Content Creator: Elsie Larson & Emma Chapman, A Beautiful Mess

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

Made messy beautiful. 

Messy is beautiful, at least when sisters Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are involved. 

The team behind the site A Beautiful Mess started working together when Elsie expanded her retail store to a larger space. Emma jumped on board to tackle the business side of things. During that time they also started blogging, initially to further promote the store and make supplemental income. It was their collision course with online entrepreneurship. That was almost a decade ago before they realized blogging could be a full time career. “It evolved from there,” says Elsie, “one baby step at a time,” crediting partnering with her sister as the smartest move she’s ever made. 

The retail space eventually closed and A Beautiful Mess became their full time job in late 2011. They now oversee five full time employees as well as a roster of talented freelancers. 

Neither went to business school, but that hasn’t proved detrimental to their model. Though they’ve made plenty of “rookie mistakes,” from understanding what to ask in an interview to the complex intricacies of employees' personalities, life imitates blog titles in their case. “It's amazing how much attitudes and culture can affect productivity in even a very small office like ours,” says Emma. But she loves what she does, noting the 80/20 rule: “You should aim to love 80% of your job and the other 20% is just a job.” Elsie has a similar, healthy approach to work. “I love my job,” she says, “but it doesn't take away from family time or my big goals. And I love it more every year, so I think that's a good sign!” It follows suit with her favorite advice: “You can be anything, but not everything.”

“You can be anything, but not everything.” 

Tweet this.  

The creative sisters have tips on how to recession proof your own biz. “Business isn’t always straightforward,” shares Emma. “Early on we focused on creating multiple revenue streams.”  Elsie agrees. “Grow your business to at least four solid revenue streams, so if one dies you won't be screwed.” Every year they try to add one or two to keep pushing the company forward. “Not everything works,” Emma remarks, but if this year is any indication the messy team has a firm grip on what does. 

This spring (2017) they are releasing their third book, a cookbook, and are excited to see how it’s received. Last year they launched their third app, A Color Story, which had over 2.5 million installs in under a year. They took it as a sign and simultaneously created a second company (which they named A Color Story) to work on their apps. They’re adding on additional staff and projects, though A Beautiful Mess will remain their “main gig.” 

Emma, who is in the process of sewing her first quilt, insists on “saying no to the guilt trip game,” focusing instead on making to-do lists and attempting to finish said list.  She’s also addicted to podcasts. A few of her favorites include: Smart Passive Income Podcast, Start Up, and Elsie Gets Crafty.

“I think women make themselves feel guilty for not working enough, not mom-ing enough, not having a perfectly clean house 24/7, not looking ‘put-together’ enough; it's too much!” Emma says. “Let’s celebrate all that we do because from my view—women are AMAZING!” 

“Discovering your own boundaries is really important,” adds Elsie. “Now that I have mine, I think I actually get more work done, in less time.”

Wellness: Katerina Schneider and Lauren Hayes, Ritual

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

An holistic approach to vitamins. 

"Female empowerment means gender doesn't hold you back in anyway."

When Katerina Schneider, CEO and founder of Ritual, was four months pregnant she couldn’t find a vitamin brand that she trusted. “So,” the former Lehman Brothers investment banker shares,” I decided to build my own.” 

It was on a double date that she met founding team member and her VP of Marketing and Growth, Lauren Hayes. During that dinner the conversation turned to health. “Kat started telling me how she had recently become pregnant and how she’d started cleaning out everything in her household with questionable ingredients.” It was during the pregnancy sweep that Kat found some of the same ingredients on the back label of her cleaning detergent were some of the same ingredients in her prenatal vitamin. It was shocking. 

“During one of my first conversations with Kat,” explains Lauren, “I was taking over 7 vitamins, but when she asked me to name one of them I turned red and struggled to recall one brand.”

“Like [Kat] had already, I realized the massive opportunity to turn the dinosaur vitamin industry on its head,” says Lauren. “And really build a brand that resonated with every woman.”

Both women had spent some time in the startup world. Lauren, post-USC, had joined Los Angeles’ largest startup accelerator, StartEngine, as its second employee. She then worked with Walter Driver, CEO and Co-founder of Scopely, growing the company from 15 to 200 employees. And Kat, post Lehman Brothers, had spent time as a Venture Partner at an investment fund of over 70 startups for Troy Carter. They had the experience. They had the information. And the mission of “making the highest quality ingredients accessible to all women,” was golden. It was time to take the risk. 

"I realized the massive opportunity to turn the dinosaur vitamin industry on its head.”

Tweet this.

Lauren credits her fiancé with helping her make it through challenging decisions. “I've been a tech and innovation fanatic since I was little,” she says. “I've always been surrounded by older peers and worked in jobs surrounded by men, which can be intimidating.” But when her fiancé told her to “act as if,” that tidbit helped her get over what she calls “the confidence hump.”  

“He also told me age doesn't always mean wisdom,” she shares. 

Kat says her mom has been her biggest a mentor and role model. “She spoke no english when we moved to America, she got her MBA and became an Investment Banker all while raising two small kids.”

“The hardest decisions you make as a founder are the ones that shape you the most,” the mom and CEO says. And though the journey from the finance to startup world has not been without its challenges, Kat says that risk is the only way to move forward. 

“The hardest decisions you make as a founder are the ones that shape you the most."

Tweet this. 

Today Kat says, “I am comfortable with my identity as a female business woman. I don't try to be more masculine or more feminine, I'm comfortable with who I am. I used to think I had to be more aggressive as a female in business to get what I want to make up for being a woman. I now embrace who I am and realize that authenticity will get me where I need to go.”

With Ritual, Kat is committed to building “the most meaningful health company that has ever existed.” Lauren sees “Ritual as the perfect opportunity to fold all of my passions from creativity and tech to education and health all into one business.”

Together, they're giving that vitamin dino a reason to run. 

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

Fashion: Clare Vivier

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

Created a brand of her own.

On the corner of Sunset and Micheltorena in Silverlake is a gray-blue front, the flagship store of LA-based designer Clare Vivier and her namesake brand, Clare V. Inside against white walls, CA-made colorful leather handbags and apparel pops. Shelves feature glasses, wallets, and gifts for the women who appreciate a faultless look. 

Simple, decidedly French, Clare’s is a story of fashion and fate. After finding 400 dollars on a sidewalk, she purchased the sewing machine that would launch a thousand bags.  But it all started with one, known famously as La Tropizienne. 

After graduating from University of San Francisco, Clare moved to France. She interned at a documentary film production company and waitressed on the side. The effortlessly chic style of France and French women spoke to her longtime interest in fashion. Feeling inspired, she started a blog for fun. She also happened to meet her husband, Thierry Vivier, and they moved back to California.  

In Los Angeles, her fashion blog began to pick up some traction as she formed her own style, an effortless blend of French and Californian influences. "Ever since I can remember," Clare says about her unique style and dressing for herself, "it has always been an important part of my identity and happiness."

During this time Clare had a day job, working as a prop stylist and commercial production coordinator in LA. But she needed a bag to hold her laptop and notes. The designer couldn’t bring herself to carry a meek, corporate-looking, nylon tote, especially being fresh off the sensibility of Paris.  So she made her own custom bag. Inspired by the L.L. Bean boat tote and the essence of St. Tropez, her bag demonstrated flare, functionality, and outright “coolness.”  And everyone noticed.  After receiving numerous compliments, Clare felt like she was on to something, and stepped in the role of Clare Vivier, handbag designer.  It was a buyer at Fred Segal luggage shop "back in the day," she says that gave her a first very useful bit of advice. "Why would anyone buy this at this price? No one knows who you are," Clare recounts upon sharing her first laptop bag which was admittedly overpriced. "I had to reassess," she says. 

Her breakthrough was in fact her self-made tote, La Tropizienne, and her blog exposure claiming “I’ve got your summer tote.”  It cultivated the market for chic working bags.  She worked alone for many years doing both the business and the creative side of things. And in 2012, she trusted her gut and took on two business partners, Steven Alan and Randy Kercho, who became her mentors and key contributors to the growth of the company.  

It was trusting her gut that led Clare to her success.  She admits to the difficultly of allocating responsibility and “hiring the right people to do the things that are not my strength.  It is challenging, but when you find the right people, it’s so rewarding.”  Rewarding to say the least. Clare V. has expanded to six stores nationwide, including two in New York, and has designed collaborations with big names such as Steven Alan, & Other Stores, GOOP, Jean Stories, and Apple, to name a few. Her dream though, not surprisingly, is to "open a store in Paris." 

Indeed it was a story of fashion and fate, but most importantly a woman that let her passion live free alongside her work.  She gave it the room and possibility for her creativity to flourish and it awarded her with her very own fashion line, possibly every girl’s dream. 

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

Music: Lorely Rodriguez, Empress Of

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

The Empress has arrived. 

Empress Of, fill in the blank. Because it could be anything. 

The producer and musician (also, Libra) known to her parents as Lorely Rodriguez has been tinkering on the family piano from an early age. Coming from a musical family and a childhood spent listening to her dad's Beatles albums, the 27-year-old, studied classical and jazz for about 13 years. At 17 she got a laptop and has been making electronic music ever since. 

When she released her first album, Lorely revealed that it was written mainly in solitude in Mexico. A state of being, the musician shares, that “is so extreme and forces you to deal with a lot of your own personal shit." She claims, "I needed something really drastic like that for my first album because I didn’t really know what kind of album I wanted to make. To some extent, I always make music in solitude because…I work alone!"

Empress Of is her solo project, but the LA-native isn't sure she'd take the same approach again, at least not at the moment. "I don’t think I need to go to the extreme of being in a lake town by myself for a month right now,” she says. 

What she does need is more time to cook for herself, as well as “coffee and museums and weird ‘70s horror movies.” As well as playing live shows. “I love that part so much,” she says. She also maintains that though singles are the “immediate songs that grab a listener,” she “loves albums and will probably always make music thinking about that bigger picture.” She's currently working on her second album, an experience she's called an "emotional roller coaster-- not so much making the music, but playing it for other people." 

After moving home to LA from New York last year (the musician won’t tell us what coast she prefers, only admitting that she enjoys "not freezing"), she harps that she think it’s important to follow your intuition, “like Jewel song.” In all seriousness Empress Of knows the importance of “believing in the choices you make as it is your art and company you are representing.” 

More from Empress Of below. 

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

I look at the careers of people I really respect. Bjork has always been a big mentor for me. Frida Kahlo as well. 

What does female empowerment mean to you? 

That phrase means equality to me. Having the same opportunities regardless of your race, sex or sexual orientation.

How does it feel to be a woman in the music industry?

It feels great. It feels like all the other things you would imagine being a woman in most industries would feel like, challenging and under represented. I am very excited to work towards a day where I don't have to talk about being a woman making music and I can just talk about making music. But as far as the industry, I put my opinions out into my music so usually, most the people I work with know I won't put up with archaic mentalities. 

"I won't put up with archaic mentalities."

Tweet this.  

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

Doing something else when the one thing you relied on isn't going to work. There is no formula for being a successful artist today. I try not to let that stop me or my career. Being really creative and thinking up the next and the next and the next thing to do is part of everyday of this job. 

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

I think the one thing that has always stuck with me is trust yourself. 

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

I would love to talk about the future of women in the world. How can we educate future generations of men and woman on social equality so we can achieve even more progress?

Philanthropy: Alexis Jones, ProtectHER

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

Stopping locker room talk. 

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, the younger sister to four football playing older brothers, Alexis Jones learned from a young age how to hold her own against the bros. After moving to Los Angeles to complete her undergraduate and masters degrees at USC, she scored a job working as a red carpet correspondent, which later opened doors to hosting gigs for CBS, MTV, TLC and ESPN.

“I realized the power of the entrainment industry and storytelling. I was obsessed with traveling, loved to talk and nothing lit me up more than inspiring people to chase down their dreams. So I made up a job where I got to do all of that for a living.” That job was creating I AM THAT GIRL — a nonprofit organization helping girls transform self-doubt into self-love — when she was just 19. Jones is all about digging up the guts; taking a leap of faith and going for it. “And by that I literally mean making business cards that said, ‘Founder/ CEO of I AM THAT GIRL’ and it didn't even exist yet. I'm a big fan of ‘go for it and figure it out later!’

Today, Jones is shifting her focus from empowering women to educating young men. Her newest initiative, ProtectHer, campaigns to redefine manhood and stop the epidemic of campus sexual assault, starting in the hotbed: the men’s locker room. “By rebranding what it means to be a man, I hope to empower male athletes to raise the bar for all men on campus to begin respecting and protecting their fellow female students,” says the future-minded travel junkie with her sights set on a better world for men and women. Jones does not take lightly her mission on this planet to “empower people, show them a glimpse of what they are capable of, and invite them to follow suit.” To this end, she wouldn’t rule out a career in politics — “I think Texas could use more women in leadership.” Don’t tease us!

"I hope to empower male athletes to raise the bar for all men."

Tweet this. 

But to inspire legions of young and men and women, Jones says, requires an enormous amount of self-care. Ever the selfless ally and advocate, she swears by a mantra of ‘Put you first’ and preaches the many merits of ‘me time.’ “We look at self care as some kind of selfish ‘me time’ that's a luxury and it's absolutely mandatory for me, especially because I travel so much. So when I'm meditating, writing in my prayer journal, working out, eating well, and spending quality time with my tribe, I'm absolutely the best version of me and I feel unstoppable.”

Aside from ample alone time, Jones credits family, faith, and tribe as the backbone to success and perseverance. That, and good ol’ sweat therapy in the form of hiking, biking, kickboxing, and cycling. “My faith is my inexhaustible fuel, and my tribe are the tune ups along the way that keep me from breaking down.”

Her parents, too, have been an invaluable influence, providing endless cheerleading along the way. “I'm a billionaire in love. I always say that. The greatest Ace I have up my sleeve is that I have known unconditional love my entire life; so everything else ‘accomplish’ is just icing on the cake.”

With ProtectHer, Jones calls upon her extensive sports broadcasting background (and four older brothers) to speak to and relate to men. Her primary concern is ending domestic violence in sports and sexual assault on college campuses, and to encourage men — particularly male athletes —  to better respect the girls and women in their lives, and to set this precedent.

The future of women’s rights, Jones says, is addressing this “pandemic levels of sexual assault happening on college campuses,” and even more importantly, the kinds of “education and prevention programs we are mandatorily integrating to address these issues,” which are currently pathetically insufficient. Through book clubs, movie and documentary viewing parties or even just wine night, Jones supports the idea that “women need women and often times need permission to prioritize themselves.”

“Women need women and often times need permission to prioritize themselves.”

Tweet this. 

Whether this permission comes in the form of I AM THAT GIRL’s more than 175 local chapters, or giving an ESPN talk to the top 18 high-school quarterbacks in the US in hopes of reprogramming the cycle of misogyny and violence, Jones will continue to create opportunities for women to “fill their tanks and give them safe place to be seen, to be heard, and to feel that they truly belong.” SHE IS THAT GIRL.

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

Food: Gaby Dalkin, What's Gaby Cooking

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

What isn't Gaby cooking?

Gaby Dalkin, AKA the “Chief Lady Boss at What’s Gaby Cooking” has a lot on her plate. 

But her journey to the world of culinary delights doesn’t follow a typical recipe. In college, Gaby was pre-med. Decided the world of doctoring was not for her, switched her focus to business and marketing, and “LOVED it.” But after graduating and working in LA at a job that she decidedly did not love, where she was “completely uninspired and bored,” Gaby made the decision to “pack it up and go to culinary school.” 

While at school she got a job as a private chef and simultaneously started “What’s Gaby Cooking.” Since inception, the side blog passion project has grown into website with over 1300 recipes, a line of cookbooks (2nd one is due out in spring 2018), a product line and more! 

Since starting “What’s Gaby Cooking,” the blogger and chef hasn’t taken a day off. That’s seven years and counting. “Balance, what’s that?” she jokes. But says, “when your work is something that you love, it never really feels like working.” And she does manage to work while on the beach in Mexico... so there's that. 

Five years ago, Gaby says she waited for opportunities to come to her. Now she goes out and grabs them, which in turn has grabbed the attention of her 234k Instagram followers. And she says that, “What’s Gaby Cooking is going full steam ahead to a digitally focused empire that revolves around food.”

More from everyone's favorite foodie Gaby below. 

What keeps you going?

The big picture. There is so much I want to accomplish and every day I'm working towards the larger goal. 

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

I try to surround myself with as many incredible badass business ladies as possible. My team at DBA is a constant influence to me as they've helped me get to where I am today. My friends I've met through the digital world, Heather, Catherine, Geri, Lily, Matt, Adam, the list goes on... we all support each other and help each other grow.  

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

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. 

What is your favorite life advice?

Don’t be afraid to fail.

What’s next? What’s happening the Gaby world?

We're launching the first What's Gaby Cooking product line in 2017, my next cookbook comes out in 2018 and then sky's the limit! I'd love to develop a digital food series somewhere in there too! 

Do you have any extracurricular activities?

Traveling. As much as humanly possible, and Netflix. 

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

I've always been pretty confident but I think I've become even more comfortable in my own skin since running a business. And I've developed a much thicker skin thanks to the joys of social media and haters.

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally?

Answer honestly, support authentically, share resources and share other women's work.

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

Entrepreneur: Toni Ko, Perverse Sunglasses

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

Knew she'd be a boss.

The thing about Toni Ko is that everything she touches turns to gold (or pink, or purple, or silver, or any combination of color one could possibly dream up, really). Whether that’s makeup — she founded NYX Cosmetics with $250,000 in seed funding (from her parents) and sold it for $500 million to L’oreal in 2010. Or eyewear — her newborn baby Perverse Sunglasses launched in March of 2016, and is already slated to hit 125 stores in just five years — Toni Ko can’t miss.

Now 43, the entrepreneur has known she’d be a tycoon since the third grade. “I’m not sure why, but I was always sure I was going to be an independent, self-reliant woman in business,” says the aspiring hattrick founder, whose career bucket list includes building three global brands before retirement. Two down, one to go, time to spare…should we just give up already? “My best advice for women or any gender starting a business is to focus only on the goal. Everything else is just noise. And that giving 100% is not enough. You have to give your 100% and then some more, and be scrappy.”

"You have to give 100% and more and be scrappy.”

Tweet this. 

It could be argued that this scrappiness is Ko’s secret weapon. That, and an astute understanding that women don’t want to drop a fortune to feel like a million, nor should they have to. Both NYX and Perverse have thrived by selling the high-end at a low-price, subverting the status quo and disrupting business as usual. It’s a tried-and-true business model that, when teamed with Ko’s unique vision, savvy, and sensibility, can’t be touched. “It’s the oldest and best marketing strategy that’s been proven for thousands of years. Value proposition. Sell better products at lower prices than your competition. It’s that simple and works in every industry.”

Like other rebels in the eyewear space, PERVERSE recognizes the prohibitive price tag of traditional sunglasses (many of which are owned and controlled by one omnipresent entity responsible for markups and price gouging). Unlike its competitors, PERVERSE encourages a post-gender, sex-positive mindframe fittingly dubbed “sunglass polygamy.” And with prices seductively perched between $30-$60, there’s no reason we can’t indulge in a full-blown eyewear orgy.

“I look for an industry that lacks what I am looking for,” explains Ko, who studied the ins-and-outs of wholesale and supply chain working in the family perfume and cosmetics business in Los Angeles, where they moved from South Korea when she was a teen. “With NYX, I was looking for make-up that had the quality but was affordable. With sunglasses, I wanted fashion sunglasses that didn’t break the bank,” she states, matter of factly. “I wanted to wear different sunglasses matching my outfit everyday, but did not want to spend 2, 3 or even 4 hundred dollars per pair. So I created a brand that sells the good quality fashion sunglasses that you can style with your daily outfit, with prices all under a hundred dollars.”

Still in its infancy, PERVERSE has become an overnight A-list favorite, with Anna Kendrick, Lady Gaga, Vanessa Hudgens, and Beyoncé stepping out as fans of the frame. Recently ranked #57 on Forbes’ “Richest Self-Made Women” list with a staggering net worth of $260 million, Ko continues to keep her head down, stay grateful, and trust her instincts. She also cites mom as her greatest influence, for teaching her the value of hardwork and honesty. “Everyday, I am grateful for the opportunities I was given. And with that, I tell myself to never change as a person, to stay humble and hungry, and to keep my head screwed on my shoulders. I think this is what keeps me going everyday.”

It’s not just her budding eyewear empire that makes us say this, but Toni Ko is a true visionary.

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

Entertainment: Nicole Byer

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

Breaking all the rules. 

Loosely speaking, Nicole Byer, is a boss. The comedian, writer, and actress who stars on the semi-autobiographical comedy Loosely Exactly Nicole, her show on MTV, has broken every typecast mold. But it wasn’t something the comedic storyteller intentionally set out to do. Nicole didn’t want to be an actor, but rather, an illustrator. One hitch, she couldn’t draw. 

What she lacked in technical skill, she made up for with energy. It was the comedian's mom, the person whom Nicole credits as “being so supportive,” encouraged her to join her high school play, and work out some of that energy on stage. The performance was a comedy. 

It was the first time she received a lot of laughs and it had a life-changing effect. “Making someone laugh is magic.” Nicole shares. “It’s also powerful and therapeutic.” 

She’s been after that feeling ever since. After spending many years doing “doing a lot of free improv shows in a basement,” Nicole reticently credits her career to “being at the right place at the right time.” 

But being in said "place" has taken plenty of work. In 2013, Nicole launched her career on MTV with Hasan Minaj’s Failosophy. A few months in the network worked Nicole and her comedic chops into the reality-comedy-advice series Girl Code. There was a bit of learning curve for the actress, who didn’t fully understand the show’s concept. Basically, she went into the studio and talked. “We live in a world,” she says on the show, “where we’ve made it very easy to give opinions.” And opinions were given. The women on the show discussed feminism, slut-shaming, gay besties, and pussy power. They talked about it all. But Nicole, growing more disinterested in being a talking head, was looking to break into scripted-television. However, when the roles available weren't up to snuff (aka, fully-formed, not typical typecast bull) Nicole did what any intelligent badass woman would: wrote her own. 

For people breaking into the biz, Nicole says it’s important to, “stay in your lane,” and “keep your eyes on your own paper.” But she’s more than willing to lend an ear to an aspiring comedian. “I try and be as helpful as possible when someone has a question about comedy.” 

Nicole wants all women to know that they are “are beautiful, smart, strong as fuck and special. We also have to listen to each other and remember to be inclusive. There's feminism and intersectional feminism.”

Recently telling the Hollywood Reporter, “It went from me going out for a part of a hooker named Bertha to making my web series that I loved and I'm so proud of.” She wants to change the roles available for women, especially women of color, to be three-dimensional, fully-formed characters. 

“All women are beautiful, smart, strong as fuck and special.” 

Tweet this. 

She knows that her humor isn’t for everyone, but adds “nothing is off limits if I find it funny.” 

As for what’s been a roadblock on her journey, “Life,” she jokes. Which is also what she says keeps her going. That and the hope of one day making Whoopi Goldberg laugh. She’s already got both her grandma and Beyoncé to giggle. We’re thinking Whoopi isn’t too far a shot. 

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

Beauty: Streicher Sisters

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

Triple threat. 

Kristie Streicher, the middle of the beauty industry trio known as The Streicher Sisters, has been trying to convince her clients to lean in to a fuller brow since 2001. It’s a more natural approach to beauty favored by all three, who co-own STRIIIKE Salon in Los Angeles, focusing on their individual strengths and talents, while managing the challenge of working alongside siblings. (Which includes therapy sessions.)  

Ashley is the hair guru. Kristie, the eyebrow genius. And Jenn, the mom and makeup maven. 

All three got their start young. Jenn manned the Estee Lauder counter straight out of high school in Northern California. Kristie began selling cosmetics at a Clinique Counter “pretty much straight out of high school,” where she enjoyed engaging with women, educating them on skincare and makeup. It was this experience that inspired her to become an esthetician, officially making it her career choice. Ashley, who says she “will forever be the ‘little sister,’ skipped the counter and hopped on a flight to NYC instead, where her older sisters were living and launching their careers. 

While working with Warren Tricomi, Kristie received a “Best Of” award for eyebrows by New York Magazine. She went from an average of five clients per day to 35. “I made it my duty,” she says, “to break the habit and trend of the over-contrived, over-waxed eyebrow style.” 

This non-industry approach is in part shaped by their youth. “I grew up in a very small town that is very opposite of LA or any big city for that matter,” shares Ashley. “I did not grow up thinking that people were beautiful or not; I’m so happy for this. I have always known that everyone has beauty… god that sounds so cheesy but it’s really true. I think that everyone has features and attributes that really work for them, sometimes it’s just finding them and accentuating them.”

“I think we are all the same on a basic, human level,” says Kristie. “We tend to compare ourselves to one another or think that someone else has it better than us, when really, we all are struggling with one thing or another.” There's no need to compete with other women, sisters included. 

Kristie is wearing Keds' Kickstart Mono.

Jenn has her own beauty routine nailed down to five minutes and rocks her grays. Which we see as both a polite middle finger to beauty standards and a big hug to women everywhere that says beauty can be anything and you don’t need to cover up what others perceive as flaws. “What angers me the most,” says the makeup artist, “is that grey hair on a man is ‘handsome and distinguishable’ but on women it makes them look ‘old.’ I think that is just shit! We just never see women with their natural color.  I also think sitting in a salon for hours at a time every six weeks is shit too!” She didn’t grow up with makeup, despite her chosen career, and believes it’s helped her approach of focusing on accentuating her clients' natural beauty.  “I think we have just grown accustom of feeling like we are not ‘put together’ without a full face of makeup,” she adds, but notes women like Alicia Keys and Gwyneth Paltrow who are going barefaced and deepening the convo. 

All three see industry standards changing, but Kristie says that “People have different ideas on what looks beautiful,” mentioning that she sees it “almost like religious or political beliefs,” with “one not more right than the other.” Whether it’s a natural look or a heavily-contoured faced, Kristie thinks “both focuses will become more extreme.” Her focus now is to “bring back the uni-brow!” 

Jenn is the only sister with a child, and because the STRIIIKE also serves as a creative space (where they host wine tastings with Helen Johannessen of helen's), she says “Fuck yes,” balancing it all is “always a challenge.” She swears by her ZIIP and done in a flash beauty routine. Kristie, who with sister Ashley witnesses the firsthand battle of being mom and business woman, says it’s surprising how everything always works out. “There’s never a ‘good’ time to start a family” and while she’s “acutely aware that it’s a major game changer,” she believes everything falls into place as it should be. This approach matches her favorite life advice: “This too shall pass.” 

What’s not passing is their success. With their individual focuses and STRIIIKE, it’s funny to know that dear old dad told his bunch to not go into business together. Kristie, Jenn, and Ashley are proof that sometimes sisters know best.

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

Food: Ellen Bennett

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

Apron squad goals. 

Meet Ellen Bennett, the line cook turned CEO and Founder of Hedley & Bennett, fulfilling #ApronSquadGoals in kitchens across the globe. What started out in her living room as a one woman operation, has, over the course of three years, exploded into a 14,000 sq. ft factory and showroom outfitting more than 4,000 restaurants worldwide. And she’s just heating up.

As a precocious child of divorce, Bennett nurtured a love of cooking from a young age. While mom worked full-time to provide for her two daughters, Bennett would care for her little sister, clean, and develop new recipes. As soon as she was old enough, Bennett moved to Mexico City to attend culinary school, where she paid her way by taking odd jobs, including a stint as Mexican lottery announcer. Upon returning to the states, the apronista worked as a line cook at Baco Mercat and 2 Michelin star-rated Providence. It was there that she noticed the shoddy uniforms she and her peers wore daily and decided to come up with a more functional, stylish alternative — even if she wasn’t sure quite how she’d do it. “My chef at the time asked if I would buy an apron if he had some made, I just jumped in and told him I would make the aprons he wanted! I had no company and no clue how to even sew. But I was determined and was going to make it happen. I cooked breakfast for people to get them to make me a pattern, and found someone who would teach me how to sew.”

In the early days, Bennett was scrappy. She peddled her aprons at the local farmer’s market every weekend and barged her way into some of the best-known culinary establishments uninvited. “I didn't let anything get in my way. If I fell, I picked myself up again and kept going. I learned something new every day and worked through every challenge. It wasn't easy but if you persist, anything is possible.” After two years of side-hustling while cooking up a storm in kitchens, she finally quit both jobs to grow Hedley & Bennett, which she started without any outside funding, per the advice of Martha Stewart.

"I started as a line cook and now I'm a CEO."

Tweet this. 

“I started as a line cook and now I'm a CEO, so that's a huge change...I have so many people around me that I work with that are part of my team and that I am responsible for, I have to keep evolving as that evolves,” says Bennett, who names Julia Child, Willa Wonka, and her Jewish uncle Ted among her greatest influences. Once a month, Bennett meets up with fellow female founders (including the ladies of Bando and Sugar Paper) to dish on wins, losses, and how to be better bosses. “The way that I communicate our message is from a place of inclusion....it’s a "you can and you will" type of attitude and that's a really important message for all women, but also just for anyone to have in life. Because I started my business out of my living room and built it to what it is today, I want other females to know that it can be done.”

So, what’s on the menu for Ellen Bennett? Hint: aprons are just the appetizer. In addition to writing a book, growing her company to 200+ employees, and creating a worldwide community of Apron Squad members, she wants to use her platform to inspire others to chase their dreams as she did. “Seeing someone like Evan Kleinman put on our women's chef coats and saying it ‘it’s perfect,’ or a little kid who says they are gonna be a chef when they grow up —  it gives me the same rush I get when I'm cooking in the kitchen.”

Entertainment: Sanaa Lathan

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

Paying it forward. 

Many of you know Sanaa Lathan, the famous Tony nominated actress, but what about Sanaa Lathan, the philanthropist who conditions young women out of foster care? In August 2015 Sanaa established the Sanaa Lathan Foundation, a charitable organization that helps women transition out of foster homes and into adulthood.   

Blessed with a supportive and ambitious family, Sanaa grew up with many advantages not afforded to many. Raised in New York she followed in her mother’s footsteps with a passion for acting. After studying the arts at Yale University's School of Drama, the actress moved to Los Angeles at the behest of her father, a television producer. It was on her very first day at school that an acting teach doled out a piece of invaluable advice. Telling the young thespians, "Success is measured more by the ability to preserve in the face of adversity than your talent." Without a doubt, the presence of family and the opportunity for education molded Sanaa and prepped her for success and unavoidable rejection. "This business is not for the faint of heart," she shares. Her father also help prepped her for the world of Hollywood, telling his daughter: "Every audition, give it everything you've got, because it will literally or figuratively be an investment in your future. It will pay off eventually. Even if you don't get the job." Sanaa says, "He was right."

Today the working activist hopes to do the same for these young women experiencing hardships.  "One positive moment with a young person provides the possibility of changing their path in the right direction forever," she shares.

"One positive moment with a young person can change their path forever." 

Tweet this.

Did you know… there are currently 28,000 children in foster care in Los Angeles county alone.  Half of those kids won’t graduate college and experience grave learning disabilities and developmental delays.  At age 17 these children become legally emancipated, unprepared for the reality of adulthood, and fifty percent become homeless or incarcerated.  The vast majority of these emancipated young adults turn to drugs and sex trafficking, with no structure or understanding of where to go.  “Without actual support they could wind up in the same cycle that got them in foster care in the first place,” explains Sanaa.  Hence, the Sanaa Lathan Foundation’s mission is: to empower young women aging out of foster care to transition into adult independence through improved self-esteem and access to higher education. 

“Making a real difference in people’s lives” has always been the most important part of Sanaa's livelihood. So she has a very hands-on approach. Working alongside Kenadie Cobbin, the founder and creative director of HerShe Las Vegas, the Sanaa Lathan Foundation provides housing and facilities to abused and neglected foster children transitioning into adulthood and empowers them towards healing and change.  She also provides an annual 7-day summer camp where these young girls blossom, build a new community and friends and learn life tools they’ll have forever.  

Sanaa believes in the power of “mentorship, time, and giving youth the possibility of hope for their future” and builds the philosophy of her foundation in it. She hopes to provide these young women with role models and a sense of family, citing her mother and the women in her family as her guiding light. "They are some of the strongest spiritually and emotionally people I know,” says the actress who also started transcendental meditation four years ago after a particularly stressful year. Twenty minutes a day, plus the her family's light and humor in the face of life's challenges is what uplifts her spirit. It is her hope to share that same positive mentorship with her girls. "Hope and perseverance," she says, are crucial steps to achievement and tools needed to break intergenerational cycles.

As for what she hopes for her future? Simple: "To still be joyfully doing it all when I'm a little old lady like Betty White." 

Entrepreneur: Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevest

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

The woman of Wall Street. 

If there’s one thing we have in common with Ellevest CEO and co-founder Sallie Krawcheck, it’s that we both believe the future is female...financial independence. The 52-year-old former Wall Street maven, who once ran such elite institutions as Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and Smith Barney, is leveraging her 30 plus years of professional expertise to help women build and invest wealth and “unleash women’s financial power.”

With Ellevest, Krawcheck is on a mission to close what she calls the “gender investment gap,” an extension of better-known disparities such as the gender pay gap and the gender debt gap. So, what is the “gender investment gap,” exactly? Well, it begins with the fact that 71% of all assets controlled by women are uninvested cash, which translates to us boss ladies missing out on major market gain opportunities and losing out to inflation. And why don’t they invest if it’s such a lucrative opportunity? A few common reasons include craving certainty, relying on bae to handle things (ps he can’t even be trusted to restock the toilet paper), and feeling it’s too time-intensive. For her part, Krawcheck— who has been named the most powerful woman on Wall Street, and at one point oversaw $2.3 trillion in client assets — strongly disagrees.

“I have become truly convinced that getting more money into the hands of women is a positive for everyone,” explains Krawcheck, asserting that the “gender investment gap” costs professional women hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more, over their lifetimes. “Closing this gap helps the women themselves, but also their families, society, and businesses. It also solves a lot of society's problems: for example, the retirement savings crisis is actually a women's crisis, given how much longer we live then men (and that we retire with less money than they do).”

"Getting more money into the hands of women is a positive for everyone."

Tweet this. 

It’s this revolutionary, women-centric approach to investing — one that factors in our longer lifespans, winding career paths, and unique risk factors, and doesn’t default to men’s salaries and preferences (86% of investment advisors are men, age 50+) — that separates Ellevest from its competitors and makes it a game-changing investing platform for women.

They say a woman’s work is never done, and that’s certainly true when it comes to Krawcheck. In addition to founding Ellevest, the fierce advocate for women’s financial freedom chairs both the Ellevate Network (a global professional women's network to help women close their gender work achievement gap) and the Pax Ellevate Global Women's Index Fund (the first mutual fund to invest in the top-rated companies for advancing women). Bottom line: she’s 100% committed to beefing up women’s bank accounts and setting women on the road toward financial independence. But, success does come at a price, and insecurity is what keeps this cat-loving, wine-drinking powerhouse at the top of her game. “Right after I had my daughter, I cried to my mother that I couldn't do my job and be a mother to two little ones. She brushed off my tears and said (in a pretty brusque way), ‘Of course you can. You're just going to be really tired for awhile.’ She was right.”

Today, Krawcheck is “all-in” on herself, and her career, raising  — not only her daughters  — but a generation of financially savvy, professional women who know their value, and, better yet, how to invest it.

Content Creator: Tayst

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

Don't call her a doodler. 

When Taylor St. Claire, AKA Tayst of Tayst Design, received negative feedback from a her college art professor on a project, she posted the piece on social media “on a whim.” 

For the first time, she received positive affirmation of her work, while also having fun creating the artwork she was posting. After a few months of posting her illustrations to her personal channels, companies started reaching out. “Requests for sponsored posts and custom graphics for their company’s use started to flood in. I was so happy to think that people appreciated and wanted my artwork.”

"I was so happy to think that people appreciated and wanted my artwork.”

Tweet this. 

Growing up in a very creative family, Taylor has been drawing as long as she can remember. Art came easily, but it’s been her unique approach to marketing herself as a brand, as well as “a lot of persistence and hard work,” that has catapulted a passion for art into a career that she loves. Take for example her approach to the business card. “At the beginning of my career I attended a seminar in New York at the Teen Vogue offices for young people interested in the business of fashion,” she says. Rather than opting for “the common business card,” Taylor created mini flip books showcasing her artwork. It set her apart from others at the event and hooked some of her favorite editors who were also in attendance. “When they contacted me,” she explains, “they helped give me confidence that I had found the right career path.” 

That she has. “Ever since my initial post, business has been nonstop,” Taylor claims. Which sounds ideal, but can prove difficult for a young artist dipping her ink into the business world. Initially time management became a struggle. “It all happened so fast, I had to pretend to be professional, while still trying to figure everything out,” she explains. Everything from pricing, to copycats, including fake social media accounts imitating her style and blatantly copying her work, became hurdles. “Some even went so far as pretending to be me,” she says, “in hopes of taking my clients.” It was admittedly difficult, but Taylor is “always striving to learn the next latest and greatest thing to make my work stand out.”

“Not everyone understands what I do,” she adds, “but I am proud of all that I have accomplished in such a short time.”

Taylor is wearing Keds' Champion Originals.

She's inspired by "interesting" boss ladies who “live their lives with a sense of playfulness and humor.” Women like Beyoncé, Adele, and Chrissy Teigen. Taylor also says that her “absolute favorite character" Molly Gunn from the movie Uptown Girls, "gives me hope that the free-spirited and young-at-heart will overcome the hurdles in life to eventually thrive.”

Her favorite life advice is fitting for an artist: “Don’t be passive and end up with the black crayon. Always go for the red crayon.” But like many 23 year olds she also looks to Instagram stars like Gigi Hadid, who has said, “Eat clean to stay fit. Eat a burger to stay sane.” Which might help when she’s wide awake at 2am, the time she claims is when her “best creative work happens.” 

"Don’t be passive and end up with the black crayon. Always go for the red crayon.”

Tweet this. 

In addition to her work for Tayst Design, Taylor is also the Digital & Creative Content Manger for La Femme Collective, a site she launched with some of her best friends last year on International Women’s Day. “LFC,” says Taylor “is an online community created to support and celebrate the careers and personal development of women. On our site, we feature women from all walks of life to share their triumphs and struggles, and encourage both male and female audiences.”

After hearing their stories for a year Taylor says her takeaway is this: “Be strong, be independent, volunteer, get involved and support the women around you. It’s the only way that things will change.”

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

Fashion: Melody Ehsani

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

The woman of streetwear. 

With mentors like her mom and Frank Ocean, how could streetwear designer Melody Ehsani go wrong?

“Every time I talk to Frank,” Melody shares, “I learn something from him. He has taught me to be regimented, disciplined, preferential in my work and not feel crazy.” 

A native Angeleo and the daughter of two artists, Melody assumed that the only way to enact justice was through the legal system. She attended UCLA, majored in Philosophy/Sociology in preparation for law school. 

However, after several law related internships at every place from Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. to private law firms in LA, she knew it was not the path for her. “I had an anxiety attack before entering law school,” she says, “and as a result was forced to dig deeper. I had always felt that the only way that I could carry out my affinity for justice in the world was through the law. I was wrong.”

But wrong can lead to rights. Both personally and fighting for them. Though she had previously associated fashion with a shallowness, Melody “started seeing the nobility in creating beautiful items that made women feel more confident and happy.” She found that doing what she loved was the greatest way she could serve the world.

“In our world,” says Melody, “it’s so easy to get distracted and to truly forget who we are. It’s so important to check in daily and find memory of who you know you are, as opposed to who people want you to be.” 

She’s not immune to fear or doubt. Mediation, looking in versus looking out, and staying connected spiritually are all vital to her success.  Every morning she wakes up, prays/meditates, does 20 minutes of stretching on a foam roller, and then takes her journal down to my favorite coffee shop. Where she sits “with a cup and has ME time. It sets the tone for my day.”

And she's asked herself the question that all entrepreneurs ponder: “What if my business tanks? What if I don’t succeed?” But a wise friend told her, “You are not a role, you are an entity. If your business tanks, you’re still going to be Melody Ehsani. This business is just a role, but you… you are forever going to be you.” She took it to heart. 

As the world of streetwear evolves, Melody hopes, “that streetwear steps up and becomes the raw, unfiltered voice that its always been, sort of like how hip hop was in the ‘80s. I also hope more women in the industry step out and let their voices be heard louder than ever, because now is the time. The feminine needs a bigger voice.”

“Now is the time. The feminine needs a bigger voice.”

Tweet this. 

She’s ready and willing to show up. Unapologetically. For her sisters. “I think it is essential that we band together, because we need critical mass to make a change. As women we need to remind one another that the things we feel and experience are real and OK.” 

That includes questioning the status quo and weeding out the red herrings. “After a visit to the White House earlier this year I learned that women are paid significantly less than men in the workforce because women rarely ask for raises, whereas men ask for them often, and often receive them.  If we had more women leaders in the workforce, we would learn basic things like this, to ask for our place."

“To quote Obama,” Melody says, “I don’t have a bucket list but I have something that rhymes with that.” 

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

Food: Brette Warshaw

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

Taking a big bite out of food news. 

In 2017, that nagging, draconian phrase “a woman’s place is in the kitchen” is taking on a whole new meaning, and by that we mean becoming totally meaningless. After decades of battling the boys' club for recognition — about half of culinary school grads are women but they make up only about 20 percent of chefs, does that seem very fair to you? — female chefs are finally getting accolades they deserve.

Creating a platform for this generation of female culinary-world rock stars is Lucky Peach Chief Operating Officer Brette Warshaw, who, at the age of 25, is reinventing how we devour the news of food. As inspiring as it is, Warshaw’s is no overnight success story — and luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. As a sophomore in college, she interned at foodie website Food52 and became Managing Editor upon graduating. Later, she was hired as Managing Editor at Lucky Peach, promoted to editor, and recently, all-the-way-up to COO. Attention college kids: time to apply for those internships (bonus points if they’re paid!).

If there’s one teachable moment in Warshaw’s rise in the ranks (and there are many), it’s that it pays to take the initiative. “I got my job at Food52 because I asked one of the founders, Amanda Hesser, if I could profile her for a creative writing class I was taking,” says the self-starting COO, who admits to having little business experience before accepting the role of COO. “From there, I got the internship, and got my foot in the door at a place that was poised for some really exciting growth. I would not be here today if I hadn't worked up the guts to ask her.” Learning on the job is just one of the many tricks this culinary chieftain excels at. “I’ve become a lot more sure of myself, mostly by forcing myself into unfamiliar situations and figuring them out, and emerging with new skills and perspective."

While Warshaw’s more operations, less knife skills, she’s no stranger to the double standards faced by the female chefs her team regularly reports on. “I've gotten things like ‘You must be Brette's assistant’ when I get on calls or walk into meetings—it's definitely surprising to some that a twenty-five year old woman would be at the other end of the table.” That a woman in her position, with her experience, is greeted with skepticism is hardly surprising — Glassdoor finds that female chefs make 28.3% less in base pay than their male counterparts. “At first, I would be shy or would make excuses or feel the need to justify what I was doing and where I was at. I don't do that anymore. If people don't take me seriously, that's their problem.”

"If people don't take me seriously, that's their problem.”

Tweet this. 

Growing a cutting-edge food magazine into a “modern, sustainable, gangbuster” media business by the age of twenty-five is no small feat. Although you wouldn’t know it by her down-to-earth vibes and unpretentious appetite. She swears by a twice-weekly ritual of eating at the diner across the street from her apartment, accompanied only by her favorite magazines — “I feel like a superhuman afterwards!” For Warshaw, female empowerment means two things: “breaking glass and cashing checks.” AMEN. And by that we mean, HELL YES.

So, what’s next for this young culinary world mover-and-shaker changing the face of food media? Hopefully, she says, to be interviewed for the New York Times Corner Office section of the Sunday Business paper. Sounds more than doable.

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

Brette is wearing Keds' Triple Solids.

Music: TRACE

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

18 million streams and counting; 1 dream.  

Tracy Le, TRACE to the music world, is the former managing editor of Darling, a quarterly magazine run in LA that never retouches any of its photos (which, we love, obviously). She was the mag's first employee, having moved LA from San Diego to run the editorial department. But two years ago "music made itself known," to TRACE becoming "a serious thing versus a thing I just did for myself-- locked up in my room, playing and singing at a general volume of three out 100."  

So she launched a Kickstarter revisiting all her "'not really a real song' songs," left her Darling family, and got to work on her dreams. "Before doing what I do now," she recently told her former employer, "I think I did a total of five internships, a handful of part-time jobs and two different, 9-to-5 careers. But dreaming has been a vital part of how I got to where I am." With over 18 million combined streams on Spotify and SoundCloud, she's done a little more than dream. 

We caught up with TRACE, recently back off her first US tour, to talk risk, reward, and that time she had less than $25 in her bank account. 

You left a job to pursue a dream. What are some of the challenges you face?

No one, it seems, is in the exact same position as I am. Being a musician is so complex and everyone has their own path and thoughts on what is best (for them and in general) and what has worked and what hasn't. I think for me it's knowing that there isn't really just one way to get to point B from point A. (I also think there are like 100 point Bs). Another challenge lies within creating boundaries with people. It's such a people-heavy industry so it's been a semi- challenge not necessarily knowing everyone in LA who is in the music industry (i.e., where does one find a lawyer or anyone know what a booking agent looks like? HAH!), so when you do meet someone with wisdom and experience, there's a lot of discernment and patience that goes into it all.

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

No one will care about your music more than you do. So no one will (or should) work harder for your music than you do.

What is your favorite life advice?

Work hard. Then work harder. Then work even harder.

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

Maybe that one time my bank account hit below $25 dollars. That was a bit back, but that was a moment where I felt vulnerable to sacrifice.

"No one should work harder for your music than you do."

Tweet this. 

What's next?

Next is new music and more shows. The five year goals would likely include having at least one full-length album done under my musical belt, having done festivals and tours internationally, and having built a light to medium-heavy portfolio for the songs I've written for major artists. It's dreamy but here we are.

What's a habit or routine or routine you swear by?

Pop Physique. LOL. But I would say exercise, in general. When I can't write a song or am too lazy to do proper vocal exercises or can't sleep, or go on a bad date even, I exercise. 

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

I don't take it flippantly or lightly. It's become a more serious (but like in a good way) relationship. 

What's on your career bucket list? 

Write for Rihanna, write with Sia, sing with Drake. Easy...

What does female empowerment mean to you?

The perfect balance between grace and strength. 

What do you do to support other women either personally or professionally? 

I lend my ear and listen. I give a stern talk when needed. I connect them with resources. I am slow to speak. 

TRACE will be performing at GIRLSCHOOL on January 28th in Los Angeles. 

Why Artist Jess Rotter Says You Should Take Time to Be Bored

From Jess Rotter's "I'm Bored." 

Boredom is a thing of the past. With smartphones and streaming video, the world at our fingertips (!!!), how could it not be? Isn’t that what we wanted? Wasn’t it our mothers who told us, “only boring people are bored.”

But artist Jess Rotter is bored. And the LA-based creative responsible for those rad Lenny Letter illustrations and official merch for musicians like The Grateful Dead and Cat Stevens, is proud of it, proposing a new way to think about boredom.

It’s what her new book of illustrations, “I’m Bored,” is all about.

Raised in NY and deeply influenced by her dad's vinyl covers and the world of 1970s rock-n-roll, Rotter says she moved to LA when the rat race of the city wasn’t working for her anymore. “There were a lot of ups and downs,” she says of the city that raised her. “I came out here [to LA] and sorted it out, but then I thought, ‘I’m bored.’” She turned that feeling into art. 

“The book,” she notes, “as cute and funny as it can be, can be super heavy. The characters are alter egos. The dog is all about a desire to feel cool and relevant. The ostrich is broken-hearted and depressed.” A wizard on an old-school telephone asks, "Mom, am I relevant?" to the voice on the other end. They wonder, "Now what?" They tell us, "I'm trying." 

Image: Jess Rotter 

The sentiments shared by the characters typify a kind of life fatigue we all feel at points-- the exact kind of fatigue we try to escape by keeping up with the cult of busy. If we're bored, then what we're left with are our thoughts. *Shudders*

They each also represent a desire from Rotter for people to get back to the “story” of moments. She believes that when things are over-documented stories lose part of their luster. She shares a tale from a friend who told her about being a small child trying on his grandfather's lederhosen. "It was this insane memory," she says of his retelling, "and has always stayed a fond memory because he never had an actual photo of the event." 

In that undocumented moment, “the story becomes more exciting. That’s the soul, that’s the beauty," she says. "But now we’re afraid to forget or we’re afraid to deal with the moment.” 

"We're afraid to forget or we're afraid to deal with the moment." 

Tweet this. 

“Maybe we don’t need to go back and look at everything. Maybe let’s try being in the moment because we’re documenting every day of our lives.” 

For Rotter, dealing with and being in the moment means dealing with the subsequent boredom. A feeling that no longer makes us comfortable, but does make room for creativity, rare moments we wouldn't otherwise notice, and for us to hit the space key in our brain.

In this day and age it’s a sacred sentiment, where everyone, including Rotter, hops on their cell phone in the grocery store line or the elevator ride. “You’re giving your brain a little thumb-suck,” she says of the social media stream. The constant coverage is driving the bus. The Tweeting, the hashtagging, the stories layered on top of each other. There are not moments of boredom because we don't allow them.  

To get into the bored zone, Rotter says we, “have to train ourselves to go backwards."

Image: Jess Rotter 

The election comes up. How could it not? During the 2016 Presidential race the media never allowed for information to sit. There was always a story, never a dull moment, and we were all active participants.

"Life bounces between good and evil constantly," she shares. "Now the ball has been thrown in a different direction. The world is about the change in a major way. This electron was such a swamp, he [Trump] brings it out of people. He knows what buttons to push. It’s like the purple slime from Ghostbusters.” She sees some positive, hoping that now, more than ever, “that this wakes people up to express themselves.” That communities “open up and make art."

"So many people are at their lowest levels," she says. "This is their anti-establishment takeover. And art is one of the things that is going to get us through this shit.”

"There are not moments of boredom because we don't allow them."

Tweet this.

“Everybody’s eyes are opened," she explains. "People are awakened in a weird way. They’re depressed and awake. They’re feeling things and maybe people will turn off the phones.”

Maybe they'll bored. Maybe we'll relearn how to sit with our thoughts. Maybe boredom will change the world. Jess Rotter, for one, wouldn't mind. 

In the meantime, pre-order "I'm Bored," now. 

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Rashida Jones Launches New Jewelry Collection with Iconery

Making a statement. You can do it with words and you can do it with jewelry. Rashida Jones, whose new jewelry collection was unveiled today, has now done both. The actress and activist partnered with Iconery, the online destination for jewelry fanatics, to design a collection that drew on personal memories, using, for instance, her father's pinky ring as the model for her Square Ring. 

“I wanted a return to Seventies, Eighties bold, iconic symbols and what better way to do it than make it yourself?” Jones explained to WWD. 

Which is exactly what Iconery allows. It's also why founder and CEO Ivka Adam makes it clear that this is Jones' collection, not a collaboration. "We 'power' fine jewelry collections," Adam says. "In other words, we facilitate the design, manufacturing and distribution of collections on behalf of celebrities, influencers, and brands. They come to us to make their design vision a reality, and building their own brand is more important than ours."

Adam launched Iconery last year on the premise of producing fine jewelry on-demand using 3D printers. Early on she made the decision to "power other brands rather than build our own. From my background at eBay, where I worked with collectibles sellers around the world, I fell in love with supporting other people’s passions." 

Still, the partnership between the brand and celebrity have to align. Andrea Linett, founding Creative Director of Lucky mag and, now Iconery's Creative Director, explains why Jones was the perfect choice for the company's first celebrity line. "The people we choose really have a point of view, which is what Iconery is all about," says Linett. "We bring an authenticity to the collections when they’re designed by influencers and 'cool girls' — they know what they want and they actually get to make it and share it with everyone."

Adam echoed this thought. "First and foremost, she [Rashida] embodies 'the Iconery girl:' she’s cool, kind, independent, and informed. While we’re still a young company we have to be very deliberate in how we build our brand and where we spend our resources. We want to bring collections to life for people we admire and adore working with, who also help communicate our values to the world."

"We want to bring collections to life for people we admire and adore working with."

Tweet this. 

"Second," Adam says, "[Andrea] already had a relationship with Rashida so the trust was immediately there. It made the business side of the process much easier and efficient, and Andrea 'got' Rashida’s vision for the collection."

Adam maintains that now is the right time for a celeb collection for a few reasons. "In our first year of being live," she explains, "we’ve already launched collections for several influencers and fashion designers.  We started by working with those with whom we had a relationship. They had to fit into our brand ethos, but it was important to start with friends so we could get real, honest feedback to improve our process."  

Now they will be tracking how various influencers, celebrities, and brands convert differently. "My hypothesis is that people who have smaller, more engaged followings convert better," Adam says, "but the big names build brand awareness and trust. We deliberately waited to launch a celebrity until we really felt like we had everything in order."

In order and ready for order. The Rashida Jones Collection which includes a mix of statement rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, launched today! There’s a Mariner chain necklace, square hoop earrings, a chunky square ring with an offset black diamond, and other pieces that use symbols like the ankh and hamsa. Of the collection, Jones says, "I like the idea that we wear jewelry to unite us and protect us in core beliefs. We need that right now." 

And you need a piece from this collection. 

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Sarah Michelle Gellar Talks Transitioning From Hollywood to Startup Founder

photo credit: Kelley Raye.

Successful women from different careers who now run a startup. 

That’s the story behind Sarah Michelle Gellar and Galit Laiblow co-founders of Foodstirs who took the Create & Cultivate stage this past Saturday in Atlanta to an audience of over 500 attendees. They talked a lot about taking the concept from idea to reality, overcoming doubt, as well as shifting out of their previous roles. 

‘Part of being an entrepreneur,” admits Laibow, who ran a successful PR firm or 12 years, “is not being afraid.”

They made the jump after shopping for ingredients for a baking play date with their kids. “Ingredients,” says Gellar, “that had more consonants than vowels.” Thus, Foodstirs was born and switch into roles that hadn’t previously imagined for themselves. 

“As an actor I’ve watched my industry change,” Gellar explains. “When I started you were either a movie actress or a television actress or you were serious and you did theater; the three didn’t meet anywhere. Then it changed and people realized you could jump from medium to medium.” She was looking for something else when the opportunity arose. ‘Ways,” she says, “[I] could still innovate and still be creative. Also, I’m a mom now, I have two young kids at young and I don’t want to be working 19 hour days and not see my children.”

“Even when you’re a producer you still have other people to answer to. It’s not necessarily the product you intended to make. What I’ve loved,” she says about her new role as founder, “is that now when we have an idea, what you’re seeing is everything we wanted it to be, because it's up to us and only us. It’s our battle to win. It’s so satisfying in a way I’d never experienced and it’s using my reach and creativity in a new way.” 

"What you’re seeing is everything we wanted it to be, because it's up to us and only us."

Tweet this. 

As for the partnership Laibow says she was hesitant to partner with a “celebrity.” Having come from the PR world she knew that celebrity doesn’t give a brand a fast-track to success; sometimes it's the opposite. “There are so many celebrities putting their names on things and the consumer is much more savvy. I did have a lot of reservations. I knew that if we did have a celebrity it had to be someone who was really passionate. Sarah and I had many late nights talking about it and she really believed it in. She’s a real co-founder. We both invested our own money and time and we don’t get paid right now.” 

“It’s been fascinating,” says Gellar, “you think we would have each just done what we’re good at; it doesn’t work like that. In the beginning there were days when it was just us. Neither of us knew how to HTML code so I went and learned how to HTML code our emails. They were maybe not the best or the most professional, but that’s how you start and that’s how you learning.” 

“Fail is the first attempt in learning. I don’t see failure as a bad thing. I see it as exercise. When you exercise,” adds Gellar, “you want to work out until your muscle fails so that it grows bigger and stronger. To me those are the steps in learning. That thought in your head is invaluable.”

"Fail is the first attempt in learning."

Tweet this. 

“I always wanted the brand to stand on its own,” Gellar says, “I’m not the face of the brand, but I am the co-founder. At the end of the day you want the brand to be bigger than the person. I don’t want to first thing you think of to be me, I want the first thing you think is ‘Wow! That tastes really good.’”

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Why You Need to Stop Putting Yourself Down ASAP

For certified holistic nutritionist, wellness expert and health coach Kelly LeVeque, the hustle began four years ago.

During that time she worked two jobs, "weekends and nights," she says, "and today, I have a book deal with Harper Collins (pub date: April 2017), celebrity clientele (pinch me) and solely run my private practice Be Well by Kelly." 

We caught up with the LA-based lady to chat health (of course), happiness (yes!) and why we should all stop putting ourselves down (forever!!).

Tell us a little about your background? Why did you get into the health space? I have always loved health! After graduating from USC, I took the corporate path though health and wellness working for Fortune 500 companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Stryker and Hologic, and Agendia specializing in cancer and personalized medicine, offering tumor gene mapping and molecular sub-typing to oncologists. My career in medical science meant I had to keep up with cutting-edge research on how diseases develop and how they can be treated. I loved the deep thinking required, especially the statistical analysis—deciphering data for statistical significance, distinguishing between causation vs. correlation, and understanding why study design mattered so much. My career enabled me to go deeper in my passion; I would mine nutrition based pubmed research and build my own opinions around current research. I became the one my friends leaned on (for weight loss, autoimmune diseases, allergies, bad blood tests etc.) so when I let them know I would be going back to school to follow my passion not my paycheck they weren’t surprised. 

Balance. It’s the word of the year, but it’s also super hard to achieve. And it doesn’t happen all at once. What is a healthy way to work toward balance?

I try to instill balance in my clients by giving them light structure (Be Well Fab Four) around what they should eat and breaking down their rigid food rules and cleansing habits. Binging and cleansing cycles swing you back and forth like an out of control pendulum ball. Happiness and health are attained when you find that small swing. Balance isn’t when you stop moving and live a rigid, on-plan, perfect life; when you are focused on a perfect food day you aren’t present, and most likely you are anxious, irritable and thinking about food all day. Instead focus on turning off hunger hormones and thoughts about food and know it be okay to swing a little from time to time. Balance is found with intentional movement to eat clean, sweat and even enjoy a glass of wine with friends. Accept who you are, love who you are and build a lifestyle focused on health, not some abstract idea of “perfection.” So if you have a glass of wine with friends one evening, jump into an app on your phone and schedule a workout or plan to have a fruit free low glycemic smoothie the next morning to bring yourself back into alignment, or both. 

"Happiness and health are attained when you find that small swing."

Tweet this. 

How do you set realistic goals? 

Stop trying to do it all at once and enjoy the journey! Transforming our mindset, our nutrition and our bodies is a journey. It takes practice to be present; to see that big leaps start with small steps and to not get discouraged if we have setbacks. Learn to enjoy it by breaking your “big goals” down into attainable action steps that can reinforce how strong, brilliant and beautiful you are. Just look at the week ahead of you: Plan a workout with a friend and create a healthy meal plan to nourish your body. Step by step, you’ll build a healthy lifestyle, and moments of clarity and opportunities for fun will follow. By focusing on eating real and nutrient-dense food, and striving to build a healthy, active lifestyle, you’ll take the important first steps to being well and it will naturally become a lifestyle. True progress happens when we enjoy making it happen and when we get out of our own way. When you try to change more than one thing at a time chances are you will be overwhelmed and give up. Maybe for just 2 weeks you commit to have a Be Well Smoothie for breakfast, you will be surprised how that positively affects the rest of your life. 

People have a fear of fat. What else are we afraid of that we shouldn’t be? (existential life question…)

Stop fearing change; change your career, get out of a bad relationship, determine if your nutrition habits or “lifestyle” is no longer serving you and change, nothing needs to be forever. Don’t just cling to a mistake because you have invested time and energy making it, convinced your friends or family it was right or invested time. You only have one life to live; live it without regrets by having the guts to adjust your ships sail as needed. Stop waiting for your inner voice to scream, the change will be harder to make, instead trust your voice and make a calculated change sooner rather than later. 

"Change your career, get out of a bad relationship; nothing needs to be forever."

Tweet this.

You’ve said that punishing yourself for failing is unhealthy. We all do it. What are some other habits we can kick to the curb that will benefit our well being both personally and professionally? 

Stop putting yourself down! As women, we need to stop allowing one another to openly bash themselves; “I am,” I can’t,” or “ I am sorry” solidifies those opinions of ourselves and undermines our ability to rise above it. The next time your friend says, “I am fat” simply respond with “that’s great, you have one more” if they do it again, make them stand up in front of everyone and name three things they love about their body. We need to help one another break this horrible habit immediately. 

How do you see health as related to our careers? 

Your nutrition, activity and stress levels directly affect the health and wellness of your career; working actively to remove the stress from your life can also be a good way to get going on the things you want to achieve. Stress reduction is not a one size fits all formula, but there are a few techniques I recommend to help my clients start their day. Meditate via an app, or start your day with a walk or workout. These exercises can provide clarity, comfort and help you prioritize your day. Even doing 15 minutes of exercise or mediation in the morning can move the negative unaligned thoughts from your mind.

What’s a great recipe that will get us energized and feeling productive in the am? 

I always start my day with one of the low sugar, meal replacement smoothie recipes I created for my clients! My Be Well Smoothie formula helps develop a blood-sugar balancing meal in any flavor with enough protein, fat and fiber to keep you full for four to six hours, feed your microbiome, turn off hunger hormones and nourish your body with amino acids, fatty acids and phytonutrients. It limits fruit to 1/4 -1/2 cup, depending on your body composition goals, and some are totally fruit free. A killer go-to is my Spa Smoothie, loaded with greens, cucumber, avocado and lemon. (find my recipe below!).

THE “BE WELL” SPA SMOOTHIE

1/4 avocado
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 small Persian cucumber
1 handful of spinach
1 lemon, freshly juiced
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (love Perfect Fit)
2 cups unsweetened nut milk

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

MORE FROM OUR BLOG