Why Selling Out Doesn't Mean What It Once Did

"Selling out" has long been considered the scourge of the creative. The dollar sign death knell to the artistic soul. But relationships to career and goals change. Certainly, the economy has changed. And the dreams of our twenties take different shape in our thirties.

Life happens, moving us along-- sometimes unwillingly-- and we find ourselves in the crevice between the rock and the hard place, making important decisions about the "business" of our art. OR, in the best case scenario, this next step is so fluid, so sensible, we can't help but forge ahead.

Because living the dream implies that there is only room in your life for one.

We don't think that's true.  

It's something that Anna Bulbrook, violinist/musician and now, founder of GIRLSCHOOL, an LA-based music and arts festival that celebrates and connects female-identified artists, leaders, and voices in an inclusive, action-oriented, and forward-thinking way know something about. This past January GIRLSCHOOL launched its first annual weekend-long festival, called FIELD DAY WEEKEND at the Bootleg Theater in LA. The goal is to spearhead "creative or community-based events, online editorial content, and collaborations with organizations that create or support positive change." 

So we chatted with Anna about gold records (she's got one), living "the dream," and why building a business was the next smart and oh-so-soulfilling step.  

How has your relationship to career changed from your early twenties until now?

When I was 23, I left my corporate job and ran away with the circus—I mean an indie rock band—for what turned into ten years. I saw an opportunity and I needed to see how far we could take it. With nothing to lose but a job I was lukewarm about at best, I’m so glad I did.

… Because we took it pretty far. We put out several studio albums on major labels, toured the world, did a bunch of TV shows, music festivals, all that good stuff. I even have my gold record hanging up somewhere.

That said, I’m in a different place now. I’m 33. I’ve gotten to “live the dream,” and see it through to its logical conclusion. I now want the ability to drive my future for myself. I want to put my money where my mouth is, and to make something that serves others. I want to support women in music. And I want to build a business that can carry me into my 40s and 50s. (And unless you’re in U2, that business is not being a sideman in an alternative rock band.)

"I want to support women in music. And I want to build a business that can carry me into my 40s and 50s."

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I also want some creature comforts: I want to be home on weekends and holidays. I want to participate in the cultural life of my city. I want to be present for my friends and relationships. That stuff is all real.

A lot of creatives feel the pressure to ‘stay the course’ with their dreams, sometimes to their detriment. When and how do you think “giving up” makes sense? 

Rigidity is the enemy of… everything. Throughout life, what you want can and will change. Your needs change. Your identity can change. Maybe your family situation changes, and it clarifies things. Maybe you just wake up one day and see things you never saw before. (That has happened to me a couple of times now.) These changes can happen slowly or instantaneously. And when they happen, there is zero shame in changing course, admitting that your feelings have shifted, or acknowledging that an earlier approach doesn’t work anymore.

I try to look at it as exploring and being open to what needs to happen, rather than “giving up.” The single most important thing in life is to do things as opposed to not doing them—even if that means closing a chapter to make room for something new, or taking a break to earn some income for a while.

Adrien Young, Anna Bulbrook, and Jasmine Lywen-Dill. Photo by Jen Rosenstein.

Why did you decide that this point in your career was the right time for Girlschool?

I didn’t think too hard about it. As soon as it occurred to me to do it, I went for it. If I had slowed down to think it through, would I have talked myself out of it? Would I have missed out on all this learning? Or would I have found a different challenge to take on? The beauty of signing yourself up to do something, and then figuring it out, is that doing is incredibly powerful. You can’t decide if something was successful, or fun, or completely sucky, unless you’ve done it first.

Without that first test-run of Girlschool, we wouldn’t have proven that this great un-met need existed. We wouldn’t have attracted an assembly of amazing women to work together to build Girlschool into a proper little music festival and brand. And we wouldn’t have discovered all the other ways that Girlschool can help to create a space and a platform for talented women to connect. 

How do you strike the balance between being creative/following your passion and also making money? 

I think transitions are by definition intense. When I went from working full time to being in a band, I spent a full year pulling 60-hour work weeks, plus recording with two bands, plus using all of my vacation days to go on tour. (The things you do when you’re 23!) It was hard, and I didn’t sleep a lot, and I wasn’t in the best shape. But at the end of that year, I had played on two records that changed the course of my entire life (the first The Airborne Toxic Event album, and the first Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros album), and I was in a very, very different place than when I started.

"Rigidity is the enemy of… everything."

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This year, I’ve been in a double transition. My band is on hiatus, so I’ve had to rebuild my income in addition to building Girlschool. This year, I worked harder than I did when I was 23 for less money. I took a lot of risks, I made mistakes (which I hate doing), I didn’t sleep a lot, and I recently bought some “relaxed fit” jeans. But I made it work because I care too much about Girlschool to not find a way.

I should add that in addition to earning money by playing violin, I landed a summer-long producing job this year because of… Girlschool. And even though it slowed me down a little bit with Girlschool stuff, I was happy to have the job because it supported me while letting me sharpen my Girlschool skills in a bigger sandbox.

So when I say that it’s OK to do things differently than you ever have before, I mean it.

Also, “relaxed fit” jeans are amazingly comfortable.

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It Must Be in the H20+: How This Beauty Company Is Building a Strong Future for Girls

2016 marked the kickoff off year of H2O+ Beauty’s Making Waves Initiative.  

The international beauty company that believes that water and hydration are the foundation of true beauty and great skin, made it their goal to directly support organizations whose social missions align with their own.

They partnered with Girls Inc. of Alameda County, a non-profit organization on a mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. It was a natural pairing.

H2O+ knows that strong, empowered girls bolstered by encouragement from their community make for even stronger, empowered women. Beauty comes from within, so does the courage to believe in yourself. But none of us do it alone.

"Beauty comes from within, so does the courage to believe in yourself."

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In 2013, Girls Inc. opened its new headquarters in Alameda County, becoming the first and only resource center for girls in the area. They provide year-round academic achievement and skills-building programs to underserved girls as well as counseling services to over 8,000 girls and families.

When Cindy Melk founded H2O+ Beauty in 1989 she had the goal to put beauty back into the hands of the consumer. She was only 27 years old when she had the idea, but coming from an entrepreneurial background, she had the support of her father, John Melk, the name behind successful ventures like Blockbuster, and her mother, the founder of a successful spa in Chicago. She pitched her father on her business plan, proved her plan viable, and received a small amount of seed funding to get the company up and running for about 6 months. While the rest was up to her, she had the foundation and the support from her family, something that H2O+ recognizes as crucial to success and a bright future.

H2O+ believes that, “progress is forged when communities support, challenge, and inspire women. In our work, we are inspired by the courage of our own founder in her quest to define beauty on her own terms.”

They fulfilled the 2016 mission by sharing the proceeds of their best-selling Oasis Hydrating Treatment with a $10,000 donation to Girls Inc of Alameda County. Moreover, H2O+ Beauty employees supported girls in their local community by volunteering more than 40 hours of their time in workshops and mentoring sessions at the Girls Inc. of Alameda County Simpson Center for Girls.

H2O+ plans to build on the success of their partnership with Girls Inc. with an even bigger and more impactful contribution of time and resources in 2017. We also got wind of a very special event that they’re hosting with Girls Inc. this fall (details are still under wraps), but stay 

To learn more about Girl Inc. of Alameda County, visit here. To learn more about H2O+ Beauty Social Mission visit here.

Filmmaker & Cancer Survivor Encourages Young Women to "Dream, Girl"

Erin Bagwell (L) and Komal Minhas (R)

It was a Kickstarter trailer that lead to a cold email that lead to a life-changing partnership. “It was an instinctual ‘I have to be a part of this,’ there was no doubt in my mind,” says Komal Minhas. “I knew I had to give it my all, and what that meant for me was being totally authentic, totally honest with why the project impacted me so much and why it meant so much to me.”

“This,” is Dream, Girl. A documentary from creator Erin Bagwell that features the empowering stories of female-led companies and their founders. From fashion to tech to non-profit, it explores the challenges, successes, the conventions that still hold women back, and the dreams that pull them forward. It is framed by Bagwell’s and Minhas’ struggle to make the movie.

When Bagwell launched the project on Kickstarter, the two women were complete strangers.

Minhas was in Italy on what was supposed to be vacation. Like thousands of others she saw the trailer one night before dinner and told her partner, Mitch, “I have to be a part of this, I have to figure this out.”

“I knew I had to give it my all, and what that meant for me was being totally authentic, totally honest."

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Initially launched with a goal of $57,000, Bagwell was seven days and $18,000 away from reaching her target, when the project received a boost from author and life coach Marie Forleo. Forleo agreed to blast the Dream, Girl mission to her email list of about 300,000 people. Money started pouring in and so did the emails. One of which was from Minhas.

“Erin went from having $30,000 to $104,000 in three days,” says Minhas. “The amount of press, the people-- when you’re cutting through the noise to get to someone who is that busy, who is getting cold attention, going from zero to hundred, I knew I had to stand out.”

Before she made any “hard ask,” Minhas thought about what she could offer. She had her own company, Montreal-based KoMedia, which she founded at 23. “I knew I could invest a little bit of the money I had saved up from the year of operating my company,” she says. Beyond that she could strategically supply “camera equipment-- I had a couple of 5D cameras and I had some audio equipment.” In her first email to Bagwell she outlined every provision she could make. Drafting what she called a “have-to reply.” Minhas says she “created an opportunity for Erin to respond, making the option of saying ‘no’ incredibly difficult.”

“I didn’t want to be overbearing,” she says. “I kept it light, but it was a rich ask and also, offer.” The response was not immediate. “It took Erin three days to reply after I sent a follow-up email. It felt like ages to me because I knew this was went I meant to do.”

Three nights later the two were on a Skype call. It was midnight in Naples, the connection kept cutting in and out, but where the internet failed, the synergy between the women succeeded. “We told each other our life stories, why we were each doing what we were, and I again reiterated the offer, the strengths I knew I had and what I could bring the partnership.” Bagwell, she says, “she was right there with me."

"Throwing it down, not being afraid to ask, but also, not being a crazy person,” that’s how she got in the door. “It’s a strange line to toe,” she says, but acknowledges, “I prefer more over less. Fortunately in this situation, Erin did too.”

From a Skype call, an in-person meeting, emails in between, and Minhas landed on set a couple of weeks later.

That first $104k gave the filmmakers enough funding to make it through about 8 months. “For the first time,” Minhas says, “I didn’t take a salary. It was almost a full year before I did because we were bootstrapping.” In the summer 2015, lead by investor Joanne Wilson, who appears in the film, they did a round of Angel funding. That raised another $100k. They did one final round of friends and family to “make it through the finish line.”  

Though Minhas had never raised for business, she had done work raising money for charity. For instance, while at university she spearheaded a campus fundraiser that raised over half a million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society. “I knew how to magnetize money for a cause,” she explains, “but when it’s a business you have to include how you’re going to share long-term revenue projections, understand distribution, and we had to convince our investors that beyond the social impact mission of the film we would bring them returns, and hopefully great returns.” It was a “learning curve when we were starting to pitch.”

And then there was the big curveball. “Back in March,” says Minhas, “I was actually diagnosed with cancer. I am survivor and was diagnosed cancer free a couple of weeks ago. But when we got the news March 2nd our premiere was set for May 26th at the White House. We figured it out and did our best.”

Erin Bagwell, third from left and Komal Minhas, fourth from left at the White House screening. 

They premiered the film to a private, 190-person screening for women entrepreneurs, followed by a round table discussion led by Diana Doukas, the director of the White House Business Council.

The response was overwhelming and powerful. “It took two years to create the film and we’re anticipating it will take a full two to fully maximize the distribution. We’re not only creatives, but we made a film about business and we are running a successful business.” Since launching in June in New York, Dream, Girl has had over 100 screenings in seven different countries. They are planning to scale that number to over 1000 in the next year.

Another arm of the goal is to give young women “better examples of what wealth and what wealth in business looks like,” says Minhas. “We don’t want to be Wolf of Wall Street. That’s not our jam, but it’s a no-brainer that a woman can be in power.

"We don’t want to be Wolf of Wall Street. That’s not our jam, but it’s a no-brainer that a woman can be in power."

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Minhas and Bagwell are also turning the forty plus hours of unused footage into a web series called, Your Moment of Ambition, which they are looking to launch in 2017. The series will be 20 episodes at about 2 minutes each. "There are so many stories that couldn't make it into a film,” says Minhas. “Those of sexual harassment to a professor at Wharton talking about why it’s also a no-brainer that every man should be a feminist.”  

They are not only incredibly inspired by the people they interviewed, but by what Minhas says are “the next generation of feminists like Zendaya and Rowan Blanchard. These are really woke women. They have Queen B to look up to and some of them are just thirteen, fourteen years old.”

She says “Maybe Gen Z won’t see the work and effort it took to get here,” but “there will be no barriers in this generation's mind that they can be limitless.”

Dream, big. Dream, Girl.

For more information or to host your own screening and bring Dream, Girl to your community, visit the site here. 

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5 Very Important Job Hunt Questions

photo credit: Sara Forrest 

Emily Levine is VP of Career Group Companies, a staffing firm specializing in full-time and temporary placement of administrative staff for today's leading companies. Her sister, Natalie Boren, is Managing Director. Both have an inside track on the wild world of hiring. 

Here they break down five common misconceptions about the job hunt, all designed to help you land the position you're eyeing. 

IS SUMMER THE SEASON FOR HIRING?

When people come in to see us, they typically have no idea of whether it’s a good time to look for a job, or a bad time. We constantly hear, “What’s the market like out there?”

Often times people think that summer is a good time to go and interview because their boss’ are on vacation and their work load has slowed down. Summer is actually a very slow hiring season for our clients. That mens it’s a good time to meet with agencies/recruiters, but keep in mind that companies who are hiring aren’t usually as fast in the process over the summer.  Lots of companies utilize summer interns, so after intern season is over, hiring tends to pick up! Think: a week or two after Labor Day. December can also be a slow time because of the holidays, but it’s an excellent time to find temp work.

IS IT GOOD TO TALK ABOUT GROWTH DURING AN INTERVIEW?

There is a fine line that a candidate interviewing for a role needs to straddle.

Being eager, motivated and focused on growth definitely shows that you have goals and want to succeed. However, if too much emphasis is placed on growth, a hiring manager usually feels like the person won’t be happy for long in the role that they are interviewing for. So it’s important to really emphasize that you are motivated, but also know that in joining a new company you have to earn your stripes and build trust, showcase what you can do, and then grow.

SHOULD WE GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY? 

I’ve heard it’s okay to talk about salary, hours, and benefits on the first interview. Is this true?

We usually say to let the salary, hours and benefits topic arise naturally, and we think it’s best for the HR manager or hiring manager to bring this topic up on the first round. You don't want them to think you are too pushy, forward or only focused on the money/benefits/hours.

THE HOT BUTTON QUESTION OF THE YEAR 

Is it ok to talk about a work/life balance?

Be very careful how you phrase this. There is a difference between being a clock-watcher and wanting a work/life balance. It’s key to emphasize that you are NOT a clock-watcher. Hours in the office range depending on both position and industry. If you are someone who either prefers not to or simply cannot work overtime due to personal obligations (i.e.: picking your child from daycare), it’s always a good idea to highlight your commitment to your work even though you cannot work much overtime in the office itself. Today exempt employees are fortunate to have the ability to work from their mobile phones or log on their personal computers to work in the evening, as more and more companies are granted exempt employees after hours access. Just remember -  always highlight your work ethic as being strong and always be a team player. Prospective employers want to know you are committed to getting the job done before you go home.

HOW DO YOU BEST UTILIZE A RECRUITER? 

Is it best practice to reach out to a hiring manager directly when you are represented by an agency?

It’s extremely important to always go directly to your recruiter with any questions or concerns regarding your job search. Your recruiter has a relationship with the client and is more aware of anything going on in the background regarding your status with that particular client. Furthermore, in order for your recruiter to represent you with the most positive outcome in landing you your dream job, they need to be aware of everything going on.

To be considered by Career Group send your resume to their website directly! You can apply to jobs on: www.careergroupinc.com, www.fourthfloorfashion.com, orwww.syndicatebleu.com, and your resume will be routed directly to a recruiter. 

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The Best Financial Decisions to Make in Your 20s

Image credit: Becca Tapert

Mortgage-backed securities, sub-prime loans, traunches…. It’s pretty confusing, right? Does it make you feel bored or stupid? Well, it’s supposed to. Wall Street loves to use confusing terms to make you think that only they can do what they do. – “The Big Short”

Savings. Does the word send shivers down your spine?

As a Millennial, the (credit) cards may feel hopelessly stacked against you. Everyone said “go to college and a good job will easily follow.” No one prepared you for entering the workforce in the wake of The Great Recession. No one warned you about how long student loans would follow you. No one explained how truly tight life is on a entry-level salary. Living paycheck-to-paycheck often seems like the only way to keep your head above water. However, if you can master the art of saving at a young age, not only are you setting yourself up for a secure future, but you’re also building a powerful muscle of financial self-control.

Disclaimer: I am not a financial professional, just a young person who has worked to gain basic financial literacy.

Build an Emergency Fund

To move away from the paycheck-to-paycheck panic, focus on building an emergency fund. Truly audit your life, exploring what short-term sacrifices you can make. Brew your own coffee instead of buying a fancy latte. Funnel your entire tax refund directly into savings. Sell personal items you no longer use. Surely there’s something you can sacrifice, even $10 a week is better than nothing. You never know when you’ll have a medical emergency or car failure or suddenly become unemployed. However, the one constant with emergencies is they will happen to everyone.

Recommendations vary for emergency fund goals, but most advisers recommend saving 3-7 months’ worth of living expenses. Start small, focusing on just saving $1000. After your first $1000, shift gears to save the next $1000. Breaking this into small goals will make this feel more manageable.

Credit Cards

Don’t. Just don’t. There’s so much to be said on the topic of credit cards: How high interest rates will be your demise. That you should always pay them off in full. You don’t need more than one. You should avoid any with annual fees.

Credit spending will undermine your saving goals. If you’re drowning in credit card debt, then focus on paying off the highest interest rate debts first. Cut up the cards and throw them away. Paying off your 17% interest rate card is a 17% guaranteed return on investment for those dollars, way better than the return on a boozy brunch.

Start Saving for Retirement

Financial professionals everywhere advocate the value of starting a retirement account in your 20s. Touting the power of compounding interest, you’ll vastly multiply your investment if you start saving at 25 versus at 35. Once your emergency fund is healthy enough to protect you from catastrophe, start saving for retirement.

401(k)s – Employers regularly provide 401(k)s and often offer matching programs. Matched funds are basically free money, so sacrifice as much as you can from your paycheck to take full advantage of these. Not doing so means leaving cold hard cash on the table.

Personal Retirement Accounts – If your workplace doesn’t offer 401(k)s, consider opening a personal retirement account. There are many options: IRA, Roth IRA, HSA’s, etc. Talk to a personal investor about your best option, but make sure your investor is a “fiduciary,” which means they’re legally obligated to act in your best interest.

"No one explained how truly tight life is on a entry-level salary."

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Start Saving for Goals

After establishing an emergency fund and retirement savings, you can now save for life’s big purchases. Maybe you want to buy a car, go on vacation, or plan for your wedding. When your friends post magical pictures of what’s going well in their life, it’s easy to get caught in the Instagram jealousy game. Don’t forget, they had to pay for that photo, and many them are doing so with credit cards. No amount of Instagram likes will feel better than paying for a major purchase in-full and with cash.

Be Smart with Extra Income

If you get a raise, bonus or any other unexpected extra income, divert that directly into savings. You’ve already figured out how to live at your current salary. You won’t even notice the difference, but your savings will thank you for the bump.

Fall in Love with Finance

Recently over dinner with my best friend, she mentioned how she’s become fascinated with finance and loves talking about retirement plans with her co-worker. I enthusiastically revealed that it’s also become so exciting to me. We’re total finance nerds.

"No amount of Instagram likes will feel better than paying for a major purchase in-full and with cash."

Tweet this.

There’s a whole world of helpful resources out there to self-educate yourself on personal finance.

If financial personalities interest you and you want to know, “can I afford it?” Suze Orman is a hoot. Dave Ramsay also educates with charisma, breaking financial freedom down into digestible baby-steps.

Maximize your daily commute by listening to economic podcasts. Planet Money and Freakanomics make big economic theories personal by connecting humanized stories to tales of dollars and cents. The Minimalists focus on living within your means and pepper amazing financial wisdom throughout.

If you prefer films, The Big Short is fascinating. Last Week Tonight often covers finance while also cracking you up, like this segment on Retirement Accounts. If you prefer documentaries, check out Frontline: The Retirement Gamble.

Surround yourself with the vocabulary of economic theory and personal savings and before long you’ll become fluent in finance. You might just fall in love with savings.

Do finances overwhelm or excite you?

An original version of this article appeared on Darling. Written by: Talitha Baker.  

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Links We Love: CreateCultivateATL Conference Edition

While some of us are busy planning our Halloween costumes or gearing up for #CreateCultivateATL, Snapchat is reportedly planning for a 25 Billion dollar IPO. 

BRB crying under our desks. 

Smiling again. This is why we do what we do. Who run the virtual reality world? Girls. 

Looking for some delicious motivation? Shonda Rhimes used Baskin-Robbins to learn responsibility. 

More ice cream stories that matter. 

It's a bloody mess out there. Have you gone through your social menopause yet? 

We're all crazy-making busy. This writer points out why it's going unnoticed. 

Working toward parity is tough. It took 35 years to narrow the pay gap by this amount. 

We talk a lot about authenticity at our conferences. But has it become a buzzword, marketing trap? 

This is making it almost impossible to wait for the holiday. 

And because we all deserve a little laughter. Here's an invitation to laugh together. 

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7 Ways to Deal with Demanding Higher Ups

Image credit: Almost Makes Perfect

When it comes to childhood memories, we reminisce fondly on endless summer days, Saturday morning cartoons and a general lack of responsibility. But recollecting other memories, like an acne-ridden face, chunky braces and the bully who tipped over your books in the hallway, feels far less warm and fuzzy.

Although your complexion has since cleared and teeth have straightened, sadly, bullies are just as prevalent today as adults as they were 15 years ago. Just trade the cafeteria for the water cooler and hand-written notes for passive-aggressive emails, and not much has changed.

According to research from the Workplace Bullying Institute, nearly 27 percent of Americans have experienced or are currently experiencing some kind of bullying in the workplace. While there are varying levels of severity depending on the aggressor and his or her actions, when that bully is your boss, the stakes – and your emotional response – are heightened.

Maybe your direct supervisor has inundated you with difficult work out-of-the-blue, and has no concern that you’re leaving the office once the lights turn out. Or maybe, you’re miffed from being continually passed over for new, challenging work and promotions.

Regardless of the wrongdoing, there’s one thing for certain: you absolutely, positively must do something about it.

That doesn’t necessarily mean stomping into your supervisor’s office this second and offering her a piece of your mind. But it doesn’t mean slumping in your desk and simmering, either. You’ll need to approach your higher-up with a calm, collected demeanor and tactical game plan if you want to ensure a harmonious work environment and, most importantly, the growth of your career. Here are the seven most important steps to take before approaching a bully boss.

1. Are you in danger?

While bullying (in any shape or form) is unacceptable, if you feel as though you are in danger or becoming hurt, tell a trusted friend, family member of confidante and leave the situation now.

2. Decide early on what you want to accomplish.

Not all resolutions end in fireworks. If you feel as though nothing good will come of approaching your boss, it’s 100% okay to consider leaving your position. Workplaces are oftentimes riddled with difficult politics and hierarchies, which can make a bullying predicament difficult to overcome. While you search for a new job, try to remove yourself the situation as best as you can and lean on other coworkers/confidantes for support.

"Not all resolutions end in fireworks."

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Of course, if you believe that directly confronting your boss will bear the best results, there’s actually evidence to support your action. According to research from EHS Today, individuals who approached a hostile boss reported higher levels of personal satisfaction at work, removed from feeling like a ‘victim.’ Regardless of your method for coping, ensure you know exactly what you want before diving in headfirst.

3. Start writing everything – meaning everything – down.

In the event you decide to approach your bullying boss, take precaution and start writing every interaction or instance of bullying down. And we mean everything.

Whether it was a demeaning, condescending email or eighth consecutive night you left office after nine o’clock (while he left at five), make sure to log every action, no matter how seemingly insignificant. No matter if it’s used to draft your speech once you approach your boss or to show your boss’s boss, build your case as meticulously as possible.

4. Before outlining your next move, take a moment to step into her shoes.

Whether it was Miranda Presley in The Devil Wears Prada or Dolly Parton’s superior in 9 to 5, totalitarian, ruthless bosses are a popular narrative in our culture. And while your gripes with your boss are certainly warranted, there might be an entirely different story you’re not aware of.

Is your boss shoving piles of work on your desk because she is swimming in work as well, or is he still reeling from his divorce? You’ll still need to express your feelings to your supervisor, but try to remember, he or she is a person too. Refrain from pointing fingers until you know all the facts.

5. Arrange a meeting (but prepare a game plan in advance).

Once you’ve assembled your ammo (AKA factual evidence) and mustered up your courage, you’ll need to finally do the dreaded deed: schedule a time with your boss to talk.

Try to pick a time when he or she will be the least overwhelmed, like in the morning earlier in the week. By Thursday or Friday, your boss might be less inclined to listen to your feelings, especially when they are seemingly negative. Before you enter the room, know exactly what you will say – and what you want to come out of it. Do you want a promotion or a decreased workload? Ensure there’s an end goal, and your boss is made aware of it early on.

6. Think positive.

Although tempting to blurt out to your bully, statements like “I feel like you’re continually turning me down for raises” will get you nowhere. Instead, try to take the emotion out of your complaint and spin it in a positive light.

For example, try: “I’ve noticed that you have turned me down for three consecutive raises. Can you please explain to me why, and what aspects of my performance I can improve for the review period?”

7. Continue to work hard, but know when enough is enough.

Once you’ve left the confrontation with your bully boss, things will undoubtedly be awkward for a bit. And of course, there will be a significant chance he or she will ignore your feelings and continue their bullying behavior.

If this is the case, know when enough is enough. Consider approaching your boss’s supervisor or HR. If that’s out of the question, there’s no shame in finding a new role – with a boss who will appreciate your talents and invest in your success.

This was originally published on Shine, a daily messaging experience to help you live your best life.

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How to Create a Killer Gut Instinct for Business

Image credit: Curated Cool 

As someone who’s traveled her entire life, traversing at different speeds has given me the tools needed to graduate from each lesson along the way.  Whether short trips or long ones, living in various countries for years at a time, or backing the world for nine months straight, travel is impactful. Beyond that, it is tough, life-changing and eye-opening. 

It's also has taught me most of the skills I apply in business today. 

Here are my top six:

BE CULTURALLY SAVVY

We have a global economy. Which means jobs are no longer relegated to one city. Many offices operate in multiple countries, and being able to understand co-workers culture or learn the methodology of how and why someone works the way they do, can give you currency. You’ll have more in common and will be a relatable employee, making your added two cents go that much further.

TAKE RISKS 

I learned this one the hard way: by actually doing it. On a bus trip in Vietnam, I needed to go to the toilet and the bus stopped in a tiny place that wasn’t even on the map. With seconds to decide, I looked at my friend and said, “What do we have to lose? Let's just do it.” It ended up being one of many jump, and the net will appear moments. Companies look for people who aren’t afraid of the unknown, as they seek out the curious. Know that even if you fail, the good ones fail forward.

"Know that even if you fail, the good ones fail forward."

Tweet this. 

Without risk, there is no reward.

WORK OUT YOUR GUT INSTINCT 

A favorite muscle of mine that is often overlooked is the inner gut. It needs to be worked out and strengthened, just like anything else. When you're traveling problem solving is part of the itinerary and you become accountable for your actions and make choices on-the-go.

When we aren’t surrounded by people to make choices for us we develop a killer gut instinct that can prove very beneficial to your career. Employers encourage workers to form opinions, make snap but important choices, go with their gut, and many times will put you in a position where you are the final decision-maker. What’s your gut telling you to do?

PROBLEM SOLVE LIKE A PRO

Nothing says time to problem solve like the wrong direction, out of gas, missed a flight, forgot my stop and no English. The above has happened to me in so many ways, and then some! I figured it out, survived, and you will too.

Companies love to see how a worker handles problems that get thrown their way. 

EXPERIENCE GRATITUDE 

Sure, it's nice to think we can make it on our own, but the reality? Yeah, we all need people. I’ve never been in a country where I didn’t need help, sought out advice, or listened to a local. People have been so kind and gracious towards me on journeys, it's only right to pay it forward.

By asking your co-workers or friends in business how you can help them in their life, or perhaps help with a problem that needs solving, you're showcasing your uniqueness, your willingness to help, and the art of contributing in a selfless way. Trust me, it’s a thing.

DEVELOP CONFIDENCE 

You don’t need months of travel to obtain it, but by making tough choices, taking risks, and jumping every hurdle that comes your way (sometimes gracefully, sometimes not) you’ll get there. Spending months in countries where you don’t speak or read the language will help you develop an internal confidence that is irreplaceable. 

Cream rises to the top, and a smart boss will recognize this. Own your confidence and wear it proud.

###

Melinda Fleming is the founder of Curated Cool. She been blessed by the Dalai Lama, trekked the Himalayas, and shopped the flea markets of London . She is always seeking what’s unique & chic regardless of the city or town she's in. 

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Here's How to Master the Interview Follow-Up

Above: Diamond Patterned Thank You Notes

“Follow-up” and “follow through” are two very similar concepts that are key to your success in the business world. And you can bank on potential employers paying attention to your post-interview follow-up skills as an indicator of your follow-through when it comes to the job. 

See, landing the interview and then nailing it, that’s just half the battle. You need to follow up with finesse to inch ahead of other candidates. One way to do so is to send a personal thank-you note. The art of the thank you is not lost. We worked with Papyrus, the social expressions company that knows all about a professional thank you, to create the ultimate list of follow-up to-dos.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING 

Before you leave the interview, ask the interviewer about the timeline for making a hiring decision to know when to follow-up. 

The way you follow up with your interviewer will indicate how you will follow up with your potential clients. For instance, sending a quick “Thanks for the meeting today” email is great. Most hiring recruiters say the faster you get this out, the better. It shows that you’re on top of things, you have tenacity and you want to stay top-of-mind. Sending more than one email in a week is a bother. 

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, DUST YOURSELF OFF 

And try again. 

If they said they will make a hiring decision within a week, sending one more polite inquiry after that week has passed is more than OK. In fact, it’s smart due diligence. You never know why or when something might have slipped through the cracks. 

"Landing the interview and then nailing it, that’s just half the battle. You need to follow up with finesse."

Tweet this. 

In the second follow-up, mention recent company news, whether it’s a blog post you enjoyed or a news article that included the brand. 

Asking, “Did I get the job?” is not what this follow-up is about. Instead, direct your efforts so that the person hiring thinks, “This candidate should get the job.” People don’t like a teacher’s pet, but they do like someone who pays attention. And if you weren’t on the list of potential hires, this might put you on it. 

BE BOLD, BUT NOT BRASH 

Hiring managers and founders are inundated with emails. Get out of their inbox and into their head with a handwritten note on beautiful stationery. 

It should be a bold and to-the-point thank you follow-up in which you reference a specific point of the conversation that you’d like to expand on. It’s not enough to thank them for their time— you need to tell them WHY you deserved it. There is always a tidbit of information that will show how closely you were paying attention. 

A good outline of what to write is as follows: 

Dear Jackie, 

What a great meeting this afternoon! When you mentioned your company is really focused on growing your social media presence among Gen Z, the ideas started flowing. As someone who has doubled their own social media following over the last year and reports a 4% engagement rate, I feel confident that I can help you achieve that goal. I would love to talk over more ideas and strategies with you. Thanks again for your time and the opportunity to meet. 

Best, 

Arianna

Use all those 140-character skills you developed with Twitter to nail the art of the quick note that will make them want to click through — aka call you back. And what are those “ideas” you mention? That’s for you to share in interview number two. Make sure you drop the note in the mail as soon as you can so that it lands on their desk 2–3 days post-interview. 

THE STATIONERY YOU CHOOSE SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT YOU

When you’re picking the card, consider the audience and your reasoning.  

Is the company a start-up and you suspect the founder would consider a more playful approach? Was the interview in a more corporate environment where something classic would be appreciated?

After considering your audience, consider yourself. Cards can reveal as much about you as the words you write in them. Here is a chance for you to show your interviewer that you understand the culture of the company, but also feel comfortable injecting your personal brand and approach into their world. 

TO SEND OR NOT TO SEND…A GIFT 

For some, this is an overeager act. For others, it shows that you’re really serious about the position because sending a gift after every interview would not be good for your bank account. 

Choose something that’s fun and won’t take up space on their desk. À la compliment pencils. What’s not to love? Send them with a note that says, “Pencil me in as your new hire.” Or super cute bow tie paper clips for that stack of paper you noticed on their desk.

KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON

Even if you think you lit that interview on fire, it’s possible another candidate came in and burned the building down. 

There are going to be plenty of jobs you want and don’t get. The most important thing is to keep building professional bridges, which is why you should also always ask if it’s OK to connect with them via LinkedIn before you leave the initial interview. Make the connection, that way even if you don’t get the job, they are still in your network and they can see your updates. 

You never know when that job, or another that’s more suited to your skills, will open up. 

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Your #CreateCultivateATL Packing List

As we prep for Create & Cultivate ATL, we want to make sure you're locked and loaded for the big day, and that includes all the things that you should bring on-site! While you'll be walking out more than what you came with (both knowledge and swag-wise), there will be a few things that you will need to make sure to bring to make the most out of your day!

Conference Badge & Federal-Issued ID

If you have been sent your conference badge last month, you're going to want to keep it in a safe spot! Make sure to bring your badge along with a federal-issued photo ID when you come to Mason Fine Art for a speedy entrance.

If you haven't received your badge, don't fret. Your badge will be available at registration, but make sure to have your photo ID for pick-up!

Dress To Impress

Not only is Create & Cultivate one of the most visually-stunning conferences around town, but our attendees are the best dressed in town as well! Make sure to grab the amazing #OOTD, because you never know, you might just end up in our OOTD roundup after the conference! (Check out some past OOTD inspo here.)

iPhone + Charger

This is not the time to forget your phone or run out of battery, and while you might think this never happens, it does. Double check your bag before you leave your hotel. You don't want to miss out on Tweeting amazing soundbites from panels, snapping the best shots from the conference, and even miss grabbing a selfie with one of your favorite speakers. (Although if you do forget your camera, there will be charging stations on site for you because we've got your back like that.

Business Cards

Create & Cultivate offers you the perfect chance to network with fellow attendees and speakers, and a lot of collaborations were born out of meeting at Create & Cultivate from our past attendees. Want to make a lasting impression on those that you meet? Make sure to have your business cards on deck and nurture those relationships into what could be the next big collaboration born out of Create & Cultivate!

The 411 On The #CreateCultivateATL Break & Pop Ups

Photo by Arnelle Lozada

The countdown is on for Create & Cultivate Atlanta this month, and while we're planning what places to visit, who to meet and even what to wear, we want to make sure you're ready for the big day too.

We have so much in store for C&C ATL, including all of the pop-ups you'll be able to check out during our break (5PM-6PM)! Check out all of our sponsors that will be hosting amazing pop-ups and treats for you to check out and shop below!\

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream
A special treat for all of our VIP guests from Jeni's! Head over to the VIP lounge during break for some splendid ice cream!

Dove
#ShakeSprayGo with Dove at their booth and snap a pic at their featured GIF photo booth! 

Squarespace
Learn how to step up your blog game and make the most out of your website and the Squarespace Studio.

Amazon Fashion
Take a break and at the Amazon Fashion booth and treat yourself with a black and white mani with a special design, and enter to win one of their amazing giveaways!

Crown Royal Vanilla Pop Up Bar
Grab a sip of Crown Royal's new vanilla-flavored whisky, and check out Adrianna Adarme's (A Cozy Kitchen) cocktail workshop in a special breakout session during break!

Kendra Scott
Stop by the Kendra Scott airstream and shop their winter and signature collections, create your own custom piece of jewelry at the Kendra Scott Color Bar™, or spin the prize wheel for a chance to win!

Papyrus
Get inspired with Papyrus and stock up on stylish cards to create a lasting impression! Visit during Happy Hour to enjoy coffee, cards, and sweet treats.

Simon G. Jewelry
Visit their booth and check out their try-on station to check out all the diamonds (and even snap a pic of them) and their "king pop" popsicle stand for a cool treat!

bebe
Visit bebe to enter to win a $500 gift card by taking a photo at their floral photo wall, grab a boozy popsicle, get a free key chain pom-pom and mini bebe Bubbly champagne, and meet and greet with Jessi Malay during the break! 

it bed by Sleep Number
Visit Sleep Number to check out their newest brand it bed (and dream in it too), and also take a break by recharging and refreshing yourself at their relaxation lounge! Did we mention that they'll also have a great swag giveaway?

Iconery
Visit Iconery to shop their on-trend pieces from their most popular designers (Stone Fox Bride, Luv Aj, Victoria Six, Anne Sisteron, Mata Brenner, Mara Carrizo Scalise) including pieces few collections. They'll also be holding a giveaway for a chance to win one of their top selling necklaces!

Daniel Wellington
Daniel Wellington is on tour and the mobile pop-up shop is making a VIP stop at Create Cultivate! The Time Traveler will be showcasing all DW collections, including it's newest Classic. The pop-up is fully equipped with a coffee serving station, complimentary leather embossing, and an interactive Photo Booth. You can also enter to win a watch by snapping a pic in the Photo Booth and posting to Instagram using the hashtag #DWonTour!

Simon Malls
Not only will Simon be welcoming you to our attendee happy hour on Friday, but their pop up at Create & Cultivate will allow you to shop from their highlighted brands. Not only that, but they'll also be hosting a giveaway for you to enter! 

Mark & Graham
Head over to Mark & Graham's pop up to get a sneak peek at their new fall product, and get on-site calligraphy from ATL calligrapher Ashley Buzzy with the purchase of a new leather zip pouch! You might want to get your monogram, or favorite short saying on it (Rosé all day, anyone?) Also, make sure to shop and pick up a glass of champagne during break!

Framebridge
Visit Framebridge for a chance to win a gallery wall! Find out how many tape measures there are in their bowl, and you just might be the lucky winner if you guess right! Also, let Framebridge know what you want to frame and for whom this holiday season and the best entry gets a frame for themselves and a frame to gift for the holidays. Not only that, they've created free digital downloads you can get on their site. They will print and frame them, and the link to that will be in your gift bags!

Richer Poorer
Richer Poorer will be debuting its newest addition to its innerwear line- the bralette- exclusively at Create & Cultivate- a month before it launches to the general public! In addition, they will be offering tee and muscle tank bundles available only at their booth! 

H2O+ Beauty

Stop by H2O+ Beauty to check out their reimagined skin and body care lines that combine the power of pure water with the latest advances in skin care technology. Enjoy a consultation with their certified esthetician and sample products recommended just for you. Take home travel sized samples and enjoy discounts on their full collection.

Also featuring pop-up activities from:

Erin Condren

Lou & Grey

Bai Pop-Up Bar

Don't forget to #TreatYoSelf by heading over to the Beauty Lounge and checking out the pop-ups below! 

BeGlammed
Head over to BeGlammed's pop-up beauty bar to get gorgeous makeup touchups and hairstyling. At the booth, beGlammed’s Founder Maile Pacheco will host a series of contouring sessions throughout the day where you can learn how to sculpt the perfect cheekbone. Hairstyling will focus mainly on braiding and dry styling. Also, pink bubbly champagne and delectable cookies will be available to the pop-ups participants!

Zeel
It's going to be a long day, so make sure to take a breather at Zeel's pop-up and get a 5-10 minute mini-massage. You deserve it, girl.

Shea Moisture
Visit Shea Moisture's Pop Up to check out 6 of their star collections, and also treat yourself with quick touch ups and braids done by celebrity hair stylist David Lopez at their beauty stations! Also, guests will receive one full-sized product as well.

Sara Happ
You should treat yourself, but also remember to treat your lips with some love! Head over to Sara Happ's pop-up to visit their lip scrub station, and learn more about all things Sara Happ!

Nubian Heritage
Visit Nubian Heritage's pop up to travel around the world and grab a passport to visit each of their collection stations. Once you've finished your trip and have your passport stamped, you'll receive a small gift bag with a full-sized product and a leather passport holder. Also, they'll be offering hand massages and will also have bite sized desserts inspired by their Coconut & Papaya collection. 

Cetaphil

Learn more about the full day schedule here, and see you all in two weeks! 

Links We Love: Why You Should Ask for a Raise, Mansplaining & Weight Discrimination

It's almost October, which means it's almost Halloween, which means WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR NYE?!!

In the meantime, catch up on these links we love from this week's rager news week. 

Want a raise? Ask. Research shows you need as many as possible before you hit 40. 

Going up in the air? Here's how to get work DONE while you travel. 

This is so meta Portandia. 

"Women get promoted. Just not women like you.” Weight discrimination in the workplace is real and this woman is over it. 

Everyone laughed when Amazon wanted to be the go-to fashion retailer. But Amazon Fashion is laughing now. All the way to the bank. Chachiiiing. 

Solange got a new album. Weekend listening parteeee. 

One, two, one, two. Mic check and then a fact check on the first presidential debate. 

Space race said what? Elon Musk unveiled his plan for colonizing Mars. 

Sure, she's got an Oscar. But here is Lupita Nyongo showing us why she should be your favorite rapper. 

Melinda Gates, the awesome half to Bill, is going back to her roots and nope, we're not talking about hair. 

Need some weekend inspo? Check out this list of women run media companies. 

So many bloggers. So much fashion week. So much drama at Vogue. 

Just how many times do you think Hillary Clinton has been mansplained over her career? Chime in below and let us know. 

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Should You Take a Job Outside Your Industry?

Is it better to take a job outside your industry, or wait until something better comes along? It’s a precarious situation. If you wait for something to come up, you might be waiting (and struggling financially) for a while, however if you do take a job that’s outside of your desired field or specialty, you may be settling when something else is right on the horizon.

When you’re deciding whether or not to accept a position, it’s important to ask yourself 3 main questions:

Is this the direction you want to take your career?

Is there room for growth?

Do you have the luxury of being picky about what kind of job you take or do you need to find something now (due to finances, employment gaps, etc.)?

Ultimately, if it’s not the direction you want to take your career, it’s not worth it. If you have the opportunity to take a new job, but it’s not the direction you want to take your career, it’s not worth the risk. If you’re exploring an opportunity because it has better pay or better benefits, that is a personal decision where you have to weigh the pros and cons.  But think on this: if you drive 20 miles south when you want to go north, you’re going to have to drive an extra 20 miles back in the direction you want to go. Essentially, once you take your career in an opposite direction, it is that much harder to get back on track.

What will happen if you take a long term job that isn’t what you want? On the surface, it may not seem terrible. Everyone understands that you need to make a living and subsequently do what needs to be done to make that happen. However if you do take a long term job that isn’t in the direction you want to go, you might be creating more hurtles for yourself. 

Think of it this way: If you have been working in business development but want to transition into marketing, the more positions you take in business development, the more likely you are to appear as a business development professional, and less likely to appear as a marketing professional. If you want to transition into marketing, a better way to go about this would be to take classes and volunteer to collaborate on projects with the marketing department at your current company. Then it makes sense when you apply for a marketing role. Even if you have to start at the bottom, taking a role in the right industry or field is an important step. The more you can put on your resume that’s marketing related, the more your marketing skills will be highlighted. 

When you’re looking to transition jobs or roles, it is important to think about the big picture. This is where the “room for growth” question comes in. Are you exploring other opportunities only to find that you have to start at the ground? If you want to take your career in a specific direction, look for roles that point you in the direction of your goals. Focus on positions where there is room for growth, so that even if you have to step down a level in authority, you can take solace in the fact that the end justifies the means. 

"When you’re looking to transition jobs or roles, it is important to think about the big picture."

Tweet this. 

Everyone starts from the bottom at some point, so as long as there is room for you to grow and learn, there is nothing wrong with starting from scratch.

What Should You Do If You Haven’t Found the Right Opportunity, But Need Money Now?

If you are struggling financially and find yourself eager to work, even if it’s not the best position, consider taking a temporary role where you can explore your options and establish new connections. There is nothing wrong with taking a temporary or contract position to fill the transition space, however taking a permanent job is just that-- more permanent.  

In this case, I always suggest that people look into temporary or contract positions. The partnership of "temporary" and "job" has a somewhat negative connotation, but I personally know many people (myself included) where temp positions have opened completely unexpected doors.

Temporary positions serve three main benefits:

They give you income while you’re in transition or in between jobs;

They give you the freedom to look and apply for other jobs while you’re still working without the guilt;

They establish networking connections and opportunities for you.

If you excel at your temporary position, chances are that you will meet people who can a) point you in the right direction, b) know of a job that may interest you, or c) will work with you to keep you at the company but progress to an area that better suits your qualifications.

There is no down side to taking a temporary position in between jobs, because if you don’t like it, you can simply end the position. Similarly, if you do find a better position, there is no need to feel bad about leaving a job or a company. A temporary position is made to be flexible, so companies are generally pretty understanding if you find a full time position that is better suited for you long term.

It can be frustrating when deciding if it’s better to take a job outside your industry or wait until something better comes along, but ultimately, you have to keep your eye on the prize. Focus on finding positions that will propel you in the right direction, even if you have to work your way up, and work hard to highlight your unique skills and abilities.

###

A native San Franciscan, Michele Lando is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and founder of writestylesonline.com. She has a passion for helping others present the best version of themselves, both on paper and in person, and works to polish individuals' application package and personal style. Aiming to help create a perfect personal branding package, Write Styles presents tips to enhance your resume, style, and boost your confidence.

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Do You Know Your Financial Health?

Financial health starts with getting real about your goals. A no filter, no Facetune, long-hard look about where you are, where you want to be, and the realities of getting there. So we asked Colleen Wilson, goal setting and finance nerd, and founder and CEO of Collaborate Chicago - a consulting, coaching and advisory company dedicated to helping women build profitable companies and have impactful careers, for her tips and career advice.

Colleen says, “It starts with getting real about goals, setting a good foundation and putting a plan in place to get you there. The end of the year is the perfect time to re-evaluate where you are versus where you want to be, reflect on lessons learned, and think about how to move closer to your goals.  

Ask yourself: what would my future self do?”

Here are her six steps to healthy financial future.

1. UNDERSTAND YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS AND SET THE FOUNDATION NOW

Investing in your future isn’t only about securities; it all starts with goals.  A Harris Poll survey reports that roughly 76% of millennials believe they need a financial plan to achieve their financial milestones, however they are also more likely to worry about never achieving traditional milestones. So what’s your plan?

With so many resources available (many free) on personal finances and financial goals, take the time now to get clear about what your financial goals are. Maybe a house is one of them or that dream wedding. Maybe it's to retire at 50. Maybe working part time when you have kids is on the list. Maybe it’s as simple as having enough in the bank to not worry about emergencies throwing you off your game. Get clear on what those goals are.

Get them on paper and research how much they will cost. Applied knowledge is power...and much of it is free. There are several great goal visualization softwares available that can help you see how much you’ll need and how much you’ll need to save for each based on your age and risk tolerance levels. A good personal financial advisor or financial planner can be instrumental in the process as well.

Small changes create options.

2. CREATE AN EMERGENCY SAVINGS

If you don’t have an emergency piggy bank to break into, you might end up broke. Lots of financial advisors will refer to emergency funds as rainy day funds-- things that you need to prepare for “just in case.” You can't always control when a rainy day hits and you have that emergency expense. But what you can do is have a rainy day fund to make that bump in the road a bit easier to navigate.

"If you don’t have a emergency piggy bank to break into, you might end up broke."

Tweet this. 

In 2015, the national average personal savings rate in the US was 5.7%. That’s not high. Ask yourself: how much of each paycheck am I setting aside for things like parking tickets, the car breaking down, or the dog getting sick? Most millennials largest fear is living paycheck to paycheck. Take control and start saving a bit today.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Put down (again, on paper) what you need for 3-6 months of living. Start there.

• Consider setting up a high-yield savings account with 3-6 months living expenses. Make sure that if something happens you do not need to resort to putting those emergencies on a credit card that you can’t pay off right away.

The more you save, the more you’ll want to save.

3. IT SEEMS A LONG WAY OFF, BUT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER RETIREMENT

While most millennials say they expect to retire, only 22% of millennials say they are currently saving for this common financial goal. When you are young time is on your side, and retirement savings vehicles like IRAs and 401ks offer the advantage of tax-deferred savings. The more you save earlier, the more realistic this goal becomes; you put time on your side.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Contribute to a company-sponsored 401k - especially if your company offers a match.
• Open and fund an IRA - any financial advisor, broker dealer, or financial planner can help you get started.

Our generation will want to retire, but we’re not used to thinking about our future; we’re used to thinking about the here, the now, and it could cost us in the long run.

However, time is on your side when you are earlier in your career and as you get older, your needs may change. Starting sooner rather than later pays off. You know what makes it easier? Knowing WHY you are making small sacrifices here and there (see #1...get those goals!)

4. BUILD BETTER HABITS

You can’t always control how much you make, but you can usually control how much you spend (again, see #2 about rainy day funds). Can’t save what you want? It’s time to look at that spending. Where is your money going each month? And how is that serving your goals?

"You can’t always control how much you make, but you can usually control how much you spend."

Tweet this. 

Shortly after getting my first job after college, I remember working with my dad to build a spreadsheet to see how much I could spend given how much I was making. We calculated necessities like taxes, health insurance, car payment and rent. It was sobering to see that given my salary I could only spend $50 on “entertainment” per month! I could spend that in ONE night out!. Even in 2006, that terrified me. But it also empowered me. What could I move around? Should I be shopping at Pottery Barn or asking my family for hand-me-down furniture? Knowing what my goals were even when I was only making a small salary, helped me prioritize. Even today, after getting married and making more money, I still review my spending each week to see where I am getting off track. It also helped me carve off larger and larger portions of my income for savings versus constantly upgrading my lifestyle with each promotion. Why shouldn't you automatically do this? See number 2 :)

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Use a tool like mint.com or your bank transactions/credit card statements to review if your spending is in alignment with your goals. Are there any categories that are getting too big? Too many big dinners with friends? Too many Amazon Prime purchases?
• What about subscription services that you rarely use? Look for opportunities to cut out some of the unnecessary expenses and immediately funnel that money each month (automatically) into an emergency fund or towards one of your financial goals.

You owe it to yourself to know your numbers and know where your money is going.

5. THERE IS NO WEALTH WITHOUT HEALTH

Anyone else concerned about rising healthcare costs? One of the best ways to make this less of a future burden concern is to prioritize your health now. Just like building strong financial habits now, take your health seriously and be proactive.

Proactive = Preventative

Ask yourself some of the below questions and get into action. Often there are many resources at our fingertips, we simply have to look.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Are you using your company or self-funded health benefits to their fullest?
• Do you get a gym membership or health stipend through work that you are not using
• What about access to nutritional coaches or EAP programs?
• Does your employer offer an Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account that makes saving for medical expenses even easier?
• Are you getting your well woman exam each year?
• Getting those teeth cleaned? Do you know the cost difference between a cleaning and a root canal?!

Small changes when you're young can make a world of difference in how you think, act, feel and live. While you can’t always calculate the exact cost, bank on the saying “your health is your wealth” being true.

6. LOOK AT YOUR CAREER & ASK YOURSELF, WHAT MORE CAN I DO?  

I’m not talking about taking more classes or going to get a master’s degree. I’m talking about re-examining your salary and compensation. When was the last time you took a look at how your salary compares in the market place? Are you wanting a new role or position that comes with a higher salary?

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

• Identify where you want to be and investigate what it takes to get there. Simple.
• Consider if you need a new skill or leadership experience. You don’t need to invest in a degree, but there are many weekend courses that will teach you new, relevant skills that place you at the head of marketplace. Don’t know InDesign? Take a class. Feel a little shaky on best new social media practices? There are courses.
• Are you qualified now but have not had those conversations with your leader?
• Make it a priority to look for a job where employers 401k match, offer paid leave, or have great health care that can save you money.

Ensuring you are properly compensated is a cornerstone of financial health. These are all decisions you need to look at when you take a job. Make sure you feel good about where you are and if you don’t, know what your options are and have a plan to get there. This is where a great business coach, advisor or mentor can come in handy.

###

Disclaimer: This content in this communication is opinion and for informational purposes only; it is not intended as financial or legal advice. For specific guidance on your financial situation please consult a qualified financial professional.

Colleen Wilson is a speaker, business coach and consulting, and the founder & CEO of Collaborate Chicago - a consulting, coaching and advisory company dedicated to helping women build profitable companies and have impactful careers. Prior to creating Collaborate Chicago, Colleen held several leadership roles at Edward Jones and most recently led product marketing for the Square Capital platform at Square. Collaborate Chicago is a culmination of her professional experience, business school and consulting work, and is the resource she wish she had as she navigated her career and launched her business.

Colleen is a obsessed with women empowerment, whiteboarding, product development, and finding the perfect shade of lipstick. Contact Colleen at hello@collaboratechicago.com

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Millennial Women Are Burning Out Faster Than Ever

Millennial women are burning out. They are also leaving their jobs at a faster rate than their male counterparts. This has nothing to do with babies. So what’s happening?

Here are four common reasons and what we can do about it.

THE REASON: SOCIETAL EXPECTATIONS

Even though women are starting companies and bringing home the bacon more than ever, there is still gender bias that exists in both the workplace and at home. In 2013 the US Census released data showing that 40% of household breadwinners were women. Still, the pressure to perform gender roles at home and smash through them at work is exhausting.

WHAT CAN WE DO: BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE FUTURE! 

This is a tough one because this is something that will (fingers-crossed) work out over time. The rate of men staying home to raise the kids is not congruous to the number of women in the workplace. And women have been starting businesses at a faster rate than men for the last twenty years. Research has shown that women will create over half of the 9.72 million new small business jobs expected to be created by 2018.

So, we keep fighting for parity, in all areas of our lives. And we look to the future generations. Specifically, Gen Z, who, research has shown will be the least judgmental of all generations. They are less likely to ascribe to gender norms or put people in boxes.

"We keep fighting for parity, in all areas of our lives. And we look to the future generations."

Tweet this. 

Which means expectations will change-- for both genders-- and ideally, the pressure to be all things to all people will subside.  

THE REASON: UBER-CONNECTED WORKPLACES

Technology, you Medusa. Your snakes have slithered into every moment of our lives and it’s turning us to stone. Or ash, since we’re talking about #burnout.

Our parents never had to deal with this! They’ll never understand the reality of working round-the-clock and having an employer that can contact us at all hours of the day. I once had a boss who, if he wasn’t in the office, Facetimed me almost every morning to make sure I was staying on track. It became exhausting to see his face. Sometimes I was in the bathroom. Other times, I’d miss the call because I was refilling my coffee. If I missed it, I was reamed. And I burnt out 100% and left that job.

WHAT CAN WE DO: SWITCH OFF, WITHIN REASON

Easier said than done. A black screen is our worst nightmare, but we are creating an abyss more ominous than any black screen: our professional burnout before 30. 

"Technology, you Medusa. Your snakes have slithered into every moment of our lives."

Tweet this. 

You need to set boundaries with your job. There is no reason that you need to be answering emails at midnight or checking your phone FIRST thing upon waking. The healthiest mind is a balanced one. How many times do we have to say it before it sticks?

Start somewhere small-- because small changes create bigger boundaries and better habits. Aside from the obvious dangers of texting while driving, make a pact with yourself to NEVER answer a single work email or text while you are driving because it will help set a boundary. It will not only save your life or others’, but driving is a 100% legitimate reason to not answer a frantic text/email from a boss or colleague. Tell your boss you’ll no longer be answering texts or emails from the car. As long as you make it to work on time, this is healthy place to start.

THE REASON: UNCLEAR CAREER PATHS 

We hear about women who are fired and find themselves.

We hear about women who boldly quit and find themselves.

We hear about women who make the transition from “job” to “career.”

Very rarely do we hear about women who stayed the course and found themselves within their current position. Guess what? It happens! This should excite you even though career means something very different than it did 20 years ago. The shifting technological landscape and startup world mean everything is moving at warp speed. It’s hard to know what a tenured career will look like when you can’t see two years from now. It's hard to think about the fact that maybe our generation will never really retire! 

WHAT WE CAN DO: BE THE CARTOGRAPHER OF YOUR OWN CAREER

If you feel lost within your current position, write down the goals of where you want to go. You can take the freelance backroad or you can hop on the corporate interstate but goal-mapping is important and journaling is the enemy of confusion.

This is completely on you. It’s not up to your employer or boss to create your path. If you want to move forward within the company, make it known. Talk to you supervisor about what your options are. Don’t quit because you can’t see the forest through the trees. Wipe the sweat from your brow and refocus.

THE REASON: IT’S NOT YOUR PASSION

It doesn’t help that social media features lots of influencers who have “quit” their day jobs and refused to pursue passion in the margins. Some people say that if it’s not your passion, you will burn out. But other millennial women are using this as an excuse to bounce from their obligations.

WHAT CAN WE DO: FIND THE PASSION IN YOUR CURRENT JOB

The pairing of job and/or career and passion is not a perfect one. If you are looking for complete satisfaction out of a career, boy will you will be looking for a long time! Even the people you meet who love their career, still don’t like them sometimes. It’s like marriage-- some days it’s love, some days it’s work.

Everything worth having is hard work-- that includes passion. No relationship and no job will completely satisfy you; it’s the reason why we have more than one friend. Unfortunately it’s much harder to have more than one job. So work to find the passion in the work you are doing and you might end up finding your true calling. Or falling for the job you already have. 

And then think back to point #2 and map out your career goals. 

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C&C Classifieds Nº13: Start The New Season With A New Career Move

@stylehaul

Fall is finally here, and the change of seasons might make you want to make a change in your career and start off fresh. Either that, or you just haven't had the right opportunity fall in your lap, and you're still searching. No matter what it is, you know we always have your back.

This month, we have fresh new listings that you can call dibs on first from AZIONE PR, Sakura Bloom, Stylehaul, Kopari, Small Girls PR, FashionABLE, our very own #CreateCultivateATL speaker Kelly Mindell's Studio DIY, Tuft & Needle, and plenty others.

To get full access to this month's classifieds, enter your info below. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor! 

If you have signed up for access to the C&C Classifieds before, click here.

Hey Lauren: How Do I Become My True Self and True Brand?

"Hey, Lauren" is our new bi-monthly column from licensed psychologist Dr. Lauren Hazzouri.  Dr. Hazzouri is a TV show host and founder at Hazzouri Psychology, where she’s carved out a successful niche treating women who are psychologically healthy—but trying hard and not getting satisfaction in various aspects of their lives. Through her life experience and training, Lauren’s developed a program that allows women to live meaningful lives and feel fulfilled doing it. Lauren is founder of HeyLauren.com, a project for women, where she provides evidence-based insights on job stress, relationship woes and everything in between. 

photo credit: Tory Williams

Hey Lauren,

How do we become ourselves and build a brand simultaneously?

Thanks,

The IG Generation  

To do this discussion justice, let’s start with a short ( and necessary!) psych lesson. According to Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and psychotherapist who founded analytic psychology, in order to become whole individuals, we’ve got to strike a balance among our personas, our egos, and our true selves. The persona, a mask we create and wear in public, is an expression of our egos—how we wish to see ourselves and for others to see us. The persona is not a problem, nor is the ego; they’re both necessary! The problem arises when we identify too much with one, allowing our personas to become our identities. When that happens, our true selves have little room for growth. The result is that we feel stuck and discontented, having a hard time integrating and becoming our whole selves. 

BUT HEADS UP! WE BRAND OUR PERSONAS. 

Much like identifying too much with persona, mistaking our brand identity for our true selves puts our personal individuation at risk. In short, individuation is a process of self-discovery and is said to be necessary in our quest for purpose and meaning in life. The answer is NOT to shy away from personal branding. Instead, to stay on track to true self while building a brand, a dose of objectivity is key. Your personal brand is merely a means to connect self and society. So, do your damnedest to keep your brand values in line with who you really are. This way, you’ll be sure to keep the discomfort that comes with cognitive dissonance at bay, and growth in one area won’t compete with growth in the other. 

The process of building a brand and the process of becoming your true self look very different. Think about it—building is defined as constructing something, while becoming is defined as passing into a state. Believe me!—I know. Taking action is much easier for most of us than being passive. At times, the action is in the inaction. It’s easier to practice with the end-goal in mind. Remember—the reason you’re building your brand in the first place is in an effort to make your mark on the world—to meet your life’s purpose. Research on individuation tells us that you’re going to have to get acquainted with your true self first. 

Therefore, creating an environment where your true self can emerge is necessary. 

HERE'S HOW!

START WITH CHARACTER  

On the path to becoming your true self, it’s important that you begin to act more like the wind and less like a weather vane. A ( not-so-easy!) way to do that is to hone your character through a steadfast commitment to: Honesty: Be honest with yourself and others, regardless of the consequences; Accountability: Always do what you say you’re going to do—no excuses!; Responsibility: Respond, don’t react to your environment; Integrity: Do the right thing—even when nobody’s looking! 

SPEAK UP

Say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t say it mean. People pleasing is deceitful. You think you're being so nice. Agreeing when you don't agree, being okay with whatever when you're really not is stealing.

"Say what you mean, mean what you say, don’t say it mean."

Tweet this. 

Social interaction—and that includes social media—benefits us in that it provides opportunities for us to learn about ourselves by comparing and contrasting opinions and viewpoints and allowing others to do the same. You're not only stealing a growth opportunity from you, but also from your followers, too. The path to true self requires courage.

TAKE NOTE OF YOUR HOT SPOTS

Having insecurities is part of the human condition, which is not only fine but expected! Beware of how your experiences and insecurities shape your perception. We have the tendency to morph into what people seem to like or dislike. Losing our way is rarely the result of accurate information coming in. Instead, it’s how we view the information coming in. In order to reach the ultimate destination ( your true self!), it’s important that you dismiss what feels like negative feedback by getting familiar with the irrational thoughts that perpetuate insecurity. Bottom line—look out for triggers! Monitor your thoughts. And remember, respond don’t react. 

EMBRACE THE FULL PACKAGE 

We all have many aspects to our personalities. Recognize and foster each one. A lot of times, it seems that personal branding leads women to pigeon-holing themselves into certain personas. We have a tendency to pick and choose aspects of ourselves that are seemingly more marketable and less likely to increase vulnerability. Your personal brand ( and personal growth!) can only be a success is you recognize and celebrate all that makes you, you. 

JOURNAL IT (WITH PEN AND PAPER) 

Becoming our true selves is a life-long process. There are no short-cuts, and there’s no easier, softer way. Journaling is the enemy of confusion. I recommend you journal for 20 minutes a day. The health benefits of putting pen to paper cannot be overstated. Even better, writing accesses the left hemisphere—the rational part!— of your brain. In an effort to combat outside influences, write down your thoughts. This way, you’ll be sure to take the lead from the part of you that responds with grace, rather than reacts in fear. 

"Journaling is the enemy of confusion."

Tweet this. 

Following these several tips is a part of a foolproof plan to grow personally and professionally simultaneously—a true win-win. Brand that!

###

Dr. Lauren’s on a mission to bring psychology to the public. She contributes to a variety of online publications, provides candid talks to women’s organizations across the country, and was recently cited in Forbes.  

Dr. Lauren is the 2016 recipient of The Psychology in the Media Award from The Pennsylvania Psychological Association and is a member of The American Psychological Association. For more from Lauren, visit @dr_lauren  and sign up for her weekly newsletter at HeyLauren.com.

TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS:

Congrats on Your Failure

written by: Jane Helpern

At first glance, getting fired is...not ideal. In many cases, it's completely unexpected, and can render your ego and bank account severely depleted (a special thanks to last week's #spenderbender for helping slide into that unemployment office in style). There's no denying that being canned is a tough blow. We're talking emotional, professional, and financial damages -- especially in the short term (First rule: don't wallow! Get proactive with our essential job hunting tips here). But, as you'll read today, getting the ax can also be incredibly liberating, and function as the much-needed impetus for progress, growth, and change. Below, hear from four unstoppable women who masterfully manifested getting fired into their best career move yet. Because when life gives you pink slips, make pink lemonades.

Name: Allie Greenberg

Occupation: Brand Marketing Manager for Richer Poorer

HOW IT WENT DOWN: The way I was fired was actually pretty fucked. There had been rumors swirling around for weeks that there were mass layoffs coming down the pipeline. Since my company was so nepotistic, there were a ton of people there who spent more time at the free coffee bar or playing ping pong than actually doing any work - so this didn't seem that shocking to me. The week it happened, they sent out an all staff meeting invite where the big boss basically told everyone some people were about to be fired and how bad he felt about it. In retrospect, it was VERY Hunger Games. Since I worked on one of the busiest teams (generating content for a social audience that was over 10 million people at the time) working 50-60 hour weeks, I assumed my job was really safe. They had actually just brought on an agency to help support us because we were so busy and social media, in general, was exploding. I thought I was fine. Little did I realize they brought on the agency to replace us and the weeks prior when I was walking them through my piece of the puzzle I was actually training them to take my job.

“When life gives you pink slips, make pink lemonades.”

Tweet this. 

HOW YOU FELT: I think there were about 60 people fired that day. Initially, I was really shell-shocked. My job paid quite well, I worked ten minutes from home, and I had become best friends with two of my coworkers. That said -- I hated that job. HATED. I had a boss that created a glass ceiling for me and stood in my way from any true growth or promotion. Plenty of ideas I pitched got killed and anything that didn't, I never felt like I actually got credit for. I loved the mission but didn't feel like what I saw on the other side was true to what we messaged.

THE TURNING POINT: I think while I felt supremely fucked over, I felt the massive relief of not having to get up and go to a job I hated. I also realized I kind of hated social media altogether and that I should take some time to think about what it was I actually wanted to do. I got a bunch of jobs offered right after I got fired but lived off severance, unemployment and rando freelance jobs while I waited for the right opportunity to come along. There were times where I thought it would never come along but yay, it did. Honestly it took awhile but THANK GOD I held out. 

WHERE ARE YOU NOW: Honestly, nearly two years later at my current job I could not be more grateful for what happened. I have the most incredible boss who values me and my strengths and challenges my growth. She cares about making me better at my job and sees that by me being awesome at what I do I make her look more awesome. I truly, truly, appreciate the opportunities that come my way every day at Richer Poorer and the ownership I get to take in working towards a common goal. I never ever felt that at the job I was fired from. 

Name: Kim Lash

Occupation: Sr Manager of Brand Marketing + PR at Nasty Gal

HOW IT WENT DOWN: I was working at a men's clothing brand to launch their women's brand. I was around 26-29 yrs old during my time there. I had dedicated almost all of my time and the majority of my energy towards this job. In some ways I lost myself in it. I was surrounded by mostly males in the hip-hop/action sports industry and often felt a lot of pressure. I got to experience some incredible moments and work with really talented people, but I also faced a lot of challenges. I sensed that some company changes were being made. Then one day they called to tell me the female division of the brand was being outsourced and they were letting go of the internal team immediately. At the time it felt extremely disappointing to be losing something I had worked so hard to launch. I knew it had taken over my life excessively, but being let go was still upsetting. 

HOW IT FELT: Immediately after the job ended, I had a migraine for a week. I went to the doctor and she told me it was just stress. I had all this built up tension and it all came out when I stopped working there. I decided to take a couple weeks off before looking for a new role. During that time, I went to museums in LA I had never been to. I went to the beach alone. I felt my eyes were truly opened for the first time in a while. Then I started to interview for new jobs and was finding a lot more opportunities in New York. So after being in SoCal since I was six years old, I got up with no secured job and moved to NY. Shortly after being in NY, I got a job that was somewhat similar to my previous role. Then I decided to freelance. Most importantly I turned 30, I grew up, I found myself and I had a new perspective. 

WHERE ARE YOU NOW: I am back in-house with a fashion brand in LA. And I am more grounded, while still being extremely dedicated to my job with a strong work ethic.  By losing that job, I found how to respect myself. Ever since I have been much more fulfilled and better at my work.

“By losing that job, I found how to respect myself.”

Tweet this. 

ADVICE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO REBOUND FROM GETTING FIRED: I know it's cliche, but I think everything happens for a reason. Even if it feels horrible at the time, you will learn from the situation and grow while figuring out your next opportunity. There are always going to be positions that aren't a fit and positions that are a fit. I would say to go with your gut when making decisions regarding a new role. And that the people in your network who know you best are a great way to land new promising work.

Name: Sable Yong

Occupation: Freelance Writer & Beauty Editor

HOW IT WENT DOWN: I was working for a women's site that I like to dub the poor man's Refinery29, as an associate beauty editor. I was mined-off LinkedIn from a recruiter at that company and met with the Editor-in-Chief of the site. I wasn't super hot about the site, but as a freelancer, I figured it'd be good experience and a "legit" resume builder and career move. Anyway, she left the company three months in and was replaced by the living incarnation of Regina George, who in my eight months at the company managed to systematically pick off everyone on the team who wasn't on her agenda. After about four straight months of conflicting direction from the now three supervisors above me, I was pretty much always made to feel like I wasn't doing enough. Anyway, some weird Wordpress glitch about unsaved edits was blamed on me, and I was unceremoniously let go one Monday afternoon being told, "you've been asked to improve your work many times and we aren't seeing it so we have to let you go."

HOW IT FELT: It was a sucky feeling, but I'd be lying if my first reaction didn't involve great relief. I couldn't really get into it at the time, and there was a stern HR lady present to mediate or witness, so I was just like "OK" and got my things and left. It was ultimately for the best because it was confirmation that I should stop trying to get into an industry I want to be a part of the traditional way (i.e., starting with grunt work from the bottom and grovel my way up) and use my actual skills. When I wasn't distracted by my daily existential dread I could actually use my energy towards doing something fulfilling and career advancing. 

THE TURNING POINT: When I went back to freelancing it was leagues better. I had greater insight into the inner-workings of the media/editorial world and way more editor and PR contacts. I was even, weirdly enough, mined from Google for a Dove campaign after their casting director found a story I wrote about dyeing my hair blonde. Generally, the pattern goes that any good opportunities that have come my way have been because of my own work that represents me, not a publication.

ADVICE FOR WOMEN WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO REBOUND FROM GETTING FIRED: Examine what you're really good at. Enjoy and do as much of that as you can, of your own volition. Marketing or positioning yourself to be perceived as someone experienced in whatever that thing is helps. Either way, I think when you approach what you want to do by playing to your strengths it works out better than trying to fit into someone else's mold. Also, always be saving your contacts.

Word to the Wise: “Always be saving your contacts.”

Tweet this. 

Name: Nicole (No Last Name Given)

Occupation: Screenwriter

HOW IT WENT DOWN: I was fired on January 8th, the Friday after the 2-week winter break that is the only obligatory hiatus that the entertainment business collectively takes. During this hiatus, my mom had intense back surgery and I got in back-to-back car accidents; I knew something in the universe was off. That Sunday, the last day of winter break, I walked into my mom's room and told her, "I hope I get fired tomorrow." Low and behold, that Friday, I got the boot. Sometimes I wonder if I willed it. That entire week I noticed I was being dropped off inter-office emails. Things were being scheduled I wasn't privy to, only to find out that they were interviewing my replacement right under my nose.

HOW IT FELT: Getting fired is a shock to the system, even if you do will it. You immediately feel inadequate and useless. Stressors like money and career come flooding in. You rack your brain about the things you did wrong (in my case, not many) and you think about what you could have done better. I was very close with these women, and one of them actually cried in the room. When I reflect on that, I think they knew they were losing a good team member, but ultimately we had to go our separate ways. I always felt grateful for the job and I worked for a team of creative and smart women who were running a big network television show. A door into Hollywood is a door. I felt very lucky, and I still do. 

“Getting fired is a shock to the system. You rack your brain about the things you did wrong.”

Tweet this.

THE TURNING POINT: When I was called in for the actual letting go, they gave me very vague reasons. "You know Nicole...it's just not a good fit anymore." Months later, it couldn't have been more clear. I hadn't written a single page of a screenplay. I hadn't been creating for TWO YEARS. My creative brain is a driven one and I needed to take the leap to see if I could actually thrive on my own. I would have never quit my job; a paycheck somehow always trumps the real work that needs to be done. I realize now I should have quit a long time ago, but I never had the courage. Despite by my affection for the women I worked with, I knew that they didn't value me creatively. I brought them a book that I thought would make an incredible animated series. They very quickly turned the idea down. It was then I knew that perhaps we just didn't vibe creatively. So I wrote a treatment for the series, kept it to myself, and now 8 months after being fired I am very happy to say that I am turning that same idea into a television series.

The week that followed my firing I made a full 9 to 5 commitment to screenwriting. I popped out two pilot scripts, finished my film, and got a series into serious development. I made a deal with myself: every single day, even on Sundays, I send at least one professionally intended e-mail, text or phone call. My main professional takeaway is to trust your own taste. Getting fired ,if anything, was just fodder for another good story.

Jane Helpern is a freelance writer, copywriter, and founder of Jane Says Agency. She enjoys helping brands find their voice, writing about fashion and feminism, and walking-at-an-incline-with-wine™

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This Entrepreneur Walked Away From a Scholarship at a Top University

Written by: Karin Eldor

Whether Jasmine Star waxes poetic about entrepreneurship on a podcast, offers up social media engagement tips in her Facebook Live workshops or talks about her dog Polo in her Insta Stories, one thing is clear: she speaks as she is. The wedding photographer and social media strategist has blazed a trail of authenticity, guts and determination.

Jasmine’s star rose to fame as a wedding photographer when she was 25 years old. But here’s the clincher: when she first picked up her camera, she was actually a UCLA law student who didn’t know the first thing about photography. Luckily, she’s into shots in the dark.

Talk about a pivot: Star took a life-changing leap of faith, without even knowing if photography was her passion. 

“That's the crazy thing,” she admits. “I didn't know if photography was my passion... I believed it was my passion, I hoped it was my passion, but I didn't know it was my passion.  However, I had to at least try to figure it out. I owed it to myself.”

Star explains: “When I was 25 years old, doctors said my mom was dying of brain cancer.  She was only 50.  In that moment, I thought I was having a midlife crisis.  I was literally half the age of my dying mother… I understood how fast life flies by and I promised to do everything I could to ensure I didn't look back on my life from a hospital bed and wonder, What if…”

So she walked away from her UCLA law school scholarship to follow her heart.

“I believe entrepreneurs owe themselves the chance to try to pursue their curiosity,” Star continues. “Curiosity is the thing that leads to passion, so I'm hell-bent on chasing my interests to determine if they'll morph into my wildest passions.”

“Entrepreneurs owe themselves the chance to try to pursue their curiosity.” 

Tweet this. 

That Christmas, her husband JD gifted her with a camera, and the rest is her-story. Jasmine pursued her (then TBD) passion and clicked her way to become one of the world’s premier wedding photographers. Four years in, she became one of the most sought-after photographers in Cali and was voted “Top 10 Wedding Photographers in the World” and “Top 10 Most Socially Influential Photographer.”  

Her advice to others also considering a pivot? “Release yourself from people's expectations of your decisions. If you're looking for people to ‘get’ you or applaud your career-switching decisions, you may be searching for a long time.  The vast majority of people are afraid of trying something new, but -- more so -- afraid of failing publicly.  Most people don't want to be vulnerable and run the risk of closing the doors to a dream.”

Star adds, “Your responsibility isn't to handle the naysayers, nor is it to convince others that your decision is right. Your only job is to do what you've been created to do.  You must stand in the rightness of your vision and let your success silence their doubts.” (And, mic drop.)

But everything has its purpose and Star’s law school experience has impacted the businesswoman she is today:

“I firmly believe every experience helps me as an entrepreneur.  For example… Being a waitress taught me how to hustle and smile when dealing with rude customers. Working in retail taught me how to dress for the job you want, not the job you have (and properly fold a T-shirt). Volunteering for a janitorial union in L.A. taught me to treat everyone with utmost respect, even if they're cleaning toilets. Law school taught me to think in non-emotional terms and see every situation in black and white.”

Amazingly, Star evolved from wedding photog to branding & social media strategist, helping other entrepreneurs and creatives build a brand and pursue their vision, with her Path to Profitability business summits and workshops. Her evolution from creative to consultant is proof that some of the best career transitions happen organically.

"Stand in the rightness of your vision and let your success silence their doubts.”

Tweet this. 

“It was natural. Totally. I built my brand from scratch and used social media to buttress it.  Shortly thereafter I taught other photographers how to do it for their businesses and soon a variety of business owners asked for my help.  I began consulting with creative entrepreneurs and saw their business explode with growth and entrepreneurial flair.”

Star explains: “The Path to Profitability was a labor of love and resulted with 12 hours of teaching content to entrepreneurs on how to build a brand and use social media to market it effectively. We hosted the workshop and recorded it to share it digitally with entrepreneurs.  When I was creating it, I set aside two hours every day for four months to write and assemble the content.”  

Star’s advice on how to maintain your voice as a brand?

“Write your copy like you're talking to a friend.  There aren't rules for good writing. Actually, there are lots of rules.  But ignore them. In today's digital world, the main goal is to get your point across as quickly as possible, in the strongest fashion… and write it the way you'd send an email to a good friend.  Make jokes.  Add smiley faces.  Talk to, not down to, people.  This makes a world of difference.”

Amazingly, with everything Star has on her plate, she still manages to answer all the emails to her website within 48 hours, all the while engaging with her over 160K Instagram followers.

And interaction and engagement seem to be what makes Jasmine Star the brand tick. Not only are her posts authentic, but she loves sharing nuggets of truth and wisdom for those who scroll her social media feeds. This is likely why her INSTA180 free 7-day challenge resonated with people.

“I love social media.  Like, love it. I've been able to grow my social platforms with concentrated effort and dedication.  Most of my marketing efforts are bolstered by social media, so I love teaching others how to use it.  INSTA180 was created to teach entrepreneurs how to use Instagram for their businesses. I've learned being popular isn't as important as being profitable.  Can I get an amen?!?”

"I've learned being popular isn't as important as being profitable."

Tweet this. 

But it’s not all roses, right? So how does Star deal with the thorns and keep viewing the world with rose-colored filters?

“You are enough. You have enough. You need to give yourself grace, in spite of your mistakes. Abundance flows through you. You need to celebrate others' successes as happily as you do your own.” This is Star’s own mantra. 

As for the entrepreneur' mom:

“Here's some good news:  my mother miraculously recovered from brain cancer… and she's the first person I call when I'm ready to make yet another pivot.” Which, happens to be her advice for surviving the daily hustle: “When you're down, get up. Take breaks when you need them. Call your mom. Invest in good coffee.”

Amen number two. 

###

Karin Eldor is a coffee-addicted copywriter, with a long-time love for all things pop culture, fashion and tech. Ever since she got her first issues of YM (remember that one?) and Seventeen in the mail, she was hooked on the world of editorial content. After earning her Communications degree, she spent 6 years honing her craft as a Senior Editor for AskMen.com. More recently, Karin enjoyed gramming and strategizing as Social Media Manager at ALDO. Today, she is Chief Content Writer at 818 Agency and a social media consultant.

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Links We Love: A Hack, A Debate & More Celeb Love for Chrissy Teigen

Didn't have time to read this week? Don't worry we didn't either. Now take a seat, read up, and get ready for Monday's monumental debate. 

Hillary Clinton gets the Between Two Ferns treatment. And manages to hold her own.  

STEM is the future. Even Cards Against Humanity knows it.  Does that make them for humanity?

Have a rough commute? A court has ruled that time spent traveling to and from work, is work. 

Put 'em up ladies and gents. Are you ready for Monday night's major debate?

Yahoo is the latest company to be hacked. And they got hacked hard. 

Retire? Not women. This study says women work four years longer than men. 

Forget the iPhone 7. These Apple employees are claiming mental health issues from a hostile work environment. 

Ain't no basketball wife. Ayesha Curry is the woman next to, not behind her husband. Oh, and like the rest of us, she loves Chrissy Teigen. 

These CEOs say devoting time to reading every damn day will help you work smarter. (You're welcome in advance for these links.) 

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