Meet the Speaker: Erica Domesek of P.S. - I Made This
Erica Domesek founded the DIY empire P.S. - I Made This, taking the brand from blog to books to events and then some. She's an expert on delivering smiles one DIY project at a time and building a brand both online and off, which is why we can't wait to hear her on panel at #createcultivateCHI!
Name + @username Erica Domesek + @psimadethis
Trade Founder of P.S.- I Made This
Panel From Blog To Brand: The art of creating compelling content that translates offline and online
Erica Domesek founded the DIY empire P.S. - I Made This, taking the brand from blog to books to events and then some. She's an expert on delivering smiles one DIY project at a time and building a brand both online and off.
Get your tickets here to catch Erica live in conversation at #CreateCultivateCHI on Aug 15th!
What’s at the top of your to-do list today?
I am headed to Duff's Cakemix to decorate a cake with my friend's daughter! Top priority.
Where were you in life just before you started your blog/business?
I was a prop stylist and set designer, working as a creative consultant for brands like Madewell, Kate Spade, Anthropologie, Glamour and Teen Vogue Mags, etc. Designing store windows, advertising campaigns, and lookbooks was my background.
Your Instagram feed is a go-to destination for a dose of color and inspiration. What content have you found performs the best? Any tips for creating content?
I like to say, "comfort with a twist" performs the best. What does that mean? Something that you're comfortable with, like something you recognize and are familiar with, but give it a twist. That OMG-factor that makes you wanna double tap, or even tag your BFF in the comments.
Great tip. What’s the last interweb rabbit hole you went down?
Instagram is my bermuda triangle. I'm currently stuck on rainbow legos, gummy candies, and comparing compositions and color coordination.
What tools and/or apps are essential to your work?
My go-to apps are Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat… and I would be lost without Dropbox.
Which part of your business comes the most naturally to you? What skills have you had to work overtime to develop?
I'm a left and right brained person who sometimes leans on the creative motor skills more than the business side, and other times that flip-flops when you're running a creative business. Brainstorming new campaigns and projects with out-of-the-box ideas and writing cute copy are what I live for. I have to work on my management and communication skills daily, as well as my organization.
Who do you go to most for advice (in life and/or work)? What’s the best piece of advice they’ve given you?
I have the best and smartest friends who are also my mentors. I have learned that being reactive does not help anyone—yourself, your team, etc. I always say "talk once, and listen twice," because sitting back and getting other's perspectives and thoughts will be helpful to not only your overall team building, but also helps you to stay open and accepting of other's advice and ideas.
Check out P.S. - I Made This for more bold DIY inspiration than you can shake a fistful of glitter at (including this #girlboss friendly DIY gem mousepad)!
Get your tickets here to catch Erica live in conversation at #CreateCultivateCHI on Aug 15th!
BFFs in Business: Show Me Your Mumu
Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, design duo and best friends Cammy Hebert and Cologne Schmidt, both 29, of Show Me Your Mumu reinvented the classic mumu after a weekend vacation in Miami. The rest is modern fashion history wrapped in their eclectic brand that has been embraced by celebs like Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Beyoncé.
BFFs in Business: Cammy (left) and Cologne (right) of Show Me Your Mumu
#Femships have been making headlines lately. From Beyoncé and Nicki, to Tina and Amy, to Taylor Swift and her bevy of BFFs (#squadgoals), it's a term coined in celebration of female friendships in life and sometimes, in business.
Proving that necessity is the mother of invention, design duo and best friends Cammy Hebert and Cologne Schmidt, both 29, of Show Me Your Mumu reinvented the classic mumu after a weekend vacation in Miami. The rest is modern fashion history wrapped in their eclectic brand that has been embraced by celebs like Jessica Alba, Kate Hudson, and Beyoncé. Show Me Your Mumu is loved by women everywhere who can find it online and in more than 300 stores nationwide.
We chatted with Cammy and Cologne about the ins and out of business and friendship, and how they make their #femship work (literally).
Name: Cammy Hebert & Cologne Schmidt
Trade: Co-founders of Show Me Your Mumu
Location: Venice Beach and Vernon, CA
So-called "femships," aka female friends run businesses together, are having a moment. How has your friendship given you a business edge?
Cologne: We started this business as friends, and we're lucky that we still are best friends and work together so well! Usually people advise not to go into business with your best friend, but we have been very lucky. Our relationship is more like sisters now—we have been through a lot together. The Mumu lifestyle is all about girlfriends and having fun, so were have been able to translate that lifestyle to our customer. We also each bring different vibes and styles to the table, rounding out the Mumu line and aesthetic.
"we started this business as friends and we're lucky that we still are."
How do you think your business would be different working solo?
Cologne: Having a business partner makes the whole process so much more fun and emotionally manageable. Cammy and I go through all the highs and lows together—we get to cry and we get to celebrate together. When problems arise, we can help each other solve them. We also manage different channels of the business, so we can split up some of the workload and teams we manage. The creative part, which we both love, we get to do together and bring our unique vibes to each collection.
How was the transition of working for companies like Calvin Klein, to packing your bags to LA and starting your own business?
Cammy: We laugh because starting your own business is kind of like having a baby. You care about them so much, they are nonstop work, and you will do anything for them—including staying up all night. Working for yourself is very challenging, but also very rewarding. It involves a lot more emotion and work, but we would never change it. We love our baby, Mumu!
Show Me Your Mumu is a very female-powered business. Who are the women that inspire you?
Cologne: We have both learned a lot from our moms. My mom is a very strong lady, who always taught me to speak up, work hard, and be and be myself. We have 3 women on our board who we work closely with—Liz, Cammy’s mom Teresa, and Janet. They are amazing women who inspire us and make us better women and #girlbosses.
"always be honest and vocal with each other. it will help in the long run."
What would be your best advice to someone who wants to start a business with their friend?
Cammy: Make sure that you can see it working longterm. Think about all of the situations you will have to go through and imagine how you'd handle them together. It is so much fun to work with a friend, but it can also be strenuous on some friendships, so it is not for everyone! If you do choose it, make sure to always be honest and vocal with each other. It will help you in the long run. Also, have fun with it! Running a business with your bud is a blast!
Thanks, girls!
Shop the line and follow @showmeyourmumu on Instagram for tons of color and goodness daily!
Meet the Speaker: Gaby Dalkin of What's Gaby Cooking?
Name Gaby Dalkin (@whatsgabycookin)
Trade Chef, Food Blogger, & Globetrotter at What's Gaby Cooking?
Panel Mastering Food Photography: The Ins and Outs of the Perfectly Posed Shot
Name Gaby Dalkin (@whatsgabycookin)
Trade Chef, Food Blogger, & Globetrotter at What's Gaby Cooking?
Panel Mastering Food Photography: The Ins & Outs of the Perfectly Posed Shot
What's Gaby Cooking? is all about living the California Girl life no matter where you actually live! That means a life where it's always sunny, where smart healthy choices for lunch happily exist with Slutty Brownies for dessert, and where there's always room for guacamole. The California Girl life also means hitting the road now and again for new adventures, and exploring the world through food.
Get your tickets here to catch Gaby live in conversation at #CreateCultivateCHI on Aug 15th!
What’s at the top of your to-do list today?
Planning my upcoming trip to Germany! I'm heading there in September to explore the food scene and I can't wait. I've been a handful of times but it was back when I was the pickiest eater on the planet, so I'm excited to do some research and find the best places to grab a bite and a pint!
Which of your recipes would you suggest to the totally amateur—but hopeful—foodie?
I say start with a pizza! It's approachable because it's something we are all familiar with but you can jazz it up and really get your inner foodie on! This Corn Cilantro Jalapeno Pizza is currently rocking my world. And it's great because you can make it with chorizo if you're a meat eater, or keep it vegetarian and use soy-rizo if that's more your speed! From there—sky's the limit! Keep experimenting and getting crafty as you become more and more comfortable in the kitchen.
Now that it’s officially cherry season, what are you adding to your dessert menu?
Cherries never quite make it to dessert for me because I eat them by the pound straight from the farmers market—I'm obsessed! But, if I showed a little self restraint then it would for sure be a cherry pie!
You’re the ultimate California Girl, but any food/restaurants you’re looking forward to in Chicago?
OMG where do I even start. I'm flying in early specifically to eat at some fab restaurants. Nando's Peri-Peri is this incredible South African chicken restaurant that just features epic chicken with various dipping sauces—I'm in! I love Girl & The Goat, Piccolo Sogno, The Publican, and Taxim, too!
What’s the last interweb rabbit hole you went down?
Yesterday I spent an inordinate amount of time researching the best patio dining in Los Angeles. Literally two hours of Google searches and image searches to figure out where the heck I should host my husbands 30th birthday dinner. Because not only does it have to be delicious, but I need to make sure it's Instagram friendly too!
What tools and/or apps are essential to your work?
I live by my TeuxDeux app. It's a giant to-do list that keeps me organized and you can move things around easily if your schedule changes. Slack is my lifeline when it comes to web work. The What's Gaby Cooking team is mostly based in Los Angeles and Slack lets us work remotely, stay connected, and share docs really easily. I also love Buffer, which allows me to schedule content ahead of time as I do quite a bit of traveling for work and I'm not always at my desk!
Which part of your business comes the most naturally to you? What skills have you had to work overtime to develop?
I'm a people person, so I love getting creative with my clients and coming up with awesome ideas or getting out there and networking with fellow influencers and publishers! As my business has become more successful, I've had to work on developing a thicker skin. It's just business and I needed to learn not to take things so personally!
Who do you go to for advice (in life, work, and/or food)? I'm so lucky to be surrounded by an incredible network of people. I talk to my mom like five times a day and she's always in the know about what's going on in my business, so I bounce ideas off of her all the time. My husband works in the industry too, so he's always quick to help out when I need advice. And my best friend is Matt Armendariz (@mattarmendariz). He's a blogger and photographer extraordinaire. We talk shop all the time!
Get your tickets here to catch Gaby live in conversation at #CreateCultivateCHI on Aug 15th!
Q+A: Mr. Kate, A Hot Glue Gun Mess
On the eve of the release of her first book A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects, we asked our friend Mr. Kate about the art of oversharing and how it feels to add "author" to your resume. Read on.
Mr. Kate is a DIY and lifestyle blogger, prolific YouTuber, entrepreneur, and long-time Create & Cultivate favorite and friend. She has killed it as a panelist—most recently on the "Lights, Camera, Action" panel at C+C Los Angeles 2015—and gives us a dose of inspiration and laughter on the daily via Instagram. On the eve of the release of her first book A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects, we asked Kate about the art of oversharing and how it feels to add "author" to your resume. Read on (and read to the end for an exclusive excerpt from the book!). — JM
Name, @username, day job/craft, elevator pitch:
Mr. Kate aka Kate Albrecht, @mrkatedotcom. DIY, design, & style blogging—and now author of A Hot Glue Gun Mess: Funny Stories, Pretty DIY Projects. The quirky Martha Stewart for the reality TV generation; creating content to inspire people to express themselves because #whynot!
A lot of bloggers are fantastic at walking the walk (including you!), but for all the talk of authenticity in content, you stand out as someone who also talks the talk. You keep it hilariously real and revealing in the book: were there any stories that you hesitated to share?
Awww thanks! It was a big and very conscious decision to reveal as much as I do in the book—you learn lots of hilarious and embarrassing things about me, from the time I pooped in a tub to my one-night-stand with a world famous athlete. I always appreciate when people are transparent and find humor in their "oops" moments, so I figured if I was going to spend two years writing and creating a book, I may as well bare my soul and not hold back. That said, I do hope people still like me after they read about the time I (accidentally) set fire to a kindergarten... oops! (PS: NO children were harmed!)
"If I was going to spend two years writing and creating a book, I may as well bare my soul and not hold back..."
What advice would you give other creative entrepreneurs who might feel like a hot glue gun mess?
That we are all hot messes, some people just cover it better than others. Learn to find a balance between laughing at yourself and taking yourself really F-ing seriously. It's the serious side of you that will grow your dream and it's the humor that will infuse the dream with creativity and also allow you to laugh when things get ridiculously messy and/or overwhelming... which they will. But then they get better!
This is your first book: what was the biggest learning curve? Favorite part of the process?
This was definitely the hardest and most involved project I have ever done. The biggest learning curve was realizing that I could actually write a book, which was something I never thought I'd do. My favorite part was writing the stories and then figuring out ways to link them to DIY projects in fun and funny ways. To give you an example, a story titled "I Used To Babysit My Stepmom" is paired with DIY Beyond Nude Nail Art Two Ways... how do they relate? You'll have to read the book to find out!
"we are all hot messes, some people just cover it better than others..."
How’d the whole project come about? Did you approach your publisher, did they approach you?
We got a book agent who then guided us in writing a proposal and then she sent that out to publishers. We got lucky that a few publishers wanted to work on this book so we got to pick our favorite!
How many copies do you think your parents will buy?
Haha I think they've collectively bought 10 or so and then Joey's (my husband/business partner) parents bought another 10 so yeah... thanks and sorry I wrote that you eat too many cheeseburgers!
Besides your hot glue gun, What tools and/or apps are essential to your work?
I use a drill a lot in interior design projects to hang curtains, pictures, do DIYs, etc. As far as apps, I love the Polyvore app for building moodboards around any kind of creative spark and Afterlight for editing photos!
What’s at the top of your to-do list this week?
Planning the book release party!
What movie can you quote start to finish?
Clueless and Some Like It Hot
What’s the last interweb rabbit hole you went down?
Trying to pick the perfect tub faucet for a claw foot tub.
You’ve got $50 for a last-minute gift: what do you DIY or buy?
An at-home gel manicure kit (my favorite is the Sensationail starter kits). If you're going to spend the time DIYing some nail art, make it last as long as possible with gel polish!
Open a page at random: tell us what page, what you’re reading/seeing, and anything you remember about writing it/putting it together.
Page 167, the reveal photo for a "DIY Basket Canopy" project which is a really pretty and easy way to make a canopy for over a bed or daybed. I remember styling this reveal photo (we hung the canopy from a tree over a day bed on a patio) and I was obsessing over the tea cup on the coffee table in front of the daybed and how to place it perfectly. Of course in the photo we chose, the cup is blurred out but hey, it made it into the shot, and it matches the teal of the canopy cloth!
An Exclusive Excerpt from Mr. Kate's A Hot Glue Gun Mess
Hooker With a Head of Gold
“My early twenties were a mess. My best friend was a high-priced hooker. She was introduced to me as twenty-six-year-old Alex, who worked in fashion. I didn’t know her true profession until after our friendship ended years later, when I found out she also had a fake name and was six years older than she claimed. Alex was lovely—funny and charming, with a laid-back beauty—and we would laugh nonstop together.
Alex had this amazing laugh—a loud and genuine cackle. It was the laugh of a girl who didn’t give a shit what people thought of her. Her signature look was her long blond hair, which she wore in messy, beachy waves. She drove a Mercedes and had a realistic-looking boob job and lithe friends, which should have raised a red flag to her actual profession, but to naive, twenty-year-old me, she was an intriguing and fantastic friend…”
Follow all things Mr. Kate at mrkate.com and from one hot mess to another, believe us when we say Kate's book A Hot Glue Gun Mess is a must-read and hilariously defies any and all expectations of the usual DIY how-to books.
Q+A: Heather Lipner, Creative Director/CEO of Clashist
This sounds so cliche but I was at the Chateau Marmont with Cory Kennedy and I showed her some very, very early designs on my iPhone and she was into it—which surprised me actually. I quickly sampled them and sent them to her. Within a week, they were on NYLON magazine’s Instagram and then stocked in their shop and I immediately sold 50-100 units. So then, yeah, it became a business. A-ha!
Name: Heather Lipner
Occupation: Creative Director / CEO of Clashist
Location: Los Angeles, CA
What was the a-ha moment when you decided to start Clashist?
This sounds so cliche but I was at the Chateau Marmont with Cory Kennedy and I showed her some very, very early designs on my iPhone and she was into it—which surprised me actually. I quickly sampled them and sent them to her. Within a week, they were on NYLON magazine’s Instagram and then stocked in their shop and I immediately sold 50-100 units. So then, yeah, it became a business. A-ha!
Tell us about your business model, what makes you unique?
We’re a commerce business—we make goods and sell them direct and wholesale. Our prints focus on pop culture commentary, something most people can relate to has more depth than just an abstract print. Our commentary at large within the fashion industry is unique as well.
How do you know which celebrity prints people will gravitate to? Do some celebrities have more internet clout than others?
Honestly, we don’t really know—it’s ultimately a guess, but overall we’re informed by said celebrity’s sense of humor in general and how they connect with their fans. For example, I love James Franco—he’s entertaining, anything goes, and you can tell he’s having fun. That’s great and we celebrate him.
How do you see online and offline ideas changing and growing in the next 5 years? 10?
The space between online and offline continues to narrow as technology connects the two. From a fashion development perspective, it’s about more efficient communication between the factory and client, speed of production, new types of ink and fibers that will make the prints last longer. From a consumer experience perspective, I think we’ll see issues behind buying, washing, wearing out, and metrics like price-per-wear being solved.
Because you are focusing on meme-centric content do you feel your production needs to move at an IRL pace?
Nah, that would be super-fast fashion. From a consumer and environmental perspective, that would be a waste of money and thus feel empty. We go a bit broader on topics that are deep-seeded in the apparel such as feminism, religion, and cultural expectations. If you step back and examine, what we’re really doing is poking fun at ourselves, the world as it is, and how very stuffy we still are, knowing that it will all change in due time.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned from starting Clashist?
I have created and closed other businesses in the past, and of course I’ve been involved in others as well. So now that I know Clashist, the best lesson I’ve learned is that if a business isn't flowing easily, it might not be the right business for you. Meaning: Clashist comes naturally for me; I know exactly what to do, so I can trust my gut to predict trends and create unique products that people are into. When you know, you know—it’s like meeting your soul mate I suppose.
Favorite internet meme of all time:
Oh, you should check this out.
Meet the Speaker: Jeff Mahin, Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
When we were selecting panelists for #createcultivateCHI Jeff Mahin stood out as the forward-thinking restaurateur we needed to nab. At 31, he is a chef/partner at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (LEYE) and the creative force behind Stella Barra Pizzeria (Santa Monica, Hollywood, Chicago, North Bethesda), Summer House Santa Monica (Chicago, North Bethesda), Do-Rite Donuts (Chicago), and M Street Kitchen (Santa Monica). As regulars at Stella Barra in Santa Monica, the C+C staff already loved Jeff's food, and after getting to know the man (and Forbes 30 Under 30 alumna) behind the dishes we knew he'd be the dude to dish (pun intended) about finding a unique voice and vision in the ever-growing Food, Health, & Wellness space.
Get your tickets here to catch Jeff live in conversation at #CreateCultivateCHI
Name Jeff Mahin
Trade Partner/Chef at Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises
Panel The New Disruptors: How to Break Out in Food, Health, & Wellness
Favorite neighborhood in Chicago Before I moved to Los Angeles, I lived in Chicago for years. There are so many diverse neighborhoods and I've lived in many of them, but my favorite would have to be Lincoln Park. It’s the first neighborhood I moved to in Chicago so I have a lot of great memories there. Our restaurants Stella Barra and Summer House Santa Monica are also located there.
Best bar for a nightcap Violet Hour and Three Dots and a Dash. If I am with a bigger group or with friends from out of town, I’d go to Three Dots and a Dash. For a smaller group, or a date with my girlfriend, I’d go to Violet hour.
Your top spot for late night grub Allende Restaurante, a taqueria in Lincoln Park. They have the best al pastor taco I've ever had (even better than anywhere in L.A.) and they stay open until 3 a.m. When I first moved to Chicago and had no money, I would go there after work late at night to get a great meal for pretty cheap. In fact, I still eat there whenever I’m in town. I think it’s fair to say I have eaten at this restaurant more than anywhere else in the city. Lady Maria, who works there, is there every day and always remembers me.
Best Chi-town donut shop Do-Rite Donuts, of course! We have two locations in Chicago. There is a great variety of artisanal flavors like Pistachio Meyer Lemon, Candied Maple Bacon, and Valrhona Chocolate Cake, along with a selection of gluten-free and vegan donuts. But the one I’m most proud of is the most basic: a classic buttermilk old fashioned. We worked on perfecting this donut for a long time. The flavor brings back so many childhood memories.
What do you love most about Chicago? Chicago is a great, big city with amazing architecture. I love the diverse neighborhoods and the sky rises. But what I love most is that it doesn’t really have that big-city mentality. It’s a very warm, welcoming, and clean city.
Q+A: Natalia Borecka of Lone Wolf Magazine
I'm Natalia Borecka (@nataliaborecka) the Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director and Founder of Lone Wolf Magazine. We’re putting substance back into fashion and turning it into a vehicle for personal empowerment and education.
Name, @username, craft, elevator pitch:
Natalia Borecka, @nataliaborecka, I’m the Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director and Founder of Lone Wolf Magazine. We’re putting substance back into fashion and turning it into a vehicle for personal empowerment and education.
What tools and/or apps are essential to your work?
I’m kind of like a one-person marching band—I do it all—so making sure that I’m using my time effectively becomes the greatest challenge. I've found that the only way I can be productive is when I use a timer system. I give myself a pre-specified amount of time on any one task, and I literally set a timer. This helps me make sure that I have enough time left over to do all the important stuff. One app that I couldn’t live without is Boomerang, an email manager. Boomerang is really incredible for anyone who is inundated with emails. For me the problem is that a lot of my emails take time and deliberation, even if I want to reply right away it's not always realistic to do so. But when you get so many new emails daily, any unanswered email from a few days ago often goes completely forgotten. Boomerang really solves this problem. I don't know how I ever lived without it.
Where do you like to go on a day off?
My job is to come up with new ideas, so on my days off I gravitate toward places where new ideas live. I particularly love those shamelessly large corporate bookstores that are all three stories high with coffee shops tucked into them. You can get lost in all that amazing content. Really, if you think about it, being in a big bookstore is kind of like spending time online; you get so much information at your fingertips, but unlike the internet the content is all carefully curated and brought to the world with painstaking effort. It’s like an idea museum. Every time I’m there I feel like a Charlie in the Chocolate Factory.
Who do you look to as an example of success?
I don’t look up to one particular person as an example of success, for me it’s more an idea of the kind of woman I want to become: a woman that is self-realized and living to her full potential. I look at J. K. Rowling, Phoebe Philo, Gloria Steinem, Diana Vreeland and Maya Angelou—these are all women I admire for being tuned into their life’s purpose and living up to their fullest potential as human beings.
What’s something you know now that you wish you’d known when starting your business?
I really wish I had known that you can’t hire someone just because you like them personally or think they have potential. You can’t give someone a fancy title and expect them to live up to that title. People just don’t work that way. A title has to be earned, fought for and conquered to mean anything. It took me a long time to get my business on the right track when I first started it because I collaborated with people I personally liked, and thought had potential, instead of seeking out those who actually had the skills that would help grow the business.
"You can’t hire someone just because you like them personally or think they have potential."
What other businesses are you excited about?
I’m really excited about calm.com, a startup that helps you relax if you're having a stressful day at work. I love it because I'm not that great at meditating, and this app breaks it down into digestible portions, guiding you through it. You can do it anywhere, on your own time, on an as-need basis. Just pop your headphones in for two minutes, and ta-da, you’re calm.
What’s the next thing on your to-do list today?
Right now I’m putting together the creative direction for a fashion story about the Pre-Raphaelite Muses and casting models for an upcoming blog shoot.
Sometimes procrastination is a virtue—what are you putting off right now?
Emails! I’m always putting off answering emails, but to my defense, I couldn’t get back to everyone even if I tried. Right now I have over 2000 emails to respond to. As it is, I spend about four hours a day replying to emails…and every morning, there’s a new batch waiting for my attention. Sometimes I feel like Sisyphus, except instead of pushing a rock up a mountain I'm replying to emails all day. Heaven is definitely going to be a place with no emails to answer.
What was your career catalyst?
I always knew that I wanted to be an entrepreneur, but when it finally happened it was really organic and more out of necessity than anything else. I graduated when the recession was in full bloom and there was simply no work. Strangely enough, at a time when no one would hire me for a respectable office job, I started making really good money through my on-the-side-thing as a fashion photographer. That experience was a huge paradigm shift, and showed me that what they say about doing what you love and the money will follow is completely true. My work as a fashion photographer proved integral to eventually starting Lone Wolf Magazine, which was a childhood dream of mine.
Best piece of advice for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
My advice to anyone who wants to start their own magazine would be to stay true to yourself and focus on what it is that makes you different. Everyone seems to follow the same formula in the world of magazine publishing, as if there is only one way to make a fashion magazine. Not every fashion magazine has to look like Vogue, not every lifestyle magazine has to look like Kinfolk. If you want to stand out, you need to do something different. I think part of the problem is that a lot of people are guided by the wrong things; they’re either hungry for a fancy title, or they want to feel that their lives are more extraordinary than their peers. That’s not really a good reason to start a fashion magazine. When I started LoneWolf I wasn’t looking to be the next Vogue, but to put something very positive into the world in an industry that was particularly known for making women feel bad about themselves. I focused on filling a void in the market, and doing it in the most authentic and honest way possible. I think that’s the key to being successful.
A book recommendation and a peek at Natalia's desk
Be sure to follow @lonewolfmag for more from Natalia & co. It's a seriously stunning publication with inspiration (both written and visual) for days and a truly refreshing perspective on fashion.