Jenay Ross 11/16/15 Jenay Ross 11/16/15

Startup Toolkit: Get on Track with These Amazing Business Tools

Creating and managing a business isn’t easy. If it was, success would grow on money trees. And though the struggle is part of the process, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Let's say you’ve started your business, but now you need tools. Apps to make sure you're meeting all of your goals-- and your meetings.

To get your week started off on the right foot, we’re listing some of the best websites and apps to keep you on the right track to building a strong business!

Learnvest

If you’re just starting your business and are looking for a financial planner, Learnvest is for you. Knowing exactly where every nickel and dime goes is key to growth. Learnvest helps you keep strict tabs on your finances in both a simple and affordable (bonus!) way. Not only that, you get personalized advice that is aimed at both your personal and business financial goals. Get your financial plan in action and climb one step closer to the top of the ladder.

GoLive HQ

You know your company or brand isn’t set without a proper website. It's the face you show the web world. So forget that pretty (but boring) template that’s been used time and again. What you need is to call GO LIVE HQ for the most dynamic web design that’s right for your brand. The amazing all-girl team at Go Live HQ will Hook. You. Up. These web-savvy ladies will connect you with web designs, brand resources, and Go Live workshops that make web design easy as pie.

Mailchimp

If you haven’t thought about including a newsletter into your brand’s digital strategy, then think again. Even if you feel intimidated by the idea, Mailchimp makes creating and sending out newsletters simple. Not only is Mailchimp easy to use, but the service allows you to send emails at optimized times, and provides you with analytics that track newsletter campaigns and click-through rates. As the chimps say: send better email.

Asana

Some people work off their notebooks and write down every little thing they need to do every day. It's old school. It works. Sort of. Asana helps you project manage a lot better. It helps you craft a perfect to-do list. It also assists in managing team projects. You and your colleagues can check off tasks that are done, as well as easily see what still needs to be completed. It's effective digital teamwork. You do want to be organized, right?

Slack

Slack is the perfect way for you to communicate with your team. You can transfer files, integrate the tools that you already use for work (like Asana, Mailchimp, Twitter, Dropbox, and Google Drive), as well as categorize conversations based on what department you’re in. With Slack, you might just (happily) say goodbye to your outdated email, and switch to the platform that makes communication and team productivity much easier, more streamlined, and more transparent.

Shake

As a business owner, you have to know what contracts and legal agreements are going to keep your business running. That’s where Shake comes in. Shake is an app that allows you to create, sign, and send legally binding agreements in seconds. Perfect for business owners and freelancers alike, Shake aims to remove the stress of creating legally-binding agreements. If you’re hiring ,or just got hired for a freelance gig, Shake is going to be a lifesaver for you.

Jenay Ross 11/15/15 Jenay Ross 11/15/15

C&C Classifieds: Job Positions at 6 Rad Female-Led Companies

Fridays at Glossier - @glossier on Instagram

Some boss ladies want to start their own companies,and others want to support those companies and be a part of an amazing team. If you're looking to make the next step in your career and help support an amazing company, we've got you covered with some amazing positions at some of our favorite companies founded by kick-ass female entrepreneurs. Check out the positions down below!

Glossier - New York, NY

Not only are Glossier’s products one of our favorites when it comes to our daily skincare routine, but we’re in love with the way Emily Weiss has been able to grow the amazing brand in just over a year. Working on Emily’s team not only means that you’ll be working on amazing and fun brand that embraces natural beauty, but you’ll be working on a team that knows how to execute quality work and means business. Check out their openings below, and if they don't have what you're looking for, click here to get on their radar!

Positions Available:

Away - New York, NY

Away Luggage isn’t your ordinary luggage company. Just launched this month, Away is one of the companies that focuses beyond the product and applies the culture of travel to its brand. If you’re about that travel life, and want to contribute to a brand that embodies that vision, Away is for you.

Positions Available:

Food52 - New York, NY

Food52 is the destination for all culinary enthusiasts that. Not only is Food52 the perfect site to find amazing new recipes, but you’ll be able to find the perfect accessories for your kitchen and cooking needs. If you have the hunger to work with a company that can feed your career needs, you should apply to Food52’s positions below.

Positions Available:

Ipsy - Select US Cities

If you’re a beauty junkie, Ipsy is the company you want to work for. Ipsy, the brainchild of YouTuber Michelle Phan, is a monthly subscription that delivers new makeup samples right to your doorstep. Just in 4 years since it’s inception, Ipsy has already racked in more than $150 million in revenue. Want to be a part of this continuously-growing company? Check out the positions below!

Positions Available:

Tradesy - Santa Monica, CA

Tradesy is the destination for turning the items in your closet to cash, all through the use of their simple-to-use app. In just three years, Tradesy has had over a million customers and had been backed by investors such as Richard Branson and John Doerr. Not only that, but the company’s core values about being fearless, sharing your style, and transparency breeding trust are things we’re behind 100%. If Tradesy speaks to you, check out their positions below!

Positions Available:

Rent The Runway - Select US Cities

Rent The Runway has established itself as one of the go-to online destinations that have given fashion enthusiasts access to some of the most coveted designer pieces on the market, at less than half the price of retail. RTR is definitely a company that has thought outside of the box and capitalized on an opportunity that no one else had touched on. Now, it’s become a $400 million + business. Talk about a success story! Looking to work with a company that has set itself apart from the e-commerce world? Look at Rent The Runway’s positions, and become a part of the team!

Positions Available:

Jenay Ross 11/13/15 Jenay Ross 11/13/15

Pedal To The Metal: LA Accelerators To Jumpstart Your Idea

For months now, you’ve been set on making your business idea come true. You have the idea set in stone, and you’ve mastered your plan down to a T, but you just need a little bit of a financial push and some proper coaching on how to get your business off the ground. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of help available to get you up and running!

If you’re looking to kick your business into gear in Los Angeles, you’re in the right place. Now, more than ever, today’s prosperous world of Silicon Beach has been able to churn out successful companies, all with the help of accelerators and incubators that are designed to make your business grow at an exceptional pace. To give you your first boost in helping your startup grow, we’ve listed some great accelerators and incubators in LA that will set you up with the tools you need to get your idea to a million-dollar level. (You can thank us later.) ;)

If you’re looking to kick your business into gear in Los Angeles, you’re in the right place. Now, more than ever, today’s prosperous world of Silicon Beach has been able to churn out successful companies, all with the help of accelerators and incubators that are designed to make your business grow at an exceptional pace. To give you your first boost in helping your startup grow, we’ve listed some great accelerators and incubators in LA that will set you up with the tools you need to get your idea to a million-dollar level. (You can thank us later.) ;)

1. Science, Inc. Santa Monica, CA

As one of Silicon Beach’s most successful accelerators, Science has been able to implement its transformation strategy taken from experience at leading technology firms like News Corp, American Capital, AOL, and IAC to many fresh startups. They’ve got you covered on everything from technology, digital marketing, human resources, product, design, and business development, and have racked in 12 acquisitions, over $1B+ in exits, and have founded 8 companies. If companies like Medium, This Is Ground, Dollar Shave Club, MeUndies.com, and Dog Vacay can hang with these guys, you should too. Trust us, you’ll be in good hands.

2. MuckerLab - Los Angeles, CA

You can think of MuckerLab as school for startups. MuckerLab dedicates itself to all of its students, making sure they’re tapping in onto all the details that will make their business succeed, and having established CEO’s mentor them as well. With companies like StyleSaint, TaskRabbit, and Bloom Nation, you can see how strategies followed by MuckerLab has made companies like these widely successful.

3. Amplify - Venice, CA

Both a creative workspace and a curriculum-based accelerator, Venice-based Amplify is one of the OGs when it comes to accelerators in LA. Amplify has been able to add 40+ startups businesses to its portfolio, including RadPad, Sensay, Clutter, and The Bouqs. Not only do they invest in your idea, but they also offer amenities and creative workspace to you as a coworkers, making sure you feel right at home.

4. Originate - Los Angeles, CA

Established as a digital product development and venture firm, Originate helps design, build operate, and invest in transformative software products. They look for some of the brightest and boldest innovators to work with, and help them reach their business goals with their team of designers, developers, product strategists, and investors. If you’re looking to build a digital product, work with teams that have helped Flipagram and MileIQ become successful, and are ready to become a partner (not a client) with an accelerator, Originate is made for you.

Jenay Ross 11/12/15 Jenay Ross 11/12/15

Off The Grid: 5 Innovative Instagrammers Thinking Outside The Box

By nature, Instagram is meant to be a visual gateway to people's lives, creative minds, and storytelling. Quite often, we find ourselves following people that use Instagram in the same way that they use Twitter to update their followers with status updates, but there are accounts that know how to use Instagram to full its full potential and go way outside of the box.

With a set vision and story to tell on your Instagram, followers will always be more inclined to look at your Instagram and look at the thought behind it, rather than stop and look at your photo while they're scrolling through their Instagram feed. That's why we've compiled a list of some of the most impressive Instagram accounts that have inspired us to go beyond a single post and make a feed that can live together as a whole.

1. Tayst - @tayst

Taylor St. Claire, better known as Tayst on Instagram, has built one of the most visually captivating Instagram feeds with her floral and free-spirited doodles. Her feed makes us think back on all the doodles that we made on our notebooks in high school and wish that we never threw them away. By combining illustrations on amazing photos, Taylor shows that you don't have to be bound by just the picture you take and that you can go crazy with editing them to stand out.

2. Tea For Bear - @teaforbear

After you look at Tea For Bear's Instagram feed, you're going to want to look for all the geometry hiding in our every day lives, and apply it to all of your angles on your Instagram feed. By keeping all her photos to a 45 degree angle having a line cut right through two corners, Tea For Bear's entire feed diverts from the photos we're used to taking to making a cohesive slanted array of images that can live alone yet together in one feed.

3. A.L.C. Ltd. - @alc_ltd

New York-based designer Andrea Lieberman has been able to define A.L.C's image not only though the pieces in her collection, but also by curating a vibe and mantra to go hand in hand with her designs on her Instagram. By pairing selected quotes, looks, and images from some of the the prominent figures of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, Andrea has been able to present the inspiration for the brand with individual Instagram posts that still live cohesively in one feed.

4. Taku - @takubeats

Musician and photographer Taku has been one of the visionaries able lead the "grid movement" on Instagram, by using each of the rows on his Instagram grid to capture a seperate story in it's own from different angles and perspectives. The trick to his feed is always to always capture the same subject, but use different angles, different people, and different points of focus to make each photo significantly different yet able to live with the rest of the photos in one row.

5. A$AP Rocky - @asaprocky

Okay, so everyone knows A$AP Rocky for his rhymes, but his Instagram is one of the feeds that you have to follow if you aren't already. Think of it as an actual scroll that you have to physically roll out. With the use of texture and space, he is able to make all his images live in one grid all together. Just by looking at his feed, we want to get some Polaroid photos, add some actual paint or cardboard cutouts to add texture and see how it will all look in our Instagram feed. Rocky's feed is definitely thinking outside the box, and can help inspire you to use every element of visual imagery to its fullest.

What are some of your favorite Instagrammers that have crafted beautifully curated feeds, and have inspired you to practice your art direction skills for your own Instagram? Let us know below!

Jenay Ross 11/12/15 Jenay Ross 11/12/15

Meet the Speaker: Sophia Macks of Beyond The Mag

Founder and CEO of Beyond The Mag Sophia Macks has defined a brand for herself through creation, curation, and collaboration. With all the proper ingredients for a brand that thrives off of culture and fashion, Beyond The Mag has established itself as one of the most visually stunning platforms to date. It's her amazing vision that has racked in amazing collabs with Coach, Chanel, Barneys New York, and Harper's Bazaar (just to name a few.)

With all the focus on Beyond The Mag, we wanted to have a little fun and get to know Sophia a little more before we see her in January at Create & Cultivate Dallas. Get inside Sophia's head and make sure to catch her on Brand Vibes: How to create a brand that lives beyond the blog bubble at Create Cultivate Dallas!

With all the focus on Beyond The Mag, we wanted to have a little fun and get to know Sophia a little more before we see her in January at Create & Cultivate Dallas. Get inside Sophia's head and make sure to catch her on Brand Vibes: How to create a brand that lives beyond the blog bubble at Create Cultivate Dallas!

Your first job:

Marketing Coordinator at WeWork

Your first girl crush:

The Olsen Twins. Duh.

Favorite form of exercise:

Horseback riding

Which Disney character are you:

There's been a precise evolution: 3 year old Sophie was Wendy from Peter Pan, 7 year old Sophie was Nala from Lion King, this was followed by a large, Disney-free time gap, and now I'm the flying carpet from Aladdin.

In high school, you were voted “Most likely to..."

"create my own world & live in it.” They weren't wrong.....

Last thing you do at night before you go to bed:

Watch a documentary

Thing you can’t resist buying in the checkout line:

Ugh, that Wintergreen Trident gets me every time!

Your local coffee spot:

Starbucks on 43rd and 3rd. So basic! :/

Go-to cocktail:

Old Fashioned

Favorite time of year:

October 15th through end of Thanksgiving weekend.

Best gift you’ve ever received:

Puppies. Olivia (Portuguese Water Dog) in 2002 and Daisy (Cockapoo) in 2014.

Next thing on your to-do list:

"Dive the Titanic" and "write thank you note" are side by side with 50/50 chances of actually happening first. Stay tuned.

Proudest moment:

When I made Beyond The Mag into a profitable business.

Favorite quote:

"Your word is your master."

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THIS OR THAT

Your wallet: Totally organized, or packed with ATM receipts?

Contrary to popular belief, it's totally organized.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate. Though I don't mind a good swirl of 20% vanilla, 80% chocolate.

Saturday morning or Sunday night?

Sunday night, oddly.

Dinnertime responsibilities: Cooking or doing the dishes?

Neither! I set the table with clashing prints.

Karaoke: In the crowd or on the stage? If on the stage, what song?

On stage - anything from the RENT soundtrack or "Can't Fight The Moonlight" by Leann Rimes

Shopping: In store or online?

Both, but I'm famous for my online hunting skills amongst friends.

In flight: work, nap or movie?

A "Napvie" - the act of napping while simultaneously watching a movie.

At parties: On the dancefloor, deep in conversation, by the snacks?

Eating snacks on the dancefloor whilst engaging in deep conversation. That conversation ends immediately when I run out of snacks.

Jenay Ross 11/11/15 Jenay Ross 11/11/15

Create & Connect: Crafting a Balance with Eva Goicochea

We’re natural born doers and multitaskers. There’s always a million things we want to do, and with a hunger to hustle, we’re going to do it all. However, when it comes to managing tons of projects at the same time, you have to know how to balance all of them at once and known how to seamlessly move your focus from one to the other. That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at Logitech, in celebration of their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard, to highlight some of the most hard-working women in the digital space that have put multiple projects under their belt whose careers have thrived off of multi-tasking and efficient productivity.

This week, we have Eva Goicochea, digital brand strategist, entrepreneur and born traveller at heart. Eva, a Jill of all trades, has managed strategy and web design for many notable brands such as Virgin Atlantic, Herschel Supply Co ., and Shinola, just to name a few, and most recently, she has co-founded Tinker Watches and Maude. However, with all these clients and projects, Eva has maintained her own personal brand with her beautifully curated Instagram, so to learn on how we could be more productive in our own careers, we caught up with Eva and picked her brain a bit.

+ From your Instagram, we can see that you're a natural wanderluster. How have you found the balance when it comes to traveling, work, and life?

Because I run my own small studio and we're prelaunch with Maude and Tinker, I've been able to weave together a travel schedule that accommodates deadlines. If I have to work while I'm away, I'll make sure to find a co-working space or a coffee shop with elbow room and I'll try and link up with local clients to put in face-to-face time. Exception: In October, I didn't plan well and logged 17,000 miles of traveling without downtime. Needless to say, the emails piled up.

+As a natural born multi-tasker, how have tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard helped your productivity?

I often hesitate to answer emails on my phone as the keys are frustratingly small. The Logitech K380 Multi-Device keyboard makes using my phone for productivity and communication super simple since it connects via Bluetooth. If I'm out and need to answer emails, I don't have to lug around my laptop anymore!

+ What tips/tricks have you learned about keeping yourself organized when you're on the go?

I first set the expectation for communication by creating a thoughtful out of office reply, then I update my Dropbox and Wunderlist so that I have access to my work/to-dos from wherever I am.

+ What’s the best part of being busy?

When you juggle multiple projects, it's easy to be motivated by the variety and, because you're interests are split, you have to be efficient and be productive. I find that the busier I am, the happier I am.

"I find that the busier I am, the happier I am."

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+ How do you deal with the busy trap?

Organization is my best friend so I like the idea of scheduling everything anyway. If you agree to meet me for coffee, expect a calendar invite! So I don't deal with it—I celebrate it. (Shaking my head).

+ With Tinker Watches, Maude, and your roster of clients, how do you shift your focus from one project to another?

I typically set my day up in thirds: Current Business (clients, emails, etc.), New Business, and Tinker/Maude. I also use the different desktop feature on Mac (F3). It makes focusing so much easier.

+With producing digital content, strategy, marketing, branding, web design, and even becoming a founder of two companies, are there any more skills that you want to add under your belt?

IF I had the time, I'd learn how to code.

Stay tuned for our weekly Create & Connect series presented by Logitech, and learn more about the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard here!

Jenay Ross 11/10/15 Jenay Ross 11/10/15

One Size Fits All: How Stowaway Cosmetics Was Built To Last

Chelsea and Julie's idea for Stowaway was born from necessity, and nurtured with hard work and determination. If you haven’t already heard, Stowaway Cosmetics is a perfect example of kickass female entrepreneurs wasting no time to produce a product that serves a very practical purpose and educates women about their cosmetics. Focusing on how makeup is never finished, which leaves users hoarding expired makeup in their makeup bags, Chelsa and Julie produced a line of cosmetics that are petite, practical, portable, and are meant to be finished before they expire. We caught up with Chelsa & Julie to find out what it means to survive and thrive in today’s beauty industry.

Stowaway Cosmetics Co-Founders Chelsa Crowley and Julie Fredrickson

What if we told you that probably more than half of the makeup that you have in your collection is probably expired? Trust us, we're grossed out too and are refreshing our makeup bags thanks to the brainchild of Chelsa Crowley and Julie Fredrickson: Stowaway Cosmetics.

Chelsa and Julie's idea for Stowaway was born from necessity, and nurtured with hard work and determination. If you haven’t already heard, Stowaway Cosmetics is a perfect example of kickass female entrepreneurs wasting no time to produce a product that serves a very practical purpose and educates women about their cosmetics. Focusing on how makeup is never finished, which leaves users hoarding expired makeup in their makeup bags, Chelsa and Julie produced a line of cosmetics that are petite, practical, portable, and are meant to be finished before they expire. We caught up with Chelsa & Julie to find out what it means to survive and thrive in today’s beauty industry.

Some of the best business comes from spotting holes in the market, which seems like exactly what you ladies did - when did you have this revelation about how much make up goes to waste?

The idea sprouted over breakfast when we were discussing our very different frustrations about beauty. Julie at the time talked about her “gift with purchase and box of the month club” problem where she would scout out these smaller sizes that made more sense to her often mobile life. Whereas, I was talking about the size and safety issues in the industry. I hated spending so much cash on products that never stood the chance of being finished before they expired, let alone, not ever having a clear understanding of what was “safe” out there. Beauty is overall pretty self-regulated and that’s a scary thought.

What were your first steps in making this revelation into a business?

It really was one of those “once you see the problem, you can’t unsee it” for us. We continued to chat about and and to be honest, it all happened very quickly. Julie went head first into marking up docs on her thoughts, the industry, the opportunity, budgets we would need to get it off the ground, etc. Meanwhile, I headed out to meet with factories and began putting together what is now our first collection of products. It was important to us to feel super buttoned up, or as buttoned up you can feel in while venturing into the unknown, before we went out to raise capital for our company. For timing purposes, we worked on this and self-funded for 6 months until we felt we were in a good enough place to talk to investors, 3 months after that we had the capital, and 6 months from there we launched the company. So like I said, it all happened very fast considering the amount of things we had to get done in that time frame.

"Beauty is overall pretty self-regulated and that’s a scary thought."

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What challenges have you faced starting a business in the beauty industry in particular? How do they differ from your previous projects?

Delivering consumers incredible value by offering direct to consumer beauty requires capital and quick scaling, luckily, Julie had previous experience in starting something from scratch with her entrepreneurial spirit and I had the beauty knowledge. I guess you can say that ignorance is bliss, maybe if we knew ALL of the challenges before we started it would have deterred us but instead we tackled each one as they popped up.

How do you feel your experience in e-commerce benefited you? What would you advise an individual who doesn't have the same experience?

E-commerce is a very executionally and operationally challenging discipline. On the surface it seems sort of easy (just design a nice website, put it on Shopify and be loud on social media) but building scalable, cost efficient and consumer friendly experience requires a lot of focused tactical work. It is also quite technically demanding as a lot of best practices from data integration to user experience requires specialist knowledge.

Growth and acquisition in e-commerce is especially complex (ask me about using CRM data to build & prime lookalike audiences cross platform without having access to DMP by encoding pixel tracking via i-frames on your earned media!)

How do you balance each other out?

We really are the ying to each other's yang. Our skill set doesn’t overlap in the slightest which is really helpful at the stage where divide and conquer is crucial for our time and bandwidth constraints. We joke that it’s our super power.

How do you stay current with industry trends to evolve your business?

Julie is obsessed with trade publications like Beauty Packaging but also compulsively reads financial reports. You would be surprised just how much you can learn from the investor reports of the big conglomerates. They have to report to their investors (aka the public) every quarter and disclose their costs. If you read between the lines accounting will tell you the REAL story of what is and is not working.

What was your biggest initial investment?

Our products! A lot of time, care and of course money went into developing and manufacturing our line. Cosmetics isn’t like say the apparel industry where you can do a small run of a couple dozen products and see how it goes. You have to commit larger production runs or else the mixing and pourings of the formulations might not turn out right.

What do you wish you had known in the beginning of launching Stowaway?

Ignorance may actually be bliss! Sometimes not knowing how hard something is going to be helps you get it done!

What has been your proudest moment with the business?

Surviving and thriving. At every step there is always some new challenge that feels insurmountable (launching, scaling, keeping people interested) but somehow we always muscle our way through it!

"Ignorance may actually be bliss! Sometimes not knowing how hard something is going to be helps you get it done!"

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How do you manage the 24/7 schedule of running a company?

Ha! Ask us when we’ve figured it out.

What have been some of the lessons learned since launching Stowaway?

If you put in the work you can build a business. Don’t get us wrong, it is way harder than it looks or sounds but if you are willing to sacrifice and put in the the hours, it is super rewarding.

As your company continues to grow, how do you stay in tune with your consumer's specific needs and market trends at the same time?

Our company is still so young (not even a year old!) that I'm not sure we have the best insight yet. We keep on top of market trends and especially take our customer feedback to heart but we also never plan to be a trendy sku-intensive company. We will also help women by giving them the best of the best in limited selections because decisions fatigue is real.

Stowaway stands out in the beauty market by focusing on being small. What tips would you give to anyone trying to find their own niche in a saturated market?

I’m not sure we even like to think of ourselves as niche--our whole concept is right-sized and these are the sizes you should have been using all along. If anything, our limited sku and vision to make women’s lives easier is the angle we want to tackle. We never plan to be super sku intensive, we know that decision fatigue is real so ensuring our customers that we did the research so they don’t have to goes a long way with today’s woman.

To answer your question however, I think it's important to find something that you really really want that's not already out there. Chances are, if you want it that badly, others probably do too.

Kate Williams 11/6/15 Kate Williams 11/6/15

Dallas: How to spend the perfect Sunday

If there’s one city that puts the oomph in Sunday Funday, it’s Dallas. Forget lazy days that help you recover from the weekend and properly prepare for the Monday ahead – Dallas uses Sunday as a kickoff (literally) to the rest of the week. Dallasites take their Sundays seriously. They’re celebrations. They’re connection. They’re very little work and a whole lot of fun. Everything really is bigger in Texas, including the magic of a Sunday well spent.

When you walk around the city, particularly the energetic area of Uptown, you’ll notice killer street style from the women and men—hello Southern chic. You’ll hear business deals brokered over lunch, Texans rock on with those they can toast a marg with. And prepare yourself for sharing plenty of smiles and hand waves with strangers—Southern hospitality is a very real thing.

As a girl who was raised just north of Dallas and who spent the beginning of my career living in Dallas’ hottest young neighborhood, Uptown, I catch myself reminiscing on the buzzing Sunday energy. If you only have one free day in Dallas, make it this perfect Sunday (perhaps post Create + Cultivate Dallas in January!)

MORNING

Get your tired booty up and head to Exhale Spa for a yoga class that will speak to your bumping Missy Elliott soul. The Hip Hop Flow will get you moving through that weekend hangover and put a pep in your step. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a massage post-class, either. It’s the perfect place to pamper yourself.

After class, meet your gal pal for the best coffee in Dallas at Pearl Cup. Whether you opt for their signature Pearl Cup blend that shines with cinnamon and cocoa or head for a full on almond-milk latte, coffee snobs won’t be disappointed.

With the coffee in your system, it’s time to head to everyone’s favorite meal: Sunday brunch. You can go home and sussy up or head there in your workout clothes. It doesn’t matter as long as your bring the southern smile and energy that shows you’re jazzed. The best spot for a killer brunch is Breadwinners Cafe on Mckinney Ave. Whether you’re brunching with four or 14 of your closest Dallas friends – get in the mimosa spirit and prepare to have a good time.

AFTERNOON

Afternoons in Dallas are known as the time after brunch but before football. It’s your time to do whatever it is you want.

Is that shopping? Try cute boutiques like y&i, Haven, or Krimson and Klover for the intimate, curated experience. If you want the everything is bigger in TX experience, head to NorthPark Center for everything from luxury designer brands to affordable fashion. They have it all. If you make it there and hyperventilate from the insane crowds, Quatro Leches Cake at La Duni will fix that.

If your perfect afternoon involves some true Dallas history lessons, you can’t go wrong visiting the JFK Museum. It’s riveting. Make sure and get the guided audio tour.

Want more food and a little activity? Company Cafe will make you feel like you’re in some sort of foodie heaven plus it’s a perfect place to pop open your computer and work on next week’s blog post. Try the location on Katy Trail so you can people watch all of the runners, walkers and bikers or go for a beautiful stroll yourself. Katy Trail is a nature haven groomed through the middle of the concrete jungle.

Sunday evenings are for the Dallas Cowboys. This isn’t about being a sports lover, it’s a Dallas lifestyle.

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EVENING

Sunday evenings are for the Dallas Cowboys. This isn’t about being a sports lover, it’s a Dallas lifestyle. So whether your favorite team is one of Dallas’ biggest rivals or whether you couldn’t tell the difference between a football and a basketball, get yourself in on the football action.

If you want to stay in the city, you can literally head into any restaurant to get a sense of the football fun. Three Sheets or Katy Trail Ice House will have you right smack dab in the football frenzy. If you really want to get crazy (and have your life changed) get a cheap “standing room only” ticket to Cowboy Stadium if the game is home. You’ll never look at Dallas the same way again.

BUT, if you detest the idea of immersing yourself in the Dallas Cowboys experience OR if the cowboys are done with their season by the time you get into town, head to Javier’s with your sweetheart for mexican food that will change your life and margaritas that will make you never want to leave.

You’ll love Sundays in Dallas. It just may be the best weekend you’ve ever had.

Maxie McCoy is the energy designer of Maxie, where she shares soul wisdom on the digital video series #maxie and her weekly writings. Maxie offers soul sessions, workshops, one-on-one coaching, and words of wisdom you really shouldn't miss. If you want your spiritual and emotional IQ shooting to the stars, follow along at maxiemccoy.com.

Kate Williams 11/3/15 Kate Williams 11/3/15

Good Vibes Only: Lauryn Evarts on staying positive & building a brand

Spend more than a few minutes on Lauryn Evart's blog The Skinny Confidential, and you will want her to be your best friend. She's smart, relatable and has a girls-night sense of humor. She's also drop-dead gorgeous with a passion for healthy living. Lauryn will be speaking at Create & Cultivate Dallas on our Brand Vibes: How to create a brand that lives beyond the blog bubble, so we caught up with her in advance here.

Spend more than a few minutes on Lauryn Evart's blog The Skinny Confidential, and you will want her to be your best friend. She's smart, relatable and has a girls-night-out sense of humor. She's also drop-dead gorgeous with a passion for healthy living. Lauryn will be speaking at Create & Cultivate Dallas on our Brand Vibes: How to create a brand that lives beyond the blog bubble panel, so we caught up with her in advance here.

You recently did a post about focusing on positivity on social media. What tips do you have for using social media in a positive and proactive way, as opposed to just using it to wallow in FOMO?

I think it’s really important to follow people who radiate positivity. I like my daily social feeds to consist of inspiring entrepreneurs, people I look up to, specific charities, business tips, and people in my industry. If you follow negativity on social media, you subconsciously absorb that downer vibe, even if you don’t notice. I love waking up to a positive and motivating social media feed in the morning. It starts my day off on the right foot.

You’re very open on your blog about sometimes not having great days. How do you decide how much and what personal information to share?

I would say that I share 45% of my life on The Skinny Confidential and the remaining 55% of my life I keep to my family, my friends , and to myself. I have always referred to The Skinny Confidential as my alter ego and my alter ego is not every single part of me. Overall I’m very private in many ways; I don’t show my bedroom, family stuff, my whole relationship, etc. I think it’s really important to differentiate work life and personal life. And as a blogger that can get tricky, but I make a conscious effort to keep them separate.

I think of the blog as the meat & bun in my hamburger. The rest is just added touches.

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How do you define TSC brand and how have you worked to build it outside of the blog?

I have always viewed the blog as the platform for the brand. When I first started blogging, I knew that the blog was the foundation of the brand. I think a lot of people go into blogging thinking of starting a brand, but I have always gone back to the blog, and grew the brand from there. I think of the blog as the meat & bun in my hamburger (if the hamburger was my brand, LOL ). The rest is just added touches.

How did TSC book come about? What tips do you have for other people who want to take their blog into a book format?

"The Skinny Confidential Book" was a natural extension of the blog. Before I started the blog, I laid out a map of where I saw my brand in two years. A piece of that was a book so that's always been a goal of mine, to write a book. It was the next natural step. Ultimately it was really exciting to extend the blog into a book, and share fresh new content in the book that I had saved up over time.

If you are a blogger looking to get a book deal, I’d say it is important to keep your posting consistent ( at least 5 times a week ), find your voice, and make sure you're posting quality. Also, I think it’s also a good idea to go into blogging with the idea of eventually writing a book—that way you will know what to share on the blog and keep separate tidbits for your book. Since I knew I wanted to write a book, I was very careful about scheduling my content accordingly. As you can imagine, my iPhone notes app is FULL!

What would you say are the three keys to a successful blog?

The first key to a successful blog is to grow with your readers. The readers are what make the blog and you always want to gauge what they like and what they don't like. You also want to respond and engage with the readers. I see a lot of bloggers that get so big and don’t have time to interact with their readers. The readers are what make the blog, so I’ve always put a major effort into interacting with them. Without them, The Skinny Confidential wouldn't exist.

You list perverted humor as one of your likes. Can you tell us a dirty joke? ;)

I have a veryyyyy dirty sense of humor so I definitely wouldn’t call myself a conservative blogger. I like to tell it how it is, even if that means it’s disgusting/weird/inappropriate. Some people don't like to share that side online, but I feel like life is too serious sometimes so you should have a little fun. I also think that humor makes dry, uncomfortable subjects more interesting. If you want a dirty joke, read my posts on: camel toes, organic tampons, boob jobs, vagina steaming, and Kegels.

What tips/tricks/tools do you use to manage your time while working for yourself?

I have a lot of ideas & can sometimes be all over the place, so I rely on my team to keep me on track & help me stay focused. For someone who just started blogger, I'd recommend setting a time every day to JUST DO IT. It is kind of like brushing your teeth - you just do it. Blog every day. Even if you're sick, tired, hungover, whatever. Excuses are like assholes, everyone has one. Really though, no one is going to hold you accountable but yourself, so staying on track when it comes to blogging is so important.

What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from blogging?

The biggest thing I have learned from blogging is authenticity is golden. I've also learned how many women there are all over the world that want to connect and tell their story. Everyone truly has a story to tell. I’ve learned to step out of myself and learn from other people's experiences; I’ve learned a lot about other people’s spirituality, holistic experiences, wellness journey, boyfriend problems, life struggles, & much more. The Internet makes it possible to connect with anyone, anywhere. It's great.

How do you build a community with a blog? With readers and with other bloggers?

I love to interview other women. I am a big fan of collaborating and not competing. Supporting one another in the blogging community is so important. And really, there is no need to tear each other down; there's plenty of room for all of us. I also like to build a community with my readers. When I created TSC Bombshell Body Guide, I listened to my readers and I created the guide based on their requests/questions/suggestions. Engaging is key, the reader will tell you the right direction. Listen to them & engage.

What has been your proudest moment with your career?

The proudest moment of my career thus far is probably the launch of my book. I've also been able to work some brands that I absolutely love, which is awesome because they're organic, authentic partnerships. And stay tuned because I'm working on an upcoming project that's totally different for me. Very excited! The ultimate goal though is to continue to inspire and motivate women from all over the world.

Jenay Ross 10/31/15 Jenay Ross 10/31/15

No Tricks, Just Treats: Free Wallpaper Download

'Tis the season for treats, so in the spirit of Halloween, we're treating you to some more wallpapers for your phone and desktop!

This week, we've got 5 amazing geometric wallpapers and patterns for you to spice up your phone or desktop with some rad fall tones. Use them for all your digital needs, and download the pack here now, and show us how you're using them by tagging us on Instagram and using #createcultivate!

DOWNLOAD: Create & Cultivate Download No. 3

Jenay Ross 10/30/15 Jenay Ross 10/30/15

It's In The Details: 12 Stylish Must Have Office Essentials

The past few weeks I have been head over heels in love with designing the new Create + Cultivate Studio. It's a stunning, bright three-story loft, equipped with open office space, a bathroom that can hold board meetings and a rooftop I can't wait to install.

The goal to designing office spaces is to find pieces that are both timeless and appealing to look at, all while being 100% functional. The worst is when you spend money on a "trendy" office supply and it really only ends up collecting dust.

The C + C ladies attract the vivacious, outgoing, talented and most stylish women in the business. I'm talking to YOU! I mean, who isn't inspired by their colorful Instagram feed? So, in the hunt for the most perfect furniture and office supplies, I pulled together a list of the 12 stylish office must-haves. All of these pieces are bound to step your work game up.... and the kicker - all are under $99.

The new C+C studio will be, how I like to sum it up..."OMG EYE CANDY EVERYWHERE!". I've broken down key elements to help you achieve a unique, successful office vibe, similar to the one we are currently working our magic on.

Veronica Valencia is the creative force behind The Design Hunters. As an interior designer and floral stylist, Veronica has been able to transform spaces into beautiful works of art, as well as feature her work as Lead Designer/Art Director for design makeover shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Follow Veronica on The Design Hunters blog and follow her on Instagram @TheDesignHunters.

Kate Williams 10/29/15 Kate Williams 10/29/15

Giving Back: Lauren Scruggs Kennedy on building philanthropy

Lauren Scruggs Kennedy, the founder and editor of Lolo Magazine, is truly a beautiful person. And no, we're not just talking about how gorgeous she is. She recently started The Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation with a mission to help provide prostheses to women in need, and, alongside Bethany Hamilton, she co-founded a yearly retreat for girls with missing limbs. We caught up with Lauren—who'll be speaking at #CreateCultivateDallas and also just happens to be a Dallas native—to talk about building philanthropy and where to get Dallas's best almond latte.

How did the idea for Lolo come about and how did you want to differentiate it from other fashion websites?

Ever since I was little, I have been very artistic and was always so enthralled by beautiful editorials. To me, style has always been more than appearance; I see it as a reflection of personality as well as a depiction of how you view yourself. After interning for the Gossip Girl wardrobe department and the Michael Kors showroom in New York, I truly gained an understanding of what I enjoyed specifically in the fashion industry. To keep myself challenged and infused with creativity in Texas, I decided to start my own blog. It kept me very engaged, and for the first time I had an interest in dissecting fashion into words. At the same time, my good friend connected me with a woman in Dallas who had her own online fashion magazine, and she took me under her wing. She introduced me to the Fashion Week world, and I became enthralled with reporting on shows in NYC, Paris, and Montreal. After graduating college, I wanted to encompass my love for people, business, and creativity into one. That’s what led me to starting my own website.

How did you meet the other Lauren of Lolo and how did you decide to work together?

So it's kind of crazy, but I had just moved to California when a mutual friend introduced me and Lauren. We immediately connected over the phone, and she was running the mag for a year before we finally met in person!

Can you tell us a little bit about your story that inspired some of the philanthropic work you do now?

Almost four years ago, my life took a big shift. My calendar paused, my career path changed, and my platform increased after a night of injury, or what my subconscious defined as a 'depletion of beauty.' I was sucked into a plane propeller; the blade cut into my brain and the left side of my body, resulting in the loss of my left eye, left hand, and half my head of hair post-surgery. I have realized brokenness can be so beautiful even amidst the unexpected suffering. I feel like I relate so much more to pain now after experiencing it, and that has led me to want to give and pour specifically into young girls about the aspect of beauty.

I have realized brokenness can be so beautiful even amidst the unexpected suffering.

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How did you meet Bethany Hamilton?

She reached out to me shortly after my accident, and we connected instantly on Skype! It was one of those "friends for a lifetime" moments that happened initially. I am so grateful for her. She has the most precious heart! Her life, perspective, and ambition is such a picture of beautiful hope! Working with her has been such an amazing experience. We have learned so much, and it's such a joy to work together to encourage girls who have been through similar life-altering experiences.

What has been one of your most memorable experiences from the retreat that you put on?

Watching the girls surf is so moving. It represents something so much more than the action; I watched so much fear diminish as almost every girl entered into the circumstance thinking it would be impossible to accomplish. It was empowering to see the excitement pouring out of the girls, and watching them work together represented how much close community can change our lives.

How did you decide to start your foundation?

After my accident, I was in the rare situation of my insurance covering the entire cost of my prosthetic arms. I thought this was typical until I started meeting precious girls who either heavily disliked their fake-looking prosthesis, could not get one because of the high cost, or were unaware of where to go to receive a beautiful customized prosthesis. I developed a huge burden after hearing so many stories, especially after knowing the wholeness and healing my prosthetic arms brought me. Soon after, I partnered up with a wonderful mentor of mine and a dear friend who each had a similar story and an identical vision! After much research, we recognized that there was no organization that provided the beautiful coverings to the prostheses, and that is one of the most important parts for women! We want to bring hope, restore dignity, and ignite faith in young women with limb loss by providing beautiful prostheses. I am so excited to build relationships with these women and stand alongside them in their journey.

Why is it important to you to give back?

I want to share the same comfort I received and still receive from others! I am still overwhelmed as I reflect on how people close and far encouraged and provided for our family in every imaginable way!

What advice would you have for women who are looking to add a philanthropic element to their work?

I believe it's so important to be involved in something you feel deeply passionate about. It causes you to fight harder for the cause and encourage giving so much more if it stands as a personal element in your life!

Finally, what are your favorite spots in Dallas and where do you recommend people visit when they’re in town for C+C?

R + D Kitchen is my second home...the food is insane and the service is beyond and has become like family. My other all-time-love is the almond milk latte from the T room at Forty Five Ten. Nothing compares! La Duni on McKinney Ave is so adorable and delicious for brunch too + you can walk around the cute shops after!

Catch Lauren in Dallas speaking on our panel Style Vibes: How to define your personal brand, manage transparency and define your voice.

Kate Williams 10/28/15 Kate Williams 10/28/15

Real Mom, Real Talk: Work Life Balance is a Myth

It’s the million-dollar question for every working mom. How do you balance your job and your family? It’s a valid question and worth discussing if for no other reason than it’s reassuring to hear that other working moms struggle with this too. My opinions on this topic are quite strong and I’m happy to share with you exactly what I’ve said at numerous business panels over the last eight years: Work life balance is a myth.

More than that, it’s a hurtful myth because I don’t think anyone actually achieves it and yet we feel positive that other women somehow have. So when we feel off-balance and we’re struggling to keep all our balls in the air, we assume it’s just because we haven’t figured out work / life balance. It becomes one more thing you’re failing at as a mom beyond forgetting it was weird and wacky hair day at school and buying the wrong kind of yogurt. Ugh! I detest anything that makes women feel unworthy or less than, so allow me to debunk this ridiculous myth.

Work/life balance… it’s description implies that those two things live in harmony, perfectly divided up on the scale of your life. My work and home life have never, ever been balanced evenly on any level. Even when I was a seventeen-year-old sandwich maker at the Substation in my hometown… even then there were days when a big project at school meant that I couldn’t work as many hours. Or accepting a lucrative Saturday shift (ripe with tip money) meant that I couldn’t hang out with my friends. Work and personal life will always battle each other for supremacy, because both require your full attention to be successful. It’s doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, it’s just how life works.

Work and personal life will always battle each other for supremacy, because both require your full attention to be successful.

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Sometimes my boys have school activities or doctor’s appointments and I have to leave work to be present for those. Likewise there are days when we have a big photo shoot at Chic or I have to travel for business, which means missing a couple of evenings at home. The scale is never balanced; it’s an ever-moving thing that constantly shifts back and forth based on what requires my attention that day. I think that’s real for most of us moms and the only way we’re going to get past this mythology that some people have it all figured out is to start being honest about what our lives and priorities really look like. Here, I’ll go first…

My Self – In my early days as a mom and entrepreneur I wasn’t a priority at all. I would run myself ragged taking care of everyone else and never once worried about how it all might affect me. This was a disaster. I got really sick at least once a year. I was always stressed out. I was always struggling with my weight. It was a mess. Then someone pointed out that I couldn’t take care of anyone properly if I didn’t first take care of myself. My health and well-being is now my biggest priority. I get eight hours of sleep every night… yes, eight. Not six or even seven, eight full hours. I eat well, I drink water by the bucket load, I haven’t let Diet Coke touch my lips in over two years. Yes, I’m still addicted to coffee, but we can’t win ‘em all.

I don’t think the goal is ever to be balanced ladies, I think the goal is to be centered.

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I took up running and schedule my time so I get in at least twelve miles a week. I carve out several hours a week for prayer, church and volunteer work because my faith is extremely important to me. I don’t think the goal is ever to be balanced ladies, I think the goal is to be centered. If I prioritize myself and make sure I’m grounded and centered then everything else runs smoothly… even when it’s running at a hundred miles an hour!

My Marriage – I’m sure that many parents would naturally list their children as their first priority, but my marriage will always be the most important relationship in my life. Dave and I have a weekly date night and we take an annual vacation—wait for it—without our children. When we’re at home we’re playing interference with three little boys so it’s essential that we get to hang out with each other and act like real live adults. Because we’re both so supportive of each other’s careers it can be really easy to start to neglect our relationship, which has happened numerous times over the years. So rather than risk slipping into somewhere unhealthy, we’ve agreed to make each other our first priority.

My Kids – I have three little boys; Jackson (8) Sawyer (7) and Ford (3) so even when I’m not at work, I’m always on the go. I take all three boys to school every day unless I’m traveling. I leave work by five to relieve the nanny and then it’s dinner, baths, books, bedtime, etc. Now that I’ve painted that picture I will back up and tell you about the first two years of running my company. I worked like a maniac. I was often in the office by eight in the morning, which means I was never able to do school drop off. I got snarky notes from moms at school about missing field trips and bake sales and I cried myself to sleep about them more nights than I can count. Nobody ever sent snarky notes to my husband for having to work during a field trip— but that’s a diatribe for another time. Most evenings I got home around 7pm which means I missed dinner. It was a really difficult time, but that kind of workload is also part of being an entrepreneur and running a startup. Some people will argue that I lost valuable time with my kids, and I won't disagree. I’ve since scaled back my time at work in order to present for those moments I missed for two years. But what I will say is, those three little boys have watched their mom build a company from the ground up. They’ve seen first-hand the power of hard work and dedication and for being that example to them, I’m proud.

My Work – I wont pretend that there weren’t times where work didn’t take up most of my attention. I also wont pretend that those weren’t the times that were hardest on my marriage, my health and my ability to be the kind of mom I want to be. Now that I’m more established in my career, I’m better able to get my work done during office hours. Also three years in means I have the help of my incredible assistant and staff, so it doesn’t all fall on my shoulders. Of course there are times when work gets hectic, but I push to make sure my family gets make-up time if I’m away. Remember, it’s a scale that slides back and forth. Some seasons of your life will require more attention in one area than another, and that’s ok. Give yourself some grace because, “this too shall pass.”

Rachel Hollis is the founder of the popular lifestyle blog The Chic Site and Los Angeles-based event-planning firm, Chic Events. At 27, she was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs under 30.” Hollis is also the author of the Amazon Bestselling women’s fiction series, “The Girls” published by Lake Union Publishing.

Jenay Ross 10/25/15 Jenay Ross 10/25/15

Create & Cultivate Dallas FAQ: GA or VIP?

Debating between GA or VIP tix to #CreateCultivateDallas? They're both sure bets, but if you want to make the most out of your experience or want to know which one is better for you, read more for a full breakdown of the perks!

As we get closer to January, we'll be answering a few of your most frequently asked questions about C+C, from where to stay to what to wear.

First up, if you're deciding between a VIP or GA ticket, just what do you get with each? Both tickets get you a day full of amazing speakers and an opportunity to network with fellow creatives (we've seen some amazing relationships sparked at the conference!), and the VIP ticket sweetens the deal with some incredible perks.

Below is a breakdown of all of the Create + Cultivate Dallas ticket offerings. Items in bold are only available for VIP ticket holders.

#createcultivateDallas VIP Perks:

Admission to the Conference on January 30th*

Choose your Track for the day: Get the panels and workshop you want most!*

Guaranteed first selection of your (2) Mentors for the Mentor Power Hour*

VIP Gift Bag worth over $350*

All-day Open Bar in our on-site VIP Lounge*

Plus, everything included with a General Admission ticket:

#createcultivateDallas General Admission:

Access to our Attendee Happy Hour (January 29th, location TBD)

Admission to the Create + Cultivate Conference on January 30th: a full day of workshops + panels with industry execs, bloggers, thought leaders, & creatives.

Create & Cultivate Starter Kit to get you going for the day (think pens, notepads, + more)

Mentor Power Hour session with 25 fellow attendees & a C+C Mentor (to be assigned)

Pop-up Shop: Shop on-site for exclusive deals from our partners & friends

Breakfast Lunch, and Late-Afternoon Light Bites

Unlimited coffee, juices, and snacks all day

A Gift Bag worth $150

Photo Booth access

Happy Hour to socialize & network with fellow attendees

*indicates VIP-only Perk

We're adding more fun things to what you can experience at Create & Cultivate Dallas, so keep checking back for updates!

So which will it be? Tickets are selling out fast, so get your GA or VIP ticket at createcultivate.com and tweet us to let us know you're coming!

Kate Williams 10/24/15 Kate Williams 10/24/15

TCB: Side Hustle Queens, Part II

All hail the side-hustle—the art of pursuing a passion project even when it's not the only thing on your plate. Here, the second part of our series on talented woman who are getting it done, even when there's a lot to do.

Name: Courtney Halverson

Full Time Gig: Film and TV Actress

Current Side Hustle: Fashion Blogging over at Pretty Little Fawn.

Elevator Pitch: I'm a bit of a hodge-podge, but I think in the best way possible. Because I started as an actress when I was young—I started in film when I was 13—it made the side hustle of blogging a lot easier. I was already comfortable(ish) with a camera, so the only thing that was hard was learning how to express myself rather than a character. I still find myself posing a little too much, and keeping my reader's at arms length because I'm so used to hiding myself behind someone else's words. I've had to work hard to break down the barriers and share as much as I can. I think I'm getting better at it the older I get—probably because pretending is exhausting!

How you balance the two: I started blogging a few years ago when I was in between filming, and to be honest, when I was bored. It helped me through a slower patch in my career and gave me something to remain focused on. Now that I'm busy on both sides of my career, the balancing has become more important. As much as I love blogging, I have to remind myself that acting has always been and will always be my first love, and that blogging is something I do for fun. So sometimes that means skipping out on a blogger-party in favor of working on lines, and remembering to not wear things that are too 'fashion-y' to an audition where I'm supposed to be an average college student.

Name: Natalie Alcala

Full Time Gig: Senior Editor, Racked LA

Current Side Hustle: Founder, Fashion Mamas

Elevator Pitch: Fashion Mamas is a members-only network for local moms who work in the fashion industry—designers, editors, stylists, models, publicists, bloggers, etc. This influential group meets often for playdates and other outings to discuss work, share baby stories, swap style notes and seek non-judgmental support, all while watching our little ones grow together. Fashion Mamas LA launched December 2014 with 10 members, and we're now nearly 100 members strong. Next up: Fashion Mamas NY!

How you balance the two: Organization is key. I toggle between my two inboxes all day long, side by side, and place items in their designated folders as they come. Also, being an early bird helps, because I'm often up and ready for the world by 5am, plowing through my work before my son wakes up at 6:30. Having a child really tests both your productivity and efficiency. You know that old saying, "You have as many hours in a day as Beyonce"? I get it now. You'd be surprised how much shit you can get done in 24 hours!

Name: Kaitlynn Carter

Full Time Gig: The Western Wild

Current Side Hustle: Foray Collective

Elevator Pitch: Western Wild is my lifestyle blog, where I talk about everything from what I'm wearing, to dating advice, to the chia breakfast parfaits I made this morning. Foray Collective is the new fashion e-commerce site I've developed with a friend, which serves as a venue for emerging designers and style influencers to come together so consumers will have a uniquely curated shopping experience.

How you balance the two: Western Wild is my day-to-day focus and something that I am constantly coming up with new material for and being creative with. Foray Collective is what I see as a long term project. I'm passionate about both so it's easy to balance the two! As long as you love what you're doing, there's always time.

Name: Marah Lidey (left), Director of Mobile; Naomi Hirabayashi (center), Chief Marketing Officer; Chloe Lee (right), Jr. Software Engineer, all at DoSomething.org

Current side hustle: Co-creators of Shine

Elevator pitch: Shine is a daily text to help you slay the day. 1 in 2 working women say that they struggle with issues of self-doubt or feel a lack of confidence at work. We want to use technology to change that!

How you balance the two:

Marah:

One of my very best friends passed away last year, and I always used to ask her the same thing. She’d crush her full-time job and have 2-3 things going on the side at the same time. She inspired me in so many ways and made me realize, that I myself feel more balanced and creative when I have a full plate of diversified projects. While I don’t believe being ‘busy’ should ever be a point of pride, I love the feeling of being mentally stimulated throughout the whole day—and kicking my boots (hi Fall) off at the end of the day, knowing I crushed multiple projects across totally different verticals.

Like with other passion projects, when working on Shine I am able to start my day by thinking creatively about something personal that I care about, and at the same time be hyper-organized, passionate and on-my-feet in my day-to-day role as Director of Mobile at DoSomething.org, where I work on a lot of exciting cross-functional mobile projects. I’m loving getting to pursue two passions at once.

The other major factor that helps with balance is that all three of us work full-time at a place that not only encourages entrepreneurship and side hustle, but exemplifies it. Both our current CEO (who is leaving to rock another social change org) and our incoming CEO have created social ventures on the side that have a massive impact today. It’s been so inspiring to see two badass women lead a growing organization, and build new initiatives on the side at the same time.

Lastly and maybe most importantly, having a partner that I can rely on, bounce ideas off of and relax with has made all of the difference at this exciting time. My boyfriend is an incredible resource for me and he, along with some awesome friends, has made realize how important it is to have a strong support system when you’re pursuing multiple passions at once!

Naomi:

1. To balance both, you need to find your place and your people.

My place: I work at an organization that breeds creativity, entrepreneurship and hustle. The vibe of the DoSomething.org office feels way more Silicon Alley start up then not-for-profit org. When we hire, we look for three things in the new employee: will they hit a home run in 90 days, would you want to be in a bunker with them (DoSomething.org is a straight up family) and finally will they be doing something cool in five years? Doing cool shit is part of the DoSomething.org world and part of the culture that DoSomething.org leadership, Nancy Lublin and Aria Finger, have built: we move fast, we’re passionate, and we create.

My people: Remember that friend in high school (Hi, Jenni Bobbio!) that you would talk to for two hours on the phone with (high likelihood: it was the famed clear, plastic landline of the 90s)? You had just spent all day together but those conversations, covering everything from boys, to school stress, to your parents (they just don’t understand), etc., was pure elation. In Marah and Chloe, and in a different stage of life, the topics may have changed but the feeling is the same. I can’t get enough. Our conversations are full of honesty, vulnerability, and productivity and I love it. They’re my people and that matters a lot when you’re doing something on the side, getting less sleep, and working on something purely out of passion. Lastly, having a partner that gives me daily confidence, drive and inspiration makes all of this whole (Hi, Ruar!).

2. Side hustle is an advantage, not a distraction.

Ever heard of Le Pain Quotidien? In addition to having a killer happy hour deal (half off wine until 9pm, amazing), the friendliest staff around (shout out to the team at the Flatiron location!), and free wifi, LPQ (yeah, we’re on that acronym level) also serves as the unofficial Shine office.

At least twice a week, before work, we’re meeting to hustle away at Shine at LPQ. Usher confessions, yes, I have a lot more coffee and croissants in my system but getting a head start on the day with a passion project is addicting.

As a result, by working on Shine, my time management has approved, my creativity has improved, and my focus has improved. If the project is right, aka: you’re in love with it, side hustle isn’t a distraction from your full time job, it’s an advantage. Your knowledge and experience gets validated, you own something which makes you feel more confident, and that competency transcends to your personal and professional sense of self.

3. It’s easy to balance things you f’ing believe* in.

I believe in Shine. I’m obsessed with it. I believe in DoSomething.org. I’m obsessed with it. In the words of the great philosopher, Eminem, you only have one shot, one opportunity. I believe in the work I do. The growth and success of DoSomething.org and the growth and success of Shine result in, respectively, more young people taking action around social issues they care about and more women gaining confidence to own their day and their career. Seeing the big picture and being obsessed with the societal impact of your project / org’s success makes it very easy to balance.

Chloe:

By being involved in a project you’re genuinely passionate about and allowing for personal time. Shine is a project that I love working on and as an extra bonus, I’m fortunate to adore my friends who I’m working on it with. I feel lucky to be involved in a project with my best friends while having a blast and learning a ton. This passion and respect for your partners is key to balancing the two because then, it sort of comes naturally.

When the side hustle is something you find yourself prioritizing in your week, you know you’re involved in the right thing. Shine is a project that I love working on in my free time and it’s so important to me that I want to do my best work on it. I also know that I produce my best work when I have some me time, so in order to balance things in life, I prioritize Shine and other personal aspects of life, try to practice good communication, and am open to rearranging my schedule.

Communication is key for this, both with close ones you spend your time with and partners you’re working with. Luckily, I have the best people surrounding me both in life and Shine that it’s easy to be honest when anything has to give or take. Even more so, the support and enthusiasm about Shine both from Marah and Naomi and friends and family not directly involved (especially from my parents and my boyfriend) makes me work even harder around Shine.

Lately, I’ve been waking up early to settle into my day and work on Shine - it’s been a great way to start the morning with a project you’re passionate about and sets a great energy for the day. In fact, many of our Shine meetings are in the morning - there’s no better way to start off with best friends and positivity!

Kate Williams 10/23/15 Kate Williams 10/23/15

Cool Job Alert: Fiona Boyce, Director of Social Media + Brand Content for Commune Hotels + Resorts

Imagine this: You have a job that involves traveling the world, immersing yourself in the role of pampered hotel guest, and documenting it on social media. That pretty much sums up Fiona Boyce's job—except that it also involves a ton of hard work, scrupulous attention to detail and some serious number nerdery. Here, we talk to Fiona about everything from making contacts and interpreting analytics to building a cohesive brand and how to avoid the sunset rabbit hole in the process.

You're the Director of Social Media + Brand Content for Commune Hotels + Resorts. What does that job entail?

Commune Hotels + Resorts is comprised of three brands, Thompson Hotels, JDV Hotels, and our newest brand: tommie. My day-to-day includes overseeing the social media profiles for our hotels (35 hotels and counting), our incredible internal social media community management team, working on the content of our brand blogs (Upper Stories/Thompson Hotels, Joyride/JDV Hotels, and our Chicago Athletic Association blog), and discovering and executing social media and digital brand partnerships.

What attracted you to working in the hospitality industry?

I started my career working at a social media agency where I worked on a variety of accounts, but was drawn to the luxury lifestyle brands. I love to travel, and it made sense when we signed on hotel/hospitality clients I would work on those accounts. What I loved about working with boutique lifestyle brands is that it wasn't just about the physical hotel product. Art, music, design, and food were all equally important brand pillars and critical to the guest experience. "Lifestyle" hotels combine my love of travel infused with other elements to make for a really diverse content mix.

What advice would you have for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

The best advice I could give if you're looking to go into social media is to begin your career at an agency where you'll be exposed to a variety of brands and industries. You can figure out which one speaks to you, and go from there, but it helps to give you a baseline understanding. Also, never underestimate the value of an informational interview. You can make contacts that might be beneficial to you down the road. Don't be shy about reaching out!

A lot of people assume that social media is ‘just updating Instagram.’ Can you give us some insight into what actually goes into handling social media for a big company, and how it is different than just updating your own accounts?

Although Instagram is my favorite social channel, there is much more that goes into our social media strategy than just beautiful, aspirational photos. A large role of our social media is to assist with larger sales and marketing goals, which we support through our content creation. We also are always looking at the analytics of our postings, and determining how to increase referral website traffic and revenue through our postings. I spend quite a bit of time in Google Analytics and on our social software getting really nerdy about numbers, but you have to have them to show value of the program to key stakeholders that like to see hard data.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Making sure that we don't fall down the rabbit hole of sunset and dog pictures, although it's what our followers like to see! They perform better than any other types of content, however we have to make sure that we remain true to other brand pillars as well!

What is the best part of your job?

Traveling to amazing places around the world and getting to experience our hotels through a traveler's perspective. When we open a hotel in a new location, I fully immerse myself in what the traveler experience will be, where they'll go, what they'll see, eat, and do. It's fun, I feel like a mini-expert on places I haven't even visited!

What has been one of the most exciting things you have worked on at Commune?

Right now I'm working on the launch of our newest brand, tommie, which will open next year in NYC. Working on launching a brand is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm so honored to be part of it!

What advice do you have for people about getting creative in their corporate jobs?

There's room for creativity everywhere, don't be afraid to speak up and pitch your idea! Also, I can't stress enough the importance of finding time to pursue some type of creative outlet beyond your job. Even if you have a job that involves creativity, it's good to work on your own thing on the side—it might even make you think differently in your day-to-day!

Even if you have a job that involves creativity, it's good to work on your own thing on the side.

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What are the key aspects that make a brand’s social media presence engaging and cohesive?

Being authentic, timely, and human.

What are some common mistakes that brands make?

Jumping on trends that aren't right for their brand just because it is popular on the internet. Your customers are smart and can see through it! Stay true to who you are as a brand—it will keep you relevant in the long run.

What are your favorite travel Instagrams to follow?

@escapebklyn is my favorite source for weekend destinations, @fathomwaytogo is my go-to news source for all things travel, @alexstrohl has the most incredible nature images that make me want to be deep in the woods, and @afarmedia which is my favorite new travel magazine with stunning images from around the globe

Want to learn more about getting creative in your current job? Check out our Pushing Boundaries Not Buttons panel at #CreateCultivateDallas!

Kate Williams 10/22/15 Kate Williams 10/22/15

No Gym Required: At Home Work-Outs from Love Sweat Fitness

I created Love Sweat Fitness as a community where women can come to be inspired, and inspire one another to live fit, healthy—and most importantly—balanced lives! As a personal trainer and fitness instructor I am constantly asked what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. The answer is quite simple; eat clean balanced meals and workout consistently. Easier said than done right? Between jobs, families, friends and other obligations, it can seem impossible to make this happen, but I promise you it’s not and it’s 100% worth it.

I created Love Sweat Fitness as a community where women can come to be inspired, and inspire one another to live fit, healthy—and most importantly—balanced lives!

As a personal trainer and fitness instructor I am constantly asked what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. The answer is quite simple; eat clean balanced meals and workout consistently. Easier said than done right? Between jobs, families, friends and other obligations, it can seem impossible to make this happen, but I promise you it’s not and it’s 100% worth it.

There is a misconception that in order to be fit you need to spend hours in the gym. It’s just not the case.

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There is a misconception that in order to be fit you need to spend hours in the gym. It’s just not the case. I should know...before starting my fitness career, I lost 45 lbs. without stepping foot inside of a gym. In my experience, women are looking for the same thing: Quick and effective workouts they can easily incorporate into their daily routines, and I am all about creating workouts that will do just that.

Beyond wanting to look great, working out offers amazing benefits for your mental, physical and emotional well-being. You can expect all of the following to be improved from each sweat sesh: mood, creativity, immunity, cognitive function, better sleep, and less stress. I know we could all use some more of all of this!

The most important piece of advice I can share with anyone starting a new workout routine it to listen to your body and don't be afraid of weights! I love mixing up weight training, circuits, intervals and other high-energy exercises to ensure you get the absolute best results in a short amount of time. I wanted to share one of my favorite at-home workouts with you. I also have tons of great workouts you can do ANYTIME on my YouTube channel as well!

What You’ll Need:

· Towel

· Water

· 1 Set of Dumbbells

What to do:

· Complete each exercise moving as quickly as you can

· Take 2 min break after completing all exercises

· Repeat set 1-2 more times.

Step By Step Exercises

Burpees: 10

• Start standing up with feet hip distance apart
• Hop down and back into a plank
• Hop knees forward and out of your plank
• Exhale and come back to standing
CHALLENGE: Explode into a jump as soon as you return to standing

Butterfly Crunches: 20

• Laying on your back, press soles of the feet together to touch, knees open wide
• Hands rest behind your head, elbows out wide
• Draw the belly button into the spine
• Exhale as you lift the shoulders off of the ground
• Lower back down one inch when you inhale, then repeat
CHALLENGE: Lift and lower your feet in time with your shoulders

Squats With A Shoulder Press: 15

• Start with feet hip distance apart and your weight back in your heels
• Sit back and down, lowering to bring hips in line with knees
• Keep chest lifted and keep knees stacked over heels

• Bring weights to shoulders as you sit into squat
• Push through heels to come to standing and squeeze booty at the top

• Exhale and press weights overhead as you stand

Bicycle Crunches: 30

• Laying on your back, bring knees to a table top position
• Rest hands behind head with elbows open wide
• As you exhale, lift right shoulder off the mat, crossing to meet left knee at center while right leg elongates to hover
• Switch to opposite side (left shoulder to right knee) and repeat

Walking Lunges: 20

• Step right foot out into a lunge
• Knee stacks over ankle on front leg
• Keep pelvis tucked
• Pushing through front heel, step feet together and switch legs

Plank Jacks: 20

• Start in plank position
• Keep hips and booty down in line with heels and crown of the head
• Jump feet apart about two feet
• Exhale and jump feet back together
• Repeat in and out

Katie Dunlop, CPT is a health and fitness expert. After her own 45lb weight-loss transformation, Katie created Love Sweat & Fitness to inspire women to live fit, healthy, and most importantly, balanced lives. She believes you have to love what you’re doing or you won’t keep doing it. Her goal is to provide fun and effective workouts women will love at any fitness level and with little to no equipment needed.

Kate Williams 10/21/15 Kate Williams 10/21/15

People Who Do: Jessie Artigue of Style + Pepper

We're natural born creators and cultivators, which means we're always on the move. Doing what we love, doing what we need to get to that next step, and doing what we can to help others. That's why when Sara Haile, creator of People Who Do reached out to collaborate on a series celebrating those "who do," we were totally game. We continue the series with Jessie Artigue, lifestyle expert, consultant and founder of Style + Pepper. Get to know the colorful gal below.

We're natural born creators and cultivators, which means we're always on the move. Doing what we love, doing what we need to get to that next step, and doing what we can to help others.

That's why when Sara Haile, creator of People Who Do reached out to collaborate on a series celebrating those "who do," we were totally game. We continue the series with Jessie Artigue, lifestyle expert, consultant and founder of Style + Pepper. Get to know the colorful gal below.

Name: Jessie Artigue

Occupations, affiliations, and projects: Lifestyle Expert at Style + Pepper, Podcast Co-host at Marriage is Funny, Mentor at Pepperologie

Why is it important to you to do and create?

I’ve always been someone who had a hard time sitting still. Once I realized that I could harness that energy to pursue a career doing things that I love, it was like a lightbulb went off and I have hardly slowed down since. The drive to keep moving and keep creating is something that I just can’t ignore, and has become a part of my identity that I can’t imagine life without.

To date, what accomplishments (of any kind) are you most proud of?

I think this would have been a tough question to answer a few months ago. I used to feel like I had to list a fancy national news appearance or brand partnership, but ever since launching Marriage is Funny earlier this summer, I can honestly say that it is my absolute best work. I am so proud and honored by how well it has been received so far, and working with my husband has changed me in ways that I could never have expected. It is incredibly humbling to hear the generous feedback from listeners who tell us that the show makes them feel like a better partner. Encouraging people to love each other well is the best possible accomplishment I can think of.

Encouraging people to love each other well is the best possible accomplishment I can think of.

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#1 motivating mantra to get through tough moments: I tend to skip the mantras and head straight to the prayers. Always helps me to remember that I’m not alone, and that everything belongs. (Even the rough patches.)

What’s your favorite thing you’ve learned so far this year?

I’m continually learning that I’d rather be known for my warmth than my strong-will.

What’s your favorite lesson you’ve ever learned, ever?

Trust steadily, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly.

What are some of the ways that you relieve stress?

Whipping up healthy meals in my kitchen and working out are both sure fire ways to calm me down. Running, pilates + power flow yoga are my Rx.

Favorite method for logging any kind of inspiration: Give me a decent seat on an airplane and a stack of old-fashion magazines and I’m a happy gal.

You lead such amazingly creative and forward-thinking projects that focuses on the digital space. What’s the biggest thrill that you get from them?

The brainstorming process is usually my favorite part! I love balancing client goals with our own strategic offerings, and the dynamic nature of the digital space makes for SO many exciting opportunities.

What is one thing that is so satisfying in your career that you wouldn't be able to do if you had chosen another career path?

The ability to have a flexible schedule is something that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to give up.

Top five people you would invite to a dinner party: Steve Carrell, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig, Mindy Kaling and my husband Gerard.

Three words that you want to be remembered by: Faithful. Generous. Free-spirited.

What’s the next goal? Carving out a new normal in Southern California, and continuing to daydream about a TV version of our podcast. ;)

What advice would you give to someone who's trying to follow in your career path?

Don’t start a blog as a full-time source of income. Use it as a portfolio, embrace it as a fun side-project, and diversify your revenue streams.

Freelance photographer Sara Haile has always seen the importance of pursuing creative ideas of any kind. She created People Who Do to highlight the importance of balancing creativity with motion, and to show a deep appreciation for the motivation it takes to show up and excel at your craft.

Kate Williams 10/20/15 Kate Williams 10/20/15

Meet the Speaker: Emily Schuman of Cupcakes & Cashmere

We're not ones to pat ourselves on the back, but sometimes we can't help it—and this is one of those! Our lineup for #CreateCultivateDALLAS is already killer and is only going to get better. To get you all worked up and as excited as we are, we're going to introduce some of the awesome women who'll be there. Here, Cupcakes & Cashmere founder Emily Schuman, who'll be speaking in our keynote conversation. Get to know her here, and IRL in January!

Your first job: Camp counselor

Your first girl crush: Anna Chlumpsky in ‘My Girl’

Favorite form of exercise: Dancing

Which Disney character are you? Abu from ‘Aladdin’

In high school, you were voted: “Most likely to play a professional sport.”

Last thing you do at night before you go to bed: Listen to an audio book.

Thing you can’t resist buying in the checkout line: Mentos. I pretend they’re just mints, even though the strawberry flavor is simply candy.

Your local coffee spot: Go Get Em Tiger

Go-to cocktail: Hendricks martini, a little dirty

Favorite time of year: Fall, October specifically

Best gift you’ve ever received: My push present, a beautiful Anita Ko ring

Next thing on your to-do list: Get through my inbox

Proudest moment: Becoming a mom

Favorite quote: Work hard, be nice.

This or that:

Your wallet: Totally organized, or packed with ATM receipts? Packed with ATM receipts (and gum wrappers, rubber bands, etc.)

Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate. For everything but ice cream/shakes, then I prefer vanilla!

Saturday morning or Sunday night? Saturday morning!

Dinnertime responsibilities: Cooking or doing the dishes? We switch off, day to day.

Karaoke: In the crowd or on the stage? If on the stage, what song? On the stage, if I have enough liquid courage. Then I’m singing/butchering a classic, something like ‘American Girl’ by Tom Petty.

Shopping: In store or online? Online

In flight: work, nap or movie? Work while watching a movie.

At parties: On the dancefloor, deep in conversation, by the snacks? Eating snacks on the dance floor.

Buy tickets for #CreateCultivateDALLAS here!

Kate Williams 10/19/15 Kate Williams 10/19/15

Ask Camille Styles: How Do I Build My Following?

On Instagram, we asked what you wanted to learn from the lovely Camille Styles and your questions came pouring in. Camille is a blogger and party stylist living in Austin, Texas, and the author of the book Camille Styles Entertaining. As her name would suggest, she has an impeccable eye and is known for transforming a space and making the whole thing seemed effortless. Below, she answers a question that we're sure tons of you are wondering about, and this is just a taste of her wisdom! Catch Camille live at #CreateCultivateDALLAS, where she'll be speaking on the panel Brand Vibes: How to create a brand that lives beyond the blog bubble.

Casuallydisheveled: As a new blogger, how do you build a following outside of your friend's group?

Creating a blog requires energy, resources, creativity, and most of all, time, so it’s natural that we all want an audience reading and appreciating our efforts. However, the first thing to realize is that building a following is usually a slow process—one that I’ve been working on for the last seven years, since I launched my blog. The second most important thing to keep in mind is that your audience will only stick around if you’re creating great content. So while it’s important to strategize about your promotional efforts, creating high quality original work should always be first and foremost.

While it’s important to strategize about your promotional efforts, creating high quality original work should always be first and foremost.

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With that being said, there are a few strategies I’ve used over the years that have significantly helped to build my following and get the word out about CamilleStyles.com. Here are the most successful ones:

• Just say yes to collaborations. This is probably the most important one, especially if you’re a new blogger. In the early days of my blog, I jumped on every opportunity to be interviewed, featured, or contribute to another site, even if it required an outlay of time and energy on my part and I wasn’t getting paid for it. Remember: value doesn’t have to come in the form of cash. Exposure and promotion can be an incredibly valuable way to grow your readership, so look for any opportunities and say “yes” to any that come your way.

• Be proactive about getting what you want. Even if tons of opportunities aren’t coming your way, you can be proactive about going after them! Think about what unique point-of-view you have to offer as a blogger, whether it’s in fashion or food or lifestyle, then offer to contribute to sites that are bigger than yours in exchange for promotion. I can’t tell you how many times I styled photo shoots, wrote stories, and pitched new ideas to larger media outlets just to keep getting my name out there in front of their audiences. Over time, that exposure adds up.

• Brand yourself on social. It probably goes without saying that you should have a strong social media presence if you’re hoping to grow your audience. But have you spent time thinking about and cultivating your unique personal brand on your channels? Every tweet, Instagram, and Facebook post is a building block that defines your brand message. Take some time to articulate what sets you apart as a blogger and determine your brand vision, then write it down. Now you’re ready to be strategic in the messaging that you put out there on social, and this is what will make you memorable and build a following that keeps coming back for more.

When it comes to building your brand, start with these small steps, but don’t be afraid to dream big! It may seem like a daunting task at the beginning of your journey, but if you keep at it, before you know it you’ll have built something great. And since being a blogger is all about having the opportunity to do what you love, don’t forget to enjoy the process!

1. Science, Inc. Santa Monica, CA

2. MuckerLab - Los Angeles, CA

3. Amplify - Venice, CA

4. Originate - Los Angeles, CA

1. Tayst - @tayst

2. Tea For Bear - @teaforbear

3. A.L.C. Ltd. - @alc_ltd

4. Taku - @takubeats

5. A$AP Rocky - @asaprocky

THIS OR THAT

+ From your Instagram, we can see that you're a natural wanderluster. How have you found the balance when it comes to traveling, work, and life?

+As a natural born multi-tasker, how have tools like the Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard helped your productivity?

+ What tips/tricks have you learned about keeping yourself organized when you're on the go?

+ What’s the best part of being busy?

+ How do you deal with the busy trap?

+ With Tinker Watches, Maude, and your roster of clients, how do you shift your focus from one project to another?

+With producing digital content, strategy, marketing, branding, web design, and even becoming a founder of two companies, are there any more skills that you want to add under your belt?

Some of the best business comes from spotting holes in the market, which seems like exactly what you ladies did - when did you have this revelation about how much make up goes to waste?

What were your first steps in making this revelation into a business?

What challenges have you faced starting a business in the beauty industry in particular? How do they differ from your previous projects?

How do you feel your experience in e-commerce benefited you? What would you advise an individual who doesn't have the same experience?

How do you balance each other out?

How do you stay current with industry trends to evolve your business?

What was your biggest initial investment?

What do you wish you had known in the beginning of launching Stowaway?

What has been your proudest moment with the business?

How do you manage the 24/7 schedule of running a company?

What have been some of the lessons learned since launching Stowaway?

As your company continues to grow, how do you stay in tune with your consumer's specific needs and market trends at the same time?

Stowaway stands out in the beauty market by focusing on being small. What tips would you give to anyone trying to find their own niche in a saturated market?

MORNING

AFTERNOON

EVENING

So which will it be? Tickets are selling out fast, so get your GA or VIP ticket at createcultivate.com and tweet us to let us know you're coming!

Name: Courtney Halverson

Name: Natalie Alcala

Name: Kaitlynn Carter

Name: Marah Lidey (left), Director of Mobile; Naomi Hirabayashi (center), Chief Marketing Officer; Chloe Lee (right), Jr. Software Engineer, all at DoSomething.org

Marah:

Naomi:

Chloe:

What You’ll Need:

What to do:

Step By Step Exercises

Burpees: 10

Butterfly Crunches: 20

Squats With A Shoulder Press: 15

Bicycle Crunches: 30

Walking Lunges: 20

Plank Jacks: 20

This or that:

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