Why Fostering Relationships Is Key to Building a Business
Make real connections.
Real success is not only hard won, is rarely won alone. Balancing all those spinning plates takes know-how, long hours, and the skilled helping hands of others who support your career.
What we’re talking about goes beyond “It’s not who you know, it’s what you know.” This is about true connections, the kind that our friends at French Connection know all about.
It’s an attitude we most often apply to romantic relationships— that the next person we meet could be the one to change our life, but the same is true for business connections.
YOU NEVER KNOW…
Remember when your dad told you that story about the guy he met on a plane who turned into his business partner, which in turn led to the company that fed your college fund? OK. Maybe it’s not that exact story, but you hear this bit of knowledge from executives time and again: do not be dismissive of people because you think they can’t benefit you. It’s the wrong way to do business.
In fact, you should be more concerned with flipping the script. Head into every interaction thinking about what you can do for the other person. Over time this creates trust and makes you an invaluable asset, both personally and professionally.
That said, how do you:
MAKE YOURSELF INVALUABLE? BY BEING VALUABLE
We often hear about people who are successful in business finding a solution to a problem the client didn’t know existed. When you’re trying to build new relationships try to answer the question that’s not being asked.
"When you’re trying to build new relationships try to answer the question that’s not being asked."
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Behind the curtain of small questions is often a much larger question that needs answering. If you are able to address the larger issue and get to the crux of what is being discussed in an initial meeting, you’ve built a solid foundation from the gate.
It doesn’t hurt to you look great while doing so. Like in a smart casual outfit perfect for keeping comfortable while making the right first impression.
MAKE CONNECTIONS, GET CONNECTIONS
“I don’t do favors, for favors.” A helpful bit of business advice that applies to building authentic relationships.
Because another way to make yourself valuable is to offer services that are not a loss to you. For example, an email that connects people costs you very little time, but what you're showing confidence in recommending them.
The person you help out is likely to help you out down the line— often without you even asking. You’ll be top of mind as a good contact they’ll want to introduce to someone else. So don’t hoard your contacts. No one likes a hoarder.
SLOW DOWN, YOU’RE GOING WAY TOO FAST
It’s not a country song, it’s the truth. Fostering IRL relationships has taken a backseat to social media connections, but it’s effecting that speed with which we communicate in person.
Divided attention and half-hearted will never equal success. Focus in, put down the phone, and have a conversation that lives outside the social bubble.
THAT SAID, DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS
Liking a photo or updating your Facebook status is not connection. But there is power in social media and real connections can be made.
Is there someone on Instagram that you follow that you could see yourself potentially working with one day? Go beyond the like button and DM with a short message about how you admire their work, give a small elevator pitch, and sell them on a small idea that you could collaborate on. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Trust.
FINALLY. BE AN EXPERIENCE, WOMAN. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
It’s a concept that we find easy to apply to brands. “Be an experience brand.” You should think of your business self in the same capacity. You want to give people the experience of you that’s accurate, honest, innovative and dynamic. You want to ensure that you are amplifying every opportunity given to you to make for a great business opportunity in a smart way.
Don’t FCUK this up. Or rather, do. And make the connection.
French Connection + Create & Cultivate want you to look your best when building key business relationships. Which is why we’ve teamed up to giveaway a $500 shopping spree with FCUK. To enter fill out the below and go meet someone new today. Sure we have no way of checking if you do, but it’s only to your benefit. Contest ends Friday, April 29th. 11:59pmPST.
This giveaway has closed.
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How to Use Facebook's New Publishing Platform
We're totally sharing this on Facebook.
Previously only available to big publishers like Buzzfeed, BBC News, and National Geographic, last week Facebook opened up instant articles to all publishers.
Meaning, as a content provider you are now able to give your readers easier, faster, and more interactive access to your content on mobile while boosting your content’s traffic on Facebook.
If you are a publisher or are looking to amplify your web content, here are the ways that Facebook’s instant articles can benefit your brand.
NO BOUNCE: KEEP EYEBALLS ON YOUR CONTENT
With Facebook’s instant articles, your website’s content is easier to access than ever before.
What we saw with the early instant article adapters was that the load time for an article was practically instant. That's because readers don't have to click through to your site to read the content, and loading isn’t deterred by bandwidth issues or slow wi-fi. An audience is more inclined to stick around if they're not waiting for content to load. So invest in people’s love for instant gratification.
TRACK WHAT YOUR AUDIENCE READS, AND HOW MUCH
Before, you could only see what content was performing best and your UVPM on your site. Facebook’s instant publishing dives even deeper into your analytics to see how far your audience reads into a post and where they're abandoning content and if they're pressing play or interacting with media within the post.
Based on current analytics, Facebook’s instant publishing garners 20% more average reads than regular web content, and these readers are 70% less likely to abandon the article after opening. In part, the proof is in the numbers. Not only will you know how your audience engages with your content, but you can use these analytics to help you create better content.
Better content=more engagement.
AMPLIFY YOUR BRAND PRESENCE
Your brand is put first. There are header and footer slots for you to add in your brand's logo. That way reader's always know where the content is coming from, and is a way to gain brand loyalty.
Not only are you able to drive more traffic to your content and gather significant analytics from your audience, but this interface allows for your brand to be recognized at first glance rather than being lost in the midst of all the content circulating Facebook feeds. Write great content and remind your audience where it’s coming from and you will definitely see more returning readers.
THERE ARE ALWAYS CONS
While Facebook instant publishing feature is amazing, it definitely comes with a small list of negatives. While you can definitely drive more brand awareness and aggregate readers, advertising is minimized and your ability to monetize your content will be affected. It doesn’t mean that you should stop monetizing your website all together, but be aware that any traffic that is driving to your content from Facebook will decrease your advertisers’ traffic.
If you are using a feature like Shopstyle, you can continue to monetize your content as an alternative for advertisements within your post.
Which brings us to the next con. Before, readers were clicking through from Facebook to your site. Now if they're reading on FB, you might be attracting more eyeballs, but they're Facebook's eyeballs. Meaning, your UVPM is not growing.-- though certainly you can use these new analytics to your brand's benefit. For example, if you can show a brand who is looking to partner that your bounce rate on FB is less than 20% and X number of readers are scrolling to the bottom, that's a great sales point.
If you still want to grow UVPM, your approach should be multi-faceted-- using the publishing tool to both create brand loyalty, show traction on FB, and drive readers to your site. Play around with what you publish, i.e. whether your content on Facebook is image or content driven. Whether you're posting all your content on the feed, or giving readers to leave the Facebook page. A smart strategy would be to hyperlink to a related piece that lives on your site, and see if you're driving traffic. You can also embed links to your Twitter and other social platforms.
Give people a reason to stay and read your content on FB, while also giving them a reason to leave.
One more, though small drawback is that the feature does not support embedded photos. However you can upload your content within Facebook’s backend and tailor how your content looks. Be sure to stay on brand.
The feature itself is a very promising for content creators who want to amplify their brand and gain in-depth analytics about how their audience interacts with their content.
To find out more about Facebook instant publishing or to sign up, click here.
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Help! The 80-Hour Work Week Is the New Norm
And it's killing us.
It’s 10PM on a Monday and I’m still working. As painful as it is to say this-- it’s pretty normal. I expect it is the same for many of you reading this.
Work has taken over our world in this never-ending cycle of touch base, make moves, move the needle, squeak the wheel, hustle, bustle, go get ‘em, I can’t turn my phone off on the weekend, because nobody else does-- BUT HOLD UP! Hooooold up, slow that gravy work train down. What are we doing to ourselves?
We’re guilty of doling out advice about how to work smarter on a Sunday. In recent years there has been a steady rise of U.S. employees not only working after hours but also during lunch breaks and over the weekends. And while the U.S. does advocate for work-life balance, we are a country of "overloaded" workers.
We’ve talk a bit in the past about France, their commitment to the 35-hour work week, and their ban on emails past 6pm. There are other female-led companies that have taken similar steps to alter the course. Shani Godwin, CEO of Communiqué USA, a leading marketing strategy and creative content company serving small businesses and Fortune 500 brands has implemented this approach. Shani has a number of work-life balance policies, including no emailing after work hours, as a way to ensure her employees have time to manage their personal lives and spend time with their children and families.
The problem is that Godwin is part of the minority of companies that enforce such policies.
We’ve all bought into the myth of the hustle, in part because the fear of failing or “getting in trouble” as an adult is very real. What if my boss needs me at 2pm on a Saturday? What if there is a last minute crisis? If everyone else is doing it, and I’m not, will I be seen as a less valuable employee? Will I be replaced?
"The reality is we have to keep up with the Work Jones'. Even if that means responding to weekend emails."
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The answer is likely yes. The reality is we have to keep up with the Work Jones'. Even if that means responding to weekend emails.
***
Do you remember as a kid first learning about peer pressure? When your mom or dad would ask, “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you?”
“NO!” You’d yell indignantly, at that point secure in your sense of self and autonomy. Well, we’re a little less indignant these days and a lot less free-- at least from our phones, and we’ve jumped. But since we've all jumped it's up to us to figure out how to make it work, and understand the breaking point of our own burnout.
Most of us agree (even our bosses) that we have to give ourselves permission to take a break. Some creatives set ground rules about emailing, and will put up an away message telling emailers that they will be available from 8am-8pm, and that all weekend emails will be returned on Monday AM. Try it out. It might work for you. It might only add to the anxiety you feel about not responding immediately.
Carly Kuhn, an LA-based illustrator (@thecartorialist) who has worked with brands like Absolut, and just took over Coachella’s Snapchat this past weekend, says “You have to take advantage of situations, and hustle, especially when it’s your own thing, but that makes it so hard to turn off.”
But she sees a positive. “Our world is more collaborative than it's ever been, and work and life are similar. But for me, that makes those special gem moments when you meet someone new, and you realize we don’t have to talk about work, this is not about work, all the more special.”
Rachel Mae Furman, leisure expert (yes, that is one of her real titles, bless) of Smoke & Honey says, “The problem with the current work culture is that it doesn’t leave any time for leisure, and leisure is vital to working better. To be on top of your career game, you need to be on top of your leisure game.”
“To be on top of your career game, you need to be on top of your leisure game.”
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So how do we put an end to the imbalance?
You have to make a choice-- and it's a personal one. What are you willing to commit to your job? What are you willing to give up? Do you even see working toward a goal as giving something up? Are you OK with having after-work drinks be "work?"
In part, it depends on what industry you want to work in. If you work at a startup, you know you're going to be clocking insane hours. If you want a job that clocks out at 6pm, you can find one.
But very successful people work this hard. All the time. Don't shoot the messenger.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com
This Wedding Company Made One Simple Switch to Help Couples Realize Their Happily Ever After
Because it's only supposed to be the best day of your life.
Your big day can be full of big stressors. It's only supposed to be the best day of your life. No pressure.
Which is why Zola took the wedding registry into the future-- and online.
Gone are the days of roaming the department store with a store associate and scanning items into your registry wish list. Zola streamlined the process so that couples can focus on more important things-- like cake testing, something that *thankfully* online will never replace.
So we checked in with Jennifer Spector, Zola's "Newlywed-At-Large" to find out why making this switch was imperative for a happily ever after, and what today's couples are looking, and registering, for.
What is the most rewarding part about being in the wedding industry?
The most rewarding part about being in the wedding industry is intersecting with couples at such an electric time in their lives. Taking the next step to get married is just the beginning, and being a part of a couple's journey as they build their home and their lives together is really gratifying.
How do you think Zola is inspiring couples to build their lives together?
We focus on what couples of this generation want and need to build their lives together. Zola offers gifts, experiences, and opportunities that uniquely reflect the couple - like cooking classes, camping equipment, artwork and funds - instead of gifts that don’t feel personal.
I used Zola before I started working for the brand, and it was a lightbulb moment for me - wedding planning could be fun! So much of wedding planning is solely focused on the bride, and Zola made registering feel inclusive for both me and my husband. That carried through in the products that were offered, and the way we could adapt the platform to our needs as we envisioned our future together. We registered for home goods, experiences, and even a fund for boxing lessons before our wedding to help take the edge off. Registering for certain items, like a nonstick pan we would use to make Sunday pancakes, made our marriage feel way more real and special than which color napkin would be at our reception.
Why was it important to take the wedding registry online?
Because couples live online! Zola is a digital first experience with best-in-class iPhone and iPad apps, as well as desktop versions that help you manage your registry wherever you are. Zola allows you to manage thank you notes, fulfill gifts, add new items to your registry, automatically transfer funds directly into your bank account, and import items from anywhere online. Couples expect a seamless digital experience and anything less does not reflect their needs, and is also extremely frustrating.
Do you think streamlining parts of a wedding makes it easier for brides and grooms to focus on the big day?
Weddings are incredible celebratory milestones, but they are also major events, which come with lots of emotions, expectations and frustrations. Plus the added pressure for it to be the best day of your life! Streamlining wedding planning helps couples focus on having a good time and what is truly important - celebrating the love they share. Using Zola helps streamline because you have everything in your pocket and on your phone - so you can delay shipping if you need to, exchange a gift digitally, or add/remove things on your registry as your wedding date gets closer.
The goal should be to focus on the big day and beyond - a wedding is only one day but a marriage should last a lifetime - so you don’t want wedding planning to take a toll on the relationship.
"You don't want wedding planning to take a toll on the relationship."
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What is the modern couple looking for when coming to Zola?
Couples are looking for a well-designed registry that has gifts that reflect their personal style and helps them build their lives together. Thousands of couples have shared with us that Zola was their favorite part of wedding planning, and many couples continue to shop the site after their wedding day because it still represents their tastes.
Are you seeing more of a shift from traditional gifts to gifting experiences and honeymoon funding?
When Zola first started 2.5 years ago, the hypothesis was that couples were moving away from traditional gifts. But what we saw instead was that couples wanted it all - they wanted a KitchenAid mixer, they wanted the experience of cooking together through Blue Apron, and they also wanted a fund for their trip to Thailand. Our couples register for a mix of gifts, experiences and funds because all three categories reflect what couples need and want in this next chapter of their lives.
"Happily ever after may be starting a family, traveling around the world, or enjoying a lifetime supply of avocados."
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What does Happily Ever After look like today?
Previous generations had a very cookie cutter ideal of happily ever after, which thankfully is no longer the case! For Zola couples, happily ever after means so many things. Happily ever after may be starting a family, traveling around the world, or enjoying a lifetime supply of avocados (a couple really registered for that). For me and my husband, happily ever after right now means living in a tiny apartment in a great neighborhood, traveling to new places, and continuing our boxing lessons!
Photo credit: Claire Esparros
This Designer's Boss Encouraged Her to Leave Her Job
But that job loss catapulted her career. We talk candidly with Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors.
Multi-hyphenate Amber Lewis of Amber Interiors is interior design #goals. Have you seen her #shelfie game? Or the way she mix and matches patterns? She didn't always think she'd be a business owner.
It was a former boss who encouraged her to break out on her own, and from that point she didn't look back. Currently, she has more ideas than time-- and is in the midst of designing her dream home-- so what else can she take on? Plenty.
There’s no such thing as perfect in the beginning (or middle) of launching your business. When you decided to launch Amber Interiors where were you in life? What was going on?
I was fortunate enough to have an amazing job working with a really gifted interior designer for a few years. When my husband and I had our daughter and bought our first house at 28 years old, I decided to start my blog as a way to share the process of our remodel. I thought I had some semi-decent content and thought it would be fun to at least start the blog and share with family and friends. We definitely didn't have a lot of money, so we tackled a lot of the projects on our own and I was a bit of a DIY fanatic. I am not sure if it had to do with luck, timing, or what, but I got some attention from a few really big bloggers, and what felt like overnight, my name started to get out there a little. My old boss picked up on my enthusiasm for all things design and was kind enough to tell me she thought it was time I went out on my own. The rest is history. I was definitely scared and didn’t feel “prepared” but I was laser focused on making something happen…even though I wasn't quite sure what that was and was kinda “winging-it” for a while.
Why was then the right time?
I don’t know, but when I lost my job, that kinda catapulted me to do something bigger. I was a "work from home" mom, so I would literally be feeding my little and commenting on blogs, and when she would nap or go to sleep at night I would stay up for hours blogging, pintresting, and creating my business. It felt like I was on autopilot for a while just making small steps forward in a direction where I would have a couple clients, or start to get noticed for my style etc. I didn't know it was the right time, I was just moving forward, and doing what I could, when I could. I basically had no clue, I just had an insane drive and a lot of blind faith.
I basically had no clue, I just had an insane drive and a lot of blind faith.
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From day one, what were you thinking about that you’re still thinking about now? What has been a through-line in your business?
I have always thought, "What’s next?" Social media and Pinterest is mostly a blessing, but it can be aggravating, especially in the beginning. I think because there is so much saturation now, it's really hard to determine where an idea or design style originates from. I remember feeling so stoked to have my work out there in the world and feeling like it was so unique to me, and then I would go on Instagram or Pinterest and see someone completely do the exact same thing after me and watch commenters congratulate them on their talent etc. In the beginning it bummed me out, because I was like, “hey thats MY IDEA” but then I just started telling myself it was an amazing compliment to have someone like what you did so much they wanted to re-create it themselves. Now I always strive to do “what’s next” and do better than my last job and the spotlight of social media forces you to push the envelope with each project.
[Related content: How to Handle Competition In a Creative Field.]
"The spotlight of social media forces you to push the envelope with each project."
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How do you differentiate yourself as a designer?
I don’t think there is a definitive answer to this, however I hope I have established my style and brand enough that it can be recognized as my work. I think maybe the use of patterns and how I mix styles in almost every project I do differentiates me to other designers. I can take a big box sofa, and make it look unique with fabrics and pillows etc. I love to mix, thats my jam!
For new designers, what do you think is more valuable? School or experience? You did a little of both.
90% experience and 10% school. I never mastered CAD, so I have to rely on my team to do computer drawn technical drawings for me, which can suck when I think faster than I can draw. So I say, go to school and learn CAD and Photoshop, and the usual stuff like excel etc. and then get yourself a job! Even if you're just getting coffee for a design firm for a while, thats OK as long as you immerse yourself around creative people and absorb everything you can. I learned way more in the field working for a designer than I ever did in school.
What’s your favorite part about being a designer?
EVERYTHING. I swear I LOVE my job so much, I pinch myself that I get to make a living doing what I love. It’s always changing, and I get to be creative in so many different ways. I would not work so hard if I didn't truly enjoy every single second of it. Even the crappy days aren’t so bad.
What’s one aspect of the business you would change if you could?
Budgets! Haha!!!! No but actually, budgets suck but they are part of the job. So I tolerate the challenge, but work on managing clients' expectations with what their budgets can realistically do for them. I don’t know if I would change anything, but I hope to get to a place where I can be extremely selective with the projects I work on. Unfortunately, I have to pay the bills, but I am so lucky to have such rad roster of clients so far!
Sometimes as an entrepreneur your biggest strength is also your largest challenge. Would you say this is true for you and what would that be?
I feel a great expectation to do something different with each project. Unfortunately, some clients want you to just do what you did last time and don’t want to do much different than what they have already seen. That can be such a challenge because like I said….I am always thinking “Whats next?”!! As a business owner with multiple employees, I need to make sure I look out for the growth of the business, as well as balance what pays the bills with jobs that are super fun, but maybe a little less money. Those are usually the ones I am most fond of in the end!
You opened Shoppe, Amber Interiors last year. How are you feeling about the move into a physical location?
It’s so great! I have heard so many horror stories about retail locations and opening an actual brick and mortar, but knock wood, my husband (also my biz partner) and I love it and have had some really positive feedback. We feel like we are a part of the local community but also are proud of going for it and throwing caution to the wind! We kept asking ourselves “whats the worst that can happen” and so we feel good about the big jump. As crazy as this sounds we haven't even been opened a year and are already expanding and making it larger! Again, I pinch myself daily….but we are just going for it!
Do you think it’s important for your business to have an offline shop?
Totally! We have tons of items in store that are not online. There are lots of vintage pieces, and higher end antique rugs, that I think need to be touched and seen in person rather than on a computer screen. Plus we have some vignettes in the store and have an amazing sales team to help you pull pillow combos, or pick the perfect accessories and rugs.
So, now we have to ask "What’s next?"
Oh, my favorite question! Well I am writing a book, and developing a product line to sell in the Shoppe. I am also designing and starting to build our dream house, which I am so flipping excited about! At the moment I have more ideas than time, so I am trying to work smart on my passion projects and seizing the growth opportunities available to me now. At the moment the future looks bright!
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com
Is There Really "A Special Place In Hell" For Women Who Don't Support Other Women
We're roundtable talking competition with four creatives.
A job market that is low on jobs, high on applicants has a pretty serious supply and demand problem. So for creatives in the similar industries, competition can be cut-throat.
So we asked three photographers and one filmmaker who work in similar creative fields, how they feel about competition, and if there is enough space in the creative world for everyone.
Hint: yes. There most certainly is.
We’re chatting competition. So we want to know, do you think there is enough space for everyone to be successful?
Emily Henderson, shot by Monica Wang.
Monica: 100% yes BUT you have to create your own voice and brand. The photography market is over-saturated and copying another person's style or imitating their every move is not going to get you anywhere long-term. For me, I noticed very early on that the wedding photography market was very crowded so I had to shift gears and create my own niche with interiors photography.
Laura Dee, Wedding Photographer
Laura: A common complaint I hear in our little North East corner is that the market is over-saturated, so filled to the brim with wedding photographers, that you can't throw a rock [or toss a bouquet] without hitting one. And it's probably true, that there are more photographers now than ever before. Technology has made taking a decent photo much simpler for the masses, and the days of needing to have double-majored in technical engineering and chemistry to develop a dang picture are long gone.
That being said, roughly eleventy-billion people get married in this country every year, and of all of those weddings taking place, I need like 0.00001% to find me and my website full of awesomeness, in order for me to make a good living, and buy nice shoes.
I think there is plenty of space for the true go-getters, hard workers, movers, shakers and troublemakers to be successful, and I firmly believe in community over competition.
Sarah: Competition is healthy for us. It keeps us alert and fuels our passion for creativity. My biggest competitor will always be my inner self- everything I’ve ever created could’ve been better; there’s always something I could have moved or fixed just slightly to make my eyeballs happier. But when it comes to the outside world, I believe that there is plenty of success to be shared despite the heavy amounts of competition, which seems to increase exponentially year after year.
"My biggest competitor will always be my inner self."
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Trisha Vuong, Filmmaker Juice Box Media
Trisha: With our current obsession over all things visual, the marketplace has expanded. We’ve seen businesses pioneer their way into new open market space by offering fresh concepts that weren’t available before. Or businesses collaborating to create new experiences for their clients.
The industry has really developed into a community, and it’s breaking barriers creatively.
There’s a lot, a lot of talk about women in business and how "There's a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.” Thoughts, feelings, concerns about this concept?
Monica: I’m not much of a fan of the quote to be completely honest. I believe that women do need to support one another, but we don't all have to get along. That is just an unrealistic expectation. Yes shit happens, situations are unfair, and girls can be mean, but you have to move on.
"I believe that women do need to support one another, but we don't all have to get along."
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Laura: I wouldn't be where I am today, making a living as a photographer, if it hadn't been for my tribe of peers who supported me through the thick and thin of it all. One of my BFFs fo' life is a stellar wedding photographer, and we have talked each other's ears off simply trying to figure shit out. That's just what you do. You should support all of your friends, and especially the women folk. Plus, you gotta put good juju out there in the world, unless you want to get hit by lightning.
Sarah: I try to stay away from all negative thoughts. I just worry about what I am doing and how I act.
Trisha: I’ve never heard that quote, but it’s funny! I appreciate and look up to the women in business who lift others up and can go so far as publicly promote another. It takes assurance of self and professionalism to be able to accomplish that in a genuine way.
How do you support a peer, while also making sure you’re carving out a space for yourself?
Monica: I try to set boundaries. Sharing photography notes and referring potential clients to a peer are okay. I am not okay with sharing all my editing techniques and secrets. Anything that makes you feel semi-uncomfortable should probably be kept to yourself. That goes for anything... your addiction to The Arrow, the tattoo you got in Mexico, your grandma's spaghetti recipe, etc.
Laura: Support to me, means being a cheerleader when they level up, bringing over a magnum of wine and two straws after a tough gig, giving advice on 'the obvious stuff' [technical mumbo jumbo, general marketing, the basic how to’s of running a small business] and being a sounding board for their thoughts and ideas, if they need one.
The stuff that makes me the ridiculously fantastical unicorn that I am, isn't all that poachable. It is how I interact with my clients, the way I present myself, my online persona, lots of wine, and really just me being me. My clients hire ME, and the great work they get as a result is just the cherry on top of a colorful and tasty sundae.
“The stuff that makes me the ridiculously fantastical unicorn that I am, isn't all that poachable.”
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Laura: Oh, and keep your very best ideas to your dang self until you are ready and able to put them out into the universe.
Sarah: I love cross-promotion. Just make sure you are getting credit where you deserve it. Remember that it won’t hurt to kindly remind someone to tag you or your business in their posts, images, etc., or to make sure they give you a shout out for helping them put a project together. Just remember to do the same for them.
Trisha: We try to support our peers by referring work to them when we cannot do the work ourselves, whether that’s due to date conflicts or some other reason. It’s very rare for us to tell a potential client that we’re not available for a date without giving them a couple of our favorite industry peers' contact info. We also try to support new upcoming businesses that have shown an interest in what we are doing. The more we share with them our processes, philosophies, and techniques, the more we learn about ourselves. It’s an opportunity to be kind and also leads us to reevaluate our business as a whole. Win-win!
Have there been times when you’ve recognized an unhealthy competitive edge in yourself? Times when you've realized, this is not useful energy?
Monica: Yes, and it stemmed from an unhealthy amount of scrolling on Instagram, which I now limit. It has gotten a bit out of hand... hasn't it? The moment I notice myself feeling an inkling of jealousy or competitiveness I stop myself! Cold turkey.
Laura: Dude. When I first started a Facebook business page in 2010, I had a crazy stupid obsession with getting a ton of likes. I would stalk other pages and set goals to surpass their amount of fans by 'x date', like a jealous jilted lover stalks her ex while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's under the covers late at night. It was bad.
The good thing that came from my Single-White-Female-Fatal-Attraction Era was that I learned A LOT about Facebook. It really helped me cultivate a good following of legit fans and I can honestly say that 85% of my business I owe to Mark Zuckerberg's desire to score chicks.
Sarah: There have definitely been moments where my healthy competitive nature has taken a turn to an unhealthy obsession with being better than someone else vs. just being the best I can be. Sometimes you have to check yo self! Never forget that the one thing no one else can be is YOU! Be authentic. Stay true to you.
Trisha: There have been times when we would hear about other businesses working on a high profile project, and I would wonder if we were considered. Part of that allows us to examine our style and see what our brand positioning is. However, the other part is time wasted, because we might spend valuable energy dwelling on something that has already occurred, and making assumptions that could be totally incorrect.
Video by Trisha Vuong, Juicebox Media
Where do you get your inspiration? And how do you balance the delicate line of being inspired by someone’s work, and copying it?
Monica: I get inspiration from reading books, playing the piano, going to the flower market, watching classic movies, and traveling. Doing it the old fashioned way! Everyone copies to some degree and I think it is ok. The best way to balance it is to get inspiration from something and then, twist it and make it your own version.
Sarah: Traveling inspires me more than anything. Leaving the comfort zone and forcing myself to explore personally unchartered territory expands my brain and really gets my creativity going. From the vivid colors of India to experiencing the northern lights in Finland, it all comes home with me and helps me add more layers to my artistic soul. You have to take it all in then magically morph it into your own expression. It’s an art form which takes a lifetime to perfect. I live life in the pursuit.
Trisha: I love watching documentaries about business owners who started small and went thru growing pains. Or reading about Pixar’s model for teamwork. We also look to our peers on social media. I love seeing what they are working on and how they are developing as visual creators. Their editing styles, equipment, and even what they ate for dinner is interesting! However, it’s not about trying the same drone shot or purchasing the same lighting. It is just wise to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses in your industry to be capable of meeting the needs of your client. I may need to copy what they had for dinner though!
Laura: So, I don't follow any other photographers' work, because the great ones [and there are plenty great photographers all over this planet] sometimes make me look at my shit and say, "well, this is shit." I have a hard time getting out of that headspace, so instead I get my inspiration through other means, mainly architecture, talking to people, and literature. I also have a really vivid imagination, so there's always ideas floating around that I try to flesh out into a photographable concept.
"Complacency in a creative industry is a nail in your well-planned, well-designed, well-photographed coffin."
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Laura: As for 'being copied'; you might think you're the first to do something, but chances are you're probably not. And if you are, and people are copying your hard work, use that indignation to light a fire under your bum to take your stuff and make it even better, newer, shinier. Complacency in a creative industry like the wedding world is a nail in your well-planned, well-designed, well-photographed coffin. And just imagine that first planner to style a wedding with mason jars, wild flowers and burlap galore...he or she probably wishes they trademarked that ish.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com
3 Bold Looks That Show Why You're a Boss
You don't have to rock a power suit, to show your power.
There's more than one way to power dress these days. Like in a Shahida Parides piece, the luxury designer known for its bold handmade dresses featuring signature prints crafted to latest style forecast and fashion trends.
Launched in 2012, Shahida, the founder and designer of the eponymous fashion line, spent fifteen years successfully designing, manufacturing, and distributing private label dresses, before realizing her own dream. Shahida Parides was born, and is now in over 160 boutiques. A It’s a brand favored by by bold business women like Lisa Vanderpump, a fierce entrepreneur who always says exactly what's on her mind.
It's a fashion brand that understands that creativity and personality should be at the forefront of your business.
IF YOU’RE GOING FROM MORNING COFFEE TO BUSINESS BRUNCH
You can blend in with the crowd in a springtime pastel two-piece, or you can opt for a bold jumpsuit-- like a harem style with Swarovski crystals and metallic beads. Because bold and confident are Shahida attributes that you can bring to your meetings as well as your wardrobe choices.
SAY BYE TO BASICS, HELLO TO BOSS
There is a time and a place for minimalist dressing. Like meetings with your legal team, perhaps. But when you want to dress to impress, go for bright. In a red, floor-length kaftan that can be worn three ways. It says, you do you, all the time. And can easily go from work to drinks to closing deals.
FOR DRESSING WELL DURING YOUR BEACH GETAWAY
Thanks to tech, your office is mobile. And business deals don't have to take place in an office or over dinner. Make a deal from the sands in Tulum. (Because we all know the smartest vacations are working vacations.)
Take in the waves in a python printed of-the-season one-shoulder dress, (that can also be styled three ways) as you wave hello to potential partnerships and success.
Freedom, flow, and fire, that's the Shahida Parides way.
Let's Make Every Day #EqualPayDay
Because it’s hard enough to get your dream job, you shouldn’t have to dream about equal pay too.
First put into law in 1963, The Equal Pay Act was aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on gender. It’s a law that has not changed, despite the fact that women still make less than men.
"Because it's hard enough to get your dream job, you shouldn't have to dream about equal pay too."
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Today is #EqualPayDay. A symbolic day that marks how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned the previous year. We believe that women should earn equal wages for equal work, and that this is a battle all people should fight.
Feminism Keeps Losing Its Mind & Tops Over Boobs
12 questions we want answers to.
Two weeks ago Emily Ratajkowski and Kim Kardashian reminded the world of their totally bodacious bodies — lest anyone forget, by posting a topless selfie, middle-fingers to the world, up. It was a follow-up photo to a similar selfie Kim had posted a few weeks prior, which, after receiving negative backlash she posted the following on Twitter:
From being told to act like a mother, to stop pretending that these nude mirror moments are empowered acts of feminism, to message boards screaming, “What message are you sending to young women??” Kim has received as much negative attention for selfies like these as she has money for her app.
In the midst of the uproar Emily took to her Twitter, to say:
“I am not shamed or apologetic of what my body might represent to you.”
She continued,
"Aren't we passd this bs way of thinking? The whole goal here is to let wmn do what they want for their reasons. To have the power to choose."
To which she received equal measure backlash and support, speaking to the divide the feminist movement has long felt over the boob issue. The battleground of breasts as political movement continues to be one thick with controversy. Should we be prude or libertine? What's better for the cause?
While the argument can-- and has been-- made that these photos are intended for the male gaze and only contribute to a women’s position as object, for a movement that currently feels lost in the nebulous between “bad” and “good” feminism, women imprinting their views on other women is equally as dismissive and damaging.
So here are twelve questions I have. Feel free to chat with me in the comments below.
1. If we, as women, are fighting for agency of our bodies, why are we so up in arms when someone (most often a celeb) uses their million-follower platform to show agency over their own body? Filtered or not.
2. How can we as a society be closer than ever to accepting sex work, as real work, and yet, still treat this issue so preciously?
3. When can we stop discussing sex as a moral issue?
"When can we stop discussing sex as a moral issue?"
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4. When can we stop telling other women what it means to “be a mother?”
5. Why do we only feel like it’s progress when we see other women who are “like us,” posting nudes. That is, not "perfect,"-- a la Kim and Emily's tiny waists and huge boobs? When Refinery29 posted un-retouched photos of 25 women with real breasts the comments were encouraging. Readers said it was a beautiful series and asked for “more like this.” Facebook mom groups are always posting links to what “real” bodies look like after breastfeeding. These posts are celebrated. Confusing.
6. Is it less feminist when it’s a woman with a beautiful body? Is it the "perfection" that causes it to be less feminist?
7. Does baring nipples, with movements like #freethenipple, actually desexualize them? Maybe I don't think nipples are a big deal, but are we kidding ourselves pretending that they are not sexual?
8. In an industry where some of the most celebrated female characters have been written by old, white men, should we not celebrate when this isn't the case? Thinking about Lena Dunham's character on Girls, and her flashing vagina Basic Instinct style last week. Are women owed some kind of power play-- a middle-finger to the years spent under the male gaze?
9. If women want attention or validation, why are we so offended by this? Do we have to completely reject patriarchal beauty standards in order to be good feminists?
10. Why can’t we operate from within the structure that exists to take back our bodies? Can we be sexual creatures without operating under the regime of the male gaze?
11. Why is the feminist platform so divided over what it means to be liberated?
12. Can you use your body as a marketing tool and still have control over it?
The only answer I’ve come up with so far is this:
Flaunt your body if you love it. Don’t flaunt it if you love it. But just love it, OK? That’s the most liberated thing you can do.
"Flaunt your body if you love it. Don’t flaunt it if you love it. But just love it, OK? That’s the most liberated thing you can do."
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her on this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com
Lulu & Georgia Founder Shares How to Style Your Desk For Max Output
Work hard, styled hard.
If you're a boss who knows that filing isn't just for your nails, you need a desk to match your hustle. Which means: organized, styled, and designed for max work output.
So we checked in with Sara Sugarman, Founder of Lulu & Georgia, the online home decor shop founded in 2012 of her five tips for keeping your workspace as boss as you are.
CLEAN UP
A clean and inspiring space makes for a more constructive (and positive) day. If you look around your desk, there are undoubtedly little odds and ends creating unnecessary clutter. I recently read, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and now ask myself: “Does this item bring me joy?” If it has no purpose and doesn’t bring me happiness, then it’s gone. The items that do stay on your desktop should be ones that you use on a daily basis.
BEAUTIFUL DESIGN
I’m most productive when I’m in a space that reflects my own style and personality. Whether it’s a statement rug, a colorful lamp, or a unique bookcase – it helps me think more creatively. I also love the idea of a pin board- not to place random samples or business cards- but as inspiration for where you want to be and what you want to do.
TASTEFUL ACCESSORIES
When I was younger, my mom would take me to Staples before school started, and I loved selecting all of the brand new supplies I would need for the year. I feel the same applies to workspace materials. Sure, we need staplers and tape dispensers, but why select the functional, yet boring ones when you could have gold and acrylic? It’s an opportunity to express your individuality, plus it adds to the overall aesthetic of the space.
GET COMFORTABLE
We all spend a lot of time at our desks, which is why it should be a space that is both livable and productive. Use a pouf as a footstool, keep a tumbler filled with water nearby, and invest in a chair that you don’t mind spending several hours in.
ORGANIZATION
There is a lot of time wasted looking for that piece of paper, pen or business card lost in the cluttered chaos on your desk. Create a functional, yet stylish system to help keep important dates and urgent tasks in sight. Incorporate a tray to store time-sensitive materials and file everything else away. Use a pencil holder to store pens and highlighters, so they are easily visible when you need them.
C&C Classifieds Nº5: Elevate Your Career With This Month's Listings
Elevate your career with this month's listings.
Spring cleaning season is here, and as the times of change have come around, you might feel inclined to make the next step in your career. If you’re looking to elevate your career, we’ve got covered with this month’s classifieds with some great opportunities at amazing companies across the US.
Check out the listings below, and make sure to apply right now.
Loverly - New York NY
Client Solutions and Sales Intern
Customer Service Representative (Concierge)
Minted - San Francisco, CA
Creative Director, General Retail
Director, Brand Communications - Stationery
Senior Director of Onsite Marketing
Facebook - Menlo Park, CA
Tumblr - New York City
Director of Community & Support
Head of Marketing Partnerships
Eventbrite - US & UK
Campaign Manager - Demand Generation
Internal Communications Manager
Pinterest - US & UK
Content and Community Manager, UK
Internal Communications Manager
Cheeky - Los Angeles, CA
#CreateCultivateDTLA: Gift Bag Sneak Peek
Just just like we like to have major keynotes, we also keep the same standard for our gift bags.
We are only a few weeks away from Create & Cultivate DTLA, and with keynotes like Chelsea Handler, Jessica Alba, and Rachel Zoe, it's safe to sat that this is our biggest conference to date yet. But just like we like to have major keynotes, we also keep the same standard for our gift bags.
This time, we have a fully loaded gift bag with tons of amazing product from our sponsors, that we just hope we can fit it all in one Parachute Market tote!
From amazing hair and beauty products, to even a month trial of our favorite at-home barre exercise company, we've got you covered DTLA. Here is a sneak peek at the companies you can expect to find:
Dove
Smashbox Cosmetics
Kevin Murphy
Yes To Carrots
Beyond Yoga
Fromm Beauty
Physicians Formula
Topshop
Lorac Cosmetics
Honest Beauty
First Aid Beauty
Blue Sky Planners
Paper Mart
beGlammed
Framebridge
Gorjana
BKR
Iconery
Tulip
Darling
French Connection
H2O Plus
Bai
Goldpress Paper
Shahida Parides
Barre 3
Zola
Privilege Clothing
SoulCycle
Thrive Market
Consort Design
Belong Mag
Murad
Sprinkles Cupcakes
Judy B Swim
Lulu & Georgia
Emu Australia
Foreo
Laurel & Wolf
Herbivore Botanicals
May Designs
Bobeau Collection
Amanda Marmer
Kestrel Bags
Olive & June
Psyche Jewelry
Cityseat NYC
Love Tatum
SoleSociety
Olio e Osso
Limonada
Be Good
Minted
Dagne Dover
Origins
Brunette the Label
Uptown Sweats
Get excited DTLA! Just a few more weeks til showtime!
7 Must-Know Biz Tips from Rachel Zoe
The inside scoop from our very own #CreateCultivateDTLA keynote speaker.
Digitally-forward, socially-savvy, the fashion empire of Rachel Zoe is decidedly a stylish one— but it’s also built on the know-how of the entrepreneur.
From an open-door office policy to taking the high road, Rachel is dishing seven of her best business tips.
ALWAYS WORK LIKE YOU HAVE FIVE DOLLARS IN THE BANK.
My first job was as a sales associate at the Nine West store in Short Hills Mall in New Jersey. My biggest piece of advice for anyone starting his or her first job would be to make sure to never act entitled. It’s important that no matter what your situation is, you work like you have only $5 in the bank.
"No matter what your situation is, you work like you have only $5 in the bank."
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TRUST THAT SOMEONE WILL TAKE A CHANCE ON YOU.
If you show up every day and give your job 110% at all times, eventually you will get noticed. It may not happen as quickly as you like, but at some point the stars will align and you will get your first big break. For me, that occurred when Tommy Hilfiger hired me to style his huge White House ad campaign. I was only about a month into my freelance career at the time, and I was terrified. The job came with a big budget and took two weeks to execute. We shot a cast of young Hollywood actors, models and singers both in Austin and Los Angeles. To this day, it is still one of the most incredible productions I have worked on. I am eternally grateful to Tommy for taking a chance on me, because it not only led me to book many more jobs, but it also gave me a huge boost of confidence and proved my competence!
REALIZE THAT YOUR PATH MIGHT BE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
You need to consider whether you're on the right career path. Who says you can't have an "I'm going to be a...just kidding!" moment like I did? Before I started my career in fashion, I was a student at George Washington University majoring in sociology and psychology. At the time, I thought I was going to be a psychiatrist! Looking back, making the jump to fashion was a natural choice for me. Bottom line: It's never too late to start over. We hear stories all the time of people later in life going back to school for something completely new and different. Those stories are inspiring. If you're lucky and you're honest with yourself, you might realize that you need to make a change.
"Bottom line: It's never too late to start over."
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FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS, NOT THE PROBLEM.
Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle them can set you apart in the workplace. When something goes wrong, find a solution (or twenty) before you present the mistake to your boss or colleagues. Then, use the misstep as a chance to come out on top. As a designer, often times I will conceptualize and sketch a design for my collection only to have the prototype turn out differently than I expected. Rather than starting from scratch, I work with my team to find a middle ground that will work for the customer while not compromising my vision.
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD
When drama arises, it is tempting to want to set the record straight to everyone within the workplace. In my experience with the media reporting false stories about me or my company, I have learned that silence is almost always golden. If you try to deny or defend yourself, you are ultimately just fueling the fire. On the other hand, when you are quiet, the drama tends to fizzle much more quickly. Bottom line: take the high road and save the venting for when you are at home behind closed doors. Believe me, this is not easy.
KEEP YOUR OFFICE DOORS OPEN.
As a leader and CEO of a company that is constantly growing, it is important for me to have an open-door policy with my employees and always be honest with them. I do believe having transparency with my team shows that I trust them—I always want the lines of communicate to be open. In today’s corporate culture a lot of leaders choose to sit with their team, and not have separate offices, and I like that. The offices of my company headquarters have glass doors for a reason, to advocate transparency and openness.
DO WHAT YOU LOVE.
My number-one piece of advice? Do what you love. It is the only thing that will keep you going through long days, stressful situations and a low bank account balance. When I was a fashion assistant at YM magazine, I worked literally on my hands and knees all day long, doing everything from packing and unpacking boxes to running around New York City in blizzards on foot (in heels!) moving full wardrobe trunks solo. It was physically taxing on a person of my height and build, but I did it all with a smile on my face. I never once complained because I felt it was such a privilege to do what I love.
Is a Social Media Presence More Powerful Than a Degree?
Would you rather be 100k in debt or have 100k followers?
It started with an Instagram post. "I remember the old days when you needed a degree and a resume to get a job. Now you need 10k followers and a mediocre blog."
It's a little painful to read because there is some truth to it.
Let's look at the numbers first, because based on these alone, it appears much more lucrative to focus on growing a following. (Don't despair yet.)
The graduating class of 2015 was the most indebted in history. Prior to 2015, the graduating class of 2014 was the most indebted in history. Sense a pattern? As of March 2015, according to the Federal Reserve, the outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. stood at $1.27 trillion, and that number is only expected to grow.
That's right. Not millions. Not billions. This is literally a trillion dollar issue.
Complicating this problem is that according to government data published by Edvisors.com, the average graduate in 2015 had about $35,000 in student loan debt, double what it was in the late nineties. The number of students taking out student loans has also increased sizably. In the nineties less than half of college graduates had taken out student loans. Today, over 70% of students leave school in the hole.
Adding insult to costly injury, guess what the average starting salary was for the class of 2015? According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers the average starting salary for those with liberal arts degrees (think most creatives) is under $38k. See the prob?
If your loan is 35k and your starting salary is approximately the same, how long do you think it's going to take to pay off that debt? Outstanding debt of this magnitude prevents the new working class from saving for retirement. It delays marriage and first home purchases.
It also has many asking, WTF? Should I have grown a following instead? And:
Is a social media presence more powerful than a degree?
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While studies show that college graduates consistently earn more than students with only a high school degree, this matter is complicated by research that suggests that while the Millennial generation is the best-educated in history, they are not earning more than earlier generations of young adults. According to the Pew Research Center the overall median earnings of today's Millenials are not that much different than the earnings of the Early Boomers ($34,833), Gen Xers ($32,173) or the Silents ($30,982).
And while the numbers still suggest that overall, college is a smart investment, we can't deny that there is extreme economic disparity between what a degree will get you and what a huge following can offer. Or even what a medium-sized following can produce. An Instagram user with 100k followers and decent engagement can earn 5k for a post-- and that is on the low end of the scale. Some bloggers are making 100k a month.
Though most bloggers zealously guard their income, Reward Style, the affiliate marketing network that helps bloggers monetize their content, keeps data on their top performers. They report these bloggers can make $80k per month on affiliate sales alone. Add in paid IG posts, brand deals, and book deals that come from strategic content, and you're looking at a revenue stream previously reserved for top business-people-- those with college degrees or masters.
But while these blogs have turned musings into a business, it will always be the bloggers who understand the who, what, why, and how of their brand that will be the most successful. They are the ones that understand the numbers beyond the following.
It's yet to be seen how this will play out, but there is a system of checks and balances seemingly in place. Sure graduates with student debt are starting careers from a disadvantageous position-- saddled by debt that effects nearly everything. But what they should be banking on, and working toward, is career longevity. Their salary, while initially low, will grow.
A blogger's career -- or rather, an Instagrammer with a large following-- might be making big dollar deposits in their life bank now, but there are a few inherent sustainability issues. One-- technology is always changing, and the ability to retain followers across multiple platforms so that you're giving a brand proven ROI is growing increasingly difficult. It's why we often hear successful bloggers at Create & Cultivate tell the audience that a high follower count should not be your end goal. Two-- in a more standard job market, you cannot put a junior employee in a senior position. Same cannot be said for bloggers.
A lot of followers is not a business plan.
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A blogger's career is in many ways much more precarious, in the same way a models' has always been; there is always someone younger, more connected, more tapped in, and ready to pull that Boucherouite rug right out from under your #shoefie.
While majoring in #selfies might feel like the career move to make (at least if King Kylie has a say), the best idea is to get a degree, simultaneously grow your following, and then use those blog dollars to pay off your student debt.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her at this site she never updates www.ariannawrotethis.com
How Design Star Emily Henderson Really Feels About Working for Free
And changing her mind about the color brown.
NAME: Emily Henderson
OCCUPATION: Designer, Stylist, Boss
ONE DEGREE OF C&C SEPARATION: She designed panelist Oh Joy’s studio!
HOURS SHE’S CLOCKING: Probably six during the day and three most nights, with shopping/writing on the weekends. So maybe 50? With kids taking priority of daytime hours.
SOCIAL PLATFORM OF CHOICE: Instagram for the business, but FB for myself because it’s the best way to keep up on good articles/current events.
PHOTOS SHE’S HEARTING ON IG: I heart what I try to create myself - anything that is both personal and beautiful. Ultimately - if it makes me smile, I double tap that shit.
"If it makes me smile, I double tap that shit."
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Emily Henderson, the HGTV host and designer, stylist, writer and editor of Style By Emily Henderson, thinks perfection is boring. In fact, it’s part of her design philosophy: "I believe that a perfect house is like a perfect person; no one really wants to be around them and everyone secretly hates them."
We tend to agree.
It's this kind of candor that has propelled Emily's career from dog walker to winner of HGTV's Design Star to Target Home spokesperson. Hers wasn't a straight shot to success (because it never is), but from clocking long days, spending time with her 5-month-old baby girl, and son, Charlie, while continually growing her taste and brand, it's success that is hard-won.
We checked in with the incredibly frank entrepreneur to get the scoop on creating a brand, changing her mind about the color brown, and the only time she'll work for free nowadays.
How do you create a brand that stands out? How do you come to understand what your “brand” is?
You need to have a product that is both unique and universal. There are too many people doing interesting things these days, you have to make a product that stands out, BUT at the same time it has to have enough universal appeal that you aren’t selling to 10 niche customers. I always think about Jennifer Lawson. Sure, she is a person, but she is someone that everyone likes and yet she is totally unique (which is why everyone likes her). This is extremely hard to do, but the people I know who are successful have done a pretty good job at it. Give your product a personality and ask yourself everyday, “Do I want to hang out with that person??” If the answer is no, then tweak it because if you are feeling that way, then everyone else is too.
"Give your product a personality and ask yourself everyday, 'Do I want to hang out with that person??'"
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How do you create a “voice”with an image?
It’s all storytelling. You need think about what overall story you are trying to tell every time you produce any content - it's basic marketing. But most of us (small brands) don't have a marketing person or team controlling all platforms. It’s our job to weave in elements of our story through all brands. I am by no means saying that I am queen at this and I think I could be doing a WAY better job. However, here is what I try to do: Show a happy, colorful image (whether it's an interior or my life) with copy that feels personal, informational OR inspirational. If I’m funny I get literally twice the likes, but I’m so busy that it's hard to produce good, funny, beautiful content all day. But that is the goal - pretty and entertaining.
You’ve called it the best marketing tool. But what else about the blog platform was attractive to you?
It’s all mine. Sure we have sponsors, but even they know it's all mine. And sure I have three people that work just on the blog, but there is still a sense of autonomy that we have with the blog that we don’t have with our design clients or my major partnership work. It has such a large audience now, so we really feel like our work is heard, and we have an influence. I know you can have an influence on many platforms, but with a blog you have more real estate to write and share than on social media so your audience is more engaged and reads and listens so much more.
Part of having a successful brand is fluidity. How do you go about introducing new styles to your audience when they’ve come to know and love your style?
It’s hard and people call me out all the time saying ‘but you said you don’t like brown!’ And sure, I didn’t like it, five years ago. But luckily most people are on the zeitgeist train with you and sense the trends and shifts too, and are happy to see someone they know embracing them and showing them how to use them. I started the blog when I was 29 and broke. I’m 36 now so my life has changed - I have two kids, and frankly I kinda want nicer things than I used to. That combo can be resisted by some people who want me to be thrifty and eclectic like I used to be. I’m still the same person, but I've grown up, which is now embraced by an entirely different community.
Have there been times when you’ve done something and thought, that was off-brand? But, you really liked it?
When your brand is yourself then in a way anything that you like is on brand. WAIT. YES. I recently did a sponsored post for a pre-owned luxury handbag website. My mantra has always been - don’t promote anything you wouldn’t buy yourself. I’m from a coastal town in Oregon. My parents are both teachers. In other words I’m not buying $3k handbags both on principal and the money. But before I said ‘no’ to it, I polled my staff and friends and sure enough a lot of people are into handbags - at least the idea of them. So I figured I’d style some outfits with some bags and if nothing else people could see what I’m into fashion-wise these days. I wrote about the brand/bags very honestly - saying it’s a luxury, it’s certainly not for everyone, while letting them know that this site exists if they happen to be handbag people. I really liked the post, the brand got a ton of traffic and purchases and ultimately the readers (even those who had sticker shock) liked the post. So yes, I guess I do things that are technically off brand but still work. It’s a risk though and you have to be very careful because trust is #1. Well, staying in business is #1, trust is #2.
"Trust is #1. Well, staying in business is #1, trust is #2."
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What would you say sets your work apart from others?
I know I’m not the best designer or writer, certainly, but I do think that I write about design and style in a digestible, approachable, and entertaining way. The site feels small even though it’s big, and people know that they are getting real opinions from a real person who is out in the field designing every day.
You’ve said “work for free” when you’re just starting. Do you still agree with that statement?
Hmm. Regarding working for free … I think i’d like to edit that and say ‘collaborate for free’. A large company should not be asking you ever to work for free - no matter how big or small you are. The only time I do work for free now is for magazines. Their model is simply to not pay you for makeover or design content because you will get notoriety and press out of it. But otherwise, I don’t “work” for free.
I also collaborate with other influencers and do their homes for press/portfolio and exposure to a new audience, but I definitely see it more as a collaboration and I make sure that everyone is clear on social media expectations. Most of the time I try to not go out of pocket and get all my assistants’ time paid for - so iIm just volunteering my time but they are covering all costs.
You have to weigh the amount of labor versus compensation and make sure you are being compensated somehow - whether it’s exposure, customers, high res photos of your work and press. IF someone has reached out to you and asked you for your work then they should offer to cover your out of pocket costs.
In short -If you are starting out, think about whether or not the exposure is worth it to you (ask for social stats and get all social requests on paper). If you are already established make sure they aren’t benefiting more from you than you are from the exposure.
Five years from now, where do you see your business?
Digital media is too fluid these days to know what is going to happen next, so we just try to work our asses off, be flexible, and keep our eyes open.
"We just try to work our asses off, be flexible, and keep our eyes open."
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We could go in the brick and mortar direction, we could go licensing lines all over the place direction, and when the kids are a little older I do want to go back into the TV (design show) world. Or maybe it's all of them. I know I want the blog to be both a personal documentation as well as a much larger resource for interior design.
Photos by Mike Garten for Good Housekeeping Magazine.
Arianna Schioldager is Create & Cultivate's editorial director. You can find her on IG @ariannawrotethis and more about her at www.ariannawrotethis.com
10 Cost-Saving Tips for Your Wedding
The women behind 100 Layer Cake dish the bridal goods.
On 100 Layer Cake, we share a variety of weddings from DIY to Glam, and Bohemian to Romantic Elegance. All of these weddings tend to have one thing in common... they're super creative! While each wedding has an unique and varied budget, we're always so inspired when we find out that the couple was able to create their dream wedding on a small budget. To help you in your wedding planning process, and maybe save some $$$ along the way, we've combed through our site to give you a few of our favorite cost-saving tips.
USE OUR VENDOR GUIDE!
Our vendor guide is a place to find fabulous vendors as well as place service request for your wedding day. Yep, that's right, you can post a particular request for your wedding (from photography to music to flowers) and vendors in our guide will bid on your event!!! Our vendors are looking for creative brides, so pop on over and give it a try. These two New York brides found their vendors on our site.
This bride found her planner and photographer in our vendor guide.
This bride hooked up with photog Lauren Rae Photography after making a proposal right here on 100LC for wedding photographers within their budget.
RECRUIT FAMILY & FRIENDS TO HELP WITH FLORALS
Not only is this a cost saving tip, it's fun, and a great way to bring people together.
Simple one stem florals placed into antique medicine bottles can make such an elegant statement on your table.
For the adventurous bride, try foraging for your bridal bouquet.
Store bought florals popped into whimsical vessels by family and friends. So cute!
ALTERNATIVE WEDDING DRESSES
Okay, here's the deal, you don't have to go to a huge, well know bridal store to find your dream wedding dress. We're not saying you shouldn't go and try a few on, but there are other options. These creative brides found the perfect dress for their big day and saved lots of $$$!
We love that this bride spotted her vintage wedding dress on Etsy for $400.
This DIY bride found her dream wedding dress from Free People.
If you fancy an unconventional wedding, maybe think about forgoing the typical white dress for something more stylish. This bride really knew how to make a statement with her bright Mara Hoffman wedding dress.
CREATIVE CATERING
If you’re having a casual wedding, think about a potluck! This is great for an early afternoon wedding. All you need to do is create a menu and pick a few reliable friends and family member to bring a super yummy dish. Voila!
FAVORS
Try giving something really thoughtful and cost effective with these DIY colorful potted succulents.
CREATIVE DECOR.
Think beyond florals for wedding decor. The cost of hiring a florist can really rack up the cost, so think beyond a typical floral centerpiece or bouquet.
In lieu of florals, collect potted cactus or your tablescape. Bonus, you can decorate with them in your house or send them with a guest as a parting gift.
Paper flowers can be a festive, fun activity for you and your maids to create for your wedding decor.
DIY CEREMONY BACKDROPS & ARBORS IDEAS
Go bright and whimsical with this paper decor backdrop.
This couple had their family create this meaningful arbor for their ceremony.
The groom is a woodworker so he created this greenhouse structure for his bride, who's a floral designer. How thoughtful!
ALTERNATIVE CAKE
Behold the donut cake! Don’t get us wrong, we love a big dramatic wedding cake, but this donut cake concept is just too cute and a fraction of the cost.
SAVE ON YOUR LIQUOR BILL
This couple is really into beer, so instead of a full bar, they opted to pour their favorite blend. Talk about HUGE savings! We love how they stayed true to their passion.
CONSIDER A FREE VENUE
Save on your venue cost by hosting an intimate backyard wedding.
These are just a few of our favorite cost-saving wedding ideas. Be sure to pop over for more wedding ideas for your big day!
The Blogging Business Key Nobody Is Talking About
And everybody should be thinking about.
Being a style publisher in 2016 is a multi-faceted job if there ever was one. Creating blog posts, photoshoots, running a website, liaising with brands, networking, researching, snapping, Instagramming, and more - all within a week’s work. If you categorize all these tasks, you’ll see they fall into three block pillars: Content, Business Management, and Tech.
This division is technically right, but it doesn’t identify the most crucial factor: that all three pillars overlap, and understanding the intrinsic relationship between them is the key towards the longevity of your blogging business.
So what is this mysterious intersection between the pillars of your business? And why is it important to understand and develop it?
WHAT IS THIS MYSTERIOUS INTERSECTION BETWEEN THE PILLARS OF YOUR BUSINESS?
Translating an overarching business vision through your digital presence is the one thing most publishers should consider when thinking of all the tasks their job entails. And it’s not even their fault. To put it simply, nobody in the industry is really acknowledging it. Well, almost nobody.
I launched my company, chloédigital, when it became clear to me that there was a gap between the fashion and tech worlds that was stopping great publishers from moving forward. Through our membership, my team and I now offer bloggers access to an all-rounded support system to strengthen their personal brands and power their online empires.
At chloédigital we look after some of the most successful blogs in the industry and the common factor that makes top-tier bloggers stand out from the competition is very clear: their business vision is holistic and cohesive.
Working closely with leading influencers around the world (a few of which will be panelists and mentors beside me at C+C DTLA!) has put me in a unique position to gain insights on the fashion industry whilst still having a foot in the tech world myself. I have seen first hand how working with a multidisciplinary tech and strategy team can be a pivotal point to grow a blogger’s online authority. But there is still much more to be done in terms of connecting all aspects of an influencer’s presence and decisions, on and offline. Working with a PR agency on one end and a tech team on the opposite end, with any content decisions torn in the middle, is just not an efficient way of approaching your business anymore.
The future of digital publishing lays within integrating every team and detail cohesively to reach new goals.
A very extended misconception about style publishers is that, as mainly creative professionals, content creation is the aspect of their business that drives most of their strategic decisions. But the reality in digital publishing is that, when there is a disconnect between the technical and creative side, it is actually the technical side that holds the veto power in key decisions. Let me give you a couple of examples of things that are commonly heard:
“I would love to add a new awesome functionality to my blog that I’m sure my community would love, but I’ve never seen anything like it so I doubt I can do that on my site,” or “I was very excited about the new style of blog post I published recently but it seems my readers didn’t respond very well to it; I’m not quite sure how to look deeper into these reasons, so I will just go back to standard content”.
Great ideas, content, and opportunities for innovation that get lost in translation as soon as a tech barrier is encountered. This is exactly why bridging the gap between fashion and technology is essential in order to keep digital publishing thriving. When there is seamless communication between content creators, agents, sponsors, designers, developers - that is when new things can be both conceptualized and well executed.
"Bridging the gap between fashion and tech is essential to keep digital publishing thriving."
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If you’re a style publisher truly looking to create a sustainable business, stop thinking of tech and fashion as opposites. Connect your teams, think always big, and start creating a multidisciplinary space within your working process that allows you to push boundaries.
10 of Our Favorite Chelsea Handler Quotes
Caustic and clever, two of our favorite qualities.
Chelsea Handler has a way with words. From reminding us that we're powerful to breaking down social situations with a bit of bite, the comedian always seems to know just the right "wrong" thing to say. And since she's our keynote for #CreateCultivateDTLA, we're sharing a few of our favorites.
The 10 Best Instagrammable Spots at The LINE Hotel
Not a bad angle to be found.
The LINE Hotel in Koreatown, Los Angeles is known for it's brutalist architecture, amazing food, and even better atmosphere. Just about every knook, cranny, and corner has a shot worth taking. Click through to peep our pick of the 10 Most Instagrammable spots at this hip hotel.
For more Instagrammable moments, check out our #CreateCultivateDTLA speaker dinner with our friends at Dove here.
Growth Hacking 101: Become A Hacker To Boost Your Business
Here's to hacking your way to a success business.
It’s very normal to apply money to your marketing efforts to ensure that your messaging is put out into the world. But what if we told you that its possible to grow your business with little to no money. All there is to do is becoming a hacker.
Now we don’t mean becoming a hacker where you hack into databases and leak information. And no, it doesn’t mean that you need to start taking IT classes. We’re talking about becoming a hacker in your own marketing techniques and taking smart and strategic shortcuts that will successfully bring the attention that you want to your brand and make it thrive. It’s taking marketing to the next level and thinking outside of the box when creating campaigns.
See how you can start implementing growth hacking into your marketing strategy with the tactics below.
Emotional Shock
There’s a saying that goes “bad press is good press.” When you apply emotional shock and a sort of a naughty factor to your marketing, you will get the eyes that you want. When you hit an emotional chord with your messaging, be it positive or negative, your audience will not only turn from passive to engaged, but they are more inclined to share your message with their peers, thus increasing your virality.
Does Sarah McLachlan’s ASPCA commercial ring a bell? If that commercial made you shed a tear, that’s emotional shock at its finest. Also, if you’ve seen digital brands drop f-bombs in the collateral, you can rest assured that they’re banking in on emotional-shock.
Stereotyping
Take a moment and think of your markets’ traits and habits. Think of where they shop, where they hang out, what they typically do on a Sunday morning.
While stereotyping is highly looked upon as a no-no, at the end of the day, that is essentially what marketing entails when you’re studying your market. You tally up all their similar traits and align your marketing strategy to their habits, likes, and dislikes. However, when you’re using stereotyping when you’re implementing growth hacking, you have to think even further outside of the box.
For example, as obvious as it is to sell gym clothes at a gym, you have to tap into to what other places your consumer goes to. Hit them from all the angles that they would typically go to as well, be it a juicery or a massage therapy clinic that specializes on athletes. Generalize your demographic and market to them where people will have an even stronger affinity with your brand.
Influencer Endorsements
While endorsements may seem as a tactic to show a product, they are more useful to represent an ideal and who people aspire to be. Take for example all the athletes Nike has been able to have as their spokespeople - it’s not necessarily to promote a certain sneaker or a kind of legging. It’s always to endorse an ideal lifestyle, to become the next Maria Sharapova or the next Serena Williams.
Influencer endorsements are what define what is cool. And if you get the right influencers to back your brand, more consumers will follow your message.
Enforcing Exclusivity
Exclusivity is key when growing your brand. The more accessible it is, the more people are less inclined to actually sign up for what you’re selling.
Take Facebook for example 10 years ago when it was only available to college students. You can bet that everyone who had a Facebook account felt as if they were a part of an exclusive cool kid’s club, and everyone else who didn’t have access wanted to be a cool kid. After a while, Facebook started allowing more and more people in on the secret, and eventually became the dominating social media network that it is today.
Long story short: make your business a cool club that everyone wants in on, but only a few can have it.
Build Your Business To Be Anti-Fragile
As business women, we have to take this saying to heart: a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
We don’t live in a perfect world, and in business, things will always go wrong. As the world becomes more and more complex, businesses have to know how to navigate unsteady waters. To make your business survive these challenges, you have to make your business anti-fragile. This is where your business can thrive and benefit from changes, and work like a muscle getting stronger and stronger as it’s put through stress.
Mold your business plan to where it can live through changes and prepare for the worst if it were to happen. Then you’ll see that if worst comes to worst, your business will survive and can face the next oncoming challenges.
Do you have you own growth hacking tips that you’ve used in your own marketing strategies? Let us know your thoughts and sound off below!
Priscilla Castro is Create & Cultivate's Director of Social Media. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she got her degree in Journalism from Cal State Long Beach and pursued a career in marketing. She has worked with FILTER Magazine, LA Canvas, and was previously Editorial Director at BeautyCon. Follow her@kodeofkondukt.