center College, in CA as well as on their European campus, where she was exposed to the German automakers which lead to an award-winning career at Mercedes in Germany.

Though it's not a world inhabited professionally by many women, von Holzhausen says, "the interesting part is that 85% of car purchasing decisions are made by women so there should be more women in it. I think it's a matter of exposing female design students." She's thankful she was exposed at a young age. She's also married to Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, who certainly knows a thing or three about sustainability. 

But as of 2015, the designer made the full time switch from automotive design to handbag designer with the launch of her sustainable Malibu-based von Holzhausen bags and accessories-- product set apart as a result of her time in auto design. As a lifelong career fan of German industrial designer, Dieter Rams, the founder explains that she still abides by many of his design principles. "The ones that resonate with me the most are that good design should be honest, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly. My goal was to build a brand based on the principle that I believed in: a future-minded approach, timeless style, and sustainability."

"Good design should be honest, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly."

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With her eponymously named von Holzhausen line she mixes old world techniques with new, both of which she says, "play a role in our sustainable approach." For instance, the brand uses an innovative substitute for leather they call "Technik-Leather," which greatly improves the waste factor. "Since Technik-Leather is created in rolls, unlike cow hides," she shares, "there are no irregular edges, allowing our patterns to lay side by side with little waste between each piece. Our traditional approach has to do with using local talent here in Los Angeles to create our bags and accessories. We also finish all the details by hand since that's the best way to ensure the highest quality. We paint all the edges of each bag by hand which looks amazing and helps ensure longevity."

We caught up with the founder to find out what a day in the life of a sustainable designer looks like, what time she calls it quits, and what she learned from her design school all-nighters. 

6:30am – 7am

I wake up early to check any urgent emails and spend about ½ hour going through my daily to do list from the day before. I try and get a workout in on my good days. My quick version is an app called SWORKIT and I do the 20minute core work out.  My long version is a H.I.T. class at my local gym, but I can only squeeze those in on days when I have a light morning schedule.

I get a coffee in during my work out. Preference is a black Blue Bottle pour over.

7:30 – 8:30am

Shower & dress. If I’m visiting the factory where I produce the collection, I usually wear my typical uniform like a pair of slouchy jeans and a silky button down shirt or tank and some easy slides.  If I’m working at my desk, I usually wear something like a jumpsuit or tank dress with one of our new belts to make it look more put together.

Around 9am

I spend at least 1 hour with emails and figuring out the day.  I eat breakfast either at my desk or on my way out the door.

I always try to be flexible when unexpected requests get thrown my way and I’m used to switching up my routine all the time.  As a young business, one of the advantages is that we can move quickly without too many issues, so flexibility is a huge benefit.

10am – 11 am

I run errands and try to get to the factory by 11am.  We usually review samples in progress 1st and then talk about our weekly production volume and orders in progress.

This can take as little time as ½ hour to as much time as 2 hours depending on the designs we’re working on.

Some days, I meet with other members of my team who work remotely either in the downtown LA Arts District or back on the west side of LA. Those meeting usually revolve around creative direction for photo shoots and marketing strategy.

Other days, I have lunch or coffee dates that revolve around making connections to other entrepreneurs. I’ve learned a great deal from meeting other women who work about the process of building a business.

3pm – 5pm

I’m back at my desk around 3pm to handle any new issues that rise up.  Then I try to spend at least a few hours before the end of the day organizing my team for the next few days.  I attempt to stay a few steps ahead of everyone so we can meet all upcoming deadlines having to do with things like new product launches, photo shoot production, and website design.  There is also an endless amount of paperwork that goes with running a business so I spend a few hours in that department as well.

Most days, I spend at least another hour on various calls during the afternoon since I’m more often than not, sitting at my desk.

6pm

If I have no dinner plans, I take an early dinner with my family and spend time with them until about 9pm.

10pm

I spend at least 1 more hour later in the evening on creative work.  It’s a habit I developed as a young designer in school and later in the auto industry when I spent countless all-nighters finishing projects.  It’s the time of day with the least amount of interruptions so I take advantage of it.

Images courtesy of von Holzhausen.

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Ugh: Lena Dunham on "The Sting" We've All Felt

By Megan Conley

Earlier this month Lena Dunham hosted a sold-out event at Housing Works in NYC to promote the launch of the offspring of her uber-popular online feminist newsletter, Lenny Letter. The new brand, Lenny Books, is part of Random House and is the brainchild of both Lena and Jenni Konner. 

The night celebrated the first book to be released by Lenny, Sour Heart. Lena took the stage alongside the author, Jenny Zhang, in an evening that was just as entertaining as it was inspiring. 

The advice Lena and Jenny Zhang dispelled was relevant to not only female authors, but any female trying to achieve more in their career. 

Here are some takeaways from the evening:

Push Yourself

While Jenny’s fictional collection of short stories just hit shelves August 1st, the book has already been deemed both “unforgettable” and “elegant and unconventional” by the press. Such rave reviews make it easy to imagine a scenario where once she’s formed an idea for a story, everything else just flows out onto her page.

Not so. 

According to Jenny, in order to get the most out of herself she writes against her ego. She said, “Writing against the worst of who you think you are is my writing process.” 

Know Your Unique Value

The dialogue between Lena and Jenny was relaxed and natural, and the event felt as though you were seated next to them at a dinner table. 

When describing the experience of developing her own voice in an academic setting, she spoke to the advantages and disadvantages of being continually critiqued. As with life, if we listen and take advice from each and every person we lose our uniqueness. Doing so would cause us to turn out, as Jenny put it, “like a very bland, boiled peanut.” 

She also said to develop your voice independently of all the voices speaking around you.

Allow Yourself to Be Mentored

Both Lena and Jenny spoke about having their work edited. They each praised their editors, and mentioned the sting that comes alongside putting your heart and soul into something only to be told it isn’t quite there yet. 

No matter what we do for a living, we’ve all felt that sting.

A good editor, as with any coach or work mentor, will take your work and encourage you to make it even better. We should allow ourselves to be mentored and edited by those who are appreciative of our potential.

As someone who’s always been in awe of Lena’s writing and television I wanted to know why, at this point in her career, she’d decided to take launch Lenny Books. I was thrilled* (*Beyonce is to Adele as Lena is to me) when she read that question aloud. Her response:

Lena: A huge part was Jenni. We knew we wanted an imprint with smart, diverse feminist content….The goal is when you see the insignia you’ll know you’ll learn something and feel something. You’ll feel more connected to yourself and less alone. Even if you hate it you’ll step away being like, I had a really powerful experience. And books are the best. 

With the next book up being a collection of never-before-published essays about Michelle Obama we know what’s to come will continue to inspire. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received in your career? Let us know in the comments!

Megan works for Wellness Amplified, where she helps clients develop and execute campaigns with online Influencers. In Megan's free time she enjoys writing, taking spin classes, and experimental attempts at cooking. Her writing has been featured in Social Media Week, Social Media Today, and Brides. P.S. Her New Year's resolution was not to become one of those insanely annoying "just engaged" people. But... if you want, you can check out her proposal video here.

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Exclusive Interview: Meet the Woman Behind a Billion Dollar Biz

As the granddaughter of Estée Lauder, the co-founder of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder Companies, Jane Lauder grew up on the front lines of the beauty industry. Today she serves Clinique as Global Brand President. 

"It’s my aesthetic," Lauder shares of the iconic American brand. "It’s so simple but so incredibly effective." Working with such an iconic brand can be challenging, but Lauder maintains that “when my grandmother started this company and for her it was always about quality. Quality never goes out of style. Brands come and rise up, but people always come back to quality." 

"Quality never goes out of style."

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Prior to her leadership role with Clinique, she oversaw the Origins, Ojon and Darphin brands. Under her leadership, Origins, grew significantly and expanded globally. And yet, she's returned to her Clinique roots, the brand she first worked with when joining the company in 1996. 

"It’s always modern. It never feel dated, it always feels relevant," she says. "I've always loved the simplicity. It looks so simple but everything going on underneath is what makes it so impactful. It’s kind of like your iPhone, it looks so chic but it’s all the things behind-the-scenes that make it that simple."

Most recently Clinique collaborated with beloved designer Jonathan Adler on #CLINIQUExADLER, an exclusive new makeup collection styled by the design guru. "We are always looking at brands that we want to collaborate with, Lauder says. "Brands that have the same aesthetic and that are great American icon brands." How Clinique decides on partnerships is fairly simple. "We sit as a team and put down on paper the people we think are incredible and would love to work with. Sometimes it works." Adler was top of the list. Beyond his obvious style chops, Lauder notes that Adler's "tiny treasures, big pleasures," idea is what Clinique makeup is all about. (Scroll through the below album for exclusive pics from our Create & Cultivate brunch with Clinique at Jonathan Adler's Shelter Island home.) 

"It’s so important that we’re really listening to what these women want," she explains. "The hardest part about this brand is that people fall in love with a product and they take it super personally if you try and discontinue anything. Even if it’s only 300 people that are buying it, it’s really hard for us to move onto something else. We only discontinue something that we’re sure we're replacing with something better. You never get rid of the classics, but we are constantly thinking about how to make our products better. WE always want to TOP ourselves.”

That includes the collection with Adler. This marks his first foray into beauty. Inspired by '60s pop and Adler's signature geometric and poppy style, Lauder says, the collection includes "A simple silver case that can give you so much pleasure with the right color in it." She also "obsessed" with the brushes, gushing, "I love all the colors and wear all of them, but the brushes, I gotta have those pink brushes." The collection also includes several of Clinique’s best-selling makeup products in standout summer shades. His inspiration? His inspiration? “That iconic Clinique green has always signified freshness,” says Adler. “I wanted the collection to be bright, bold and fresh, and make women feel more glamorous.” Check the limited edition collection out here. (And enter to win a giveaway below.) 

As for the brand, Lauder says, "We’re really trying to figure out who the Clinique customer is— every woman has had a piece of Clinique or used it. We’re noticing that the more mature millennial is our sweet spot-- a lot of women who are now taking care of their skin and going through life changes. They are getting married, having children, working, and there is so much going on in their that they want something that is a simple routine but gives them a remarkable result. Quality and effectiveness, but also that’s real.

Admitting that she had acne as a girl, Lauder knows that, "Skin is super personal and really emotional. When you wake up with great skin it’s really transformational." 

"When you wake up with great skin it’s really transformational."

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And it always comes back to quality. "For us, whenever we’re creating anything it has to be of the highest quality. They have to be collaborators of the highest quality. Whatever we create has our name on the packages. As a company that is the most important thing.” 

How One 28 Year Old Phenom Got Recruited by Arianna Huffington

At only 28 Callie Schweitzer has a career highlight reel most often reserved for retirement parties. (We think people still have those.) At 24, Forbes called her one of NYC "best networked youngsters." She is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, The Huffington Post and PEOPLE. Which caught the attention of HuffPo herself, Arianna Huffington who recruited Schweitzer to be the Chief Content Officer at her new life and well-being platform, Thrive Global. 

And despite what you've read (or refused to read), Callie knows that this is an incredibly exciting time for journalism. Here's why. 

Who: Callie Schweitzer

Where: Chief Content Officer, Thrive Global

Why: Tell us a little about your background. How did you get into the content world? 

A: When I was in fourth grade I earned the nickname “Sherlock Schweitzer.” I was always on the lookout for a good story or the clue to one. I’m pretty sure I’d written a library full of books about Beanie Babies and Junie B. Jones by the time I graduated elementary school. But my actual career in the content world really started as a journalism student at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I was the editor-in-chief of a student-run news site called Neon Tommy, and that experience of running a newsroom of over 200 student volunteers kickstarted my entrepreneurial hunger for great stories and how they’re told. I had always wanted to be an investigative reporter, but it was running Neon Tommy that made me see that I cared much more about making sure people got the news than being the person who wrote it. My path since graduation has been at companies of all different sizes -- Talking Points Memo, Vox Media, Time Inc. and now Thrive Global -- but my passion has stayed the same. I want to make sure great content is widely read.

Q: So more importantly, why have you stayed and climbed the ranks in the content world? 

A: This is an incredibly exciting time in journalism. The new technology we have available to us -- from VR and AR to voice-enabled technology like Amazon Alexa—just enhances our storytelling abilities. Digital and social media have had a tremendous impact on how new ideas spread. One of the reasons I joined Thrive Global is because of my interest in helping people live better lives. Thrive is all about action and helping you go from knowing what to do to actually doing it. I love that we’re working to help people put content and stories into action and covering some of the defining topics of our time, like our relationship with technology. 

"I want to make sure great content is widely read."

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Q: What about your job do you wish people knew? 

A: There’s no such thing as a typical day, and I love that. I might go from a meeting with a partner and brainstorming feature ideas to testing a new product and working on our corporate content curriculum, which we use in our corporate trainings and digital learning programs. 

Q: I read something last month about the death of the opinion piece. Would love to know your thoughts on that...

A: The opinion piece is alive and well! I think it’s really important to expose yourself to as many perspectives as possible -- especially in today’s world. Studies show that your weakest ties can lead you to news you wouldn’t have discovered yourself. We have to force ourselves to get outside our filter bubbles and learn about parts of the world where people don’t live the way we do. I so believe in following people and news you don’t agree with so that you always have an understanding of someone else’s “why.” 

"You always have an understanding of someone else’s 'why.'”

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Q: And where do you think the world of content is heading?

A: I think that the world of content is going to become increasingly personalized. People are looking to be super-served in areas they’re passionate about. Our on-demand world means that people want the content they want when they want it. It’s our job as content providers to make sure we’re finding people where they are, syncing with their habits and delivering them content that helps them live their lives better -- whether that’s informing them, entertaining them or engaging them. 

Q: For sites that are publishing a TON of content, how would you suggest readers sift through it?

A: I think it’s really key to find a format that works for you. For me, that’s email newsletters. I’ve been obsessed with them for years. I think they’re amazing containers for curated content delivery. For someone else, it might be a print newspaper or magazine, news apps, Facebook or Instagram. 

Q: And how do you as a reader sift through the content online?

A: I really rely on email newsletters for a lot of my topic-specific news -- politics, media, tech, etc. -- but throughout the day I’m visiting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and various news sites’ homepages to make sure I’m up to date. I’ve really re-invested in visiting homepages directly since the election. I also do a ton of reading on the subway with my favorite read later app, Pocket. And I subscribe to a ton of podcasts to get even more news and information. 

Q: How much time do you spend reading content offline?

A: I am a huge print reader. I still subscribe to about 12 magazines ranging from Businessweek and New York Magazine to Vogue and Glamour, and read them every month. 

Q: What was the most crucial skill that you brought to your job?

A: I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and an adaptability for rapid change. That’s been important in every role that I’ve had, but especially at a fast-moving startup like Thrive Global. 

Q: What was a skill you were able to develop over time?

A: A big part of what we’re focused on at Thrive is the idea that we don’t have different selves for our work lives and personal lives -- that we bring our whole selves with us wherever we go. So one of my favorite things about working here is that we can be free to be open about our “sacred time” -- the time you need each day/week/month to be your best self. I love that my coworkers hold me accountable for mine and I hold them accountable for theirs. I know them as their whole selves -- not just their “work” selves. 

Q: Do you think the role of editor/content creator is more important than ever… and of course, the why?

A: The role of editor and content creator is definitely more important than ever. In a world of fake news and filter bubbles, it is so crucial that we have people who are committed to making sure people get a wide range of real news and meaningful content that affects them. 

Photo credit: Golden Rule Excelsior 

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Why I'll Never Take Period Time Off

Like many '90s tweens, the first time I became aware that I could use my period as an excuse was watching Clueless. Arguing her way out of a tardy, protagonist Cher uses her period to defend herself: "I was surfing the crimson wave. I had to haul ass to the ladies'." Being the loveable, progressive that he is, her teacher, Mr. Hall forgives the punctuality faux period. And so sparked the idea in my head that my period was more like an ellipses. 

I'd come but I have the worst cramps... 

I don't want to get off my couch... 

I need to stay home from school... 

As women we've all used our periods as the reasoning to not attend certain functions or dinners, and I get it. Sometimes you don't want to chit chat about the chicken when your uterus feels like it's being ripped from your body. But skipping out on girl's night or date night is a little different from ditching work. Right? 

Not for one company in London. Coexist, an education non-profit, made the media rounds this past March when it publicly addressed its company policy that will allow female employees to take time off for their periods: PTO, or Period Time Off. 

Bex Baxter, one of Coexist’s company directors, told the Bristol Post, "I have managed many female members of staff over the years and I have seen women at work who are bent over double because of the pain caused by their periods. Despite this, they feel they cannot go home because they do not class themselves as unwell. And this is unfair.” 

(Is this where I get to say: Life's not fair!?) 

She continued, “The spring section of the cycle, immediately after a period, is a time when women are actually three times as productive as usual. So it is about balancing work-load in line with the natural cycles of the body."

Baxter is confident the company's new policy will increase productivity for the mostly female (there are seven males on a team of 31) staff, nor does she believe such a policy will threaten women's employability. 

There is evidence to support such a claim. One such study from the University of Bath examined the effects of period pain on fifty-two healthy adult females. The study found that greater attentional inference effects (ability to concentrate) were found when women were in the pain phase of their period, and that likewise there was a general worsening of performance. 

It’s part of a larger conversation about periods that’s dominating the www waves. 

Man Repeller broke down the period talk in a post where contributor Haley Nahman asked “Have We Reached Peak Period?” 

On the one hand, it’s refreshing that this conversation has been moved from the taboo shadows and into the streets. On the other, we have to ask: While periods are trending, are they also a reason to skip work? What happens when we prove that periods affect our concentration negatively? 

“Periods may be trending, but are they a reason to skip work?”

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This isn't a new concept. Menstrual leave began in Japan in 1947 and in other Asian nations like Taiwan and Indonesia, paid periods are already a common part of workplace culture and laws. Nike is thought to be the only worldwide company to officially include menstrual leave as part of their Code of Conduct, which they implemented in 2007. 

Considering the ongoing struggle surrounding equality in the workplace I have hard time accepting pro-period legislation as progress for women’s rights, however positioned. Periods are not a disability* and to treat them as such is debilitating to progress. Do employees who suffer from IBS get PTO? Women have fought too long and hard for equality for such measures to take the front seat.

I spoke with five women, who are all full time employees who all get monthly periods, and the consensus was that even if PTO was an option, they wouldn’t take it. Asking for period time off would just be yet another drop in hat of conversations that dominate workplace sexism, validating the claims of so many men and women who oppose the Equal Rights Amendment. Those that argue the wage gap is a myth and there’s a reason women are paid less.

Nor am I convinced that cycle awareness will help either women or men be more productive-- something that was discussed last month during a 'Pioneering Period Policy: Valuing Natural Cycles in the Workplace' seminar in the UK. 

[Related: How to Deal with Sexism in the Workplace.] 

It's a dialogue that reminds me of Gloria Steinam’s famous 1978 essay for Ms. Magazine, “If Men Could Menstruate.” 

“So what would happen if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not?” she wrote. “Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event: Men would brag about how long and how much.”

If men got their periods, there would be free Midol in the break room, PTO, and those that didn’t take it would be lauded for performing "so well!' during their “time of the month.” But that’s not the case, nor will it ever be. 

So let’s fight the bloody wage gap first. 

Let’s get paid the same dollars for the same work before we start drawing lines in the sand with our tampons. Sorry, but I don’t need my womb attuned to my 9-5 and for now I'm going to surf my crimson wave right into my office. 

"Let's fight the wage gap before we start drawing lines in the sand with our tampons."

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But maybe that’s just me. Share your thoughts in the comments below. 

*There are legitimate period-related medical conditions women face. We are not referring to these. NOT ONE LITTLE BIT. 

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can follow her @ariannawrotethis. 

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What Up Real World: 5 Recent Grads On What’s Next

The panic hits! You are suddenly a second semester senior starting to realize, “Wait, I have to find a job! I need to start making money! I'm not sure what I want to do!” Totally normal. The Washington Post found "only 27% of college grads had a job that was closely related to their major." And though some grads work all of college to secure their dream jobs, most have no clue what field they even want to be in. Does the anxiety ever end?

Maybe.

Fast-forward. 

You are a recent post-grad in your new position. That old familiar panic starts to set in: “How do I feel about my job? Where do I see myself going? Do I even like what I am doing?” In a poll published by the Huff Post it was found "nearly 80% of workers in their 20s, said they want to change career paths." So if you aren't exactly loving your first job...it is completely normal. 

The transition from college into 'the real world' is a learning experience. As a recent college grad myself, I thought who better people to ask than my friends? We're all in the same boat. So I spoke with 5 post-college grads to help us get a clear picture of what the beginning of their journey looks like and where they see themselves going in the future. It's nice to know all 5 grads have their own goals set, but are waiting to see where their paths take them-- one step at a time. 

Emily K. 

Last month I graduated from USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I studied Public Relations and minored in Communications in the Entertainment Industry. Just a few days after graduation, I began my job at Viewpoint, which is a public relations firm located in Beverly Hills. I’m currently working as a Talent Publicity Assistant. The job is exactly what it sounds like. I’ve been working at Viewpoint for about a month now, and every day brings something new. It’s hard to say exactly where I want to end up career-wise, but I could definitely see myself sticking to this path and eventually becoming a publicist. I could also see myself going down other paths in the entertainment industry. Only time will tell!

Zoe S.

I recently graduated from Lehigh University with a double major in sociology and women's studies with a minor in public healthy. Naturally, I had no idea what I wanted to do with that discipline, nor did I have any clue what skill set beyond college it prepared me for. As I proceeded through my college years, I got more and more confused with my own personal expectations post college. I did not know what I wanted to do. I could not envision where I belonged in this massive industry that is carved out for post-grad college kids. All I knew was that I wanted to be in a field that allowed me to interact with people. I love people; talking to different people, connecting with people, learning from as many people as I could. Yes, I would describe myself as a "people person," which to some might be a cop out, but for me it's my truth. I ended up being hired at this amazing company called ChowNow in which people are the focus of the business. We help business set up their online ordering, which may not sound so glamorous or stereotypically lucrative for a recent college grad, but that is false. Not only is it an amazing place to work with an incredible culture that cultivates strong, incredibly ambitious people, but, everyday, it is my mission as an account coordinator to interact with people. I never imagined finding a job that satisfied both my creativity and desire to belong to the growing "trendish" industry, while simultaneously allowing me to exercise my love of people, but, needless to say, I found the job that is absolutely perfect for me. Now, I have no idea where I'll be in 5 years from now or where I'm going in terms of big picture, but I know that I'm one step closer to figuring that out, and that is just alright for me.

Mackenzie H. 

After recently graduating from The George Washington University I am now working as a Recruiting Coordinator at Publicis Health. Publicis Health is the third largest advertising network in the world, and first largest health network! I'm passionate about people and their careers, as a recruiting coordinator I pay an integral part of the Talent Acquisition process. Even though I'm just starting out, I see myself working hard to lead a Talent Acquisition team to facilitate growth and change within a health-based organization.

Nina B.           

I just recently graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Elementary Education. For the summer I am working with a non-profit whose goal is to promote literacy for children coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and LAUSD schools. In August I will be starting a job as a teachers assistant in a second grade classroom. However, next year I hope to have a classroom of my own and eventually go back to school to receive my masters in Special Education. My future is very undecided, but for now that is the plan.

Emily P. 

I just recently graduated from the University of Michigan. I am now moving to Austin to start my career at Facebook as an SMB Account Manager. I have always been fascinated with the interconnectivity of organizations through the shared purpose of helping others in their communities. I see Facebook as the perfect place to jumpstart my career as it is a platform for connecting people and organizations on a worldwide scale. I hope to continue to strengthen my knowledge of change management, practical development skills and positive leadership practices while gaining invaluable experience from the incredible people I will have the chance to work with.  My ultimate goal is to strive for impactful change that has the ability make a difference on multiple levels - helping communities join together to change lives through corporate social responsibility.

Every person starts somewhere. Each person has their own individual journey. Hopefully the experiences shared by these recent college grads can help the rest of us feel a bit more at ease and accepting of our unknown paths. 

Are you a recent grad in a job that you're MEH... about? Or maybe you LOVE what you're doing. We'd love to hear from you either way... Hit us in the comments below. 

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Meet the 8 Women Living Out Their Career Adventure

Would you say your career is an adventure? For these 8 women, all of whom will be joining us at our Eddie Bauer pop-up next week, are doing just that. Why? Because adventure drives us forward. It's at the center of every great story; the beginning of every leap. And it's why Create & Cultivate teamed up with Eddie Bauer to bring you a three-city tour of change-makers, record-breakers and radical women who have dreamed big and dared bigger, and are willing to share their tales with you. They live out loud. They unapologetically follow their dreams. And they're sharing how they do it.  

Lauren McGoodwin, Founder of Career Contessa

I live my adventure in my career every day as an entrepreneur. I come from a more corporate (i.e. safe) background and I'm very risk averse so going out on my own to launch Career Contessa has been one hell of an adventure! Of course, the more risk I take, the more I learn from them—either as successes or failures— and the more inspired I am to add, or sprinkle in, the adventure into other parts of my career. That might mean agreeing to be a keynote speaker in front of hundreds of people or directly reaching out to a brand I love or launching a new service like online courses on Career Contessa.

Lee Tilghman, Founder of Lee from America 

Every single day is different. I'm inherently a planner and nothing gets me more excited than crossing items off my to-do list, but my career as a blogger and lifestyle persona keeps me spontaneous and always on the edge of my seat. It keeps me balanced. I like how my job pushes me out of my comfort zone every day- whether it's speaking about issues that are close to my heart or getting vulnerable about my past, I'm always putting my heart on the line. 

Claire Smallwood, Founder of She Jumps

This question evokes my personal responsibility to always be an authentic leader of my organization, and more often than not, that doesn't mean being the fastest, most gnarly, or highest-achieving person. It means having some non-negotiables: try at least one new activity per year, teach at least one new thing to a new friend, and think back to the person I was 20 years ago—would my 12 year-old self be impressed with what I am doing now?

"We have to be willing to always come back to the original call of adventure."

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Basically it all comes down an existential mindset—none of us get into a career to find out it's more about emails and networking than blisters and sweaty backs, but we have to be willing to always come back to the original call of adventure that brought us there in the first place.

Ruthie Lindsay, Influencer, Stylist & Motivational Speaker

I feel so fortunate because most of my work is on the road. Oftentimes I get to travel and work with some of my best friends but I also love when I don't because I tend to make even more new friends than I would have if I had my pals with me. I love seeing new cultures and meeting locals. I love waking up in new towns or new countries and anticipating all the beautiful things and humans I will meet that day! It's a constant gift and thrill to get to live that adventure as part of my work! I feel so incredibly thankful for every opportunity! 

Rachel Schwarztmann, Founder and CEO, The Style Line

I live my adventure by remembering that my career is an adventure! I know the last thing anyone wants to hear is the cliche “it’s just as much about the journey as it is the destination” but in a lot of ways embracing the unexpected experiences that comes with being an entrepreneur has provided me with so much perspective. Now more than ever, I’m understanding that’s what makes the adventure all the more rewarding. 

Tara Sowlaty, co-founder of How You Glow

I live my adventure in my career because I have centered my career around exploring and finding new and amazing places to share with others. A big component of my site is my travel guides, where I curate and highlight my favorite spots both popular and off the beaten path from around the world. It's not just traveling around the world where this magic can happen though, it also occurs at home too. I really try everyday to find the adventure and new excitement in daily life, no matter where I am. 

Noel Russell, Community Organizer at Covenant House & Hope Slanger 

John Muir says that when we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.

I would venture to say, that based on his social action and engagement, humankind was a big part of this entangled community he's referencing.

My daily adventure is helping trace these connections between us in plain sight.

Helping us see ourselves in the person sitting at the table across from us, the person in line ahead of you, the person living in a tent in the park.

Helping us push back the lines we draw around the things we're comfortable with, the spaces familiar to us.

Helping us reflect our interconnectedness back to one another, see value and beauty in that,

And then helping move us to action.

This is my exploration into the unknown.

My job challenges me, and those I engage with, to stretch our self-imposed limits of hope, our personal cap on care, and carefully structured sense of identity to include those across every spectrum of demographic, experience, culture...it challenges us to love wildly, recklessly and without abandon.

Day after day, the topography of my journey is marked by the growth of new heart muscles, the action of advocacy, and the fierceness of newly formed kinship.

"The topography of my journey is marked by the growth of new heart muscles."

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My everyday adventure is found in envisioning a world where everyone is seen and known, where there is no “other,” where everyone belongs to everyone - then waving people over to catch a glimpse for themselves. 

Also, spending time with a shelter full of teenagers always calls for a spirit of adventure - even when it's just dinnertime…and especially when its chore time.

Becca Skinner, Photographer 

Adventure is (luckily) a regular part of my career because my work is based around it! Being an adventure photographer means I get to regularly be outside and capture images of places and people recreating and protecting parts of our landscape. That usually means spending many days and nights outdoors.

Top photos left to right: Noel Russell, Tara Sowlaty, Lee Tilghman

Bottom photos left to right: Ruthie Lindsey, Rachel Schwartzmann, Claire Smallwood 

The list for our adventure pop-up is closed; you can join the waitlist here. 

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Meet the Celeb Stylist Who Styled OG Beyoncé

Two days ago Billboard released its list of 100 greatest girl group songs of all time. Coming in strong at No. 7 is Destiny’s Child’s iconic anthem Say My Name. The year was 1999 and Destiny's Child was starting to make serious moves (take a 4-minute break and relive this greatness).

On set for the song's video, stylist Negar Ali Kline was holding it down in the wardrobe department. Glossy lipstick was en vogue. There were still four members of the group to dress. And though she recalls it being her longest shoot ever, ("a record 26 hours!!") the styling maven says, "There’s nothing better than being in a wardrobe truck with my team and in the trenches together. In battle together."

As for Queen B? "Even at the very beginning, Beyoncé was just pure magic and such a force," she says. "I remember all the ladies were so gracious and down-to-earth Southern girls. The video shoots were epic, this was the height of the big budget video."

"There’s nothing better than being in a wardrobe truck with my team and in the trenches together."

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In the early 2000s that was the life of celebrity stylist Negar Ali Kline, who has styled everyone from Beyoncé to Tom Hanks to comedian Maya Rudolph and badass Jessica Lange. If it sounds like a dream career, it is, but Kline has put in years of hard work, building relationships with people across town, and navigating the styling space with smarts and class. The sought-after stylist says she "really paid her dues" in New York, developing her confidence and experience at Paper Mag. "At the time," she notes, "there were only a handful of stylists— celebrity styling wasn’t a thing." 

When we meet up with Kline, she’s wearing her LA uniform: jeans, sweater, and a block heel. But she doesn’t carry any of kind of industry bravado. We're at Palace Costume, a beloved industry spot only open to pros. It is owned and operated by Melody Barnett, who opened her doors in 1960 as a vintage clothing retailer. Barnett was the first vintage retailer on Fairfax. Today, the 36,000-square-foot emporium houses over half a million different pieces, making it one of the largest vintage clothing collections in the entire country (and not open to the pub, sorry!) Also on the scene is Lee, the costume house's second employee. Kline has known him since her first pull. 

Despite having come for twenty years, she’s like a kid in a candy store. "The first time I walked in here," she says, her eyes already moving toward the rows of racks on racks, "it was intimidating and overwhelming, but at the same time I knew this is what I was meant to do. I was 19, but it was very obvious." As we walk through the rooms and floors of goodies, Kline points out some of her favorites and for whom she's pulled. "The Western room, I've pulled for Beck." She casually mentions one of her first jobs assisting on an Elton John video. She's more enthralled by the clothes than the big names she's worked with. A stylish though-and-through. 

The costume house is organized by decades and themes. There's a veritable polyester playground. “Wardrobe at That ‘70s Show has definitely pulled every single shirt here,” she jokes. There are rows of 1920s gowns and piano shawls, the likes of which you’d see mostly on extras she says, in period movies like The Hours. Being here with Kline is like walking down memory lane with her via articles of clothing, and is a testament to the longevity of her twenty year career. 

Along her career the Los Angeles-based stylist and mom has weathered every storm. Part of her strategy has been mixing up the work. She’ll work on big agency jobs, styling big brand commercials, as well as editorial shoots and press tours. 

"I think the biggest misconception is that its 'glamorous,' she shares. "The truth is that it is a tremendous amount of hard work- literally and metaphorically 'heavy lifting.' The process really requires left brain and right brain. It is creative, but there is also managing the budget, team and client expectations, and an insane amount of organization."

She continues, "I always find it hard to describe what I do because there’s a bit of range from advertising styling to red carpet to costume design on a film, and they each require a different philosophy and approach. There are many levels to it."

For Kline, her 360-degree approach to the biz keeps things from getting stale. "I feel very grateful that I have a range," she explains. "One day we’re shopping or pulling at Tom Ford and the next we’re at Kohl’s in Sun Valley for Lauren Conrad." Though some jobs are inevitably more glamorous than others, she maintains that she's much happier working like this. "I like to constantly be challenged, with styling there is always a new problem to be solved. With every project it’s different."

Like one of her most recent jobs styling yet another QUEEN, Jessica Lange, on the Feud press tour. "With editorial and music video, there are quite a lot of creative liberties one can assert. On a press tour, you are not dressing a 'character,'" she says, explaining the various nuances of her job. "It’s more about feeling authentic and comfortable in what they are wearing and cultivating a personal style." 

With more corporate clients, Kline says those companies are hiring her to have a POV, even if that means gently pushing back against their comfort zone. "When I find myself in those situations, for instance, in a room with a creative director and the agency and they’re looking to me for an answer, I have to explain the 'why.' Why I believe your hero character should be in denim rather than a suit— that’s really the job of a stylist. Something as small as the hem of a shirt. The width of a tank top strap. There are so many thing that go on behind-the-scenes." Kline says that clients appreciate, and continue to hire you, when you have the knowledge to back up the 'why.'

Though she no longer works on music videos (BTW she's also done OG Snoop and Puffy videos NBD), explaining that "3am fittings are not conducive to morning drop-offs when you have a family," someone she'd still love to work with is Sofia Coppola. " I love the aesthetic of her films and I am very much drawn to working with female directors."  

To check out more of Negar Ali's work, see her portfolio here. 

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can follow her @ariannawrotethis. 

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Free Weekend Download: The Business Plan You Can Use Now

You have your BIG idea. 

You've started talking to people. People are responding well. You think, I can actually do this. Create this. Start this. But then in a meeting someone asks you if you've drafted your business plan. Rewind. Business plan?   

You try downloading one off the internet, and then another, but they all look so different. You wind up more confused than ever. 

Business plans can be subjective, but they really should cover a set list of topics to tell the best story for themselves and any future business partners, employees, investors, etc.

From what it looks like to what it needs to include, the co-founders of Above the Glass are dishing. They created a business plan checklist to help direct your research and business plan creation. 

Fill out the below to download! 

What It's Really Like to Be Fired from Vogue

The original version of this article appeared on Levo. 

Though being an editor at Vogue was pretty much what every heroine in the '90s and early aughts romcoms aspired to do, it may not be all it is cracked up to be. In a new very revealing interview with British Vogue's longtime fashion director Lucinda Chambers, she spoke about her recent firing with annual academic fashion journal Vestoj. And she didn't hold back--so much so, in fact, that the interview had to be temporarily removed from Vestoj's website.

But Chambers should really be commended for being so forthright about what it is like to be suddenly as well as shockingly fired when you are at the top of your career. Though it was announced in May that was she stepping down from her role after 30 years, she told Vestoj that she was in fact fired by British Vogue's new editor in chief, Edward Enninful.

"A month and a half ago I was fired from Vogue. I phoned my lawyer; she asked me what I wanted to do about it. I told her I wanted to write a letter to my colleagues to tell them that Edward [Enninful] decided to let me go. And to say how proud I am to have worked at Vogue for as long as I did, to thank them for being such brilliant colleagues. My lawyer said sure, but don’t tell HR. They wouldn’t have wanted me to send it."

She also got super real about what its like working on editorials that you have absolutely no passion about and very little respect for as they are purely for advertisers.

"You’re not allowed to fail in fashion – especially in this age of social media, when everything is about leading a successful, amazing life. Nobody today is allowed to fail, instead the prospect causes anxiety and terror. But why can’t we celebrate failure? After all, it helps us grow and develop. I’m not ashamed of what happened to me. If my shoots were really crappy… Oh I know they weren’t all good – some were crappy. The June cover with Alexa Chung in a stupid Michael Kors T-shirt is crap. He’s a big advertiser so I knew why I had to do it. I knew it was cheesy when I was doing it, and I did it anyway. Ok, whatever. But there were others… There were others that were great."

While Condé Nast wasn't impressed--the media company released a statement claiming it's "usual for an incoming editor to make some changes to the team"--others took to Twitter to commend Chambers' honesty

As for Chambers, she has a vision for "useful and aspirational" fashion magazines of the future:

"[I]n fashion we are always trying to make people buy something they don’t need. We don’t need any more bags, shirts or shoes. So we cajole, bully or encourage people into continue buying. I know glossy magazines are meant to be aspirational, but why not be both useful and aspirational? That’s the kind of fashion magazine I’d like to see."

Honesty, failure, and useful. Now that would make for an interesting magazine.

photo credit: Puma/Smith House Photography

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The Ultimate Ref29 x Create & Cultivate Seattle Giveaway!!

Whether it’s a side hustle or a full-on business venture, being a female entrepreneur can be tough. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a network of female mentors at your fingertips? We thought so. To help you achieve your wildest career goals, we teamed up with Refinery29 and Microsoft to send one lucky boss-to-be (and a friend!) to our upcoming conference in Seattle. We’re hooking you up with two VIP conference tickets, two Microsoft Surface laptops, $750 for flights, and a two-night stay the Motif hotel in downtown Seattle.

Enter here to win and get ready to create and cultivate the career of your dreams.

Official rules here. 

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3 Ways to Get Over 'Busy-itis' and Chill This Weekend

The feeling of being busy is quite common but does it just actually mean that you’re tired or feeling overwhelmed or burnt out? Do you often answer the question: “How are you?” with “soooo busy” or “things are crazy busy at the moment!”

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” And there is truth to that. However, there’s a difference between working with purpose and intent vs. squeezing as much in as possible. 

"Your work is your own and you define your own success."

Busy makes people feel important. It feels good to be busy and there’s a connection to feeling accomplished or successful and wanting to share that with others. Everyone wants to be heard and appreciated. But “Busy-itis” can come from wanting the approval of others and it’s exhausting trying to keep up which can prevent you from doing work you love and being your most efficient and productive self. 

It's less about actually being busy with a full calendar and more about how a person wants to be perceived. “Busy-itis” can also come from not being comfortable or wanting to sit with yourself alone. Making the time to slow down can actually take a lot of work. Sounds easy to “sit down” but quieting the mind and looking inward to discover that true confidence comes from within and you don’t need the approval of others. Your work is your own and you define your own success.

Getting over “busy-itis” can be a process but well worth it – there is a chance for you to enjoy every single day to the fullest AND feel proud of your work.

You manifest change and the opportunity for you to enjoy every single day instead of running around like crazy, trying to check everything off your to-do list, see your friends and family and make time for yourself - this doesn't mean taking a workout class to check another thing off your list but truly making time for self care and rest. There will be a moment when you realize that you’re spread too thin and that you chose this busy lifestyle. I’ve been there – you are just completely exhausted and left feeling drained. I wanted to keep pushing myself and kept coming up with the question, when will it ever be enough?

A very common symptom of "busy-itis" is brain fog. Brain fog can be as simple a forgetfulness, confusion or lack of mental clarity. Sometimes we move so fast throughout the day, we are on auto pilot and don't remember how we got from point A to point B. High levels of stress hormones can cause brain fog - feelings of stress, anxiety, anger, fear and frustration. When your mind is fuzzy, you can't retain knowledge as well. 

Another common symptom is exhaustion. This is not the same as feeling tired but total depletion which can be caused by stress. Often times we manage our stress with keeping busy and distracting ourselves or trying to completely ignore what is actually going on. If you are frequently getting sick, this is another sign of stress overload or "busy-itis." Do you feel like you are coming down with a cold more often than your friends? Those who suffer from "busy-itis" especially need to listen to their bodies and not power through the day when they are feeling under the weather. If you don't break the cycle, "busy-itis" can snowball into a long term health condition such as depression or heart disease. Just remember that the mind and body are intrinsically connected.

"When we learn to slow down, we begin to truly connect with our work and with others."

Getting over “busy-itis” can be a process but well worth it – there is a chance for you to enjoy every single day to the fullest AND feel proud of your work.

3 Tips for Those Suffering From “Busy-itis”

1. Create a morning routine: Enjoy your morning and wake a little earlier to make some extra time for yourself. This can mean journaling, reading or cooking breakfast. Having a morning breath work or meditation practice can be extremely beneficial and will prepare to take on the day! 

2. Redefine your to-do list: Instead of creating a long list, make your to-do list more of an exercise and ask yourself why next to each item. This will help you set your intentions for the day and remind yourself to acknowledge the tasks that you love doing. 

3. Remove the word busy from your vocabulary! Come up with another response for when people ask, “how are you doing”. Stop telling people how busy you are. Take a moment to confidently share the work you are doing which will have you build stronger relationships and have deeper connections in the long run!

After many years of “busy-itis” it may be tough to change your thought patterns and automatic responses. But, it is totally doable with these 3 simple steps. When we learn to slow down, we begin to truly connect with our work and with others.

The original version of this article appeared on Shine. Sign up for free, daily advice from Shine. 

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How #Girlgaze Founder Amanda de Cadenet Plans to Create $$ Jobs for Young Women

Amanda de Cadenet pulls very few punches. “If I have zero interest in the question,” she tells us, “I won’t answer it.” It’s a refreshing frankness from the founder and CEO of The Conversation and now, #girlgaze, a multimedia photo project designed (and recent book!) to support girls behind the camera. The project's first exhibition, #girlgaze: a frame of mind, opened at the Annenberg Space of Photography in October 2016 and ran until February 2017. It featured work from up-and-coming female and gender non-conforming photographers. It was received with open arms. 

As the tale of implicit career bias goes, only one-third of professional news photographers are women. Which begs the question: whose eye is capturing what's important? The goal for de Cadenet is to get more perspectives seen, and begin championing that potential early. “It’s so important for girls to understand that they have the power,” the photographer slash founder says. 

“It’s so important for girls to understand that they have the power.”

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And understanding it they are. According to de Cadenet, the #girlgaze community is seeing exponential growth. “We are growing so fast that our heads are spinning. Our little team is just trying to keep up,” she shares while noting that this is good news. “Girlgaze is obviously a much-needed platform.” One that focuses on empowerment, something, she shares, “is anything that facilitates a person feeling better about themselves, or good about themselves. Building self-esteem is empowering. For me that means hiring more women across the board in various sectors, because careers build self-esteem.” 

That means getting dollars. #girlgaze isn't only about giving women the platform, it's about getting them jobs. "Our goal is to close the gender gap one job at a time," she says. "My hope is that we give as many girls as possible the opportunity to work and share their point of view with the world by creating paid opportunities and ways to connect with each other and the people who write checks."

"Empowerment is anything that facilities a person feeling better about themselves."

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Where The Conversation addressed the fears and realities of women-- bringing the conversations taking place in Amanda’s kitchen about postpartum depression, sex, and gender stereotypes to light, #girlgaze has intentionally focused on the younger generation. "My audience was getting younger and younger-- that doesn’t happen," she says. The multitasking mama (of three) had to ask herself, why it was happening. What content was missing? She saw the gap, realizing that young girls’ exposure to the media, subtle racism and sexism and misogyny, was deeply affecting their self-esteem. “Something does well when it’s needed,” de Cadenet explains. And there was a need.

“They were getting impacted,” she says. “They wanted guidance younger, so I consciously made a choice to create something for them. Creativity is the vehicle for change for a lot of young girls that I know.” A generation she thinks highly of, citing young feminists like Rowan Blanchard. ‘It is our job and my commitment, now more than ever," she says, "to not abandon these issues and to support the next generation of girls tenfold... You have to take stock on a situation before you can change it and then you can create realistic tools.” For the lifelong activist and journalist #Girlgaze is one such tool, helping uplift strong female voices and views.

She also recently published, "It's Messy," a book of essays that came at the behest of her followers and focuses on the Brit's own story. "I wrote 'It's Messy' because many women and girls asked me to,” she explains. "The chapter subjects are curated by my social media audience and I pretty much stuck to what they wanted to know about except TMI about my sex life." The TMI part is debatable.

While it may seem that oft outspoken de Cadenet shares exactly what is on her mind, when it comes to young women sharing their POV she wants them to know, "Just speaking up without that consideration is not always smart.  It doesn't need to be complicated, but stay truthful to your point of view no matter what and know your audience.”

To hear Amanda speak on panel and learn more about the #girlgaze platform join us at Create & Cultivate Seattle. Tickets on sale now.  

Photography by Amanda de Cadenet

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Startup 101: How to Build Brand Trust from Scratch

I was inspired to talk about how to engage potential customers and build trust after a recent search on LinkedIn. I was searching for a sales funnel and email marketing specialist, and I came across several people who claimed to be consultants or specialists for hire. When I wanted to learn more, I couldn’t find anything about them online. No reviews, no website, and no information about why or how someone could hire them. This is an immediate red flag for me, but when I thought more about it, I realized that maybe people just don’t know how to engage potential customers and build trust.

As a personal branding expert, I often discuss why it’s important to cultivate a personal brand and optimize platforms like LinkedIn, so I was astounded that so many people who want to be hired as a consultant or expert don’t know how to create an online footprint. If you do not know how to maximize your online footprint, you are hurting your career and losing business. When you’re not a heritage brand, your online footprint is even more important when you’re trying to engage potential customers and build trust.

Optimize your LinkedIn profile

This is the first step of engaging potential customers. If you’re not on LinkedIn currently, create an account now. This is one of the most widely used platforms in career development, so underutilizing LinkedIn could be detrimental for your career. You’ll want to make sure your profile is fully optimized, but on top of that, make sure that your contact information is prominent, especially if you’re interested in getting hired for your services.

"If you don't know how to maximize your online footprint, you're hurting your career and losing business."

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Highlighting your expertise and how you can help others is also one of the most important aspects of engaging potential customers. Show examples of your work and your professional achievements to show potential customers exactly what you can do for them.

If you are offering professional services and are a registered business, create a company page on LinkedIn where people can learn more about your business and see that it is legitimate. Creating a company page on a trusted platform like LinkedIn helps build trust in your own brand.

Demonstrate a professional brand

If you’re offering professional services, you’ll want to demonstrate a professional brand that’s consistent across all channels. This means creating uniform content and being present on a company website, LinkedIn, Google, Yelp, and social media. The more channels and social platforms you utilize, the more reputable and trustworthy your brand becomes. If someone is unable to find a source of your work, including examples, contact information, and recognition, they’re unlikely to trust you as a brand and a professional. If you can’t establish trust among consumers, you won’t have a successful business. 

Utilize referral marketing

Referrals, recommendations, and testimonials are a huge part of building online trust and maximizing your online footprint. When a trusted friend tells you about a business, you transfer that trust to the company. Use LinkedIn recommendations, Yelp reviews, and customer testimonials on your website to help build trust and highlight your achievements. If real customers can attest to your quality of work and what you have accomplished for them, you will be able to establish yourself as a reputable resource.

As a side note, building up your presence on sites like Yelp will immensely help you because consumers trust that you cannot buy good reviews on that platform. Yelp uses algorithms which test and verify the reviews before posting them, which creates another level of consumer trust. When you’re using a trusted platform, it can appear more legitimate than simply writing down a customer testimonial with no verification. 

Cultivate a consistent personal brand across channels

Creating a cohesive personal brand is extremely important for developing your career, and using consistent branding across channels helps build your credibility. Think about it this way: If you search for a person or business and see multiple platforms and channels come up with the same information and visuals, you can assume that this brand has put in the time to create a consistent branding strategy. If you see different visuals, as well as inconsistent verbiage and service offerings across platforms, it’s harder to believe that the brand is professional and trustworthy.

________________

When considering how to optimize your online footprint, you want to focus on a few main factors:

• Providing resources such as contact information and examples of work
• Creating a consistent brand across channels 
• Creating trust through reviews and testimonials to establish yourself as a reputable source of work

The more information about yourself as a business professional you can put out there, the more trusted you will become. Note that this is not personal information, but information about business like business contact information, business information, services offered, etc.

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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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