Create Your Own Dream Job: Meet the Woman Who Taught Herself Graphic Design

photo credit: Anelise Salvo & Hey Mama

Anelise Salvo not only left an unfulfilling career behind to follow her dream of becoming a graphic designer, but she is completely self-taught. So don't ditch out on your dreams quite yet. Remember what mom used to say? Where there's a will, there's a way. 

Anelise is here to tell you it is possible and breaking it down in six easy steps that anybody can follow. Her story below. 

Like most people, I received an undergraduate degree in a field I ended up doing nothing with post-graduation. I studied Political Science, and while it enchanted me with dreams and aspirations of saving the world while living in a United Nations compound in a remote village in a far-away land, “real life” hit me with student loans that needed tending to that the non-profit world was, needless to say, not cut out for. I took any job I could get for the majority of my mid-twenties just to make some significant dent in my education-turned-debt. I learned a lot, but most importantly, I learned what I wanted from a career and what I could not stand another day of. I needed to be able to pick my ideal location and have independence and I would never again work for a cause I had no passion for.

Flash forward to today. I own a boutique graphic design studio, specializing in crafting custom WordPress websites and designing brands for outrageously superb humans and I’m happy to report I. LOVE. MY. JOB.

You may be wondering, how?! How did I go from knowing literally nothing about design to running my own design business. Well ladies …I’m here to share what I did and how you can do it too:

1. Absorb: Learn as much as you possibly can and seek out the masters

A: Start by learning the founding principles of design – what makes good design, what is the history? This is vital to understanding where graphic design is today and it’s also critically important to know the rules first, so then you can break them later (not the other way around). Good design can look so simple, but trust me, it doesn’t just happen. It takes intention, practice and critiques. To do this, read books (this is a fave, as is this) and take online courses through sites like Skillshare.

I did take an InDesign 101 course at my local city college the second I quit my cubical job, but the pace of learning dragged on, so I resorted to 100% online learning.

B: When you feel you have a good understanding of step A, then start to find other graphic designers who are doing their craft reeeaallllyyyy well. Learn from them. Email them and ask questions. Study them and their work. Chances are, if you surround yourself with well-crafted design, you will start to emulate it in your practice and then eventually, you will start to create original practices because you now know the founding principles.

2. Practice: Bring your knowledge into the Adobe Suite

A. Sign up for the Adobe Suite (at this point you only need InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop) and, wait for it…yep, take more classes. This is the time to practice what you just absorbed and that can be done by committing to taking X amount of classes per week. I learned most of what I know through Skillshare graphic design and web design classes (with some hand lettering classes sprinkled in the mix) and Nicole’s Classes; Illustrator, InDesign and Branding 101.

B. Hire yourself to create something. Anything. By doing this you will struggle to figure out how to achieve what you are looking to achieve and through this process you will learn so much. At this point, utilize YouTube like it’s your best friend. Don’t know how to use the pen tool? No problem. YouTube it. This cycle is such an important part of learning on your own, so don’t rush it.

3. Don’t Say No: No job is too small. Do them all

Put your skills out there to your friends and family! Offer your services and you will be amazed at the things people ask you to do. You will learn a lot. Fast. When you get a request to make a flyer for a retirement home’s 10th annual pot-luck, trust me…don’t say no (even if you want to). You never know what that opportunity will bring; from learning a new skill, meeting a potential new friend, or a client with a job that may be more up your alley.

4. Find Your Niche: Do one thing really well

They say it takes 10,000 hours and yea, they are probably right. But in the meantime, start to hone-in on what you get excited about doing and do more of that. I firmly believe it is better for you and your future clients to do a few things really well instead of doing a bunch of things kinda well. By making your offerings short and concise, you are able to work on the things you dream about instead of things you dread. Don’t worry, this has taken me years to figure out.

5. Take an Hour: The learning never ends

Set aside one hour a week dedicated to learning. Be it learning by reading design-related articles or taking a class on a design element you have yet to tackle. Even when you feel you have it down, chances are you could benefit from refining your skills and soaking up new inspiration. Whether you’re taking graphic design on as a profession or not, this mindset will help you keep current.

6. Collaborate: PR is your best friend

A very fun and effective way to get your name and craft into the world is to collaborate with other creatives. Reach out to people whom you admire and make some magic. Styled photoshoots are a great way to show off your hand lettering talents, or your skills in invitations or print design. At this point, you will quickly realize that whatever you put out into the world you will get back, so choose your collaborations wisely so you are staying true to your niche and don’t find yourself being hired for jobs outside of your “love zone.”

The original version of this post appeared on Hey Mama. 

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How This CEO Plans to Make Other Women Really Rich

With the unofficial tagline “Make other women really rich,” Cindy Whitehead, CEO of The Pink Ceiling, the business she founded in 2016 focused on mentoring and investing in female-focused startups, expects the pay it forward model to work. “Money is in many ways power,” Whitehead says. “And it’s a power women need for the next stage of the entire women’s movement.”  

Cindy Whitehead has spent 20+ years at the helm of companies. Most notably, her third venture, Sprout Pharmaceuticals was responsible for breaking through with the first FDA-approved drug for women with low libidos. This little pink pill, known to Whitehead as Addyi and to the media as “the female Viagra,” gave the entrepreneur “a front row lesson on what it means for women to advocate for themselves and each other.” It sold for a whopping $1 billion upfront payment. 

She’s a businesswoman. A force. And a breakthrough artist in the field of health tech. Though Addyi’s trajectory didn’t play out as Whitehead expected (that story can be found here) and she says there isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t think about the company, she took away an understanding of how to champion for others, the way many supporters have done for her along the way.

Having always built companies from scratch, many people expected her to jump into the next operating role. She surprised them. “What rips the sheets off in the morning for me is fighting injustices. It is an injustice that women get 2% of funding. It’s a ridiculous idea that half of the population only has 2% of the good ideas.” It’s also statistically incorrect--  and Whitehead likes data. She also likes pink. For her, these are not incongruous notions. “I like pink,” the CEO explains. “I like being a woman. I think women have unique strengths to bring to the table and by god nobody is going to make me lose my pink.”

"It’s a ridiculous idea that half of the population only has 2% of the good ideas.”

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When she says people use “pink” and the stereotype it conjures as a means to dismiss an idea, those are conversations she tends to run towards, as breaking preconceived notions is what will ultimately create change. “It’s why I showed up in blazing pink to the FDA. Every time. Unmistakably I was there to have a conversation about women because we weren’t listening to them.” She’s had her critics, sure. But thinks women embrace an unapologetic approach. “When I showed up [to the FDA] talking about sex in all pink, there was a healthy dose of underestimation. And then I’d surprise them with all the data I know.” This piggybacks on her favorite piece of advice: “Prepare to be underestimated. And then show up and kill them with competence. I say it over and over again because underestimation as a woman in business is inevitable. It is going to happen. That can either force you to retreat or you can harness it and surprise them.”

The Pink Ceiling is not a classic VC. It is Whitehead’s own investment post Sprout.

Inbound proposals abound and Whitehead and her team take an active role in the companies they choose to move forward with. “We make decisions based on bandwidth and our ability for real impact.” Can she help a woman in fashion tech as much as she could help someone in the health tech? With the fundamentals of business, yes.  With her rolodex, no. She thinks “below the belt for women” is an untapped area. “It is the last taboo in health. Even as women we don’t talk about the things we haven’t been ‘given permission’ to. If it’s below the belt it comes to me.” However, she says The Pink Ceiling teams works really hard with the companies that make it through the vetting process to find them a home. Admitting, “It’s not always with us. We have 11 companies that we actively work with every day. About another 4 that we’re about to go into. And we’ve taken 50 women through the 3-month mentorship program thus far.”

"Underestimation as a woman in business is inevitable. It is going to happen."

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The company’s battle against injustice is happening on two fronts. First, the lack of access to capital.“It requires an extra step and requires them [investors] to do their own homework with the audience that [the product] effects,” she says of why male investors aren’t funding female-focused companies or female founders. “My career has taught me the unconscious bias runs deep. I don’t think when [men] are sitting across the table that they’re intentionally thinking, ‘oh well this is for women I’m not going to fund it,’ but they’re sitting there not connecting to it.

She continues, “If I’m going to go up for investment dollars tomorrow, I have the highest probability that the entire table seated across from me will be men. And if I’m pitching an idea that is uniquely suited to women, I’m talking to an audience that fundamentally doesn’t relate. And I think the human nature component of that is that I’m less likely to invest in things that do not particularly impact me. Hopefully we’re catching up. But it’s why at the Pink Ceiling I equally look at men doing great work for women.”

To point: Undercover Colors, founded by four men. It is a nail polish intended help wearers detect the presence of date-rape drug. For Whitehead, that company is the sweet spot. “It’s not just a tool, it’s a conversation,” she says. “I’m always going to love health tech. I like the geeks that are innovating, creating a real tool-- one that creates a social conversation.” At the time we speak, she’s got at least one eye on Lauren Weiniger's “The Safe Sex” app. “We’re not yet invested, but I’m closely watching." SAFE let's you show your verified STD status on your phone, and know your partner's status.

The company is also fighting injustice with the “Pinkubator” program, The Pink Ceiling's way of addressing the lack of access to female mentors. It’s an integral part of the business that tackles the need for more straight-talk amongst female entrepreneurs. "The conversation that I’m going to have woman to woman is different," Whitehead says. "There’s nothing wrong with a climate of encouragement, I agree with that wholeheartedly. But we have to be careful that we balance that with candor,” she says.

And while she marks the powers of observation and empathy as a “superpower” of women, particularly when applied to business, she believes "data, in particular, is informed differently through the lens of empathy.” When combined the two have immense power and potential. Totally solo however, they might make for risky business.

“Oftentimes we’re delivering news that people don’t want to hear,” she explains. “But here’s my worry: If I’m a young woman coming out of college today and I know by the numbers that my chances aren’t as good in a classic corporate world and I have this idea of entrepreneurship from Shark Tank, which has given me the moxy to go out and start on my own, that’s great." The danger lies in blind encouragement. “If nobody talks about the scalability or sustainability of her business, here’s what’s going to happen: she’s going to fail. And when she fails, I fear that we are going to reinforce a narrative that women don’t have what it takes.”

Mentorship is so crucial to the process that it’s part of her team’s investment consideration. If you look at the numbers, she says, women are not only starting businesses faster than men, they're also often starting businesses alone. "One truly is the loneliest number in entrepreneurship. When we look at investments, I’m looking to see if they’ve been resourceful enough to find that network of other women who are going to help propel them.” She says resourcefulness is as easy as Google, where you can find conferences (*cough cough*), programs, accelerators, and the access to people who will push you. “Sometimes we have a paralyzing fear when it’s not going the way we expected that there’s no fallback. There’s always a fallback. And I hope that when women feel that way they can push through the moments of the deepest fear of entrepreneurship."

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Beauty Brand Founder's Favorite Emails Are From Women Who Don't Wear Makeup

Who: April Gargiulo, Founder, Vintner's Daughter

Where: March, the first stockist of her product, Lower Pacific Heights 

Favorite spot to find the perfect chair: Hedge Gallery or Almond Hartzog

Where she'll grab a glass of wine with a career peer: The Progress

The facialist to whom she entrusts her skin: A Facial Massage from Julie Lynge. Her hands are magic. 

Where she'll take a client dinner: Octavia 

Favorite spot to grab coffee with a friend: As Quoted

If she could choose to sit and be still anywhere in the city, it would be: Wood Line. An installation by artist Andy Goldsworthy in the Presidio. 

Tourist attraction in SF she's never visited: I’ve never walked across the Golden Gate Bridge.

She's a designer, wine maker, and now skin care expert, but the through line of April Gargiulo's career has always been "businesses that are focused on quality and expression at the highest level." 

April founded Vintner's Daughter an active botanical face oil "designed to be a powerhouse of multi-correctional activity." She calls it her desert island product (and has the skin to prove it).  "It address all of my skincare needs (acne, discoloration, elasticity, tone and clarity) at the highest levels and without toxins. It's the product I would never go without. Interestingly, because we addressed my skincare needs at such a foundational level, Active Botanical Serum is able to correct a multitude of skin issues; from rosacea to acne."

"I love helping woman feel confident in their skin. The best emails I ever receive are the ones that say 'I have stopped wearing makeup.' It might sound silly, but there is a lot of freedom in that."

"

The best emails I ever receive are the ones that say 'I have stopped wearing makeup.' It might sound silly, but there is a lot of freedom in that."

It's also a face serum for the busy working woman who doesn't have the time for a multi-step skin care regime every night. 6-8 drops, 30 seconds of pushing and pressing per the serum's instructions, and you're glowing. "I am a business woman," she notes, "who is focused on creating the most uncompromisingly effective skincare made from the world’s finest ingredients."

"The most surprising part of entrepreneurship in the beauty space is how intimate it can be. When talking about skincare, you cut through so much artifice so fast."

photo credit: Andrea Posadas

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Real Talk: Why Ruthie Lindsey Pulled Back the Curtain on Her Instagram Perfect Life

There is a kind of pain that can squeeze the soul right out of your heart. 

Edit: If you let it. 

Inspirational speaker, designer, and stylist Ruthie Lindsey spent the majority of her twenties confined to her bed. There was an accident her senior year of high school. There was her recovery. Then, years later, came an insane pain that “shot up her head.” Multiple doctors had no answers. Scans were read wrong for years. Until finally, one figured out that one of the wires from a spinal cord surgery had pierced into her brain stem. Shocked that she wasn’t paralyzed, they operated and removed the piece. A new pain ensued. Nothing helped. And the pain medication dependance dominoed. 

But all dominoes can be reset. Picked up. And Ruthie realized she didn't want to live confined to pain; sunlight would be the best antidote. Her life started to change. 

But as direct messages rolled in from strangers on social media, those who wrote her that her life looked perfect through the lens of Instagram, she felt a conviction to give people the full context. That story can be found in the below video where Ruthie says of the pain, “I would pinch myself to draw blood because I thought I was living in a nightmare.” 

video: Loupe Theory, directed by Max Zoghbi

These days you could throw Ruthie to the wolves and she’d return leading the pack. When we speak, she is in Telluride, Colorado, having travelled there for Mountainfilm, a documentary-based festival held every year since 1979. The theme for 2017 is “The New Normal.” Spoiler: there is no normal and Ruthie would be the first to agree. 

“It’s very intentional,” she says of the festival, though this also serves as doublespeak for how she lives her life. “And full of people who want to do good in the world— incredible humans are coming together here to try and make the world better.” 

After traveling to Telluride in the fall for a job Ruthie made a pact with herself that “no matter what,” she would be back in May. She’s made it. This is her first year in attendance. “I’m jumping in at the end,” she says, noting friends like BFF and writer Jedidiah “Jed” Jenkins, who has been coming for about eight years. Those friends, including Jed, are currently on a hike, and while she admits she’d like to be with them, she’s also happily in awe at the sight right outside the window. “The view I’m looking at right now is so beautiful. I’m sitting on this couch, looking at glory and it is majestic.” 

She’s been traveling for about a month, having arrived in the tiny mountain town from Paris the week prior, and she’ll touch back down to her home base of Nashville once the festival ends. Of the schedule she admits, “It’s not sustainable and after this I’ll take a break. Rest. Get back to routine and that’s my life.” But for now, she’s excited about the festival and "the one little strip in the main area [of town] where everyone knows each other.”  

“I got my booklet today,” she says of the programming, mentioning the film Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story. “The documentary is about how he found joy,” she says. “He woke up so grateful to be alive.” After happening upon a dead bear, Garcia poked the animal with his knife, only to find that the bear was concealing a live wire. Garcia was hit with 2,400 volts of electricity, which altered the course of his life forever. There are obvious similarities between them. “You don’t just have to survive,” says Ruthie. “You can thrive after trauma.”

"You don't just have 

to survive.

You can thrive 

after trauma."

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photo credit: Chris Ozer

Thrive is a word that surrounds her like a halo. But for many millennial women wondering how to escape the feeling of hopelessness, whether because of a job or otherwise, there has to be a starting point; feeling stuck is a universal emotion. For Ruthie it started with action. "What I’ve realized,” she says, “is that the emotion doesn’t have to precede the action." She talks about the concept of, “Once I feel better I will… pursue this new job, then I’ll be happy, adventure more, or whatever it is— it’s not true. The action always has to come first, but it’s a choice and a decision. Take the action and trust that emotion will come.” 

Ruthie explains that when she the made conscious decision to change her life she first made a list of all the things she loved to do before she had pain. “Each day I made myself do one of those things,” she explains. “At the time, I didn’t care about flowers or doing things for someone else. I felt black and numb and dead inside. Truly. But I made myself get up.” 

In that transition period she gave herself one more task as well: “Look for beauty and speak it out loud.” She admits this all initially felt like, “a chore and a job — I hated it.” But there was something deeper at work. “I knew I had to do it,” she says. “There was something in my psyche forcing me.” A few weeks in she started to feel the things she was saying. “I had this image of myself in second grade getting glasses for the first time, and that’s how I felt. I was in awe after two months.” She was simultaneously weaning herself off of the pain medication she had been on for years. It took four months and her marriage didn't survive the detox. 

“Look for beauty and speak it out loud.”

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Today, her life looks the opposite from the one she thought she wanted (as well as her life from bed) but therein lies the beauty: a sidesplitting pain can became a sidesplitting giggle. “People confuse happiness with joy,” she says. “Joy comes out of such a deeper well than happiness. Joy comes from digging into those really painful, hard, deep parts.” And Ruthie believes you can manifest the life you want. “I thought I would be married and have babies of every color from every nation and that is not my reality, and very likely might not ever be. But what I do have is so cool, so rich, nothing like I envisioned, but it’s better than what I ever hoped for and so much more beautiful.” At the same time she says, “It’s harder and more painful than I ever dreamed.”

Setting boundaries has been a big part of her story as well— understanding her limitations in a way that many young female millennials are grappling to understand. Millennial burnout is real. Young women feel like they’re replaceable. Ruthie says finding those boundaries has come with “a steep learning curve.” It wasn’t her natural state to say no or draw lines in the sand, but laughs, “My shitty body is the best thing that could have ever happened to me because it won’t let me do things. Everything I do comes at a physical cost. When I was stretching myself too thin, taking on a ton of little jobs, it came at a cost. I wasn’t able to be my best self.” Now she’d rather take a financial hit, instead of a physical or emotional one. “I also know I have the luxury of not supporting a family. It’s just me. I’ve done things for way less money that are life-giving and so much more important than any paycheck.” For anyone who might consider this "high-maintenance," Ruthie maintains it’s not so. “My time is valuable and so is every other human’s time.  I’ve learned to take fewer jobs that sit better with me and pay better.” Sit better means that she won’t speak about something that she wouldn’t do, say, wear, or eat. “I just won't." She's firm on this.

"People confuse happiness with joy. Joy comes out of such a deeper well." 

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Drawing those lines meant making a plan to only meet with three people per week that wanted something from her. “I was so exhausted and giving out so much. I didn’t have time for my people— or my own time. My body gave me the middle finger and said you can’t do this anymore.”

Now when home, she adheres to a morning routine and finds salve in the presence of friends. “Nothing can interfere with it,” she says. However does admit, “Routine is not my personality type. Not knowing excited me.” But she sticks to it. Before 9am Ruthie can knock out writing, reading (“my prize for writing”), using the app Headspace, and doing a 20-minute Pilates video. “That time is sacred. I schedule time with my friends and that is sacred as well. That is life-giving beneficial time."

It's not all flowers and awe all the time. She wouldn't wish this train ride on anyone else and says that learning self-care is a constant battle. "I don't always live in that place, but that’s what I want to step into the world with. That’s when I am my best self.” It is a means to life dividends. “You can’t love other people if you don’t love yourself well,” she says. “When you learn to live out of that space, everything else is better— you work better, you’re a better employee, a better friend, a better sister.” 

Adding, “You get to live your best life when you put out your best life. We think we need to only take care of ourselves. But you don’t need to hoard every beautiful thing that comes your way. If you give freely with your words, time, and knowledge, it comes back so much greater. Nothing was ever really mine in the first place, so if it leaves…it was only passing through. It was a gift. Maybe someone else needs that right now. It’s freeing living out of that place. It’s freedom. It feels like freedom."

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top photo credit L to R: Kate Renz, Jones Crow, Sadie Culberson; cover photo: Chris Ozer 

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Why Kopari Co-founder Says Great Leadership Isn't About Gender

The daughter of an entrepreneur (and surf legend Joey Cabell), some might say Kiana Cabell, co-foudner of the cruelty-free organic coconut beauty brand Kopari Beauty, has business in her blood. But it's the company's lightweight Coconut Sheer Oil that's on her body. Working since the age of 12, she's always be a go-getter goal setter. Unafraid to fail, the Honolulu-raised business woman knew she could take the coconut cooking craze (she's also a certified organic chef) and apply it to beauty.

Dedicated to exploring the different ways coconut benefits the body, inside AND out, Cabell, along with co-founders, beauty entrepreneurs and industry veterans, Bryce Goldman and James Brennan, launched with a firm understanding of their miracle multitasking ingredient. Today, the Kopari Beauty success is so real that some Hollywood heavy hitters have gotten involved.  It's a startup tale that proves successful entrepreneurs know their business from soup to coconuts. 

We caught up with Cabell to find out how she launched, what scared her, and her standout moment as a business owner this year.

What was your first job and are there any lessons you learned early on that help you today as an entrepreneur?

My father was an entrepreneur himself - he founded the Chart House restaurant chain - so those practices were instilled in me from a young age. It was important to him that I set up values and worked throughout my childhood. From the age of 12 and on, I spent every summer working at the Chart House as a hostess. I cleaned menus, greeted guests, managed the seating arrangements and answered calls, and that definitely helped position me as a self-starter. I began networking and really honed my communication and organization skills. Above all, I found that starting in the workforce early instilled in me a unique drive and understanding that hard work truly pays off. 

People always tell you to find the white space in business. So what prompted you to start Kopari? Where did you see that white space?

I was initially inspired to go into the natural food space by attending New York’s Natural Gourmet Institute to become a certified organic chef. Consumer awareness of health and wellness, and a greater concern over what you put in your body, was quickly growing and I saw an opportunity within that movement. I never ate with any dietary restrictions, but I enjoyed learning more about nutrition and the benefits of good, clean ingredients and wholesome foods. I ultimately took what I learned at the Gourmet Institute and applied it to Kopari. Similar to the organic food movement, there was a wellness trend in the beauty space. I capitalized on the growth in awareness of the ingredients consumers were slathering on their skin, as well as a mounting love for coconut oil, to co-found a brand that really addressed an unfilled niche in the market. The movement for coconut products in food was blowing up, but in the beauty space, it was just now kicking off. I really just recognized that this was my time.

Can you tell us about the initial stages of your company. How did you get funding to get it up and running? 

Everything came together so quickly. I was lucky enough to have two amazing partners, James Brennan (also the co-founder of Suja Juice), and Bryce Goldman who is an accomplished beauty industry veteran. They both really helped on this end. Additionally, we all reached out for initial funding from close friends and family, who were happy to contribute. They really believed in us and that was when we first knew that we were onto something.
 

Why did you decide to start online only?

Digital and social was where everything was moving. We knew that we could create a lot of buzz, drive traction, and create demand via a thoughtful, well-constructed online and social presence. As opposed to reaching out to retailers as so many brands do, we had them coming to us.

As opposed to reaching out to retailers as so many brands do, we had them coming to us.

Let’s talk for a minute about finding co-founders and taking the leap. What does your team look like? How did you know you wanted to go into business with them?

Initially, it was myself, Bryce Goldman and his wife Gigi Goldman, and James Brennan, and we immediately had great synergy. We were all on the same page with what we wanted to create, but everyone brought something unique to the table. Obviously our team has grown substantially since launch, but the four of us continue to balance each other well, and our team does the same.

Starting a biz is no small undertaking. Were there any lifestyle changes you had to make in order to make the leap?

Like my father, I was very entrepreneurially-minded. I never really had a traditional 9-5 job, so starting a business where you’re working the 9-5 plus was a different experience. I have learned a lot along the way when it comes to maintaining a good work-life balance, but I definitely still struggle with knowing when to “turn off."

Were there any growing pains? Did you ever doubt your decision?

I never had a traditional job and didn't come from a background of having my own business, but I have always been a hustler and a doer, so it came pretty naturally. There were definitely times when I was in the day-to-day and would get frustrated with the little things that you’d never think about; but I had to learn along the way. Now, I feel confident in what I do and it feels amazing. Sometimes you can be the person that gets in the way of yourself, but you have to put your head down and just get it done.

"Sometimes you are the person that gets in the way of yourself, but you have to put your head down and just get it done."

Tweet this. 
 

Natural skincare and skincare products are definitely having a moment. How do you continue to stay out in front of trends and make sure that your business has legs? 

Naturally, coconut oil lends itself to so many versatile uses which give our products endless multitasking possibilities. The versatility helps maintain a steady stream of innovation and the ingredient itself paves the way. Our use and knowledge of cutting-edge technology and complementary ingredients keeps us in front of the trends and our competitors.

You’ve attracted some high profile investors like Karlie Kloss and Ashton Kutcher. What was it like in those meetings? Have you seen a benefit to bringing on big names? 

I actually didn’t meet with them personally. Most of the relationships are through my co-founder James Brennan's connections from working with brands like Suja Juice. Although, I am excited to be meeting with Shay Mitchell at the end of the month! 

The benefit is providing Kopari with clout, and lending greater recognition to the brand. It’s validating to have some of the biggest, most recognizable names in the entertainment and beauty industries supporting and investing in our brand. It’s just another sign that we’re on the right track!

What platforms have been the most helpful in spreading the word about Kopari?

Definitely social media, and Instagram by a landslide. Consumers really connect with our lifestyle imagery and our packaging lends itself well to visuals. We recently did a big micro-influencer push that was extremely successful, but we also prioritize cultivating and maintaining relationships within the industry. 

How do you continue to utilize digital even as you’re set to launch into 340 Sephora stores? 

We use our digital channels to have a direct line of communication to our customers. We use our ecommerce store not only to sell our full line of products that aren’t sold in Sephora stores, but to also further educate the customer on the products - how to use them, their benefits, why they’re different, etc. Having a digital presence through our online store, as well as through various social media channels allows us to communicate directly to our customers for feedback on what they like or don’t like about our products, how the packaging could be improved, as well as what they want to see next.

What accomplishment are you most proud of in the past year? Or, what has been a standout moment for you as a business owner?

The growth of Kopari and where we are now, hands down. Knowing that the products and all of our success is real, and recognizing people’s awareness of the brand, combined with the overall growth of Kopari has been my biggest source of pride this past year. Additionally, I am extremely proud of where I am personally, today, compared to where I was when we started Kopari. I think that rings true for the team too!

Is there anything about your leadership style that differs from your male colleagues?

We’re all so different and I don’t think it’s a gender thing. I like to jump into things, make mistakes and figure things out through trial-and-error. As a leader, I know what I like and what I want, but I’m also very easy-going and laid-back.

Is there anything you were super intimidated by that you jumped in to learn? And what kind of difference has that made?

I was really intimidated by everything; the whole business. Starting a company is like drinking through a firehose all the time. From building a team and brand, to managing the marketing, social and public relations piece, it’s all super new to me and I just jumped right in to learn everything. I’m continue to learn something new every day.

"Starting a company is like drinking through a firehose all the time."

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When you are having a crazy day, what is your go-to for winding down?

I love to do power yoga. It’s enough of a workout that I can’t really think about anything else while I’m doing it, and yet it’s still relaxing and calming.

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Why This CEO Says You Have to Risk It All

Would you quit your job and risk it all for your business?

That’s what Daina Trout, CEO and co-founder of Health-Ade Kombucha, did in 2012. During graduate school at Tufts University for Nutrition, Trout discovered her love for holistic and fermented foods. But when she found herself climbing the corporate ladder of a pharmaceutical company in her late twenties, she felt her career going a little sour. And not in a healthy kombucha way.  

Rather, Trout was coming home at night in tears from a corporate job that left her "feeling so unfulfilled." Though she was “moving up the corporate ladder and doing pretty well,” she explains, “I’m somebody who doesn’t even take Tylenol. So to work for a pharmaceutical company was weird. I was a number. It was very red-tapey and I was particularly rebellious. There were 100,000 employees there and I wanted to be a leader. I felt like I had it in me to do that.” 

"I wanted to be a leader. I felt like I had it in me to do that.” 

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Alongside her co-founders, husband, Justin, and BFF, Vanessa Dew, the now-CEO quit her job. She calls it her most important jump. “I had steady job, where I was moving up and getting awards, to start a kombucha company in the farmer’s market,” she laughs. At first she did attempt to split her time. 

For about four months over the summer of 2012 the three co-founders tried working the farmer's market circuit on nights and weekends while keeping on with their day jobs. “I was completely driving myself into a brick wall," Trout says. "I was starting to lose my mind." Adding, "And there is no physical way I could do this if I had a kid.” Noting that at the time, she didn’t.

Right around November 2012 is when the trio knew they couldn’t continue at this pace, nor were they doing at good job at either. They weren't going to expand, “certainly not into Whole Foods,” Trout shares, if they didn't commit. So in December they shook hands, made a pact, and as of January 1, 2013 they were full time Health-Ade. “I remember that first day we showed up, January first and realized, ‘Oh shit, there is no paycheck coming. And we have no money.’ Maybe 600 dollars. It was really dumb in a lot of ways when you look back at it on paper. I don’t know if you have to do it like that, but for us, this is our story.”

 "We’re not cautious people. If an account wants to carry Health-Ade I don’t see how I could say no. And that’s the beautiful thing about being able to paint your own canvas: We get to make the choice and we deal with the impact." 

She says from the beginning they set the pace at turbo. "We’re not cautious people. If an account wants to carry Health-Ade I don’t see how I could say no. And that’s the beautiful thing about being able to paint your own canvas: we get to make the choice and we deal with the impact." 

During the startup stage, it was high impact all the time. “Those next two years were the toughest," she says. "Physically tough. We were manufacturing and brewing kombucha. Who do you think was carrying the cases around the brewery? Delivering it to stores? Working the farmer’s markets? It was us. I was in the best shape of my life, but physically and emotionally taxed. There would be times I would take a walk, look up to the sky and look for any kind of sign that I had an ounce of sanity in me.” 

Health-Ade is now a national brand and report being the fastest growing kombucha company in the U.S. Something Trout calls, “a crazy ride,” but for now she’s “on the horse and it’s exciting.” In 2016 they raised more than $7 million in venture funding from CAVU Venture Partners.

This year alone the company is seeing 4x growth, which many companies never see. “But it’s hard,” she says. “There is a misconception out there that it's glamorous,” Trout says of starting a business. "We had to dedicate our entire life. It’s almost like having a child,” shares Trout, who is now the mother of a two-year-old.

And yet, she says, there is a lot of positive. "I had to start this business. I had no choice in a way. It was a voice within telling me 'There is something bigger out there for you. You’re going to regret this your whole life.' Now I can make my own rules and it is so incredibly fulfilling at the end of the day, no matter how bad of a day I’ve had I never go to bed thinking ‘I don’t want tomorrow to come,’ or wake up the next morning thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want to go to work.’”

The CEO says the closest thing to the entrepreneurship highs and lows is being mother for the first time. “I’m 36 and have had a lot of experiences, and nothing in my life has come even close to starting a business, except for having an infant."

"Nothing in my life has come even close to starting a business, except for having an infant.”

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Like motherhood, Trout says, "You eventually come to terms that you need to find your own way. Follow your instincts. Starting a business is very similar. I had to find confidence in myself and my decisions. Once you get the confidence, it’s over. It’s a complete confidence game. I think that’s why men traditionally have been better at this. But women are realizing, ‘Hey we’re fucking awesome too and we can do this. That’s all it is.”

Doing it they are. “This year we’re going to sell two million cases.” Considering five years ago the co-founders were making the product by hand with siphons in their tiny apartment closet, "lucky to make 60 cases per week," to sell “two million is insane and really cool." That means the pace hasn't slowed down, nor has the uncertainty. "We’re running this thing really fast right now. And it’s a discomfort zone.” All the time Trout says. 

But it all comes back to the company's tag line: Follow Your Gut, which the CEO jokes everyone assumes is about the gut-positive health benefits of probiotics. While that's fitting, it’s also not the case. 

To risk it all, Trout and her co-founders really had to trust their own instincts. “It has to do with how we started this business: you surrender to the fact that nobody is going to give you the answer. You hold the paintbrush. And the sooner you realize that, the more you can paint. Our whole lives we’ve always had someone to assist us with that paintbrush. A manager or a teacher, someone you can call on. Maybe you don’t realize that you’ve gone through life painting with assistance or painting by numbers. The reality is, starting a business is like a huge blank canvas where nobody knows what you want to paint, but you.” 

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

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The Top 3 Questions All New Bloggers Should Ask Themselves

photo credit: Blame It on Mei 

With a degree in graphic design and a masters in business admin, Mei Jorge, the Cuban-born blogger behind the fashion blog Blame It on Mei, had her pick of careers.  But the Miami-based fashionista shares that, "It is very gratifying to know that I can inspire women to look and feel their best no matter the price tag, age, lifestyle, or even personal circumstances. Even though I love graphic design and have had a lot of fun in that career, I have always been passionate about fashion."

For years she skirted around the suggestion from friends that she should start a blog. "I pushed that idea aside," she explains. "Only to find myself wondering 'what if' a few years later. I finally took that big step and I couldn’t be happier about doing so."

We caught up with Mei to talk the importance of design, why her style is steeped in the traditions of Latin women, and the three questions new bloggers need to ask themselves. 

How does your background play into your content? 

My feminine style is flavored with the traditions of the Latin women. In our culture, feeling sassy is intertwined with timeless style, and our days are bursting with vibrant colors and music. Because Miami is an extension of my Cuban background, it’s easy for the customs, colors, and cuisine to inspire my colorful looks. Even when I wear muted or neutral tones, I always add a pop of color. 

What is it about the Miami blogging scene that is different from the rest of the country?

Miami is such a dynamic and eclectic city. There is always something to do, a new place to see, or a new restaurant to try. Events like Art Basel and Swim Week have made the Miami fashion scene one not to miss.  And because of our coveted beaches, warm climate, and especially large blogging community, many brands choose it as their destination to host events or launch products.

Since you studied Graphic Design, how important is a logo? 

A logo is one of THE most important aesthetics of a brand. That is how your audience will visually identify you so I strongly suggest with a professional if you are unsure about where to start.

How much time did you spend designing your own site? And what are some tenets of site-building that you think bloggers should consider? 

Initially, I took a few days to research, design, add widgets, and customize it to my needs. I am always trying to improve it, which makes it an ongoing project. Because of my graphic design background, I obviously had an advantage. However, building a website is not only about the pretty aesthetics. Finding a good host, searching for the right customizable template, whilst also learning the ins and outs of your publishing platform, takes time. If you are somewhat savvy, you can try to build it yourself but even then it takes time. It will probably take more time than if you hire a professional.

How did some of your first partnerships come about? Did you reach out to brands with a media kit? Did they reach out to you?

Most of my first partnerships reached out to me directly.  At that point in my blogging journey, I was hesitant to reach out to any brand. After I gained some confidence and became member of a few blogging communities, I finally designed my media kit and reached out to some of my favorite brands.

How are you working to evolve your brand? 

My brand is an extension of myself, my style, and my personality. By being consistent, adding value to my content, and being relatable to my followers, I keep true to my mission; which is to inspire women to be confident in their daily lives.

"I keep true to my mission; which is to inspire women to be confident in their daily lives."

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photo credit: Blame It on Mei

What is the “big picture” goal for you as a blogger?

I would love to work with a large retailer to create and design my own line of clothing and accessories. As an influencer, this would be a huge accomplishment and the climax of the hard work and dedication I have put into my brand. 

Where do you think the blog/influencer world is heading?

The blog/influencer world is experiencing a growth phase that will eventually reach maturity. Currently, brands and influencers alike are learning that influencer marketing will become more meaningful in the years to come. This type of marketing will take over traditional mediums, it’s just a matter of time for brands who are not already aware, to grasp the concept.

What tips and tools are you using in your day-to-day to keep up with the changing world of social?

I try to keep myself informed, thus I am constantly researching the newest changes to the different platforms. But more importantly, I see what my audience responds to. At the end of the day, social media may change but I want to stay as loyal to my followers as they are to me.

"Social media may change but I want to stay as loyal to my followers as they are to me."

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Are you utilizing stories on IG?

Yes, I am really enjoying it and so are my followers. It can be hard to connect to your audience with a still image, but through the Stories feature, your followers get to know you on a one-on-one basis. They get to relate to your everyday life and see that you are no different than them. 

If someone wanted to start a blog today, what are the top three questions you think they should ask themselves before they get started?

1.  What is the main reason why I want to start a blog? Be specific; do you love writing and want a book deal? Do you have an on-air personality and want to be on TV? Do you want to help others? 

2.  Can I commit to blogging consistently? Blogging is a very self-sacrificing career, but it definitely comes with very rewarding opportunities and experiences. But if you want to grow your blog, commitment is a trait you will need to possess. 

3.  Am I willing to work hard? Blogging is hard work. It takes many hours in a week to plan your editorial calendar, reply to emails, pitch to brands, be active in your social media channels, prepping for a photo shoot, among other tasks. But with dedication and commitment you will reap the benefits. 

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Why This Food Blogger Says There Is No Beauty without Imperfection

image credit: Photography by Turkan 

It's fitting that Aran Goyoaga, twice over James Beard Award finalist, food blogger and fountain of gluten-free recipes, says that "everyone should take Instagram with a grain a salt." 

Food has been a part of Aran's story from the beginning. As a child in the Basque region of Spain, "surrounded by pastry chefs," it never occurred to the now Seattle-based culinary mind behind Cannelle et Vanille, that baking would be her path as well. "My family encouraged me to go to university, travel the world, get a higher education and get away from the blue collar job that baking was," she shares. "When I was growing up cooking for a living did not have the same aspirational career perspective that it does today." She ended up going to university, where she studied business and economics. "It was only after I finished my studies, moved to the US and found myself so far away from my family that I realized that pastry was the one bond that kept me connected to my roots." Her first stop was Florida, where the professional pastry chef worked for a large hotelier. A job which taught her reigns and ropes of all aspects of the kitchen. She initially stopped working to stay at home and raise her son. But the kitchen called her back. And food became her gateway to photography. Her photos have been described as romantic, unfussy, and nostalgic. Many writers have described Aran in the same way. 

Today, the mother of two, baker, food stylist, author and photographer of the cookbook Small Plates & Sweet Treats, stays grounded and connected to her heritage through cooking and baking. "I have always loved working with my hands," she adds. 

image credit: Photography by Turkan

We met up in her gorgeous photography studio by Pike Place Market to chat social media, building a brand, and how her works feeds her soul. 

How do you decide what to show, what to keep private? And how to be/not be a brand?

I am not sure what connotation "to be a brand" has (it probably means different things to different people) but I don't necessarily identify myself with that term. I suppose that with every piece of work I choose to show the world through social media, I am establishing a style, a personal taste, an affinity to something, but I don't generally want to sell anything or push product on people. I engage in some advertising work that I relate to or products I might naturally use but honestly my goal is to develop personal content that has an emotional narrative so branding doesn't really fit into that so easily. My instagram account is a bit of a cinematic world view that I have. Visual narrative is what drives my work and I would say I focus very much on that aspect. Sure, what I show is part of my life: my friends, my children, the food we eat, the places I see, but it has a very specific filter and I am not trying to say that is everything my life is. Everyone should take Instagram with a grain of salt.

After working for a large hotelier, what work lessons did you bring into your own business? 

I loved working in a big team, especially in a company that has such high standards for service, but honestly, it made me realize that I love working for myself and making the kind of work that I want to do. I love the flexibility of working for myself despite the perils of instability. 

Can you tell us a bit about the new project you’re working on and why making something that feeds your soul is important? 

I spent big part of 2016 working on a new video series that explores my relationship with food, from my family roots to an eating disorder, to feeding the creative soul I never thought I had, to being open to the world and let go of a lot of the rigidity that ruled my life for so long. It is the manifestation that there is no beauty without imperfection. The series is called "A Cook's Remedy"  [ed note: the first few episodes released early 2017]. I have produced the series with an incredible team of women in Seattle called Common Thread Creative. I am so excited to put it out into the world.

"There is no beauty without imperfection." 

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image credit: Photography by Turkan

You moved from Spain to South Florida and have settled in Seattle. What about the city feels like home? 

Seattle reminds me a lot of the Basque Country where I grew up. It's a lot larger and more majestic than the landscape of my youth, but there is a similar quality to a lot of northern countries that make it feel like home. The rain, the green, the introspection... Seattle is a city that looks forward and inward and that is a perfect balance for me. Makes me feel safe. 

Aran's recommendations below: 

Favorite market to buy your ingredients: Ballard farmer's market on Sundays, especially between May and October.

Have a morning cup of coffee: There is so much great coffee in Seattle that it is hard to choose. I love the morning vibe at Oddfellows. It truly is the place to get inspired in Seattle. And The Fat Hen makes incredible lattes. I also love Porchlight Coffee and Records for the obvious reasons: Coffee and music. My two favorite things in the world.

Eat a delicious gluten-free meal: Again so many places. I am just going to name a few because one wouldn't be enough. The lamb burger with no bun and fries at Tallulah's, the roasted vegetables and Jersey salad at Delancey, anything at Sitka & Spruce and Whale Wins (so many gluten-free options), baked eggs at The Fat Hen, pho at Ba Bar, Juicebox for almost everything on the menu, tacos at Copal, London Plane for their papadum and salads, Stateside for amazing Vietnamese and the list goes on.

"Seattle is a city that looks forward and inward."

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Take your family out to dinner: Pho is the one thing we all agree on so Ba Bar is definitely our spot. Also El Camion which is a little taqueria in Ballard, especially in the summer. We are a family of simple tastes. 

If you had to take a ferry to one island, which would it be and why: Vashon Island because that is where my dear friend Carolina lives and I love visiting her there.

Tourist spot in Seattle that you’ve never visited: The Underground Tour... I've heard it's interesting, but just creeps me out a bit.

Favorite spot in the city to sit and be still: That is the one thing that is abundant in Seattle. Just take a hike in Discovery Park, Lincoln Park, a walk around Greenlake.....all around us.

Best free entertainment in Seattle: Going to KEXP radio station and watching one of their live performances. The new space is incredible with La Marzocco coffee shop and Light in the Attic record store. It's close to my home and love spending time there.

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

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You'll Never Guess What Birchbox Co-Founder Calls Her Secret Weapon

photo credit: Birchbox 

Before launching Birchbox in the fall of 2010, CEO and co-founder Katia Beauchamp had to figure out how to get the attention of some of the world's biggest beauty brands. The recent Harvard Business School grad knew that her love of beauty and style combined with her finance background were a winning biz combo, but getting the heads of brands like NARS and Kiehl’s to pay attention was a different story. But Beauchamp, along with fellow Harvard grad and co-founder Haley Barna, kept it simple. They cold emailed presidents, CEOs, and executives at major companies with a subject line about reimagining beauty retail. It was their way in. And it worked. 

Today, the $10-a-month subscription service that ships sample-sized products to consumers, has made good on that subject line promise. Birchbox has more than 1 million subscribers, sells full-size products on its website, and most recently announced profitability. 

We chatted with the CEO about those infamous cold-emails, why she hires new moms, and raising money while female. 

Let’s talk about cold-emailing. You’ve said that you and your co-founder started cold-emailing CEOs in the beauty industry to get the idea in front of them. What are a few things that every cold-email should include?

I cold-emailed several presidents, CEOs, and brand managers in the beauty industry and the majority of people responded! Here are some tips:

1. Have a compelling subject line. It needs to motivate the reader to open the message. At the very least it should say something more than "Hello" or "Looking to get in touch." I used "Reimagining beauty online."

2. Keep the email concise. The email should be short enough so that a person can read it without having to scroll down on his or her phone. The less time and energy it takes to read it, the better.

3. Don't attach a business plan to explain the idea. That's asking a lot. Try a one-pager that briefly describes the idea/value proposition. We framed our one-pager by introducing the brands as the stakeholder and how Birchbox could help that brand.

4. Ask for something that’s easy to say yes to. I asked CEOs and brand managers for five minutes of their time to give me advice. Those emails eventually turned into a meeting and the meeting turned into a pitch. Those pitch meetings ultimately led to partnerships with massive brands, early on.

You’ve said your secret weapon is hiring new moms because they are productive, efficient, and grounded. Why do you think this is important?

There’s a real appreciation at Birchbox that moms remain ambitious in their careers. This may not sound revolutionary but I believe this perspective can unlock the power of women at work and benefit all parties. The ideas of flexibility and ambition can seem at odds for some, but we have worked to give our team that space and see it pay off. As far as putting it into practice, we place an emphasis on on-boarding moms as they transition back to work, as a core part of our maternity policy. This has built stability and trust between us and our team members, and continues to provide value for organization. We have extremely talented people, who come back to work with energy, excitement, and a new perspective.

"We place an emphasis on on-boarding moms as they transition back to work, as a core part of our maternity policy."

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You interned at Estee Lauder during college, what about that experience made you want to get into the beauty industry? Did you have any mentors coming out of the experience that helped along the way to founding Birchbox?

I co-founded Birchbox in 2010, technically, as an outsider from the beauty industry. I did have one taste of the industry as an intern for the Estee Lauder executive training program while attending Vassar College. It was a very competitive program, which was something that initially attracted me to the opportunity. That summer, I fell in love with the business of beauty. At 19, I met Leonard and Evelyn Launder, and other executives with whom we now partner. I was struck by the passion of the Estee Lauder employees and for the beauty industry. I distinctly remember realizing that this industry was special and unique, and that it wasn’t the norm for people to feel so connected to what they did for work. I now recognize why this was the case; the Lauders and their executives put energy into their culture and they had a reciprocal passion for their people. Additionally, the beauty industry has unique and fascinating dynamics with a wide appeal. It doesn’t typically follow macro consumer trends in terms of the overall economy and the strength of the business (inelastic demand!). There are very healthy margins and a seemingly endless ability to reinvent and shift demand. Clearly, my internship experience had a lasting impression.

After starting my career in real estate finance, I went to business school thinking about shifting industries. Luckily, six months before graduation, Hayley and I had the idea for Birchbox. Seven years later, I still feel somewhat new to the party, but also truly embraced by this industry and grateful to so many of the insiders that have supported us from the beginning.

Work-life balance is now a buzz phrase. Why do you think everyone is so focused on finding a balance? And what has that meant to you throughout your journey?

My personal perspective is that this concept is becoming less and less relevant in its traditional meaning. Traditionally, work and life were stark extremes where the expectation was little overlap. Today, there is a lot more awareness in the value of having more blurred lines in these two areas that allow for a person to feel connected to their whole self. I am grateful to care so much about my work that it is something I want to spend time thinking through. I am stimulated by the challenges and motivated throughout my days, not just during specific hours. That said, I also believe it is critical to disconnect from work and have space to develop in other areas of interest. From experience, this allows us to bring more energy and a fresh perspective, but it doesn’t always need to happen during specific times of the day or week. I have learned the value in taking 10 minutes during the work day to meditate, or 20 minutes to walk outside and appreciate the world outside of our bubble. I also have experienced wanting to have meetings on a weekend to speak to a colleague or mentor about the company. There is no perfect work-life ratio but it is important to feel connected to who you are and what brings out your energy and motivation for life.

"There is no perfect work-life ratio but it is important to feel connected to who you are."

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Photo by Tory Williams 

Talk a bit about the transition into a brick-and-mortar space. What was the full strategy behind that move? And how did you know you were ready?

We opened our first brick-and-mortar store in Soho, New York in July 2014. It was never our original plan to go the brick-and-mortar route, but as we learned more about our customer and her shopping habits, we realized we could add value to her beauty experience in the offline world. We experimented with pop-ups and saw how excited and engaged our customers were. They were hungry to experience the Birchbox brand in a tangible way, and it helped them understand the full scope of our value proposition. When we opened our permanent location in Soho, we thought carefully about how to create a new, unique type of retail experience for women who typically haven't enjoyed shopping for beauty. For example, we merchandise everything by category (hair, makeup, skincare, etc.) instead of by brand, which is a more approachable, efficient way for our customer to discover new products. We just opened a store in Paris, so we’re thrilled to be able to connect with our French customers a deeper way too.

And your expansion into Birchbox Man in 2012? Did you find it challenging to shift from a brand focused on selling to women, to a brand focusing on men and women?

Back in 2011, our female customers told us they wanted a Birchbox experience for the men in their life, so we tested a limited-edition gift box filled with men’s grooming products and lifestyle accessories. It sold out in less than three days. We thought it would just be women purchasing for men, but it wasn’t. It turns out guys were buying it for themselves too. With that customer insight, we put the wheels in motion to launch a men’s vertical and debuted BirchboxMan four months later in April 2012. We’re grounded in discovery, so just like with our women’s product, our try-before-you-buy sampling model is all about helping men upgrade their routines. However, there are some important differences. For example, we knew that men were less likely to talk about grooming products so we added lifestyle to the subscription to help with the vitality. We continue to test and iterate on the product for men, but believe that there is a big opportunity to serve this very different and underserved consumer base.

Over Birchbox’s lifetime, you’ve raised 71.9M. Did you ever feel at a disadvantage because you were two female founders pitching a product built for women?

It's a challenge to pitch a female-oriented business to mostly male investors who don't inherently relate to the value proposition and pain points you're working to solve. When we first started Birchbox, it took many no's before we heard our first yes. In part, we learned to better represent the opportunity, and eventually found investors who did appreciate the total addressable market, as well as relate to the human value proposition that we saw. I do believe that more gender diversity for investors will help female-focused and female-run businesses access capital more effectively.

"I believe that more gender diversity for investors will help female-run businesses access capital more effectively."

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Were you selective when it came to choosing investors? Or was it all about collecting capital?

We decided pretty early to raise capital once we tested the concept. We launched a beta in business school to understand whether it was a viable model, whether the unit economics were sufficient, etc. We met with dozens of investors, some independent and some institutional. Ultimately, we chose individuals (largely venture capitalists) who we connected with the opportunity and believed in it’s massive potential. We are so appreciative for their individual contribution to our business as well as recognizing that they could grow their investment with the business.

Any decision that you’ve made that you'd change if you got a do-over?

No. Of course, there have been mistakes along the way! My firm belief is that it is much more valuable to be naive than try to anticipate or know every pitfall or weakness. First, you can’t really “know” until you experience the hard. It shapes you and constantly sets a new standard for challenges you tackle. Second, putting one foot in front of the other is more digestible than expending energy on every impending challenge. Take things in stride as you do with every aspect of tackling an opportunity.  

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

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A Day in the Life: How This President and Blogger Handles Two Jobs

photo credit: Memorandum 

Mary Orton, co-founder and President of Trove, and editor at the wildly popular blog, Memorandum, knows all about hustle. No two days are alike for the bustling beauty, who, in August of this year will celebrate the first year anniversary of Trove, the addictive mobile style app that she co-founded with her husband.  Bringing together all of your favorite fashion bloggers into one beautiful, shoppable place, Trove allows you to find outfit inspiration, save favorites to a digital closet, and shop everything from the palm of your hand.  With a schedule like Mary's it's no wonder she wanted to find a way to bring this content to consumers who, like her, want access to great style inspiration quickly and easily on the go.

So what is her day-to-day like? How about hour-to-hour?

From 6am inbox purges to morning coffee to design and investor meetings, the CEO does more than look the part-- she’s actively involved in every aspect of her business. And yes, she eats at her desk just like the rest of us.

Read through to find out what it’s really like to run a startup and a successful blog at the same time. Be impressed and then, get inspired.  

6:00 AM:  I violently slap my iPhone alarm into snooze mode and proceed to do this roughly 2-7 additional times over the course of the next 25 minutes.  After reluctantly exiting my cozy sheets (muttering obscenities), I army crawl to the kitchen where I throw my Bialetti on the stove.  Even the promise of coffee does Pavlovian wonders for my not-a-morning-person-ever self.  While the coffee starts, I throw on gym clothes, grab my iPad and head back to the kitchen in the hopes that my coffee is ready and my email inbox is manageable.  With coffee in hand and a hard boiled egg (or scrambled eggs if I'm feeling really bold and didn't hit snooze too many times) I start reading the news and triaging my email inbox.  

7:00 AM:  Depending on the weather and my workout plan for the day, I usually hit the gym or the pavement for a morning sweat sesh.  My go-to workouts are barre classes, circuit training or long runs along the water watching the city wake up.

8:15 AM:  Back home, I jump in the shower and start the process of making myself look like a presentable human being.  As the co-founder of Trove and a style blogger, my go-to weekday looks are typically professional and classic with a trendy, urban edge.   

9:00 AM:  I make an iced tea in my favorite travel tumbler and with a protein bar hanging halfway out of my mouth, I hit the office!  No two days are ever the same, but if I can, I typically try to concentrate meetings in the mornings and computer work and conference calls for the afternoon, so my mornings are usually hectic.  On Mondays we always have Trove team meetings where we set objectives for the week and update everyone on different areas of the business.  The rest of my mornings are typically spent running all over the city to design meetings, investor meetings, brand meetings and meetings with lots of other folks across the industry.  If navigating NYC traffic and subway systems were an Olympic sport, I'm fairly confident I would make the podium.

12:00 PM:  If I don't have a lunch meeting, I'll usually grab a salad and eat it at my desk while catching up on emails.  I'm addicted to this quinoa and arugula salad at LPQ.  It's insane and super healthy, which is good to offset my very unhealthy affinity for cheeseburgers and fries.  And burritos.  And also Indian food.  Oh and CUPCAKES.  You don't even know.

2:00 PM: On Tuesdays, I meet with my team that helps manage the business and operations of my blog, Memorandum.  We touch base on upcoming posts that I'm planning and solidify plans for photo shoots, video content, and brand collaborations.  I've recently started a YouTube channel and have been getting more and more into video--it's wild but so much fun!  Since starting my blog three and a half years ago, I've gotten really into photography, but videography is still new to me.  It's so much fun to bring my style content to life in this way.  

3:30 PM:  If I don't have any afternoon meetings, I usually have at least one or two conference calls.  At Trove, we work with business partners and bloggers from all over the world, so often spend a couple hours in the afternoon on the phone or Facetime with them.  For our business, there's no place like New York--of course, the fashion and technology community here is just incredible--but having so many touchpoints around the globe makes my job really fun and interesting.

7:00 PM: At this point in the day I'm either heading home or heading to drinks and dinner.  We live in Tribeca, and are frequenters of Locanda Verde, Tiny's, Weather Up and Distilled.  At Distilled, they always serve this crazy good seasoned popcorn at your table, and it's my mission in life to figure out how they make it.  

9:00 PM: Once home, I settle into my home office to work on upcoming blog posts.  My husband is not only the co-founder of Trove and the CEO of the business, but he also takes all of the photos for Memorandum, which we usually snap either on the way to the office, or in-between meetings during the day.  I always keep my DSLR in my bag and we've gotten pretty good at it, so we can capture an outfit in 5-10 minutes when running from one thing to the next.  People often comment on the movement captured in our photographs which makes me laugh, because it was borne out of necessity and the reality of my hectic work day, rather than a super conscious artistic choice.

10:00 PM: Once I'm done writing my upcoming posts, I then have to spend an hour or so going through the photos that we took that day and getting them ready.  I'm an obsessive reader, but seldom have time to sit and read anymore so I've gotten completely addicted to audiobooks which I always listen to while going through photos in the evenings.  

11:30 PM:  Once the photos are done and the blog post for the next day is scheduled, I hit the sack!  Although if I'm being honest, I'm extremely lucky if this happens as early as 11:30 PM.  It's often much deeper into the early morning hours.  But, hey, gotta support that coffee industry right?  Just trying to do my part over here.

If you're heading to #CreateCultivateNYC be sure to check out Mary on panel, where she'll be sharing her know-how on Content Meets Commerce.

Two CEOs Walk Into a Conference Room

The original version of this article appeared on Darling. 

Darling and Create & Cultivate have a long-standing relationship. Some might even call it a BFF-work friendship, seeing as CEO Sarah Dubbeldam of Darling and Jaclyn Johnson CEO of C&C have been friends for over five years. 

So when Darling thought it would be fun for the two of them to get together, and have a quick catch-up, we thought, of course! What's better than getting real IRL? 

Sarah, with and Darling managing editor Teresa Archer stopped by our West Hollywood office to meet up with Jaclyn and talk a little about why we love women, supporting female-owned companies, and the memories from the early days.

Teresa Archer: At the beginning of where you started, did you envision where you were going?

Jaclyn Johnson: It’s so funny because I always think the best businesses have no business plan. For me, when I started it was purely happy accident. I got laid off of my job before I started No Subject and the only way to go is up from rock bottom.

I always tell people, for me, it wasn’t like “I have a business plan, I have all this outreach.” It completely happened naturally and the way it was supposed to. Similarly, with C&C I was really young. I was 23, I didn’t know a lot about starting a business. I was the creative, I had all these ideas but I didn’t know about taxes and cash flow — all those things as a business owner you need to know about. So I hit a lot of trials and tribulations early on and really C&C manifested from that. I really wanted to start a community where freelancers could get together and ask, “What are you doing?” and “What’s working for you?”

So it really started out more DIY and retreats, but morphed based on my personal experiences and also the ones I heard from the other women. I saw women really need this advice, they really need a community where it’s giving you hard-hitting facts but also looks like something you want to be a part of; not a gross conference room or a legal zoom.

There’s this drawing of “the path to success” and it shows everybody thinks it’s A to B, but in actuality it’s all winding and crazy and it’s true! I mean we [Sarah and I] have known each other forever and I feel like it’s so funny to see your friends skyrocket like this. Six years ago we were like, “We have ideas!” Now, we have companies!

… the only way to go is up from rock bottom.

Sarah Dubbeldam: Yeah, we started with our mission statement which was just this concept of somehow the world being better. Originally I wanted to write a book, but we thought people have already written books about this kind of thing, so what’s a continual conversation? And we landed on a magazine.

From the beginning I wanted it to be a blog and a magazine. There wasn’t social media then, that came later. We always knew we wanted to do retreats and events and video was kind of a small inkling in my mind and I didn’t know how to do it. I was kind of the opposite [to Jaclyn] I was like, “I need a business plan!” I was an art major and I”m a creative, visionary person and I didn’t know how to do that so I partnered up early on with some people who were business majors at my college.

It was always so complicated and terrible. I had 95 versions of the plan on my computer and I was Googling “business plans” and I’d download these PDFs. Super extensive and some even said, “You just need a 1-sheet and charisma…”

JJ: [laughing] A 1-sheet and charisma! Amazing!

SD: Yeah, I was really confused about how to actually start. Same thing as you, though, we just started online content, which led to the print. It was about taking advantage of opportunity. You have to focus and figure out the shortest path to helping the business grow. That’s the hardest thing: not getting sideswiped by ideas that aren’t what you should be focusing on. Now we’re going into video because its just the most natural next step from the magazine. Darling has become a media company so that we can reach out past print and keep the dialogue we’ve started going in a really active way.

You have to focus and figure out the shortest path to helping the business grow.

TA: Awesome. What’s each of your most precious memories of the early days?

JJ: It’s funny; things sometimes happen at such warp speed that we’ll joke and talk about, “Remember that office we had that was so teeny and weird slash under construction the whole year we were there?” There are so many moments where you never think in a million years you’ll end up where you’ll end up.

I remember getting so excited about signing deals that were $2,000 and I was like, “We’re rich!” I always tell people when you’re first getting started to enjoy the beginning because once you are in it, you are IN it and you can’t even get your head up for five seconds to say, “We’re doing a great job, congrats!”

It’s always so funny to look back on, like original logo ideas. It’s horrifying! But it’s kind of the best, because you think “I can’t believe this is what I did.” All the archives show how far you’ve come.

SD: I think that my best memory of those days is shipping magazines out of my living room…

JJ: Oh, amazing!

SD: Yeah. We had like a million padded mailers in our living room, all the way to the ceiling, tables set up and our interns coming to ship them from our home. Our landlord even came and said, “You’re running a business out of your house, I’m gonna kick you out!”

The second memory is when Anthropologie emailed us to buy magazines and we didn’t know what to do. They ordered a magazine and one day we put a shipping label on that said, “Anthropologie Headquarters.” We realised that they had emailed us and were trying to buy magazines on our site but we had no wholesale set up. They were our first big retailer.

All the archives show how far you’ve come.

TA: Ok, last question. What do you each love about the other person’s brand and company?

JJ: Oooh I love this question! I am obsessed with Darling’s aesthetic, I feel like it’s very on point. I feel like there are very few brands you can look at and say, “That’s so Darling.” You’ve done such an amazing job, from the magazines to the dinners to the photo shoots to the website. You’ve built a brand that has such a feeling, an emotion and cinematic quality to it. I feel like that’s very hard to do, it’s so crowded in the market, it’s hard to differentiate yourself, but that’s what you guys have done.

SD: Thank you! Likewise, because I’m such a visual person I remember first going to your website and remember the colors, the bold font. It’s so clear what you do as a vision. From the beginning it was such a clear mission.

And your events are just gorgeous! I mean, even looking at your Instagram you get such a feeling of, “I wish I was there!” Your attention to detail is just perfect, from invites to the promoters you choose, you’ve made C&C be the coolest “next big thing.” It seems the coolest thing to be at for women in business and influence. You’ve really branded yourself as “We’re the best at this.”

So there you have it. We really, really like them and they like us. Stay in contact with Darling and check them out at Darling Magazine. 

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Comedy Central's First Black Female Host Talks Getting Internet Trolled

Outspoken comedian Franchesca Ramsey is returning to Comedy Central, but this time on her own terms. Yesterday, the network announced that an untitled late night comedy pilot will be executive produced and hosted by Ramsey as part of its 2017-2018 line-up of development shows. 

Well-known to the online community, Ramsey had been making her own hilarious YouTube videos, a mixture of song parodies, impersonations, and socially conscious comedy sketches, since 2006, but it wasn’t until she made “Shit White Girls Say…To Black Girls” and went viral, racking up 1.5 million views in just 24 hours, that Ramsey was really put on the map. The video has 11 million views to date, and it gave Ramsey the confidence to pursue entertainment full time. “Quitting my day job took a huge leap of faith, but I knew I wouldn't be able to pursue the opportunities I was most interested in with a 9-5.” We’re all better off for it. Since then the actress, video blogger, and writer has quickly become of the most exciting voices, in both comedy and social activism, of our time.

Ramsey spent time as a writer and contributor to "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," where her recurring segment #HashItOut was a stand out part of the Comedy Central show. In 2015 landed her a gig as the host of "Decoded," an MTV News web series that speaks to issues of race and culture. She also still creates original content on YouTube, both for her comedy channel @Chescaleigh and her lifestyle channel Chescalocs, which focuses more on beauty, natural hair care, and styling (the two channels have over 250k subscribers and 29 million views combined), and does speaking engagements at colleges, inspiring and educating (and cracking up) students around the country with her incisive wit and cutting intellect. In short, she’s killing it. But ‘twas not always so. In fact, just a few short years ago, Ramsey was considering giving up on entertainment altogether. “In 2014 my videos weren't doing very well and I had a hard time booking auditions, so I seriously considered abandoning entertainment and leaving NY,” she recalls. “Instead, I got a remote job writing for Upworthy and used that to supplement the few acting jobs I was able to pick up until things started to take off.”

Even now, as accomplished as she is, Ramsey still encounters more than her fair share of challenging moments. “Being a woman of color on the Internet is challenging, let alone being one that openly talks about racism and feminism. I deal with an intense amount of harassment, which at times can be discouraging, but is also a reminder of why these conversations are so important,” she says of the trolls who follow her every move. Ramsey credits her husband, her parents, and her audience for keeping her going when things get rocky. “I'm really fortunate to have people around the world that enjoy my content and continuously reach out to let me know that it's making an impact on their lives,” she says of her devoted fans. A self-described “gym rat,” Ramsey also works out five days a week at 7 am. “It’s when I really let go of everything and just focus on accomplishing whatever my trainer puts in front of me,” she says of her routine.

"BEING A WOMAN OF COLOR ON THE INTERNET IS CHALLENGING."

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Aside from her family and fans, Ramsey raves about her friend and mentor, Tracee Ellis Ross, as an ongoing source of influence and inspiration. “I'm incredibly inspired by her talent, work ethic and humility. She's given me tons of great advice over the years and most recently I got the chance to write for her when she hosted Black Girls Rock for BET,” Ramsey says of Ross, whom she met a few years ago through her YouTube channel. “She's incredibly gracious and a firm believer in supporting and uplifting other women which, is something I think is incredibly important.”

Another thing Ramsey (and we) think is incredibly important? Activism, and specifically, a commitment to intersectional feminism. “It's important to acknowledge our privilege and remember that there are all types of women from a variety of walks of life that face challenges that we do not,” Ramsey says. “If you're truly committed to advocating for women you have to be willing to stand up for all women regardless of race, sexuality, physical ability, religion, class or gender identity, not just ladies that look like you.” For her part, Ramsey is already making a big difference in the steering the current cultural conversation. As for her personal goals? “One day I'd like to be in a position to break and foster new talent,” she says. We have zero doubt that will happen, and probably much sooner than she thinks.

The original version of this article appeared on our site as part of Create & Cultivate 100. 

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Breast In Show: This New Biz Is All About Fake Nipples

photo credit: Just Nips

Have your nipples been in hiding? Buried under a bra? Well, Molly Borman wants to change that if you're game. The founder of Just Nips is on a nipple mission.  

If you track back, Borman has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. “Side-hustles turned to regular jobs, get another side hustle,” says the founder who started her career in the editorial department at Ralph Lauren. She knew she wouldn’t be at the company forever, having watched many colleagues move up through the ranks or on to different endeavors, but Borman hadn’t actualized what her next step would be. Little did she know, it was right in front of her. See, every day at work, she would draw. “I started making a cartoon,” says Borman. “This was my thing, it’s what got me up in the morning, it was my new life plan.” She admits that she didn’t know “how to draw that well” but she chipped away. “Small steps, small steps, small steps,” she shares. “And cartoon me could do whatever she wanted. Cartoon me would be off in Paris and real me would be sitting at a desk.” It was an escape that got her excited. “I was Dilbert,” she says. 

It’s also the creative avenue that kickstarted an exploratory side to Borman. She began going to galleries and shows, leading her to this: “I knew I wanted to do an art show about boobs,” she shares. “I didn’t know what that meant or what it looked like, but I was super interested in this feminist voice I’d been crafting through the cartoon.” 

Her vision for “the nipples” started there. Originally she intended to work with different artists to message the product of nipple enhancers in their varying styles. “It was going to incorporate this super antiquated notion of ‘You’re looking for a promotion? Try these,’ she says. “So unacceptable,” she admits, but that was the “art” of it— flipping the patriarchy's nipple script on its head. All of these ideas were happening simultaneously— the cartoon, the nipples, and her day job at RL. Until her cartoon got picked up by Lifetime and she quit. “They believed in my idea, which changed everything. They also paid for my idea,” says Borman, “which changed everything.” 

Once onboard with Lifetime, the writer turned cartoonist got an animation team, immersing herself in the world of arts and production. “Everything I wanted to do took off from there. It was a crazy catalyst of getting to do what I wanted and getting paid for it, which was incredibly empowering. It took one person to believe in me; I didn’t know I believed in myself.” 

"It took one person to believe in me; I didn’t know I believed in myself.” 

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That one person wasn’t a senior exec or a high-up at Lifetime. It was an assistant Borman met at book club and to whom she casually mentioned her cartoon. “Then it got real and I started pushing myself. I was taking risks and going for it.” 

It was her attitude of “let’s try this,” that got her moving. "I painstakingly took notes about business and what wholesale means,” she says. “There are crazy critical details that make or break a deal. Who do you hire first? What about patents?" Her deep dive into biz learnings at such an intimate level gave her the itch. So Borman called up her mom, told her she wanted to focus on the nipples again, and did. That was the beginning of Just Nips. 

photo credit: Just Nips 

“I got a manufacturer in Michigan,” says the Michigan native, explaining that being a part of Detroit’s revival is also an important part of her journey. And she started test runs in her personal life. 

“My first pair I made with erasers from the end of a pencil. And I just sort of wore them,” she says. “I would meet a friend for lunch and it would inevitably come up.”  

“I’ve worn them on first dates to test them out— the first time I wore them on a date they were very crooked,” she laughs. “He [Borman's date] couldn’t stop looking, but he wouldn't say anything, so I finally asked him if he noticed my nipples.” She proceeded to tell him that they were fake and a business she wanted to launch. “I never heard from him again,” she says. 

Those kind of responses only fueled her fire. 

If you’re wondering why-- why is this a product women need? Should we be calling more attention to our nipples? Borman says, “It’s a perky look. 100% aesthetic,” and that no one has called her out for being “anti-feminist.” At least to her face. 

“I never want to push a product,” she explains. “If you don’t like it, that’s awesome. If you’re intrigued by it, awesome. I feel today with feminism it’s more an attitude of 'do what you want.'” 

“Are fake nipples the new fake boobs?” we ask. “I hope so,” she laughs. “They’re so much cheaper.” 

Just Nips are currently available in two sizes: Cold and Freezing. “A big part of the design and manufacturing was to make sure that the sticky part was safe enough for your skin and worked with a lacy bra as well,” she says, noting that you can wear the nipples any way you please: on skin, on top of a bra, under a bra, or on top of sports bra.

Eventually Borman wants to build a community with more products that “don’t have anything to do with boobs but are focused on the message of ‘women can do whatever they want.’” She’s toyed with the messaging of “desexualizing the nipple,” which is very much in line with the #freethenipple movement. “Men look at the nipples and think you’re horny, but they aren’t sex organs. Sometimes you’re just cold. It’s not a boner,” says Borman.

It’s also not for everyone. 

“My mom said she will never wear them. It’s not her look.” Which is totally OK with the nip-preneur. Borman is not deterred at the idea of older generations pushing back against the product. “I hope they do,” she says. “And then I hope they think, I wish we could have done this when we were younger.” 

Though she says it’s 100% aesthetic, she is looking to have more of an impact. “There is an underground market for nipples with the trans community,” she says. “Which is sad, but I’d love to bring this all to light. It’s why I made my nipples super pretty. You also have breast cancer and my true next step is working within the breast cancer community to raise awareness. Or raising awareness about sexual health.” The idea is notably more provocative than a pinned pink ribbon. Think of the conversations they could spark at a brunch.  The branding, packaging, and product also has the potential to bring a bit of laughter to a woman going through something truly awful, like a mastectomy. 

“If I put a smile on someone’s face for one second,” says Borman, “that makes all of the other ‘is it feminist, is it not?’ worth it.” 

Have thoughts on Just Nips? Would you wear them? Sound-off below.

How the VP of Marketing at CB2 Creates Its Swoon-Worthy Appeal

photo credit: CB2 

Alicia Waters is the powerhouse behind CB2's amazing marketing. As the Vice President of Marketing for the brand that attracts consumers young and old, she is responsible for the voice, the look, and the swoon-worthy pics we can't get enough of. Elevated doesn't have to mean $$$. 

Who among the lot of us doesn't covet just about everything in those CB2 catalogs? And guess what? Traditional marketing has changed so much that user-generated content actually now informs what goes into them. If you're feeling curious, you're not alone.  

We picked Waters' brill brain about collabs, campaigns, and hooking an entire world on the CB2 aesthetic. And trust us when we say, you might want their goods in your living room, but after reading the below, you'll definitely want to invite Waters over for tea too. 

What was your very first job and what skill did you learn there that you still use today?

My first job was in sales at a custard shop. It paid $5.50/hour and was my first taste of independence, so was glorious.  Plus lots of free custard -- so what's not to like? I worked there for five years and learned a lot about customer service - i.e. caring for customers when they were disappointed, rewarding best customers in special ways, among other things.  (People can get pretty angry, especially about ice cream.)  On my first week a man threw his half eaten custard cup at the window at me because I had topped it with hot fudge instead of chocolate... that experience alone taught me how to diffuse anger and to implement checks and balances to drive a more flawless operation.

What do you wish more people understood about what you do?

I think most people have an innate sense of how they want to be marketed to.  This points to the fact that marketing really is about psychology and empathy at its core -- and that's what I love about it.  That said, I'm not sure if people realize that marketing decisions are rooted in analytics.  We constantly sift through data to identify segments and micro segments, to dissect / optimize media performance, and to understand the incrementality of various media platforms to make sure we're getting the best return on our dollars.  Even with creative ideas and decisions, we are constantly looking through data to optimize performance.  

"Even with creative ideas and decisions, we're looking through data to optimize performance."

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Which parts of your business come the most naturally to you? What skills have you had to work overtime to develop?

When I joined CB2, I was comfortable with the strategy & marketing pieces, having studied both disciplines in college/grad school and having led marketing teams at other companies.  I truly do like all aspects of marketing, but my favorite marketing activities are collaborations and customer research.

The aspects of the business that were newer to me upon joining CB2 were e-commerce and visual merchandising.  The A/B testing approach of e-commerce has  inspired me to mimic a similar process when testing new marketing vendors. Visual merchandising is an incredibly effective discipline that balances creative/analytical. I've realized that visual merchandising and marketing are cousins, and must work in synch at all times. So we've maximized our cross-functional communication among those two groups as well.

We now live and work in the multi-screen economy. How do you ensure the CB2 vibe is strong through all your channels?

We use a basic content calendar to coordinate messaging across channels.  Our teams are challenged to ensure that our messaging is cohesive -- yet differentiated by channel -- so customers have a real reason to engage with us across platforms.  Not an easy task!  

Marketers need to know how to merge disciplines. It’s not just enough to have beautiful ad anymore. Would you say that marketing and branding need to have a 360 approach and how does social tie into this?

Not too many years ago, our distribution channels were really simple - retail, e-commerce, and catalog.  Now, our distributions model has become exponentially fragmented.  My role has morphed into the voice of the customer (across platforms & fragmented distribution channels), identification of new collaborators and technologies/vendors to test, in addition to my "base" job. When I first started at CB2, customers primarily got their inspiration from print and catalogs ... while both still play a role, clearly that model has blown up! Social media has become the place where our customers start their searches and do research.  We need to be where they are (which means we test out new platforms continuously), providing information and inspiration that informs and excites them. The beauty of social media is the real time feedback ... our customers have impeccable taste and quickly give us a sense of where we need to head.  Programs like #mycb2 (user-generated content) have started to actually inform our catalog shoots (vs. the other way around) as our creative customers use and shoot our product in incredibly innovative ways.

The CB2 collab with Lenny Kravitz drove crazy sales and engagement, which can be hard for any brand to pull off. What do you think you do differently that made that work so well?

Thank you!! I think a key factor in that collaboration's success was that it came from a place of authenticity. The theme and inspiration behind the collection came from Mr. Kravitz himself, whose own extraordinary vision & life shaped every glamorous, sexy piece.  Also, the CB2 design and buying teams gave full rein to Kravitz Design to create the pieces (rather than micromanaging in any way), so they ended up in a place that wasn't watered down but instead true to the original vision.  Our customers care a lot about authenticity. The visuals and tactics we developed fell into line under that same vision. My favorite individual marketing tactic was the social media auction on Instagram. We posted a photo of the sleek Nova Side Table and asked people to bid on the piece by commenting “I want it” in the comments. The person to leave the last comment at the end of the auction won the item. Trick is, we didn't state the end time.

photo credit: CB2

How did the collab with Ross Cassidy come about?

I met Ross through our Webby winning campaign, APT CB2, back in 2014.  Ross was a rising star and Pin influencer who rallied our customer base to create a crowdsourced design of a stunning dining room online that CB2 then built out in real time in a New York City apartment.  I was equal parts blown away by his unequivocal talent and his magnetic charm.  It was clear there was an opportunity to share Ross' design vision with our customers as it felt really fresh and elevated for the brand.  At his first meeting with our head of brand Ryan Turf, he came more than prepared, bringing along full sketches for a Japanese-inspired collection with CB2.  We were smitten, the rest was history. 

Any advice for young women who are looking to stand out in their careers?

My advice is to be authentic to yourself and to work hard. Understand your strengths and find environments where you can shine - run from those that require you to try and be something you are not.  

"Run from environments that require you to try and be something you're not."

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What has been your personal edge and helped you stand out through your career?

A bit of a rule breaker attitude. I have never been a great rule follower.  Today's constantly evolving marketplace, which is always thirsty for new ways of thinking and new models, suits me pretty well.  

The Beyoncé lyric that describes your mood right now?

Don't bore me, just show me - Check On It

As someone who has to travel a lot for work, what are your secret airport hacks?

I always take a photo of my parking spot so I don't forget it, and I pack a few extra ziplock bags and am surprised every trip that they still come in handy.  I wear a scarf on most flights and use it as a pillow if needed, and I bring my eye shade to I can get some zzzz's.  

My favorite airport hack at Chicago's O'Hare Airport (my airport) is that you can order tortas by Frontera (acclaimed chef Rick Bayless's famous restaurant) on an app -- so I can pick them up on my way to my flights or I place an order as I'm landing and then have a delicious meal to pick up/ take home.

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Comedian Natasha Leggero Shares Her Top 3 Social Media Pet Peeves

“I remember when I moved to LA, I didn’t have a cell phone, I didn’t have a computer, I would check my email at the video store,” says comedian, writer, and actress Natasha Leggero. 

“As soon as Twitter came, I started Tweeting all my jokes. It's the great equalizer. But it meant I gave away all the ideas. Now the bigger problem is that people get offended really easily. There are a lot of people online that are looking to take you down at anything. For me it’s been very challenging, I almost prefer to write a TV show instead.” 

That show is “Another Period,” renewed for it’s 3rd season (coming this summer) on Comedy Central. It’s like if "Drunk History" met "Upstairs Downstairs" met "Barely Famous."

“I was sick of playing prostitutes...I felt like most parts I played I wasn’t wearing pants. I really wanted to do a show where women were in control,” the comedian shares. On the show Leggero plays Lillian Bellacourt, defined by her family’s wealth who cares about one thing: becoming super famous. Presumably harder in 1902 without a hashtag where the only viral was cholera. So where does that put Leggero in terms of social media 2017? For one, she recently shared her best tips Straight Talk Wireless. 

"I was sick of playing prostitutes. I wanted to do a show where women were in control." 

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Second, she’s happy to list off a couple pet peeves.

Pet peeve #1: People posting photos of themselves at the gym. "I know they’re really proud of themselves but it’s annoying and makes you feel bad. They’re in full hair and makeup having someone take their photo.” However, she's happy to concede: “Mariah Carey’s gym posts are always the best because she’s in high-heeled tennis shoes.” (Case in point: here and here and here.)  

Peeve #2: “I don’t think anyone has ever flown in a private jet and not done an Instagram photo shoot.” Adding, “Which by the way are very bad for the environment.” (Looking at you Leo.) 

Peeve #3: “Pics of food don’t even register anymore.” 

“It’s very hard to not annoy anyone,” Leggerro jokes, “and I feel hypocritical because of all my political posts." Scroll her Twitter and yes, it's pretty political. “With politics, people get mad. Anything anti-Trump and you all of the sudden get death threats-- it just doesn’t seem funny anymore. With the current admin every single person is a political comic, so I almost want to take a few steps back and come back in a couple of years." Don't actually expect her to take any breaks. In addition to "Another Period," Leggero and husband, fellow comedian Moshe Kasher, will hit the road this summer, continuing their "Honeymoon Tour" at Bonaroo, giving love advice and “fixing people’s relationships.” 

When asked if social media has made it easier for women in comedy, there's a bit of a shrug in her voice. “I would never want to carry around video camera all day and record everything I do. Everyone says, 'Oh standup, that’s the hardest thing in the world,' but for me it’s natural." She brings up YouTuber Cameron Dallas and his tour— "He doesn't perform," she laughs. "It’s an international tour where he meets people.” There’s no shade though. “Doing the road for 15 years is kinda hard… but what I’m doing is a different skill.”

While the world of comedy has been described as fairly cutthroat, for Leggero, it doesn’t feel competitive. And she's happy to love on fellow comedians and friends like Sarah Silverman, Tig Notaro, Maria Bamford and Chelsea Peretti. "Maria and Sarah were both pretty established when I started but they’ve both been super positive. It’s been fun to come up with everyone. If one person can’t do a job, the next person does it. Of course there is competition in a way, but I feel very lucky that I have a TV show and I’m able to hire my friends," she shares.  

“Bringing up other people with you is the idea,” she laughs. “Or at least the people you like.” 

For those who don’t have friends hiring on them shows, Leggero has this advice for those who want to get into comedy. “It’s kind of a bummer,” she shares, “but you simply have to start writing and performing. Even if you can write for three minutes and go to an open mic, it’s really about working. Most of my comedian friends were going up at least five times a week, sometimes more. Sometimes a couple of shows a night. You have to work your material and keeping trying and figure out why you are or aren’t getting laughs. Pay attention to what people are laughing at when you’re onstage. It takes a lot of careful study of yourself. From stage presence to mic technique to making sure your jokes aren’t super hacky. You have to immerse yourself. If you want to have a career in comedy, full immersion.”

So to review: support your friends, work super fn hard, and nix the gym selfies, unless of course,  you're Mariah.  

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How One Vogue-Approved Stylist Became a Shaman

Photo: Alli Parfenov

What is it like to be the well-dressed girl at a cocktail party that also hears voices...and NO they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

My name is Colleen McCann. I am a Shaman, who also happens to wear fake eye-lashes and high-heels to work. Seven years ago amidst a successful 15-year career in fashion I got a ping from the universe to make a huge life shift. I started hearing voices...having premonition dreams....seeing ghosts...and being told by street randos that I was a healer. A what? I said the same thing. This school of thought did not lineup with my mid-west Irish Catholic upbringing. So what was a girl to do? I went full-on Shaman! What’s my street-cred now? I study three lineages of Shamanism (Nordic, Mexican and Peruvian).  I am a Reiki Master, Intuitive Medium, Crystals Expert, Feng Shui student and teach Shaman School.

WHY I SWITCHED:

My initial intention when jumping into the crystal-laden rabbit hole was to “silence” the voices or at the very least deal with my inner-freak. Then it turned into a greater path for wellness, connection with myself, and how I was showing up in the world.  Even though I looked good from the outside I wasn’t exactly happy with my job, I didn’t feel fulfilled in my relationships and felt like something was missing. As I started tapping into my intuition I had more faith in the road I was being led down. The treasure hunt was on!

HOW I SWITCHED:

So exactly where does one turn in a situation like this? I was fucking scared, embarrassed, and uneducated on all subjects of mystical matters.  I listened to the “spiritual bricks” that were hurled at my head and skeptically started on a path of my own personal healing and awakening. After a pit-stop at my friendly neighborhood psychic’s office and finding a spiritual mentor, I did what any brazen New York girl would have done: I traded my high-heels for hiking boots and decided to get educated on all things mystical in the wilds of South America.  To be clear, this wasn’t an overnight process. I worked full-time on set in NYC and basically put myself through esoteric college (again!). PS. I also didn’t tell anyone in my life about my metamorphosis. It’s not exactly a casual happy hour conversation.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU START ADDING “HEARING VOICES” TO YOUR REPERTOIRE?

After going through the mystical wringer, I had manifested a whole new calling out of this adventure to reclaim my sanity.  I decided to break the sound barrier on the “slashie mold” and started Style Rituals. I use my fashionista roots AND my spiritual know-how to realign the energetic body with the physical body.  I may still revamp someone’s closet, but now the vamping includes: removal of low vibrational clothing, doing an energy healing, Intuitive Crystal Readings, a heart-to-heart with the clients spirit guides and a good ol’ fashion Shamanic bonfire with your ex-boyfriends t-shirt.  As I fling the doors open I look at someone’s closet as a window to their soul as well as a giant Tarot card reading waiting to happen. I started seeing clients in my already existing tribe of stylists, designers, models, editors, beauty execs, photographers, lady boss VPs, fashion houses and PR teams.

I address the underlying issues in my well-dressed community-- who better than me to truly understand the unique brand of pressure and stress they experience day-to-day? While my clientele has since expanded I started with who and what I knew.

"I am honored to help women remember what makes their heart beat faster." 

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WHAT DOES MY AVERAGE DAY LOOK LIKE:

I have been called racy, outspoken and untraditional in both the fashion and spiritual community, as I compare crystals to black skinny jeans, colonics and Xanax. Well, I say hell-yes and thank-you to being the black sheep in the room! All of my out-of the box thinking around business has allowed me to do what I love everyday and serve my community.  Besides seeing private clients I lead workshops and guest lectures on my favorite subjects: Spiritual Hygiene, Flexing Your Intuitive Muscle, and Crystals.  Fashion and beauty brands hire me to do Intuitive Crystal Readings at their press events…don’t worry I always bring mystical gift bags for the attendees.  I am the House Shaman for GOOP and as such collaborate with them on mystically-minded products, and work as a Spiritual Influencer with many other industry outlets.  PS. I am “Vogue-approved.”

WHAT’S MY JOY:

I am honored to help women re-gain their sovereignty, harness their personal power and remember what makes their heart beat faster.  AND just because the universe has a sense of humor, I also work with women who are spiritually blasting wide open just like I did.  I help them iron out the “kinks” shall we say.

To be in touch with Colleen click here.     

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When Having No Idea What You're Doing Is the Best Plan

Green juice changed Carly de Castro's life.

After moving home to Los Angeles to take care of her mother, who was suffering from terminal cancer, she met up with two childhood friends: Hayden Slater and Hedi Gores. 

She had been using green juice to improve her mom's quality of life, and simultaneously turned her own health around.  At the time, Carly says, "There were very few options for pressed, bottled juice." And so the three set out to open a local juice company, with the mission of making health affordable and available to everyone. 

Pressed Juicery served its first customers in 2010.

"I really wanted to spread the message that one small healthy habit could have a ripple effect,"  Carly says, "and change your whole life." 

The flagship spot was a tiny walk-up in the fountain courtyard of Brentwood Town Center. It ignited a West Coast juice revolution. Eight years later, the company now employs over 500 people and is serving its signature cold-pressed concoctions in over 30 locations. 

We chatted with Carly about being green, not having any business experience when she started, and why she'll always pay attention to what competitors are doing. 

What was the scariest part of opening Pressed?

Having no experience! Neither my partners nor myself had any business experience. In fact we all came from production and agency work. Nothing could have prepared us for the long nights of juicing, learning how to run a retail business as well as food manufacturing. We sort of went into it blindly and it was the best and worst thing we ever did. Being naive kept us optimistic and open, and it also was a very humbling experience.  

Do you remember the first day Brentwood opened? What were you feeling?

I remember it vividly. I had been up most of the night with my partner, Hayden. I stayed with him juicing until about 1am, and he kept going until 4 or 5 so that I could go home and get my rest for our first day open. I worked the shop all day, inviting friends and family to come for free juice samples so that we could make sure the space was full and energized. I felt a lot of things that day- mostly exhilaration that we had managed to open, but also a little fear having people try our product for the first time. Surprisingly, what I remember most is how little people were familiar with pressed juice and how much explaining we had to do about the product. 

Did any of those emotions stick around even as you headed into double-digit locations?

I always feel a pang of nerves when we enter a new location and especially new markets. While we have gained so much great experience with the logistics of opening a store, I still hope for customer satisfaction and want the stores to feel like they fit naturally into their new neighborhoods. The biggest change has been that we have an incredible team of over 500 employees behind us, supporting our mission and making sure that we can have a successful opening every time. That puts my mind at ease (as much as it can be!) and makes it easier to sleep than in the beginning. 

Did you ever think that Pressed could become the phenomena it has?

Honestly, no. I didn't really think that far ahead, and certainly when we opened no one was doing this exact product on this scale, so it didn't occur to me that we could ever get to this size and maintain quality. Luckily I was proven wrong, as our incredible team has grown and made this possible. Our goal was to be the best quality, best tasting pressed juice that we had ever had, and if it was good enough for us, then we felt it was good enough for customers. That is still our standard today, and it's really exciting that it is able to reach more and more people than I ever imagined possible. It really has validated my belief that this is a product that can help change your life. We didn't invent the wheel, we just decided to make accessible something that we believe should be available to everyone. 

Pro Tip: We didn't invent the wheel. We made it accessible. 

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Can you talk about a few mistakes you made in the beginning?

Like I said, we started this business very green. We had no prior experience, so we definitely made some decisions that we thought were "best" for the company but which did not turn out well because ultimately they didn't follow our intention and our model. One example is that for our third location, we decided to introduce smoothies without doing any research into whether customers wanted them. We thought that maybe we needed to offer more to customers, but ultimately they didn't really work. We lost touch with who we were a little. Ultimately, we made a decision to focus on our core competency which was making the best bottled, pressed juices around, knowing that if people want smoothies, they could find them somewhere else, and hopefully they would still come to get juice from us, which we find that they do. Learning to focus and hone in on a very clear mission was a great lesson and has allowed us to scale our business. 

How do you handle competition in the juice space?

For me, as I mentioned it’s important to stay true to our mission and remind myself why we started this company – to make high nutrition a realistic option for everyone.  We are always going to pay attention to what other brands are doing, but we also have to realize we are not going to be everything for everyone and be okay with that too.  At Pressed Juicery we aim to make every decision with our mission in mind, and while I’m not going to say that we’ve never been intrigued or distracted by something a competitor has been doing, the last five years has really helped us realize that staying true to our core values is one of the most important parts of our brand’s success.

Do you think it’s important to build community while building a brand?

Absolutely, the communities that surround our stores are what have truly created the Pressed Juicery lifestyle.  Each of our stores draws inspiration from the surrounding community while remaining true to the brand. We are also extremely dedicated to giving back to our communities.  We regularly participate in local charitable initiatives and are actually launching a larger concept that we will be introducing later this year – I can’t share all of the details at this time but I’m thrilled to be working on such an amazing project.

Looking to the future, what’s next for Pressed? How do you continually evolve the market trend?

Last year we expanded to New York, New Jersey and Las Vegas and this year we’ll be opening additional stores in New York and more locations in existing and new markets including Hawaii and Washington to further support our mission. We’ll also be expanding the availability of Freeze, our vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free frozen treat that is made from only the ingredients in our juices.  It’s the perfect guilt-free summer (or anytime!) treat and is also a great healthy option for kids. I’m so excited for more people to have the chance to try it.  We’ll also be continuing to introduce new seasonal offerings to our menu.  We try to maintain the balance of experimenting with new products while also sticking to our core values and doing what we do best – creating delicious cold-pressed juices. As I mentioned, while our smoothies didn’t work, Freeze did and it’s important to us to continue to experiment but to never lose sight of who we are.  We’re fortunate in that because we are primarily a retail brand, we get so much face time with our customers, so we can really interact with them and get their feedback firsthand in our stores – their input is constantly influencing our new product offerings.

What does “Living Well” mean to you?

Pressed Juicery and The Chalkboard are an extension of myself. The whole idea around "Living Well" is this notion that none of us are perfect, but that all of us have so much to learn and also, so much to teach. If we each opened ourselves up to a little knowledge and self-improvement in all areas of our life-- mental, physical, spiritual- the possibility for health in the most whole sense of the word would be limitless. 

"Living Well" is really a simple concept. It's about spending a few moments each day to set intentions, to make plans or cultivate small habits and ideas that make you feel good. It's not about comparing yourself. No one's life is as perfect as it appears. Our challenge isn't to be complete, but to be kind to ourselves. A green juice a day changed my life in huge ways, but I recognize that that's not the secret sauce for everyone-- maybe it's a mindfulness practice, going on a hike with your dog, a poem a day, cooking a beautiful meal, making thoughtful gifts for friends-- whatever it is that makes you feel full-- DO IT. It can be simple and not stressful, it just takes being gentle with ourselves and remembering that this is a ride full of ups and downs and the best we can do is to challenge ourselves to live honestly and gratefully. 

Mom and business woman. What does the concept of ‘having it all’ mean to you?

Having it all is a myth-- I always feel like I'm searching, which is part of the impetus to reach higher, to be better. Being a mother is the most life-altering, fulfilling thing I have ever done. It is my greatest teacher by far, and I always will put that first no matter what. But having this business makes being a mom a really interesting experience. Sometimes in good ways, sometimes in bad ways. 

"Having it all is a myth-- I always feel like I'm searching, which is part of the impetus to reach higher, to be better."

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The thing I've learned is that you can never be everything to everyone, and you do need to choose sometimes. For me that has meant calling on family, friends and colleagues to step in and help boost me up when I'm struggling in one area. They don't say "it takes a village" for nothing. And I don't take it for granted that I am blessed enough to be able to be involved with my children and to be involved in my business in ways that work with my life. It didn't happen overnight - it takes constant compromise and flexibility. It takes a willingness to ask for help. I feel more powerful now than when I was trying to do it all on my own. It just never works. 

Has this concept shifted from your early twenties till now? 

It's constantly shifting, but to put it most simply, all of the things I've learned about balance and flexibility since that time were pretty much the opposite when I was in my early twenties. My main priority was proving myself, even if it meant being stressed out most of the time. In fact, in my mind a stressful lifestyle equaled ambition, so you can imagine how UNwell I felt. I left New York City when I was 25 and coming back to California, losing my mother and starting Pressed Juicery was all a part of my process in learning to live a more authentic, balanced, healthier life. 

I had my first child just after my 27th birthday, and I had no idea what to expect. No one can prepare you for the joy, the all-nighters..the sacrifices you will make in the name of parenthood and just how much it redefines who you are. At the time, the company was young, not even a year old, and it was a roller coaster ride at home and at the office. But like I mentioned earlier, I had to learn how to ask for help, to delegate, and to make some pretty major choices about how I wanted to live my life. I still make those choices every day, but as I get older what changes the most is how much I continue to learn about myself. I’m finding that I take self-knowledge very seriously. Self-care, self-awareness, self-love - these things can seem selfish but they allow me to be a better wife to my amazing husband, a better mother, sister, daughter, business partner, friend. And since I’ve started doing the work, my first realization was that we are all doing the best we can, and that is enough. That is plenty.

"We are all doing the best we can, and that is enough. That is plenty."

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Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com

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Brooklyn Decker On Why Tech Is More Supportive Than Hollywood

Photo credit: Smith House Photography 

When Brooklyn Decker and Whitney Casey, CEO and founder of Finery, the new online platform that's been described by users as "the Clueless closet on steroids," took the C&C stage at SXSW last Sunday, they broke down the realities of being women in tech. 

Alas, truth bombs are kind of Decker's MO. Of her friend and the company's Chief Design Officer, Casey told the Austin audience, "There is always one girlfriend in everyone’s life who will tell them the truth and that is Brooklyn Decker."

“It’s brutal,” chimed in the actor. “But it’s the truth.”

A former anchor who has won two Emmys and is a published author, Casey said she's had plenty of bad ideas before Finery. And when it came to bringing the idea to Decker, she came armed with a Powerpoint presentation. “Yes," she said, "for my own friend, because I knew she would want to know.” Decker did. (It worked.) 

What unfolded, power point by power point, was a service that might revolutionize the way women shop and dress. With patent pending technology that harvests data that already exists online, Finery skips over the manual labor part of an creating an online closet. At its simplest Finery culls through your email (and thereby every purchase you've ever made) and loads it into a virtual closet. 

“There’s all sorts of software to manage your finances, your travel, your music, but we found the millennial women will spend more than 250-300,000 dollars on clothes in their lifetime," shared Casey. "So why isn’t there something to manage your wardrobe that’s not analog? Some sort of tech that could find anything you’ve ever purchased and put into a wardrobe?” Therein is the meat of Finery, the world's first wardrobe operating system, and the reason Brooklyn came onboard.

But making a career shift is difficult for anyone-- let alone someone doing it under the public microscope. 

"Modeling to acting is the most cliché transition one can make," Decker shared about her first career switch. "The biggest challenge is that you’re making big mistakes on a pretty big stage. You don’t have the luxury of making mistakes in private or on a small scale." But in a way it prepared her for this next role. "It would be silly or ignorant of me to say that it hasn’t opened a ton of doors, but people are instantly skeptical and people instantly doubt you. I certainly don’t come from a tech background. You have to work that much harder and find women who are willing to help you along the way and teach you-- teach you how to pitch to a VC, for instance, because how does one learn how to do that?" the Austin-based actor asked. 

Photo credit: Smith House Photography 

It's something they did, first going the traditional $ route— approaching VCs. 

"It did not go well," said Casey. "One asked us to set him up on a date. So we decided to go with angel investors-- they are all women." Women like Miroslava Duma and Decker herself who is an investor in the company. “Also,” added the author, “because they wanted 30 percent of the company.”

"Luckily with women in technology— it’s an incredibly supportive environment," said Decker. "Without those women I wouldn’t have been able to make the transition.” Beta users include Man Repeller Leandra Medine and Lauren Santo Domingo.

Casey told the crowd that figuring out your bottom line when you’re first starting is all about looking into the future. “You have think about the company when it is wildly successfully,” shared the CEO. “Look at what 20 percent of that success means. You also need to think about your employees. As a startup you’re not going to be able to hire the people that you want without giving them equity. And as a startup you want everybody there to have equity because when things do go wrong you can look at them at say, ’This is your company too.' That’s our mantra. Everybody who enters is part of Finery. And the more you give to a VC the less you have to recruit really great talent. The more you keep giving away, the less your employees are gonna get. You always have to be thinking about your employees first.”

"You always have to be thinking about your employees first.”  

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"It was disheartening to realize the kind of things I needed to do to get into these VCs,” shared Casey. “Calling a friend of a friend of a friend… what if I didn’t have those friends? It should be a meritocracy. Money should be available for every good idea out there. I found that was not the case.” 

Even the connections Brooklyn and Whitney did have, didn't mean they'd it was a shoo-in. Sometimes they would't even open the Finery deck. 

“I have this crazy thing that everyone should have called MixMax. I know when you open my email and I know when you’ve opened up a link,” said Casey. This service gave the pair a competitive edge when walking into pitch meetings-- they knew if they had to start at the beginning or if they could launch into why Finery is different and why it will be successful. Their other bit of advice? Decker told the C&C crowd, “Be incredibly well-researched on the market that you’re entering. Understand it so well and it will help you prepare for any meeting.”

“You have to sit back listen. And then do your own spiel. Know every single one of your competitors so you know your value add,” said Casey. “Your value prop[ostion] is the most important.”

Photo credit: Smith House Photography 

Despite the uphill VC climb, neither women were deterred. In fact, Decker told the crowd that she's been invigorated by the community of women she's encountered. 

“Coming from the Hollywood side of things I have never seen a more supportive bunch of women than I have seen in tech. They really do come together. It’s difficult as a young female, but you can do it.” 

"I have never seen a more supportive bunch of women than I have seen in tech."

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Decker brought up tech investor Jesse Draper of Halogen Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on female founded consumer technologies. “She has no skin in our game, but as a female in technology she wanted to introduce us to other people. That’s what women are doing. When she [Draper] invests in a company, she tells them once you’re successful you must invest in other female-run, female-founded companies. That’s a really strong choice. And it’s a place we want to get with our company.” 

“Look we can’t all be founders, we can’t all have money to invest," Casey elaborated. "But we can all buy from women, use products that women make, and then we will all be successful.” She also told the crowd: "If I were a young woman right now I would learn how to code." Simple, but truthful advice. 94% of tech startups are male. It's up to us to change it. 

“Women are successful because they support each other,” added Decker, who also gave attendees some pertinent info. Not everyone has access to capital or app developers, but the actress explained, “There are now apps to help you build apps. They provide a standard map. It won’t be super innovative but it will show proof of concept. Also, in all of these big cities there are development bootcamps now. The whole point is to give people jobs. If you have a startup idea and you’re far enough along, I highly recommend tapping into that resource.” 

As for who Finery wants to tap? Casey wants the average woman who wears 10% of what's in her closet. Decker got a little more specific. “I don’t want to be a total cliché, but Beyonce,” the Chief Design Officer said about her dream user. “She has so many events, has her kid, two more on the way. She’s our user, she’s our girl.” 

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Meet the Woman Who Left Oprah to Write Her Own Story

“I feel very wrapped up in cords. As a 30-year producer, I am ashamed,” jokes Sheri Salata, former President of OWN, now co-founder of Story, a brand and media company launched nine months ago with lifelong friend Nancy Hala. 

We’re sitting in the Garden Room at Salata’s Los Feliz home. She moved in about a year ago. On the coffee table is podcasting equipment (“ordered on Amazon and here in two days,” she says) and a pile of books, including one on meditation, that aren’t there for show. They’ve been thumbed many times; covers creased, fingerprints on all pages. 

The women are on single-syllable name terms with each other: “Nance” and “Sher” as they affectionately call each other, have been friends for 26 years. They met in Chicago through Nancy’s ex-husband, Chris, who worked with Sheri at the time at an advertising agency. Chris brought her home to meet his then-wife. “Sure enough,” says Nancy, “I walked in the door, put my stuff on the table, and it was instant friendship affinity.” 

The women bonded over a love of books, stories, Bruce Springsteen, and cocktail hour, launching what Nancy calls “our 26 year conversation that we’re still having today.”

Outside of that first meeting, their story really starts with stories—a book club, in which they were the only members. “We were very serious about it,” says Nancy, recalling the first books they chose: Mona Simpson’s "Anywhere But Here" and Wally Lamb’s "She’s Come Undone." At the time Sheri lived in a tiny studio apartment and they’d walk to Barbara’s Book Store (“not there anymore”) to buy their books (“with great ceremony and ritual”) and then walk across the street to Bird Place Bar to discuss, with pen and paper in hand. “And then we started writing stories,” says Nancy. “It is the greatest joy in the world for me,” says Nancy, “to tell Sheri something, or to listen to her tell me something because we unpack it from every angle. She’s the one person in the world who does not care that I repeat myself, because I do. Sheri loves to hear all different iterations of the same idea.” 

“I do,” chimes in Sheri. “I do. I just love the details of stories.” 

Story in all its forms has been part of their “friendship DNA.” Today, they are proud to be developing a company that is “very authentically our own.” 

“We wanted to do the things we loved. Work with people we really enjoy. We wanted to spend our days happy and excited. It makes so much sense that the focal point would be storytelling. That is the one thing that we both have been orbiting in our careers for decades,” explains Hala.  

Careers, which, have been rather storied themselves. Sheri has always been a go-get-‘em worker, lapping up the midnight oil her entire life. She walked in the Oprah door in 1995, rose through the ranks to role of executive producer—the consummate storyteller, crafting one story after the next for audiences all over the world. When she made the decision to finally exit, she walked out of the door as President of OWN. These are not small-career potatoes. This is the whole Thanksgiving meal. Plus dessert. The kind of career trajectory that we champion. 

Hala has been a storyteller in her own work as well. A writer and brand storyteller, she ran her own company while raising two kids solo. A single mom by the time her children were four and seven, Hala knew that she wanted to be able to stay home. So she started what she dubs “my own little writing company.” 

“I think Sheri had anxiety for me. I didn’t have a steady paycheck coming in. I was very entrepreneurial. When you’re self-employed there is very much a dance of cash flow. So I got used to that quite quickly. I had to knock the mortgage out every month, I had two kids to raise, make dinner every night. And I had to write a bunch of articles, annual reports, and ghostwrite books so that I could keep the family going. After a while, you just get used to the shifting sands. But what I really liked that I could work 4-5 hours a day. I didn’t need to be in the office.” 

Hala also had the ability to write on subjects she and Salata joke, she knew, “nothing about.”

“You were pullin’ the rabbit out of the hat, man,” says Salata. “And quite successfully.” 

They laugh about one particular 5,000-word piece. “I was asked to write an article on commodities. As I was saying yes, I had the phone to my shoulder and I’m typing on my laptop 'What is a commodity?'” 

“I so admired her,” says Sheri. “I could see in my friend this totally fearless quality that I didn’t have myself. I was a little bit of a safe Susie, going in with my lunch pail.”  80-90 hour weeks and a 24/7 mentality were her norm. “Nancy was always the most understanding,” she says of their friendship during that time and her dedication to her career. 

It’s why they gel. “We’re in concentric circles,” says Sheri. “In the middle, we’re super alike, find the same things funny, like the same kind of storytelling, and adore one another.” In the outer parts they are admittedly different.

She refers to their initial talks as the “chardonnay dream conversations,”—the some days, the one days.

The “one day” is now. 

###

While we’re chatting Sheri can’t help but produce. “Nance,” she says, “can you scoot your chair around a little this way, just so the eye line is better for her?” she says referring to me. “It’s gonna bother me.” Nancy scoots. We all settle back in. 

Nancy has just come from a morning workout of intense interval training. As such, she’s moving “slower” than usual. It’s all part of the life the pair is actualizing at “Belle Vie.” The “name” of Salata’s new home replete with white bright walls, a lit fireplace warming the living room, a kitchen island that makes you salivate, and a pool so blue it could be called Sinatra. In the formal dining room, the co-founders have taped up their first month of content. Nancy likes to look at it on the wall; it helps them visualize and understand how the stories will weave together. Two English bulldogs (Sheri’s), a cocker spaniel (Hala’s) roam the home. 

“When she bought it she half-jokingly named it Belle Vie,” shares Hala, “which is French for beautiful life.”  Salata laughs loudly. “She’s not some fancy lady who names her properties,” explains her friend who has moved into the guest suite on the property in order to really focus on the first year of the company. They are calling this time together “A Year at Belle Vie,” and they’ve already sold a book of the same title to be published by Harper Wave. “Our agent calls it Eat, Pray, Love in your own backyard,” says Hala. 

“The dream for our company is part of the dream for our lives,” shares Sheri. “It’s not separate. It’s an integrated dream. We’re working but we’re living.” It’s all baked into the Story layers. 

"We’re working but we’re living.”

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“For part of our year at Belle Vie, which is foundational to the first year of our company, I’ve brought in the experts, just like the Oprah Show days,” explains Sheri. “We have a love coach and a sex therapist who is part of the team. We do private sessions that we’re chronicling. I think that, honestly, great love is on his way.” Of “those days,” Sheri has nothing but positive feelings, aware that she learned from the best; studied soul with a woman who built an empire. Now she wants to build her own. 

“We realized that to build and sustain a Story Empire, which is what we really want to do, we have to be firing on all cylinders,” Nancy says. “So then we started thinking about getting in the best shape of our lives, focusing on spirituality and happiness, meditating twice a day, eating a clean plant-based nutritional program, working out furiously, losing weight, and again, freedom, growth, and joy.”   

“And,” adds Salata, “to call in soul mate love.” An essential they will not sacrifice. 

But what about the nose to grindstone work? The kind that Sheri spent over two decades of her life committed to? They’re not about that life. At least anymore. 

Set to launch at the beginning of May, Story, will be an umbrella brand. As a daily practice they focus on what they call their “pillars” (Spirituality and Happiness, Soul Mate Love and Great Romance, Health and Wellness) and are considering this their year of radical self-care and transformation. With a print division, a production studio named Orange Dragon, and media company, they’ve have already optioned The Gilded Razor, developing the Sam Lansky novel for TV with Nate Berkus, whom Sheri has known from the Oprah Show, and his husband Jeremiah Brent. In fact, Sheri married them at the New York Public Library. Orange Dragon was launched during the middle of a dinner (ordered by neighborhood favorite Little Dom’s) in Salata’s backyard. “We said, ‘Do you want to throw in with us?’ And they said, ‘Yes.’” A few weeks later they found their first book. 

If this all seems too simple and easy to be true, it’s not. “I come from the school of hard work,” says Sheri, “I worked my ass off. But I don’t think I was right about that. If you are willing to let some things germinate and let timing come together and gather momentum, build from the inside out, I think there is a much easier process that we’re exploring now. It’s really illuminating to me,” she says. “After a fabulous career, I see that I have much more to learn about creativity and innovation and divine timing. There is a freedom and a joy that I’m unpacking that startles me.” 

“It startles me too,” adds Hala. “I’ve known Sheri for a very long time. In Chicago we were really best buds and I think that I had lunch with her twice in maybe 20 years because she wasn’t available for lunch. She’s the kind of person who packs up her lunch pail and reports to duty every day; she takes her job very seriously. She has a mid-western sensibility.”

But now they are in the “land of dreamy dreams.” And damn that time-clock mentality because they are dreaming. Throwing caution to the jasmine-scented LA wind, the pair quit their jobs, sold their homes in Chicago, and leapt without fear. “There’s something in the air out here,” says Hala. “There’s a creative vortex swirling around.” 

Contrary to everything you’ve heard about startup life, Sheri says, “Honestly, we’re not setting out with this huge gigantic strategy. It’s very organic, very ‘let’s see,’ ‘let’s look through our offers here.’” Explaining that the need to make her “mark” in her early twenties, “almost ruined me.” 

“I thought I needed to hurry up and get my business cards printed and get my proper title… in moments of reflection, I tap my younger self on the shoulder and say ‘easy there, it’s all going to come together, it’s all going to be fine. Have fun right now.' ” When asked if she could have come to this realization earlier, she’s frank: “Well, I didn’t.” 

“It’s easy for me to say,” says Salata, “so I’m saying it, because I’ve already made all those mistakes and now I’m in my mid-50s and an entrepreneur for the first time in my life and loving it and seeing things through a different set of lenses. I wasn’t like that when I was younger. At all.” 

She encourages young women to, “Really find out what you like to do. What you’re really looking for is happiness. All of the accolades, accomplishments, and achievements are really going to end up feeling very, very thin if you haven’t made happiness job one.” 

“All of the accolades are going to end up feeling very thin if you haven’t made happiness job one.” 

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She says there is “no question,” that she's missed out on a bit of her own story, but also has a no regrets policy. “I wouldn’t do it differently, but it’s instructive,” she shares. “I get to do it differently today. Because that’s what I have: now.” She also admits that she was never able to achieve the illustrious work/life balance, but it’s a concept that won’t be her part of her life strategy. Instead she’s focused on a fully integrated life. 

“People say you can’t have it all,” says Hala. “I think that is complete rubbish. I think you can have it all and you should have it all. I believe that I can have great romantic love and great business success and great friends and family around me all the time, and the body I want and the life I want.” 

“I totally agree,” nods Sheri, though that “all” never included biological children for the new entrepreneur. For a while she considered adopting a baby from China, but it never came to be. She’s happy as a “dog mom.”  

Both women are reframing with Story, filled with excitement at this entrepreneurial moment in time.  

“Nancy is a gamer, a let’s go, jump off the cliff, Thelma and Louise drive the car right into the canyon,” says Salata. “I like that. I like that all of that is being awakened in me.”

“I’m living this one golden joyride opportunity,” she continues. “Sure, there’s a lot going on, but I feel so alive and I'm becoming so much better at what I do.” Nancy agrees. “You can tell your own really inspired story about what it means to be a fully actualized mother, who is madly in love with and devoted to her children, and also be a force to be reckoned with professionally. You can be the kind of woman who walks into the room and leads the discussion and listens intently, adds value, is super creative and aware of her surroundings, and a shape-shifter. You can be that.”

Cheers to that.  

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Find Out Why This CEO Risked All of Her Money

Would you be willing to risk it all for you biz? That's what Aussie expat Koel Thomae, co-founder of Noosa Yoghurt did. And it's a route we hear many entrepreneurs take. As they say, without passion and risk, there is usually no reward. 

Thomae, alongside co-founder Colorado dairy farmer Rob Graves, launched Noosa in January 2010, with the idea of bringing the sweet, tangy and full-fat yogurt of Australia to America. 

But yoghurt is one the world's oldest man-made foods. So what made Thomae think she could do it better? Considering Noosa was profitable within one year and acquired within four, trusting her tastebuds is only part of the tale. 

Hers is an inspiring success story that includes heart, risk, and yes, getting acquired. But even after acquisition, Thomae stayed on in a different role. Read more about her journey below. 

As someone who bootstrapped her company, was there a part of you that wanted to see how far you could go on your own? How did you know it was the right time to take on an investor?

Koel Thomae: Absolutely. There was part of me that wanted to defy the normal path that most start-ups take with having to take outside investment. It certainly meant we were risking all of our own money but that made me even more determined to work hard to see this become successful. It also gave us the ultimate autonomy in how we grew the business and even though we certainly had our missteps we defined what success was and could take risks that others might not have had the stomach for. By the end of 2013 we knew we had created a real business with legs and that the growth curve wasn’t slowing. We were running the business incredibly lean on the executive level and knew that to protect all of the blood, sweat and tears (and money) that we had invested that it was time to think smarter and faster. The only way to do that was with real capital. The trick was to find someone absolutely aligned with our vision and we’ve been successful in doing that.

Especially as someone who didn’t have to give up a stake early on, was it a hard decision to make?

KT: When you’ve invested your life savings, endured many sleepless nights but can see that your vision has become a reality it can be hard to know when is the right time to give up some of that control. When we welcomed Advent into the Noosa family in 2014, it was a strategic decision that allowed us to grow to scale and get noosa into the hands of more people. It really is a partnership and they’ve allowed us to evolve the brand in a way that stays true to what we set out to do, which at the end of the day is to make bloody delicious yoghurt!

Why do you think it’s hard for startups to get traditional business funding?

KT: There is so much risk in startups that traditional lenders typically shy away from these types of investments. But I think that there can be paths to finding traditional financing through networking and establishing strong banking relationships early on. Noosa is fortunate to be based in Colorado where there is a strong entrepreneur culture in the food realm and both local banks and national banks with strong local branches have really started to become aware of the opportunities in food startups.  

How was the initial transition? And why did you decide to stay on?

KT: The initial transition was very busy as I was still managing sales and marketing. It took time to find the right people to take over these roles and I wanted to see both Noosa and my new teammates succeed so it was a gradual and thoughtful transition. I had given everything to see Noosa become successful and I wasn’t ready to walk away from the next chapter. I’ve been given an incredible opportunity to continue learning and to have endless fun with my ‘baby’ so to speak. 

What is your role in the company now? 

KT: Along with my co-founder Rob Graves, I’m still very much involved in the day-to-day at noosa. In passing the baton on for sales and marketing I’ve been able to re-focus on my true passion which is product and flavor innovation. I love everything about food and it is so fun to stay on top of food and cultural trends, It’s like being a food anthropologist! I’ve created my dream job - I get to travel, eat and dream big!  

Was there ever a point where you thought, I’ve made a massive mistake. And how what did you do?

KT: I think there are very few entrepreneurs who haven’t made some big mistakes. The trick is surviving the financial impact and learning in real time how to recover and make better strategic decisions. Noosa had so many inbound retailers interested in carrying us early on and we didn’t have a firm strategy on how we would grow outside of our home market. You can become giddy in the early days and say yes to every opportunity. Launching with a retailer in a region on the other side of the country where we had zero brand awareness coupled with very few resources to build this awareness and other supply chain challenges was a recipe for disaster. After 6 months and almost $100,000 in losses we pulled out. In many ways I’m thankful that this mistake came early on. It did not sink us and we were forced to stop and think very hard about what was the right strategy to grow Noosa.

"There are very few entrepreneurs who haven’t made some big mistakes."

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How did you successfully navigate a shifting role?

KT: I like to think of my time at Noosa as a working MBA. I have worn so many hats since we launched the business, some things I was good at and others I was completely in the deep end. I think the trick is to understand what your strengths are, learn to leverage others who can fill in for your weaknesses and always have a thirst to learn from your mentors and the good old internet came through in many occasions.

What would you tell young female entrepreneurs about the startup world?

KT: The best advice I’ve ever received was to surround yourself with a good group of mentors. I’d advise young entrepreneurs to do the same. Look for your own network of women who you can learn from and who can help support you. 

How do you see your role at Noosa continuing to evolve?

KT: I am so fortunate to work with an amazing and smart group of people who realize the unique opportunity we have at Noosa. As I said before, I have the best job in the world. I am excited to continue to help push the boundaries on innovation all the while making sure we stay true to our core – and that’s to make bloody good yoghurt.

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