Create & Cultivate 100 Music: Hannah Lux Davis

 

THE CREATIVE WARRIOR. 

Hannah Lux Davis attended Create & Cultivate and now she's on our C&C 100 list. Let that sink in.

Also let it sink in that the creative powerhouse is one of the most sought-after music video directors in the game. Having worked with talent like Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj, Miley Cyrus, Hailee Steinfeld, Demi Lovato, , Jessie J, and Tinashe, the 31 year old is unstoppable.

Her videos have racked up billions of views. Yes, BILLIONS. (Other words that start with B: Boss, Badass, Big Cheese.) 

After moving from Seattle to LA, where Hannah attended the Los Angeles Film School. When it came to her final project, she made a music video instead of the typical short film. 

It's that kind of creative hustle and risk-taking that have made her successful. She PA'd on multiple sets, just to make contacts. She did the same thing working as a makeup artist. The whole time she was networking like nobody's business/made it all her business. She may not have known what was going to happen, but she did know how to throw her name in the race. 

And she just keeps running shit. 

More from Hannah below.

So. We HAVE to bring it up, because it makes us giddy. You attended Create & Cultivate. What was that experience like?

It was inspiring to be in a space with dozens of like-minded women, all eager to write their own story in whatever capacity that meant to them. The atmosphere was all also incredibly special with its attention to detail. Everything from the neon signs to the chairs we sat on felt curated.

Was there advice you took from that day that you still apply to your career?

What stuck with me the most is the importance of persistence.

You've worked with the most amazing set of female artists. What has that experience been like?

My interest in music videos began with artists like Britney, Christina, and Avril, so to be working with this new era of female artists has really been a dream come true. It's been challenging but incredibly rewarding. Each artist has their own set of idiosyncrasies and it's different every time. As a director, the collaborative process is one in which you have to be receptive, confident, and just enjoy the ride!

"What stuck with me the most is the importance of persistence."

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Is there a standout moment for you?

Anytime I get to work with Ariana on a project for her music, it's always pretty major for me. I have so much respect for her as an artist. She's so in tune with herself (on top of being crazy talented). When we work together it's a real collaboration. She's at a point in her career where there usually aren't too many other voices involved, so it's always really liberating, for both of us, to just be creative and go for it! I definitely cherish our relationship. Directing the visuals for her Dangerous Tour was a real honor.

Another standout moment would be directing the Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated documentary. The premiere itself was such a trip! It was insanely rewarding to watch the film with a huge audience and I was so excited about the positive reaction it received. It was easily the hardest project I've ever done!

Where do your drive and passion come from?

The work! I just want to make cool shit and you can't do that if you don't have drive or passion

When you run into a career obstacle, what drives you forward?

I always say that every job is a learning lesson. These learning lessons usually have a common theme: communication. Whether it's assuming someone understands my vision, not checking in with certain departments, not testing something ahead of time, or not fighting for something I know I need to execute the idea, I always take something away from the project. The size of that lesson varies of course, but there's always a unique obstacle of some sort that presents itself...and I'm grateful for it! Like, "OK COOL! That happened. It won't happen again!". Knowing I'm learning and growing each job definitely drives me forward!

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Laziness or negativity on set! It gets me off my game and brings the energy down.

What is it like being a female director in such a male-dominated world?

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't awesome. Now more than ever, brands, artists, and agencies understand that they need a female's perspective, and I'm loving what's being created! That being said, there are a TON of female directors in the music video and commercial space and a ton of really great talent. I don't know how much longer people can continue to say "male-dominated."

Do you get tired of hearing the words "male-dominated?" (We do.)

Yes.

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

It's a lot of writing! If someone were to tell me 10 years ago that I'd be writing as much as I do on the daily...well I actually don't know what I would have done, but I wish someone would have warned me!

IYO-- How can we stay original when we are so saturated with other people's work?

This is tough. When writing music video or commercial treatments it's expected to include tons of imagery to support your written concept, and it can be hard for everyone to step away from those visuals. Originality comes with practice. It comes with taking the time to find your voice - and the understanding that you need to listen to it.

"Originality comes with practice." 

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I believe what I'm doing now (and will do in the future) truly encompasses all of my passions. For as long as I can remember. I've been into visual storytelling, fashion, makeup, music, and sports - and it has ALL come together in this career that I've made for myself. I pull from all of my passions to direct. For example, I used to do makeup, and now I get to creative direct looks for massive artists. I used to play the drums growing up, and now, when I edit, I cut to music and communicate with music composers. Most recently, I directed a Gatorade commercial and got to work with athletes! It's super fun to combine all my passions under one umbrella! I also get to work with my fiancé (he's my Executive Producer) and my best friends every day. That's pretty awesome.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

TBH... a busy stay-at-home mom with a SICK house and tons of kids!

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

Turning 30 was good for me. Competition in my industry is brutal and I found myself constantly comparing myself to others - professionally and personally. "This person is booking more work!", "That person's doing cooler projects!", "She looks way better than me while doing all of that!"... a lot of that kind of thing. Once I turned 30, for whatever reason my mind settled quite a bit. I'm not saying I'm made of confidence now, but with age comes a bit of wisdom and appreciation for all artists. I know I've put in my time and deserve to be here.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

This industry can be demanding and chaotic. My rep, Tommy LaBuda and I will have the occasional pep talk (these are quite often actually, haha) about tuning out the noise prioritizing what's on my plate. He's someone who reminds me that when I take time for myself, ideas will follow!

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

Such a sucker for this song... Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly, "Cruise"!

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE MUSIC LIST CLICK HERE. 

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FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 LIST HERE.

Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Karen Okonkwo

CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO. 

Karen Okonkwo of TONL, a platform which seeks to transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world, has said, “For people to feel welcome in any industry, they need to see online that there are other people that look like them, in those particular fields. Imagery, in the form of advertising, is the first step in saying, ‘hey you are welcome and we want you here.’ That angle is very powerful and underutilized.” 

“Sometimes, especially in the black community we feel tokenized,” she's explained. "I’m not trying to act like the spokesperson for the black community. I’m simply someone who is trying to provide change and influence. I may have some missteps along the way. Try to give people grace as they launch their businesses and feedback.”

But representation is of the utmost importance to the entrepreneur and content creator. For TONL, photography and storytelling can help humanize and hopefully diminish the stereotypes and prejudice against black and brown people, especially. They are committed to showcasing the ethnic backgrounds of every day people. And the Nigerian-American social entrepreneur believes anyone can do this. 

“If you don’t see what you want— anyone who has a skill set, be that change. Start your own Facebook group or start your own meet up, or agree to mentor one person, that’s how we create that cascade of people. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, either. That knowledge is there for you to take." 

More below on why she says she's a secret gangsta. (We don't think it's too secret.) 

You've said that with TONL it was not only important to create a database of diverse photographs, but to also tell the stories behind the people in the shots. Why was this important?

Often times the narrative for people in our community is already decided for them: criminal, thug, loud, low income and the list goes on. We felt that it was important that we allow the underrepresented the opportunity to tell their own stories; allow us to really get to know them. The hope is that people reading will embrace who these people are and not what they think they are.

When your work is redefining a category, what are you up against?

The biggest hurdle for many of us is access. We are up against household stock photography names so we have to not only be up to speed but one level better as a niche business.

How hard is it to fight the system?

Based on so many racial injustices, it is very hard to fight the system. It's the same system not designed for the underrepresented in the first place.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

I attribute my drive and passion to my Nigerian roots. We are fighters, competitors. We strive for excellence in the littlest and biggest things-its just in our nature and a part of our culture. My Dad is a successful entrepreneur and my Mom is a hardworking woman with several accolades under her belt so I had great examples growing up.

"I attribute my drive and passion to my Nigerian roots."

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When you run into a career obstacle or road block, what drives you forward?

When I run into a career obstacle, my why drives me forward. I know that I'm positioning myself to impact the world tremendously and so for every obstacle I know it's just a groove, a stepping stone for the best that is yet to come. 

What is your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is when people smoke cigarettes in front of public facilities, especially the hospital! I hate cigarette smoke around me period!

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

My biggest fear within running a business is not being able to properly compensate people helping to build our business. When you're bootstrapping, you have to be very careful in how you try to expand, but you also want to be fair to those willing to put in the work to see your business to fruition.

When you're bootstrapping, you have to be very careful in how you try to expand, but you also want to be fair to those willing to put in the work to see your business to fruition.

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

I handle the Marketing and Business Development for TONL. I think sometimes people think that I'm a photographer and I can't help but chuckle because that's not my strong suit. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can take some okay pictures, but I leave all of that to Joshua, Temi and Sam.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I feel so complete whenever our phone buzzes with a new order. It tells me that someone was able to solve the long, frustrating issue of locating imagery of people of color online. It makes me pleased to know that we are a trusted outlet for that.

"When I run into a career obstacle, my why drives me forward."

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If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

I would love to be Oprah for a day! She is my mentor from afar and it would be an honor to see life through her lens.

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

I had moved to Seattle for a Medical Sales position and while the job was everything I had wanted professionally and financially, I knew it didn't align with my deepest desires. All the while, I was starting to build new friendships in a city where I knew no one, hosting events and really making a name for myself in that realm. A friend of mine complimented me on how well I through events and suggested that I turn it into a business. It was at that point that I decided to take charge with full confidence and start my very first business which is still in existence today: Party With a K, LLC.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk? 

Give it to God. There is so much power in that piece of advice because when you realize that God has it already planned out for you, you can just sit back on autopilot mode. Every move we are making in life has been set forth before we were even conceived. When you understand that, you live life with an immense amount of peace.

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

Cardi B's Bodak Yellow has me hella hype these days! I'm a secret gangsta so it's fun to rile up that side of me haha.

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE CONTENT CREATOR LIST CLICK HERE. 

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FULL 2018 CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 LIST BELOW.

Create & Cultivate 100: Health & Wellness: Massy Arias

THE MOST FIERCE. 

There are body goals, and then there’s Massy Arias aka MankoFit.

With 2.4 million Instagram followers, the rockhard rockstar is setting the precedent for workout ethic with a holistic approach to body and mind wellbeing. What began as an effort to overcome depression soon became a life-saving lifestyle for the fitness fanatic, who says that failure is the ultimate opportunity for learning. As a certified personal trainer, Arias aspires to shape futures, not just as six packs.

Follow along for MankoFit’s thoughts on cheat days, motherhood, and more.

Name: Massy Arias

Instagram Handle: @massy.arias

When did your passion for fitness begin? Do you have any cheat days? If so, we can’t tell.

About 5 years ago when I went through a depression. Fitness was my outlet to beat it. I don’t believe in cheat days. I like food and I eat healthy. If I decide to have something that has less nutritional value and a bit more calories than usual per meal, I don’t consider it cheating. I am just eating what my body felt like eating.

What are the basics of a healthy morning routine for busy women?

Fitness and nutrition isn’t a size fits all approach in my book. When it comes to my habits in the morning, I’ve established a routine for myself. I prep the night before so it’s easy to make the things I love in the morning. Overnight oats, oatmeal pancake batter, and even overnight Greek yogurt are my top choices in the morning especially if I am super busy.

You were super honest about learning to accept your post-preg body. What have you learned about your body since having your daughter?

Since having my daughter I’ve learned I’m a superwoman. I did something amazing that took close to 10 months, it’s going to take time to feel like myself and look the same way I used to before her. I love my body even more because it was the body that helped me bring my daughter into the world.

"Since having my daughter I’ve learned I’m a superwoman."

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Are there parts of your life that have become more clear since her birth?

Every aspect of my life and even I have changed since giving birth to Indi. I have become a better trainer, daughter, and wife. I can relate to a whole new “hood” I’ve never been able to relate with; motherhood and parenthood.

What’s the legacy you want to leave on your community?

The day I die, I’d like people to remember me as someone who taught how to be fearless and how to create their own destiny. I would love my daughter to say I was her motivator and role model.

"I would love my daughter to say I was her motivator and role model."

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What advice do you have for women working towards cultivating the career of their dreams?

Have Integrity. Don’t give up on your big goal once things get tough because I didn’t. The tougher it got for me, the more I learned how to navigate the things that today are easy for me to accomplish. I have never lowered my standards and I haven’t lost integrity to get the things I’ve wanted in my career. Too many people fall short and lower their standards for the things they want at the moment not realizing they are compromising their goals. Look at the big picture and don’t settle for less.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When my husband eats my food. Drives me insane especially when I ask beforehand if I should get extra of “that something” and he says, “no.” Then it’s gone and I want to scream.

Top 3 artists on your workout playlist?

Leikeli 47, Major Lazer, Kendrick Lamar. (Cardi B but until she makes more music, I’ll continue playing Bodak Yellow, lol).

What's something you'd like people to know about your job that they probably don’t?

I handle all my social media, create my programs from top to bottom, and all the decisions I make for my supplement company are my own. From ingredients to new products. I don’t play around with neither my business or my fans. The reason I am here today is because of them and they deserve me staying genuine and telling them only the truth.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I love what I do. I’ve been complete ever since I started helping people and doing fitness. I LOVE what I do. I think I’ve found my purpose and I hope my love for fitness and helping others shows even if those who show me support haven’t met me directly.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

I’d trade jobs with Ayesha Curry. I happen to be really good in the kitchen and she seems to have so much love and passion for cooking that it looks so rewarding. You can tell she loves what she does.

"I’d trade jobs with Ayesha Curry."

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

At the point, I had a serious talk with my mother and I had anxiety about everything I was doing. She told me to read Ecclesiastes in the Bible and that was it. I never doubted myself. I’m very spiritual and that gave me so much confidence because of the man above always, ALWAYS, backs me up.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

The best advice I was given was by my mother. She’s always told me to be myself and not try to be what people expect me to be.

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour?

I hit bumps every day. I don’t look at failure or anything for that matter as a negative. I’ve learned a lot more failing or through bumps in the road than I have when everything is going great. I learn from the situation and I find a solution. But I keep moving forward with applying what I’ve learned and hopefully not make that mistake again.

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

"Stronger" by Tank.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE WELLNESS LIST CLICK HERE. 

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FULL 2018 CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 LIST BELOW. 

Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Cara Santana

THE BOLD BEAUTY. 

Cara Santana is keeping it real. 

Though she lives her life under a microscope, she's never shied away from speaking her mind, telling her truth, or posting a make-up free shot on her Instagram, which boasts over 820k followers. 

To point: After the most recent Golden Globes weekend, Cara posted a photo showing half of her face "done," and the other half completely make-up free. "It’s a glamorous weekend..but don’t forget, when the make up comes off, we are all the same and every single one of us, just as beautiful. #nofilter #noretouching #truebeauty#beautyexpectations," she captioned the photo. 

Though the beauty influencer and actress recently bid farewell to The Glam App, an on-demand beauty service she co-founded in 2015, she told her IG followers, "Thank you all for your amazing support and contributions to this incredible journey I have taken. A special debt of gratitude to the amazing team, the fantastic stylists, to all of you who supported the company and the amazing partners." 

 She's a woman who took a risk and launched a very successful biz. Not every actress and influencer has the ability to say that. Nor does every actress and influencer have the ability to say they shaved their head. Yep, Cara's done that too and it helped shaped her relationship to beauty. 

Read more from the bold Cara below. 

Name: Cara Santana

Instagram Handle: @CaraASantana

Being surrounded by an industry that puts such an emphasis on "beauty." What has that word come to mean to you?

Beauty to me is the ability to exude confidence and empowerment.

Do you remember a moment when you first felt beautiful?

When I was 18 years old I shaved my head 5 days before my brother's Bar Mitzvah, much to my mother's chagrin. It was for a project I was doing. It was scary. So much of my femininity and beauty was wrapped up in my appearance and the superficial aspects of my aesthetic. I remember vividly having a moment after I had done it, standing in the mirror at 18 years old and saying to myself this is you - no hair, no make-up, - nothing. Love yourself now or you never will. And I was suddenly empowered and felt beautiful. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate hair or make up - obviously, but I am not hostage to it. My beauty comes from being me.

"Love yourself now or you never will." 

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How has your relationship to beauty changed as you've gotten older?

It's love/hate. Kidding. Listen, honestly, it's a battle. Your face changes. Some of those changes, I love. For instance, the loss of my baby fat. My cheek bones are in full view. Some of those changes I hate, like fine lines. I just remember that 18-year-old girl in the mirror and tell myself to embrace who I naturally am. And now there is a larger budget on skincare and make up.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

My mom. She taught me the value of hard work, of being a strong, independent woman. She is 60 and still works 80 hours a week. And she never compromised, she has it all - a 38-year-old marriage, 2 awesome kids (lol), a successful career and the respect and admiration of her colleagues. She is perseverant, doesn't conform, and has paved her own way. She would work a full week, be at every family dinner, have date night with my dad, run the Junior League and show up at every extracurricular activity we had. She basically never slept and still doesn't, but I suspect she likes it that way. And I am glad I had that example.

IYO-- How can we stay original when we are so saturated by other people's work?

Knowing who you are and what separates you from everyone else and focusing on that. There is only one you, so be you.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Candidly, I don't really feel that complete at this moment, which I am okay with. I am 32 and I think it's probably premature to feel complete. I enjoy the struggle, the grind and putting in the work and I feel like I have a lot more of that to do before I feel complete professionally.

I enjoy the struggle, the grind and putting in the work and I feel like I have a lot more of that to do before I feel complete professionally.

If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?

I don't think I could choose a person, but I can say if I wasn't an actress, an influencer and business owner, I'd probably do something in social justice or law.

At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?

You know it's funny, for me the biggest challenge is finding the balance of being a strong assertive woman who is likable and effective. Taking charge isn't important to me, you can lead in a variety of ways, my confidence is built for sure - but the issue for me is really identifying the woman I want to be and how to navigate THIS world in a way I am proud of. It's really been hard for me, I am still figuring it out.

What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?

Take your criticism seriously, but not personally.

When you hit a big bump in the road, how do you find a new road or a detour?

I couldn't answer this question so I asked all the people in my office from my Executive Assistant to my COO and they all said, I just go over the bump, hit the bump, swerve the bump or go straight through it. Apparently, I am not very malleable.

What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?

Eric Clapton's "Pretty Girl". It's my fiancé and I's song and he proposed to me while it was playing. It always makes me smile.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE BEAUTY LIST CLICK HERE. 

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FULL 2018 CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 LIST BELOW. 

How CRWN Magazine Founder Is Changing the World by Being Herself

Real Queens fix each other's CRWNs.

“Don’t touch my hair! “ Many of us have heard Solange Knowles sing about it, but Lindsey Day co-founder of CRWN magazine is doing something about it.  Lindsey launched CRWN, a hair and lifestyle magazine for black women, with longtime collaborator, Nkrumah. It’s no secret that women of color go to inexplicable lengths to transform their natural hair to Caucasian standards of beauty.  It’s an arguably negative cycle of self-denunciation with a great financial and cultural burden.  However, in this age of information saturation, there has been a surge of natural hair influencers on social media and a boom in Black hair care products.  Both Nkrumah and Day felt compelled to contribute to this movement, finding that the one thing missing was “a premium magazine documenting the phenomenon, or authentically portraying our narrative”(Day). And thus, CRWN magazine was born, a culturally aware art platform that prides itself on showcasing only NATURAL Black hair. 

Day is no stranger to running magazines, uplifting social morale, or being on the cusp of innovation, but the road to her existential success was not direct.  She landed her first full time job at Interscope Records, while also editing a blog called “livelevated.com” with collegiate friend and creative director Nkrumah.  At the time they were working in the corporate music industry and found a little haven in this side project.  During Lindsey’s six years with Interscope, she witnessed the economic crash and the corporate industry flip inside out due to expanding technology.  This uncertainty drove Day to crave ownership.  And in 2009, she co-founded “Made Woman,” “an online magazine that helps young professional women connect and learn from each others’ careers.” 

She quit Interscope, worked full time at MW, and took some freelance gigs along the way.  One of which turned into a full time position with Intern Queen, doing content, business, and project management, honing in on her digital marketing skills.   

As she was approaching 30, the wordsmith needed a change.  She reconnected with Nkrumah on a Brooklyn rooftop in 2014, where they reflected on ownership, career, and voids in the marketplace, but most importantly “what life would look like if we could sustain ourselves by serving our people.” That was the beginning of CRWN.

CRWN is a quarterly print magazine with an e-commerce offering.  It is 100% independent and self-funded, and has built successful advertisement relationships based on its ability and promise to stay true to its core message of authentic Black culture.   This authenticity is what drives the owner. Lindsey says it’s her “love of my people, and the work,” it’s about seeing “a woman or girl flip through CRWN and her eyes light up…or when a sister confides in me about her hairstory and how CRWN is a place where she can finally see herself…These are the reminders that CRWN is so much bigger than Nkrumah and myself.”  A profound feeling that most of us hope to evoke at some point in our life.   

CRWN is culture. It is the Black musicians, painters, photographers, writers, activists, and visionaries of a culture that have never been honestly represented in the media, nor maybe even to it themselves.  It is healing Black people in America by saying ‘it is beautiful to be you.’  The team at CRWN feel a moral obligation to tell their story and document their culture.  In years to come, Lindsey sees CRWN growing into a “true media platform and hub for the culture,” where creatives and business people alike can come and “cut their teeth,” as she says. 

CrwnMag Issue no. 01; CrwnMag Issue no. 02. 

The co-founder's ability to show up, persevere, work hard, and trust her gut instinct, has brought her to a place of ownership, pride, humanitarianism, and cultural revival.  She has created a tangible change in the Black community, and most importantly, an awareness of truth and self-love.  In a world where African Americans have been systematically misrepresented, discredited, and traumatized throughout the course of history, Lindsey Day and CRWN have created a haven of acceptance, beauty, self-love, and open conversation.  The powerhouse tells it like this, “This is the first time in my life I’ve known I’m walking in my true purpose.”     

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

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Celebrating #WorldKindnessDay with the Founders of The Kind Campaign

Killing it with kindness.

Kindness Day was born when a collection of humanitarian groups came together on November 13, 1997 and made a “Declaration of Kindness”. Donating books, food or clothes to your local community is a great way to celebrate. However, these boss ladies went even further and launched an entire campaign.

Both Lauren Paul and Molly Thompson, co-founders of The Kind Campaign experienced bullying in middle and high school. Experiences that shaped who they are and gave them the first-hand knowledge needed when they launched Kind Campaign. 

While attending Pepperdine University, Lauren had the opportunity to intern for Tom Shadyac on his documentary project, I Am. Wanting to do something since being "severely bullied" in middle school, Lauren shares that the experience working on a documentary gave her the idea to work on a documentary of her own. One that specifically addressed the issues of bullying. 

Lunch in the Broadway Cafe at Pepperdine was the starting point, when both Molly and Lauren enthusiastically said, “YES” to an “uncharted adventure.” 

“It was during that life-changing lunch,” shares Lauren, “that I pitched the idea about creating a documentary.” Molly was all-in. “From that moment on,” she says, “we dove head first into everything. The moment we turned on the cameras and held our first interview for the film, we both knew there was a huge potential for something greater.” 

That was in 2008. Bullying wasn’t the hot-button topic it is now. They didn’t know if people would be willing to open up about their experiences. But the moment women and girls started talking it was clear that the issue had been swept under the rug for too long. Like Lauren, Molly had her own share of bullying experiences in high school. “Bullying specifically between females,” shares Molly, “was not addressed. It was almost expected and accepted as a rite of passage.”

The college seniors were about to launch a movement. 

Those initial interviews for Finding Kind, paved the road toward Kind Campaign, which officially launched in February, 2009. Since inception, Molly and Lauren have spoken at over 400 schools in North American and the UK, activated 390 Kind Clubs across the globe, and Lauren shares that “Kind Campaign Assemblies are now hosted by faculty and volunteers almost every day of the school year.” The co-founders are getting ready to head out on their 12th Founders Assembly Tour. 

It’s been an incredible journey for both. Lauren grew up in Orange County and Molly in Dallas, but after sharing a laugh over a YouTube video their junior year of college the two became “fast friends.” 

“It feels very surreal looking back on the last several years,” shares Molly who gave birth to daughter Lyla last August and understands the power of the messaging more than ever. “When we first started Kind Campaign, we were running on passion and adrenaline, pulling all nighters and barely scraping by with enough funds to keep going and spreading the movement.” Now the goal of offering free global programming is a reality. 

Lauren knows that more than ever young women need to know “that they matter, they are heard and they are equal. That no one can tell them who they are and what they can and can't accomplish.” She also brings up the power of social media and the influence it has over girls’ self-esteem. “There needs to be more conversation about how to have a healthy relationship with your phone. To remind girls that their worth is not determined by how many likes or followers they have.” Adding, “This is something we ALL need to hear and think about.” 

More from the co-founders below. 

What do you think young women and girls need to hear now more than ever?

Molly: That they are strong, powerful, beautiful, inspiring, unique, and more than capable of accomplishing anything that they put their minds to. And then remind them of this over and over and over again in order to combat the mixed messages that women and girls are fed by the media, by what is going on in our world today, by the experience that they have at school or in the workplace, and by the things that they start to tell themselves because it has become so ingrained within them. I think more than anything they need to be encouraged and allowed to be whoever it is they truly are, rather than to be told what it is they can or can't do, or be put in a box. Now, more than ever, I think we need to remind ourselves and our peers that we are enough, more than enough; and no one can take away our intellect, our self-respect, our beauty, our talents, our voice, or our worth

How can we each carry kindness into the world?

Lauren: Serving others doesn’t necessarily mean starting your own non-profit or dedicating your whole life to community service. One of my favorite quotes was said by Howard Thurman. It reads: “Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

I deeply believe in that motto. There is nothing better than a person who comes alive when they tell or show you what they do or what they’re passionate about, whether that’s being a teacher, sailing, owning a bakery, being a lawyer, singing or being a mom. You will be the best you if you find a way to do what you love and love what you do.

Molly: Every single person has the ability to change the course of someone else's life, just by being awake, being aware, and being kind. We truly do not know the battles that others face in their day-to-day lives, so if we just focus on ourselves and our ability to carry kindness into the world, and we are a light in someone else's life (however small it may be), we have the chance to make someone's day and even save their life.

What is a time in your life when you thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'

Lauren: When I went through my experience being bullied in middle school I remember waking up every morning and thinking that there was no way I was going to make it through another day of school.  I went to bed every night not wanting to wake up in the morning. I truly lost myself.  But with the support of one friend and my family, I was able to dig myself out of that depression and now I look back and that dark time and know that it all happened for a reason.  Without that experience, I would not be doing the work I am doing. I am now able to stand in front of hundreds of girls in our assemblies and remind them that their school experience is just one chapter of their story.  That no matter how dark the chapter is that you are in, there is a whole life ahead of you, waiting to be lived, filled with love and adventure.

What's a surprising story you heard during a school assembly that's stuck with you?

Lauren: Rachel is a girl we met during our last Spring tour while in Utah. At the end of all of our assemblies, we take a picture with the group of girls we are speaking to and post the picture on Kind Campaign’s social media. We were scrolling through the girls comments on her school’s photo and came across this comment from Rachel:

“I was at the Kind Campaign assembly at Draper Park. You guys really changed my point of view on everything. I can relate to everyone in the film. Every girlfriend I've had, I have lost.This morning when I woke up I was thinking about committing suicide. I came to school today on the verge of tears. Once I got in and sat down I wasn't really paying attention but once I watched the movie and I was in tears. I came up and shared my Kind Card. It was about one of my best friends. He stood by me through all my hard times. Once I got home I realized that even though some girls can be rude and don't understand what their words can do that it shouldn't be worth dying over. I called my best friend and talked to him for an hour. I was just crying my eyes out. Your assembly today? Yeah, it saved my life.”

We were really moved after reading that and immediately connected with her through Instagram and offered further support with our in-house counselor. Our on-call therapist counsels girls and parents who write to Kind Campaign and need extra conversation and support. This service is free of charge. I still keep in touch with Rachel and she is happy, healthy and doing so well!

What does female empowerment mean to you?

Molly: Everything. Female empowerment is everything. Celebrating each other, our accomplishments, our differences, our failures and our victories so that we feel emboldened and proud of who we are with the knowledge that we are good enough. It has taken on a new meaning since having Lyla. Even though it's always been important to me, now it's even more personal. Not just for myself, not even for all of the incredible young women we meet through our work, but for her - my little heartbeat. She needs to know her worth and feel supported and celebrated. Not judged and picked a part, scrutinized under a more harsh microscope than others.

"Female empowerment is everything."

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Lauren: It means getting to know yourself. Loving and respecting your body, heart and mind. It means doing your best to let go of those female insecurities we all harbor. It means feeling genuinely happy for other women and celebrating their beauty, uniqueness and accomplishments without going to a jealous or competitive place. Don’t be a part of drama and gossip.

What’s on your career bucket list?

Lauren: I’ve always dreamt of writing a book. I would also love to continue speaking in other countries.  Molly and I took our Kind Campaign Founders Assemblies to the UK last year and I would love to see our programming continue to spread globally.

Molly: Honestly, in so many ways I feel like I've already exceeded what any bucket list could capture. Not to sound cheesy, but I really do feel so unbelievably lucky to be in the position I am and do what we do. We have always said, "If we can just impact one person, then it has all been worth it." And thanks to social media for making this world seem so small and allowing us to see Kind Campaign's impact, we have the opportunity to hear from that "one person" who has been impacted on a regular basis. So I guess my career bucket list would be to keep Kind Campaign's messaging current enough as time goes on to continue to have such a profound impact on people. And to meet Oprah.

F*ck Cancer Founders On Turning The F Word into a Rallying Call

Giving all of the F*cks.

Pink products to raise awareness and walks to raise money, but when it comes to a cancer diagnosis there is one word on everyone’s mind: fuck. 

When Yael Cohen Braun’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 it was certainly a word that crossed her mind. So she made a shirt for her mom to wear in recovery. That shirt read: Fuck Cancer. That slogan became a non-profit by the same name, one that addressed the perils of the disease with wit and humor and that rallied people around sentiments felt by everyone when facing down the Big C. It’s a message of empowerment with a built-in rallying call. A big FU to the big C, if you will. Even Yael’s title at the non-profit, “Chief Cancer Fucker,” reminds people to not get beatdown by the disease and that there is a community of support. 

Julie Greenbaum, co-founder and CRO, got involved in 2010 after her mother passed away from ovarian cancer. Honoring her mother’s legacy is what motivates and fuels her day-to-day. 

“My mother was one of my greatest mentors, her positive attitude was always something I admired, something she instilled in her children,” Julie shares. 

Yael was working in finance when her mom was diagnosed. She looked around for support, unable to find an organization willing to engage and do what Yael thought needed to be done: namely, activating youth’s participation in the fight, which including encouraging them to talk to their parents about early detection screenings and prevention efforts. Everything she found was pink and pretty— something that cancer is not. Engaging a digitally savvy crowd was also an important part of spreading the prevention message. 

The women came together after realizing, “that by joining forces we would be able to make a greater impact in the Cancer space. Our desire was to create and stronger more impactful charity. We bonded over this overarching goal.”

Now some people don’t love the word fuck. That’s a given. But the co-founders aren’t concerned. They aren’t trying to be doctors or politically correct. First and foremost they are daughters, bonded by an experienced shared by so many. “I'm learning how important it is to grant yourself the freedom to live your life authentically,” says Julie who dropped out of college to focus on running the charity full time. “To really get to know yourself by exposing yourself to as many opportunities as you can. It has taken time and maturity to develop this comfort.” 

In between running Fuck Cancer, and being new mom to Jagger, Yael also runs motherlucker.com, a honest breakdown of the realities of motherhood. The day-to-day can feel overwhelming; “we’re a smaller team and oftentimes we’re forced to juggle many different responsibilities,” Julie shares. But says, “Life doesn't owe you anything. You owe it to yourself to make your life the best that it can be.”

The includes remaining “constantly inspired by our team and the amazing people I continue to meet. I continue to feel a strong sense of determination and confidence in knowing that our charity is making and difference and playing an important role.”

#Careergoals + #Hairgoals: Find Out Why This Celeb Stylist Is Both

Kristin Ess has been doing hair for more than half of her life. Since she was 15, the hairstylist whose roster includes Lauren Conrad, Lucy Hale, and Halle Berry, has said “yes to anything and everything” that came her way. The stylist and her trademark vibrant redhead has done the salon thing, the editorial jobs, the freelance route, as well as assisting hairdressers she admired for free “a lot.” In 2011 she launched The Beauty Department, aimed at bridging the divide between the glam squad and the every-girl, work she has continued as founder of Kristin Ess Hair. 

Taking on the role of founder it’s only natural that her workload has gotten “more intense,” as there is now “more to see, more to create,” as well as “more to dream up.” But don’t expect her to start slacking as a result. With a new Target collab, she's only getting started.  

“I try to be as original as possible,” says the mane guru. “I don't go on Pinterest and just copy whatever pretty visuals I see. I don't creep other hairdressers and copy what they do. I do my research and try to bring something inspiring to the table.”

Despite her superhuman hair prowess and boss ass hair flips (see: above photo), the mane goddess is mortal. Over the holidays Kristin says she was walking about her house crying, wondering if she would ever sleep again. Between The Beauty Department relaunch, Kristin Ess Hair, the steady stream of content creator, travel, and being down two assistants, she had averaged between three to four hours a night for four days. “I actually googled, ‘Can you die from exhaustion?’” 

She didn’t. 

The hairstylist doesn’t set goals, something she says may be “a big no no according to some, but so far it’s worked for me.” She also doesn’t have habits or routine. “The one and only habit I have is brushing my teeth.” 

As for her relationship to herself and career she’s keeping it real. “I think I've started to judge myself a little bit more in the last five years,” Kristin openly shares, “which I never did before. I thought I would have launched my line sooner, I thought I would have traveled more, I thought I would have lost weight, I thought I'd be more organized, I thought I would have a bigger team. I never would have thought those things about myself 10 years ago. But you get into your 30s and you start being a little harder on yourself. I catch myself in the moment, almost every time. I stop, mentally step back and look at what I am/do/have experienced and I remember I'm doing fucking great.”

When her clients feel good, she feels good. And her number one takeaway for them when they leave her chair is that “That they've been heard. That I get what they want and that I can deliver on what they've asked for.” It’s simple, but powerful and is in harmony with what she sees as one of the next big trends in beauty. “We're breaking down the walls of overpriced beauty!” she exclaims.  

In an industry not known for being soft, rather one that Kristin says “can be very competitive and sometimes nasty,” she’s focused on a positive future. Encouraging “women, both friends and people I haven't met, via social media and throwing down all the YAS KWEENS I can. We’re all in this together and no one woman is better than the rest.” 

While it may seem that the follicular feminist's career is on fire ('cause it is), Kristin remembers a past and “very wise” client who told her, "You never want to be on fire. Fires burn out. You always want to be smoking." 

"You never want to be on fire. Fires burn out. You always want to be smoking." 

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Sound advice that has stayed with her. “I’ve never desired to be the most famous hairstylist on earth. I never needed to have every single celebrity in my chair. I just want to do my job really well for a long time, and hopefully people will love it whether they're famous or not.”

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Kristin will be joining us in Seattle for Create & Cultivate Seattle on September 9th. Nab a ticket now, before they sell out (they always do). 

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How One Famous Seattle Creative Totally Changed the Art Game

Blowing up in more ways than one.

Jihan Zencirli, the creative genius turned balloon boss @geronimoballons, behind the colorful art installations that billow up buildings and blow up your Instagram feed, found out she was good at balloons in 2011. 

A “tad lonely child” Jihan says that she spent a majority of her youth on the floor next to her bed, with a pen, journal, magazines, and three-ring binders equipped with plastic sleeves. “I spent hours pulling out articles and images,” she shares, “filing them into the binder and making lists and detailed notes of the things I wanted to do in my life, and the specific year I wanted to achieve them by.” 

It was this early act of planning and dreaming that set her in motion. “I never made the goal of being a balloon artist,” she says. “But I did plan and yearn and dream for an adult life of travel, red shoes, late bedtimes, being independent, making a living by using my hands to create, and,” she adds, “dating Jimmy Fallon.” 

The artist acknowledges herself as her biggest challenge, in part stiffened by the need to plan. And like the rest of us she's not “above saying in bed, trolling the internet to leave snarky comments about past purchases on Amazon when I’m down in the dumps.” 

Her first business failure came young. At 10 the budding entrepreneur went to Tokyo for the summer and attempted to sell origami tulips door-to-door. “It was perhaps my most useful life experience of humbly putting myself out into the world and waiting to see if the world smiled back.” They may not have smiled then, but her 80k followers on Instagram are certainly smiling now. They smile at her work, which needs to be seen to be believed, and her all caps captions that have little to do with the photo, but everything to do with being human. It's the perfect presentation juxtaposition: here is a magical work that transports your imagination and here is this small, but meaningful fact about me. "WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY MOTHER:" she wrote on January 3rd,  "DECEMBER 2000, READING MY JOURNAL AND FINDING OUT THAT MY SECRET BF TYLER CHRISTIANSEN SQUEEZED ONE OF MY BOOBS."   

Her work also nabbed the attention of one particularly smiley social presence. 

In 2011, Joy Cho of Oh Joy! blew up her balloon spot, sharing an image of Jihan’s work with her followers. Jihan calls it “a bit of luck.” a bit of an understatement. “A yo-yo designer and creative director” until that point, Jihan had been steadily creating for decades. The helium hasn't gone to her head. "Overnight," she says, "I had a PayPal account of $30k from people who had seen the images, traveled to my website and clicked 'buy now.'" It was ready, set, Geronimo. 

She often falls asleep in her day’s clothes, “sometimes I don’t even take off my shoes,” she says, joking it might be her secret to success. Actually, “yes,” she decides, “I’m going to swear by it.” This lack of habit or ritual, though at variance with the planner in her (in both the binder and balloon sense), is in harmony with the side of her that knows reinvention is an important part of her path. “It’s natural to need change,” she says, “and it’s healthy to create endings.” 

"It's natural to need change and it's healthy to create endings." 

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Some of those plans include buying back her great-grandparents’ home in Seattle, renovating it “to look identical to how it was in the ‘60s and ‘70s with shag carpet and green walls.” Traveling through Nigeria to “study the new generation of musicians influenced by afrobeat, afro juju and yo-pop, waka.” Acquiring the aforementioned red shoes also remains a priority. Whether she’ll sleep with them on remains as up in the air as her creations. 

She finds time to head to Korean Spa and “periodically recalibrate as needed,” having learned that the trick to being a good planner means learning to “sit back and enjoy watching as it all plays out.” That includes “being at peace with with myself in every aspect, including the most vulnerable and taboo— which is being naked.” (See above note about Korean Spa.) “Nakedness is a metaphor for me,” the artist shares, “it’s about feeling no need to hide.” It’s the kind of exposure she used to hide from, now feeling like “I’m at the end of a 31 year yawn, and am relaxed and at peace with everything in myself, imperfect as it is.” 

And while we love the magic she creates, the fancy it inspires, how far and away and up she can take us, this might be our favorite thing about her: “In the car and shower, I practice my impersonations. If I had more time, I'd sit in front of a mirror working out all four characters of a 1990s Ovaltine commercial, perfecting each facial movement and expression.”

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

Jihan AKA GERONIMO will be joining us in her hometown of Seattle for Create & Cultivate Seattle on September 9th. Nab a ticket now, before they sell out (they always do). 

This article was originally part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entrepreneur List Here.

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Celebrating 60 Years of Redefining Beauty

The last 60 years have been a daring exploration in change. We’ve witnessed the rise of the female entrepreneur. Birth control was approved. We marched and made some noise; some of us burned bras and set fire to the world in the process. Females now outpace males in college enrollment. And we have more women of color in the Senate than ever before. We changed history. We made history.

It’s because we care. We care about our future and the future of generations to come. We care about the world and how we move within it. We care about ourselves and each other.

And for over 60 years, Dove has been providing the same great superior care and championing real beauty for generations of women. Your grandmother who never thought she’d vote for a female president. Your own mom who fought the stigma of being a working mother. And now you. You’re part of a generation that is redefining everything, especially beauty standards.  

When it comes to beauty over the last 60 years, just about everything has changed. Trends have come and gone (so long 1980 and everything you brought), hairstyles coiffed, curled, and then chopped, but some beauty essentials are as relevant now as they were half a century ago. This month, Dove is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its iconic Dove Beauty Bar, which has remained unchanged since its launch in 1957.

To commemorate this milestone, Dove released a new video showing a retrospective of iconic beauty moments and the Dove brand’s heritage of featuring real women in its ads and caring for their skin.  Women have redefined beauty, built confidence, and challenged stereotypes, and it is the brand’s honor to have been by their side since 1957, caring for them every step of the way, and making way for a new norm to be established: one that focuses on redefining beauty.

We are excited to have partnered with Dove to not only bring you a list of 10 groundbreaking women in the beauty industry, but to celebrate their 60 years of superior care. For a limited time in January and February, 2017, the Dove Beauty Bar will be engraved with the word ‘care.’

It’s one of the most important words when it comes to beauty. Self-care. Carefree. It also just so happens to be the first four letters of one of our favorite words as well: career. Coincidence? We think not.

Together, we can keep redefining beauty for the next 60 years. Share how you will continue to redefine beauty and #RaiseTheBeautyBar on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. And click here to read the list of our 10 amazing Create & Cultivate 100 Beauty honorees who have been catalysts for change and inspiration.

STEM: Heather Lipner

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full STEM List Here.

Taking on fast fashion with AR. 

Heather is wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

Heather Lipner, tech maven, has worked in the dude-heavy tech industry for "at least 13 years." As the former creative director of MySpace, co-founder of Uncovet, and founder of Clashist, that oh-so-pop-culture-meme-tastic apparel line approved by James Franco, the entrepreneur has a few tricks up her techie sleeve. 

Drawsta is her latest newest venture. An augmented reality fashion concept that adds an unexpected layer to wearables. “I created Drawsta.com because I love creating products that are allow the customer to really express themselves,” says Heather. With Drawsta, customers can write their own animated text and emojis on t-shirts and share the augmented reality digital experience via social media and/or show how it works in person. It’s also a backlash against the greed of fast fashion. Why change your shirt when you can change the image on said shirt? 

It was during the course of running e-commerce brand Clashist that Heather witnessed “how fast people got sick of fashion trends.” Instead of succumbing to the masses and embracing the world of fast, she instead opted to “let people digitally wear, create, and swipe through different graphics.” 

While Heather loves being able to create new graphics for people to wear, she admits that new takes some adjustment. “Experiencing fashion via augmented reality is new and with anything new it takes a bit longer to pick up then let's say a smiley face on a tee.”

"With anything new it takes a bit longer to pick up then a smiley face on a tee.”

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It’s also the first business she launched without funding. “Doing it all myself is mentally challenging,” she explains, but says her boyfriend, Drawsta’s customers who are “highly influential on what gets designed and built out,” and her “incredibly supportive friends and family," keep her motivated. 

Heather shares that she’s not “into all of the girl boss and girl gang stuff - I think it keeps gender segregated rather than ensuring that men and women are both sitting at the table. We should all be networking together and making sure men see us as women not girls, not in a girl gang, but as equals who want the same things.” 

“We should all be making sure men see us as women not girls.”

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Over her decade plus in tech Heather has accumulated her fair share of lessons. Practically speaking she likes to get the stuff she hates (paying bills and going to the gym) out of the way first thing in the am. She also shares that she doesn't make five year goals. "I let opportunities arise and choose to do or not to do them, instead of getting stuck into a long term plan." But what the future personally holds for the inventor is clear: "Answer honestly, support authentically, share resources and share other women's work." 

We'd put that on a t-shirt. 100. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Content Creator: Jessica Bennett

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Content Creator List Here.   

Leading us into battle. 

Jessica Bennett, gender and culture writer and author of Feminist Fight Club, knew she wanted to be a journalist from a young age— 10, she says, give or take a few homework assignments. After scoring an internship at the newspaper in her hometown of Seattle, Bennett worked at the Boston Globe during college, the Village Voice when she moved to NYC, eventually landing her first staff job at Newsweek. 

It was at Newsweek where she started writing about gender politics, spurned in part she says, by “my own inability to rise up.”

“In the height of that frustration,” Bennett explains, “two colleagues and I stumbled upon the story of a group of female staffers who had sued the company for gender discrimination in 1970.” The lawsuit was the first of its kind and paved the way for female journalists everywhere, but their story had been largely forgotten. (herstory, not herstory.) When Bennett and her co-workers realized that not enough had changed for women at work, they agreed there was an important story to unearth. “We ultimately wrote an oral history of their story, and our own, looking at how much (not enough) had changed.” 

It was a piece they believed they’d be fired for writing. Waving a polite middle-finger to your own place of employment isn’t safest way to climb the corporate ranks, but they were in too deep and hoisted the story up the pole. They wove the stories together, citing underlying gender issues in the workplace, a lack of female bylines and cover stories, and limited though high-profile successes, like that of their boss Ann McDaniel, then Newsweek’s managing editor, that mask the bigger problems. They weren’t fired. 

Instead the piece became the lede for a book, the Amazon original series, Good Girls Revolt (which, Amazon cancelled after one season without one woman present) as well as Jessica’s own book, Feminist Fight Club, released early 2016. “The most important step I took to getting where I am today was saying ‘Fuck it,’” she says. “I'm going to fight for what I believe in -- even if it meant losing my job.” The only thing losing, at least if Bennett has a say, is the patriarchy. 

But why fight, a word and mentality that is easily interpreted as aggressive? A word the media tiptoes around when it comes to women. “Women are too often hesitant to use words like ‘fight,’” says Bennett, “for fear that we'll be perceived as ‘too aggressive.’ But you know what? Aggression is OK, and sometimes it's even necessary.” 

“Aggression is OK, and sometimes it's even necessary.”

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She also says she’s “sick of hearing people talk about empowerment and then buy a certain brand of shampoo to attain it.”  

“Empowerment is good—but you don’t magically achieve it, you fight for it. To me ‘fight’ implies action, and I believe in action,” Jessica says. “At least when it comes to issues of equality.” When we ask what “female empowerment” means to her, it’s a simple response we’d never considered. “It means feminism,” she says, “but for people who aren’t comfortable with the word."

It’s why she’s focussed her sights on a new position. “Chief Gender Correspondent, New York Times— a job that doesn’t yet exist, but I’m workin’ on it.” 

As for the fight club, both her own personal group whom she credits as her mentors, and the group at large, she’s ready to march. (Which she did this past Saturday at the Women's March.) To charge ahead. To give up, never. “It looks like we are a whole lot further from equality than I thought. But that's all the more reason we have to continue to fight -- this battle isn't over any time soon.” 

Good thing we've found a leader in Jessica Bennett. 

Beauty: Andrea Brooks

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with Dove, you can view the full Beauty List Here. 

Inspiring confidence through commonality. 

Andrea Brooks, the beauty blogger known as AndreasChoice with almost 5 million followers between her IG and YouTube platforms, has always had a love for "beauty, art, and computers." Which, sounds like a match made in digital video heaven.

In 2008 Andrea decided to start a YouTube channel as a creative outlet while working as a teacher for disabled adults. But the load of working during the day and uploading videos at night, became too much and Andrea had to make her first major choice. She says, "Leaving a job I loved to pursue YouTube full time," was a difficult but highly important step in her career.  

Her vlogging and makeup skills have catapulted her career; "here we are!" she exclaims about her rise to YouTube fame, but it's Andrea's down-to-earth approach (like her "how to hack" series which includes: hacking smelly shoes, body odor, and a messy home-- see how she uses a Dove soap bar in this one) that capture the essence of the video platform is all about. It's not about unattainability. It's about reliability. "I try to make women feel confident and beautiful and liberated in a world that makes it difficult to feel that way," shares the vlogger who worked to find her own voice and confidence.

More from Andrea below.

What are some of the challenges you've encountered along the way?

Sometimes you go into moments where you're uninspired but you still have to try and keep a schedule.

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

My audience influences a lot of what I do. I can tell by their comments and messages what they want to see or are going to have coming up soon (Valentine's Day, Halloween, back-to-school, etc.) I love helping then out. 

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

To only give attention to the supporters. 

What is your favorite life advice?

Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself. 

"Life isn't about finding yourself. It's about creating yourself."

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What is a time in your life when you thought, 'I can't do this anymore?'

I have those moments regularly, but I always find a new path that I CAN do ;)

International Women’s Day is coming up. A global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. If you could steer the conversation around International Women’s Day, what would that dialogue be about?

How, as women today we can have the confidence level to achieve what we want, while ignoring the media pressures of what women should be.

How has your relationship to yourself changed in the last five years?

I have been able to overcome challenges that I never thought were possible before. I have grown more confident.

What does female empowerment mean to you?

We have less power than men and still deal with oppression. Women have a more difficult time achieving goals than men do so we need to empower each and stand together to show everyone that when given the chance, we have so much to contribute to this world.

Wellness: Erin Falconer & Geri Hirsch, LEAFtv

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Wellness List Here.

It's their Year of Wellness. 

Geri is wearing Keds' Triple Dalamta Dot Leather.

Sexism. It’s not something you hear a lot about in the blogging world, especially since women are the predominant money makers, but both Geri Hirsch and Erin Falconer, co-founders of LEAFtv both say that they have experienced and been challenged by “sexism, on many occasions.” 

If it exists, they would know. Erin and Geri have been in the blog space for over a decade. “I co-founded LEAFtv due to my love of the digital space,” shares Geri, “and the need for how-to videos.” This was pre-digital madness, “a time when millions didn’t exist.” The early intrepid explorers were, “immediately caught up in the magic of the web,” says Canadian-born Erin. As a lifestyle and wellness destination for millennial women, Geri and Erin became staple digital darlings on the scene; the duo had a bit of magic themselves. They've slowly and surely built a digital brand and platform that now reaches over 8 million readers every month and have the unique advantage of witnessing the last decade's social evolution.

Erin, who is also the Editor in Chief of PickTheBrain, a blog she founded seven years ago, is very frank about the change of social. “I wish I could say that there still exists a truly social experience, but for me it's becoming more and more about algorithms - which is kind of sad. It used to be fun, exciting and I felt like I really made an impact and now, it feels like you have to pay to access your own audience,” which she shares is something she won’t do. 

“Social,” says Geri, “is now a huge part of our marketing and growth overall.” Erin says that “When it comes to social,” the first thing is to stop “thinking of it as social and start thinking about it as a business.”

"Stop thinking of it as social. Start thinking of it as a business."

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It what they've done. Last year the partners got new (glowing) skin in the digital game when they expanded into the subscription model with Year of Wellness, their way of providing people an easy way to live well. “There wasn’t a subscription providing an entire year of products and advice on wellness,” says Geri. “We wanted to be those people.” 

For her part, Erin is “personally thrilled that the era of Wellness is upon us. Starting about 18 months ago we saw a real shift in the content that our audience was responding to on YouTube (with LEAF).” Followers were asking more questions about their routines and certain wellness practices. “We both had the lightbulb moment at the same time: there is a real need for information and access to experiences across the country and nobody was really filling that void in a comprehensive way.” They got to work. Eight months later YOW arrived. 

Geri is wearing Keds' Triple Dalamta Dot Leather.

Which brings us to the overwhelm factor. The balance of staying well while running businesses and keeping up with the internet joneses. 

They cop to the “exhaustion of social media,” but a shared love of wellness and positive feedback from their LEAFtv tribe, as well as being a “tiny part of shifting someone’s world,” is enough to fight through the rapid pace of a changing market, bureaucracy, and their vision. Which includes knowing, says Geri, that “attaining perfection is overrated,” and “striving for it is invaluable.” They're also beholden to their own routines, including mediation, which without Erin says “I just don't think I'd have the calm, the focus or the energy to do what I'm doing.”

"Attaining perfection is overrated. Striving for it is invaluable."

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What is incredibly valuable is their approach to the work and the definitely female future. “It is my solid contention that we have entered the era of the woman,” says Erin. “The internet and all it offers (if we can figure out how to use it the right way) is designed to lift women up. Gone are the days of the classical work hierarchies of oppression for women. Gone are the choices: Work or family. It is an amazing time to be a woman, and I truly believe each and every one of us (specifically most of the people on this list!) has the chance to make a great difference to future generations of women. I couldn't be more excited to be a part of it all.” 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Entertainment: Mandy Moore

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Crushing on the woman who's crushing her career. 

On Saturday morning, wearing a blue sweatshirt with the words, "For most of history Anonymous was a woman," across her chest and a pink "pussy" hat, actress Mandy Moore, joined a reported fellow 750,000 women, men, and children at the Women's March in Downtown Los Angeles. 

Though the pop "Candy" songstress turned Golden Globe nominated actress has received accolades for her current work on This Is Us on NBC, this past weekend Moore took the streets as if to say, This, Is ALL of US. "What a way to celebrate the collective energy of so many people unwilling to sit idly by. One for the books," the award nominee wrote on her Instagram. Not what some would expect from a former TRL charter, but crushing career stereotypes is part of her repertoire.

Moore escaped the standard downward spiral of a young-to-fame pop princess. When critics said she was simply “too nice,” she kept working, at times typecast, but steadily building her acting career. Since her debut in role in 2001 as the voice of a Girl Bear Cub in Dr. Doolittle 2, Moore has been cast in over twenty films. She managed to keep her 2015 divorce relatively private. And steers clear of the pomp and circumstance of Hollywood. Maybe it's that angelic smile that keeps her floating above the drama, or the fact that Moore keeps her head as firmly attached to her shoulders as her feet to the ground. “At 32 years old, I feel a comfort in my own skin and a sense of determination in my choices that I thought I had all along but really I had no idea,” the actress admits. "There’s no substitute for time or the wisdom and clarity that comes with it. I’ve been working hard to quit apologizing for things I have no control over or no business apologizing for in the first place.”

Or perhaps it’s the lessons she’s kept tucked in her toolkit from her teen years in a notoriously sexist music industry. “Surround yourself with GOOD people,” she says. “I’m lucky enough to have a stable and supportive foundation when it comes to my family and friends so I’ve always attributed that as being the most critical piece of the puzzle. Beyond that, always, always, always trust your gut. When in doubt, DON’T.” 

"Always, always, always trust your gut. When in doubt, DON’T.” 

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Those women include a stellar squad of empowered women who, Moore says, have “shown me that there’s so much value in learning how to say no, staying true to your vision and finding the courage to take risks.” And her mom, who sent her daughter a pillow the morning of the Globes embroidered with the phrase, “so believed she could so she did.” That she has. 

At present, the low-maintenance performer's risks include making active and bold choices in her life and career, something that wasn’t always the case. “Like a lot of people,” she explains, “I allowed fear to govern my life for a period. I became exceptionally good at making myself and my needs as minuscule as possible as not to disturb other parts of my life. Once I realized that those broken patterns weren’t leading me where I wanted to go, I leaned into the pain, embraced change and started owning my power.” Whether she’s singing, acting, or marching down Broadway, the choices she’s making are her own. 

The industry, and the viewers who turned out in droves to watch This Is Us last fall, are taking notice. With a radical 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a two-season renewal from the network, things are looking sweet for Moore. But she’s not taking any of it for granted. “Having a job that inspires and challenges me as much as this one does is all of the reward I could ask for. Having said that, this is a WHOLE new world to me and it’s equal parts mind-blowing and humbling. I keep reminding myself to be in the moment and that it’s ok to really appreciate it and not write it off too quickly.” 

We suggest taking a similar approach to Moore and her career, wherever that particular march may take her.

Entertainment: Rachel Bloom

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Nothing crazy here. 

Rachel Bloom, co-creator and star of the irreverent musical comedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend on the CW, grew up with an affinity for four things: singing, dancing, murder, and death.(#bestfriendstatus?) Her years spent in Southern California’s beachy-clean Manhattan Beach were jointly filled with anxiety and a love for musical theater. An outsider at school, those showy tunes were all she listened to until 18, when the theater nut headed from the shores of CA to the smells of NY to major in musical theater at NYU's Tisch program. But everyone experiments in college. During her time at Tisch, Rachel branched out, started performing with Upright Citizen Brigade Theater, and “fell in love with doing sketch comedy.” 

Post NY, back in LA once again, Rachel worked as a staff writer on Cartoon Network’s Robot Chicken, but wasn't entirely satisfied. “My first TV writing job was with a bunch of older, more experienced men, and many of them were brilliant but mean to me. I went home and cried a lot during that period.” And she hadn't shook the musical-comedy bug. 

"My first TV writing job was with older, more experienced men. Many of them were brilliant but mean to me."

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Six years ago the first video she posted on YouTube, “Fuck Me, Ray Bradbury,” about the sci-fi writer, went viral. For his part, Bradbury reportedly saw said video on his 90th birthday and dug it. A second short, involving a singing "historically accurate Disney princess" who coughs up blood and warbles about a blacksmith with a "daughter-wife, ten-years-old and pregnant," caught the attention of her soon-to-be Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator, Aline Brosh McKenna. It was also the first very public mix of all the things that fascinated Rachel a child. (See above: singing, dancing, murder, and death.) Rachel credits those shorts as the most important step in her career. “Filming what I wrote was immensely important,” she explains. Advice taken from her husband, who many years ago told the actress, "‘Film what you write.’ At the time he was way more experienced than I was," she shares, "so I took his words to heart and it really paid off.”

Even if her road to success was paved with tears, they were not for wont. The CW ordered five additional scripts even before the premiere of My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Last January, Rachel won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Comedy or Musical. And Crazy Ex is just that: a cherry musical on top of a dark, modern day comedy. The blunt name of the show ironically pegs women in a role men have long loved to brand them as: crazy. But the use of music, clever dialogue, and conversations amongst female characters that have nothing to do with men, debunk and deconstruct the male-driven stereotype. 

Rachel says that the impetus for the show was always to deal with the contradictory messages women deal with on a daily basis. Telling TIME, “We’re taught to be strong women, we want to be strong women, but both our western ideas of romance and also our own emotions make us crazy. Women are fed all of these contradictory ideas about what love is and what you should and shouldn’t have and you’re supposed to have it all, but you’re also supposed to fall in love.”  

Wise words from a woman who says that “female empowerment means seeing oneself as a citizen of Earth first, and how one's gender informs that second.”

Comedy has always appealed to the songstress. “On a primal level,” she shares, “being funny suddenly made me cooler than I could ever be off-stage. I fell in love with comedy writing due to the creative freedom one could find through structure.”

"Being funny suddenly made me cooler than I could ever be off-stage."

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She’s been very open about her own anxieties, “making it,” and capital F fears. “I have a lot more confidence now. I'm not afraid that every bad idea is an omen of me being a talentless hack,” she says. Quoting an acting teacher who once told her, "Laziness is a form of fear," Rachel says that bit of advice has stuck with her. "It really hit home with me." 

And now, we welcome Rachel, her oddities and talent, into ours. 

Wellness: Taryn Toomey

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Wellness List Here.

Giving us a master class in feeling good. 

Sometimes life is what happens when you’re on your way to something else. Or in the case of Taryn Toomey, when you’re late to something else. “After years of ‘running to yoga,’ I left my corporate fashion job to pursue yoga teacher training,” says Toomey, who previously worked for both Ralph Lauren and Dior. “That's when I discovered my love for teaching movement.” The “movement” she’s referring to is the genre-defying blend of cardio, yoga, and high-intensity interval training that Toomey developed after a few years of teaching yoga while also longing for “a practice that involved more FIRE and expression.” It's known now as the cult-beloved workout phenomenon The Class.    

Toomey started out modestly, teaching an invite-only version of The Class in the basement of her Tribeca building. But thanks to the yogapreneur's unique blend of targeted muscle-sculpting poses, bursts of high-energy movements, and her secret weapon, moments of soul soaring emotional catharsis, word of The Class spread like wildfire. Toomey credits her mentor, Mama Kia, with whom she studied in Peru, and the birth of her two daughters, with giving her the push she needed to pursue her passion. Her practice also evolved out of a more personal struggle, and as a form of self-therapy. Though she doesn’t go into detail on record, Toomey says she felt a strong need to develop a practice that released pent up negative energy, or what she refers to as “the sludge.” She lists self-doubt and vulnerability as challenges she has faced, explaining “The Class was created because I needed something for survival. It was all about survival.”

“My main goal for the future is to help people FEEL better.”

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It seems that Toomey has not just figured out how to survive, but thrive: The Class with Taryn Toomey, as it's now called, boasts devotees like Christy Turlington and Naomi Watts and is currently taught every day in both Los Angeles and New York City. The latter is a city where Toomey recently opened her first flagship studio in Tribeca, decked out with crystal-embedded floors for optimum energetic flow. She also recently expanded into other wellness-adjacent areas, launching The Airelume, a handcrafted fine jewelry line, The Retreatment, luxury wellness retreats to destinations around the world, and The Layer, seasonal nutritional cleanses with an emphasis on anti-inflammatory and ayurvedic practices.  Toomey credits daily meditation and regular practice of The Class with both her personal and professional growth. “My career in wellness has expanded very quickly and organically,” she says. “I did not originally realize that I could have such an impact on so many people. I now see my ability to inspire, help people discover their intentions and even reach their goals.” As for Toomey’s own goals for the future? She has plans expand The Class to Vancouver and hopes to someday teach The Class live accompanied by one of her favorite musicians.

On a larger scale she says, “My main goal for the future is to help people FEEL better.”

Content Creators: Anne Sage & Caroline Lee, Light Lab Studios

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Content Creator List Here.   

The side hustle Queens. 

Anne is wearing Keds' Kickstart Perf Leather. Caroline is wearing Keds' Triple Metallic.

If Anne Sage had more time for one thing she’d be writing a novel. If Caroline Lee had more time for one thing she’d being DJ’ing. 

But both ladies, who collectively run Light Lab Studios in Atwater Village couldn't possibly make room for more. Or could they?

Anne’s path took her from Stanford, where she graduated with an English degree to NYC to complete a master's program in interior design. At just eight weeks in she realized it wasn’t for her, took an internship with a small branding agency in the city, nabbing a hands-on education in visual identity and consumer strategy. A decision possibly encouraged by her favorite piece of “real talk” advice. “When I went away to college,” she shares, “a friend told me ‘It’s okay not to like it." That phrase is my constant reminder that we don't have to feel happy about every step in our path.” In 2008, she started her blog. Two years later she moved to SF where she co-founded the online lifestyle publication Rue Magazine. Fast-forward two more years and she was writing Sage Living, an interiors book. Today she manages her online platforms, creates online content for lifestyle brands, and co-owns Light Lab. 

Caroline, the eldest of six has had a “an independent, self-reliant sort of mentality about life,” from the gate. At 15 she started her own piano studio. “Being my own business owner at 15,” Caroline says “definitely ignited a love for being self-employed and getting to be my own boss.” At 19, the photographer behind @woodnote, moved to Australia, something she says was a “doozy of a lesson to experience.” 

“Big moves mean starting over again,” she shares. “I've learned that it takes about three years of endless focus and intention to get a new idea to a place that it is actually profitable slash enjoyable.” She says she knows now that she can’t rush things. 

Though a self-professed serial domain purchaser, the opportunity with Light Lab was too good and when she started looking for creative spaces she saw the potential immediately. It needed a total overhaul and is totally unrecognizable from it’s original state, but Caroline says “In the last five years, I've become more willing to take risks.” She’s also“more interested in collaborating with others who have different strengths than I do— more focused on creating balance.”

That balance is Anne. The duo have partnered on the creative space that serves as a photography studio, an event space, hosting dinners catered by awesome women (and fellow Atwater business owner) like Barrett Pendergast of Valleybrink Road, and the perfect canvas for a pop-up shop. Not to mention, it's a Instagram goldmine with a crush-worthy pink velvet couch and vintage rugs Caroline imports from Morocco through @cococarpets. (What did we tell you about #sidehustles.) Oh, and it has the prettiest pink marble bathroom you’ve ever seen. 

Pink and plush decor aside, both women have seen their share of challenges. “One year after moving to LA, I was pretty sure I was going to throw in the towel. I was lonely, miserable, and nearly broke,” says Anne. During those desperate times, she moved back with her parents in Toronto for a month, unsure if she would return to the west coast. But you know what they say about our darkest hours. While at home she secured her contract for Sage Living. “The whole experience was totally in keeping with the phrase, ‘Things always look darkest before the dawn.’” Anne says.

2017 is her year to start writing fiction again. “Writing was my original love and I’ve got so many stories to tell.” If things go as planned she’ll also be adding a new storyline to her own. “2017 is also my year to start having babies!” 

How they manage to do it all and still find time for more is inspiring for any young entrepreneur who thinks there isn’t enough time. In addition to Light Lab, Woodnote Photography and her rug business, “stubborn as hell” Caroline takes DJ lessons, travels non-stop, plays violin in an LA community orchestra, and often partners with Sseko Designs and Justice Rising through photography to help help educate women in Africa. 

Caroline says that though she’s thought about throwing in the towel on days when it’s all too much, she’d never follow through with giving up or quitting; she has too much to do and more domains to purchase. Like her goal of photographing the first wedding on the moon. “No big deal,” she jokes. Her husband, Jayden Lee, gave her the best advice: “Meet people where they're at, and leave them better than you found them.” Sounds like the lucky free spirit has two sages in her life. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Entertainment: Zelda Williams

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Entertainment List Here.

Free to be Z. 

Zelda Williams is chatting about bouldering with YouTube star Hannah Hart, a form of rock climbing performed without ropes or harnesses. In a way, it’ s climbing in its simplest form. Just you, the rock, and your moves.

Hart is covered in bandaids from her first indoor bouldering experience in Los Angeles the prior evening. “It's safer to climb down than jump, though they have padding,” explains Zelda. She’s using words like belay (which, we had to look up), referring to techniques used by climbers so that they don’t fall too far. It’s a sport that Zelda is well-versed in, having surprisingly amateur bouldered with her brothers growing up in San Francisco. But as you get to know the writer-actress-director, her knowledge of all things random feels perfectly in place. One of the walking Wikipedia's favorite fact to drop on the unknowing? "Humans are technically, by our own definition, an endangered species, at least where the universe is concerned."

The daughter of the late comedian Robin Williams and producer Marsha Garces Williams, the Zelda's childhood was normal-ish. And though the 27-year-old grew up with a legendary father, she’s never tethered herself to his name. In many respects her move to Los Angeles at 17, after taking a few college courses and deciding she would try her hand in the glittery city, was one without ropes. 

It was Zelda, her ideas, and her dance moves (which, the performer will occasionally show off on IG). But roles didn’t simply appear. It’s been ten years since that initial move. “As an actress I was tired of waiting around for people to give me permission,” shares Zelda. “I wanted to constantly tell stories, whether I’d been ‘cast’ to do so or not! So I took the time between projects usually spent waiting for the next person to hire me working to hire myself.” 

"As an actress I was tired of waiting around for people to give me permission.”

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During that time of “lots of lonely nights in” and “many carpal tunnel exercises,” she developed 12 scripts. One for every month if you’re counting. “I got to spend almost this entire year telling stories, as a writer, a director AND an actress! It was hard work, but it’s been a literal dream come true.”

In 2015 she directed musician and friend of over ten years JoJo’s music video for “Save My Soul.” It’s a stark and beautiful work shot over the course of one night in the desert, touching on addiction, powerlessness and loss. Most recently she directed “Zero,” an episode she also wrote for the forthcoming anthology thriller “Dark/Web,” and has been actively shopping her pilot about dominatrices in legal dens. (Yes, she did plenty of in-person research.) “While I think the sexual politics of it may be too ahead of it's time, it's still so fun to open that discussion up in a room full of suits,” she laughs.

Zelda doesn’t see her move toward directing as a shift, “but more,” she shares, “an expansion on what I already was doing. I'm still an actor, but acting is a popularity contest, and I wanted to create even if I wasn't in demand because it's what I love.” Acknowledging that “there isn't a perfectly Zelda shaped hole waiting there for me.” 

That desire is what drives her past inevitable times of doubt. “Truthfully, I'm one of those sci-fi nerds who's most fascinated by our relative cosmic insignificance. We're 7 billion tiny, short life-spanned ants on one fairly unremarkable spinning rock out of an infinite number. What we do as individuals, in a universal sense, means nothing.”

But don’t write that off as nihilism. The video game lover says, “We have to believe that, as individuals, what we're doing means something, that everything accumulates somehow to equal a life that doesn't immediately fade out of memory as soon as it ends. So I create, even if no one will ever see it or read it, because at least it means I'm still doing something, and therefore, still living.” 

"I create, even if no one will ever see it or read it.”

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Her relationship to herself is “ever-changing,” noting “though thankfully mostly for the better, even in spite of everything that has happened.” And she’s settling into herself more, taking stock of who she wants to be. “This last five years was especially hard, and who knows where the next five will take me, but as I've gotten closer and closer to 30, I've found myself very much looking forward to my life ahead, however long it may be.” 

“I've become more comfortable expressing myself,” she admits. “Even when I know the response may not be positive. I've started living my life for me, as opposed to the person I'm with, the family I was born into, or the expectations of anyone who cares enough to be watching. And, though this will inevitably come and go, I've finally become more comfortable with who I see in the mirror.”

It’s a bravery that filters through her every move. It’s bouldering a career; climbing without ropes. 

Styling provided by Reservoir LA. Hair and makeup provided by Glamsquad. Photography courtesy of Light Lab and Woodnote Photography.

Food: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laibow, Foodstirs

This article is part of our Create & Cultivate 100 List created in collaboration with KEDS, you can view the full Food List Here.

Having a wholesome Foodstirs fight. 

“I hope to see more women supporting other women. I have always believed that when women work together we can do anything. So often we are pitted against each other instead of remembering we are a big tribe.” Sarah M. Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laibow, cofounders of baking startup Foodstirs, are proving they’re as equipped in the startup world as they are in the kitchen. Even better perhaps.

Inspired by their children and the desire for a product that would enable to connect with them in “meaningful, wholesome way,” the two set about reinventing the baking category with organic, clean quick-scratch mixes that taste better than anyone could imagine. “It's no easy feat, but we WILL make it happen!” exclaims Galit. 

Working in Hollywood from age Sarah developed a thick skin, but that doesn’t make her immune to the struggles of the startup founder and she says that in the last five years she’s developed an. “My career has shifted drastically,” she says, something “that has certainly taken some adjustment. At my age it would have been so easy to just stay and continue an already successful career, but instead I took the leap and try something I had never done before. It’s been exciting, scary, rewarding and quite the adventure.” 

"So often women are pitted against each other instead of remembering we are a big tribe.”

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As for her work wife, partner Galit Laibow, Sarah says, “I am so fortunate to be on this adventure with the best female partner anyone could ever ask for. To stand by someone in the trenches everyday who understands the struggle of working, and being a good and present wife and mother is everything to me.” 

Galit feels similarly explaining that she’s been lucky to work alongside people she respects. “Sarah has the most innovative ideas and is the craftiest person I know,” calling her a "powerhouse" she admires. 

But Galit doesn’t shy from the fact that conflict is a part of the creative process. "Our brand would never be where it's today if we had agreed with each other 100% of the time," she says. "At the end of the day, we share the same goal: to create a thriving, successful company that embodies key values we can stand behind.”

It’s a healthy approach to their rollercoaster journey. “For every five lows,” says Galit, “there's a high point that makes it all worth it. And it's those challenges that make the success that much sweeter.” 

Sarah says she likes to add "for now" to the end of sentences. "To remind myself that whatever struggle I am currently going through will pass.” Elaborating, “You can't ask other people to believe in you, unless you do.”

“You can't ask other people to believe in you, unless you do.”

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Reading is Sarah’s escape. Galit jokes that she doesn't’ have time for anything else. Both admit they’d be totally lost without coffee. “We recently got an espresso machine in the office,” says Galit. “It was a very exciting day!” 

Each woman is committed to work, each other, and their families. Sarah’s goal is “to be able to bring Foodstirs worldwide. And while I am doing that, to still have the same amount of time to give to my family.”

“At this point, everyone in our family is Foodstirs-focused,” says Galit. “My daughters serve as our official ‘recipe-testers.’"

It’s a rewind to wholesome that seamlessly incorporates the digital subscription model. “I believe we have a product that is bigger than just baking,” explains Sarah. “It’s about time and experience. It’s about creating memories that last a lifetime.”