How This Touring Photographer Survives Life on the Road

Allister Ann recently spent two days with Dolly Parton in Nashville. How's that for a 9-5?

Hint: it's not. As a successful music photographer and director known for her work with such artists as Tegan and Sara, Cold War Kids, Andrew Bird, yes, Dolly Parton and Adele-- to name drop a few-- the photog is used to long hours on set and on tour. See, the 29-year-old is also one of the few female music tour photographers, working as Kenny Chesney's personal photographer.

But life on the road is no breeze. And it's a field that's dominated by men (tickle our tummies and call us not surprised!)-- but not for long. Though Allister admits that tour life can take it's toll, she's seeing more women join the ranks. Read through to learn more about life from Allister's side of the lens. 

Do you remember the first photo you took that captured a look, a soul, a vibe, where you thought, YES! This is my medium?

I remember while walking to and from FIDM college in downtown Los Angeles, there was, and still is a large population of men and women without homes. Taking the same route every day, some of them became familiar and we exchanged greetings, over time getting to know some names and later hearing a few stories. There was a bakery close by and sometimes I would share breakfast with them. I finally asked to take one mans portrait. There was something very special seeing that film developed. It wasn't just a picture, it was someone that I had taken the time to get to know. There was sentiment within it. That's the feeling that gave it meaning.

Where did you get your professional start?

While in Los Angeles going to school, I was taking photographs all the time, and learning the trade, but didn't make the conscious decision to take it on as a possible career until I quit school, moved to Nashville, and got my first paying professional job. There truly is something to be said when declaring what you want for yourself. I won’t say it's fooling others into believing in you, but believing in yourself enough to get what you truly want.

"There truly is something to be said when declaring what you want for yourself."

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How did that transition to the music industry? 

Music had always been a big part of my life, and Nashville naturally exposed me to some of the most talented artists in the business. My first job was photographing a musician, and it all fell into place from there.

What was the first tour you went out on? 

There were several ‘unofficial’ tours in the beginning. The first being Augustana, friends who believed in me and asked me to tag along. It really just felt like a road trip with friends, but with the addition of a camera to document our time together. Another was 30 Seconds to Mars, that was an experience in and of itself. We did only festivals that part of tour, so in between photographing the guys, I met other bands and shot them as well. Some of those people are still dear friends. The first official tour was with The Civil Wars. I was hired to be their exclusive photographer/videographer. We were together for about 3 years, and I was constantly by their side to document everything. It was an incredible experience.

What was life like on the road?

Going from city to city, shows night after night, it can all blend in together, but we were happy to be there and made the most of it. You can't help but become a tight knit family when constantly on the road. In the beginning, it was smaller venues, but as it quickly progressed, the venues became bigger and the audiences larger. Our first tour of Europe was amazing. We were all so thrilled to be there and share that experience. Photographing every moment started as simply documenting but quickly changed to becoming the makings of a family album of an incredible journey that none of us ever wanted to forget.

Why do you think it’s a field not many women are in?

When I first started there weren't many women doing what I did. Traveling can be a downside for some, physically and mentally-- it can take its toll. It's a different lifestyle that can be exhausting, but also exhilarating. I've seen over time though that there are more touring women photographers now and that's inspiring.

I've seen over time though that there are more touring women photographers now and that's inspiring.

Linda McCartney, Autumn De Wilde, Pennie Smith, and Annie Leibovitz during her time with Rolling Stones opened the doors and paved the path, and I would hope that in time many more women will choose this challenging but rewarding career. 

L: Jenny Lewis; R: Vérité Published, Allister Ann

Are there moments where you’ve been treated differently as a woman?

Unfortunately yes, there have been times when being a female is thought to be a disability in some way. Assumptions that I may not be physically able to do the job or that my knowledge is limited. I found over time that it's not so much having to prove yourself, but more so handling situations as they arise with professionalism and a bit of grace. If you are comfortable in your own skin, and confident in your work, it will ultimately speak for itself, and the gender factor will never come into play.

If you are comfortable in your own skin, and confident in your work, it will ultimately speak for itself.

As you’ve grown in your profession how has your photographer’s eye changed?

Not so much changing but more so evolving. What I am inspired by at the moment, subjects I'm working with, everything is a contributing element to the final product.This last year I have been studying forms and light in sculptures and flowers among other still objects.It's a nice relief from the immediate reaction that documentary work requires.

We live in a world where everything is shared, everything is very visual, what is part of your art form that digital can’t take away?

Shooting film is still why I love photography. It keeps me on my toes in the sense of feeling that I had to earn that photo. There's no immediate fulfillment, but just an excited anticipation of waiting to see if it turned out as good, or better then you hoped for. It's a toss of the coin, or luck of the draw when you shoot in film. There's something very mysterious about it that keeps me fascinated with it.

Who are you most excited to shoot coming up?

An artist that I've worked with for the past few years just announced next years tour, so I'm very excited to see that road family again and spend some time with them.  Also have been working on a portrait project of some fascinating people I've been wanting to meet. Portraits to me are so intimate and allows me to spend time with a stranger and get to know them, still one of my favorite things to do when I'm home.

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This Is How You Thrive After Bankruptcy

28 years ago, when Rachel Ashwell opened her first Shabby Chic store in Santa Monica, CA, "the world," she says, "was a very different place." It was August, 1989. There was no Instagram. Computers weren't yet a household mainstay. Google (b: 1998) was not around. At the time Ashwell was recently divorced and looking for a career path that allowed her to balance being a "young mum of two teeny children," who were six weeks and two-years-old, with work. A store "seemed like the perfect path."

Raised in an artistic and cultural household by parents who made money by way of flea markets, the designer learned the world of searching for treasure at an early age. At 16 she left school to become a stylist and "create worlds of fantasy." She used her background, her talents and know-how, her proclivity for hard work, and opened a "little store," on a "wing and a prayer."  She didn't have a traditional business background, but in many ways this made her fearless. 

"My mission," she says, "was simple: to bring a world of beauty, comfort and function to the home furnishing retail market." The first store had anchor products of washable slipcovered upholstery, vintage accessories, and sun-bleached fabrics. 

It became a movement, spawning she says, " a whole new way for people to decorate and live." Shabby Chic was a retail success. Everyone from Julia Roberts to Oprah came calling. The E! Network offered Ashwell her own show which ran from 1998-2003, and by 2008, her children grown and about to head off to college, she was thinking, "what's next?"  She hired a CEO, met with investor groups, and signed on to a plan that would expand the business from six to 57 stores in five years. 

Then the financial crisis hit and Shabby Chic filed for bankruptcy in 2009. 

"In 2007 I decided to bring on investors who had the capital and strategic skill sets I didn't have. Sadly the timing of the economy was wrong, and so after 18 months the new strategy fell apart." 

It was a devastating blow. 

"I was in disbelief; first to myself and many of my fans, as this was a beloved brand that was still so alive and had more beauty to share. But after months of trying to salvage portions of the company," she recalls, "it was all lost."

But part of the Shabby Chic dynamism is the acceptance of imperfection. For Ashwell, though this shock came during a time when she also suffered the loss of her mother and the hurdles of broken romance, it was her "lesson in learning to let go, grieving, finding faith and finding my strength."

In many way this was the same approach she took toward her company: accepting that life and people are not perfect. "How we live in the privacy of our homes," she explains, "is a manifestation of that philosophy. Learning to accept that things don't go as planned allows us to see the beauty of what isn't perfect." 

This she believes is why Shabby Chic has resonated so profoundly with its customers over two decades. That, and an honest determination from its founder.

"While I watched my castle crumble, somewhere in my broken heart I knew somehow we would come back. Shabby Chic was my family." 

"Learning to accept that things don't go as planned allows us to see the beauty of what isn't perfect." 

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Looking back and given the chance to do it again, she says, "I would have let my voice be heard when my instincts had something to say. The investors were wise schooled men and so I trusted they knew more than I in 'scaling a company.'"

But fear has never ruled her roost. "I left school so young and really had no traditional education, and my way of learning is by trying and doing. The good side of that is fear doesn't fester."

So she tried, did, lost for a minute, but got back up. "One has to expect to make mistakes," she notes, "and somehow lessons have to be learned, if not in the classroom, then in life." Today, Shabby Chic is on a journey back to the top where Ashwell's instinct is to stay true to her brand, even if it seems out of fashion. 

"My gut is saying, The World of Shabby Chic is still relevant and to stay authentic. Less in more, small is ok too.....just be true." 

Last year in 2016 Ashwell expanded Simply Shabby Chic ™ into Target, from bedding to other areas of home. A collection called Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell Chalk & Clay Paint, which grew from customer requests over the years to learn how she selects and uses paint. She's also "letting Rachel Ashwell come to the light from the shadows of Shabby Chic. This will be at a couture level, not compromising on any details, the crème de la crème of my world."

It's a world where mistakes don't mean failure. Where rough patches are smoothed over with "friends, mentors," a lot of hard word, and the occasional "good, sad movie." 

It is a world where bigger isn't always better. 

In addition to her other projects, Ashwell opened, "The world’s smallest furniture store on Lexington Ave in NYC. Just 250 square feet. But my goal is to tell my visual story, curated intimately but proudly. For me I am happy sitting with the stars, the moon can be for the big boys."

"For me I am happy sitting with the stars, the moon can be for the big boys."

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Weed Need to Talk: I Had an Unconventional & Controversial Job

We Need to Talk is a bi-monthly, anonymous series, where contributors share stories about business, life, and the stuff we don't talk about.

Mary Jane. Mother plant. Only female plants make the buds needed to get you buzzed. So it seems natural that women could dominate the billion dollar marijuana industry. 

In 1996 California was the first state to allow the medical use of marijuana with the passing of Prop 215. There are now five states, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, as well as Washington, DC which have legalized recreational, as well as medical, marijuana. 20 more states have legalized medical Mary Jane. It's an incredibly lucrative business, both for health and fiscal purposes, but in 2004 there weren't a lot of women working as growers. 

We caught up with one of the women in CA who went from grunt to dealing with large volume dispensaries to chat herb and business. 

What was your role in the business?

I was green and super young when I started. At the beginning it was all about shadowing my business partners who were very knowledgeable, discreet, and a little intimidating. So like any job I did the grunt work: potting, balancing the PH water levels, feeding, spraying, plant spotting, testing equipment and cleaning water wells.  

As we grew into the farm I managed the life-cycle of the plants from babies to curated buds. Every eight weeks we had a new crop but every five weeks we were seeding for the next round. It goes quickly and like any business you're constantly managing what's going out and what's growing up. Plant production is a lot like event production. High stress, lots of moving pieces and equipment, and big pay days! 

"Plant production is a lot like event production. High stress, lots of moving pieces and equipment, and big pay days!"

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Six months into the business I was also managing the sales. Our business partner made some initial connections but since we all had the same product I started venturing out. I was eager, young, and a little naive, but it played well into my sales. I hit the pavement hard. I walked into dispensaries showed them samples, gave them notes, and high balled the product. Being a young and attractive lady in a male-dominated industry, I rocked at sales! Before long I did sales trips on my own and negotiated with large volume dispensaries in Oakland, LA, and SF. 

How did you get into it?

Love! Love at first sight kind of love. My friend dragged me to a house party and the moment I locked eyes with this man we were hooked. But our romance was suppose to be quick since I was moving to NYC in five weeks. I told him not to fall in love.... I ended up leaving but only got as far as Santa Fe when he sent me an email and a business plan in Excel. He laid out his plan to build a farm, make loads of cash and travel the world with me. He was smitten and I was intrigued. 

I put NYC on hold and flew back to him and started what was the beginning of an incredible journey and the story that is my life.  

What kept you involved?

Love, money, and seeing the world! I was 22, it was 2004 and I had never considered I could be a self-made woman. I am fiercely independent so the appeal of creating my own lifestyle and product at such a young age was an incredible opportunity.

We both developed side projects throughout our partnership which helped with the stress and anxiety of our business.  As a freelance florist I was exposed to a new side of luxury and I was hooked. Flowers and event design were ultimately the driving force to me leaving the farm business. 

Was there any point where you were worried about the legality of what you were doing?

Yes and no!

No, because we always stayed within our permit limits when growing. But everything else we dealt with was like living in a constant state of extreme paranoia! 

Were there any ‘oh sh*t’ moments? I’m about to get arrested or someone I know just got raided?

Many! I am actually considering writing a book about all of them. We were blackmailed, a few of my buyers got busted, and in a state of utter paranoia my ex partner had me cut down an entire crop. I remember that day thinking to myself this is it. I am done. I had a stash of cash and quickly made plans to leave SF. I had enough and was ready for my NY experience. 

"In a state of utter paranoia my ex partner had me cut down an entire crop."

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When people asked you 'what do you do,' how did you respond?

Creative Services! Once we had the garden going I started freelancing as a florist. I really immersed myself and learned everything I could about plants, flowers, and business. I got a few steady freelance gigs that helped me stay connected to the outside world. 

There aren’t many women in the weed biz, especially a decade ago, what was that like?

Oh, I love this question. I realized early on that being a women in my position was a huge asset. It was unexpected, surprising, and refreshing. It showed in my sales and gave me an edge. At times it was intimidating when negotiating price per lb. with five guys in a warehouse, a guard and cameras everywhere, but ultimately my product was superb and boutique. Having multiple businesses since then I actually prefer being a minority. 

What do you think decriminalizing weed would look like nationwide? is this something that’s important to you?

Absolutely. We have got to pull out all those young men and women who are serving time for non -violent offenses, possession, or who have been targeted because of their socio-economic situation. Our laws surrounding marijuana are archaic, unjust, and need to be amended. 

"Our laws surrounding marijuana are archaic, unjust, and need to be amended." 

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This Sought-After LA Designer Has So Much Going On (Your Head Will Spin)

“Take a deep breath and listen, practice some restraint.” 

Those are the words of current breadwinner, mom, and captain of a design business that’s rapidly expanding: Justina Blakeney, founder of The Jungalow. The interior design boss is the first to admit that “no one knows how it’s going to go," but handling uncertainty is a big part of entrepreneurship. "There are days when I feel like things aren’t balanced or chill, when I have to work a lot and travel,” but, she says, “I think it’s important to understand in what type of environment your thrive. I flourish in the multi-hustle world.”

Her environment is lush. Full of color, vibrant patterns and plants; it’s a design style that says no to minimalism. In a way, it’s a multi-hustle of its own. 

Images via The Jungalow 

And with a New York Times bestseller, The New Bohemians (which, she wrote and shot in less than three months), as well as her new release (as of yesterday!) The New Bohemian Handbook, collabs with Living Spaces and Beyond Yoga, a Sunset Magazine cover, a booming design business and blog, a tot at home, multiple employees at her office space, and plenty more in the works, Justina has reached a point where she gets her gig. “Having a lot going on at one time really suits my personality,” she notes. 

"I flourish in the multi-hustle world.”

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Most Jungalow income still comes from social media and the blog, but the business is expanding rapidly. What exactly is in the works? “The Jungalow world takeover.” NBD. And it’s moving fast— a pace she is most comfortable with. “People need to be able to keep up,” she says, “and I have no patience for people who work slowly. Being able to be fast is how you can make money. You have to be quick.” 

Justina says, “I worked really hard to not be known as a blogger. I wanted to be known as a designer first.” The plan with the furniture line is to develop the wholesale side of the business first. That way, “by the time we get into a retail we’ll be a brand name.” She describes ecommerce as “an intimidating whole new universes.” Citing the customer service, sales tax, and returns. “But what I keep telling myself,” she explains, “is that it’s not hard, it’s just a lot. And the hardest part is making the leap.” Especially when you're conditioned to think business is a man's game. “There was this moment,” she explains, “where it became very clear to me that being good at business was not about being good at numbers, or understanding the Dow Industrial— that’s what I thought being ‘good a business’ meant.”

“As women,” she says, “we’re trained to think that business is not a woman’s game— it’s not left-brained. But being able to relate to people has proven to be a much bigger asset than I knew.”

Developing her brand meant make hard choices, like passing on 50k opportunities because they “didn’t make sense,” both aesthetically and in her gut. She’s driven by authenticity, while also understanding that “businesses are machines that are created for profit. You can’t depend on someone else for your well-being. It’s something I always have in the back of my mind— to make sure I have my own back.” 

Still, her support for other women and women of color is unwavering. “Female empowerment is about having your own back and having the back of your sisters,” she insists. “It’s so hard for me to watch women not supporting other women and men not supporting women. As a woman of color and as a woman, it’s painful for me to see. It’s so easy to be catty and jealous, but it’s so counter-productive. It’s so much easier to be supportive.” 

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

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Hollywood Roundtable: 4 Actresses Talk Sexism in Tinseltown

Given the recent reports of Harvey Weinstein's disgusting behavior, we are re-sharing this conversation, which took place this past July. 

What’s it like being a woman in Hollywood? It’s a frustrating (and surely, aggravating) question on many fronts. Well, it’s like any other industry. There are moments of extreme pride and accomplishment. There are moments of doubt. Moments of anger and rage at endless sexism. 

But we caught up with Natalie Morales, director, writer, and actress whom you'll see in the upcoming Emma Stone and Steve Carell flick, Battle of the Sexes, June Diane Raphael, actress, comedian, and writer who currently plays Jane Fonda's daughter and the CEO behind Lily Tomlin’s organic lube enterprise in the acclaimed Grace and Frankie, and Kulap Vilaysack, writer, actress, comedian, and the only female show-runner/EP alongside four male EP’s on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ on Seeso to ask just that. 

left to right: June Diane in Grace and Frankie; Natalie Morales for Into the Gloss shot by Tom Newton; and Kulap Vilaysack.

So, what’s it like as a woman in Hollywood?

Natalie Morales: This is a question I get a lot and I’m never sure how to answer because I don’t know what it’s like to be a man in Hollywood. I feel great. I love my industry. I love what I do and I love the people I meet.    

June Diane Raphael: I love being a woman. And I love acting and writing and overall creating. Sometimes the combination of those two things can be frustrating, but being a woman is one of my favorite things to be!

Kuala Vilaysack: At the moment, I feel empowered and clear-eyed… Like Moana on the other side of the horizon. Now I know what you are thinking, “Kulap is very cool and accessible for connecting so strongly to an animated film made for children.” Thank you.

“At the moment, I feel empowered and clear-eyed… Like Moana on the other side of the horizon.”

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Do you ever think your job would be easier if you were a man?

Natalie: Definitely, but I think most jobs would be. For starters, I’d get paid more. So that makes it easier off the bat. Secondly, as in most jobs, people would take me more seriously. Especially as a director and writer. I’m sure there are a lot more reasons it’d be easier, but those are the big ones.

June Diane: I’m married to a man and we have very similar struggles (always wanting more out of our careers, always struggling with feeling “less than” as an artist) but I also have particular fears and concerns that (for me) feel specifically female (likability or lack there of, sexuality and too much of it/too little of it, reluctance to self promote) I think in general being a human (if you are awake to the experience) can be very challenging (men need healing for their role as oppressors/maintainers of the patriarchy as much as women need healing as the oppressed — we have both lost our humanity in this struggle). I feel this as a white person who benefits (through no merit of my own) from the white supremacist society we live in.  I don’t wish to be in someone else’s shoes, but I wish to dismantle the racist patriarchal society I live in as it both oppresses me and supports me. 

Kulap, you’re the only female show-runner/EP alongside four male EP’s on Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ on Seeso, has there been a time when it felt your gender held you back?

Kulap: No, probably because I have the final say on all matters concerning the show. Scott Aukerman, David Jargowsky, Thomas Lennon and R. Ben Garant continue to be incredibly supportive and I’ve benefited greatly from their experience and input. Fortunately, I’ve been afforded the space necessary to come into my own.

Do you have any specific anecdotes of gender bias?

Kulap: When we were interviewing department heads before production of Season 1, the old school men tended to direct their questions to the male seated beside me. I did not appreciate that. With four seasons of the show under my belt, I am glad to be past the craning of necks looking for the man in charge.

Natalie: I have had people tell me to my face, and mean it, that women are not as funny as men. And so they don’t hire women. This is a real thing. I have had people tell me to sit in the back of the 12 passenger van when I’m already in the front seat (I get car sick) because my male peer might like to sit in the front. I am 100% sure I have been paid less than most of my male co-stars for the same or more work. I have been thought of as a silly actress when I present work that I’m trying to direct or write. 

"I have had people tell me to my face, and mean it, that women are not as funny as men. And so they don’t hire women."

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June Diane: Before pitching a feature film to a studio, an older male producer hid my index cards around the room while I went to the bathroom. When I returned, he had me play the “hotter colder” game while I walked around trying to find them. He then also requested I take off the blazer I was wearing to see my tank top. I complied. 

That all sounds truly awful. Where are the areas where Hollywood can make progress?

Kulap: We need more women in power/hiring positions in all aspects of the business. More men in these positions need to make it a priority to hire more women. Hire women. Recommend women. Advocate for women.

June: Every story shouldn’t have one black friend or one woman to create the illusion of inclusion. Diverse casts can support more than ONE!  The same goes for writer’s rooms. We need to look at this idea of “we just want to hire the best people for the job” and ask ourselves what that means.  Storytelling, at least in my experience, has been at it’s best with a million different perspectives and viewpoints and life experience.

Natalie: Equal pay, equal hire, be less afraid of women, understand that women-led movies and tv MAKE MONEY, be more intersectional with your support of women, cast out of the “ordinary”, give chances to female filmmakers who are small and starting out, encourage women to tell their own stories. 

So on the topic of sexism. Fun! Natalie, Battle of the Sexes is a timely movie. Women are living in the aftermath of demanding equality. What was it like being a part of telling that story?  

Natalie: It’s kind of terrible that it’s timely, isn’t it? But it somehow is. It somehow feels like we’ve been fighting for our rights for so long and some people have convinced themselves that we’ve won, but we haven’t. Not by a long shot. Sure, women in America have some things easier than in other countries, but we’re still so behind. It was wonderful to be a part of that story. To show people that weren’t around when this happened (like myself) that this fight is not new, it’s hard, and it’s worth it. 

Why do you think it’s important to tell now? 

Natalie: I think it will be important to tell for all of time. It’s important now because Billie Jean King accomplished something by fighting back. It gives us courage and tells us someone came before us. We can do it too. It will be important in the future, when hopefully rights are truly equal across the board, to tell the story of why then needed to fight for it.

Why do you think studios are reluctant to put as much money behind female-led movies? 

June Diane: The long-standing idea has been that male viewers will not care about female narratives while female viewers will care about male narratives. They fear “female led” movies will have a smaller audience and so they won’t make as much money. Wonder Woman disproves this theory as do the MANY MOVIES LED BY WOMEN THAT HAVE MADE MONEY AT THE BOX OFFICE.

Speaking of rights being truly equal across the board, do you think wage parity will become a reality in Hollywood?

Kulap: I sure hope so.

June Diane: Yes. 

Natalie: I am an optimistic person, despite my snarky tone. So I’m going to say yes. 

What needs to change to get there?

Kulap: A long road of greenlights to prove that our stories and our leadership have the same value. Better yet, an open highway.

June: I would love the major Hollywood agencies to start a real dialogue about this [wage parity]. I would also love every actor/writer/director to bring up wage parity in every conversation they have about what they are getting paid.  

June, you’re about to launch into some positive convo with your book The Badass Woman's Guide to Running for Office and Changing the World, coming out 2019. How are you badass and how do you want to change the world? 

I’m badass in that I’m a working mom. The end! But also because I’m committed to working hard to politically engage in my world. I’m calling my reps and showing up as much as I possibly can.  I am also doing the internal work (much harder and more painful)  to figure out where I can dismantle the racist heteronormative sexist ideology I have accepted unconsciously.   

“I’m badass in that I’m a working mom. The end!”

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How do you reconcile the liberal face of Hollywood against the ageism and sexism that exists?

June Diane: I don’t reconcile it! I am working hard to change it.  

Natalie Morales: I don’t [either]. I don’t know how. The most I can say is that I don’t work with the sexists. I’m lucky enough to be able to afford not to. I can turn down a role if I don’t like it. I will work hard to give women jobs so that they can turn down roles if they don’t like them too. 

Let’s end this end on a positive note. What have you seen in your industry that excites you?

June Diane: I love what Zoe Lister-Jones just did with Bandaid (hiring an all female crew). I’m so used to seeing so many men on sets I find the idea exciting and I would LOVE to work with an all female crew.  

Natalie: Opportunity for women, and successful women extending a hand to younger, less experienced women.

Kulap: Social media continues to shine a bright light on gender and racial bias, pushing us forward to be representative of the country as a whole.

It’s been thrilling to see badass girlfriends of mine, wearing hats on top of hats and getting their projects produced. Shout out and shine on June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Danielle Schneider, Andrea Savage, Jessica St. Clair, Lennon Parham, Naomi Scott… this list too goes on and on, but not long enough.

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How to Own Your Glow During the Most Dysfunctional Season of All

In her new book, OWN YOUR GLOW: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living And Crowning The Queen Within, Latham Thomas talks about how, "Personal growth is not about how much you accumulate but how much you release." In the book, Thomas, who is also the creator and mama guru at Mama Glow, offers an antidote to the hustle-hard/burnout fast culture, instead suggesting a slower and intentional pathway to empowerment. 

When it comes to our careers (and our career fears), "releasing" might sound like some NO_WAY_NOT-HAPPENING kind of advice. (If the idea of that has you clenching your fists, this read is def for you.) After all, we want to accumulate: titles, raises, praise. Right? Well, what if we flipped the script a bit? Especially during the upcoming holiday season when we can all get a little... antsy, to put it nicely. Because the holidays are hard. On everyone. We don’t take care of ourselves and contrary to glowing xmas tree lights, we all tend to DIM A LIL BIT. 

Own Your Glow, is the ideal way to stay on life track and a way to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we close out 2017.  So we asked Latham to talk about what she dubs “The Core Four,” as  they relate to career and the workplace.

Latham tells us: 

I encourage you to start asking yourself probing and productive questions to unlock hidden tendencies and obstacles and identify parts of yourself that need a little more glow so you can step more prominently into your power. When you construct your questions, use what I call “the Core Four”: who, what, when, and how. Here are some questions I invite you to explore as you reflect on your journey professionally.

When we are ready to facilitate change and up level our lives to harness what lies ahead we naturally take stock of what’s already on our plates and what we need to increase for our abundance and what we need to release. 

Who am I holding on to by attracting people who don’t serve my highest good?

When we anchor ourselves in soil that is seeded with people who aren’t vested in our success, who don’t value our gifts and who are committed to catty competition, we replay the same patterns and experience the same lack of growth personally and professionally. Who deep down inside are we afraid of loosing, or becoming by keeping the wrong company? Find your flock. Invest time with people who make you feel more radiant who serve as a catalyst for the good in your life. This can be in the form of mentorship or sponsorship, a sister circle of friend supporters, a group mastermind or an online private group.

"Invest time with people who serve as a catalyst for the good in your life."

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What do I gain by remaining stuck in the same situation or circumstances?

It’s easy to adhere to the stories we tell ourselves about our circumstances. Why is it that I can’t seem to advance in my position? Sometimes staying in the same position or lingering in circumstances that we’ve outgrown serves as a comfort zone and an impediment to our personal growth. Sometimes being stuck feels most comfortable since it’s familiar. What would we gain if we moved past our comfort zone professionally speaking? What would it look like to put more on your plate, not task wise but risk wise? A quick way to jump forward past your circumstances is to embrace risk and commit to doing what scares you. Take on a project that will help you spread your wings, activate a team of supporters and show off a ton of your skills. 

When do I feel my best, and what is keeping me from following that feeling?

Self-care is about assessing what supports you at the deepest level and honoring those feelings and responding with rituals and making space for yourself to rest and recharge. A strong self-care practice sharpens our discernment and we learn what supports us and what depletes us. When we feel our very best we make choices aligned with that sense of well-being. Knowing what actions lead to you feeling your best will help you stay on track with moving towards your goals and achieving them. 

"A strong self-care practice sharpens our discernment."

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How have I constructed my life to follow other people’s rules? 

It’s important to explore the paradigms we operate within. We have been indoctrinated to be kind, to keep in line, to follow the rules and always say 'yes' and please everyone else at the expense of our own well-being and happiness. Where do you need to excavate these patterns that are rooted in a lack of self-awareness? What are the building blocks of beliefs you’ve used to construct your life? What needs to crumble for you to succeed? I decided to stop following the rules a long time ago and my life has been prosperous ever since. 

Want more? Grab your own copy of OWN YOUR GLOW: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living And Crowning The Queen Within by Latham Thomas

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Find Out Why Lisa Ling Is the Most Exposed She's Ever Been

Lisa Ling in “Sexual Healing” Credit: Jeff Hutchens

A journalist exposes the truth. They aren’t usually the ones to expose themselves. But in Season 4 Episode 1 of the CNN docuseries This is Life with award-winning journalist and host Lisa Ling, that’s exactly what she does. Strips down. Gets exposed. Quite literally stands naked in front of her subjects and her crew to talk about her body. (You’ll have to tune in for tonight’s premiere to see what we mean.)

Ling says that was an unusual circumstance and a kind of journalistic storytelling we don’t often see. “I try very hard to not become the story. I am the vehicle. Some of the other guys on shows on CNN and other networks, it’s really about their journey." She repeats, "For me, I am the vehicle.”

“I try very hard to not become the story. I am the vehicle."

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However, she says that as “I was watching this young man with a ‘deformed’ body, stand there and talk about the things he loved about his body-- he stood there so confidently, I felt compelled to do it as well. It was one of those moments I didn’t expect I would ever do-- but I shared this very poignant experience with those two.”

The young man she’s referring to is Justin, one of the focal points in Episode 1 ‘Sexual Healing,’ who has cerebral palsy and visits a San Francisco-based sex therapist to deal with intimacy issues. In the episode Justin and therapist both get naked, stand in front of the mirror and talk about things they like.  

Ling says, “I look at my body differently now, I still have issues. But I look at it differently after that experience. I was having trouble looking at myself but now I think, I freakin’ birthed two humans. I carried two humans and had them surgically removed from them. I should stand up and be proud of that. And anyone who gives me shit about that,” she laughs, “they can screw themselves.”

Part of Ling’s strength, which she plays to in Season 4, is that she digs into hard topics, sensitive topics, somehow able to be both fully immersed and totally omniscient when needed. Some reporters like to get in the shower without getting wet. Ling does the opposite: she soaks it all in and, in return, gets soaked. Or in the case of ‘Sexual Healing,’ gets naked.

There are moments in the first episode, where Ling attends a group sex therapy session with Psalm Isadora, a known sex expert and relationship guru, who has since passed since the episode was shot. In one scene Isadora instructs the class to pump their arms and yell out “YES,” while she simultaneously shouts, “orgasm is God!” At this moment the camera cuts to Ling, whose face is part horrified part happy: she’s uncomfortable. Admittedly so. “I grew up in a family that was very weird about sex. I was ordered never to have it. Never let my husband see me naked.” She even tells us that it was harder to get naked, stand in front of the mirror, and talk about her body, than it was to report on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan-- which is where she started her career.

(L) “Patriot Movement” Credit: Eros Hoagland; (R) Lisa Ling in “Lost Vegas” Credit: CNN

“Because of how I was raised and the pressure that society puts on women, I’ve always felt kind of insecure,” she pauses and corrects herself here. “I’ve always felt insecure. When you watch any episode of television I’ve ever done in my life, I’ve always been very covered up, wearing the same shade of cargo pant. V-necks, but not too low. I have a certain look and one that's not revealing or distracting in any way.”  

So why leave that shot in? “In that environment," she says, "which was so freeing and uninhibited, it was really uncomfortable. But if I'm going to allow other people to do something really uncomfortable, sometimes I feel like it’s not fair if I don’t do it myself.”

“I grew up in a family that was very weird about sex. I was ordered never to have it." 

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When asked if there are moments where she’s felt she's gone or taken something too far, she says, “This coming season I embedded with the militia in Arizona and one of the conditions of getting the interview with these guys was that I had to fire a semi-automatic weapon. I am virulently anti-gun, but I did it and was actually really good at it. But I definitely did think to myself ‘Is this the kind of thing I want put on television?’ But in the end, despite political differences, of which there were many, especially since she was with them post-election, something she calls "personally quite devastating," she walked away with something useful. "What I came away with and what I very often come away with when I’m working on these kinds of stories, that despite different political ideologies, we have some common ground. No matter where I am or who I’m with we always get to the humanity of every story.”

Over the course of her career and with 'This Is Life,' Ling has been granted unprecedented access to many groups, like the Mongols. Though she says she’s not trying to “uncover stories,” she does bring a voice to stories that haven’t been publicly told, explaining she thinks a journalist is a storyteller. But even now, those stories don’t simply land in her inbox. “I fancy myself as a bit of a hustler,” she says. “I’m a very persistent person. I can be aggressive in my own way. You have to constantly be pushing to get the stories that you want told, told. I know that I can’t get complacent or stagnant. These kind of episodes are going to come to me, I have to find them and I have to push for them if I really want to do them.”

“This is Life with Lisa Ling,” premieres tonight, October 1 on CNN. In addition, she has a digital series coming out this fall, “This is Sex with Lisa Ling,” where she explores the enduring taboos around sex in this country.  

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

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F*ck Cancer Founders On Turning The F Word into a Rallying Call

Giving all of the F*cks.

Pink products to raise awareness and walks to raise money, but when it comes to a cancer diagnosis there is one word on everyone’s mind: fuck. 

When Yael Cohen Braun’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 it was certainly a word that crossed her mind. So she made a shirt for her mom to wear in recovery. That shirt read: Fuck Cancer. That slogan became a non-profit by the same name, one that addressed the perils of the disease with wit and humor and that rallied people around sentiments felt by everyone when facing down the Big C. It’s a message of empowerment with a built-in rallying call. A big FU to the big C, if you will. Even Yael’s title at the non-profit, “Chief Cancer Fucker,” reminds people to not get beatdown by the disease and that there is a community of support. 

Julie Greenbaum, co-founder and CRO, got involved in 2010 after her mother passed away from ovarian cancer. Honoring her mother’s legacy is what motivates and fuels her day-to-day. 

“My mother was one of my greatest mentors, her positive attitude was always something I admired, something she instilled in her children,” Julie shares. 

Yael was working in finance when her mom was diagnosed. She looked around for support, unable to find an organization willing to engage and do what Yael thought needed to be done: namely, activating youth’s participation in the fight, which including encouraging them to talk to their parents about early detection screenings and prevention efforts. Everything she found was pink and pretty— something that cancer is not. Engaging a digitally savvy crowd was also an important part of spreading the prevention message. 

The women came together after realizing, “that by joining forces we would be able to make a greater impact in the Cancer space. Our desire was to create and stronger more impactful charity. We bonded over this overarching goal.”

Now some people don’t love the word fuck. That’s a given. But the co-founders aren’t concerned. They aren’t trying to be doctors or politically correct. First and foremost they are daughters, bonded by an experienced shared by so many. “I'm learning how important it is to grant yourself the freedom to live your life authentically,” says Julie who dropped out of college to focus on running the charity full time. “To really get to know yourself by exposing yourself to as many opportunities as you can. It has taken time and maturity to develop this comfort.” 

In between running Fuck Cancer, and being new mom to Jagger, Yael also runs motherlucker.com, a honest breakdown of the realities of motherhood. The day-to-day can feel overwhelming; “we’re a smaller team and oftentimes we’re forced to juggle many different responsibilities,” Julie shares. But says, “Life doesn't owe you anything. You owe it to yourself to make your life the best that it can be.”

The includes remaining “constantly inspired by our team and the amazing people I continue to meet. I continue to feel a strong sense of determination and confidence in knowing that our charity is making and difference and playing an important role.”

Why Genevieve Padalecki Says the World Is a Crazy Place Right Now

Rocking a black "We Should All Be Feminists" tee on Saturday at Create & Cultivate Seattle, digital darling Genevieve Padalecki took to the Microsoft stage to chat all things tag, snap, story, and social. 

Though the Cali-native, who now calls Texas home, admits she's relatively new to the social game,   she's clearly caught onto the rules. Genevieve boasts a highly engaged audience-- woman's got a 25% engagement rate. If you're wondering what that means, know it's relatively unheard of in the blogging world. 

So what does the actress (she's classically trained), blogger (of Now and Gen), mom (of three), and wife (she met husband Jared on the set of Supernatural) think about this crazy, social world we live in? We found out. From how often she posts to her thoughts on political content, you've got to read through! 

You launched your blog this year and saw immediate success.  As part of the launch strategy you worked with skincare brand Elemis and crashed their site with a giveaway you hosted, thats MAJOR!.... How has the transition been going from social only content to long form blogs?  

It’s been really surreal! I loved working with Elemis as I actually love their products, so it felt like an organic partnership that was really natural and aligned. Also, I’m breastfeeding currently as I have a 6 month old and so I’m really cautious of beauty brands that are low chemical and more natural. We decided to host a giveaway on the blog as part of our launch strategy - my followers really love a giveaway, and it was fun to create a space for them to participate! Yes, they actually BROKE the link in bio on Instagram...we were all trying to figure out why the link wasn’t working and TONS of comments were coming in, and after a LOT of confusion we figured out that they crashed the site where the giveaway was hosted! Pretty crazy!

I enjoy creating long format content because I get to tell more of a story. Long form blogs provide a space for narrative to build and for people to go deeper...I always think of social as a “tease” and a great place to foster community, but long form blogs are a DESTINATION where you can drive people and encourage them to go deeper...which is really fun in the beauty space, because we’re always looking to discover new products...but I especially love it for some more of the emotional pieces, like blogs about parenting, or an open letter that my husband wrote to our 3 children on the blog which was really rad too. The letter really moved people and was WAY too long for a social post!

"Authenticity always wins. Be unapologetic about who you are, and have no fear."

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What’s changed the way you create content the most in the past year? Do you love it or hate it?

I am really new to the social media game. I officially launched my Instagram prior to my blog earlier this year in March, and became really strategic about what I wanted to post about and promote. I had been private on Instagram for a while, but figured it was time!

We all know video is happening with IG LIVE and Facebook Live and algorithms propping up video the most. How are you all using it to build your businesses?

I only post once per day, and try to get more active in stories. I use my static “feed” as a place to post more curated things, and photos that I want to have a level of “permanance.” I use IG Stories to post what’s happening in real time, mainly of the kids eating...there is always a TON of food! I’m a big foodie and I love to cook, so that content tends to go there. Kids and food. LOL.

From a business perspective, your audience wants to really connect authentically. Videos, especially in stories since they delete after 24 hours, gives people a really inside look. I’ve seen a lot of engagement in stories, as well as fans screenshotting the stories because it’s much more intimate, fleeting, almost uncensored….there used to be a lot of focus on curating a gorgeous feed, which is still important, but there is so much connectivity in IG Stories, Boomerangs, videos...it’s also a place where I share my thoughts on the political climate or what’s happening in Texas (with the hurricane, for example).

There’s literally a million places we could be sharing content if we wanted. How do you decide what platforms to use? And what type of content goes where?

Social media is kind of like hosting a party. If you are creating an experience for your people, they will hang out there with you. It can be anywhere you are really, heavily engaged. Which is why there are “experts” in each space - youtube, pinterest, etc. Instagram is where I hang out because it’s the platform I’m most interested and engaged with personally.

"People are really looking for permission to be real."

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As a mother who shares these amazing moments with your family, how do you decide what to share and how to share it when it comes to your family? Do you stick to any self made rules?

Personally, I try to be as open as I can about motherhood being messy. My most vulnerable posts, when I felt like I SURVIVED through a day, have gotten some of the most beautiful and best responses. I think people are really looking for permission to be real. I want to create a safe space and open up some of that dialogue.

I decided to launch my new blogging business while I was 9 months pregnant, I basically gave birth to my new baby and my blog at the same time. It hasn’t been easy, and I don’t want to hide that. There is a level of perfection that people try to project on social media, since everything is so highly curated. I love a pretty picture too, but I also try to balance brand partnerships and the curated stuff that I shoot with a photographer with a selfie I shot at midnight breastfeeding my baby and zoning out to Bravo. We all can be a little more vulnerable.

You’ve collaborated with brands, you’ve put political issues into the work, which as a new content creator that can be scary-- how are you deciding on content and what you want to put out into the world?

One of my first collaborations straight out of the gate was with Pop & Suki. One of my friends is a co-founder, and when Odette was born, we decided to announce our baby name on a heart keychain with the brand and created a space for others to personalize hearts with their names on it. 50% of proceeds went to the Human Rights Foundation, and the other 50% went to Planned Parenthood. We raised over $200,000 for these causes.

Not everyone is going to like what you stand for. And that’s fine, because there are enough people out there who will show up and stand beside you to do what’s right. The world is in a really crazy place right now, and anything I can do to spread awareness I will show up and do. Maybe it will reach one person, or two, or three...that is the beauty of having a platform. Use your platform for good.

I’m constantly amazed about how many brands are aligning with more causes every day. People are really conscious right now, and awake. They want to know they are spending money with a brand who is doing something to better the world.

I also worked with SECRET who launched a new campaign about transgender people, and what it must feel like for them to walk into a restroom and feel judged. That is a reality for many people, and something that should be shared and neutralized.

Any final advice for all the content creators out there in handling whatever gets thrown their way next?

Authenticity always wins. Be unapologetic about who you are, and have no fear. Perfection is bullshit, just find your voice and have a vision for what you want to create. Make sure to stand for something. That’s how you will find your tribe, keep giving, consistently.

Photo Credit: Smith House Photography/Alyssa Dawson Photography

Arianna Schioldager is Editor-in-Chief at Create & Cultivate. You can find her here. 

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How a Burning Man Honeymoon Led This Founder to Change Her Biz Model

Like many new couples, after Portland-based event rental company Something Borrowed founder Lane Bigsby married the love of her life, they went on a honeymoon. But instead of heading to a tropical destination or on a romance-and-baguette-filled trip to Paris, the freshly wedded duo headed to the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

Yes, that's right. They went to Burning Man, honeymooning at the mecca of anti-capitalism. But Bigsby came home with a renewed idea for her biz. 

So, we caught up with the founder to chat humble beginnings, what she notices when she first walks into a room, and why sustainability will always be a part of her biz. 

What inspired the beginnings of Something Borrowed? 

When I was planning my wedding, I noticed there was a lack of decor that was unique and less traditional. I scoured the area trying to find exactly what I needed for our small wedding, and after failed attempts to find anything I could rent, I ended up sourcing vintage and reclaimed items. I had thought of the idea of starting a rental business, but kept going back and forth with myself as I had just started a corporate job that I thought was going to be "the one" (aka my career job). After our Burning Man honeymoon, I came back with a much clearer sense of what it is I wanted to do with my life and working for corporate America just didn't feel as authentic and meaningful as it once did.

How did you being to compile your stock? Did it start with one piece? Multiple? 

Our hand-curated collection started off small, with the left over wedding items from my own wedding (vintage china plates, rustic wood crates, antique mason jars, etc.). It felt like such a huge leap to branch off into furnishings and upholstered seating, which I did about nine months later. But, I quickly saw the demand for the few furniture pieces we had and I knew that was the direction to take the business, especially considering there was no one else doing what we did at the time.

Was sustainability always part of the Something Borrowed story and what inspired that route?

Sustainability has always been at the core of Something Borrowed. After moving to Portland from a five year stint in Phoenix, I wanted to educate myself with local recycling regulations. Phoenix left me feeling very wasteful and I knew I had to make personal changes. Being raised in a very rural part of Alaska where we literally "lived off the land", instilled in me how much we can get by with so little. I went through a 6-week training program with the City of Portland, and later became a certified Master Recycler. My own wedding produced less than one small grocery bag of waste as my rule was that anything we needed for our wedding was to be easily recyclable, reusable, and repurposed, such as my wedding dress which was made from old dresses and fabric scraps. Sustainability is not only part of my personal beliefs, but one of our core values and has earned us a Gold Certification with the City.

No matter what way you swing it, events produce a lot of waste. There's a lot of one-time usage. But you create beautiful environments AND care about the environment. What are some easy switches we can make when throwing an event? 

Whenever possible, work with vendors who make sustainability a priority. Such as caterers or florists who source from local, organic farms. In fact, you can ditch the flowers all together and instead opt for longer lasting potted plants, which still help bring an event to life but are not ditched after one use. Instead of paper signage, opt for something cooler such as acrylic or treated wood which can be written on and reused many times. When you're looking to source, look to your local community first, versus buying into the temptation of a big box store who may have items trucked or shipped in from out of the country.

"When you're looking to source, look to your local community first."

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What are some ways you encourage your customers to be more eco-conscious?

We always try to offer suggestions on ways our clients can repurpose or use what they already have. We work with a lot of clients for their wedding and one tip we recommend is to reuse floral from your ceremony and incorporate it into your reception. Also, instead of using throw-away items such as plates and cutlery, opt for durable dishware. If cost is an issue, opt for basic place settings which are less expensive, but dress up your table with cool, colorful glassware or table linens that can help pull your look together so that it's cohesive.

Portland and the PNW are definitely a city leading this charge of sustainable. What is it about being in Portland that has inspired you to be even better?

We are surrounded by nature... the coast to the West and mountains to the East. One of the countries largest urban forest sits directly across the river from our warehouse and we want to do what we can to preserve its natural beauty. The City makes it easy to be as green as possible, offering programs and services to residents and businesses wanting to do their part, but who may not know where to start.

What are a few secret tricks of the trade for creating a beautiful and memorable event? 

Excite the senses! You must not only create a visibly pleasing space with decor and lighting, but don't forget about the music, drinks, food and scents. Also, put effort into the theme of your event as this will spark the interest of your guests. It allows them the opportunity to step out of the ordinary and mundane, and into the extraordinary.

What is the most important part of an event?

The atmosphere you create for your guests. Orchestrate an environment that will WOW your guests, leaving them talking well after the party has ended. This might be curated decor that speak to and enhance your brand, interactive activities giving guests something to do, or creating swoon-worthy scenes that are so picture-perfect, you can't help but want to snap a photo to share with others which in turn creates buzz for your next event.

What is your favorite part of an event?

I love seeing how a blank slate can be transformed into a beautifully stylish space. You put in the hard work, plan for months, hand select your vendors and then to see it all come together is priceless!

When you walk into someone else’s event what is the first thing you tend to notice?

I tend to notice the details first. Does the scene fit with the brand or message of the event? Are there cool aspects that you may not have seen yet? People crave the unique and interesting and when I see this, I know the organizers put a lot of effort into truly understanding who their guests are and what vibe they want to create.

Photo credit: Something Borrowed Site

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A Day in the Life: From Auto Designer to Sustainable Fashion Boss

Designer Vicki von Holzhausen grew up next to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, a school she calls, "one of the best for design." In high school she attended their industrial design classes where she discovered a love for the automotive.  "Cars," von Holzhausen says, "are basically the most intricate and impactful products one can design so I immediately gravitated to them." She ended up attending Art Center College, in CA as well as on their European campus, where she was exposed to the German automakers which lead to an award-winning career at Mercedes in Germany.

Though it's not a world inhabited professionally by many women, von Holzhausen says, "the interesting part is that 85% of car purchasing decisions are made by women so there should be more women in it. I think it's a matter of exposing female design students." She's thankful she was exposed at a young age. She's also married to Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen, who certainly knows a thing or three about sustainability. 

But as of 2015, the designer made the full time switch from automotive design to handbag designer with the launch of her sustainable Malibu-based von Holzhausen bags and accessories-- product set apart as a result of her time in auto design. As a lifelong career fan of German industrial designer, Dieter Rams, the founder explains that she still abides by many of his design principles. "The ones that resonate with me the most are that good design should be honest, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly. My goal was to build a brand based on the principle that I believed in: a future-minded approach, timeless style, and sustainability."

"Good design should be honest, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally friendly."

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With her eponymously named von Holzhausen line she mixes old world techniques with new, both of which she says, "play a role in our sustainable approach." For instance, the brand uses an innovative substitute for leather they call "Technik-Leather," which greatly improves the waste factor. "Since Technik-Leather is created in rolls, unlike cow hides," she shares, "there are no irregular edges, allowing our patterns to lay side by side with little waste between each piece. Our traditional approach has to do with using local talent here in Los Angeles to create our bags and accessories. We also finish all the details by hand since that's the best way to ensure the highest quality. We paint all the edges of each bag by hand which looks amazing and helps ensure longevity."

We caught up with the founder to find out what a day in the life of a sustainable designer looks like, what time she calls it quits, and what she learned from her design school all-nighters. 

6:30am – 7am

I wake up early to check any urgent emails and spend about ½ hour going through my daily to do list from the day before. I try and get a workout in on my good days. My quick version is an app called SWORKIT and I do the 20minute core work out.  My long version is a H.I.T. class at my local gym, but I can only squeeze those in on days when I have a light morning schedule.

I get a coffee in during my work out. Preference is a black Blue Bottle pour over.

7:30 – 8:30am

Shower & dress. If I’m visiting the factory where I produce the collection, I usually wear my typical uniform like a pair of slouchy jeans and a silky button down shirt or tank and some easy slides.  If I’m working at my desk, I usually wear something like a jumpsuit or tank dress with one of our new belts to make it look more put together.

Around 9am

I spend at least 1 hour with emails and figuring out the day.  I eat breakfast either at my desk or on my way out the door.

I always try to be flexible when unexpected requests get thrown my way and I’m used to switching up my routine all the time.  As a young business, one of the advantages is that we can move quickly without too many issues, so flexibility is a huge benefit.

10am – 11 am

I run errands and try to get to the factory by 11am.  We usually review samples in progress 1st and then talk about our weekly production volume and orders in progress.

This can take as little time as ½ hour to as much time as 2 hours depending on the designs we’re working on.

Some days, I meet with other members of my team who work remotely either in the downtown LA Arts District or back on the west side of LA. Those meeting usually revolve around creative direction for photo shoots and marketing strategy.

Other days, I have lunch or coffee dates that revolve around making connections to other entrepreneurs. I’ve learned a great deal from meeting other women who work about the process of building a business.

3pm – 5pm

I’m back at my desk around 3pm to handle any new issues that rise up.  Then I try to spend at least a few hours before the end of the day organizing my team for the next few days.  I attempt to stay a few steps ahead of everyone so we can meet all upcoming deadlines having to do with things like new product launches, photo shoot production, and website design.  There is also an endless amount of paperwork that goes with running a business so I spend a few hours in that department as well.

Most days, I spend at least another hour on various calls during the afternoon since I’m more often than not, sitting at my desk.

6pm

If I have no dinner plans, I take an early dinner with my family and spend time with them until about 9pm.

10pm

I spend at least 1 more hour later in the evening on creative work.  It’s a habit I developed as a young designer in school and later in the auto industry when I spent countless all-nighters finishing projects.  It’s the time of day with the least amount of interruptions so I take advantage of it.

Images courtesy of von Holzhausen.

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How This Founder Turned a Major Problem Into 2.4 Million in Funding

How Many of You Have Done the Denim Wiggle?

The jump. The suck and shimmy. Even if you make it into your jeans, it still sucks to have to suck it in. And ordering denim online? Forget it. Without knowing how a certain brand fits you, their respective cuts and rises, it’s almost impossible to tell exactly how the pair you ordered will look on your body. Let's just agree: the return rate on online denim purchases is high.  

Until now. Fitcode is a simple answer to a complicated problem. Co-founded by former model Rian Buckley, Fitcode is a fashion data company that walks women through a quick series of 5 questions about their shape. It then displays denim options that would work best based on the users answers, providing denim recommendations from brands like Paige and Citizens for Humanity. Fitcode doesn’t carry product, but works with brands to amplify their customers and increase sales. “We integrate onto partner sites," the CEO explains. "We don’t need measurements, we don’t need body scans, we don’t need anything like that.” The company is focused on fit, not size.

As a former model it’s an answer to a problem Buckley witnessed firsthand. “I was young on set,” the co-founder shares, “and people don’t really talk to you. They think you’re just a model, but it gave me an unbelievable platform to listen. So while I stood on set and I would listen to these clients complain about the problems they were facing with e-commerce and the business going online and how customers don’t know how to shop online.” She says listening to the issues at hand is “what kept me sane for a while.” She also used it to her advantage. “People don’t notice you when you’re the model,” she says. For her that meant, “I could get a lot of information. I could discover a lot of problems and therefore I could create a lot of solutions.”

Three years, $2.3M in funding, and 95,000 users (and counting) later, Buckley is running an innovative startup that’s using technology to solve real problems for some of the denim industry’s biggest brands.

“We have a 94% quiz completion rate on partners sites," Buckley notes. "Which proves people are actively looking for a solution. Normal online surveys are anywhere from 8-9% completion rate and Fitcode is 94%. So women love the solution and want to be told which jeans to buy and want it to be easier.” She’s excited to report that Fitcode users are converting at “at least 4 times the rate a normal customer would convert." Which means, "They are trusting the product, they are returning exponentially less, and it’s just been successful for all of our partners.” And for women. Buckley is determined to take the pain out of the online shopping process. 

While the modeling world might not have taken the CEO seriously, she says the industry prepared her to run a company. We're talking thick skin. “I founded this company when I was 25 and we launched when I was 26. I had never worked in tech. I had never run a business and now suddenly I was the CEO of a technology company. And the foundation for that came from modeling because I was so used to being undervalued and overlooked.” That and Buckley had total confidence that she could solve the denim problem. “You know,” she adds, “my mom used to always say, ‘Be like water off the duck.’ Whatever people are saying just keep charging ahead. Let it roll off and charge ahead.”

It also taught her to take criticism. “When you’re looking for investment or looking to scale, people always criticize,” she says. “Because it’s the easiest thing to do— they can point out the places where you’re failing and use those things against you." Unlike the modeling world, where the criticisms she faced about her looks were things she couldn't change, in business she feels "empowered" by them. With Fitcode she explains, "the things you’re criticizing me for I can actually make a change. I can change my decisions.” 

Like many other women in tech, being undermined has been a part of her journey. “Women in technology,” Buckley says, “are so underserved and we are always overlooked. It is one of those fields where it’s really male-focused and male driven. I think people underestimate women repeatedly.”

"People underestimate women repeatedly.”

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She wasn't deterred, even when she found herself explaining her product to a room of men. “I’ll use an example from a big retailer I had a meeting with, not for investment but for partnership," she says. "I walked into this meeting as a 27-year-old woman who had a lot of experience in the fashion industry and understood the problem of women’s denim fit pretty intimately. And I sat across the table from 11 men. I was the only woman in the room and I had these men explain to me how to get women into jeans that fit and why their solution was better than the one I was bringing to the table. And it was so clear to me in that moment why companies are failing online. Because they have a bunch of men trying to solve a problem for women.”

"It was so clear to me in that moment why companies are failing online. Because they have a bunch of men trying to solve a problem for women.”

She says the next step for retailers is to expand their plus-size business. “There is a huge underserved market of plus-size women. And plus-size women, they’re just women too. But brands don’t think about them that way. What they’re missing is that this is just a woman who wants jeans that fit.” Fitcode's mission includes empowering all body types. She also had another goal. One she met. 

Though she raised funding, Buckley says, “My goal all along was to see how little investment I could take to see how quickly I could get cashflow positive. That was a really powerful thing I was able to do. Especially as a woman CEO you have to do things differently because people are always going to come in with a little bit of doubt. That is just the fact of the matter. Now, if I can walk into the room and say I don’t need your money, I make my own money. That is the power."

photo credit: Photography for Fitcode by @tawnieakman

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Exclusive Interview: Meet the Woman Behind a Billion Dollar Biz

As the granddaughter of Estée Lauder, the co-founder of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder Companies, Jane Lauder grew up on the front lines of the beauty industry. Today she serves Clinique as Global Brand President. 

"It’s my aesthetic," Lauder shares of the iconic American brand. "It’s so simple but so incredibly effective." Working with such an iconic brand can be challenging, but Lauder maintains that “when my grandmother started this company and for her it was always about quality. Quality never goes out of style. Brands come and rise up, but people always come back to quality." 

"Quality never goes out of style."

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Prior to her leadership role with Clinique, she oversaw the Origins, Ojon and Darphin brands. Under her leadership, Origins, grew significantly and expanded globally. And yet, she's returned to her Clinique roots, the brand she first worked with when joining the company in 1996. 

"It’s always modern. It never feel dated, it always feels relevant," she says. "I've always loved the simplicity. It looks so simple but everything going on underneath is what makes it so impactful. It’s kind of like your iPhone, it looks so chic but it’s all the things behind-the-scenes that make it that simple."

Most recently Clinique collaborated with beloved designer Jonathan Adler on #CLINIQUExADLER, an exclusive new makeup collection styled by the design guru. "We are always looking at brands that we want to collaborate with, Lauder says. "Brands that have the same aesthetic and that are great American icon brands." How Clinique decides on partnerships is fairly simple. "We sit as a team and put down on paper the people we think are incredible and would love to work with. Sometimes it works." Adler was top of the list. Beyond his obvious style chops, Lauder notes that Adler's "tiny treasures, big pleasures," idea is what Clinique makeup is all about. (Scroll through the below album for exclusive pics from our Create & Cultivate brunch with Clinique at Jonathan Adler's Shelter Island home.) 

"It’s so important that we’re really listening to what these women want," she explains. "The hardest part about this brand is that people fall in love with a product and they take it super personally if you try and discontinue anything. Even if it’s only 300 people that are buying it, it’s really hard for us to move onto something else. We only discontinue something that we’re sure we're replacing with something better. You never get rid of the classics, but we are constantly thinking about how to make our products better. WE always want to TOP ourselves.”

That includes the collection with Adler. This marks his first foray into beauty. Inspired by '60s pop and Adler's signature geometric and poppy style, Lauder says, the collection includes "A simple silver case that can give you so much pleasure with the right color in it." She also "obsessed" with the brushes, gushing, "I love all the colors and wear all of them, but the brushes, I gotta have those pink brushes." The collection also includes several of Clinique’s best-selling makeup products in standout summer shades. His inspiration? His inspiration? “That iconic Clinique green has always signified freshness,” says Adler. “I wanted the collection to be bright, bold and fresh, and make women feel more glamorous.” Check the limited edition collection out here. (And enter to win a giveaway below.) 

As for the brand, Lauder says, "We’re really trying to figure out who the Clinique customer is— every woman has had a piece of Clinique or used it. We’re noticing that the more mature millennial is our sweet spot-- a lot of women who are now taking care of their skin and going through life changes. They are getting married, having children, working, and there is so much going on in their that they want something that is a simple routine but gives them a remarkable result. Quality and effectiveness, but also that’s real.

Admitting that she had acne as a girl, Lauder knows that, "Skin is super personal and really emotional. When you wake up with great skin it’s really transformational." 

"When you wake up with great skin it’s really transformational."

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And it always comes back to quality. "For us, whenever we’re creating anything it has to be of the highest quality. They have to be collaborators of the highest quality. Whatever we create has our name on the packages. As a company that is the most important thing.” 

Mandy Moore Is So Over Doing This

In January of this year wearing a blue sweatshirt with the words, "For most of history Anonymous was a woman," across her chest and a pink "pussy" hat, actress Mandy Moore, joined a reported fellow 750,000 women, men, and children at the Women's March in Downtown Los Angeles. 

Though the pop "Candy" songstress turned Golden Globe nominated actress has received accolades for her current work on This Is Us on NBC, Moore took the streets as if to say, This, Is ALL of US. "What a way to celebrate the collective energy of so many people unwilling to sit idly by. One for the books," the award nominee wrote on her Instagram. Not what some would expect from a former TRL charter, but crushing career stereotypes is part of her repertoire.

Moore escaped the standard downward spiral of a young-to-fame pop princess. When critics said she was simply “too nice,” she kept working, at times typecast, but steadily building her acting career. Since her debut in role in 2001 as the voice of a Girl Bear Cub in Dr. Doolittle 2, Moore has been cast in over twenty films. She managed to keep her 2015 divorce relatively private. And steers clear of the pomp and circumstance of Hollywood. Maybe it's that angelic smile that keeps her floating above the drama, or the fact that Moore keeps her head as firmly attached to her shoulders as her feet to the ground. “At 32 years old, I feel a comfort in my own skin and a sense of determination in my choices that I thought I had all along but really I had no idea,” the actress admits. "There’s no substitute for time or the wisdom and clarity that comes with it. I’ve been working hard to quit apologizing for things I have no control over or no business apologizing for in the first place.”

Or perhaps it’s the lessons she’s kept tucked in her toolkit from her teen years in a notoriously sexist music industry. “Surround yourself with GOOD people,” she says. “I’m lucky enough to have a stable and supportive foundation when it comes to my family and friends so I’ve always attributed that as being the most critical piece of the puzzle. Beyond that, always, always, always trust your gut. When in doubt, DON’T.” 

"Always, always, always trust your gut. When in doubt, DON’T.” 

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Those women include a stellar squad of empowered women who, Moore says, have “shown me that there’s so much value in learning how to say no, staying true to your vision and finding the courage to take risks.” And her mom, who sent her daughter a pillow the morning of the Globes embroidered with the phrase, “so believed she could so she did.” That she has. 

At present, the low-maintenance performer's risks include making active and bold choices in her life and career, something that wasn’t always the case. “Like a lot of people,” she explains, “I allowed fear to govern my life for a period. I became exceptionally good at making myself and my needs as minuscule as possible as not to disturb other parts of my life. Once I realized that those broken patterns weren’t leading me where I wanted to go, I leaned into the pain, embraced change and started owning my power.” Whether she’s singing, acting, or marching down Broadway, the choices she’s making are her own. 

The industry, and the viewers who turned out in droves to watch This Is Us last fall, are taking notice. With a radical 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a two-season renewal from the network, things are looking sweet for Moore. But she’s not taking any of it for granted. “Having a job that inspires and challenges me as much as this one does is all of the reward I could ask for. Having said that, this is a WHOLE new world to me and it’s equal parts mind-blowing and humbling. I keep reminding myself to be in the moment and that it’s ok to really appreciate it and not write it off too quickly.” 

We suggest taking a similar approach to Moore and her career, wherever that particular march may take her.

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

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How One 28 Year Old Phenom Got Recruited by Arianna Huffington

At only 28 Callie Schweitzer has a career highlight reel most often reserved for retirement parties. (We think people still have those.) At 24, Forbes called her one of NYC "best networked youngsters." She is also an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in The New York Times, TIME, The Huffington Post and PEOPLE. Which caught the attention of HuffPo herself, Arianna Huffington who recruited Schweitzer to be the Chief Content Officer at her new life and well-being platform, Thrive Global. 

And despite what you've read (or refused to read), Callie knows that this is an incredibly exciting time for journalism. Here's why. 

Who: Callie Schweitzer

Where: Chief Content Officer, Thrive Global

Why: Tell us a little about your background. How did you get into the content world? 

A: When I was in fourth grade I earned the nickname “Sherlock Schweitzer.” I was always on the lookout for a good story or the clue to one. I’m pretty sure I’d written a library full of books about Beanie Babies and Junie B. Jones by the time I graduated elementary school. But my actual career in the content world really started as a journalism student at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. I was the editor-in-chief of a student-run news site called Neon Tommy, and that experience of running a newsroom of over 200 student volunteers kickstarted my entrepreneurial hunger for great stories and how they’re told. I had always wanted to be an investigative reporter, but it was running Neon Tommy that made me see that I cared much more about making sure people got the news than being the person who wrote it. My path since graduation has been at companies of all different sizes -- Talking Points Memo, Vox Media, Time Inc. and now Thrive Global -- but my passion has stayed the same. I want to make sure great content is widely read.

Q: So more importantly, why have you stayed and climbed the ranks in the content world? 

A: This is an incredibly exciting time in journalism. The new technology we have available to us -- from VR and AR to voice-enabled technology like Amazon Alexa—just enhances our storytelling abilities. Digital and social media have had a tremendous impact on how new ideas spread. One of the reasons I joined Thrive Global is because of my interest in helping people live better lives. Thrive is all about action and helping you go from knowing what to do to actually doing it. I love that we’re working to help people put content and stories into action and covering some of the defining topics of our time, like our relationship with technology. 

"I want to make sure great content is widely read."

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Q: What about your job do you wish people knew? 

A: There’s no such thing as a typical day, and I love that. I might go from a meeting with a partner and brainstorming feature ideas to testing a new product and working on our corporate content curriculum, which we use in our corporate trainings and digital learning programs. 

Q: I read something last month about the death of the opinion piece. Would love to know your thoughts on that...

A: The opinion piece is alive and well! I think it’s really important to expose yourself to as many perspectives as possible -- especially in today’s world. Studies show that your weakest ties can lead you to news you wouldn’t have discovered yourself. We have to force ourselves to get outside our filter bubbles and learn about parts of the world where people don’t live the way we do. I so believe in following people and news you don’t agree with so that you always have an understanding of someone else’s “why.” 

"You always have an understanding of someone else’s 'why.'”

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Q: And where do you think the world of content is heading?

A: I think that the world of content is going to become increasingly personalized. People are looking to be super-served in areas they’re passionate about. Our on-demand world means that people want the content they want when they want it. It’s our job as content providers to make sure we’re finding people where they are, syncing with their habits and delivering them content that helps them live their lives better -- whether that’s informing them, entertaining them or engaging them. 

Q: For sites that are publishing a TON of content, how would you suggest readers sift through it?

A: I think it’s really key to find a format that works for you. For me, that’s email newsletters. I’ve been obsessed with them for years. I think they’re amazing containers for curated content delivery. For someone else, it might be a print newspaper or magazine, news apps, Facebook or Instagram. 

Q: And how do you as a reader sift through the content online?

A: I really rely on email newsletters for a lot of my topic-specific news -- politics, media, tech, etc. -- but throughout the day I’m visiting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and various news sites’ homepages to make sure I’m up to date. I’ve really re-invested in visiting homepages directly since the election. I also do a ton of reading on the subway with my favorite read later app, Pocket. And I subscribe to a ton of podcasts to get even more news and information. 

Q: How much time do you spend reading content offline?

A: I am a huge print reader. I still subscribe to about 12 magazines ranging from Businessweek and New York Magazine to Vogue and Glamour, and read them every month. 

Q: What was the most crucial skill that you brought to your job?

A: I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and an adaptability for rapid change. That’s been important in every role that I’ve had, but especially at a fast-moving startup like Thrive Global. 

Q: What was a skill you were able to develop over time?

A: A big part of what we’re focused on at Thrive is the idea that we don’t have different selves for our work lives and personal lives -- that we bring our whole selves with us wherever we go. So one of my favorite things about working here is that we can be free to be open about our “sacred time” -- the time you need each day/week/month to be your best self. I love that my coworkers hold me accountable for mine and I hold them accountable for theirs. I know them as their whole selves -- not just their “work” selves. 

Q: Do you think the role of editor/content creator is more important than ever… and of course, the why?

A: The role of editor and content creator is definitely more important than ever. In a world of fake news and filter bubbles, it is so crucial that we have people who are committed to making sure people get a wide range of real news and meaningful content that affects them. 

Photo credit: Golden Rule Excelsior 

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Finally! It's the Launch of the Best Plus-Size Collection Ever

photo credit: Premme. 

"We're so excited to finally debut our collection, Premme. This is a dream come true for both of us and something we've been working on behind the scenes for years," shares blogger Nicolette Mason. 

Launched online this morning Premme is the fashion-forward collection from Mason and fellow blogger Gabi Gregg of GabiFresh, with rightly fresh pieces sized 12-30. A combo of the words premiere, premium, feminist, and femme, Mason says, "Premme was born out of our own frustrations in the plus-size fashion market. We know there are amazing brands out there (and we've been shopping them for years) but still felt like something was missing, and we wanted to create a collection of statement pieces for the babes who aren't afraid to break the fashion rules." 

photo credit: Premme 

Furthering, "It's been SO hard to keep this secret, but we're so excited to finally share everything. We're starting with a limited edition run of 15-pieces that are inspired by street style and runway trends and are informed by our work experience and the insight our community has shared with us over the years. We can't wait to go on this journey together and grow as a brand."

We can't wait either. 

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Meet the Beverage That Will Replace Your Beloved Rosé

Maybe we were a little overzealous. Rosé is never going away. (Prayer hands.) But, if RAMONA wines founder, Jordan Salcito, has a say in the drinking game (which, based on her career experience, she does) you're going to fall head over heels for her canned (yep) lightly sparkling organic Sicilian wine blended with natural ruby grapefruit. Salcito is a Master Sommelier candidate. She was sommelier and manager at Eleven Madison Park and Momofuku, the latter of which earned several awards and three James Beard semi-finalist nominations.

While the wine world can feel a bit snobby, RAMONA is wine, but cooler. So we say sign us up. We caught up with the founder below to chat beverages, bubbles, and what cross-country running has to do with it all. 

You’ve been a part of the sommelier world— when you said you wanted to package RAMONA in a cute, poppy, branded aluminum can… what was the feedback? 

For me, the most important aspect of RAMONA has always been trying our best to create a delicious product with the same quality and value system as the great wines of the world I seek out, drink, have helped produce and have long admired.  I've had the opportunity to work at some incredible restaurants - from Eleven Madison Park to Momofuku, as well as at some incredible wineries - and those experiences have underscored for me that style is always second to substance.  

The sommelier community has been incredibly supportive!  One of my favorite moments at the Aspen Food & Wine festival recently were several Master Sommelier friends drinking RAMONA throughout the weekend.  More recently, dear friend and James Beard Award Winner / winemaker Rajat Parr has become a RAMONA fan too.  He's posted about it a on Instagram -- the ultimate compliment.

You knew a lot about wine, but how much did you understand about the manufacturing process before launch? And what was the first call you made to get going?  

Luckily thanks to Bellus (www.belluswines.com) as well as experience working harvests in Burgundy, Tuscany, Sicily, Patagonia and California, I knew something about wine production.  That said, RAMONA is very different from Bellus or any of the more traditional wines I've had the opportunity to work with.  Canned wine is an extremely new market and so many things - like finding the right canning partner, sourcing cans, testing the recipe were just much different than anything I'd done previously.  

My first call was to a brilliant friend, Charles Bieler, who makes wine and has long pushed boundaries with packaging. 

Blogger Bethany Marie imbibes. 

Who is the last person you talked to who gave you great business advice?  

Christina Tosi, Christina White, my friend Bill, and Rajat Parr.

You have a background in wine, but what else prepared you for this journey?  

Running Cross Country in college (and subsequently the NYC Marathons a few years after that) have been invaluable exercises in preparing for any journey and sticking with it during difficult moments!

We talk a lot about mentorship at C&C, do you have a mentor or someone you turn to for biz advice?  

I'm very fortunate to have an amazing team of partners and advisers at RAMONA who are very generous with their insight.  In addition, my husband, Robert, is the ultimate sounding board.

What has been your biggest learning curve?  

Wearing so many hats at the same time. I constantly wish the day held more than 24 hours. 

You’re launching national distribution this summer! Which, is exciting and amazing. How did you figure out how to negotiate what that looks like?  

We chose markets and distribution partners that we know and believe in.  We launched in New York, our biggest market, but Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Colorado have been incredible partners as well.   

Where do you see the company in five years?  

I hope we are able to continue to empower people to drink what they like and keep open minds and fresh senses of curiosity about wine!

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Meet the Celeb Stylist Who Styled OG Beyoncé

Two days ago Billboard released its list of 100 greatest girl group songs of all time. Coming in strong at No. 7 is Destiny’s Child’s iconic anthem Say My Name. The year was 1999 and Destiny's Child was starting to make serious moves (take a 4-minute break and relive this greatness).

On set for the song's video, stylist Negar Ali Kline was holding it down in the wardrobe department. Glossy lipstick was en vogue. There were still four members of the group to dress. And though she recalls it being her longest shoot ever, ("a record 26 hours!!") the styling maven says, "There’s nothing better than being in a wardrobe truck with my team and in the trenches together. In battle together."

As for Queen B? "Even at the very beginning, Beyoncé was just pure magic and such a force," she says. "I remember all the ladies were so gracious and down-to-earth Southern girls. The video shoots were epic, this was the height of the big budget video."

"There’s nothing better than being in a wardrobe truck with my team and in the trenches together."

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In the early 2000s that was the life of celebrity stylist Negar Ali Kline, who has styled everyone from Beyoncé to Tom Hanks to comedian Maya Rudolph and badass Jessica Lange. If it sounds like a dream career, it is, but Kline has put in years of hard work, building relationships with people across town, and navigating the styling space with smarts and class. The sought-after stylist says she "really paid her dues" in New York, developing her confidence and experience at Paper Mag. "At the time," she notes, "there were only a handful of stylists— celebrity styling wasn’t a thing." 

When we meet up with Kline, she’s wearing her LA uniform: jeans, sweater, and a block heel. But she doesn’t carry any of kind of industry bravado. We're at Palace Costume, a beloved industry spot only open to pros. It is owned and operated by Melody Barnett, who opened her doors in 1960 as a vintage clothing retailer. Barnett was the first vintage retailer on Fairfax. Today, the 36,000-square-foot emporium houses over half a million different pieces, making it one of the largest vintage clothing collections in the entire country (and not open to the pub, sorry!) Also on the scene is Lee, the costume house's second employee. Kline has known him since her first pull. 

Despite having come for twenty years, she’s like a kid in a candy store. "The first time I walked in here," she says, her eyes already moving toward the rows of racks on racks, "it was intimidating and overwhelming, but at the same time I knew this is what I was meant to do. I was 19, but it was very obvious." As we walk through the rooms and floors of goodies, Kline points out some of her favorites and for whom she's pulled. "The Western room, I've pulled for Beck." She casually mentions one of her first jobs assisting on an Elton John video. She's more enthralled by the clothes than the big names she's worked with. A stylish though-and-through. 

The costume house is organized by decades and themes. There's a veritable polyester playground. “Wardrobe at That ‘70s Show has definitely pulled every single shirt here,” she jokes. There are rows of 1920s gowns and piano shawls, the likes of which you’d see mostly on extras she says, in period movies like The Hours. Being here with Kline is like walking down memory lane with her via articles of clothing, and is a testament to the longevity of her twenty year career. 

Along her career the Los Angeles-based stylist and mom has weathered every storm. Part of her strategy has been mixing up the work. She’ll work on big agency jobs, styling big brand commercials, as well as editorial shoots and press tours. 

"I think the biggest misconception is that its 'glamorous,' she shares. "The truth is that it is a tremendous amount of hard work- literally and metaphorically 'heavy lifting.' The process really requires left brain and right brain. It is creative, but there is also managing the budget, team and client expectations, and an insane amount of organization."

She continues, "I always find it hard to describe what I do because there’s a bit of range from advertising styling to red carpet to costume design on a film, and they each require a different philosophy and approach. There are many levels to it."

For Kline, her 360-degree approach to the biz keeps things from getting stale. "I feel very grateful that I have a range," she explains. "One day we’re shopping or pulling at Tom Ford and the next we’re at Kohl’s in Sun Valley for Lauren Conrad." Though some jobs are inevitably more glamorous than others, she maintains that she's much happier working like this. "I like to constantly be challenged, with styling there is always a new problem to be solved. With every project it’s different."

Like one of her most recent jobs styling yet another QUEEN, Jessica Lange, on the Feud press tour. "With editorial and music video, there are quite a lot of creative liberties one can assert. On a press tour, you are not dressing a 'character,'" she says, explaining the various nuances of her job. "It’s more about feeling authentic and comfortable in what they are wearing and cultivating a personal style." 

With more corporate clients, Kline says those companies are hiring her to have a POV, even if that means gently pushing back against their comfort zone. "When I find myself in those situations, for instance, in a room with a creative director and the agency and they’re looking to me for an answer, I have to explain the 'why.' Why I believe your hero character should be in denim rather than a suit— that’s really the job of a stylist. Something as small as the hem of a shirt. The width of a tank top strap. There are so many thing that go on behind-the-scenes." Kline says that clients appreciate, and continue to hire you, when you have the knowledge to back up the 'why.'

Though she no longer works on music videos (BTW she's also done OG Snoop and Puffy videos NBD), explaining that "3am fittings are not conducive to morning drop-offs when you have a family," someone she'd still love to work with is Sofia Coppola. " I love the aesthetic of her films and I am very much drawn to working with female directors."  

To check out more of Negar Ali's work, see her portfolio here. 

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

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Find Out Why Women Are Running the Weed Industry

graphic credit: Moon Bacon

Karson Humiston is the founder of Vangst— the cannabis industry's largest and leading recruiting resource. Since launching in 2015, her company has successfully connected over 3,000 skilled workers with jobs. 

It’s an industry that’s growing. And that is incredibly exciting for Humiston and other women who are getting in at the ground level. 

Humiston has always had that entrepreneurial kick. When she was younger her family lived on a golf course. At night, the budding business woman would head out with a bag and collect golf balls. She’d clean them and sell them back to the golfers the following day. “I convinced the kids in my neighborhood to help too. They set up second stands and I would pay them.” 

So how did she go from manicured greens to the green industry? The same as other entrepreneurs— she recognized a need and the ability to fill a void. A new report from New Frontier Data projects that by 2020 the legal cannabis market will create more than a quarter of a million jobs. The legal cannabis market was worth an estimated $7.2 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 17%.

That’s a lot of jobs in an economy that has seen better days. And what does a growing industry need? Recruiters. Good ones. Huminston is great. 

We caught up with the impresario to talk cannabis, job creation, and why there are so many women at the top of the weed chain. 

Can you tell us a bit about how you got started, the backstory of what led you down this career path? For some, it’s certainly not an obvious choice. 

When I was in college I had a student travel company. After I sold my student travel company I realized I had a really big network of students and recent grads. I was trying to figure out what these group of people needed. I realized they needed jobs. And an industry that was very interesting to me because of the high growth and career opportunity potential was the cannabis. industry. I went to career services [at St. Lawrence in upstate New York] to get their general sense on the cannabis industry. They were horrified. They were not interested in helping people find jobs in the cannabis industry, helping alumni find jobs or current students. So I went to a cannabis trade show to do a little of my own investigating and was blown away by the types of jobs that were available. From accounting jobs, marketing jobs, cultivation jobs, there were a ton of jobs and there was no source to help people find jobs in the space. So I literally graduated and got in my car and drove to Denver where I didn’t know anybody. I had no place to live. I lived in a hotel for the first half. And I started the company first focusing on young professionals in the cannabis industry. 

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I started the company first focusing on young professionals in the cannabis industry."

So how did you make those first connections because weed is legal in Colorado but not in a lot of other states. How did you break down doors?

So the business used to be called ‘Gradjuana,’ which was connecting college students and recent college grads with cannabis jobs. Like I said I was at the trade show and I pitched myself as being with Gradjuana. I said, “Hey I have a huge network of college grads and recent grads. I'm a college grad myself and I had this other company that allowed me to help build this huge network for other people. So I could help you find your next entry level person for just a small fee.” At that first trade show I spoke with everyone at every booth asking, “What positions are you hiring for?” With anything entry level I would send it out to my personal database. People would apply and I would interview them and check their references from past on campus jobs and then connect them with the company. So when I moved to Denver, to be honest it was a door-to-door strategy I didn’t have the money for some huge marketing campaign. I would walk into dispensaries or people’s offices and say, “I’m Karson with Gradjuana and I heard you’re hiring an intern,” —  even if they weren’t. And they would say, “Actually we’ve been talking about hiring an intern can you help us?” I went all in that summer, connecting a lot of interns and recent grads with cannabis companies. In September a company came to me and said they needed a technical writer, construction project manager, and an executive assistant. They didn't want entry level, but someone with 5-7 years with experience. They said, "We are paying our current search firm 20% of annual salary, you obviously don’t seem to know what you are doing so we’ll give you 8% if you can find these roles." At that point a huge lightbulb went off in my head and I decided to take a risk and go out and hire my first two recruiters.

How long have you been in business now?

Two years ago we realized there was an opportunity far beyond interns and recent grads. That’s when we rebranded to be a full search firm. Fast forward, now we are a team of 25 employees. It has really grown a lot since door to door intern placement. I got my first official placement on July 12, 2015. I'll never forget it. Her name is Kiara and it was an intern placement for Open Bake.

So it’s been almost exactly two years to date? I assume the bulk placements are happening in states where the industry is legal…?

I can’t believe it’s been 2 years. Right now 29 states have legal medical marijuana and eight states are recreationally legal. What is really interesting for our business is that a lot of clients are out of state.

Why is that?

So for example, a group in Maryland is awarded a license. So they need to hire some experts from within the industry. They’ll engage us to pull a director of cultivation to relocate from Colorado. Someone who understand how to grow cannabis in a potentially a 50-1000 square foot growth facility. Who understands how to come in and build the SOP, who can write the training manual,who understands compliance, how to source the equipment, how to source the nutrients and relocate their expertise to Maryland. We’ve chosen to stay in Colorado because this is where we started, we still have an awesome client base here but with that said about 40% of our clients are outside Colorado. A lot of them are in states that are just coming up.

Do you ever experience push back from the community? Especially in places where it's not legal?

Honestly, the community has been super receptive to it. One of the things we’re doing this year is we’re throwing some career fairs in different places and it is such a job stimulator.  There are currently 125,000 people employed in the states and we’re supposed to get up to 250,000 by 2020 —- meaning there will be more jobs created in cannabis than manufacturing. Look at Colorado, their unemployment rate is less than 2% right now. Not only is it creating a ton of tax revenue but a ton of jobs.

Even though it’s a relatively new industry, it’s hard to argue with numbers. We recently spoke with a female grower who said it’s interesting an interesting time because it is new and profitable. Women can get in at the ground and grow a career as the same rate a a man. Are you seeing any kind of gender split in applicants or placements?

Since it is a new industry there are so many opportunities for people to get in on the ground floor. And because we live in an age where women are so empowered, they are taking this opportunity of a leveled playing field to start companies. It hasn’t been predominantly run by men for the past 100 years. I think we’re all kind of starting at ground zero like you indicated earlier. I think that is awesome. So, last month of the people we placed in jobs, 63% of our placements were women. And at our company we have 19 female employees six guys. 

"Last month of the people we placed in jobs, 63% of our placements were women."

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You seem pretty fearless and willing to put yourself out there. Have there been any moments of doubt?

Yes of course. I think there are always times when you get to the end of a crazy week and you’re sitting there thinking, “Holy cow what am I doing?” But then I look around and we have helped over 3,500 people get jobs, we have 25 great people who work here, and we are doing a lot of really cool things that are paying off. But I’m from an East Coast conservative family, friends of my family are pretty conservatives, and many parents told me that if I did this, it was going to ruin my career. I’ve always been inspired to be in politics some day and many of them said, “You’ll never have a shot to be in politics, this is going to be the biggest mistake of your life.” Hearing that from people I’ve looked up to my whole life, I remember on the drive out here sort of feeling sick to my stomach, questioning if I was making the right choice, asking myself should I turn around and go back and find a job in Boston or New York like everyone else I know? And those types of moments don’t stop just because it’s working well now. I am now committed to the idea, which I think is a huge piece for anyone who is an entrepreneur to commit and stick through it and stay confident along the way. I know where we’re going and so far it’s working. I need to stay confident and things will continue to work out. 

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

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Here's Why Lauren Conrad Is Going to Make the Best New Mom

Lauren Conrad is no reality TV has-been, to say the least. A decade later, and new mama to son, Liam James Tell, the former star of Laguna Beach and The Hills has parlayed a flare for on-screen drama into a fashion and retail empire complete with best-selling novels, multiple fashion lines, and, now, The Little Market, an online fair trade shop empowering a network of global artisans to rise above the poverty line.

Yesterday, the new mom announced the birth of her son via Instagram, with this adorable shot claiming, "and then there were five."

Conrad has spent her post-reality years building a strong brand and name for herself-- and being an advocate for female artisans.  

With The Little Market, Conrad and partner Hannah Skvarla are supporting female artisans around the world by selling their handmade goods to socially conscious consumers who value ethical and sustainable manufacturing, not just stylish design. It’s a mutually beneficial partnership that allows customers to purchase beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces while enhancing the lives of women makers — it’s a far cry from tube tops, spray tans, and beachside boy beef with Heidi Montag and Stephanie Pratt.

Appropriately, the journey to the Little Market began in Africa, home to many of the market’s skilled craftswomen. “When we were trying to come up with the concept for The Little Market Hannah and I were visiting a girl's school in Africa,” Conrad tells us. “While we were there, we had the chance to speak to a lot of the students. When we asked them if there was anything they needed their requests were heartbreaking. Water, vegetables, and a bed. At the very end of our visit it began to rain and the girls started dancing around. The rain meant that they would not have to make their daily four hour round-trip walk to get freshwater and they would be able to read their books in the daylight because they have no electricity and can't study at night.”

Building a marketplace for remote regions devoid of technology isn’t always easy, but Conrad forges ahead with the help of her team. “Language barriers, internet access, long lead times, and customs all can make the process challenging. Fortunately, we have an awesome team who always seems to get it done somehow.”

Moreover, in a culture that increasingly craves fast fashion, it’s all the more important for The Little Market to establish that resonant emotional connection with its audience — to showcase the people behind the product, the lives who benefit from the exchange. “The more a consumer sees value in the story behind the product, the more likely they are to take an interest it where it comes from,” says Conrad, who knows a thing or two about design and manufacturing, herself a Kohl’s fashion mogul. “Continuing to tell these stories and see products for so much more than they appear to be will encourage others to do the same. Whether it's a shoe made from reclaimed plastic or an artisan made product that can help send girls to school, sometimes the message is just as important as the trend.”

"I've learned the value in saying no and learned to delegate."

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As The Little Market continues to make big moves, Conrad navigates the murky waters of being your own boss — she even allows herself at least one day a week off. “Even though you often have to work through the weekend you can give yourself a Tuesday off. It's important to have time to focus on things that aren't work related and to clear your mind. I've found that I'm happier and more productive this way,” advises Conrad, who knits, hikes, and hits the beach with her pups in her spare time and says having a partner has helped her to become more selfless. She’s also learning to be less hard on herself. “There was definitely a point in my life when I took on too much and was burning the candle at both ends. Since then, I've learned the value in saying no and learned to delegate. It can be hard to trust others to work on a brand that you spent so much time on, but you can't do it all,” muses the soon-to-be-new-mama.

At the heart of The Little Market is its mission to support women artisans around the world, but let’s not forget the work that’s left to do right here at home. “Female empowerment means looking at being a woman as a strength not a weakness. Because let's be honest, we are pretty damn strong.”

Photo credit: Lauren Conrad for Kohl's

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