Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Ibtihaj Muhammad

Ibtihaj Muhammad made history at the Rio Summer Olympics when she was the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics. Then, she made history again when she medaled. Now, after writing a memoir about her life leading up to her experience at the Olympics (Proud: My Fight for an Unlikely American Dream), she’s an active voice for young women pursuing their dreams despite obstacles. Below, she shares her story and what keeps her moving forward.

On misconceptions about Muslim athletes…

We exist. For the Olympic team, for the United States, I’ve changed the narrative for the Muslim community in the way that we’ve been perceived. And if you take that a step further and look at the way Muslim women see themselves, these young girls who haven’t had anyone at this level of sport do that on the world stage — compete at the highest level of sport. To do that is changing the way Muslim women think about themselves and perceive themselves.

On refuting stereotypes…

The chances are for anyone that you won’t go to the Olympic Games. You certainly will not medal. For me, I’ve always spent my entire life pushing back against society’s limited expectations of me, not only as a woman but as a person of color and a Muslim. Being the first Muslim woman to represent the United States and bring home a medal for a country was a great opportunity to push back against the narrative that has been perpetuated in the media and Hollywood. It’s just not true.

On how she quiets her anxiety…

The doctor explained how performance anxiety was manifesting itself with physical symptoms of fatigue and more. She gave me exercises I could use whenever I felt the symptoms coming on, to de-escalate my mind from its anxious state. Every morning I’d spend 15 minutes in prayer and meditation, which helped me start my day from a calm, centered place. On competition days I’d take another 15 minutes to focus on my breathing and my thoughts. I would repeat to myself over and over, “I’m ready. I’m prepared. I’m strong. I’m capable. I’m a champion.” (I like to call them my Muhammad Ali mantras.) These mantras helped me visualize the future, to see myself scoring points and winning. I learned to use my mind to shape my reality.

“Self-care is important. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help when you need it. ”

On self-care...

Self-care is important. It is not a sign of weakness to seek help when you need it. In fact, it’s brave. I turned damaging thoughts into thoughts of success and positive mantras. It’s truly amazing what the mind can do when directed in the right way. I hope readers are reminded that we all face obstacles and challenges—and that anything is possible with hard work and a dream.

This interview has been edited and condensed from multiple sources (1, 2, 3).

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Lola Langusta

Lola Langusta didn’t relate to any of the media she saw in the world of weed—so she built her own agency.

Stoned Fox, Lola’s marketing agency, aims to bring a modern, story-based touch to cannabis media, advertising, and packaging. She’s making weed more relatable, all on top of her own career as a successful DJ and producer (she spins regularly at Versace parties and Universal Music Group events).

Below, Lola talks dreams, intentions, and who she looks up to.

You’re the ultimate multi-hyphenate: a DJ, producer and creative director. What do you like about having your hands on so many projects?

I’ve been very grateful to have the opportunity to use my talents in many different outlets. I’m a very passionate and determined person by nature so when opportunities present themselves I’m always up for the challenge if it is a representation of my standards and ethics of course. As Daniel Day-Lewis explained perfectly, “The responsibility of a creative life is both a curse and a blessing. You can never separate them until the day you die.”

Your client list is impressive and includes CFDA, Google, Vogue, and Sundance. What’s a dream client you’d love to work with?

Dreaming of working with Gucci for some time, and currently working on a dream concept shoot/short film. If you build it they will come, right? It would also be a dream to DJ more festivals and If I get the opportunity to act again, I wouldn’t hate to act in a Marvel film.

Tell us a little about Stoned Fox, your digital agency. How and why did you create an agency around cannabis marketing?

Stoned Fox is a creative media agency that unapologetically fuses cannabis with lifestyle, fashion, music, and culture, creating a collective space for the novice and curious alike and taking on an honest and authentic approach.

My partner and I were discussing how we didn’t identify with any cannabis media or content that was currently out there and felt it was not representational of a modern-day consumer. With the buzz of cannabis becoming legal, it felt like a beautiful gift and opportunity to put our talents to use in building a company that could be apart of a major conscious shift, so we joined the revolution. Since then we have kept our ears to the ground and our eyes focused on creating our own vision and voice. I do believe that we have been given a very special opportunity and cannabis/hemp has the ability to rebuild our world on a economical, social and ethical level.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I had the pleasure of making a cameo in an HBO series making its second season appearance in February and that’s all I can say.

If you could give advice to young women just getting started in their careers, what would it be?

Set clear intentions; Do it for the love not for the money (the money will come); Don’t get distracted by what others are doing, create your own voice and vision; Except that life is going to test you, if you treat each obstacle like a video game, it’s nothing more than a monster trying to distract you from reaching your castle, don't let it defeat you and lastly read Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself” by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

What do you hope your listeners take away from your work?

I just want people to leave feeling uplifted and inspired in some way and if the place calls for it, hopefully they leave dripping in sweat.

The opportunity to play music and tell stories through sound is such a gift which has in turn enabled me the freedom to create my own world.

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Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

Since starting Stoned Fox, I've been working more in directing, film production and editing and have been creatively turned on by these true visionaries.

Artist/photographer/director - Nadia Lee Cohen

Photographer/director - Alexa Kinigopoulos

Beauty photographer - Jamie Nelson

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

The opportunity to play music and tell stories through sound is such a gift which has in turn enabled me the freedom to create my own world. It’s always been a dream to work as a fashion editor since I was a little girl, I just never thought it would be for my own company. It's not been easy but life has humbly led me here and I wouldn't have it any other way.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

Sometimes I just disconnect and give myself time to relax. Worrying gets you nowhere and we are so programmed to be hard on ourselves and start judging where we are at in our life and where we are supposed to be. I learn to reimagine a little clearer what it is I want my life to look and feel like and I put my intention and focus in that direction.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“A new personality produces a new personal reality.”

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Kiana Ledé

Kiana Ledé is the ultimate multi-hyphenate.

A singer, an actor, and a mental health advocate, Kiana rose to fame after posting covers of hits like Drake’s Hotline Bling on YouTube. But after hearing the Republic Records signee’s own music, you’ll forget all about the covers.

The songstress’ top hit, EX (with more than 6 million plays on Spotify), breaks the mold of typical breakup ballads—heartfelt, raw, and vulnerable, Kiana croons, “I don’t gotta be in love with you to love you; don’t treat me like your ex.”

That realness is innate to how Kiana communicates, inside and outside the recording studio. She’s open about her struggles with depression and anxiety and is an advocate for therapy and meditation, and she hopes her music offers solace to those struggling with mental health. This 21 year old is wise beyond her years, and we can’t wait to share what she has to say.

You’re both a singer and an actor. What do you like most about each career?

I like that each different artistic path informs the other. I like being able to write my own thoughts in a song and then be able to emote them musically but I also love being given the script and finding my own interpretation of the words. They are very different but each informs the other.

Watch Kiana in our interview with her behind-the-scenes at our Create & Cultivate 100 photoshoot

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Connecting with people who might have found some strength in my music or in the reflection of a character I am portraying and even finding myself in my own characters strengths and weaknesses. I get to be artistic and honest all the time!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Read any Rupi Kaur book. That is advice from experience transformed into poetry and it is my guide to being a young brown girl in this world.

What guidance would you give to women who are hungry to chase their dreams but just starting out in their careers?

Don’t let society or the pressure of history rush you. You aren’t here to fit into any historical box that women are supposed to be in. So don’t let anyone rush you into fitting into one. Take your time. Build your career at YOUR pace cuz you a boss!

You’ve archived a lot of the YouTube cover songs that helped you rise to fame. Why don’t you want them on your channel anymore?

I felt like it was time to put them to bed. The covers were a vehicle. I am so grateful for them and enjoyed singing them but I enjoy singing my own songs more ;)

If you had to choose another career, what would it be?

My real passion is helping people and more specifically, young women, so I would probably be a social worker or a therapist that specializes in helping young women.

You made a conscious effort to feature people of color in your music video for Fairplay. Can you speak to the importance of inclusion in Hollywood?

Of course it’s important to have representation in Hollywood, for people of every color and culture to see people that look like them. However, it’s much bigger than Hollywood. Let’s just look at the idea of inclusion on a global level. Hollywood isn’t even all that important in the grand scheme of things. Black girls should see black female lawyers. Hispanic girls should see Hispanic female doctors. That’s what is going to change the world. So what I’m doing is actually on very small scale but I choose to empower myself by empowering others. That’s the most inclusive mind-set one can have. By including others, I also include myself!

Black girls should see black female lawyers. Hispanic girls should see Hispanic female doctors. That’s what is going to change the world.

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When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

That really is hard. Sometimes you have to reset and restart. In the end, even if I reach out to my team or my mother for some help...it all comes back to me. New roads must be discovered on a deeply personal level, so while I certainly use my incredible and resourceful family/team, it all lands back on me to pick up and start again. But that is the most powerful feeling when you get it right.

Whose career really inspires you? Why?

One of my role models is Rihanna because she started out as a girl from a small island and grew into one of the bossest women we’ve ever seen. She is more than just an artist. She helps women by setting an example of being unapologetically herself and it paying off. She does not conform. What an icon.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I can’t wait to release my next project. That’s coming soon, too! New stories, new songs to share. Also, I’m hitting the road with Ella Mai on her US debut tour. It’s going to be amazing!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: BOSCO

In her senior year of college, with just two semesters of her fashion design program at the Savannah College of Art and Design, BOSCO decided to call it quits on college in the name of music.

She never looked back.

Since her decision seven years ago, BOSCO’s career has taken off. In 2013, she was signed to Fool’s Gold Records (alongside the likes of Kid Cudi). Within months, she’d taken hold in the Atlanta scene, combining her love of style with multimedia art and music. Fast-forward five years and her latest EP, b., has launched her onto the proverbial main stage. She hit more than a million streams last year...and she’s just getting started. Read on to hear BOSCO’s take on style, success, and inspiration.

You left fashion school just two semesters before graduation. Was it difficult to make that decision, and how has your education translated into your work as a musician?

It was very challenging but I knew something inside of me was calling for a bigger purpose. I was exhausted with school and keeping up with the institutional practices/studies of what people thought “Fashion” was. For me personally, fashion is about style. You can teach the foundation of it (sewing, pattern and draft making) but you can’t teach taste or style. It’s something that comes from within, it’s your individual language. It’s the way you communicate to people before you utter your first word before you meet someone. I’ve learned so much along the way in regards to fashion, how it translates into my music career, and how things are paired and layered together. I’ve used these skills to help with my releases by working closely with designers from various mediums. It’s a language that has gotten me to where I am as I am well-versed in the arts as well as fashion.

You deleted every photo on your Instagram prior to your latest EP, b. Are visuals as important to your brand as the music?

I wanted people to focus on the body of work which best represented who I am and where I want to go at the moment. As you know, we live in a “fly by night” type of culture where we are constantly fighting to be heard or have our work surpass a shelf life longer than two weeks. It’s crazy to me how much society consumes without fully digesting an artist’s work and discovering new things within it. It’s like reading a book and discovering new things each time. I try to have multiple ways for the consumer to understand my vision by providing multimedia components to my work. Not only do you get the music but you are also apart of the journey whether it’s through gifs, animations, lookbook, videos, or documentaries. I try to cover all bases because people process information differently and we as artists have to be sensitive to different comprehension styles and connectability.

If you could give advice to young women just getting started in their careers, what would it be?

There’s no right or wrong way to achieve success. Surround yourself with people who are going to nurture your gifts and be transparent about your growth and how to improve. “Yes” men will be the death of your career. Find balance when you feel uninspired or depleted. Taking breaks to refocus is okay! Remain a student and don’t be afraid to ask for help. READ AND RESEARCH!

What’s the biggest source of inspiration for your music?

Pain.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

That I achieved 1 million streams in 2018.

What do you hope your listeners take away from your work?

You can do anything you want to do and it’s OK to be vulnerable.

There’s no right or wrong way to achieve success.

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Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

Rihanna - She’s a boss, down-to-earth, loves family and is beautiful inside and out. I love her business model because music is the vehicle for everything she’s doing in fashion and beauty. She knows how to sell herself and is unapologetically her at all times and we love her for it.

Issa Rae - She puts on her friends and up-and-coming artists through her show. Her sensibility to the culture and current things that we all are dealing with are relatable. She represents the modern day renaissance woman in every way. She embraces her natural beauty and encourages other woman to do the same.

Oprah - I mean, do I really have to say it? It’s OPRAH!!!!!

Michelle Obama - She embodies everything I strive to be and more. Her love for her family and our culture will forever be engraved in our hearts. What she represents for black women is huge and how she’s able to constantly remind us of who we are and why we are striving to continuously become “me” is incredible.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

When I’m performing I feel the most free and the most at home by connecting with my fans.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I like to go between design and music which gives me a new perspective when I get exhausted with one medium. I try to look at the positive which is not always easy to do so having a support system and tribe is important. Looking at documentaries is also a great way to stay inspired and motivated.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Keep your eyes on your own journey.

Photo Credit: Cameron Kirkland

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Gabriella Sanchez

Don’t sleep on Gabriella Sanchez.

The Angeleno fine artist has a painting and graphic style unto itself, with her work hanging in prestigious galleries and commissioned by premium brands. In a world of conventional living, Gabriella has carved out a distinct path for herself. In 2013 she applied to—and was accepted into—several illustrious MFA graduate programs. She ultimately declined all admission offer letters and decided to continue developing her own design and illustration styles and working with commercial clients. That “start by starting” attitude is something to be admired, especially because Sanchez’s client list includes envy-inducing brands like Nike and Planned Parenthood.

You worked with Nike, The White House (during the Obama era), and Planned Parenthood as an illustrator and designer. How did that differ from your work as a fine artist?

All my work, commercial or otherwise, has similarities in that it’s still has a level of my voice and aesthetic vision that comes through. However, the approaches and concepts for my fine art versus my commercial work are very different.

For commercial work, you are given a general objective and have to consider the audience may not be coming to specifically see your art but is more likely to just seeing it in passing so you must quickly and clearly communicate or entice your audience in order to get your client’s objective achieved.

For my fine art work, no one else is giving me an objective. I get to build concepts out of what I’m interested in exploring or communicating and I also can be as clear or convoluted as I think is best to suit the concepts I’m pursuing. In my fine art, I much more prefer to slowly reveal the depth of subject matter by first attracting the audience to have a closer look through the bright and pleasing colors and composition, and then once the viewer sits with the painting for a moment, there are small bread crumb-like clues that lead you down a path of more depth. Very much unlike my commercial work, I like my audience to have to do the work to arrive at a conclusion when viewing my fine art.

There percentage of female Latinx artists is not large. How do you hope to spread the opportunities and connect with any aspiring, young, Latinx artists?

Social media has been a great tool for me to find a community and feel connected to other artists of color. Some of my biggest opportunities have come from other more established artists of color who had seen my work through social media and then referred me to gallery directors or directly offered me gallery show opportunities. That’s how it should work, artists supporting artists and as we get more opportunities we should continue collaborating and seeking out artists from our communities. I try to do the same, when collectors, curators or galleries ask me about artists I like or think they should look at, I always make sure to include artists of color who I think are making incredible work and just need a little light shined on them.

I’m also really interested in helping artists of color and especially women of color looking to make a living in a commercial creative field like design and illustration. I often speak openly on panels, answer DMs, bring young people on to projects I’m working on, and (because I’m now working less commercially as I am at a place now where I can sustain myself with my fine art) I’ll even pass commercial projects on to other artists of color who are still starting out. The design world has a severe problem in terms of inclusion and diversity, so I’m really adamant about helping artists of color, especially women, who are still trying to find their footing in the field. I’m especially interested in this because commercial work gave me the opportunity to stay in a creative field while being able to fund my life and ultimate pursuit of fine art. A lot of artists of color don’t have the opportunity to take on financial burdens, like those that come with pursuing a fine art career, so it’s a great field for emerging creatives to still work in an art field and get their work seen while making more immediate money.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

Visually speaking, I have a few folders of photos on my phone of art, design, and random things I see that I found inspiring in some way. I’m also always looking online for inspiration. I also try to go to art shows regularly. However, reading is a big inspiration as well. When I start a new painting series I typically spend time reading, researching, and writing before actually painting. R.B. Kitaj has a quote I love, “For me, books are what trees are for the landscape painter.” I feel the same.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

Sister Corita Kent has been a long time inspiration and more recently the massive archival work of Guadalupe Rosales is really special. I recently saw a painting by Kiara Aileen entitled “Frustaciones De Una Centroamericano” that really captivated me. I was also recently in a group show with Michael Alvarez who’s another Latinx LA-based painter who I think definitely deserves more attention. He creates really interesting oil painted portraits and incorporates found objects. Another artists who’s doing really beautiful work is the photographer Gizelle Hernandez. She creates very intimate cinematic portraits that make you wish you could live in that moment. My favorite photo I’ve seen of her work is a portrait she took of the Latinx singer San Cha. The color and lighting of the photo reminds me of scenes from Blue Velvet but goes beyond that to create something totally unique and utterly powerful.

Be the one that decides the direction in which your art grows.

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What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

It’s definitely the fact that I am able to be the one that decides the direction in which my art grows in, and as a result, the path my career will take.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

To make my own decisions and to base them on what I want for my life, not what others want.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

The highlight would probably be from this past year. It has been a great one for me and I’ve had some really amazing supporters. The biggest surprise and highlight would probably be being featured in the group show “Punch” at Jeffrey Deitch in New York, curated by the artist Nina Chanel Abney, this past September.

What keeps you up at night?

Hmmm off the top of my head….sustaining my recent career growth and figuring out healthcare.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

When I started pursuing art and design, I felt like I was truly flying blind and I had to take a lot of financial risks and burdens to rent a studio space, buy materials to make the work, and have time to develop my craft, and that just skims the surface. Then come all the hidden things people don’t often think about that come with being an entrepreneur or small business owner, because really that’s part of being an artist as well. So that paired with the fact that in general women get paid less on the dollar (women of color even less), I would say financial inequality and limited female-to-female mentorship opportunities are major challenges for female creatives.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

I try to keep my broader goals in mind and refocuses on ways to ultimately achieve those goals so as to not get hung up on one immediate moment.

When you value your work and skills, your clients will too.

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Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

Value your work—don’t work for free or for underpaid projects, if you can help it. When you’re first starting out, you might decide to take a project that’s underpaid if you still need to build up your portfolio, still developing your skills, or just need to make some money. However, you should quickly push yourself out of that bracket. As your portfolio grows and your skills continue developing, that growth should then be reflected in your prices. That may mean that you might lose a former client or two, but that also means the next clients you gain will be paying you more of what you deserve for your skilled work. Low-paying clients beget more low-paying clients, but the opposite is true, too. Higher-paying clients breed more higher-paying clients. Now, that doesn’t mean you overprice yourself right out of school, that just means as you grow in experience and skills your prices should also grow. When you value your work and skills, your clients will too.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Continuing to create whatever I want.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Amber Vittoria

If you’ve been on Pinterest or opened a magazine lately, you’ve probably seen Amber Vittoria’s work. The New York City-based illustrator is no stranger to big brands—her client list includes companies like Condé Nast, Atlantic Records, Gucci, The New York Times, and Instagram—but she’s also a fine artist with a booming shop of her own.

We love Amber’s work because it’s the pinnacle of intersectional feminism, showing the female form in all its realness: curves, body hair, and double chins included. She cites art as her most natural form of communication—and we can’t wait to see what she has to say in 2019 and beyond.

You’ve previously said you chose design because “it was the only path I felt OK with failing on.” Tell us more about what you meant by that and why it drove you to this career.

When deciding what I wanted to pursue career-wise, I started to take close note of which activities I enjoyed purely for the sake of the process. I learned that in areas like math and science I solely enjoyed excelling, whereas in art I enjoyed the work, even if the product wasn’t as successful.

You’ve collaborated with mega brands like The New York Times and Adidas. What’s a company you’d love to work with in the future and why?

I’d love to work with Everlane and Rothy’s’ both brands have a heavy focus on eliminating plastic waste within the fashion industry, which is incredibly important to me.

What advice would you give to young artists and designers who are struggling to support themselves with their work?

I was very fortunate that my family could financially and emotionally support me when I first graduated college; I moved home for a year, and my parents were able to help me pay for majority of my schooling. I like to be transparent about this privilege, as it enabled me to save, take time to find full-time jobs that could support me as I freelanced on the side, which then enabled me to stably go freelance full-time.

It’s difficult to give out blanket advice for supporting oneself on their art, but my path involved holding several full-time design jobs as I illustrated on nights and weekends; this allowed me the ability to save as best I could, slowly grow a client list, and get my freelance/full-time balance to the point where I felt the most confident about taking the jump to self-employment.

Also, please feel free to email me at amber.vittoria@gmail.com, and I can always do my best to give more specific assistance/advice in this area, as it is so different for everyone.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

My work is inspired by women I’m fortunate enough to know, to pass by in the world, and to read about. Making work they can resonate with is so important to me.

What keeps you up at night?

I aim to pack my days with as many art projects, ways to help others through my art, and ways to change the narrative about women, and how we are perceived societally, so I can be tired enough to sleep through the night.

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

Becoming obsessed with the vanity of a high follower count is natural, so I try to view followers as a new individual interested in the work I make, and not as a number.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? How do your hobbies influence your art?

I love to visit National Parks, taking travel photos, and eating new foods. The ability to mentally focus on aspects of life that aren’t art focused helps me stay balanced.

In times of stress, focus on your breathing.

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What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

In times of stress, focus on your breathing. My Apple watch likes to remind me of this, haha.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I try to take a break from making - going for a walk, grabbing a coffee, calling my parents, all help to distract me a bit from the creative block I may be having.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Meeting and working with new people who help me and my work grow, that’s what I’m most excited about!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Ally Love

Ally Love truly does it all.

The Brooklyn Nets host, Peloton instructor, model, and dancer has her hands full. Between hosting games and teaching classes, Ally founded #LoveSquad, a lifestyle movement where she shares her own journey to success and encourages others in the health industry to do the same. She stays busy, but in ways she finds truly fulfilling—and we can only hope to have our priorities as straight as Ally in 2019.

Read on for Ally’s take on representation, her multi-hyphenate career, and what makes her tick.

You’re a part of the “slash generation.” You’re a host for the Brooklyn Nets, Peloton instructor, model, and entrepreneur. What do you love about pursuing multiple ventures at once?

I love that I am able to create a career that works for me. All of these tracks are a great combination that provide me with my dream job, and they all intersect with community.

Your business, Love Squad, aims to empower women who work in sports and fitness. Tell us more about your goals for the company.

Love Squad is founded on inclusivity and diversity. We believe that it is important to cultivate spaces that champion women, by providing conversations and experiences that affect women’s professional and personal lives and, ultimately, provide tools, answers, and opportunities that will create positive change. I hoping that in 2019 we grow more awareness around our brand, create bigger and more impactful events, as well as partner with larger brands to provide one-of-a-kind events and conversations.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I’d say the the highlight of my career was founding Love Squad. I never thought of myself as an entrepreneur, it was almost scary in fact; But it organically became a part of my message, and what I was seeking - it was clear that I needed to continue to build, define, redefine, and create something that makes myself, makes people, and the world better.

Do you feel like female representation in sports has improved in the last few years? Why or why not?

I think it has improved, while we have more to go, I am proud of the conversations around women in all rooms where decisions are being made, especially where those decisions directly affect us. Women are amazing athletes, high-level professionals, political officials, and members of society. Love Squad will continue to initiate conversations around women, that are not just for women - but for everyone to contribute to.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I’m fulfilled by the vast community that I get to encounter everyday, whether that’s in person, via social media, or through on-camera media. Establishing, building, and cultivating relationships that result in exchanges of stories, information,, knowledge, and processes to make the world better, is what I live for.

“I love that I am able to create a career that works for me. All of these tracks are a great combination that provide me with my dream job, and they all intersect with community. ”

What advice do you have for other “slash generation” women who want to do it all? How do you invest yourself equally in all of your business ventures?

First, identify what “all” means to you, create a road map to get those things, understand the cross-section of those things, and understand that you cannot apply equal energy to each track - so being conscious of your immediate goals and operate accordingly.

What does a typical day look like for you?

There is no typical day! lol…most times each day includes some type of live on camera component and interaction with many people - which are the through-line within my career.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I slow down, ask friends for advice: because most times a hurdle means I may not be seeing the forest from the trees because I am in too deep, and I don’t get too down on myself…as this is expected when you’re building a career.

Whose career really inspires you?

Michelle Obama, Elaine Welteroth

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I’m excited that our events for Love Squad are growing! We are able to impact a larger community - we are able to inspire, motivate, and encourage more people through conversations and experiences.

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Jera Foster-Fell

Jera Foster-Fell didn’t build her successful fitness brand overnight—it took some hiccups for the Soul Cycle instructor, blogger, and beloved IG influencer to get where she is today.

Years ago, after moving across the country and going through a breakup, Jera decided to start a new fitness routine. She created an Instagram account to document her progress and connect with other women doing the regimen. In mere weeks, her account had amassed a following of thousands, and within six months of beginning the program, Jera quit her full-time job to pursue fitness and social media full-time.

If it’s not clear, Jera pursues her passions with everything she’s got, and we can’t wait to see what she does in 2019. Below, she shares what fuels her.

You got into wellness after working full-time as a graphic designer in Boston for five years. Tell us what inspired you to start Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide workouts.

In early 2015, I was in a really dark place of my life. I had been working at a terrible job at a startup as a graphic designer. I was working 7 days a week for no money and was stressed to the point where I had a bald patch on my head from hair falling out. On top of that, my long term, four year relationship had recently ended. I had no friends. And I was suffering from social anxiety. There was nothing good happening in my life personally or professionally.

Around this time, I had been following a fitness account, @kaylaitsines, for about a year. She had a workout program called BBG, aka Bikini Body Guide, and I had always admired the transformation photos of the women that she posted. One morning I woke up and I thought, “Damn Jera, you have to do something to turn your life around. You need to create some sort of positivity for yourself.” So despite having done zero physical activity for the last few years, I bought the twelve week program, went to the gym, and I began day one, week one.

That same day, I created my Instagram account simply as a tool hold myself accountable, and very quickly, some crazy things began to happen. I was sticking to the BBG guide, and it felt incredible to have a physical outlet and do finally do something that was just for me. Through my Insta account, I started to virtually connect with other women doing the guide, and creating friendships. I had been desperately lacking female connection for several years, so this was huge for me. And lastly, out of nowhere, I started to gain a following. Within three months, I had 10k followers. It was completely mind boggling, but extremely exciting. I finally felt excited, happy, and passionate about something for the first time in years.

You started an Instagram account to track your BBG progress. How did using Instagram for your training help you stay on track?

The biggest part to staying on track when I initially started BBG was the online community. It was so reassuring to know that there were other women no only doing the the same program as I was, but women literally on the same day/week. We would message each other post workout to say good job, or talk about how hard the burpees were, or talk about how sore we were. There was a camaraderie that blossomed, and it was a really special thing. For the first time in awhile, I didn’t feel alone.

When did you know it was time to quit your full-time job and go freelance with fitness and social media, and what advice would you give to women who don’t know if it’s the right time to make the leap?

I left my office job as a graphic designer and started to work as a freelance designer towards the end of 2015, about six months after I created my Instagram account. I made that transition because I needed to create time, space, and energy to work on this new passion of mine. I loved fitness. I love social media. My following was growing. Though I wasn’t 100% sure about what I would do, I knew that I could do something special with all of these elements. I ended up exploring a lot over the two years that followed. I got my NASM personal training certification, I became a SoulCycle instructor, and continued to grow my following and brand. Fast forward to the present, I’m a full time influencer, and my emphasis is less on fitness these days and more on lifestyle. I talk about everything from mental health, break ups, career changes, and body positivity. My goal is to create a space where women feel seen and heard, and feel comfortable talking about topics that aren’t always the easiest to open up about.

When it comes to making the leap, I think there are a few things that one needs to take into consideration. First things first, everyone’s least favorite topic to talk about, money. Before leaving your full time job, you need to make sure your financially stable for at least a few months with money that you’ve saved up. And perhaps that means making a decision to temporarily move in with your parents, or a roommate- you make it work however you can. Second, before making the full leap from one career to the next, I would suggest starting your new gig as a side hustle. Sean Wes has an awesome book called “The Overlap Technique”, which is all about starting a business while working a full time job. Lastly, consider how you feel and truly listen to your gut. If you feel stuck, frustrated, or passionless about your current position, but there’s something else that tugging at your heart strings, listen to that regardless of how scary it is to acknowledge. It’s terrifying to make a change, but we have to take risks and get outside our comfort zone to grow and succeed.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

I’ve always held myself to a really high standard. I’ve always been a really hard worker. I’ve also always been creative and curious. So these elements blended together drive me. I think being stuck in that really dark place a few years ago really dulled me down though. Once I was able to crawl out of that hole, I think I have this added motivation of never wanting to allow myself to get back there. I work every day to create a life for myself that’s full of passion and happiness. Obviously not everyday is full of roses and puppies, but I do my best!

You’ve been open about your history with social anxiety. How has taking charge of your mental health affected your career?

This topic is immensely important to me. Thanks to social media, I think mental health becoming less taboo to talk about, but it’s still something that needs to be openly discussed.

When I was around 24, after having a heart to heart conversation with my mom, I came to realize that I had an issue that need professional help addressing. I didn’t know it had a name at the time, but I was suffering from social anxiety. I would absolutely dread all kinds of social situations whether it was work or personal. I would get a rush of anxiety, and start to sweat from my face, which ultimately lead me to avoiding social gatherings if possible. Once I realized that it was a real problem, I ended up seeking out the help of a therapist specializing in social anxiety, and saw him for about a year. It was absolutely life-changing. I learned how to manage my anxiety and not let it control my life.

Another thing that was immensely helpful with working on my mental health was my year long journey to becoming a SoulCycle instructor, and then actually instructing for about a year and half. It’s a long story, but to put it succinctly, the journey was transformational. I had to face fears and doubts every day, and prove to myself that I truly am strong enough mentally, physically, and emotionally. And on top of all that, it really helped with my fear of public speaking!

Addressing my social anxiety head on with the help of a professional, and then tackling my fears and fighting for my dream through my SoulCycle journey were both two indispensable experiences that shaped me into the woman that I am today.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

My community is incredibly important to me. I always love hearing from everyone through comments and DMs. I think I feel the most fulfilled when I hear about individual experiences that my followers have had and positive changes that they’ve made due to things that I’ve said or content that I’ve created.

Sometimes it can be really simple, like someone reaching out saying that they’re drinking more water because of me, or that they didn’t press snooze that morning because of me. Or even that I made them smile or laugh on a bad day because of something that I said on my stories.

But then there are the deeper moments. I’ve had women reach out to me to tell me that they started to go to therapy because I’ve been so open about my mental health challenges. Recently I’ve had a lot of women message me to let them know that I’ve helped them feel so much more comfortable in their bodies, and more confident in their everyday life.

Knowing that I’ve had a positive effect on someone, regardless of how big or small, is indescribable.

Whose career really inspires you?

Top of mind right now is Jenna Kutcher. I originally found her when I discovered her podcast, The Goal Digger Podcast. I am totally in awe of her! She’s a photographer, educator, entrepreneur, among many other roles. She started off a few years ago by buying a $300 camera off of Craigslist, and from that moment, hustled her butt off to become a successful wedding photographer, and she’s transitioned to becoming a resource for others to grow passionate and profitable business through her podcast, free resources, and online courses. She built and seven figure business from the ground up. She is amazing!

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

In this day and age, we’re constantly judged by numbers, especially when it comes to social media. But all of these elements are outward facing statistics. Yeah, I won’t lie. Of course I want to continue to grow my following and have good engagement on Instagram for both personal reasons, and because it’s my business. When it comes down to it though, I have to ask myself, what am I doing with those numbers? If there’s no purpose behind getting likes and followers besides the vanity of it, then you’re in it for the wrong reason.

“If there’s no purpose behind getting likes and followers besides the vanity of it, then you’re in it for the wrong reason.”

The goal of my Instagram account, and the goal of my brand on a larger level, is to empower women to feel confident and get out of their comfort zone. I do that simply by sharing about me and my life. I stay authentic by speaking about what I’m currently going through and experiencing, whether it’s good or whether it’s shitty. Over the last three and a half years, I’ve learned that opening up and being vulnerable with my community is when the true connection occurs.

When it comes down to it, the numbers are fine, but it’s the moments that people feel seen, heard, and connected that make me feel the most successful.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

Hitting a bump in one’s career can be incredibly tough within the moment; however, looking back now at the rough patches I’ve been through, I’ve realized that those tough moments have shaped me in such a positive way. I’ve found that being told “no” is actually a really special opportunity. If you want something, and you’re told “no” and just give up right away, then it’s likely you didn’t really want whatever you were working towards that much to begin with. But if you’re told no, and then find it within yourself to pick up the pieces and keep fighting, then you clearly have the drive to really go for your dream.

It’s all about shifting your perspective to understand that hurdles are part of the process, being told no is inevitable, and that challenges when working on your passion are ultimately what’s going to make you stronger.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“Feel the fear and do it anyway.”

I absolutely adore this quote. It’s so powerful. I love it because it acknowledges that fear is part of the process. We don’t need to be fearless in order to pursue what we’re passionate about. Instead, we can use our fear as a tool to help drive us forward, instead of something that holds us back.

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Chloe Flower

Not many classically-trained pianists play Beethoven and hip-hop covers in the same hour. But most pianists aren’t Chloe Flower.

Chloe’s career has been anything but traditional. She’s been featured on rapper NAS’ “A Queen Story,” Celine Dion’s “Lullaby,” and on Timbaland Jay-Z, and Drake’s, “Know Bout Me.” She recently opened and closed for Mike Epps’ Netflix special, breaking barriers that say classical musicians are “too stuffy” to exist in the same arena as comedy.

On top of her impressive music resume, Chloe is also an activist (in 2013, she won the Creative Coalition Award for Outstanding Achievement in the fight against human trafficking), founder of detox drink, and an investor. Below, she tells us what she loves most about her work in music, business, and philanthropy.

You’re a pianist and composer, but also an activist, founder of Modern Alkeme, and an investor in Munchery. Have you always been interested in both music and business, and how did you work your way into each?

Yes, I have always been interested in business. My entire family is made up of entrepreneurs and business owners, and because of that, I appreciated the value of being your own boss and business creativity/freedom. And like the work I do in music, whether it be music therapy or music education, modern alkeme & Munchery are brands that promote health and wellness, just in a different way. So I feel like the diversity in my work life all still falls under one umbrella: healing and wellness.

You’re a concert pianist who’s sold out concerts at Walt Disney Hall—but you also love playing covers of current hip-hop songs. Tell us a bit about what it’s like to be a classical pianist in the age of Instagram and Spotify.

I feel so grateful to have access to platforms like Instagram and Spotify because it allows me to release music and content without relying on anyone. Before social media, artists had to rely on labels to release music. Now, anyone can upload music and artwork through distribution platforms like tunecore, YouTube, etc. For classical musicians in particular, it also gives us the ability to try new things with our music that we wouldn’t necessarily release in an album, like covers and mashups. And We can also take chances in our performances and get immediate feedback, this is so different than any other time in history! I can incorporate visual elements like fashion into my videos and do it from my living room! I am giving my followers a concert like experience with just my iPhone and a tripod! The accessibility is incredible!

What’s the biggest source of inspiration for your music?

Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds has had such a huge impact on my music, not just what you hear but also the way I write and the technology I use to create. Before I signed with him, I was just using my acoustic piano and writing my music down on sheets of paper- old school style. But after working with Kenny, I was exposed to computer programs like Logic and Pro Tools. This completely changed my productivity and as a result, my productivity and what I was able to create increased exponentially. I found myself watching YouTube tutorials on “how to use Logic, “ and “How to use pro tools” for hours trying to learn as quickly as possible. That coupled with watching our genius engineer/producer Paul Boutin, made me proficient in the music software and soon my nickname became “Chlo-tools” in the studio!

If you could give advice to young women just getting started in their careers, what would it be?

Look ahead, not behind or beside you. With Instagram and other social media sites, it can become easy to compare yourself to other profiles. This is a distraction. Don’t slow yourself down by always looking at what everyone else is doing. Stay focused on your goals, write them down, and try your best to achieve them. Social media is just one aspect of your life, I see a lot of young girls making it the most important. It’s not, you are bigger than social media. What you accomplish in real life is far more valuable and real.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Signing with Sony Masterworks.

What do you hope your listeners take away from your work?

I hope to inspire my listeners and simply make them feel happiness. I think we need positivity now more than ever before. Music therapy is a true form of medication, but without any negative side effects. I always joke that I wish doctors would also prescribe a song or applied music lesson in addition to or even in place of prescription drugs.

Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

I really look up to my mother. She has always been the example of integrity and nobility. My mother taught me the value of hard work, discipline, but that no goal should be achieved without integrity. I honestly think she is a superhero. I haven’t met a smarter, wiser, or better human than her. She also always promoted natural health over prescription drugs, so as a child, I always ate the most natural foods and tried holistic remedies before pills. She is also an amazing painter too and started her art career in her 40s, and became one of the best students at the Maryland institute college of Art, all while raising two girls. My mother always supported a career in the arts, and never forced me into any one direction. For her generation and culture, she was extremely open minded. I would not be who I am today without her guidance. Even today, I constantly called her to ask her opinion on so many different things. She’s like Astral (from Crazy Rich Asians) meets Yoda, I swear!

You are bigger than social media. What you accomplish in real life is far more valuable and real.

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What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Making people happy and being a positive influence on young kids. Whenever I see or hear about kids wanting to learn an instrument because of me, I can’t tell you how rewarding that is. Because I believe music education is as important in development as maths and sciences and should be part of every core curriculum from kindergarten to college.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

When I hit a bump, which I often do, I try to go over it. If I can’t do that, I then explore new ideas by reading, watching relevant documentaries, or even taking walks. I get a lot of utility and inspiration from the outside world, and there’s no better place to see different cultures and gather new ideas than NYC.

I’m definitely not afraid of failure, so the idea is to try new things and don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t go exactly how you expect. All roads lead to the same place, sometimes we just take the scenic route!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

There have been many times where I was really nervous before a performance. So naturally, I called my dear friend and partner in music therapy, neurologist Rudy Tanzi. Do you know what he told me? “Be grateful, you’re providing a service.” In my line of work, it’s easy to become narcissistic and think only about yourself. But that isn’t what music is about is it! This is an extremely important lesson because it helps remove the element of fear and replaces it with gratitude. That energy can change the trajectory of my concert and how the audience experiences my performance. It’s as much of a mental game as it technique and training.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Melissa Alcantara

It’s not every day Kim Kardashian finds your Instagram and shoots you an email asking for workout advice. But for Melissa Alcantara, it’s her reality. The 33-year-old fitness guru wasn’t always a trainer, though; she got into wellness just a few years ago after the birth of her baby girl. But once she set her mind to overcoming her pregnancy weight gain and postpartum depression, she hit her stride.

Melissa began posting about her fitness journey on Instagram—starting with Weight Watchers, then Jiu Jitsu, then bodybuilding—before eventually becoming a personal trainer. After she created her first fitness program, Melissa’s 8-Week Body Sculptor, she received the fateful email from Kim asking if she’d be her trainer. And now, between training clients, taking care of her daughter, and writing fitness programs, she’ll appear on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians (very casual).

We’re blown away by Mel’s drive to succeed. Read more about her story below.

You got into fitness after your pregnancy. Tell us more about what drove you to start training and eventual enter bodybuilding competitions.

After I had my daughter Bella, I didn’t know what to expect when it came to how my body would look or how I would feel. I guess I didn’t really think about it, I was more preoccupied with if I’d be a good mother and if I was ready for my life to completely change. But, when life settled in and I saw that my pre-baby body was not coming back on my pregnancy diet, it really brought me down.

I then started all sorts of “diets” and my usual “starve yourself” method before I realized this only works for a short time because it isn’t sustainable. I was so damn tired of the shortcuts! One day I snapped. I was lying on the couch watching tv, I felt lazy, I was unhappy with my body and with myself...I was tired of being tired and being in limbo land about what I needed to do.

The answers were not going to fall out of the sky and into my lap, so I decided I had to do something about it, something different, not the lazy shortcut way I always reverted to. The definition of insanity is doing something over and over again expecting a different turnout. So I knew I had to get uncomfortable and do something I had never done before.

I decided to do a home workout program I saw an infomercial for, I saw these people’s transformations and thought ‘if they can do it, I can too’.

So I downloaded the program and just started. I knew nothing of fitness, of exercising, of form...I did not know what to expect or if I would survive, all I knew is that no matter what I wouldn’t give up before giving myself a real HONEST chance.

What drove me to start was knowing what I didn’t want and paving the way in the opposite direction.

You have a history of leaving secure, salaried jobs to chase your dreams. Could you walk us through those experiences? How did you work up the courage to leave?

Fear in my life has been a driver. Most of the time people are afraid to make choices and decisions for themselves because they are left with the responsibility of their choice, of their life. I learned very early on in my life that no one will be there for you more than you, no one will take action for you to accomplish the things you want like you.

Not once did I think I was not capable. I am smart, I am determined, and only I can “eff” this up, that’s the beauty of it! I always felt I was in control of the outcome of any decision because I took all the steps possible to get where I wanted to go, not leaving one stone unturned. And, if none of that worked then it wasn’t for me and in that case I wouldn’t want it anymore.

The belief in myself is what gave me the courage, the knowing I was doing everything in my power, in my control, to make things happen for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I get scared to death but my fear of unfulfillment is stronger than my fear of failure. I know that in order to succeed you must be willing to fail and keep moving forward, it is actually the recipe to live a fulfilled successful life; I never let a job define me. I’m forever evolving and forever changing.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

My passion and drive come from a place deep down within me. I didn’t grow up with a support system, with parents or family who encouraged me to do things, to be the person I wanted to be, who told me not to worry and that things would be ok.

I didn’t have time to be a kid and experience life the way I saw other kids experience it. I started working at a very young age and before that I stayed home cooking and cleaning for my younger brother and I.

After seeking approval from a distraught mother and absent father, approval that never came, I realized that no one was there for me but me and I had to survive for me. And although it was a very hard life to live, it taught me to live in fear and use it to my advantage...it taught me to take charge of my life and in that I learned that anything is possible if I put my mind to it, if I get uncomfortable enough to change, to be the person I want to be.

Authenticity—being who you truly are and striving to be the best version of you—is the best way to “sell” yourself.

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You’re now Kim Kardashian’s trainer, after she found you on Instagram! What social marketing tips do you have for other entrepreneurs looking to be discovered by dream clients?

I’m sure you’ve heard this before but authenticity, being who you truly are and striving to be the best version of you is the best way to “sell” yourself.

It’s all about being real, and sharing your experiences; people want to relate to you so if you’re not willing to share some bad along with the good then you’re missing out. Remember there’s an audience for you out there, trying to satisfy everyone is where you lose yourself and become “just another person on the ‘gram.”

What is it about you that sets you apart? For many people that’s a hard question to answer, but it’s easy, it’s right in your face, it is exactly who you are at that moment. It’s all about staying true to yourself and your audience. Energy is felt through social media so if you are fake, you will be sniffed out quickly.

Whose career really inspires you?

Honestly, my own. I made something of myself with my own grit and determination. I lived it, I’m still living it, it wasn’t easy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s your morning routine?

I wake up very early in the morning usually before the sun rises.

I put the “water for coffee” to heat to the perfect temperature.

I read a meditation of the day or a few pages of a book about something that I’m currently learning to incorporate into my life, something else that helps me continue to grow.

Prepare my coffee and drink it by the window where the light of the sun comes in just right.

I shower, brush my teeth and wash my face.

I usually don’t do anything before any of the previous events happen. I then go about my day dependent on how I feel and how much time I have. I may or may not have breakfast before I start work or go train myself.

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

“I don’t know”

“I don’t have”

“I see other people doing the same thing”

Those are just examples of the same basic challenges: fear of failure. We usually start by thinking “hey I want to have my own business and turn my passion/hobby into money.” “BUT”, is what’s usually followed by that statement and it’s a combination of lack of money, time, support, flexibility. Fear of failure.

When we want to start our own business, specially for professional women, you have to be willing to fail miserably while having to run a household, give up your career, which comes with insurance and retirement, and then you will be faced with preconceived ideas of how to start or run a business. Fear of failure.

The good news is that there are more women owned business than ever before and we are moving toward a collaborative culture where women support each other so that we can thrive and achieve financial freedom outside of a “job.” Failures turned into success.

If I can give any advice to women about business it would be to skip getting a job and start whatever business they think about as early as they can, the earlier you fail—over and over again—the more successful you’ll be when it counts.

“The earlier you fail—over and over again—the more successful you’ll be when it counts.”

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

This actually goes back to my only piece of advice for women either wanting to or starting a business, the earlier and more often you fail the more you will learn that failure is a HUGE part of success. These are opportunities disguised as challenges. Early humans burned themselves when they came in contact with fire, now we have an innate response that keeps us from getting too close to it...plus it literally burns.

The second part has to do with adopting a mentality of having rather than not having, by this I mean thinking and acting as if you will grow and things will get better. By seeing failure for what it is, part of success, and changing the mindset we will get through the hurdles and re-create creation all over again ;)

If you weren’t working in health, what career path would you choose?

I’d probably be a fighter—I’m actually a competition level blue belt in Jiu Jitsu and I’ve trained Muay Thai—of some sort lol which is kinda like being in health, except you really need healthcare LOL. Or, I’d be a hairstylist.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

2019: The Year of Mastering Manifestation (taking responsibility for being WOKE, purposeful, and reborn to achieve my potential).

I have a few interesting opportunities coming down the pipeline, they range from career to media opportunities. But, more importantly, I’m looking forward to not just 2019, 2020...2050, I’m looking forward to a lifetime of growth and opportunities because I’m inviting those into my life. The way I see things, every year I’ll be more excited than the previous one.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH + WELLNESS LIST HERE

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Jane Wurwand

Before emigrating to the states in the 80s, Jane Wurwand completed a two-year skin therapy program typical of the UK. When she got to the US, she realized there was no licensing program in most states...so she built one. In 1983, Jane launched the International Dermal Institute in a small classroom space in California. Today, IDI has 37 locations and is considered the best of the best in skin therapy programs.

Simply starting a school wasn’t enough for Jane, though; a few years after starting IDI, she realized there was no product that focused on skin health instead of beauty alone. Thus began Dermalogica, a line of irritant-free products now sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.

Jane is an inspiring example of what it means to be an entrepreneur: She saw a need and not only filled it but went above and beyond in making her vision a reality. Below, Jane share what keeps her motivated, common challenges she sees among female entrepreneurs, and why she’d give her 20-year-old self the same advice as she would at age 60.

Your mother once said, “If you’re bored, it’s because you’re boring.” Tell us what this means to you and how it’s propelled you in your career.

It’s about cause and effect. It means that any time I feel bored or stale or uninspired, the issue isn’t something external—the solution is within me. If you are motivated, you are motivating. I use this to always push me to seek out surprise which is the root of creativity. Get out there and do something, see something and find something or someone that inspires you.

Your business was founded on a lack of education in the beauty industry. What was missing, and how did you fill that void?

Being from the UK, I had studied in a typical skin therapy program that was two years in length with a one year apprenticeship. When I emigrated to the USA in 1983, only 7 of the 50 States even had a license at all, and the length of study was a few months. The lack of success in the US professional skin care industry was a lack of skills, and without them, you can’t get results for your clients and you can’t build a business. I started The International Dermal Institute to bridge the gap, wrote a curriculum that covered the ‘missing’ two years, and taught it in a 1,000 sq. ft office space. We launched Dermalogica 3 years later after realizing that there was no American professional product that could serve the industry we were building. Any disruption starts with education.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

The highlight of my career is that we train and upskill 100,000 professional skin therapists every year around the world to become more successful. What we teach them works and the product we make allows them to build great careers because they get results for their client’s skin. The biggest surprise is that so many people think the industry is about ‘beauty’ and it’s actually about all those salon entrepreneurs, 98% of whom are women. Women own 64% of all salons and our industry is an economic powerhouse for women globally that puts more women into their own business than any other.

What advice would you give to a young woman who’s passionate about a business idea, but doesn’t know where to start?

Sit down at your kitchen table [or equivalent workspace] and start writing out what you want to do, who you want to speak to and serve, and most importantly WHY you want to do it for them. Make it about who you will serve and benefit, and not about how they will benefit you. After that, the ‘how’ you will do it will start to become clear. I believe that unless your business improves the lives of others in some way, the path ahead is very unclear. It’s all about the Why.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

My biggest opportunity was emigrating to the USA with a skill set that I literally carry in my hands, head and heart. It’s fully transportable. My biggest challenge is dispelling the myth that skin career is about female superficial ‘beauty’ when it is actually about skin health which is genderless, ageless and part of our critical health and wellness. It was much harder to make that distinction in 1983 when we started, and I like to believe we have played a part in making it clearer through our decades of work and leadership in upskilling the industry and the language we use professionally. Beauty is not an aspirational goal, but economic empowerment through entrepreneurs providing skin health sure is. That was the big opportunity and challenge.

“I don’t believe that a business can be successful if it doesn’t serve to improve the lives of others in some way.”

Dermalogica funds women-owned businesses through a program called FITE (Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship). How does the program work and why is giving back an important part of your business?

I don’t believe that a business can be successful if it doesn’t serve to improve the lives of others in some way. The key to Dermalogica’s success is that we are first and foremost an education company and we train more salon industry professionals than any other skin care company. That makes them more successful and supported. We have always known that our biggest ‘Why’ is upskilling professional skin therapists. In 2010 we launched FITE with a goal to fund 25,000 women around the world to start or grow their own business. So far, we have funded 100,000 women entrepreneurs in all industries and not just salons. Our 2019 expanded focus is to teach skills to disenfranchised women to come into the salon industry as it is now the greatest opportunity for women’s entrepreneurship. I believe in the Law of Return—what we give away returns to us ten-fold in myriad ways.

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

Expected entrepreneurial challenges are lack of funding, coaching, support, finding community, and resilience. These challenges are not gender specific except in one area – funding. Less than 3% of all available funding goes to women—97% goes to men. That’s crazy. And it’s not showing any signs of changing. Unexpected challenges that I see are that because of this lack of funding, most small entrepreneurs have to self-fund – often around $25K on three credit cards. That might get you started but you are going to need funding to grow. We self-funded on $14K because as new immigrants without credit history, no one would have lent us anything even if we had known where to go [which we didn’t]. Hidden challenges are those within us – self-doubt, shrinking our capacity for success, dreaming too small and not making the idea big enough and limiting ourselves because of whatever construct of success we have decided we don’t fit into. This can affect women more than men due to cultural and societal bias. Let it all go. It doesn’t serve us.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

Energy in the universe continually flows in ebbs, curves, rushes and tides – just look at nature – there are no straight lines. Success and growth aren’t an even road, it’s sometimes hectic and at other times pretty slow, but it is moving all the time. If I hit a bump, it’s ok but if I hit a roadblock I have to stop and really look at what’s happening. Am I heading off course? Have I misread the road ahead? Do I need to hit ‘reset’? I take a step back, I wait and I literally ask, ‘What am I missing here? What is it that I’m not seeing?’ Then I put myself in a situation to be surprised – surprise is the trigger for creativity. Surprise happens in new situations, so find them – something as simple as sleeping outside in a sleeping bag and tent on your back lawn one night can restart your thinking and creativity. Try it.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

Knowing that I can make a difference in other people’s lives by sharing what I know and have learned and helping them in whatever way I can. I’m a teacher and I know that’s where my true calling has always been. I just happen to also be obsessed with skin. My personal focus is on local entrepreneurs and helping them be successful and ‘seen’ through our non-profit initiative FOUND/LA – I want to build back our Main Street through community entrepreneurs who are women, minorities or immigrants. Check out what we are up to at foundla.org

If you could go back and give 20-year-old Jane a word of advice, what would it be?

Same advice I give myself at 60. Trust your instincts and never shrink yourself, your capacity or what you know to be actually happening. Stop worrying as much about what you look like and focus on how you feel. Health and positive energy are everything.

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Chloe x Halle

Chloe and Halle Bailey have accomplished more in two decades (they’re 20 and 18 years old, respectively) than many can hope to achieve in a lifetime. The inaugural signees to Beyoncé’s record label, Parkwood Entertainment, this R&B duo were nominated for two Grammys this year for their self-written debut album The Kids Are Alright—all on top of appearing as series regulars in black-ish spinoff grown-ish. Keep your eye on these starlet sisters this year, because they’re just getting started.

On writing and producing their own album…

Halle: Oh yes. Our parents always taught us from a young age that we can do anything we put our minds to and not to be afraid to dive in to do something that may not be considered things for little girls to be doing. My sister is so inspiring to me when she produces. And we write all of our songs from our living room. It’s fun for us. We also feel like this generation is on this wave of learning how to do things on our own and learning how to stand up for ourselves. It’s a big thing for us.

Chloe: I feel very fortunate because we’re given this incredible platform with Beyoncé and [her label] Parkwood, but we’re still able to use our voices and tell the story that we want to tell and create the music we want to create. Beyoncé has always encouraged us to trust our intuition. I’m so grateful because some artists are not able to do that, but we are and it means the world to us.

On the first time Beyoncé heard their album…

Chloe: She said she loved it! And I’m just so happy because if I know Beyoncé loved it, then that’s the only stamp of approval I need, except for my parents and little brother. It even made my heart warm when she said she loved the short film. We like making her proud.

On what inspired their work…

Halle: During the making of this album, we were just documenting our truest feelings, almost like a diary. We put our most sensitive feelings into these words... I’ve been writing down all those feelings that you have as a young girl turning into a young woman, the insecurities and learning how to love the highs of your life as well as the lows. I’ve been learning to accept that everything I have going on now is for a reason and that I’ll end up in the perfect place...in the future, when I’m 30, I can listen to these songs and remember exactly who I was at this age.

“ Beyoncé has always encouraged us to trust our intuition. I’m so grateful because some artists are not able to do that, but we are and it means the world to us.”

On getting to work on Beyoncé’s Lemonade...

Halle: We were very excited. We get there and we’re surrounded by all these beautiful, strong black women. It was such an impactful and wonderful scene to behold. We got a chance to hang out with Amandla [Stenberg], Zendaya and all the other beautiful women. It was just such a wonderful experience. We knew that we were going to be a part of something special just being in that setting, so that was very exciting.

On the best advice they’ve received…

Chloe: “One of the things [Beyoncé] says is to let the world catch up to you; don’t dumb down your art. As fans of hers and two young girls, hearing that from her was an ‘aha’ moment — and a confirmation that we were headed in the right direction.”

This interview has been edited and condensed from multiple sources (1, 2, 3).

Photos from Chloe x Halle’s https://www.instagram.com/chloexhalle/.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Tori Kelly

When you rise to fame on American Idol, people pretty much expect you to stay in your pop star lane.

But not Tori Kelly. Released in September, her sophomore album Hiding Place is decidedly gospel. A collaboration with legend Kirk Franklin, the album felt like a natural next step to Tori, who grew up listening to gospel music and wanted to come into her own after her first album, a pop sensation that hit #2 on the Billboard 200.

That move took guts. But for Tori, it wasn’t a choice. She wanted to share her truth, even if it wasn’t Top 40-friendly. And that’s how she approaches everything in her career—with honesty, relatability, and the pursuit of fulfillment.

Read on for Tori’s take on following your passion full-force.

You debuted your first gospel album, Hiding Place, after your 2015 pop album reached #2 on the charts. What drove you to release a Christian music album?

Gospel music was always playing in my house as a kid and I really studied a lot of gospel singers growing up. It honestly just started out as a small idea, and when the opportunity came to work with the legendary Kirk Franklin, I knew it would be a special project.

Were you worried about how your fans would receive your new album?

I knew some people wouldn't understand it, but I wasn't worried. I hoped that my fans would at least feel encouragement and hope when they heard these songs. I wanted them to really see my heart and what I was passionate about.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I've always gotten advice and encouragement from my parents. They have always pushed me to write and produce my own songs. They even got me my first guitar for Christmas one year. I think that really gave me the confidence to believe that I could do this thing on my own and even do shows with just me and a guitar.

What do you hope your fans and listeners feel when they listen to your music?

When people listen to my music I hope that they feel like they're not alone. Whether it’s a sad song or an uplifting song, I hope they feel like someone can relate to them, and that they are loved.

What advice would you give to young women who need courage to make a change or shift in their careers?

I would say to make sure you have a support system around you to push you and challenge you, but also to make sure you have a vision. Set long-term goals and short-term goals for yourself and take it step by step.

Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

I honestly look up to the women on my team. They might not be front and center all the time, but they are the ones that make stuff happen. These confident women have so much drive and determination while also having a loving tenderness and care about them. I'm so blessed to work with the women on my team.

When I focus on the people around me and how they are doing, that’s when I'm the most fulfilled.

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Where do you get your inspiration for your songs?

I have to write songs that I connect with somehow. I mostly write about my own life experiences, but occasionally I'll try to see life through the lens of someone else.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life—the life God is sending one day by day.”

Although it can be hard sometimes, I've tried to live like that. It's all about perspective. Something that seems like a "bump" in the road might actually be the very thing you needed.

What keeps you up at night?

Usually when I can't sleep it’s because I start getting creative super late or I'll get a song idea that I have to work out.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I am so thankful that I get to call this music thing a career. It's still wild to me. But I am the most fulfilled when I don't make it all about me. It’s the best feeling when someone tells me how one of my songs affected them or got them through a hard situation. When I focus on the people around me and how they are doing, that’s when I'm the most fulfilled. Life is such a gift, and I believe no matter what your job is or how successful you are, loving people is the most important thing.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Lo Bosworth

Lo Bosworth is a true example of what it means to use your platform for good.

The 32-year-old former Laguna Beach and The Hills star is the founder of Love Wellness, an inclusive feminine health brand that ditches body shame and archaic packaging for a female-first voice. She founded the brand after experiencing her own health scares, and she aims to empower women everywhere to take charge and feel good about their personal health.

Below, Lo shares her best moments of 2018, her thoughts on social media, and why she won’t be appearing on The Hills reboot this year.

You’ve been busy! In addition to your site, TheLoDown, you host a podcast (LadyLovin) and run a health and hygiene company, Love Wellness. What inspired your journey into the women’s wellness space?

Running Love Wellness is my first priority and has been for the past year. I was inspired to make this move in my life after a personal wellness journey that I chronicled on TheLoDown. It's been nice to move into Love Wellness full-time as it's a space where I can have a greater, or more tangible impact on women's lives. I personally felt there was a lack of an open self-care culture for women in the United States when I was experiencing health issues a few years ago and through Love Wellness we're actively working to cultivate these body positive conversations and culture through natural and safe products that directly support that mission.

Tell us more about Love Wellness. You offer beautifully-packaged period and vaginal health products—did you feel like that was previously missing from the market?

When I started Love Wellness what I felt was most lacking from the feminine care category, ironically, was a true female voice. It's no secret that the majority of the traditional personal care products for women you know have been conjured up by men in a boardroom. The proof of that is in the anti-feminist undertones of the messaging used to market these products to women, teaching young girls and women through subliminal images and words that our bodies and genitals are dirty, shameful, and private. Ask any woman you know about the emotional experience of buying tampons or anti-fungal cream and generally speaking, it's not a positive one.

At its core, Love Wellness aims to solve that problem. Our products are more than their packaging (though the packaging is lovely). Our products give women their power back by giving them a choice. Most women, when presented with the options, will go with a modern, female-founded brand that understands that a body-positive message is as important as effectiveness and packaging. We want women to feel good about their personal care choices. We make products that do that.

You recently gave a resounding “no” when asked if you’d be appearing on The Hills reboot. What about reality TV is unappealing to you at this point in your career?

I run a women's personal care company that is about positivity for all women and nothing less. Reality television programming, inherently, is about conflict. You need conflict for any type of programming to be remotely interesting. If I participated I can guarantee that a decision would be made by the powers that be to pit me against another woman on the show in order to feed that conflict. As the owner of a business for women by women, it's unconscionable to think that I would agree to submit myself to potential vilification of that nature that could de-base another woman's feelings, reputation, or worldview.

“We want women to feel good about their personal care choices. We make products that do that.”

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

It's the women of Love Wellness that make me feel the most fulfilled: our customers and my team. It's so encouraging to receive notes of support from a woman whose life has been changed by using our products, and I love that we've been able to attract women to work alongside me that are powerful, smart, and inspired to be a part of the positivity and awareness we're spreading.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I consider bumps in the road to be the greatest measures of success. It's how you deal with problems that defines your character and strength. There is a solution to every problem if you're willing to discover what it is. I thrive on the solutions.

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

The honest answer is that I'm exhausted by social media; it's just something I deal with at this point. Authenticity here is important for two reasons: my authentic self is a kind and straight-forward person and I want people to know me for who I am. The second reason is that I believe social media is eating away at the core values of our society and so if I have to send out any message at all, it better be one that's positive. If we can at least consume positivity, we have a shot.

“It’s not meat ‘til it’s in your mouth - meaning, that until the contract is signed and the money is in your account, keep working at it.”

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Hiring full-time employees at Love Wellness in 2018 has been the highlight of my career to date, hands down.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

It's not meat ‘til it's in your mouth - meaning, that until the contract is signed and the money is in your account, keep working at it.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I'm hoping to have a year that's steady: with work, with friendship, family, romantic relationships, and home. The past few years have been ones of turmoil, lessons learned and rebuilding and I'm ready for 12 months of calm seas and clear skies.

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Cassey Ho

If it’s easy, it’s probably not POP Pilates.

Cassey Ho, the boss behind Blogilates, has used her digital platform for over a decade to teach her signature fitness routines and preach the Pilates gospel. What started as a small YouTube community is now an international health movement and multi-million dollar brand with Cassey at the helm.

POP Pilates is definitely Cassey’s largest endeavor, and its scale is hard to ignore. It’s an entire philosophy and empire—from DVDs to workshops to 12-week teacher trainings to international classes, Cassey has created a discernible Pilates practice with a cult-like following. She’s personable and passionate, which is part of her appeal and why she can draw crowds of 500+ to join her for Pilates when she’s passing through town.

Above all, Cassey keeps it real. She’s vocal about cyberbullying and body-shaming and sheds light on the less-than-fun aspects of being a public figure online. In an industry that too often preaches perfection, Cassey Ho is a refreshing (and strong as hell) teacher and thought leader.

You started Blogilates, an award-winning fitness channel, nearly a decade ago. What drove you to start the company, and how has it changed over time?

Blogilates began as one YouTube video that I filmed for my 40 students at 24 Hour Fitness, as I was moving cross country. I put it up because I wanted to continue teaching Pilates and being connected with my students no matter where I was. Unexpectedly...way more than 40 people started watching that first ab video!

Now, Blogilates has become so much more than fitness. It’s a multimillion-dollar brand with high quality activewear, our own certified instructors, and over 4,000 POP Pilates classes being taught every month worldwide!

Your video The Perfect Body has nearly 13 million views on YouTube. What drove you to shoot the video, and what do you hope viewers take away?

What drove me to shoot that video were mean, body-shaming comments directed at me. I took all that sadness, that anger, and turned it into positivity. The response was totally unexpected! But I’m so happy that a piece of heartfelt content like this went viral. I think a lot of women felt very empowered seeing that the way we look at ourselves is way more important than the way other people view us.

If you could give one piece of advice to young girls just entering the phase of life where body image becomes a big focus, what would you say?

Focus on your skills. Your talent. Your brain. Beauty TRULY comes from confidence. And when you can see yourself getting better at something you train at, you glow more and more.

If you weren’t working in health, what career path would you choose?

Evening gown fashion designer!

Don’t do anything that makes you lose trust with your audience. They got you where you are.

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What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

If you don’t take a risk on your own success, who will?

What keeps you up at night?

Not much really. I’m so exhausted that I fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow!

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

Problems. I welcome them with open arms. They force me to be more creative.

Whose career really inspires you?

Jennifer Hyman, Rent The Runway.

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

Don’t do anything that makes you lose trust with your audience. They got you where you are. But at the same time...do what gets you fired up and excited in your soul!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

My goal is to spend more time doing fewer things while having greater impact!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH + WELLNESS LIST HERE

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Candice Kumai

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer, transforming it into a new and beautiful work of art in its own right.

If you ask chef, model, and entrepreneur Candice Kumai, the technique can also be applied to real life. She’s had her own share of struggles, but she’s made a life for herself built on those imperfections. Kintsugi Wellness, her latest of six books, explores this very idea—and it makes Candice the wonderfully relatable influencer we know and love.

Below, Candice talks about her book, her podcast Wabi Sabi, her love of matcha, and why Elle calls her the “Golden Girl of Wellness.”

You were raised by hard-working immigrant parents. How has their dedication affected your career story?

When I think of success, I think of Mom + Dad: they’re the only reason why I work so hard. Watching them as a child, they showed me what hard work was — in Japanese we call this “Oyano se wo mite ko wa sodatsu.” Translates to— children watch what their parents do, not by what they say.

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

Oh man, this has been a gnarly challenge to be honest.

I started out as a poor-broke-ass writer who moved to Brooklyn at 26– with $200 and a suitcase— who lived next to the projects and could barely make rent ...

Prior to that I paid for culinary school on my own at 22-23 by modeling and fit modeling in LA, NY and Asia. Mom told me to my face, I’d never make it cooking for other people.

I’ve been broke AF and I’ve made major cash money. I’ve been someone’s assistant chef and line cook mopping floors and doing dishes and I’ve also been a judge on Iron Chef and opened Nasdaq and closed the New York Stock Exchange with the New York Times, twice.

Life threw me every curve ball you could ever imagine — people tied my hands behind my back, blindfolded me and set me on fire — miraculously with Japanese practice (Gaman/great resilience) I always made it out alive and made pioneering look easy; and I didn’t always hit home runs, but when I did— I had to note how hard I worked to get there.

That’s the long answer, the short answer is —humility.

Nobody handed me sh*t, I paved my own path solo..worked every job as a writer/tv host/ for very little and most of my work for a decade was for no pay. It was about building a real brand that would last, from scratch.

All the boys in food (you know; those tatted up chefs all over the nation) and some top execs in media never thought I’d make it and now, they come to me to seek advice/inspo/content and ask— “how do you do it all”?

Humility —every time I fell on my face and humility for every day as an entrepreneur— self funded, self propelled and self made. That’s it.

Being an entrepreneur continues to be a challenge: Pioneerin’ ain’t easy, but it’s the only thing I’m wired to do —create the new.

And f—- follower counts —what do you have to offer when the battery dies?

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Wow. So many! Too many to count but I can name a few:

When mom told me my first solo cookbook, Pretty Delicious at 26 years old was “better than she thought it was going to be.”

When Chanel, Origins, Cover Girl, Shiseido, Sephora, Bosica etc. all signed me for beauty campaigns —over a 8 year span, all over the globe—I never thought a girl who cooked and wrote would become a mogul for beauty

When my agents at WME IMG made a decision to sign/rep me globally in Japan/Tokyo/Asia

Gracing the back of a Kashi Cereal Box - Werd up.

The 500+ 5 star reviews on my podcast, Wabi Sabi and the 200k downloads within a few months of its inception — who knew my stories of struggle and tenacity were so relatable? It made me smile with humility.

When my mom’s school principal (where she teaches) asked me to come speak with Mom—to the kids and their parents—and share how a small San Diego hometown Japanese- American surfer girl could “make it” big as a writer/author in NYC.

Being interviewed by Forbes & The Wall Street Journal, Arianna Huffington, Vogue & Oprah Mag all in one year—major surprise.

Whose career really inspires you?

Mom - Japanese Cultural Teacher

Dad- Nuclear Auditor and US Navy Veteran, drafted at 21

Sis - Entrepreneur in London, founder and director of The London Bike Kitchen-killin it overseas sis!

Grandpa- Impressionist painter in Tokyo

Aunt Kyoko - has a permanent collection at the MoMa

Anyone who’s out there trailblazing -I truly commend you.

You’re super open about your past struggles in business and finance. What’s the driving force behind this vulnerability?

Simply being honest and real — there are too many fakes and wannabes out there & this is the way I’m wired.

I gotta tell the truth and keep it real. My work is honorable to my legacy- it does me and none of you any good if I fake sh*t. Truth and honor are part of my legacy, that’s the Japanese and Polish American way—be honest and always give your best. This is what my family taught me. I’m not out here bustin’ my ass to be fake, I have no desire to be famous- I’m out there on the field everyday (writing, producing, directing) to help people. I can only help people when I’m vulnerable, myself and masks are all off.

“Success is immeasurable — stop looking around and look within.”

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

Oh man—shift down or shift up. Take breaks—TRAVEL SOLO. Spend time alone—learn to love your solidarity. Write. Stop depending on others and outside factors for happiness. Be original and find new and fresh inspiration. Listen to Drake, Lil Wayne and ASAP Rocky. Go hiking/forest bathing. Stay away from people who don’t make you feel good. Get a pet or hang with animals. Volunteer at a space where you can help those in need: a shelter, a food bank, a soup kitchen, an animal shelter, the Salvation Army, donate and connect w those less fortunate than you. Hop to the beach and learn how to surf, swim or stand up paddle. Success is immeasurable — stop looking around and look within— f—- what everyone else is doing. Pray for others. Practice gratitude and tell those you love, you love them. xx

You’ve run your business for over 10 years now: What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Staying on top of email marketing and the changing social landscape.

Finances - tough to balance, & payroll/admin: hard to keep inspired by that lol

It’s tough to get investors when you’re a creative artist

I really don’t want to be on social all day—it kills creativity

It was once very hard for execs and tv execs to take me serious & I wasn’t going to change who I was to fit into their basic mold

I have so many creative ideas- it’s hard to keep up with my ideas and my love of the new!

Struggling to keep the arts profound and inspiring while having to run a business and deal with admin/finance

What does a normal day in the life of Candice Kumai look like?

Wake up, make matcha

Write or create content in some format

Meditate

Work out at barre, yoga, surf or run depending on where I’m at

Conf calls, meetings or shoot

Finish all work tasks and emails

Cook, enjoy some kind of view or company of another/friends

Drink a ton of water

Review video cuts or images or content

Manage finances/accounts and payments to team

Eat chocolate, laugh w some homies or go listen to ASAP Mob etc

Read something profound/reflect/pray

Sleep really really good

What are you most excited for in 2019?

- Tokyo 2020 prep

- Shooting/directing/writing/producing a NHK World Series in Japan

Setting up shop in SF and NY and Tokyo the trifecta year

NEW CONTENT I CREATE⚡️

Making my clients in LA, NY, SF, Japan all happy

Possibly writing a new paperback book

Creating a new form of media and journalism with the launch of my new company: Kirei Media Inc

Growing: TheMatchaShoppe.com

Wabi Sabi Podcast: to take off into outer space lol-I just want more girls to fall in love w it.

I just wanna laugh more, spend time with those I love, eat cookies, cook more, find a home soon, create better content, sleep like a goddess and be a better journalist, financially kill it & keep being weird. That’s it. xxx ck

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Jesse Marble

Jesse Chamberlain Marble developed her first photo at age 12 (in her bathtub, nonetheless) and never looked back.

And while she’s moved on from her first Pentax K1000, the LA-based photographer still has a camera in her hand most days of the year.

Jesse’s work conveys a nostalgia for a year from no definitive era. Her photos utilize a spectrum of pastels that emanate a dream-like effect, further enhanced by their playful use of silhouettes and optical illusions. Her portraits are vibrant and full of an energy that demand a second, third, or fourth look—as her subjects are positioned so cleverly within their respective environments.

The creative entrepreneur is also the co-owner of Our Labor of Love, Smilebooth, and The Flashdance, all in the photography, wedding, and fashion categories. Having photographed over 500 weddings, Jesse left no design stone unturned at her own wedding to groom Jimmy Marble last year at the Madonna Inn. The couple designed everything from the menus to the Do Not Disturb signs, ensuring that all wedding decor was amplified by the iconic and prismatic Southern-California hotel. Naturally, the photos are amazing.

On your website, you say photography is your superpower. Can you tell us why it’s so powerful to you?

It’s my favorite language. Just as a raise in an eyebrow and slight little smirk can be a universal feeling in any language. A photograph speaks clearly in any culture and every language.

What do you think it takes to make it as a successful photographer today?

Success in photography takes a lot. First and most importantly, it takes a defined style. So when people see it, they know it’s yours. Next, I would say a lot of work and drive, like in any other version of success. For me, I personally love collaborating with new artists on personal projects in my off time to build a community and elevate my vision.

Tell us how you got your start as an artist, and how you eventually found your niche.

I’ve been painting, sculpting, drawing and dancing since I was three years old. My dad and stepmom built a dark room and a photo studio in my house when I was 12. Placing that blank piece of paper in the developer and gently rocking the developer over it until the image appeared was complete magic. It was just a photo of friends at an amusement park but to me it was the beginning of everything. I ended up at a boarding school called George School which had an incredible photo department. My roommate freshman year was Elliott Erwitt’s daughter. Sally Mann sent her daughter there. The head of the photo department was Mark Osterman, who is considered a master of wet-plate collodion photography. I was fortunate enough to have some pretty incredible inspiration guiding me in my youth. For work through college and the early years, I worked for PR firms shooting restaurants, celebrities, homes etc. as well as photographing weddings. It’s been a long road that has led me to fashion editorial and advertising, which fulfills both my love for collaboration as well as connection to humans.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

I have a few people in my life who have been what i consider my creative match. It’s like a best friend but it involves a lot of brainstorming ideas and making them. Our relationship is fueled by it. We trust each other completely creatively so the critiques and excitement come easily and genuinely. Our projects never feel like work.

Do you feel that the power of social media has impacted your career as a photographer at all?

Yes, in all the ways. It’s an incredible resource when used to build your creative network/team. In reverse, it’s a great business card for people to get a quick glance of what you do and how to reach you. My husband and I enjoyed each other's work before we even knew each other because of Instagram.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

Sally Mann, Mona Kuhn, Ariana Papademetropoulos, Kimia Kline, Yayoi Kusama.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

The rising tide. Watching other creatives that we work with grow.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Work hard.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I’ve started producing short films recently with my husband and that has been thrilling. The most recent one, UGH, was shown at Tribeca Film Festival.

What keeps you up at night?

My six-week old baby and four-month old puppy.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

A common struggle is that women aren’t taken seriously until they prove themselves.

Eventually, you’ll know the value of your time & most likely that will increase as you go along.

Tweet this.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Again, it is all about collaboration. In any job, there will be setbacks, whether its budget, talent, location etc…and in my own experience, between the art director and my producer, one of us will be able to see a creative way out.

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

I think each artist gradually sorts this out at their own speed. Most people start working for free and doing passion projects and as your skill increases so does your pay. If you are still building your portfolio, it’s not something you need to know right away. Eventually, you will know the value of your time and most likely that value will increase as you go along.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

More of the same! We (my husband and I) have a couple shorts we are excited about making. More editorials. More all-women collaborations.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Libby VanderPloeg

Illustrating emotion is not an easy task. Yet somehow, you feel things when you peruse Libby’s work. She’s responsible for the GIF that became the unofficial GIF of fourth-wave social media feminism. Many of her illustrations emphasize the power of women, collaboration, and civic engagement. And many of them go viral as rally cries for the movement.

The positivity that underscores her work makes her representation of women that much more meaningful. You want to be friends with the women she draws! You feel inspired by them! You feel connected to them! In a world filled with aggressive push notifications, click bait, and sensationalism, it feels empowering to see artists using their symbolic swords to make art with impact and calls to action.

Simply put, Libby’s work makes you feel good. And in this climate, who doesn’t need that?

Your work has gone viral so many times. Your Lift Each Other Up GIF you made was even mentioned by Gina Rodriguez on one of our panels. How did that change your career, and what was the inspiration behind that piece?

Ah, yes! The Lift Each Other Up GIF was a little bit of magic. Shortly before making that piece, I had taken a leap of faith and quit my full-time design job to pursue my illustration career. It was a little bit nerve-wracking but, lucky for me, I had a lot of strong women in my life (both IRL and through Instagram) who were also small business owners and creatives, and we were all so encouraging and supportive of one another! So I wanted to make a piece about the power of that reciprocal support. While out for my morning run, this animation idea hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was so excited to see if the idea would work that I immediately literally ran home to start working on it. By that evening, I had finished the piece and I could hardly wait to share it, and then I realized that, serendipitously, International Women’s Day was just a few days away! So things just sort of clicked into place with this piece, start to finish. Once I shared the GIF that following Tuesday, it didn’t take to long for it to go viral. I kept getting messages from friends all over the country and even in Europe that they were seeing it everywhere, which was a pretty crazy feeling! A couple years later, I’m still seeing it shared on a daily basis, which makes me happy. I’m so glad that the message of the piece resonates with women in such a positive way.

Career-wise, the viral nature of the piece put me in front of millions of individuals and organizations, which, of course, grew my audience. But it also set me on a path of working with more women-owned businesses and corporations that were taking women’s issues seriously and working publicly to address inequality. It’s wonderful to see a personal project really bloom into a public call to action!

You’ve worked with so many amazing brands. What do you think is the best way to bring your creative mind to brands + create meaningful partnerships that you feel proud of?

I always try to consider the objective of companies I’m creating work for, what the work needs to achieve, and the tone the work needs to strike. I love working collaboratively with my clients because their goals aren’t necessarily the same as mine, and because of that I need them to give me as much info as they can in order for me to work in the right direction. As I see it, my job has two parts: Part 1. Ask a ton of questions; Part 2. Solve problems. And I love when I can deliver solutions to my clients in the form of something fun and beautiful that will hopefully bring a little visual joy to their audience/readers/followers or what have you!

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

I’m inspired by just about everything around me! I’ve lived in relatively urban areas for most of my life (Grand Rapids, Chicago, Brooklyn, Stockholm) and in such environments you’re just immersed in interesting culture without trying very hard. I find humans endlessly fascinating (and weird), and along that line I’m interested in the little worlds they/we create through fashion, decor, and culture more broadly. I’m constantly cataloging all of this visual information in my head, or sometimes jotting notes down on my phone to refer back to if I just feel like doodling but am not sure where to start. For me, I’m tripping over inspiration daily. Sometimes it’s the bolt-of-lightning type, but most of the time it’s more like “I think I’ll draw my funny socks today because I love them,” and that’s fine, too.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

When I was first starting out on my illustration path, I was so inspired by Erin Jang, and I still absolutely love her work and it’s minimal, playful sophistication. I was also super inspired by Lisa Hanawalt! After seeing her work at a little variety show in Brooklyn, I was immediately sure that I wanted to quit my job and become a full-time artist and illustrator. It was a revelation. She’s so incredibly funny and honest in her work, and I love the imaginative world of characters she creates.

I also really love the work of Lisa Congdon, Roz Chast, Anna Rifle Bond, and Maira Kalman. It’s hard to narrow this down! Within the fine art world, I was and still am so inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, Miranda July, Karen Kilimnik, and Alice Neel. And I can think of several rising stars whose work I love! Lauren Tamaki is one of my absolute favorite illustrators. Her work is gorgeous and so distinctive! And Jordan Sondler’s work is pure joy! Also Carolyn Suzuki. Her work is seductively cute, but so powerful. And Loveis Wise is amazing too! There are too many artists I love and I know I am forgetting to name 50 or so of them.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love owning my own company and getting to decide what it is, what it’s not, and where it’s going. It’s wonderfully rewarding to feel so creatively challenged and energized, and to see your ideas come to life! And it’s also really fantastic to be able to work with clients who value my work and trust my ideas.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

I think I was in high school and trying to finish a painting for art class or something like that. My perfectionist tendencies were in full force, and the more work I put into the painting, the worse it got. Seeing my frustration, my dad casually said to me that sometimes you just have to finish things and move forward. It was really freeing to hear that then, and it still helps me with every project I do. I don’t think I’m ever completely satisfied that I’ve done the best that I could do on a project, but deadlines are in a way a blessing that helps us move forward. We can look at what we’ve finished, critique, learn, and always strive to do better next time.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Probably my ability to produce multiple viral pieces of art! There was, of course, the Lift Each Other Up GIF, but there was also the Layer Up GIF, the Shimmy If You’re With Her GIF, and the Huddle drawing that I made as a reflection on the 2017 Women’s March. A definite career highlight was when Cyndi Lauper posted Lift Each Other Up. My mind was completely blown! “She’s So Unusual” was such a formative album for me! It’s just an awesome feeling when one of your heroes notices your work.

What’s next for you?

I have a couple of big, fun book projects that I’m working on right now, and they’re really keeping me busy! One of them involves tons of research, so I’m learning a lot of fun, historical facts as I work on it. And I just wrapped up a very large project that I am super excited about, but shhh... I can’t talk more about until later this year. But I also want to do more personal work in 2019, and have so many ideas for prints, apparel, and other goods that I want to start making!

What keeps you up at night?

I have a hard time quieting my brain when I lay down to go to sleep. I often start managing my schedule and planning out my next work day as I’m laying there, and then I might also start trying to do some specific creative problem-solving too. If I feel that start to happen, I sometimes indulge it for a few minutes, but if it goes on longer, I start saying “sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep…” in my head and the next thing I know it’s the next morning. Sleep problems ebb and flow depending on how screwed I am, via over-scheduling. I am trying to get better at that.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

I’ve seen a lot of instances where people are concerned about negotiating a better rate/fee because they are worried about a client saying no or thinking they are being difficult. It can be tough to assign a value to creative work, and there are so many factors that go into pricing. When clients don’t agree with how you price your work, it’s disheartening because you’ve made very thoughtful calculations to arrive at that value. We’re not always in a financial position to walk away when we don’t feel that a rate is quite fair, but I think it’s important to push back when we are able.

Another big challenge for creative folks in the internet age is the rampant theft of content. Illustrators are constantly having their work stolen and posted without credit, and it’s getting more brazen everyday. I suppose some people think that once something is on the internet that it is up for grabs, but it simply is not. If you want to share something you found on the web, give yourself time to look for the source. You can probably find the creator with a simple Google, and then contact the artist to ask for permission! A lot of times artists are more than happy for their work to be shared, as long as there is attribution. But ask first, especially if you want to use the work as part of a promotion. The internet is sort of the wild west, but we can all work to bring order to the chaos if we start to enforce some decorum with one another. So if you see someone’s work posted without credit, call it out! Artists deserve credit for their work.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

I had both a lot of bumps and plateaus. The plateaus came several times in the form of realizing that my graphic design jobs were ultimately unfulfilling for me and I wasn’t working towards a future that I was going to love. In some of those instances, I was able to stretch my skills in different directions that were closer to the illustration career I wanted. I might find ways to incorporate some hand-lettering or illustration into my design work. But I started realizing that if I was really supposed to be an illustrator then I needed to focus on it and do it every damned day, like any other job. The big bump in the road came in the form of getting laid off from my job as an art director. I was actually incredibly happy to get the news! It was a kind of freeing moment where I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to forge a new path. I did freelance for about a half a year after that, and then took another full time job back in design (after getting cold feet), but I gave myself a hard deadline of one year to save up money so that I could be all-in as an illustrator, and that’s just what I did. Bumps in the road are so necessary, as they give you a chance to recalibrate and zero back in on your goals!

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

No one chooses to tether themselves to a life of scraping by whilst working their ass off. Sure, you can probably get a ton of work if you charge bargain rates, and sometimes you’re not in a position to negotiate. But if you’re getting all “yeses” to your quotes, then you might consider whether you are charging too little. This might not bother you too much at first, because it can be a comfort to be busy, but after years with your nose to the grindstone, trying to make ends meet, while your friends are out buying houses, vacationing in Italy, and going to doctor’s appointments because they can afford health insurance, you might start to really resent your work. So set good precedents for yourself. You might get more nos, but if you’re a problem solver, the inquiries will keep coming.

I always encourage people in the creative field to be as transparent as possible with one another about the kind of rates they are getting and from whom. Budgets are often dependent on the type of work/client, so there is never a simple way to price things, which is why conversations with peers are incredibly valuable. Ask them if they think a rate is fair or if you should push for a little more. And if you have a client that doesn’t pay on invoices for six months, please...let your friends know.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Well, it has nothing to do with drawing, but I am super excited to finally finish remodeling the little house I bought a couple of years ago! It’s in a super cute, woodsy little beach town in Michigan, just a few blocks from Main Street. I have been dying to decorate it since the drywall went up and they floors started going down. I can’t wait for summer days there, away from the noise, making art, jumping in Lake Michigan, baking bread, and just soaking up nature :)

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Kanya Iwana

In a time when attention is currency and ephemeral content reigns supreme, Kanya Iwana wants to make art that lasts. The kind of work that makes an imprint on you—that you file away in your brain to access at a later date. Whether through music, writing, photography, or film, she believes in eliciting emotion and aims to create a firework-like effect on her audience.

A simple scroll through the Indonesian-born, LA-based photographer/director/creative director’s portfolio fulfills that mission. Her work has an effervescence, an intimacy, and a romantic aura with a DNA unto itself. Her use of color and warmth elicits a nostalgia you didn’t know you craved. Her work has graced the likes of of i-d, Vogue, W Magazine, The Fader, and Paper Magazine—and her client roster is even more extensive.

Unsurprisingly, Iwana has a backstory that makes you want to ask as many questions as is socially acceptable. It includes writing a strategic proposal to her mom to leave Indonesia and move to the US by herself to complete school, where she received a bachelor of fine arts in theatre at age 19. She then married her best friend, divorced said best friend, met her soulmate, and gave birth to her beautiful daughter. Amidst this journey, she’s never lost sight of her vision as an artist or entrepreneur.

You work with a lot of well-known artists and fashion industry insiders. What have you learned the most about working with high-profile individuals from a young age?

I learned very early on that you have to be educated and aware of the industry—not only on the people who are in it as well as creative trends and history, but the legal side. You need to know your rights as a creative and how to protect yourself. Knowing these facts really empowered and elevated me into becoming the professional that I wanted to be.

There’s still a gender gap when it comes to male and female photographers. How can we change that?

It needs to come from the inside—the bosses, the higher-ups. I wish I could sit down with an executive and ask them, in a genuine one-on-one conversation, why they’re so afraid to be disrupted. In the meantime, we female artists just have to keep doing what we do to the best of our ability and use our platforms to bring awareness to this issue.

What does it take to make it as a photographer today?

Off the top of my head: Discipline, taste, and genuine love for the craft. I think discipline is pretty direct. When it comes to taste, whatever yours is, you have to find it, stick to it, and really believe in it so other people will believe you too. And you shouldn’t do anything that you’re not in love with. For me personally, whenever I take photos or after I process them and see all the colors, it feels like fireworks happening in my brain and heart. Hopefully people are doing things that make them feel that way.

When it comes to taste, whatever yours is, you have to find it, stick to it, and really believe in it so other people will believe you too.

Tweet this.

Tell us how you got your start as an artist, and how you eventually found your niche.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted my photographs to look cinematic. I’m such a cinephile and want my work to pay homage to movies. The movies I love have brilliant colors and lighting and strong narratives, so subconsciously my photos ended up that way too. I’ve gotten a lot of work because of my use of colors—I think it’s nostalgic and people are drawn to that. These days I’ve been working a lot more on music videos, so it’s getting closer to that full circle. I just follow the momentum and try to do my best.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

Real life people and their emotions and how they navigate themselves in their environment really inspire me. Whenever I write a treatment for a video I always think of a certain memory or person that triggers an emotion, and I write to that “ahh” feeling. I also draw inspiration from music composition. Being a musician as well, sound paints certain stories, and I really ride on that.

Do you feel that the power of social media has impacted your career as a photographer at all?

100%. I do most of my marketing on social media—Instagram is my business card. Everyone has their own personal battles with social media, but I’ve learned how to utilize it in the healthiest way.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

It’s ever-changing. I look up to several different people for very specific things. One of the people I love right now is photographer Driely Carter, and I don’t think it’s going to stop. She’s a real firecracker in the industry, through her work and her commentaries. She’s really someone I look up to when it comes to constantly creating something that I love, and f*** everything else that doesn’t.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

That I get to go in rooms or email chains that I would have never thought I’d be in as a teenager, and that they’re so down to listen to what I get to say and what I get to create. It’s an amazing feeling to be heard, and I’m so excited that the industry is slowly starting to open up more to young, passionate creatives.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

There’s so many, but my partner told me something along the lines of “Your highest is never as high as you think it is; so is your lowest.” It really keeps me grounded and going.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I think my overall career arc thus far is pretty surprising! It’s just so cool. I’m so blessed. I’ve got a long way to go, but the past two years have been amazing.

What keeps you up at night?

Possibilities! I’m always so anxious and excited about my next step. I’m so crazy restless.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

To be taken seriously. I personally can relate to this. I feel like I have to work twice and sometimes triple as hard, especially being a woman of color.

The most random things can spark your next brilliant idea.

Tweet this.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Take a break. It’s so important to temporarily shut down, whether it is from social media or from work overall, and I use that time to invest time with my family. And from there, start having new conversations with people you trust or people you’ve never met before, and just get new ideas from there. The most random things can spark your next brilliant idea.

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

Something that has worked in my favor is the presentation itself. Understand that people have very low attention spans these days, so make your presentation visually inviting, on-brand, and engaging!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

More opportunities for sure!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Jen Gotch

Following Jen Gotch’s journey is like riding a rollercoaster of human experience—one that’s wildly compelling, colorful, rare, and magnetic. Jen is your business crush, BFF, mentor, mental health guru, fashion icon, and #SexHair spokesperson. She’s destigmatizing mental health through her work with the non-profit Bring Change to Mind and her namesake podcast “Jen Gotch is OK...Sometimes,” while simultaneously building a ban.do brand empire on rainbows and glitter. Her career path has been anything but linear—she spent a decade as a food stylist before showcasing a vintage hair piece on her blog. The rest was band.do her-story!

Jen shares the day-to-day of her life as a “Serious Business Woman” and is transparent about the ups and downs that go into running an e-commerce business and a personal brand built on radical honesty. She shows off her Trash Dancing skills in the office parking garage and her conference room panic attacks. She truly contains multitudes!

Come for her candor and sense of humor, but stay for her business acumen and sage advice. And the ban.do product line. So sit down, let us tell you a story: Jen Gotch is here for a good time and a long time.

New podcast alert! What’s been your favorite episode of your new podcast Jen Gotch is OK…Sometimes and why?

Ok, well here’s thing—I haven’t listened to any of the episodes. Actually, I listened to the first episode just to see if it was real and then I walked away. I knew I would find fault in every word and I didn’t want to do that. It’s very stream of consciousness and I wanted to keep it that way, rather than feel like I wanted to self-edit. I don’t think I can pick a favorite. I love the aftershow—that’s my favorite part. Especially the ones that are compilations of all of the voicemails my dad leaves me. I also liked the Buttermilk Waitress episode about my very zig zaggy career path, because my friends and I wrote and recorded a song about all the jobs I had. It was fun and creative and weird, and I can’t sing but I did it anyway.

When you get a new idea, what’s the very first thing you do with it?

Pull over and email it to myself, because my ideas usually come when I am driving. And yes, I know there is probably a better system—notepad, voice memo, etc. But this is the one that stuck. You should see my inbox. It’s wild and a lot of the emails don’t make sense!

In the very beginning stages of ban.do, what advice did you get that stood out the most?

The only overwhelmingly consistent advice I remember was “Don’t do it! Business is really hard.” I didn’t believe “them,” but they were right and now that is the first thing I say to anyone who asks me about starting a business. The ones that are meant to do it won’t listen to me, as well they shouldn’t.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I have two things that come to mind immediately. First, watching ideas come to fruition from just being a thought to being something out in the world that people can see and touch and be moved by. And second, witnessing people I love very much learn and grow and work hard and become leaders and great bosses and great people. Standing by and watching that happen is one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced in business.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

I talk a lot about resilience, which is essentially the ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I’ve been resilient for as far back as I can remember, and for that I am incredibly grateful. Bumps and hurdles hurt for a second, but they always teach me something that I can use for future bumps and hurdles. I feel stronger and wiser knowing that I’ve moved beyond them. I don’t know that there is a strategy, it’s just a mindset to keep going, be optimistic, do some creative problem solving, and don’t stay down for long.

Who are the first three people you think an entrepreneur should hire?

I am a creative entrepreneur with no previous business experience, so my answer comes through that lens.

Hire someone who can do administrative and mundane tasks of the business at a fraction of the cost of what your time is valued at. Emails, packing boxes, running errands, etc.

Hire someone with a skill set that complements yours. So for me that would be someone with more business acumen, highly organized, right-brain thinker, great at logistics and operations. Oh and someone who can do math. Hehe.

Hire a ride or die. Someone who is as invested in what you are doing as you are and will trust and support you wholeheartedly. I am lucky enough to have found several people like this, and their enthusiasm and dedication changed my life and my business.

What does it take for one to be considered as a “serious business woman?”

Part of me wants to say that there isn’t a set of rules or standards, so if you feel like you are a serious business woman, then you are one. The other part of me says a serious business woman (or man) would be passionate about their work, grateful for their opportunities and kind to the people that work for them and the people that they do business with. They would be productive, but not so busy that everything else in their life fades away. They meet challenges head on, they admit defeat and learn from failure and they work to add value to their life and the lives of others.

Who inspired you the most in your life growing up?

I would be remiss if I didn’t say Oprah, since she’s everybody’s inspiration. But outside of that, every time someone asks me this question, I just don’t know how to respond because it’s less about specific people and more about specific traits that people possess: kindness, humor, generosity, gratitude, optimism, emotional intelligence, and resilience. I have and always will be inspired by those things…and Oprah.

“‘Serious business women’ meet challenges head on, admit defeat and learn from failure, and work to add value to their life and the lives of others.”

What keeps you up at night?

I usually sleep pretty well, but mostly what will keep me up are unresolved issues, conflicts I am avoiding, responsibilities I am avoiding, etc. Small things like, “Man, I should be flossing. Why aren’t I flossing?” to things like, “What she did really hurt me and I haven’t had the courage to say anything, so now I am gonna stare at the ceiling at 3am and think about it.”

Whose career really inspires you?

Santa Claus and Busy Philipps.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

It is really hard to pick one: ban.do, my podcast, writing a book. I will say that the biggest opportunities are also the biggest challenges.

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

I have seen less challenges and more tenacity, sensitivity, and innovation.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

My book (and my hair growing past my boobs).

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.

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