Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Morgan DeBaun

THE GAME CHANGER.

Name: Morgan DeBaun

Instagram Handle: @morgandebaun

Business Instagram Handle:
@blavity @shadow_act @travelnoire @21Ninety @afro.tech

What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Being able to get into the room. There are still a lot of closed doors when it comes to women entrepreneurs, whether it be to pitch, or securing funding, it’s still very much a boys club. Hopefully, that will change in the near future with the number of women business owners and entrepreneurs consistently growing.

"A press release won't fix male ego." Obsessed with this, but also, TRUE. How do we keep changing culture? How do we fix it?

We change the culture by continuing to have an open dialogue about situations and issues that may have been accepted in the past, but as we move forward, towards a more inclusive landscape in every industry, those practices and beliefs just aren’t acceptable any longer. 

What was the turning point that convinced you, it's time to take matters into my own hands? The world needs Blavity.

It was after the death of Mike Brown. Almost every media source painted this kid out to be a monster, all while his body still laid in the middle of the street. Too often we see the narrative around people of color go from bad to worse in the media before real facts have been presented. Blavity was created to change that.

When you run into a career obstacle, how do you find new roads?

I find new roads by going back to the drawing board and revisiting the original vision. That usually helps me get back to aligning myself with my goals. In doing so, I almost always come across new avenues and alternative ways to get to the job done.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People who talk a lot about what they want to do instead of just doing it. Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything.

"Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything."

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What does the concept of #hustlesmart mean to you?

To hustle smart means to put in the work needed, but doing so efficiently and effectively, so that time, energy and resources aren’t wasted along the way.  Sometimes I think people take pride in being “busy” and “working hard.” If you can accomplish the same outcome with less work isn’t that a better outcome?  

How has your relationship to that concept changed over the last five years?

I have a team now. We still hold the concept in high regards, but with more brain power, it has become easier, in a way. We work together and are able to pick up on each other’s blind spots, so that makes the process of executing ideas a lot smoother than being alone in my one-bedroom apartment trying to do everything on my own. 

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

If I had to take a stab at it, I would say that taking too long to recognize that a project or idea or system just doesn’t work. I love the quote “fail fast” because the greatest lessons are born out of failures and mistakes. 

Fail fast, because the greatest lessons are born out of failures and mistakes.

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Blavity is explaining difficult concepts like Cap Tables. And also sharing the recipes from black food bloggers. You're diversifying media with diverse content. How involved are you in mapping it out and what does the process look like?

I’m very involved. Our team constantly collaborates and brainstorm together in the office or via slack.  Each person on our team juggles multiple hats (we’re a startup!) but we work together to create the best content or product for our community.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I feel most complete being able to employ people who are underdogs and deserve to work in a space where they can be their full creative selves. 

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

I wouldn't. I’m proud, and very much still in awe of what my team has done in the short years that Blavity has existed.  I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

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

It was when I decided to quit my job at Intuit and pursue Blavity full time. It was all sorts of scary and nerve-wracking but I never looked back.  I think that when you find something that you’re really passionate about that you’d be willing to do for free then it makes everything that comes after less scary.

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

Stop asking for permission and just do it.

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

Beyoncé - "Formation"

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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Create & Cultivate 100: Philanthropy: Katherine Schwarzenegger

PAWSITIVELY INSPIRING. 

Activism is in her DNA. 

As the eldest daughter of actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger and journalist/philanthropist Maria Shriver, author and activist Katherine Schwarzenegger is as close as it comes to Los Angeles royalty. With three books under her belt, including one children’s tome, the 27-year-old author tackles important topics including body positivity and, now, pawsitivity. Maverick and Me, Schwarzenegger’s third book and first children’s story, educates kids on the heartwarming merits of animal adoption. Using her influence to make a real difference, Schwarzenegger hopes to inspire girls and women to feel confident in their skin, and to be an advocate for the voiceless, both canine and human.

More from Katherine below. 

Name: Katherine Schwarzenegger

Instragram: @katherineschwarzenegger

Where do your drive and passion come from?

Both my drive and my passion come from life experiences and my upbringing. I was raised by parents who had a huge amount of drive and many passions and that made me excited to grow up and discover what it is I am passionate about. Whether that's animal rights, women's issues, maternal mortality, body image, gathering advice for my generation, or lifestyle, I try to work on all of these passions to make a difference. I grew up seeing people around me of all ages making a difference in the world and because of that I always felt that I too, could make a difference no matter how big or how small the topic.

Philanthropy means the "love of humanity." It's so beautiful and simple. What does it mean to you?

For me, that means loving humans, animals, the earth and having a desire to make the world a better place for everyone. There is so much going on in the world and lot of the time we only get shown the negative happening in the world, and its so important to focus on all of the people, on various levels, that are doing so much to better this world in so many different areas. No matter how big or how little, doing anything you can to make this world a better place for the people and animals in it, is so important. Just starting by treating each other with kindness is a great place to begin.

"Treating each other with kindness is a great place to begin."

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How did you find yourself on this particular career journey?

Really just through living life and having different experiences. I never thought that I would be writing books or doing TV work. I was always super shy and could hardly ever keep a straight face, so the idea of going into a line of work that is in the public eye wasn't something I ever saw myself doing. I did an internship at Dove when they came out with their campaign for real beauty, and I became super passionate about body image and having a desire to start the conversation about body image and not make it something secretive or taboo to talk about like I felt it was when I was growing up. I finished that internship and was so read up on the topic, I decided to write a book proposal and shop it around and that's how I started doing my first book. I felt that it was important for young girls to be able to read someone's story and feel they weren't alone when feeling insecure, lost or confused as a teenager. I started doing TV work because when I wrote that book and went on a book tour, I went on talk shows for the very first time in my life and right away fell in love with everything about being on a talk show. I felt really comfortable and at home and it just felt like something I found interesting but also fun. The same kind of situation goes for everything else I have done in my career; it has really been based on having different life experiences and passions that have made me want to keep writing books and expand my career in certain areas and always be open to new things.

Do you think you've found your true calling?

I think and have found that your true calling evolves over time for a lot of us. For example, when I did my first book, I felt my true calling was body image and helping young girls feel they weren't alone in their journey and struggles. Now, although I am still very passionate about body image and women's empowerment, another true calling for me would be helping animals and being a voice for the voiceless. I wrote my children's book because I wanted to teach kids about the importance of animal rescue and shining a light on all of the amazing animals that are available for adoption with the hopes that when a child or adult gets their first pet, they might choose to adopt. I think as you live your life, you have different and new experiences that might spark your interest and lead you to discover your true calling. Body image, women's empowerment and animals will always be a passion for me, but I am excited and open to see how that develops over time.

"Body image, women's empowerment, and animals will always be a passion for me."

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Are there any fears associated with your work? If yes, what are they?

I think there are fears with everyone's work and life, in some areas more than others. For my line of work, I experience some fear when I talk candidly about things like body image or my personal experiences because I have a fear of what people might think of me or how people might react to what I say. When I did my first book, I had to decide if I wanted to have the book be more fact and statistic based, or if I wanted to share my experiences and make it more of an open diary kind of book which was terrifying for me. I ended up deciding to make it more of a open diary kind of book because even though I was so scared to share all of my personal stories and struggles from growing up, I felt that if there was one girl who read my experiences and could feel that she wasn't alone in her journey, that it would be worth it for me. While some of my high school friends poked fun at me for sharing certain things, I didn't care, knowing my book could help someone. Sometimes when I work with a certain brand or company, I might have fear that people might think what I am doing is silly or judge whatever it is that I am working on. I would say a place in my work that I don't have any fear, is when I talk about animals or spread awareness about animal rescue. Sometimes I have fear and other times I don't, but when I do have fear about something, that makes me feel like I should push myself, even more, to just do it, because that's how you learn and grow.

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

With my new children's book "Maverick and Me", people might think that doing a book for kids is easy but it was actually a lot more work than I thought it would be. I had done two adult books before this children's book so I thought it would be a breeze, but there is a lot more work that goes into a children's book than I expected. I also found it to be super interesting that when I would travel around to promote this book, that tons of people came up to me and said: "I've always wanted to do a children's book but I just never have been able to get it done." I was really surprised at the number of people, some that were even close friends, that have had a passion for writing stories for children and for whatever reason, just haven't. I also like to let people know that this book was in the works for over a year before it even became anything so it takes time and is a process.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Whenever someone tells me my work has helped them, that's when I feel complete. When I wrote my first book about body image, I said that if my book helped one girl feel she wasn't alone, then my book was a success for me. When I did my second book, I said that if my book helped one person feel less anxious and more excited about closing the chapter of college and starting a new chapter in the real world, then my book was a job well done. And with my most recent children's book, I said that if my book helped one dog get adopted, then my book had served its purpose. There is no better feeling than hearing someone say "I read your book with my kids and we decided to adopt a dog", or "I read your book and realized I wasn't alone if I was feeling bad about my body and knew I could get through it", or "I read your book and really got excited about all the possibilities of what I can do after college". Its a feeling I can't explain but it honestly makes me cry every time (I'm also a huge crybaby).

Whenever someone tells me my work has helped them, that's when I feel complete.

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

I have a mixed answer for this because of my various kinds of passions, so bear with me. If I could trade jobs with anyone it would be a combination of Beyoncé, Kelly Ripa, and a farmer or someone who owns an animal sanctuary. I am obsessed with Beyoncé and think she is incredible in so many ways and if I could be able to sing and just live her life for a day I would find it fascinating but mostly to be able to have the gift of her voice would be amazing. I love talk shows and just talking about things that are going on in the world so when I watch her in the morning, I think how fun that job would be. It isn't her specifically, just any morning talk show. I would want to also trade jobs with someone like a farmer just to be around animals of all kinds all day every day. I love animals of all kinds and they make me so happy and when you are able to help them and offer them a second chance at life, that's beyond rewarding to me. So if anyone knows a job that incorporates all of those areas, let me know :)

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

That to me is a daily lesson. Sometimes I wake up and I feel confident and other days I don't. When I wrote my first book I was a sophomore in college and people would say "where did you get the confidence to do that at such a young age" and I would always say, "well I never thought of my age as an issue, I just felt that I found something I was really passionate about and wanted to write about it to help others". I was raised in a family that always stressed the importance of giving back and making a difference, that no matter your age you could make a difference, and that finding your passion and running with it was the greatest thing you could do. When it comes to topics I am passionate about, I usually always feel confident talking and being a voice for those issues. A friend in college always told me that "as long as you prepare, review and do your research, there is no reason to feel nervous or lack confidence" and that has always stuck with me. So whether I am talking to someone about the latest skincare trend, or speaking to people about the importance of animal rescue and being a voice for the voiceless, or letting a young girl know she's not alone in her body image struggles or gathering advice for people in my generation about what to expect going into the real world; I always prepare so I can always feel confident.

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

The amount of advice or nuggets of wisdom I get from my mom is endless but here are a few. When my sister and I were little my mom started having us practice positive self-talk. I have a video of my sister and me in our high chairs saying in sync, "I am nice, I am smart, I am kind, I am beautiful." I think that was such a great and cool way to empower us from the start. To continue that, my mom always told me "there will always be someone prettier, smarter, thinner, funnier than you, but you should only focus on being the best you can be because there is only one you and the world needs more of that". I think that was helpful for me to know at a young age and to be reminded of as I get older because we can get caught up in comparing ourselves to others and I think that has only gotten more challenging as social media has become even more relevant. We see people doing certain things (mostly always flawlessly on social media) in their careers, in their relationships, in their travels etc. and we can't help but see that and want some part of that and then wonder why we don't have that in our lives. That can get to be a negative thing because you are constantly comparing and never really happy or content with what is going on in your own life and being grateful for your own blessings. I like to remind myself that seeing people's lives on social media is great but its focused on the pretty and nice parts of life for the most part and not what is really going on in people's lives, and to not worry about what others are doing only to worry about myself.

I have a video of my sister and me in our high chairs saying in sync, "I am nice, I am smart, I am kind, I am beautiful." I think that was such a great and cool way to empower us from the start.

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

I try to remember that everything happens for a reason and that even though I might not be able to see or understand that reason in the moment, that eventually I will see why I was sent down a certain path. That can sometimes sound cliche and be hard to believe when you are in the middle of something and really having a hard time, but I do think believing that has really helped me get through things in life. I also believe that having some sort of faith is really important in life. Whatever you go through in life, knowing there is something bigger than you and life is also helpful and that's different for everyone.

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

Any Christmas song will cheer my right up but I'm one of those people that likes to listen to sad music when I am sad so I have a full Adele playlist for that.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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Create & Cultivate 100 Music: KITTENS

THE SPIN MASTER. 

Lauren Abedini, known to the music world as KITTENS, is playing Coachella the same day as Beyoncé. 

The DJ, Producer, Intersectional Feminist, and founder of @PWRxKITTENS, her non-profit DJ workshop for women, that raises money for women's shelters, is tripping out about it.

It's not like she hasn't seen her share of star power before. In 2013 landed a gig as Kid Cudi’s tour DJ. From there she met Usher, who couldn't help but ask if she was really DJing. Now signed to A-trak’s record label, Fool’s Gold and is favorite from coast to coast. She also travels internationally constantly. Not shabby for an LA kid who jumped into the DJ industry early on, noticing a lack of female talent on the 1s and 2s. She bought herself turntables and with the help of friends learned the ropes. 

Homies with C&C 100 alum So Super Sam and Vashtie, KITTENS knows that there's power in the female DJ and music community. 

More from Lauren below.

Name: Lauren Abedini

Instagram Handle: @iamkittens

Where do your drive and passion come from?

Wanting to help people for sure. I know I need to get myself to a certain level where my voice is truly heard to make a difference in the world so everything I do and create is with that goal in mind. Fame and recognition don't matter, it's just a tool to build a platform where I can inspire change.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

I'm an obsessively tidy person so anything that is not that, drives me insane! Cabinets or drawers left open, random items were thrown around, unorganized and unnecessary messes...All sure to set me off!

In addition to DJ'ing and producing, you also how PWR. Can you chat a little about why that was an important move for you?

PWR has been a very important project for me because I feel that there's a lack of mentorship and direct opportunity for women to learn tools to succeed in the professional world, especially the music/DJ industry. I wanted to provide a safe space for women to learn new skills, tips on how to navigate the industry, and get a heads up on obstacles they may face. All things I wish I had someone show me. This doesn't just stop at women though, all intersectional oppressing factors limit opportunities for growth for minorities and I just feel like we can bridge gaps by empowering these different groups through education and mentorship.

We hear the words "male-dominated," every single day. Do you think that has a negative and empowering effect on young women?

Personally, I now see the term 'male-dominated' as a challenge and call to action. It ignites my drive to succeed despite expectations, but I remember being younger it really brought on a lot of hesitation for me. I waited years to start DJing when I had been wanting to for so long. I hear from so many of my PWR attendees that they've always wanted to learn but have been scared for this exact reason. I think now we can shift this perspective and help young women see this as a challenge and opportunity to prove people wrong. The barriers to entry are lower than ever. It's time to get in there and shine bright.

The barriers to entry are lower than ever. It's time to get in there and shine bright.

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You've said that in the beginning, lesbian clubs were the only ones that would hire you. Why do you think that was?

Pretty simple! They wanted to hire DJ's who were lesbians and it didn't matter how new or inexperienced I was. Other clubs only really hired the saaame guys who had been playing in the city forever or wanted to girl DJ's who presented a more hyper-feminine, sexy vibe, which has never been my thing. I really appreciate those promotors who gave me that space to sharpen my teeth when no one else would. I still thank them to this day when I see them.

I really appreciate those promotors who gave me that space to sharpen my teeth when no one else would. I still thank them to this day when I see them.

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

I admit I have my insecurities, and when certain obstacles come my way it can are them up. I have learned to stop and meditate to reset my energy. To turn from self-doubting to empowering, because I know my purpose. I know that I HAVE to push forward so I will find any means to get through those moments. Having a manager who is a close friend that understands me and is super motivating as well helps a lot too.

What are your biggest fears about being your own boss?

Not succeeding...which I think every self-employed person fears! If you fail you're not just letting your team down, you're letting yourself down. Everything relies on the moves you make. It's a lot of pressure.

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

It is NOT glamorous at all. It's truly one of the most exhausting things to spend an entire day traveling, dealing with airports/tour buses, rushing to soundcheck, then trying to keep your energy up to perform and smile when interacting with fans, all to be alone in a hotel after before the cycle starts again. Being away from home and not on a balanced schedule really takes a toll physically and emotionally so self-care is SUPER important to me.

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

Taking a step back and shutting off from current media is SO important in my opinion. So much current art/music is just a regurgitation which is so boring. Whenever I nd myself feeling stagnant and needing fresh inspiration I always go back to my roots. I turn off the radio. I stay off Instagram. I play the music I have loved my entire life since childhood. I meditate (my answer for everything basically) and try to visualize my authentic self-glowing. Getting out in nature really helps a lot too. Pulling inspiration from the constant things in your world instead of grasping at new trends just seems like the most helpful to me always.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Feedback from fans and followers about how I have helped them. Hands down. Knowing that I have inspired someone in their personal or professional life will always make me feel like.."Yes...I'm on the right path. This is what I'm supposed to be doing.

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

This is so silly but honestly, a cake decorator. It's always been one of my favorite things to watch my whole life. I think the combination of creativity, need for precision, and the calming effects of playing with frosting all just make me super happy. Plus, being around desserts that I would probably get to taste is a huge bonus.

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

I have had a few moments that inspired real confidence, but the most important and recent one was when I started working with my friend Armand who now manages me. He's helped me really blossom and supported all of my ideas. Having someone who can help make sense of your thoughts and cheer you on makes a world of difference.

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

Don't let fear hold you back. It seems so obvious and cliché but it's the most real thing ever. There is so much time wasted with hesitation and with that comes guilt or regret. You really have to suck it up and just take that leap every time or else you won't ever know where you could be.

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

I know myself very well and making decisions while filled with anxiety is never helpful. I always take some time to calm down, then approach the situation as logically as possible. There's always an answer but you might be blind to it if you're in a panic.

"There's always an answer but you might be blind to it if you're in a panic."

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

Erykah Badu 'Window Seat.'

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health & Wellness: Simone De La Rue

INSPIRING EVERY STEP.

Revenge is sweet. At least when it comes in the form of Simone De La Rue. 

As the featured trainer on "Revenge Body with Khloe Kardashian,” and the powerhouse behind some of the A-list’s most famous behinds and biceps, fitness phenom Simone De La Rue is no stranger to sculpting bodies for the scrutiny of the public eye, and wow-ing that a-hole ex-boyfriend. The former professional dancer, trainer to the stars, and creator of the 8-week Total Body Makeover Plan Body by Simone has been touted as the next Tracy Anderson. With devoted clients including Reese Witherspoon, Chrissy Teigen, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, her Los Angeles and New York studios are chicer, and sweatier, than a red carpet. My clients are my inspiration, I love seeing their transformations, emotionally, physically and spiritually,” says De La Rue. One thing the self-made fitness guru who used to scrub the floors of her own studio can’t tolerate? You guessed it: laziness.

More from Simone below. 

Name: Simone De La Rue 

Instagram: @bodybysimone

Where do your drive and passion come from?

As long as I can remember I have had a love affair with dance. I started dancing at the age of 3. The discipline I learned as a dancer was incredible. I became a perfectionist at a young age, constantly pushing myself to improve my skills. It requires so much hard work, and commitment, if I wasn't passionate, I would not have had such a long career.

What kind of discipline did dance teach you?

It taught me to push through the pain and never give up. It taught me that there is always somewhere to go, always some way of improving and perfecting. It taught me self-love when looking in the mirror and a real connection to myself and my creative side.

How did that discipline help you when launching a biz?

When I first opened BBS, I was the front desk, the manager, the cleaner, I trained 8 hours a day and took care of all the marketing and business needs. That discipline taught me to not be afraid of hard work or to get my hands dirty.

What's the most rewarding part of running Body By Simone?

My clients are my inspiration, I love seeing their transformations, emotionally, physically and spiritually. They are the reason I get up every morning. I want to help them be the best versions of themselves.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Lazy people, I can only help those who want to be helped, and I can only give you the tools. I can't wave a magic wand and give you the body of your dreams if you don't want to work for it.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

Growing too quickly or losing the integrity of the brand. I have never been driven by money, and I hope to continue to build the brand from an honest organic place.

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

It's extremely hard work. Not only am I doing physical work every day. Training clients and teaching class. But it is also mentally exhausting as I have to put on my business barbie hat and work on growing the brand. It's not as glamorous as my Instagram may depict. :)

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

If I wasn't a dancer, I wanted to be a physiologist. I think being a trainer is the perfect blend of both of those careers. I love the human aspect of dealing with people and helping them evolve, physically, spiritually and emotionally.

"I love the human aspect of dealing with people and helping them evolve, physically, spiritually and emotionally."

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

I love my job and would not actually want to trade with anyone. If I had to choose I would say a travel host. Just from a purely selfish love of traveling the world and getting to experience new cultures.

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

It's a constant battle to remind myself that I am enough and have done enough. But I do think that over the years I have allowed myself to celebrate my success.

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

Follow your heart and be true to yourself. People can feel if something is contrived. And always trust your gut. your instinct is always right.

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

I try and take myself back to why I opened my studio's in the first place. I try and take it back to basics and connect with the work again. Training clients, and teaching.

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

"Easy like Sunday morning" :)

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Fletcher

HITTIN A MILLION STREAMS 

Fletcher is making Fletch happen. 

OK. Terrible Mean Girls spin, but there's nothing terrible about the LA-based musician. Hailing from the East Coast, FLETCHER wrote her first single, 'War Paint,' when she was a junior in college. It HIT BIG on Spotify, and the platform featured her as a Spotify Spotlight Artist. Everything took off from there. 

A proponent of gender non-conformity, the independent musician has shared that she hopes one day her children don't have to "come out," instead coming home and telling their mom who they like, regardless of gender. She's not really into conformity at all and hasn't signed to a label. It's not because there isn't label interest, rather, the musician doesn't feel ready to commit. She's currently comfortable taking matters into her own hands. 

More from FLETCHER below. 

Where do your drive and passion come from?

I've been so fortunate up until this point in my life to have really inspiring women surrounding me. I grew up with an incredibly strong and independent female figure who I am lucky enough to call my mom, she always taught me to never take anyone's shit and instilled in me from a very young age that good things come to good people who work hard and stay humble. I also had a performance professor and vocal coach at NYU who changed my life, her name is Nora York. She passed away last year and it has since left the biggest hole in my heart. I've never met a human more passionate about her craft and because of her, I see the art of performance in such a different light.

You've written songs about exes. What else can we expect from you?

The songs that I've written about exes are really songs about me. It's about the hurt, the heartbreak, and the healing process that takes a really long time. And it's been a way for me to formulate my own closure from a situation I didn't get any. But through the healing process, you learn so much about who you are as an independent individual, the kind of person you want to be, but also the person you don't want to be. You also learn about what you need from a future partner, which is all so important in your self-discovery process. My music really explores a lot of self-discovery and just me talking from the heart about real experiences I've had.

Who are some of your biggest female musical influences?

Right now I'm really inspired by artists who are using their voices for good and ones that aren't afraid to speak about difficult, personal and vulnerable topics. I'm currently inspired by Selena Gomez, Halsey and Dua Lipa.

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

I love being the underdog. I've always rooted for the underdog my whole life. It constantly pushes me to keep my head above water and keep going no matter what anyone has to say. No dream is ever too fucking big. I love proving people wrong, it's one of my favorite hobbies.

"No dream is ever too fucking big."

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What is your biggest pet peeve?

Honestly, people who humble-brag is my biggest pet peeve. Like no one cares that you're so #blessed or wants to read novels about how grateful you are for your successes. Let your hard work speak for itself, it doesn't need any explanation. I also can't stand people who sneeze on airplanes and don't cover their mouths. It's like oh great, now we're all breathing in this recycled snotty air.

"Let your hard work speak for itself, it doesn't need any explanation."

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We're seeing so many industries change. What are you excited by in the music biz?

I'm really excited for new voices and equalizing representation of both male and female artists. I'm excited to see which artists will be next to break through the pop ceiling and for the Grammy's this year. I'm also feeling incredibly inspired by all of the women who are speaking up for themselves, with the #MeToo movement and moving towards people taking accountability for their actions. I'm excited by artists like Kesha who are coming forward about their stories and experiences and shifting the conversation for other girls and women to feel safe and empowered to come forward and speak honestly about their experiences. It's an incredible time for women in music right now and I'm so excited by it.

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

Meeting new people and having sessions as a songwriter every day of the week with people I'm meeting for the first time can be really emotionally exhausting. It's hard to walk into a room and within a few minutes spill your guts about what's going on in your life that will inspire everyone else in the room enough to want to write a song about it. That's why for my artist project, I try to surround myself with collaborators I feel the most me around.

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

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to." One of my favorite quotes of all time. Originality doesn't exist, but it's how you take that inspiration and turn it into an art form that is authentic to you and you only. We can't reinvent the wheel, nor should we try to. But, no one else can tell your story the way that you can. Rising up in the music industry, fending off sharks, having my heart broken into a million pieces, moving from New York City to Los Angeles by myself, being a young twenty-something trying to navigate sexuality and understanding myself as a human is a story that only I can ever tell.

Rising up in the music industry, fending off sharks, having my heart broken into a million pieces, moving from New York City to Los Angeles by myself, being a young twenty-something trying to navigate sexuality and understanding myself as a human is a story that only I can ever tell.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I just finished my first ever headlining tour and it was the most rewarding experience I've ever had. Seeing people sing my lyrics back to me in sold-out venues was so surreal and so validating as an artist. I feel most complete when fans are sharing their stories with me and when they tell me that something I shared, really resonated with them or helped with a similar experience they had gone through or are currently going through. After my tour, a fan put together a compilation of thank you videos from different fans around the world, most who weren't able to attend the tour and I balled my eyes out. It's things like that, that remind me why I do what I do and why I love it so much. After I released the "Wasted Youth" music video a lot of young females and queer kids told me how much that video meant to them and that it made them feel more comfortable in their own skin, when really, their reactions to it made me feel so much more comfy in my own too.

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

There are a few people I would like to trade jobs with for a day. On a Monday, I'll be Jennifer Lawrence, Tuesday I can be Daniel Ek, the co-founder and CEO of Spotify, Wednesday I'll be Elaine Welteroth, [former] editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue Magazine. These three individuals are really badass people whom I look up to and am inspired by.

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

It wasn't so much one specific moment that gave me the confidence, but more so a collection of moments over the last few years of my life. Hitting 1 million streams on Spotify on my first ever single release off my debut EP. Turning down a record label situation that I didn't feel ready for, leaving a manager that was a bad situation, graduating from New York University, having my heart broken, moving to Los Angeles, releasing the "Wasted Youth" video and talking about my sexuality for the first time. These are some of the highs and lows that I feel like have really shaped me into the woman I am today and have given me the confidence to take charge in my career.

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

It's really simple but the best advice anyone has ever given me is to be kind to myself. I'm going to make mistakes in life, I'm going to do the wrong thing sometimes and make the wrong choice sometimes, but that's okay. It's okay to be vulnerable, it's okay to have bad days and cry a lot if you feel like it. Even if it's for no reason. It really helps me manage my emotions when I remind myself to be kind to myself. You have to love and respect yourself first before anyone else can.

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

When I'm asked this on the spot I always freeze up and say "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" but honestly when I've had a bad day, I don't sing. My mom always tells me that she can tell when I'm upset about something because I'm not singing. Whenever I do sing in the shower though, it's usually new song ideas for myself. Is that weird? Let's be real, we all sound our best singing with that natural shower reverb.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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Create & Cultivate 100: Fashion: Something Navy

THE RECORD BREAKER. 

There are bloggers, and then there's Arielle Noa Charnas of Something Navy.

With north of one million Instagram followers, Charnas’ exclusive clothing collection with retail giant Nordstrom is reported to have raked in more than $1 million in sales in just 24 hours, earning her the coveted title of "super influencer." If you're charmed by Charnas, you're not alone. The 30-year-old entrepreneur, wife, and mother has found success on her own terms, building big business out of the breakup blues. After starting Something Navy in 2008 in the aftermath of a split, her authenticity, effortlessness, and devotion to family have kept the likes rolling in—talk about living well being the best revenge.

Find out how Charnas stays inspired more than a decade later, and why it's all blue skies ahead for Something Navy (hint: it involves another baby!)

Name: Arielle Noa Charnas

Instagram: @SomethingNavy

You've created a life on your own terms. What does that mean to you?

I didn’t conform to the social standards or look at what other people were doing around me. When I started blogging, there was no thought of it being an aspirational career. I didn’t do it for anyone else, but for myself as an outlet to get over a break-up from a boyfriend. I feel like I’ve grown my audience by being authentic, sincere, and honest. I’m not trying to be someone I’m not—I’m a 30-year-old wife and mom to a toddler who prefers to be at home with her family in sweatpants, over a red carpet event.

"Yes, those jeans from last season are still very, very cool." That's a line from you that we love. Especially because it's really hard for young girls trying to keep up-- no one has an endless budget. If you had to start today on a limited budget, how would you do it?

I’ve been there and started blogging with a limited budget. Besides stealing designer pieces from my older sister and mom, I loved going to H&M and Zara—which I still do to this day! As long as you have staple key pieces in your wardrobe, you can easily mix in fun trendy shoes and other accessories from Aldo and Steve Madden.

I’ve been there and started blogging with a limited budget.

What do you think it was about you that brought the masses? And how do you continue to keep them engaged?

Instagram is what changed everything for me, bringing in a whole new audience that may not have stumbled across my blog before. Other than that, it allowed me to really showcase more of my personality and the person behind the staged/modeling blog photos. I was now able to share a closer look into my life that included my husband (boyfriend at the time), friends, and family. Once Snapchat and Instagram Stories came about, that allowed me to share an even more in-depth behind the scenes and I think my followers are captivated by it because they genuinely feel as though they know me.

Let's chat your collection with Nordstrom. It was an INSANE success. The numbers blew everyone's expectations out of the water. Was that a pinch-me moment?

My Nordstrom collection was an absolute dream — it was the pinnacle of my career to even have the opportunity to design and create my own clothing line with the best household name retailer. Then to see the incredible reaction and hear how successful it was...it was and still is surreal.

After you recovered from the excitement, what kind of business strategy went through your head?

What crossed my mind is how can I do this over and over again because I have so much more I want to do with them! And I want to keep riding this high forever.

"I want to keep riding this high forever."

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What do you think is your secret weapon?

With everything I do, I deliver it with honesty— and with that, I’ve gained trust. Any sponsored jobs I speak to, I’ve tested it out and stand behind the product 100% before I sign onto the deal. 

When you hit a career bump in the road, what drives you forward?

Reminding myself my intentions for why I started doing what I’m doing and what led me to live out this dream job. At one point, the few followers and comments I would get on my blog posts motivated me and helped me feel content about myself and instill positivity. I read through each of my comments and DMS and they still continue to do so, but now I aspire to deliver back whatever that reason may be that people follow me: advice, fashion and beauty tips, or just pure entertainment to escape for a moment from their own life. 

What are you most excited about for 2018?

A fresh start and a new beginning. I have a better understanding of what my goals are and I just want to keep doing what I love doing. 

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM: Leila Janah

EVENING THE PLAYING FIELD.

If beauty is only skin deep, then lifelong social entrepreneur, anti-poverty activist, and skincare guru Leila Janah hasn’t gotten the memo.

Since founding Samasource in 2008, the visionary “impact sourcing” company has unlocked thousands of dignified digital job opportunities for people in the the world’s poorest countries. With LXMI, the ethical, organic skincare line she co-founded, Janah continues her mission of ending world poverty by providing fair wage work for marginalized East African women through the harvesting of a rare butter called Nilotica—LXMI’s signature ingredient.

For more on being a woman in tech, how men suck at introductions, and why world travel isn’t always glamorous, follow Janah’s journey below.

Name: Leila Janah

Instagram Handle: @leilajanah

Business Instagram Handle: @samasource, lxmiofficial

Both of your companies share a common social mission to end global poverty. Where do your drive and passion come from?

I knew from an early age I wanted to dedicate my career to social justice. I wasn’t quite sure what form it would take exactly, but my family was always on the front lines advocating for human rights.

It all started with my grandparents. My grandfather was one of the top trial lawyers in Calcutta. Because he grew up poor, he made a point of taking pro bono cases for tribal people who were being discriminated against and had no prayer of finding representation. After finishing university in Paris, my grandmother joined a group of friends called “The Messengers,” and traveled around the world spreading messages of peace. She finally ended up in Calcutta, and that’s where she met my grandfather.

Also, my mother worked for the Sisters of Charity when she was a teenager and my dad instilled a deep sense of social justice in my brother and me. I took the lessons to heart and in middle school joined my local chapter of the ACLU, and even started my high school’s chapter of Amnesty International.

So, you could say it’s in my blood :)

How do you feel as a woman in tech?

When most people ask what it’s like to be a woman in tech, they immediately ask if I’m always getting hit on. Truthfully, I think we’ve mischaracterized the problem. Yes, people hit on each other in business settings. Men and women alike have been the subject of unwanted sexual advances. It’s awful to feel objectified, and nothing makes that excusable.

But personally, I find being hit on far less damaging than what I feel most often: not being seen. This is true even when I’m a speaker. If I’m standing near a man, someone will inevitably come up and talk to the man, assuming I’m his plus one. And when men introduce their wives, they often leave it at that— “oh, and this is my wife, Mary.” I find myself wondering, is that all we get to learn about Mary?

"I find being hit on far less damaging than what I feel most often: not being seen." 

Tweet this.

Men, please introduce the women in your life as full human beings with interesting stories, talents, and ambitions, rather than accessories. And women, if you witness a man doing what I’ve described, gently but firmly call him out. Talk to his wife, girlfriend or colleague, and play a part in making another human being feel valuable, rather than a satellite around someone else’s sun.

Men, please introduce the women in your life as full human beings with interesting stories, talents, and ambitions, rather than accessories. And women, if you witness a man doing what I’ve described, gently but firmly call him out.

How have you successfully navigated such a male-dominated field?

I think I’m still figuring out how to navigate it but the success I’ve seen comes from the mindset I’ve chosen to take on. I’m optimistic about what we’re capable of accomplishing as humans and am hopeful we can close the gap between the gender imbalance. In the meantime, I’m deliberate about taking a moment to celebrate things others would consider table stakes for a man–like a woman being appointed to a board, or raising a round of funding–as big wins for moving women forward in business.

Another important note is I don’t consider men my enemies. I receive a lot of support from men as mentors, colleagues, investors and overall champions of the work we’re doing so I choose to focus on the good that comes from those relationships.

What are your hopes for young women who are interested in STEM?

My hope is they stick with it. We need more women in STEM. I recently read a stat that about 50% of STEM college graduates are women–but that number drastically drops after graduation when they begin their careers. I think a lot of this is because we don’t have the right systems– like proper maternity leave–in place to help women thrive in these fields.

I hope to see more men take action here as well. Advocating for things like fair pay, inclusive hiring practices and equal funding opportunities would help create a more even playing field for women.

What are your bigger hopes for the world?

One of the biggest opportunities we have in reducing poverty is getting corporations to change the way they spend money. It’s said the global 2,000 companies spend 12 trillion dollars on goods and services annually. Even 1% of that spent on social enterprises would lift millions out of poverty–imagine! The fair-trade coffee providers, local food services, so many different options for people to work out how to hire low-income people. We currently aren’t incentivized to spend more on social enterprises so it’s my hope we build structure around this to incorporate these behaviors into doing business.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

It’s not really a pet peeve but people often come up to me after a talk or event and say, “Thank you...we need more people like you!” I tell them, “No, we need more people like YOU!” We’re all capable of change and the only way it’s going to happen is if more people get involved.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

Focus is something I struggle with. My team will tell you I have a lot of ideas–for Sama or LXMI, for other businesses or things I want to try to further our mission. I travel a lot and meet so many awesome entrepreneurs with incredible ideas–it’s hard not to be inspired all the time. My default setting is to create but I have to remember to hunker down and focus on growing our current programs.

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

I think my social channels can glamorize my travel and appear as a highlight reel. I post photos of me in various parts of the world, meeting fun people and trying new things from other social enterprises. I’m incredibly grateful for those experiences and chance encounters, which is why I share them as sort of an entrepreneurial diary. What people don’t see is that the travel is constant, often over long hours–I’m usually sleep deprived, dehydrated, running on caffeine and whatever I could find at an airport to pass for food. Being away from family and friends for so long can also be a bit lonely so sharing my experiences on social media helps me feel connected.

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to make an effort to share more of the challenges I face–not just the successes. Hopefully it shows people that, just like everyone, I’m working to achieve balance and the experiences will help other people facing similar obstacles.

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

I actually think it’s people’s tendency to think they aren’t original enough so they don’t put their work out there. They think it doesn’t matter. I wish more people felt confident enough to share what they create so we’d be surrounded by more perspectives and a well-rounded lens through which to view the world.

"I wish more people felt confident enough to share what they create so we’d be surrounded by more perspectives and a well-rounded lens through which to view the world."

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I feel most complete when I hear a story about one of our Samasource agents or Samaschool students whose life has been transformed by work–someone who was able to move into safer housing, or provide better education for their kids or family members. We also often hear of agents starting their own businesses with their Sama wages–our workforce is beyond talented.

What’s more, we’ve now seen first-hand that giving work is good for society as it addresses poverty at the root, and for business as Samasource recently became self-sustainable off of earned revenue this past year. What I love most is that we’re applying our Give Work model to new industries like Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence as well as new labor trends like the gig economy. We’re at the forefront of some of the greatest technology and economic shifts in our lifetime, and working with some of the biggest corporations who are redirecting their procurement dollars to radically transform people’s lives (nearly 60k, to date!). It’s pretty incredible.

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

That’s a tough one. I would likely be a conservationist of some kind, but I was blown away by “West With the Night,” a book by Beryl Markham. Markham was the first aviatrix (love that word) in East Africa, and she set a record flying west over the Atlantic in 1936, in the early days of aviation. Her memoir is full of gorgeous images of Africa, Los Angeles (her second home), and horses (her second love).

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

I think my most character defining moments have come from really challenging decisions. The most recent that comes to mind is the decision to merge Samahope, the first crowdfunding platform for medical treatments (which we launched in 2012), with Johnson & Johnson in early 2016. We funded over 16,000 critical medical procedures for women and children - things like surgeries for birth injuries that destroyed women's lives in rural Africa and Asia. Seeing the avoidable suffering that still marks people's lives in many parts of the world due to lack of basic medical care is heartbreaking.

But we realized that Sama wasn't the right organization to scale this business, and that even though we raised over $1M for the procedures, we'd never be able to scale the platform as fast as a big health organization could. It felt like giving up a baby. My cofounder Shivani and I cried about it. But I think it was the right thing to do, and because of our increased focus Samasource was able to scale much faster and help many more people. It was also a major growth moment for me as an entrepreneur.

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

My grandmother once told me, simply, to, “Trust the world.”

"My grandmother once told me, simply, to, 'Trust the world.'"

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I also like Ben Horowitz’s, “Don’t punk out and don’t quit.” Entrepreneurship is hard. It’s so easy to give up and go do something else–to go back to a big company and make a lot of money instead of scraping by to get your idea off the ground. Emotional resilience, the ability to not quit, is probably the most important (and often overlooked) thing in entrepreneurship–more than brilliance or talent or raising a lot of money.

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

I zoom out. I go look at the stars or the sea. I spend time in nature to understand my own smallness–that helps me put things in perspective. I also think meditation, prayer, or simply reflecting on the core values that brought you into doing this work in the first place are all helpful tactics in making it through a rough patch.

I zoom out. I go look at the stars or the sea. I spend time in nature to understand my own smallness–that helps me put things in perspective.

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

Probably “Work” by Rihanna. Ha ha, I talk about giving work all day so sometimes will change the line to, "Give work work work work work."

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Aidy Bryant

THE MOST FUN(NY).

photo credit: Mary Ellen Matthews NBC

Dogs will always make her laugh and her grandma thinks she's funny.

So do the unprecedented number of people who tune in Saturday Night Light every week to catch Aidy Bryant and her cast mates. 

An American actress and comedian, Aidy got her start in Phoenix, Arizona. By that, we mean she was born there. She then moved to Chicago to study comedy with Second City, before joining SNL at age 25, making her one of show's youngest cast members ever. 

And has made herself known for skits like, "A Girl's Halloween," and her portrayal of Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "We did it girls!" she shouted in a recent cold opening, about the women's march in Huckabee's classic middle party and too-tight-around-the-collar pearl necklace. Aidy herself is not a pearl clutches. According to a recent profile on The Cut, she prefers crystals, or as she calls them "rocks." 

Here's to Aidy rockin' it on SNL's 2018 season. More from the funny woman below. 

What lit your funny fire bone?

My parents are super funny. So there was always a lot of laughing in our house, I think I just put a value on that very early on.

Does your grandma think you're funny?

Yes.

As one of SNL's youngest joining cast members, what would you say to our audience -- most are young, entrepreneurial go-getters who get a little scared sometimes...?

I was hired at 25. Which I'm grateful for. By that time I had been working in comedy professionally for about seven years. I felt like I had trained and put in the hours to know that even if I wasn't experienced in television I trusted my instincts.

"Even if I wasn't experienced in television I trusted my instincts."

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Since you recently told The Cut that you turn down a lot of roles because they are offensive, do you think you'll take matters into your own hands and write a feature?

Maybe. I love to write. But I'm working on other projects right now. I really love television, I love that you get to stay with a character for more than just a few hours. So maybe!

Who would be your go-to writing partner?

There are lots of people in my life who I've loved writing with. I really could never choose one.

What's been your favorite SNL skit?

I love doing music videos. I really loved making "Back Home Ballers" and "Twin Bed" and "Wishing Boot."

You and stylist Remy Peace are working on the beginnings of a fashion line. When might we expect that to come out?

We don't have an exact date yet. But we are planning on some time in 2018.

What would you call your superpower?

Picking up on other people's feelings and vibes. I'm a good people reader.

What's something that will always make you laugh?

Dogs.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Zoe Lister-Jones

THE QUADRUPLE THREAT.

“I spend a lot of time in hair and makeup,” says Zoe Lister Jones.

This is something about her glamorous Hollywood job that the writer/director/actress/feminist badass wants people, especially young girls striving for perfection, to know. As the star of the CBS family drama “Life in Pieces,” Lister-Jones fumbles through new parenthood alongside her co-star and TV husband Colin Hanks. In “Band-Aid,” the feature film she wrote, directed, and starred in last year, Lister-Jones plays ½ of a 30-something married couple still reeling from the unspoken pain of a miscarriage. (She also employed an all-female crew.) 

Committed to “storytelling as a means of change,” the Brooklyn-born actress may need hair and makeup on set, but behind the camera she has no trouble making waves.

More from Zoe below. 

Name: Zoe Lister-Jones 

Instagram: @zoelisterjones

What matters most to you about your job?

Storytelling as a means of change

When you don't always know where your next job is coming from, how do you keep your drive and passion come alive?

I need to write to process questions and quandaries that perplex me, whether personal or global. So that's helpful in fueling the fire. Art as a cathartic act.

If you ran the world, what one law you would enact?

Women have equal rights and equal pay worldwide.

Where do you think good ideas come from?

Hard questions.

"Good ideas come from hard questions."

Tweet this.

What has been your biggest opportunity and at the same time your biggest challenge?

Probably directing my first feature lm. But the challenge was ultimately part of the joy.

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

I spend a lot of time in hair and makeup. Girls and women need to know that the impossible standards of beauty we are faced with every day in pop culture imagery are rarely attainable without a team of professionals, and airbrushing, and a whole bunch of other bullshit. We gotta start to love ourselves more completely just as we are. I struggle with it too. We all do.

We gotta start to love ourselves more completely just as we are. I struggle with it too. We all do.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Creating my own work. Writing a story and seeing it come to life. The freedom I feel when I'm opposite a great actor and some unquantifiable magic occurs.

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

I'd trade jobs with Donald Trump just to get him out of office.

I put you on the spot the last time we talked and asked you to share the last thing you punned in a text. Gonna hit you with it one more time...

Don't want none unless you got puns hun.

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

Well directing was certainly a turning point, and required the confidence to believe I deserved to be in that position. I think I felt I had put in the work, and was excited by the possibility of doing something that scared me.

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

Cheesy and cliched, but "The only person standing in your way is you."

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

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Food: Yola Mezcal

THEY BOTTLED MAGIC. 

Forget yolo, this year it's all about Yola. 

Lykke Li, Yola Jimenez and Gina Correll makeup the co-founders of Yola Mezcal, the Oaxaca-based brand that is creating opportunity for economic independence in San Juan del Rio.

It is handcrafted, distilled on the namesake farm, bottled BY WOMEN (HELL YES!), with a recipe passed down from Yola's grandfather. In 1971, Luis Jimenez purchased a mezcal farm in San Juan del Rio, Oaxaca. At present, the trio honor his OG recipe and preserve the 300-year-old method of traditional mezcal making. They're also committed to making their process more sustainable. 

They're keeping it family and they're keeping it real. However they are breaking from tradition in one major way. Yola's bottling facility in Oaxaca employs only women and they pay their workers a living wage. 

We'll cheers to that. 

Drink up more of Yola's goodness below. 

Names: Yola Jimenez, Lykke Li, Gina Correll Aglietti

Instagram Handle: @lykkeli  @ginacorrell

Business Instagram Handle: @yolamezcal

How did the three of you meet?

Lykke: I met Gina under the stars in the Hollywood Hills and Yola at a house party in Mexico City.

Yola: I met both of them in Mexico City over the past decade. We drank mezcal in both occasions and became instant friends and from those nights two of the must important and rewarding friendships of my life began.

Gina: I met Yola ten years ago when she was opening La Clandestina, her bar, in MX City. I met Lykke ten years ago when she was playing one of her first shows in Los Angeles. They met subsequently and coincidentally in Mexico City and the three of us have been friends ever since.

At what point did you know, let's launch a biz! And let's do it together?

Lykke: Gina and I lived together in Laurel Canyon and Yola would come stay with us--  we became quite excellent at throwing a party in between my DJing, Gina's cooking, and Yola's mezcal. One day thought, this is exactly it, let's bottle this, name it Yola and bring the best atmosphere possible and most importantly surround ourselves with like-minded women. We, of course, have grown out of that simple state of mind and are now mostly interested in creating opportunities for women in Oaxaca while preserving a completely artisanal mezcal.

Yola: We began by having dinners at the house that Gina and Lykke shared in LA. 
I would bring mezcal from Mexico, Gina would cook and Lykke would play music. They were magical nights that we wanted never to end.  We all loved mezcal and were committed to keeping the traditional methods of production intact. On one of these magical nights it hit us that we should create Yola mezcal which would encapsulate these ideas as well as the feminist ethical practices that have been lacking for so long in the alcohol business.

"Feminist ethical practices have been lacking for so long in the alcohol business."

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Gina: In the beginning of our friendship, Yola would come stay with Lykke and I in LA. The three of us would spend a lot of time together drinking Mezcal, throwing dinner parties, and sharing ideas about what it meant to be modern women. We realized there was an undeniable synergy between us, we had an amazing product at our fingertips, and a common vision and voice.

Yola, your grandfather's passion was mezcal. At what point did you realize it is also yours?

Yola: When I inherited the farm and begun to understand the amount of work, talent and sophistication it took to make and how it was a beautiful tradition we had in Mexico that needed showcasing.

Where do your (respective) drive and passion come from?

Lykke: Whatever makes me feel alive; whether it's music, food, travels-- and of course the sweet burn of Yola.

Yola: The women that work on our farm.

Gina: I grew up on a farm in Ojai, which sparked my passion for food and sustainable farming practices. My father was a music producer. So, I was constantly surrounded by great food and music... both are now the cornerstone of my career.

What are your (respective) biggest pet peeves?

Lykke: Gold!

Yola: Unkindness

Gina: Excessive use of plastic and wasted produce.

What are your biggest fears about running a business together?

Lykke: That it can take away from our friendship, but at the same time there is no one else I rather have by my side then these two badasses.

"There is no one else I rather have by my side then these two badasses."

Yola: That we could ever disappoint the women that work for us.

Gina: The biggest have been overcome.

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

Lykke: Don't even look to what other people are doing but simply follow your own inspiration.

Yola: By not measuring our achievements by the ones of others.

Gina: Every time it feels like we're becoming apathetic or there's too much noise, the three of us regroup and usually find sincere inspiration.

What about your careers make you feel the most complete?

Lykke: To see the community of women we've built around us, all so strong, complex and unique.

Yola: When we hire more women on the company.

Gina: A sense that the product we're putting out into the world is something I believe is bringing people joy, while maintaining integrity. As well: employing women that I find talented and complex and giving them an opportunity to explore and grow within the company.

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

Lykke: I could spend all day at flea markets bargaining.

Yola: Siri Hustvedt because she reads about everything.

Gina: I don't want to trade!

You all come from very different backgrounds. At what point in your careers did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the women you are today?

Lykke: I try to find it everyday, it's a process, you do things because you simply cannot not do them and then try to gather some strength and acceptance along the way.

Yola: I could do that early on in my life because I've had the luck to be born in a place with choices and access to education which unfortunately is rare for women in my country.

Gina: 1. I read an article when I was young where a girl I looked up to said: 'life is short, work with your friends". 2. In my early thirties I experienced a lot of personal loss, and I realized I need to do something meaningful with the time I have here.

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

Lykke: To be an artist is to always be dissatisfied

Yola: Don't take anything for granted and be graceful.

Gina: Lykke told me early on in our friendship - "if you don't know exactly what you want how are you gonna get it"

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

Lykke: A shaman in Mexico told me; just redesign, redesign!

Yola: A detour almost always, I was told many times that the things that I wanted would never happen, like working in the alcohol business being a women, even it has been complicated many times I was never deter.

Gina: Make sure you have a get away car.

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

Lykke: "Passion Fruit" by Drake

Yola: "La Maza" by Mercedes Sosa

Gina: "What's Love Got to do With It" by Tina Turner. 

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Greta Gerwig

THE RECORD BREAKER. 

photo credit: Daniel Bergeron

According to the NY Times, Greta Gerwig once peed in her pants during a math test.

The 7th grader was new to the school, didn't know the rules, and instead of risking it, she peed. A puddle forming by her desk. 

It's the exact kind of scene you might have found in her independent box office record breaker Lady Bird, the story of a high schooler, played by Saoirse Ronan, her relationship to her mom, her hometown, and the kids around her. Lady Bird opened to limited audiences its first weekend, showing in four locations. It flew (bird jokes) past typical ticket sales for smaller box office openings of its kind, grossing $375,612 in fourtheaters, with a theater average of $93,903, making it the best speciality box office opening of 2017.

Reason to pee your pants if we've ever heard one.

However, luckily, Greta is now surrounded by praise, not puddles. Nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG Award, the first time director, has taken Hollywood by surprise and excitement. Award-Winning actress Natalie Portman raved that she has been waiting twenty years to see a movie like Lady Bird.

Audiences and critics agree. 

More on Greta's triumph and quirks below.

On a stack of bracelets on her wrist: 

I’m a sucker for anyone who tells me, "It’s a magical stone, and it’s going to keep you safe."

On trying to get funding for Lady Bird:

 What I typically found was that if they had daughters or had been raised with sisters, they understood what it was, and if they didn’t, they kind of couldn’t believe that women actually fought like that, which was an interesting window into why some stories can’t get told. People don’t understand that they’re even a story to tell.

On documenting female stories: 

I didn’t know how many [female filmmakers] there were and I didn’t know how important it was, but even though I didn’t want to make works like that, it sparked something in me and led to me going, "I need to do this.” I think women tend to focus on stories that men don’t have the privilege of seeing, particularly things that are domestic. ‘Jeanne Dielman,’ so much of that movie is static shots of her doing housework. Chantal Akerman said that is the lowest on the totem pole of cinema language; we value the image of a woman doing anything else besides housework. There was something about that intimacy with making dinner or making a bed that was really interesting to me. It felt like there was this whole world left to be explored that had been largely undocumented.

"Sometimes you can get real fixated on going through the front door of the castle, but you don’t always need to."

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On Lady Bird's agency:

I feel like allowing a young woman to experience desires and not just utterly punching them for it is weirdly not that common. Lady Bird is so inside of her own desires and able to be the active person in her own life. She’s not ever waiting to be looked at; she’s the one doing the looking. Even when it’s misguided and even when she messes up and fails, it’s not disallowed.

On going against the grain:

Sometimes you can get real fixated on going through the front door of the castle, but you don’t always need to. You can sometimes go through a side door. Sometimes you don’t even need to go in. You can just set up a camp outside and have your own party. I think more often than not, that’s what it ends up being.

This has been edited and condensed from multiple sources. 

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health & Wellness: Remi Ishizuka

THE RAYY OF SUNSHINE. 

Catch her outside. (Seriously. Remi loves an outdoor workout.)

Fitness and health blogger Remi Ishizuka knows what it’s like to slave away at a day job while hustling to build your own empire.

As a 9-5 interior designer, Ishizuka became completely obsessed with taking the freelance plunge and creating content for her Instagram account @rryayme. And just like that she gave her two weeks notice—the rest is all sculpted ads and smoothies. “If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will hire you to help you build theirs,” advises the go-getting wellness guru.

From winter melon soup recipes to booty challenges, RRAYYME will whip your world into working(out) order.

Name: Remi Ishizuka

Instagram Handle: @rrayyme

You do more before 8am than anyone I know! Where do your drive and passion come from?

I get such a natural high working out first thing in the morning and love the pace that it sets for the rest of the day.

What kind of discipline has working out taught you?

It’s taught me that nothing comes easy but you can achieve anything you put your mind to. Consistency is key and it’s not a race. You can’t build anything (muscles or a business) if you aren’t consistently working hard at it day in and day out.

"You can’t build anything if you aren’t consistently working hard at it day in and day out."

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How did that discipline help you when launching your site?

I knew it was time to branch out and have my own site after building my Instagram for a year. I remember waking up at 4 am one morning with a huge urge to create and launch my site...and I’m so glad I did.

What kind of knowledge to do you hope to impart to your followers?

We all get caught up in our busy schedules and sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. My hope is that we all make time for self-care at least once during the day. Whether it’s scheduling a workout with a friend after work, or waking up 20 minutes early to make yourself a warm matcha latte to enjoy by the window, or taking a bath after a long day- all these little moments adds up and makes you feel good and we all deserve that!

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When someone talks while eating a banana. [ed note: LOL] 

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

From the surface, creating content may come off easy but the reality is- there are always at least 100 bad photos, hours of brainstorming, planning and usually 5-6 different projects going on simultaneously. It’s a lot of fun but it’s definitely busy and hectic too.

Creating content may come off easy but the reality is- there are always at least 100 bad photos, hours of brainstorming, planning and usually 5-6 different projects going on simultaneously.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

When I receive an email from someone in the military that they’ve come to my blog and found inspiration for resetting, a DM from a girl telling me she sees a brighter future after recovering from an eating disorder. Nothing makes me feel more purposeful than hearing that someone found motivation through me or learned something useful and tried something new. It’s the best!

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

I'd love to trade spots with Jack Morris of @doyoutravel and take photos of the world's most gorgeous places.

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

I was working my 9-5 at an interior design firm and ALL I could think about was creating content for @rrayyme. I knew I had reached a point where I had to follow my heart and make the jump in order to grow. I quit my stable full-time job shortly after the office cleaning lady asked me, “What are you waiting for, tell your boss you’re quitting next week, JUST DO IT!” ...and just like that I wrote my 2 weeks notice and went for it!

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

If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.

"If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs."

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

I talk it out! I’m so lucky to have friends and family around me that I can trust to lean on and talk through bumps in the road. But at the end of the day, I just trust my gut, stay positive, and move forward.

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

"Shake it Off" by Mariah Carey.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Philanthropy: Sara Ziff

MODEL BEHAVIOR. 

It starts like any ordinary "dream" story.

At the age of 14, Sara Ziff was approached by a model scout on the streets of New York City. She was signed and found herself in high demand, albeit overwhelmed by her instant success. 

She was still a teenager after all, traveling the world to walk runways and starring in major campaigns for the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. From the outside, it was a dream. From the inside, it was something entirely different. Working as a teen model with little emotional, logistical or financial support, Sara was dealing with intense feelings of vulnerability and confusion. 

In 2009, she and a boyfriend, director Ole Schell released the documentary Picture Me, an inner look at the fashion world. Initially intended to be a video diary of her experiences as a model, it became an exposé on the sinister underbelly of the fashion world. The documentary told her story, but it told another much darker story of child workers in a completely unregulated industry. “I think because we are young, women have not been taken seriously for such a long. People think it’s glamorous or we’re lucky. But it can be as non-glamours as trafficking,” she's said.

Since Picture Me, Ziff has dedicated her life to improving the working conditions for models, fighting for their rights on set and off with Model Alliance. Models, unlike actors, have no union. They are considered freelancers and are offered little protection, from long hours to abuse on set. And it's not only limited to females. A NY Times piece recently outlined egregious abuse of male models on set as well. In light of reports of abuse, Condé Nast, LVMH & Kering have announced voluntary, self-enforced codes. "A successful effort will require benchmarking best practices, running trainings & submitting to independent oversight," Tweeted Sara. In December, Sara testified at the NYC Commission on Human Rights hearing on sexual harassment in the workplace.

She has truly lived a hundred lives since the day she was scouted, graduating magna cum laude from Columbia University with a degree in political and receiving her M.P.A. from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

As founder and Executive Director of Model Alliance, a nonprofit organization that works with major designers and industry leaders to establish fair labor standards within the American fashion industry, she is dedicated to moving the needle in the modeling industry. It is run entirely by volunteers. 

More from Sara below. 

Name: Sara Ziff

Instagram: @SaraZiff

What are some of your proudest accomplishments?

Model Alliance launched in February 2012, and we’ve done so much. I’m most proud of the extended child labor laws that protect models under 18 in the state of New York. As I reflect on the last year, I am both immensely proud of what the Model Alliance has accomplished and hopeful for what the New Year will bring. We kicked off 2017 at the Women’s March on Washington and closed out the year with the announcements of two pieces of legislation, which, if enacted, will afford models protections against sexual harassment in the workplace from New York to California. 

What was your first project with the Model Alliance?

The very first thing we did was partner with two unions: Actors Equity and AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists. With them, we set up this grievance reporting service because we knew we ourselves and other models had all this sexual harassment and abuse that we’d experienced, or one-sided contracts with our agencies, or difficulty getting paid the money that we were owed, but there wasn’t really a safe place to air those grievances. So that was, I think, the very first thing that we did.

We also met with editors at American Vogue and talked about this connection between the extreme youth of models on the runway and the body image concerns, and shortly thereafter they introduced the Vogue initiative. We also pushed for backstage privacy during fashion week.

Those were our three primary things, and we did that knowing the industry is resistant to change, but things like backstage privacy, or creating a policy of not hiring models under the age of 16, there’s no expense involved. It’s just about rallying different stakeholders together to agree that it’s the right thing to do.

What was the community's response to Picture Me?

["Picture Me"] was on the festival circuit in 2009, and it was really at Q&A discussions for the film that we started talking about the need for a union, like the equivalent of the Screen Actors' Guild, which is now SAG-AFTRA, for models. Models would come to these screenings and get really emotional talking about bad experiences they’ve had, and the film became this organizing tool to raise awareness publicly, but also within the industry. We wanted an existing union to extend membership to models, but when it became clear that that wasn't possible, I was crazy enough to take it upon myself and start up from scratch, which people warned me not to do, but I also was studying labor and organizing in college.

What are the day-to-day operations of the Model Alliance like?

We have this grievance reporting service so we hear pretty regularly from models who have questions about their agency contracts — there are a lot of models who have difficulty getting paid the money they’re owed. Just yesterday, I was dealing with a model and her mother who were dealing with a bogus agent who was posing as a legitimate agent, and who was trying to get her to send photos and measurements to someone who was, I think, clearly unprofessional and kind of dangerous. There are so many scams in this industry, even at a high level. It’s more than any one organization working on a volunteer basis can handle, and that’s why we’ve looked at what we can do with legislation to save our models in the industry.

If you had a daughter who wanted to follow in your footsteps what advice would you give her?

If I had a daughter I’d say to her “Hold off on modeling, focus on school. There’s no need to grow up too fast.” I think it’s important for young girls to know that they really need to set their own standards and understand their own comfort levels.

Were there moments of self-doubt during your modeling career?

When you’re working at 14 you’re such an opportunist! You’re not thinking about the long term and what you want and need. I had this sense for a long time that was gnawing at me that I needed to be in a different environment where I wasn’t just being asked about myself all the time — my horoscope or hair color. That can be fun, but if that is all you are talking about with people it can be a little mind-numbing.

This interview has been edited and condensed from multiple sources.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Alli Webb

REVOLUTIONIZED THE BLOWOUT. 

A blowout is one of the easiest ways to feel better about yourself.

That is, if you can do it. 

Which is exactly what Alli Webb, the blowout brain behind Drybar, the styling only salon first launched in Brentwood in 2010, figured out. 

Prior to launching Drybar, Alli had a mobile salon. In 2008, she began a side business called Straight-at-Home, which provided in-home blowouts on a referral basis in LA. She was driving all over town, blow drying her mom friends' hair. Prior to that she was a stay-at-home mom, and the struggle of getting her own hair done, let alone clean, was all too fresh in her mind. Realizing there was a marketplace for women to get an affordable blowout, in an amazing space, and have a great experience to boot, she was on the road toward Drybar. "That was the first baby ah-ha moment when I realized that I needed to  expand," she says, "because I would book up really fast." But instead of expand the mobile business, Alli knew it was time for a brick-and-mortar, well-curated experience in order to service more women. "I felt like opening a shop would allow me to create a better experience and I could oversee it better." That feeling was right. 

Drybar now services 70+ locations across the United States and Canada, and has a growing product line. 

More from Alli below. 

When did you realize, we've really got something here?

We knew that there was something really special here. I’d like to tell you that this was my grand plan this whole time to expand this thing as big as it is now but it truly wasn’t. I was up at night doing the math to see what we could do to make the business viable but, it was really early on that we realized we were on to something pretty amazing.

You received helped from your brother to launch the first storefront, was that an easy convo?

You know, people want to support people who they believe in. My brother had been watching my little mobile business on the sidelines, and he was like “Oh this is a good idea, it sounds very interesting.” I feel like I got really lucky. My brother has been very successful in his own right working at Yahoo. I knew nothing about raising money or how any of that works when I first started. There were a lot of conversations and talking him into it, but he came to me and said, "Hey, I’d be willing to put up the majority of the money and you guys will have sweat equity," which was a term I didn’t even know at that time. So, I learned. And my husband, Cameron and I did end up putting in, basically our life savings, which wasn’t very much. Michael put in about $250,000 and we put in about $50,000 which really isn’t even that much, but it was all we had.

How did you begin to bran the company once you had funding?

Look, you need to get it as right as you can in the beginning, because you only get one chance. We all felt so strongly about how to unveil this thing-- with tremendous customer service, amazing branding, and the blow out. It just all came together. We knew what we wanted from a successful business launch. Also aesthetically I didn’t want one person having a blue dryer, one person having a red dryer. There were all these little things that I thought about constantly-- like removing the mirror so that the customer could have that big reveal. My head was deeply wrapped around the whole experience. 

How does it feel to have disrupted the industry?

We never thought of it as a disruptive business. I was betting on the fact that there were enough women like me out there, with naturally curly hair, that were already figuring out where to get blow outs. Again, never meant to be disruptive. So when people started to say I changed the industry a year into it, I was like “Oh shit! We did change the industry!"

Growing up, my brother I watched our parents run their own businesses. So we had a, “Let’s start our own business mentality!” But we also thought, “Let’s treat people really good, and do this amazing thing.” That was it. In the back of my mind we hoped it would catch on and we would continue to grow. I don’t think any of us knew how big the opportunities were going to be.

Were you ever nervous or scared?

I remember feeling, nervous and worried that other salon owners would hate me that we did this. We started taking away their blow up business. But we were like, but listen, we’re going to send you color business because women want both and it’s good for everybody.  

I remember the first time we met Chris McMillan. He came up to me and told me like what a big fan he was and I almost passed out. He was somebody that I’d grown up admiring.

"If it’s fun it won’t feel like work."

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 What do you think is your secret weapon?

I really think it’s kindness. I try to be really nice to everybody all the time no matter who they are or what their situation is. I wish everybody was like that. It’s just so much easier to be nice and I’m shocked when people aren’t. I was raised on the philosophy of treat people how you want to be treated.

What is your day-to-day like?

One of the ten core values of Drybar is "have fun." I really do feel like the people that you work with are almost like your family and they’re the people that you’re with more than anybody else. You have to find them enjoyable or it’s just not worth it. I’m a huge believer in that and I say when I’m at my office that I like there to be a certain amount of silliness and fun-- I think it brings out the best in people. People want to work somewhere fun and you want to be excited to go into your job. I know it's so cliche but if it’s fun it won’t feel like work.

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health & Wellness: Be Well By Kelly

THE NEW FITNESS #GOALS

Kelly LeVeque is all about Body Love. 

She's also a holistic nutritionist, wellness expert, and celebrity health coach based in Los Angeles, California. The founder behind Be Well by Kelly grew out of the approachable nutritionists lifelong passion for health, the science of nutrition and overall wellness. Guided by a practical and always optimistic approach, Kelly helps clients improve their health, achieve their goals and develop sustainable habits to live a healthy and balanced life. Her understanding of food and our bodies reaction to is non-shaming and demystifying.

Talking to Kelly is like talking to a BFF about food. 

Kelly is extremely passionate about the science of human nutrition. In her new book, Body Love, she shares her secrets for losing weight, attuning ourselves to our bodies’ needs, and freeing ourselves from food drama.

More from Kelly below.

Name: Kelly LeVeque

Instagram Handle: @bewellbykelly

Congrats on the book! Can you chat through what that experience (from writing to putting it out into the world) has been like for you?

Thank you!! Writing Body Love has been the biggest accomplishment of my professional career. I knew when I received my deal from Harper Collins that it was my opportunity to help thousands of people rebuild their relationship with food and themselves, a heavy responsibility that put a ton of pressure on the experience. It wasn't easy, the manuscript changed a dozen times. I worked nights, weekends and missed so many social engagements. At first, the manuscript was a dense science dive but what I ultimately delivered was a book that mirrored a consulting session with me. Body Love is beautifully simple science that will help you ditch the food drama and feel motivated. And by the time my publication date arrived I was ready to launch it into outer space. My friends, family, and clients rallied around me to celebrate and send me off on a 10 city tour. I haven't had kids yet but I feel like I birthed a book baby; it took 12 months to conceive and grow, it was grueling on my body, my emotions were all over the place and it took another 6 months to figure out how to keep it alive it out and feel normal again. But looking back, it was unbelievably worth it and the best thing I have ever created thus far.

How did you stay "well" through the process of writing it?

Two practices that kept me well while writing my book and today include; the #fab4smoothie and personal check-ins! I always start my day with one of the low sugar, meal replacement smoothie recipes from Body Love. The Fab Four Smoothie is known for keeping my clients full, nourished and functioning for 4-6 hours and it 100% helped my survive writing my book, seeing clients and producing content. It was a grueling process and nowhere near perfect; I would miss workouts, lose sleep and meltdown from stress. But, every morning I would take a deep breath, sip my greens and start again. Never underestimate the power of having a chat with yourself and asking yourself "what do I need?" While writing the book, I transitioned from HIIT training to yoga and soulful spin classes with motivational teachers. I needed the positivity and a calm body. I started saying no to media events and nights out opting to sit in my bath and read or have a glass of wine with a friend.

What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness isn't a destination. Transforming our mindset, our nutrition, and our bodies is a journey. It takes practice to be present, to see that big leaps start with small steps and to not get discouraged if we have setbacks. Wellness is the accumulation of the small habits and little steps that make you feel good. Wellness encompasses eating more greens, taking a yoga class, reading a good book, calling your mom and meeting up with your girlfriends to dance the night away. Wellness is the act of giving your life depth, meaning, and purpose so you passionately live it instead of letting it pass you by.

"Wellness is the act of giving your life depth, meaning, and purpose so you passionately live it instead of letting it pass you by."

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Why do you think so many women are struggling with the work/life balance?

Women struggle with balancing work and life because they want it all without ever reframing what giving each 110% looks like. For example, when you have a child you need to recalibrate. It doesn't mean you can't have it all, it just means you need to quantify what the "new 110%" looks like in your "new life as a mom". It also doesn't mean you won't be as successful, in fact, many of my mom clients are more successful because they are more efficient with their time and strategic in their choices. The biggest tool for creating work/life balance is learning to say "no" to things that aren't a priority to make time to execute on your non-negotiables.

Since you describe yourself as an optimist. Do you think anyone can be an optimist?

I am hopeful! :) Personally, I am more motivated by the positivity in my life than I am discouraged by the bumps in the road. (and that isn't because it's peaches and cream over here at the LeVeque house!) I just choose to hang on to the wins, memories, and love and learn from my mistakes as they pass right through me instead of letting them take up space and manifest fear. If fear is the root of pessimism, gratitude is my roundup. Today, people have success without celebrating it and love without living it. My advice is to let it live a little in your heart, it will change your attitude and elevate your mood. No one says is better than Charles Swindoll... "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church ..a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you .... we are in charge of our Attitudes! "- Charles Swindoll

Have you found balance in your own life?

I try to instill balance in my clients (and myself) by using light structure around what to eat and breaking rigid food rules and cleansing habits. Binging and cleansing cycles swing you back and forth like an out of control pendulum ball. Happiness and health are attained when you find balance. Balance isn’t when you stop moving and live a rigid, on-plan, perfect life; you are human, and none of us is perfect. When you are focused on a perfect food day you aren’t present, and most likely you are anxious, irritable and thinking about food all day. Instead, focus on turning off hunger hormones and thoughts about food and know it will be okay to swing a little from time to time. Balance is found with intentional movement to eat clean, sweat and even enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Accept who you are, love who you are and build a lifestyle focused on health, not some abstract idea of “perfection.”

"Balance isn’t when you stop moving and live a rigid, on-plan, perfect life; you are human, and none of us is perfect."

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Where do your drive and passion come from?

I love my job! I previously spent 8 years in cancer and genetics career and liked my job but never loved it. Today, I wake up early to read studies, see clients on weekends and reinvest in my career, business, and growth. I think...If you are doing what you would do for free, you are in the right place!

Who has been a trusted confidante when you've had a rough day?

My husband Chris (@bebaddbychris) is the love of my life, my "be bad" partner in crime and my best friend. He is also my attorney, my editor and my phycologist and.... he honestly hates talking about work but he does it daily because we're a team in life and love.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

It's public knowledge but Chris and I both left big corporate careers to go out on our own as entrepreneurs; I took Be Well by Kelly full time in 2015 and Chris left law to try his hand at screenwriting in 2014. Until recently, our biggest fears have been about survival; Will we make it? Will we be able to pay rent? Was this a big mistake? Our parents thought we were crazy. We could have easily bought a house, had a few kids and just kept our previous careers but instead, we stayed in our apartment, sold our cars and bought a 2005 Toyota Tacoma and worked around the clock to make our dreams come true. I think today we finally feel like we can breathe but our fears are still the same and we still have the Tacoma.

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

Success doesn't happen overnight and it's still a job! Whats the saying? "It takes years to make an overnight success." For me, my consulting business started in 2012 and remained a side hustle until September 2015. It took two and half years of working nights, lunches and weekends to build it and have the courage to take it full time. Today, I still do my own accounting, scheduling, emails and I drive all over LA in traffic daily. At least 40% of what I do daily, I don't love or excel at including writing, but it's part of the job because doing what you love requires you to hustle until you are successful enough to outsource.

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

Stop wasting your time watching and emulating others, it isn't where the magic happens, the magic is created when you protect that precious time and live your own life.

I am often asked "how did you come up with the Fab Four?" and "how did you decide to focus on hunger hormones and blood sugar balance?" But the answer is, I didn't choose it. I was simply living my own life, doing my own research and consulting my clients. And in my experience, I found that I could help my clients best when they weren't constantly thinking about food and ate to support the regulation of hunger hormones and blood sugar. The magic came to me when I was immersed in living my life not anyone else's.

"The magic came to me when I was immersed in living my life not anyone else's."

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

I am happy when my clients are happy, healthy and hitting goals. I can talk, write and share until I am blue in the face but nothing compares to the empowerment and success of a client. I will always have my private practice.

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

If I had to change jobs with anyone it would be a functional MD, probably Dr. Hyman. Mark Hyman heads up the Cleveland Clinic, is a multiple time best selling author but most importantly, he has the ability to request specific diagnostic testing for patients that nutritionists and dietitians cannot access. Thankfully, I work with multiple functional MD's to get this testing for my clients but it would be a luxury to do it personally since I read and develop my client plans based on these results.

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

My business has been in existence since 2012 but I didn't fully step into my purpose until I left my corporate career in September of 2015. Once I made the space to manifest the future things started taking off; within a month I had scheduled meetings with literary agents in New York and by January of 2016 I closed my first book deal but I wouldn't have had that confidence without real world experience.

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

My dad told me no one ever has enough money so don't let that keep you from your passion, purpose or family. I don't think he expected me to totally change my life course and career but I will be forever thankful for his advice.

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

I try not to dwell on the speed bumps. Whatever it is, it's over and thinking about it isn't going to fix it. I try not to say "should of, could of, would of" that's living in the past and makes me feel awful.

Instead, I just write them off. I created an imaginary "lost time leap year" and a "250k oh shit fund" where I allocate lost money and time. I move on quickly knowing that if I am trying there will be mistakes worth both. Honestly, there is no avoiding the bumps when you are moving there is only moving through them.

"There is no avoiding the bumps when you are moving, there is only moving through them."

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

That's a toss up between Kendrick Lamar "Humble" and Bebe Rexha "Meant to Be" depending on the day!

Photo Credit: @davisfactor

Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health & Wellness: Marie Forleo

THE GOAL DIGGER. 

Marie Forleo is the physical embodiment of #MotivationMondays.

Named “thought leader for the next generation” by our future president Oprah Winfrey, Marie has built a digital empire for empowering individuals to achieve their goals.

With a book in 16 languages, online training programs, and an award-winning show MarieTV with an audience in 195 countries, Forleo’s passion is helping people create the business and life of their dreams. But if you think she’s above failure or insecurity, don’t get it twisted—“I’m full of self-doubt and also extraordinarily comfortable in my own skin,” says the eternal optimist, whose approachable mantra is “everything is figureoutable.”

Below, get motivated with Marie.

Name: Marie Forleo

Instagram: @marieforleo

What does wellness mean to you?

Consciously and consistently nurturing my health on every level — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

You're working on a new book. Can you give us a little insight as to what it's about?

My book is called Everything Is Figureoutable: How One Simple Belief Can Help You Overcome Any Obstacle and Create Unstoppable Success. It's a philosophy of relentless, flexible optimism that shows you how to cultivate your resourcefulness, courage, and creativity to always and a way forward — no matter what.

Why do you think so many women are struggling with the work/life balance?

Because many of us are trying to live up to a completely unrealistic ideal of what it means to be a successful woman. Which includes achieving some mythical, elusive state of 'balance.' What does that even mean, anyway? Similarly, we've also allowed tech companies and social media to infiltrate every part of our lives and co-opt our time, attention and sense of worth.

Since you describe yourself as an optimist. Do you think anyone can be an optimist?

Unquestionably. It's a habit anyone can develop. One of the greatest powers we've been given is the chance to direct our own thoughts. In any given moment, we can choose to see what's right or what's wrong. Research has proven that our brains are adaptable. The brain is like a muscle in that it changes and gets stronger with use. Studies in neuroscience show that we can train our brain to think in new ways, which means we can indeed become optimists.

Have you found balance in your own life?

I don't strive for balance. I strive for health, fulfillment, growth, and fun. Often, I achieve those states through living and working in a way that could appear to others as "unbalanced." But what's most important to me is how I feel and what I contribute to others, not how I look.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

I love helping people. I love learning. I love connecting. Most of all, I love the process of growth and creation.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

At this moment, I don't have any. The constant challenge and change inherent in modern business is something I thrive on.

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

How absolutely mundane my day-to-day is. I'm in sweatpants 85% of the time!

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

Two frames on this. First, realize that everyone is influenced by others. Everything is a remix. Focus less on trying to be 'original' and more on making, saying and sharing what is meaningful and true to your heart. Second: put on blinders for a bit. Stop following people you compare yourself with and find inspiration far outside of your industry.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

Connecting with people from every corner of the world (we have an audience in 195 countries) and having the chance to play some small part in helping them bring their dreams to life.

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

Beyoncé. Why? To experience what it's like to sing with that much freedom, grace and power.

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

I'm a bit of a paradox in this way: I'm full of self-doubt and also extraordinarily comfortable in my own skin.

"I'm full of self-doubt and also extraordinarily comfortable in my own skin."

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

My fav piece of #realtalk: the more you care about what other people think, the more they own you.

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

The philosophy I live by is everything is figureoutable (which is why it's the topic of my book ; ) No matter what, as long as I'm still breathing, I'll find a way or make a way to get back up and keep on moving.

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

When I've had a bad day, I don't sing in the shower. But once I'm out, '90s Hip Hop always gets me back in my groove!

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Gal Gadot

THE IRL WONDER WOMAN. 

In 2017 Wonder Woman finally got the super hero and blockbuster movie it deserved. 

 Played by Gal Gadot, an ex–Israeli soldier and actress, caused Wonder Woman fever at the box office. Studio projections suggested the film would gross $65 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. Instead, it earned $103 million, female moviegoers turning out in record numbers. 

Surprise! We like a female superhero.

Gal also made headlines when she refused to stay attached to the franchise if producer Brett Ratner stayed on board. It was soon after announced that he would no longer be attached to the project. 

That's what we call superpowers. 

More on Gal below.

On her Hollywood plans:

I feel like I'm just in my beginning. After ten years [of acting], now I'm starting.

On what she was like as a kid:

I really liked to perform. My mother always tells this story: I was five. They had a party, and they'd put me to bed. I heard everyone on the rooftop, and I went upstairs. No one paid any attention to me, so I took a hose and sprayed everyone. [Laughs.] Very elegant, right? "It's meeeee! Look at me!" I loved the attention. But I never connected all the dots that maybe I should be an actress.

On acting:

It's going with but feeling without.

On communication in English and Hebrew being her first language. 

Language is about communication, and if you don't feel comfortable with your accent, you don't feel comfortable to communicate. If you learn that you're different and it's okay and you feel comfortable with it, then slowly other people start to feel comfortable with it.

I like it that it's a vulnerable place, and I expose it because I learn more [from] it. I wouldn't want to be in a place where I say wrong things and people are afraid to correct me… [Sometimes] I feel so stupid. Because in Hebrew, whenever I take interviews, whenever I speak to anyone—I read a lot growing up, and it's important for me to sound eloquent and have good vocabulary, and be really precise with what I intend to say—I have the grammar. But in English, it doesn't matter how many times I'll read—you know, I'll make a list of words that I like to use—it's just not in my DNA yet.

"I say let's own who we are and use it as a strength."

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On female strengths:

I think women are amazing for being able to show what they feel. I admire women who do. I think it's a mistake when women cover their emotions to look tough. I say let's own who we are and use it as a strength.

This has been edited and condensed form multiple sources. 

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Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Rupi Kaur

THE BEST SELLER. 

Like most writers, Rupi Kaur, the 25-year-old Toronto-based poet, illustrator, and photographer thinks she’s better at putting pen to paper than she is at giving an oral interview. “I’m a better writer than I am a speaker,” she tells us.

On one hand, we believe her. Her work is biting and soft. She twists language in a way that makes you want to walk into a forest and stare up at the sky through the trees. Her words allow you the space to see the world a little differently.

On the other, we don’t. Not really. Especially when the author/mother of “milk and honey,” her debut book of poetry and prose which shot to the New York Times Bestseller List says this: “We navigate the world, come across so many people, but at the core of our experience is love. I think that’s the message I’m trying to consistently share, without even really realizing that I’m sharing it.” The message that, “you deserve to be here and you’re welcome here and allowed space.”

"You deserve to be here and you’re welcome here and allowed space.”

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She recently released her sophomore book of poetry, the much-anticipated, "the sun and her flowers," a #1 best seller on Amazon and another NY Times best seller. The young poet and performer is currently touring that book across India, coming off a 13-city tour as well as a visual performance of the poems from the book, which featured fellow C&C 100 honoree Lilly Singh and 2017 C&C 100 honoree Cleo Wade. 

The exuberance of the crowd when Rupi takes the stage is much shared across social. The people, including Alicia Keys, they love her. More than love, they #regram her. A true digital sign of affection. 

A native of the Punjab region in India, Kaur spent her formative years in Toronto, where she currently resides. She is a modern-day storyteller, using her poetry and social handle @rupikaur_ to explore beauty standards, violence, love, injustice, the female body, and more. “my issue with what they consider beautiful/is their concept of beauty/centers around excluding people,” she wrote in an Instagram post on July 11th of this year. It's the same platform that deleted a photo of Kaur's sister, Prabh Kaur on a bed, her gray sweatpants and bed sheet stained by (fake) period blood. Instagram claimed the post violated their community guidelines. Kaur reposted the photo, which was part of a photo-series project for a visual rhetoric course with a caption challenging the decision. "i will not apologize for not feeding the ego and pride of misogynist society," she wrote on August 25, 2015, "that will have my body in an underwear but not be ok with a small leak. i bleed each month to help make humankind a possibility." Instagram recoiled, apologized; the community clapped loudly. And they kept clapping. Her approach to language and honesty has captured the attention of nearly 2.1 million Instagram followers, which has grown from 600k in 2016.

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When she first started sharing her work online there was no intention of authoring a book. “It’s still such a personal experience for me. I’m not writing for anyone else," she says. "At times, I don’t understand the interest. But all of the sudden I was building this online community and they were the ones that would comment, ‘Where can I buy your book?’”

Consider that Kaur's first reaction to the idea of a book was, “I’m me, I can’t." She was 20 at the time, thought of writing as her “hobby,” and had just started university. Her thoughts were, “I need to finish my degree, I’m paying thousands of dollars to be here.” We’ve all experienced this tug of war-- the one between our head and our heart, our reason and our dreams. But Kaur slowly warmed to the idea. Between the encouragement of friends and the enthusiasm of the online community she began piecing together what would become ‘milk and honey.’

“It was a very difficult moment in my life,” she says, “and I just strapped down. It was the summer of 2014 and I didn’t think I was going to get through it. I couldn’t see myself and I couldn’t imagine my life after this moment. I needed it.”

She wrote the pieces and crafted her first book by listening, she says, “to what my body said.” She designed everything from front to back, the font, the pictures, and then put it into the world. “I don’t think anything I ever do will feel as holistic as that,” she says. “It was deeply grassroots, on the budget of zero dollars. When you give birth to something like that and see it blossom, it’s so incredible."

Now consider that her debut paperback, self-published book of poetry and prose sold over 18,000 copies in the first 8 months. "milk and honey" flowed into the world November 2014 and kept moving.

"the sun and her flowers" is divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, much like "milk and honey." It is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming.

More about Rupi's journey below.

Name: Rupi Kaur 

Instagram: @rupikaur_

Why is it important to release physical copies of your work?

It’s very important to me that people have something to hold. That’s what gets passed down from hand to hand and moves across the world. A hardcover is the version that refuses to be ruined. The paperback version is going to fold, its matte black is going to stain, but the hardcover is beautiful and elegant. You keep the hardcover on your bookshelf and you keep the paperback under your pillow or in your purse. It’s not a product to me, it’s my heart.

Who do you write for?

Myself. I've tried writing for the audience. It was bad. I was holding a knife to the neck of my writing and it wasn’t working. During that time, there were people who told me I needed to release a second book. That by next year the industry would try and replace me. It only annoyed me. I have to be honest with myself. It’s a very Adele approach. But you have to remember why you started and stay true to that.

Are you able to see your work and feel a sense of pride?

I have to tell myself, "You brought yourself here, not the industry." I think that’s a huge source of my power. My inability to see how people perceive my work also allows me to see how powerful I am. I have my insecurities, but I feel powerful. I’m here and I’m doing what I love.

“It’s not a product to me, it’s my heart.”

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Why do you follow zero people on social media?

Like most people I have my own personal, multi-dimensional battles with social media. But, I also know without it the publishing world wouldn’t have cared about this young, brown woman. Social media was a free tool that I used to create my own community. It can also swallow you up. I spent a lot of time protecting myself from social media. I would tweet from my laptop. Or I'd download Instagram, log into my account, post, and log back out. I wouldn't read any of the comments. It helped me feel more rooted again. I’m a very sensitive person and I don’t want the thousands of eyes pouring over my work to change the way I’m going to write in the future.

Where are you going next? 

When I first started writing it was about getting my voice back and finding my voice. Now, I have a loose idea of three to five books that I will write in the next ten years. So, I’m going to keep writing and listening to what my body tells me. The recipe for my success, if any, is that I’ve always been honest with myself. I’ve always written what I’ve needed.

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Create & Cultivate 100 Philanthropy: Nia Batts

REBEL WITH A CAUSE.

She can't blow out her own hair, but Detroit native Nia Batts has one hell of an idea with Detroit Blows. 

The idea for Detroit Blows came together around 2010 when two friends, Nia Batts and Katy Cockrel, who have known each other since they were 4 and in the same dance class, were working together on a project in Detroit. 

(Shoutout to friends for life #FFL.) 

Nearly 7 years later, in October 2017, the #FFL opened Detroit Blows, the city’s first non-toxic blowdry salon, that features blowouts and beauty services like express manicures and pedicures. Talk about new adventures with old friends. They're also taking a new approach to the blow dry model. 

The philanthropic arm of the business, Detroit Grows, aims to reinvest in Detroit. The salon donates $1 of every blowout service and a percentage of the retail footprint to support Detroit-based female entrepreneurs through microgrants, and women entering and re-entering the workforce.

Name: Nia Lauryn Batts

Instagram Handle: @nialauryn

Business Instagram Handle: @detroitblows

Can you chat us through the inception of Detroit Blows?

My parter, Katy, and I are childhood friends, native Detroiters, and prior to this venture, frequent business collaborators. I was actually her client when I was living in New York and working for Viacom. And as she tells the story, I would land in yoga pants, juggling two phones, hair in a top knot, looking for the closest place to get a blowout, and she would regrettably inform me that we had to go out to the suburbs. There was an unsettling dichotomy in the conversations we were having with our Detroit-based partners; although young people were moving to the city, and making money in the city, they were still spending a signicant amount of their dollars outside of the community. The concept for Detroit Blows stemmed from a need we experienced first-hand and an exploration into filling that void -- cost-effective, high-quality blow dry services -- led to the development of a model with reinvestment in the city at its core.

And why the give-back model was an important part of the concept?

I think ultimately (like many others) we are guided by the belief that businesses have a responsibility to communities in the way that people do. We knew we wanted to use non-toxic products, retail conscious brands with stories (in partnership with Conscious Commerce), and reinvest a portion of our profits into female entrepreneurs and programs helping women enter or re-enter the workforce. We're unwavering believers in 'the multiplier effect' -- that by investing in women, you are investing in their families, in their communities, in every idea they touch.

Where do your drive and passion come from?

My parents. There are hard days when you're leaning into new chapters of your story. Their belief in me is contagious. And my best-friend/life-wife Sophia, who was one of the earliest champions of this project. She makes it all look so easy, but will be honest with you when it's not. People like her, that show the truth behind their process, make me feel my dreams are attainable

Philanthropy means the "love of humanity." It's so beautiful and simple. What does it mean to you?

In my previous role, we made an effort to reframe and root the concept of Philanthropy in the business strategy of Philanthropic Investment. If Philanthropy is a 'love of humanity' Philanthropic Investment is an informed and strategic effort to ensure the sustainability of it. It's loving humanity in the ways that help it evolve and continue.

If Philanthropy is a 'love of humanity' Philanthropic Investment is an informed and strategic effort to ensure the sustainability of it. It's loving humanity in the ways that help it evolve and continue.

How did you find yourself on this particular career journey?

That's funny, sometimes I do wonder if I've lost the plot, but it helps that it makes sense to me. I went to film school, so I've always been a storyteller at heart, but the way I've done it has often been non-traditional. In different ways I've told the stories of people, of movements, of brands, today I'm grateful to be telling the story of a beautiful and resilient city rebuilding, and the women who are strengthening it every day with their purchasing decisions.

Do you think you've found your true calling?

I don't think any of us have one true calling, but I do think this is one of mine. As I grow and get closer to myself I've fortunately become less afraid of pursuing what stirs me. Birth began to move me, and I felt very called to become a doula, so I had to just write it into my story.

"As I grow I've fortunately become less afraid of pursuing what stirs me."

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Are there any fears associated with your work? If yes, what are they?

The shift from a large corporation to small business comes with a learning curve for me as a CEO and I've definitely spent some time in moments of fear. But too much fear can be dangerous, so I try and catalyze it into something small I can do that day, that helps lessen the outcome I'm afraid of; almost like an offering an invitation to the universe to help a girl out a little bit.

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

I can't blowout my own hair, or anyone else's for that matter. But being a longtime consumer of the service allows me to approach our business in a different way and really focus on the client experience. You often have to lead from where you are, and hire other great people to do the same.

"You often have to lead from where you are, and hire other great people to do the same."

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What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

That I've been able to dene it on my own terms.

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

Shonda Rhimes, Ava Duvernay, Issa Rae -- any of these badass women who are writing, directing, producing, hiring and leading the teams that are centering women of color in their stories and have found ways to make them both colorful and colorless. Representation is important in the stories we tell. I think we're all enjoying the fruits of their labor.

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

After a heartbreak.

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

Always believe that something magical is about to happen.

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

I take a long hot shower and I think to myself, this is going to get much worse if you don't pull it together before the water gets cold.

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

Beyoncé + Frank Ocean - "Superpower" -- The way it describes the inevitability of a love that has to exist so the world keeps revolving makes me really grateful to be alive again.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Katie Sturino

THE TABOO SMASHER.

It’s not everyday a major blogger drops bombs like “thigh chafe” and “boob sweat.”

But this is Katie Sturino of The 12ish Style we’re talking about, and we’ve come to expect nothing less. A proud size 12ish in a size 2 world, the body positive blogger and patron saint of dogs is changing the face of the plus size fashion space with the simple tenet that great style is not size dependent. In addition to running a multi-channel fashion empire, Sturino is the late @toastmeetsworld’s momager. Rescued from the horrors of a puppy mill, the celebrity king cavalier was beloved by allc, a huge fan of sunglasses, spooning, and Rob Lowe. Most recently, Sturino is tackling beauty taboos with the creation of Megababe, a line of anti-boob sweat and anti-chafe sticks designed to further celebrate the perfect imperfection of women.

Read on for more from this taboo-smashing game-changer.

Name: Katie Sturino

Instagram: @the12ishStyle

Where do your drive and passion come from?

A desire to help women thrive and have a positive feeling about themselves. And I want to save dogs. All of 'em.

What is the biggest message you would like to leave behind with 12ish Style?

Put your confidence on first! So much of looking great is feeling good on the inside.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

When men tell me that "boob sweat" and "thigh chafe" are not common problems for women.

Whenever you get stuck or find yourself up against a wall, how do you find new roads?

Don't puke on me, but I meditate. I try to release all the emotions around what I THINK should happen and accept what is happening. I reevaluate and see if the goal is still one I am looking to achieve. Usually, I receive some sort of resolution or step forward just by taking a min to step out. If that all fails, I ask everyone I know for an opinion and then do what I want to do anyway.

What are your biggest fears about running a business?

That is will all fail and I will have to go work for someone else for the rest of my life.

Do you think it's still a Size 2 world? Or have you seen formidable and lasting change?

I do think it is still a size 2 world because stories for extended sizes are still labeled something like "Jackets for all sizes" rather than just "Jackets!" Some retailers are starting to offer extended sizes, which is great, but putting a size 14 IN STORE is not really that much of a step forward. Campaign models and online models are still mostly size 2s. BUT the conversation has started. And I am not going to complain about that!

"Putting a size 14 IN STORE is not really that much of a step forward." 

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

I change my clothes about 5 times a day and I do not enjoy that! Its impossible to keep my apt clean.

What about your career makes you feel the most complete?

When I get a message from a woman who tells me she wore something or did something for the first time because she was inspired to step out of her comfort zone by me.

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

Oprah. Everybody loves her and she has helped so many people. Plus she still gives away her favorite things.

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

When I realized that no one is actually better than me or knows everything or has it all figured out. We are all a work in progress. And the more we can help each other out the better we all do.

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

Be nice.

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

Gross, I never sing but if you held a gun to my head and asked me what my perk up song would be I would have to tell you that its Taylor Swift Welcome to NY and then I would ask you to just shoot me anyway because I would be so embarrassed.

Who is your current blog crush?

@BatGio

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