Create & Cultivate 100: Food: Michelle Tam

At a time when everyone seems to have an opinion on gluten, nut milk, and general nutritional needs, it’s hard to know who to trust as a source of information and inspiration.

Enter Michelle Tam. The badass behind the Nom Nom Paleo empire started her paleo journey eight years ago with a blog, which quickly escalated into a New York Times bestselling book, a nod from the James Beard Foundation, and an active fanbase of “Nomsters.” The irony here is that Michelle has a degree in nutrition and food science, and her first dream job was to develop chemicals to spray on microwave dinners, giving the illusion that the meal was cooked and browned in the oven.

While her approach to nutrition has certainly changed since the 90s, she still approaches cooking like a methodical scientist. To listen to her speak about food and what fuels her family is to listen to a passionate chef who views health as the ultimate form of wealth.

Your recipes are often California-inspired. What are some of those Golden State touches that make them so unique and special?

I’m a native of the San Francisco Bay Area—an immigrant-rich melting pot of cultures that continues to innovate by fusing together different influences, tastes, and cooking methods, particularly from Asia and Latin America. Combine that with fresh ingredients from some of the best year-round farmers markets in the country, and you’ve got a limitless bounty of flavor. In fact, California cuisine is famous for focusing attention on the incredible flavors of local ingredients, rather than on heavy sauces or fancy techniques.

My recipes take a similar approach. My cooking is all about taking shortcuts to deliciousness, while emphasizing the amazingly fresh flavors of real, whole foods. I also take plenty of inspiration from the dishes I’ve grown up eating here in California, from hearty Cantonese home-cooked classics to spicy specialties from my favorite taquerias.

You majored in nutrition & food science in hopes of becoming a flavor scientist. How have you transferred the things you learned in the classroom to your cookbook recipes?

In some ways, I’m doing the exact opposite of what I learned from my Nutrition and Food Science professors in the ’90s. Back then, it was all about “better living through chemistry”—artificially enhancing cheap foods to be more palatable, pushing empty carbs and low-fat diets, and promoting the agendas of agri-business giants. I totally bought it at the time—so much so that I wanted to move to New Jersey to learn how to develop chemicals to spray onto microwave dinners to make them look like they browned in the oven. Paleo is, obviously, a very different take on food and nutrition.

That said, I still use a lot of what I learned in my studies. With a deeper understanding of how food chemistry works, I feel like I’m better equipped to figure out how to make my recipes work optimally, as well as how to create killer flavor combinations. In addition, I approach recipe development meticulously and methodically, like I’m running a science experiment. After all, just like with lab results, recipes need to be replicable! I use my family and friends as taste-testing guinea pigs, and I write up my methods and results—only in recipe form.

What inspired you to try the paleo lifestyle?

It was ten years ago, after popping out two kids, that I noticed I was tired, cranky, and had a muffin-top poking up out of my waistband. I wanted to ditch the loose flesh—and get stronger, too. So I did what any crazy-busy working mom would do: I subscribed to fitness magazines and ordered a bunch of home exercise videos. For well over a year, I did heart-pounding cardio moves in the garage every night. I counted calories. I lost weight. But I was also starving and miserable. I wasn’t any stronger, yet I was achy all the time. My bathroom scale told me I’d shed some pounds, but my food cravings were off the scale. And my muffin-top didn’t go away.

In the meantime, Henry, my better half, had embarked on a mission of his own to improve his fitness, and stumbled upon the paleo diet. He gradually transitioned to a paleo dietary template, while I sat back and scoffed. I knew better—after all, I’m the one with a nutrition degree! To my surprise, however, he didn’t just survive on the paleo diet—he thrived. My husband exercised three times a week and ate paleo, and was in better shape than he was in college. His blood work and body composition were much improved, and he was savoring all the stuff I secretly wanted to eat.

I had to give this paleo thing a try, so in the summer of 2010, I made the decision to go paleo—and when I decide to do something, I commit all the way. I immediately cut out all grains, legumes, sugar, and processed food from my diet, and read everything I could about the science behind the paleo diet. I quit doing all the crazy cardio and starting doing CrossFit. I was all-in.

And you know what? I feel great! After working graveyard shifts for more than a decade, I’d been mentally and physically lagging—but once I changed my diet, I found that my energy levels improved significantly, and my moods were sunnier, too. I was a nicer mommy. Paleo’s the only approach that managed to improve my body composition and fuel me with enough energy to chase after my two boys, hold down a full-time night shift job (which I quit in 2014 after 12 years of working graveyard shifts at the hospital), cook for a houseful of hungry eaters, lift heavy(ish) stuff in the gym, write cookbooks, and maintain a food blog.

If you could have a meal with someone, living or deceased, who would it be and why? What would you eat?

I grew up in the same house with my grandparents and they helped raise me when my parents were at work. Sadly, they both passed a few years ago. I’d love to share one last meal with my paternal grandfather to thank him for shaping my personality, sense of humor, and outlook on life. We’d dig into some fish and chips (mine would be gluten-free) and papaya because that was his favorite meal.

What do you crave in life?

Experiencing joy in all things—especially when it comes to food and family.  Also, I could always use more sleep.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love the constant interaction and feedback from my readers (a.k.a. Nomsters)—whether it’s immediate comments on new recipes that I post or hugs at book signings. I am really proud of the community I’ve built at Nom Nom Paleo and I really do feel like I’m friends with all my readers!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Do stuff that scares you. I used to avoid things that I didn’t immediately excel in or was afraid of failing at, but these days I love tackling scary new projects or experiences because the payoff always outweighs the risks. Even when I fail, I end up with some lessons learned and a great story to tell!

Do stuff that scares you.

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What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I think the success of our first cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Food For Humans, was the biggest surprise of my career to date. At the time my first cookbook was published, I was still working full-time as a night shift hospital pharmacist, and Nom Nom Paleo was just my passion project side hustle. When our cookbook hit The New York Times best seller list and was nominated for a James Beard award, I couldn’t believe it.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

My passion and drive definitely come from my parents. When my parents immigrated from Hong Kong to the U.S. and settled in the Silicon Valley of the 1960s, their shaky grasp of English limited them to blue-collar jobs: my dad worked as a technician in a factory, and my mom took orders at a fast food joint. They shared a house with my grandparents, even after my sister and I were born. All six of us lived squashed together in a little house.

My parents pushed me to work hard at school and pursue a respectable career—and I did that. I was valedictorian of my high school class, got a pharmacy doctorate, and worked as a hospital pharmacist at a teaching hospital. I was happy being a cog in the wheel…until I wasn’t.

For years, I worked nights at the hospital while my husband and I worked on our side hustle, Nom Nom Paleo. Our blog eventually led to a Webby Award winning cooking app and two New York Times bestselling cookbooks. It was enough to bring me to a crossroads: Should I quit my hospital job and embrace Nom Nom Paleo as a full-time gig—giving up the financial stability and predictability that my parents worked so hard for?

That’s when I realized that no matter what immigrant parents tell their kids about the importance of stability and security, they’re actually the biggest risk takers of all.

My mom and dad had the courage to venture to an unknown land, to start a new life not knowing the language or customs, to face discrimination and longing for home—all without a safety net. In comparison, giving up a steady paycheck to write about food isn’t especially daunting.

After working twelve years as a hospital pharmacist, I hung up my lab coat for good, and threw myself into food writing and online entrepreneurship. I now work relentlessly on Nom Nom Paleo because I want my kids to follow my example—I want them to take risks and pursue purpose-driven work.

“I want my kids to follow my example—I want them to take risks and pursue purpose-driven work.”

What keeps you up at night?

Not much, because I’ve done my utmost to hack my sleep! As a recovering night-shift worker, I have to make up for over a decade of horrible sleep habits. These days, I have blackout panels on my windows, orange lights for bedtime reading, weighted blankets, a white noise machine, and strips of painter’s tape covering the little pinprick of light that emanates from the ceiling-mounted smoke alarm. I even have a pad under my sheets that keeps my body at the optimal temperature for sleep, and wear a sleep tracker to make sure I’m getting good ZZZ’s.

Of course, I still sometimes wake up in the middle of the night, dreading some impending deadline or worrying about the effects of climate change.

Whose career really inspires you?

I’m incorrigibly unfashionable, but I really admire Eva Chen’s career. As head of fashion partnerships for Instagram, she’s able to balance being a badass boss, fashionista, working mom, and now children’s book author, too. On top of all that, she remains super funny and relatable.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge as a woman in the food industry?

It’s always hard being taken seriously as a woman in the food industry, let alone a woman of color. When you tack on the fact that I’m not professionally-trained and started off as a food blogger focusing on a special diet, I face even more skepticism from those who have come up through more traditional means.

I’ve tried to carve out a space for myself and others like me—home cooks who have something specific to offer, whether it’s comfort food recipes for those with certain dietary needs or cooking tips and techniques for harried working parents.  Luckily, the free and open internet allows “my” people to find me. I don’t need to rely on traditional food media to build my brand and make an impact.

What is the most challenging part about writing a cookbook?

All of it! We have a unique agreement with our publisher where my husband and I do just about everything ourselves, from writing and photography to book layout and design. Henry does all the photography, cartoon illustrations, and graphics, while I focus on recipe development and writing. Every square centimeter of each page of our books was designed by us. For us, putting together a cookbook is a lot more involved than turning in a manuscript. Despite all the work, we wouldn’t do it any other way because we love the creative freedom and knowing that the final product is truly “our baby.”

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Nom Nom Paleo has given us the opportunity to chase after things that we think are fun and interesting, without worrying too much about challenges or roadblocks. Ten years ago, I would have never thought that we’d have the chance to publish cookbooks, produce a podcast, design a cooking app, or design action figures—so all of this is gravy. Besides, my husband and I run Nom Nom Paleo as a mom-and-pop shop, so we’re nimble and can adapt to changes quickly and pretty seamlessly. Also, Nom Nom Paleo is fairly diversified, in that we don’t rely heavily on a few partners or sponsors for our success. We’re able to dive into things that we’re passionate about, and keep learning and growing in new directions.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Professionally speaking, I never know what’s around the corner—but I can’t wait to see what’s in store! As for what I’m personally excited for, we’re taking a family trip to Italy this summer to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary and my father’s 80th birthday. I’m looking forward to chilling with my whole family in a little town in Abruzzo, taking cooking classes, and eating lots of gelato!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE FOOD LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Ella Vos

In a world where “the dream” is being signed by a major label, Ella Vos bucks tradition. When she walked into meetings with labels to find a major lack of female executives, she was inspired to take a risk and strike out on her own.

It’s safe to say the risk of going independent paid off: Ella’s debut album was an instant hit—she’s played big festivals, sold out shows, and had her music featured on Grey’s Anatomy, Life of Kylie, and The Originals. But amidst her rise to fame, Ella wants us to know she’s still a real person. She started her journey in music while pregnant with her only son, and she wrote her hit song White Noise about her struggle with postpartum depression. The song, of course, went viral, but Ella is humble: When someone likes her music, she says, it’s “the best feeling ever.”

This breakout star has done so much in her short musical career, but talking to her gives you the feeling that this is just the beginning. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Ella Vos.

You released your debut album, Words I Never Said, independent of a label. Why did you choose to go solo?

I could write an essay on the reasons I didn’t release my album with a label, but the short answer is that it just didn’t feel right. I had several meetings that left me feeling disappointed in the absence of women at the executive level in the music industry; normally I would have thought “That’s just the way things are,” but instead it inspired me to do something different. I definitely went into this career thinking I would “need” a label to have any type of success. That way of thinking was a big reason why I decided to remain independent—to prove, even just to myself, that there is not one way or path to anything in life. It was liberating to take control and know that it was up to me to make it happen.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge has been viewing my career as a business, and that I am the boss. It’s not instinctual as an artist to think that way—at least, not for me. I’ve had to really push myself to speak up for what I want, how I want to do things, and what my goals are, and not what I think someone else thinks my goals should be.

Vulnerability and honesty shine through your lyrics. What message do you want to spread to women through your music?

I hope to spread to everyone, especially women, that it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be wherever you are emotionally, or physically, whether you’re happy or not. And it’s important to talk about it. I think for years I feared showing my feminine side for risk of appearing “less than”— less capable, less trustworthy, less attractive, less stable, etc. But that’s a very damaging and dangerous way of thinking that I’ve been working on changing in myself and hope to inspire others to do as well.

What’s your songwriting process?

I almost always start with a melody over a single instrument, either piano or guitar. I’ll mumble out words in the melody that become building blocks to write the lyrics. Sometimes, not all the time, a word will pop out that inspires the rest of the song. Other times it takes days of writing and journaling and brainstorming to find what the song is about. Sometimes I don’t really know what the song is actually about until I’ve written and recorded it. I like to really “brew” in my lyrics, working on them over the course of days, changing little words here and there. I hate writing lyrics in front of other writers or producers; I get really self-conscious, so I usually write lyrics alone at home in my bedroom.

Whose career really inspires you?

So many of the up and coming female artists right now are SO inspiring to me—like Maggie Rogers, Billie Eilish, Bishop Briggs, Elohim, Verité, Jessie Reyez… the list goes on. Every one really seems like they’re doing it their own way and loving it, and it makes me really excited for where music is headed.

You’ve been open about your battle with postpartum depression after your son was born. How was music a source of comfort for you during that time?

Music has always been a source of comfort, starting with playing the piano when I was young—it was really the first way I learned to express myself. But I didn’t realize how important a tool it could be until I was dealing with postpartum depression—how it could help not only to release emotions, but to also make sense of things and gain confidence to speak up about it.

It was liberating to take control and know that it was up to me to make it happen.

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What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I’m constantly surprised at the consistency of everything; that even when I couldn’t release music for a year, that people still continue to listen and share and follow. Also, sometimes, I’m just shocked that anyone likes my music at all, which I know is silly, but it’s an honest feeling. You spend all this time making art, alone, caring for it like a little baby, and then you throw it out into the world not knowing what will happen to it—and any time someone grabs onto it and says “i like this!” it feels like the biggest accomplishment ever.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Success is a word I’ve been challenged to redefine for myself constantly. I’ve hit some major bumps—one of the biggest was being diagnosed with cancer while on tour this past year. It was easy to feel like my year career-wise was going to be a failure, but instead I just leaned really hard into what I knew I could accomplish and what I thought would make me happy, letting the less important pieces slip away.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Believe in yourself and others will follow.

What’s next for you?

I’m releasing my EP Watch & Wait in January and heading off on a US headline tour end of March. I’ve also been directing my own music videos recently and hope to do quite a few more!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Alisha Ramos

Alisha Ramos doesn’t want to go clubbing anymore. She’s in her late twenties, and what she craves most is meaningful connections and friendships that matter—if you’re over 25, you probably feel the same. So Alisha created Girls’ Night In, a newsletter that covers culture, lifestyle, and self-care, for homebodies like us. And it caught like wildfire.

Six months into the venture, Alisha quit her full-time job to pursue opportunities with GNI. In just over a year, Alisha grew her newsletter 400-fold (not a typo!). She knew she was on to something, and has since built a simple newsletter into content that more than 100,000 women look forward to receiving in their inboxes every day.

Below, Alisha talks self-care, imposter syndrome, and the value of “no-screen time.”

Tell us a little about Girls’ Night In. How did it come to fruition?

Girls’ Night In is a self-care community and newsletter. Our mission is to help women relax, recharge, and build more meaningful connections in an overwhelming world. I started it as a side project in January 2017 as a weekly Friday newsletter. We now reach over 150,000+ women around the world, and host monthly gatherings offline in several cities!

What do you hope women take away from your newsletter?

Self-care is however you want to define it. The term gets used a lot these days, but ultimately it’s a very personal experience. At Girls’ Night In, we explore the mental, social, and emotional aspects of self-care, as well as the “fun” stuff like what face masks and skincare products we’re loving. It’s a balancing act!

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge in creating GNI?

Our biggest challenge has been how quickly we’ve grown and serving our audience’s needs. Our readers are super engaged with us and have so many ideas and requests. The challenge is always in focusing our efforts as a team and serving our audience in the best way possible.

Any plans to expand to real-world face-to-face events?

We are! We’re in cities like SF, NYC, Boston, Philly, Toronto, D.C., and more. We host monthly book club gatherings and larger events.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Impostor syndrome is real. But let me tell you: no one knows what they are doing. I’ve learned that everyone is making it up as they go, and that’s given me more confidence. If you’re passionate about your mission, stay true to your values, and listen to your customers and audience, then you’re on your way to success. Stay strong!

You made a conscious choice not to include political news in the newsletter. Why?

Our readers are very smart. We make the assumption that they receive their political news and op-eds elsewhere.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Meeting our community members IRL. It’s so nice when a woman comes up to me and says, “I’m so glad GNI exists. I made a friend through it, and I read your newsletters religiously.”

Impostor syndrome is real. But let me tell you: no one knows what they are doing.

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What does your day-to-day routine look like?

We now have an office! I was working from home for the longest time. My workday is pretty typical - 9 to 5pm, although of course as an entrepreneur you put in a “second shift” at night. But I’m trying to live out our values and practice self-care at night, and put into place “no screen nights” on some nights so I can spend meaningful time with my friends, family, or s/o.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I did fail a few times in the beginning of my career. It’s especially hard when you’re new to the workplace. I realized that a job I was in was not the right fit for me. I spent a few months doing a ton of self-reflection and experimentation with different types of work before I could finally figure out what spoke to me the most.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Growing the Girls’ Night In team and community! We have big things in store!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 CONTENT CREATORS LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Nancy Twine

Before her 30th birthday, Nancy Twine had already left her successful career in finance at Goldman Sachs to pursue her next adventure: starting a hair care company.

Taking that chance paid off. Nancy’s brand, Briogeo (the combination of two words—Italian for “vibrant” and Latin for “of nature”), offers women a plant-based natural hair care and made her the youngest African American woman to launch a line at Sephora. But Nancy’s success wasn’t sheer luck—she’d been working to perfect the recipes for her hair care products since she was a young girl, mixing up natural remedies with her grandmother. Briogeo’s formula is free of sulfates, silicones and parabens, instead incorporating natural oils, vitamins, and antioxidants. It’s a smart move in this era of wellness, and we can’t wait to see where Nancy takes her company next.

Diversity in hair care products has been long overdue. What was the moment you decided to take the leap and break into the industry with Briogeo?

After working in finance and within the same team for 7 years, it felt right (and normal!) to be ready for a change. Ultimately, launching Briogeo was inspired by the experience of making natural products at home with my family and later wanting to have a larger impact on the natural beauty sphere by launching my own plant-based hair care product line. These childhood memories ultimately inspired me to do something greater with the passion for creating and start my own clean beauty line.

What are some daily habits you have that contribute to your success?

One of the major keys to success for Briogeo has been staying true to who we are from the beginning.

Find something you REALLY believe in and that you won't quit until you've succeeded. Some people think that finding success as an entrepreneur is easier than it is. It's the most difficult and challenging undertaking I've ever experienced - but the key is to keep going.

Overtime, I've been able to control the impulse of "freaking out" about most things. After seeing things go wrong hundreds of times, you brain starts to adapt and realize that it's never the end of the world. There's always a solution and no set back is too large to overcome. I do work hard and think about work a lot - and there's got to be balance to that. I try to spend my weekends focused on myself - and not on my business. I allocate a few hours on Sunday night to prep for the week, but other than that, I really focus on unplugging fully to give my mind a break. It's really important. I'm trying to make meditation and yoga a more regular part of my wellness routine, but I still struggle finding consistent time during the week, but I'm working on it!

What does a typical day look like for you?

It greatly depends on whether it's a week day...or the weekend! During the week, I try to get up no later than 7am so I can squeeze in a quick workout or meditation. If I'm lucky, I can get through all of the overnight emails (we have several international retailers and vendors) before I get into the office. I always have my best days when I can manage to be productive before the work day actually starts. I live in Union Square, so my commute is relatively simple - just 3 stops on the 6 train to our NoMad office, where I typically arrive by 8:30am. My mornings typically consist of team meetings, calls, and working my way through e-mails. I typically take a late lunch around 2pm before re-focusing back on projects at my desk. I don't travel as often as some of my other entrepreneur friends. I find that traveling can set me back quite a bit with projects I'm working on, so I only travel if it's absolutely necessary. I'm a very hands-on CEO in a very fast paced business - so there's never a real break during the day! I typically get home between 7:30p - 8:00p and cook dinner before finishing the day with a read.

“Never rush into launching an idea. Part of success is taking the time to be thoughtful and smart about your approach. Often we can get excited and impulsive by our own ideas and feel the need to rush them through. Slow and steady wins the race!”

What was your biggest hesitation when you started Briogeo?

Briogeo has never taken any outside VC investment, and very early on it was difficult funding the various needs of the business, so I was constantly dipping into my personal savings to fund the business until we became profitable.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Rushing to get a new product launch underway, which we ultimately had to stall. Sometimes brand's are faced with tight timelines to launch new products, but I learned very quickly that it's not worth sacrificing putting your best foot forward in order to hit a deadline.

Never rush into launching an idea. Part of success is taking the time to be thoughtful and smart about your approach. Often we can get excited and impulsive by our own ideas and feel the need to rush them through. Slow and steady wins the race!

What are two qualities you think every entrepreneur needs in order to be successful?

Perseverance & grit.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Lauryn Evarts

Kale in one hand, champagne in the other.

This is the ethos behind The Skinny Confidential, the lifestyle site Lauryn Evarts built in 2009, while she was a student at San Diego State University. She wanted a place where all the women on campus could come together to share tips and tricks for wellness. What she didn’t expect was that her blog would end up reaching women around the world, amassing a cult following.

Lauryn parlayed the success of her blog into an influential IG account (with more than 700k followers!), a namesake fitness book, a YouTube channel, and now, a podcast with more than 25 million downloads. But amid her success, Lauryn humbly reminds us—this empire took work, and she’s not done yet. Read on to hear her thoughts on branding, over-sharing, and the art of execution.

Tell us what prompted you to start The Skinny Confidential.

There was A LOT of untapped white space in the online world. There were a lot of bloggers out there talking about their life, but I didn’t see a lot of sites connecting like-minded women. I was interested in that, you know? I was interested in other people from around the world, what made them tick, what they were doing and what their tips & tricks were too—whether it was a model, an actress, or an everyday girl, I had this desire to connect and talk with other people. Having this sort of resource full of women’s tips & tricks didn’t exist at the time, so I set out to create a brand and blog that was pretty, pink & cheeky.

When launching, I knew that the blog would be the foundation of the brand. How I rolled it out was very thoughtful and strategic—I didn’t just throw up a site without planning. I like a plan.

Being broke (lucky if I had $80 in my bank account to be honest), bartending, teaching Pure Barre & Pilates classes, living at my godparents’ for free & attending San Diego State full time, I knew that if I did this I had to do it right. ​The Skinny Confidential​ needed to come out with a bang.

I found a web designer and made a huge poster board with the design I had in my head. The best way was to draw out what I wanted instead of telling him. I had this pink Trapper Keeper (which I still have today) full of ideas and clippings and research that I wanted to share with the world. Lots of questions too.

Talking with doctors & experts and tweeting with models helped me to really get started in creating a space for women to share tips & tricks when it came to health & fitness. Niching down was a no-brainer because I didn’t want to overwhelm the audience.

Also, you should know the name ​The Skinny Confidential ​has nothing to do with being skinny. I was writing down all these cheeky words when I was thinking of a name and skinny & confidential kept coming up. It was everything that I wanted because it means “get the skinny.” You know, “get the juice.”

You can pretty much get anyone to buy anything. How did you build that trust with your audience?

When I find something I like, I cannot shut the F up. There’s something in me where I just have to get other people involved, like a natural over-sharer. If I find a great shirt at Forever 21 for $13.99 I have to tell everyone and their mom. TSC readers need to know where it’s from and WHY THEY NEED IT—very specific over here. I’m very much about details & specifics.

If someone is telling me about why I need a Hydro Flask, I want to know what color to get, what to put in it, if it’s for warm or cold drinks, how it’s cleaned, the proper straw to use—every detail is essential. Every single detail has always been important and interesting to me, so I do that with my audience when I talk about products too. It’s just very important to the overall brand.

When I talk about something that I think my readers will love, I want to take them from A-Z. If A-B is talking about something and a reader decides to buy it, then A-Z just goes so much further. Is my reader going to buy it and absolutely love it? Are they going to use it every day? Is that person going to recommend it to 10 of their friends, then those friends are going to recommend it to 10 of their friends? I think of my audience very inclusively—everyone's an influencer no matter how many followers they have.

When I feel that kind of correlation with a product, that’s when I feel comfortable selling something.

When did you realize you could make a business out of your presence online?

Immediately.

The second I had the idea I knew it could be a business. My whole life I’ve known that I’d work for myself. There was no other option. I’m such a horrible employee—the worst of the worst. I like to do things my own way, on my time, so this was always the path I knew I’d take. I like and thrive off being an entrepreneur. There’s never been a plan B. I try to find that confidence from within, because no one else is going to give it to you.

Focusing on propelling forward and 100% believing in yourself is so important. That mentality comes from my childhood. I always had to make things happen for myself because there was no other option. Getting creative and finding angles to get things I wanted was just part of my life. That’s something that has fueled my entrepreneurial side. I believe anyone can do anything they put their mind to with proper execution, patience, consistency, & focus.

Your branding is so on point. Everyone has an image that comes to mind when they hear the words “The Skinny Confidential.” How have you built and maintained your brand so well over the years?

I hope that the image is pink clouds and pink nails and pink cotton candy—LOL but really I like to keep it pink. Every single thing I do is an opportunity to brand. From Instagram captions and the upper and lower-case format I use, to the colors & fonts of Instagram stories, to the “&” that I use in my blog posts—every single opportunity is a branding opportunity. If anything ever went wrong with ​The Skinny Confidential, I​'d probably be a branding consultant. Branding is one of my favorite parts of this career. Nothing is too little to brand.

Keeping the same fonts and colors is crucial (C & C is genius at this by the way!). You also really need to commit and write the way you speak in person. Like I want my readers to feel like we are drinking spicy margaritas at happy hour.

Sometimes that’s hard because you’ll see something someone else is doing and you’ll want to shift your formula, but I think you need to stay true to the brand you’ve built and not stray too much.

To me, a brand should evoke a feeling in the audience. What I want people to feel when they’re on the site is that it’s this cheeky resource where they can get all the juice in this really pretty, pink way. When they leave, I want them to take what they like, leave what they don’t—but ultimately apply anything they like to their own life and feel they had a valuable experience that was worth their time. That’s my goal with everything from the blog to Snapchat and Instagram.

Respecting the audience’s time and making their visit fun, flirty & girly is the goal.

What are some of the biggest challenges and rewards you’ve faced by displaying your life online?

It’s difficult to know when to shut it off. Anyone who works for themselves can tell you that it’s hard to know what to share and what not to share. You gotta know when to put the phone away. I try to do that when I’m at dinner with family and friends. I’m an over-sharer by nature but still, letting people in on your private life feels...bizarre sometimes. I’ve talked about everything from my sister’s heroin addiction to my mom’s suicide and the death of my grandma—which all really affected me. Putting that out there is really scary but I hope it is helpful to the readers.

I’ve rolled out these personal posts over the last 8 years though, over time. I’ve been careful with my content so my audience has gotten to know me gradually and I’ve gotten to know them too. When I decided to share these things, I felt I was in a very comfortable spot. It’s still intimidating though.

The rewards are incredible. When a girl comes up to me on the street, says she was working 9-5 pm and quit her job to start her own business because she was inspired by our podcast, it gets me off. Also, it makes me so happy when I go into TSC secret Facebook group and all these like-minded women are connecting, planning meetups and doing things without me. They’re all hanging out in this non-judgmental space and it’s so fulfilling because that’s why I started ​The Skinny Confidential​ in the first place.

How do you decide which brands you do and don’t work with?

Well actually liking the brand is a must. I have to use the product or brand for at least a month and preferably I will have already used it. I think a lot of people don’t talk about the brands they truly use because they don’t want to give out free publicity. What’s worked for me is the opposite. I’m super transparent with what I use, and the best partnerships have come from me finding a product, loving it, talking about it, then being approached by the brand to collaborate. I’ll tag the brand, talk about the product on all my channels first, then some really purposeful, meaningful partnerships come out of it. The best collaboration for me is one that happens very organically.

As far as brands that I haven’t tried that come to me, it really needs to fit with my audience and The Skinny Confidential.​ Everything I do is for the long-term, not the short-term, so working with a brand I don’t absolutely love, and don’t think my audience will love, isn’t worth it. We all know those brands that can feel “sell out-y.”

“To me, being successful means you’re waking up and creating your own future on your own terms.”

What characteristics make you successful as an influencer?

To me, being successful means you’re waking up and creating your own future on your own terms. It’s liberating to wake up feeling like that and know that you’re in charge of your day. You really are the creator of your own future and once that clicked, I realized that’s what success is for me. ​The Skinny Confidential​ has been successful so far because what you see is what you get. We talk about every single subject, there’s no judgement, everyone is just doing them, and the reader is so focused on ideas & growth.

Readers come for the taboo subjects, to hear from experts we bring on the podcast, and the valuable & honest takeaways. It’s not about me. The community is key.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

That I can design my own future and the sky's the limit. There are so many different angles that The Skinny Confidential​ can go and the community that’s come together is now doing things with each other all over the world.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?

Gary Vee told me: “You have one fucking life do something about it.”

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Nothing has really been a surprise. My growth has been slow and strategic and everything that’s happened has happened because I planned it out carefully.

Some cool highlights have been ​The Skinny Confidential Book​ launch, the podcast hitting 23 million downloads, the people I’ve had access to & sharing them with the audience, the meetups of 500+ women & meeting the community in person. The Victoria’s Secret fashion shows have been really fun, and the secret Facebook group has been very rewarding as well.

You have a large presence on social media. How has it impacted your career?

Social media has been everything for ​The Skinny Confidential.​ It’s given me access to women all over the world from Japan to Australia to Finland. It has and continues to bring so many people together in a way that we’ve never been able to do before. Without social media I wouldn’t have been able to gain access to a lot of the people I’ve had access to. It’s badass.

“When a door closes or something doesn’t work out, I find another door to go through. If one way doesn’t work, I find another way. Passion is great, but for me, it’s always been about strategy and execution.”

Where does your passion/drive come from?

It definitely comes from when I was little. I grew up in a very wealthy community where kids were getting Ferraris for their birthday and that’s just not where my family was at. We were regular class and not on the same level as the families around us. If I wanted something my parents would say, “go figure it out.” I had to get creative with bargain shopping and finding ways to make it work—whatever it was. I had to do the work, find tips & tricks and creative angles to get what I wanted.

When a door closes or something doesn’t work out, I find another door to go through. If one way doesn’t work, I find another way. Passion is great but for me it’s always been about strategy and execution. I like to go “do” instead of talk about the things I’m going to do.

What are the common misconceptions you’ve heard about influencers?

There’s so many—I feel like it’s a scroll. A lot of people think bloggers just take a picture, write a little post and that’s it. People think we don’t have to do a lot work but it really is like baking a cake. You have all these different elements that you need to make things happen. There’s photos, writing, editing, distribution, execution, promotion, the emails, the organizing, the meetings—there are so many things that go into it to make right.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road and switch gears to find success?

I’m OBSESSED with bumps and hurdles. People ask me what my failures are and I really don’t look at it like that. You have to go through hurdles to maintain success in any industry—it’s part of the game, and life. I feel like you have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable. I switch gears by going through a different door. If I can’t get in through the front, back or side door then I’m skydiving in through the ceiling. Finding different ways to make things happen is one of my favorite parts of the job. It’s sort of creative if you think about it.

What’s next for you in 2019? What are you most excited for?

Writing another book that really makes sense for my community—something that’s really useful for my audience and it’s not going to be a replica of the blog. It will provide a ton of value that is also entertaining. We’ve also been working on product for the last 2 years so definitely more on the product side.

Hopefully a lot of in-person meetups, maybe a podcast tour, more interesting podcast guests and continued valuable takeaways on all of ​The Skinny Confidential​ platforms is what’s coming up in 2019.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 BEAUTY LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Fashion: Nicolette Mason & Gabi Gregg

Representation matters. Just ask Nicolette Mason and Gabi Gregg.

As fashion industry veterans and OG bloggers, Nicolette and Gabi teamed up to address a lack of premium and stylish designs in plus-size retail. The duo has spent their careers in the fashion industry and have repeatedly been frustrated by the lack of plus-size statement pieces inspired by high fashion, streetwear, or seasonal trends. The reality is that without access to stylish wardrobes, there is an implicit message to plus-size women: This is what you can, and cannot, wear. This message is reinforced constantly throughout all facets of culture, and this powerhouse pair decided: Enough was enough.

Enter Premme. The brand brainchild of Mason and Gregg was born out of a love of fashion and the recognition that the industry is still lacking when it comes to the wants and needs of plus-size women. This mission of the brand is to provide plus-size women with bold, fashion-forward statement pieces without compromise. Screw socially-reinforced hegemony—Premme is about embracing who you are and looking fine AF while doing it. Because the thing about capitalism is that if consumers make enough noise and demand increases, the more inclusive the market must become. Keep your eyes peeled as Mason and Gregg take 2019 by storm, advocating for more accessible fashion and plus-size representation.

What was the inspiration behind Premme?

Premme was born out of our frustration at the lack of stylish, quality options in the plus-size market. Our designs are statement pieces that are inspired by trends from the runway and street style.

You’re friends and co-founders. Why does that business dynamic work for you?

We’ve both been leaders in the plus-size community for almost a decade and have very similar career trajectories; we’ve both been fashion editors, influencers, designers, and brand consultants, and we saw similar issues with the status quo. Because we started as close friends, we are able to communicate easily--we also share similar values and aesthetic taste which helps!

How would you describe the Premme aesthetic?

The Premme aesthetic is feminine, bold, and unapologetic. We like to encourage our customers to break fashion rules and provide her the wardrobe to do just that: From prints and colors to crop tops and cut-outs, our designs are about pushing fashion forward.

What do you think people crave when they get dressed in the morning?

A mix of comfort and style, and pieces that make them feel confident as they walk out the door.

What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

We both love moto jackets—they add a little personality to any outfit and work over everything from a tee and jeans to a frilly dress.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Hearing from our customers and community about how our clothing makes them feel good in their skin is definitely the most fulfilling part of our job!

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Maintain your integrity and trust your gut.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

The first day that Premme launched was such a career high—the feedback and excitement from our followers was palpable, and watching as the clothing we worked so hard on sold out was unforgettable.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

We’re both passionate about social justice and equality, and we’ve chosen to pursue a creative career that affects change: giving plus-size women access to designs and styles they’ve been told (either directly or through what’s currently available for them to shop) that they shouldn’t wear. The lack of options is really astounding—68% of women are plus-size while the plus-size fashion market only accounts for 17% of the womenswear market. It’s not okay and we feel a responsibility to help change things.

What keeps you up at night?

Donald Trump.

Whose career really inspires you?

Emily Weiss.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

Funding—it’s really sad how little VC funding goes to people of color and/or women.

What are the common challenges you've seen among women in the fashion industry?

Hiring practices are still problematic, not just for models but for all positions, race, size and overall looks still play a huge role. Opportunities are still going to the most “attractive” people by European standards.

“The lack of options is really astounding—68% of women are plus-size while the plus-size fashion market only accounts for 17% of the womenswear market. It’s not okay and we feel a responsibility to help change things.”

What would you change about the plus-size industry?

We’d love if there were more quality, trend driven clothing options, more diverse and size-inclusive casting, and more body positive language and messaging.

Whose style do you love?

Rihanna, Solange, Tracee Ellis Ross.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Being a strong leader is definitely about flexibility and being nimble when you confront problems. We’ve both learned that bumps and hurdles are actually opportunities to grow and become better at our jobs.

What’s next for you? What are you most excited for in 2019?

Growing and scaling Premme to the business we know it can be. We’re a super new brand and have so many ideas that we can’t wait to show the world! Not to mention, we want to body positivity to reach as many people as possible.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FASHION CATEGORY HERE!

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Payal Kadakia

Payal Kadakia is a hustler who hardly needs an introduction. The co-founder of ClassPass, the subscription-based fitness platform, launched the service in 2013 to cater to fitness lovers on the go. To date, the company has raised a total of $173 million from outside investors and boasts a valuation of $470 million. And while Kadakia now serves as the executive chairman of the company, her DNA is the foundation of ClassPass. This is evident in her mission-based philosophy the fuels the brand: It’s not about an individual product, it’s about connecting people with activities and pastimes that they’re passionate about. She also knows you can’t be casual about building your dream business—you need to be all in. ClassPass couldn’t have grown into a multi-million dollar business without Kadakia making it her number-one priority.

Kadakia not just an idea woman—she executes on her ideas. It’s what separates her from the pack and has earned her serious recognition and accolades, including spots on Forbes’ Women Entrepreneurs to Watch list and Fortune’s 40 under 40. Spoiler alert: Reading this interview will make you want to stop what you’re doing and start drafting your dream business plan.

What was your “aha moment” when founding ClassPass?

After I graduated from college, I found it challenging to nourish my love of dance while working in traditional jobs. By most standards, these were great jobs, but they weren’t great for me because they prevented me from pursuing my passion for dance. In 2010, I visited San Francisco and met incredible entrepreneurs. My first “aha moment” was meeting them and realizing that I, too, could build a company.

My second “aha moment” came 36 hours later. I was searching for a ballet class to take after school and found the online search process to be cumbersome and miserable. Since I was in the mindset to look at challenges as startup opportunities, I was able to quickly realize that this frustration was a business idea: to create a company that makes it easy for people to try new classes and pursue their passions.

When you get a new idea, what’s the first thing you do with it?

Think about it all day long and dream of its impact.

You went through a rebrand in the early stages of starting your business and switched up the business model. Were you confident this was the right decision? How did you navigate any doubts you had?

I was always confident because I was mission-focused, not product-focused. I knew there had to be a way to fulfill our mission of reconnecting people with their passions, so I was willing to keep iterating on our product and business model until we found the right approach. To this day, iteration and a constant quest for even more ways to accomplish our mission remain core to our company’s DNA.

How has fitness and staying active made an impact on your life?

In more ways than I can possibly calculate -- fitness has made me who I am, and it quite literally paved the path for me to found ClassPass! The same way you need to challenge your mind, you have to challenge your body to continue to let yourself know you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

Who was the first person you hired for your business, and how much of a difference did it make?

Soon after I got the idea for ClassPass, I bought a URL, bounced the idea off of friends, secured an angel investment, and was joined by my childhood friend Sanjiv Sanghavi. These early decisions were crucial, especially the decisions that led me to exactly the right angel investor (my mentor Anjula Acharia) and the right co-founder. Early on when your business is little more than an idea, it’s crucial to be joined on that journey with people you trust, with whom you can work well under pressure, and who share your vision.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

I’d love to see more successful female role models. If more women see other successful women accomplishing their dreams, they’ll dare to aspire to reach their dreams as well.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

I don’t fit well in a box, and I’ve often found that I need to question professional norms, such as titles and other artificial notions of prestige, in order to determine what’s best for me. When I reach a hurdle I’m not sure how to cross, I enlist the advice of my trusted mentors, but ultimately I also trust my instincts.

What’s the best piece of #realtalk advice you’ve ever received?

Early on, when I was just getting started, my mentor and angel investor Anjula Acharia told me that if I wanted to make ClassPass work, I had to quit my job. Building your dream can’t be a part-time endeavor; you have to pursue it with everything you’ve got.

What are two qualities you think every entrepreneur needs in order to be successful?

A purpose and a lot of persistence!

Who inspired you the most in your life growing up?

My mother! She approaches every challenge as an opportunity for growth. She’s strong and smart. She raised me to believe that women should reach for their dreams and that hard work pays off.

Whose career is inspiring you today?

My fellow female entrepreneurs, including Jessica Alba, Jenn Hyman, and Katrina Lake, among others. I hope this list just keeps getting longer and longer!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

ClassPass’ international expansion and continuing to perform!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Shantell Martin

It’s easier to be unoriginal in a globalized culture, where Instagram seemingly dictates beauty standards and plagiarism is just one copy-paste away.

That’s why Shantell Martin’s art so special. She is a cultural facilitator, forging new connections between fine art, education, design, philosophy and technology. The British-born, New York-based artist is most recognized by her signature stream-of-consciousness physical drawings, which are conceived through her meditative process and uninhibited flow. She’s experimented with textiles, ceramics, circuitry, and embroidery, but her drawings and light projections are what has fueled her rapid ascent into mainstream design. The artist has collaborated with iconic brands like Nike, Vitra, Max Mara, Tiffany & Co., and in 2018, Puma launched a global capsule collection featuring her drawings.

Her work architects a fantastical world wherein the viewer is an essential element. Her love language is a line—where it forms, how it contorts, and how it travels remain undetermined until pen meets paper. Editors at Vogue and New York Magazine have caught the Shantell Martin bug, as well as Kendrick Lamar, who collaborated with the artist on a performance at Art Basel a few years back.

She’s a self-assured “cool girl” with a once-in-a-generation talent, and if there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that you’ll be seeing much more Shantell Martin in 2019.

You often do “live art” performances. Tell us a bit about that process and why you think it’s captured the attention of so many people.

Creating in front of an audience has become a fundamental part of my process. I think it is important for artists to share their process with their audience, in a way it demystifies and yet unifies the bond between the work and the audience. This creates more of a personal relationship with the work. As an artist it keeps me very present, there is no place to hide or hesitate and that creates an honesty that the work is then imbued with. I think it’s this honesty that really cements the relationship my audience has with me and the work.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

I can’t really say. It’s a part of who I am.

When you lived in Japan, you drew in a small sketchbook—but in the US, you’re afforded the space to do larger installations. What are some pros and cons of each type of work?

It’s interesting, someone recently said to me that my work has had different line-width periods. This has happened quite naturally without any forethought. I look at my projects as opportunities to evolve as both an artist and a person, the line is a reflection of this growth but also it is a reflection of the space I’m working within and how I am able to use the right tools to create in each unique space.

You’ve spoken about how you don’t always know what you’re doing with a drawing, but you come to it with a good intention to make it work. How do you think that theory of thought applies to life, too?

I think it comes back to that point of honesty. Intention is a very powerful aspect of existence. Essentially, and I think many people whether “artists” or not, can relate to being fueled by a purpose or the search for purpose. This purpose is like the internal line which for me becomes something external with the lines of my art. I have a purpose which is very much tied to exploring the essence of humanity and the world… it comes from a place of pure curiosity and empathy and I feel that intention to connect with the deepest part of myself and YOU is a universal feeling.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

I’m still surprised that I get to make my art for a living.

You’ve collaborated with mega brands like Puma and Tiffany & Co. What’s a company you’d love to work with in the future and why?

NASA - it’s been a dream since I was a child. I mean I’d love to see my lines out in space! Also HERMES they’ve been supporting artists for years and I greatly admire the craftsmanship and integrity of their work.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love seeing the smiles on peoples faces when they see my work. That’s really special. I also love collaborating and exploring other creative spaces with other people who are masters in their fields.

In a world where likes and follower counts are so coveted, how do you stay authentic and true to yourself/your brand?

Keep it simple, be honest. Be YOU.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I keep drawing. I keep working. Staying committed to the work and faithful to the practice is something very important to me. Also, I still practice going out into the world and seeking a “no”. By that, I mean to say that I ask for things expecting to get rejected. I consciously practice becoming more comfortable with rejection, and when you do that you will see that you more often than not will get a “yes” and that it actually feels great to hear “no” which is a sign that you’re growing and aiming higher and higher.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

My collaboration with the New York City Ballet.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ART & DESIGN LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate: Beauty: Rita Hazan

Rita Hazan doesn’t have bad hair days. She’s also never taken a sick day or missed a day in her namesake salon.

She describes herself as “equal parts colorist, artist, and innovator,” and for good reason. The industry veteran is known for creating a product so genius, it’s hard to imagine life before it: root concealer. As an expert colorist entrusted by the likes of Beyonce, Katy Perry, J-Lo, and Jessica Simpson, Rita is familiar with the agony of visible roots between salon visits. Enter her root concealer—AKA the easy-to-use solution to your root woes (you can thank us later).

The hair guru first made her mark on the industry in the 90s, establishing herself as an authority on colors and trends amidst a male-dominated beauty field (queue eye rolls at the patriarchy). Her first major client was Mariah Carey, everyone’s favorite songstress, diva, and MTV Cribs subject. Word of mouth travels fast: If you’re Mariah’s go-to, you must have some sort of special sauce.

Fast forward to 2018, and Hazan is still on her hair hustle, but with widespread brand recognition. Between her innovative products, A-list client roster, and illustrious 5th Avenue salon, consider Rita Hazan one of your hair fairy godmothers and always take her advice.

Your client roster includes the likes of Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Madonna. Tell us a little about your journey in the beauty industry. What was your big break?

I was an assistant at Oribe for around 6 years, then I got a promotion to colorist. At the time, my work was a little different from everyone else’s and it caught the eye of one of my stylist friends that happened to be working with Mariah Carey. It was 1997; Mariah had gotten a divorce and was putting out a new album; she needed a new look. My friend referred me to work with her on her new image and the rest was history. Anyone looking for a new look after that would call me.

How do you build trust with such high-profile clients?

First, you have to have confidence and know your craft; you need skills and a vision, which takes time. You must be able to deliver a look that works on stage or in print and also in everyday life. It's important to be precise, and execute what you say you’re going to do. Consistency is key. Another tenet that I’ve always lived by is to be discrete. Discretion is very important, when I work, I say I am deaf and mute; I hear nothing and say nothing.

What’s your number-one essential to keeping color looking healthy?

Well, it has to actually be healthy—looking healthy is not enough. It can look healthy with a simple blow dry. You must know how to use hair color in a responsible way. I know how to manipulate colors and products to give me the result I want. It's taken years of learning, trial and error, to fully understand my craft. I also do tons of research before I do any product in my own line and before every job I get, even today.

What advice would you give to young aspiring colorists?

LEARN. You can’t learn anything about color in one year. It takes years of studying and practicing. You can't learn a vocation like this by watching videos on YouTube or Instagram; it's not real. Everyone has to develop their own style. It seems to me that everyone is doing the same thing these days. You need to get out there, assist, get your hands dirty, and be creative. That's the only way to develop and grow your own color aesthetics, but to do that, you need to be skilled. A lot of people don't realize that hair color is chemicals—it’s chemistry.

What other women in your industry do you admire? Why?

When I was starting out, there were not many women doing what I wanted to do, if any. It was an industry of men. I was one of the first female colorists to open my own salon and to have a product line. I see so many talented women doing it today and it makes me happy because as women, we know our hair, the emotion, and reality that comes with it. When I see women like Marie Robinson, Tracey Cunningham, Riawna Capri, and Nikki Lee doing their thing, it makes me so proud.

“It’s important to be precise, and execute what you say you’re going to do. Consistency is key. ”

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

It has to be creating an entire new category in color care: my root concealer. There was no product like it on the market for covering gray roots before mine. Now, of course, several big companies have copied my idea (within an inch of my patent). It's both immensely flattering and annoying at the same time.

If you weren’t a colorist, what career path would you choose and why?

There was no plan B. From the time I was 17, I knew this was what I wanted to do and I wasn't going to stop pushing and working for it until I did.

Where does your passion and drive come from?

Honestly, I’m not sure. I think it comes from my soul. I think I was born this way. I was raised with a really strong work ethic. I’ve never called out sick a day in my life, cancelled a job or day in the salon. I know it’s not normal, but that’s just me.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

It happens to everyone! In this social media-driven era, it can look like everyone's life is perfect, but really it’s just a highlight reel. My advice is to never look at what other people are doing. It’s not your path and it's not your vision. Most people never understand my vision until it's done or in progress. My journey is at my own pace. I don't feel the need to be in the same gear as others; when I need time, I take it. I pause, I breathe, I obsess a little and then I take a break. I listen to my soul and then the answer always hits me—I trust my gut!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I’m working on a new line of styling products for color-treated hair. It’s an innovative way to use ingredients that are protective & nourishing for color-treated hair but are effective at styling. The development process is always a really exciting time; picking colors, designing packing, finding fragrances and testing, testing, testing! I love all that stuff. If I’m putting my name on something it has to work and be the best!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 BEAUTY LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Food: Amirah Kassem

Amirah Kassem’s personal brand is all about sparkles and smiles—but also serious business and psychedelic baked goods. Her bakery, The Flour Shop, has developed a cult-like following since it first opened its doors in SoHo in 2012. Amirah’s creations are out-of-this-world and one-of-a-kind, but don’t take it from us—you’ve probably seen her Insta-famous rainbow cake, which always contains a different sort of candy explosion. This cake, inspired by pinatas, is the perfect analogy for Amirah: it’s multidimensional, playful, and full of sprinkles.

Over the past six years, the entrepreneur has harnessed her contagious energy and love of the color wheel to grow The Flour Shop into a multi-million dollar business. Her business is such a clear product of her personality, and that passion has a distinct DNA—one that plays with nostalgia, loudness, fun, and sugar. So much so that she colloquially refers to her team as the “Sprinkle Squad.” From her early days as an Easy Bake Oven connoisseur, all the way to 2018, Amirah is living proof that you can build a business on fun and flour.

What inspired Flour Shop and how did its branding come about?

Growing up in Mexico and baking with my mom was pretty much where it all started, drawing inspiration from my colorful culture and childhood imagination!

Your cakes are all over social media. What inspired you to create the rainbow cake?

Pinatas! I love birthdays so I decided to combine all of my favorites, cake, rainbows, sprinkles and pinatas!!!!

If you could have a meal with someone, living or deceased, who would it be and why? What would you eat?

Willy Wonka! We would meet at his place and eat wallpaper!

What do you crave in life?

Pizza!

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Spreading Joy! One sprinkle at a time.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

NEVER GROW UP. - Peter Pan

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

You’ll find out in April when my book comes out!

Where does your passion/drive come from?

EXCITEMENT! As long as you're excited about something passion and drive will follow

What keeps you up at night?

Tomorrow’s ideas!

Whose career really inspires you?

Rachael Ray

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge as a woman in the food industry?

My upcoming collection with Williams-Sonoma! It’s so magical and I can’t wait to share it with the world!

Be yourself—there’s only one of you! Don’t look at what others are doing!

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The pastry industry is huge. How does Flour Shop constantly stay fresh and relevant?

Easy: Be yourself—there’s only one of you! Don’t look at what others are doing!

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

Expansion can be difficult, but learning to grow through a magical team was key! Spending a good amount of time teaching and training your team is more important that just filling roles.

What are you toasting to in 2019? What are you most excited for?

More Flour Shop locations, my first book, and my collection with Williams-Sonoma!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE FOOD LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Diane Guerrero

Diane Guerrero has traded in her orange jumpsuit (of Netflix’s Orange is the New Black fame) for superpowers, podcast mics, and authorship. She’ll star as Crazy Jane in DC Comics’ new series Doom Patrol, premiering next month on DC Universe; hosts a podcast, How It Is, with Reese Witherspoon; and she’s just adapted her book In The Country We Love into a YA book. Below, she shares the story behind her book and what she’d do if she were president.

On when she knew she wanted to be an actor…

Well, for me I think that I’ve always had the bug. I’ve always fantasized about being on stage or on TV or singing or presenting. As a kid, we couldn’t really afford acting classes or at least steady classes so I would just take advantage of anything that was free or in the neighborhood or anything they offered after school. That was kind of my escape. I don’t think I ever realized that it was a possibility for me. I don’t think that anyone said, “You can really do this” or even myself I don’t think I believed in myself enough to say, “This is my path. This is what I want to do.”

On My Family Divided, her YA adaptation of her the story of her parents’ deportation...

This is an issue that affects the entire family, and that means children most of all. This was an issue that was always discussed in our home, a fear that we had. And that fear didn’t just start when it happened, when my parents were separated from me when I was 14, but when I was a kid. It would’ve been really helpful to have had resources and stories like my own when I was growing up—and that’s why it was so important for me to adapt the book for young readers. The new book is the same story, but it has a few more footnotes. It also has a synopsis at the beginning of every chapter. Really, the book is written in a very young voice. I already know young students who have read the [adult] book and teachers who have used the book in their classes. Now it will be easier for middle schoolers to read the story on their own.

On activism through her work...

My job as an actor is to be visible and to tell stories. I know I have a platform and a responsibility. I am representing my community, in a sense, especially given the fact that there are not as many Latino actors out there. I consider it as a way to represent a group that is underrepresented and often misrepresented. I’ve taken it upon myself to be out there fighting to represent my community in the best light possible. I hope to continue to portray characters with interesting stories, who are fighters and go-getters, who overcome challenges and are essentially superheroes in their community. That’s the kind of message I want to send out. I’m also telling stories about the American experience; brown, black, white, we’re all living that.

On what she’d do if she were president...

I would update the visa system, and I would have members in Congress who care about this issue and who want to make changes now and not people who are going to insult us and not people who are going to ignore us. Those are some of the moves I would make. I’m not a policy expert of course, but I think that from the knowledge that I do have, I would say that the visa system needs updating and then we can go from there.

This interview has been edited and condensed from multiple sources (1, 2, 3).

Photos from Diane Guerrero’s Instagram.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTERTAINMENT LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Food: Sophia Roe

For Sophie Roe, food is anything that is necessary to maintain life and grow. It’s a sort of poetry for the holistic NYC chef and self-proclaimed “food and feelings advocate,” who is on a mission to create a new sort of culture around food and wellness.

She encourages her friends and followers to explore the different relationships they have with food, while simultaneously working to renounce the all-too-common toxic narratives around food like shame or guilt. She advocates for more inclusivity in the food industry and is on a mission to empower her community through sustenance. Also note that she can explain the hell out of gluten, once and for all.

To talk to Sophie is to see holistic health in a new light. Her passion and zest is injected into every word, every meal, and every declaration of gratitude. She is helping to pioneer a paradigm shift and making space for a culture that is invested in health as wealth.

How did you get started as a chef? Did you always know you wanted to be in the food industry?

I have always had a relationship with food. Some of my favorite memories with my mother involve food. It wasn’t what I initially wanted to do right out of high school, however a string of events put food directly into my path, and I am so grateful for it!

Apart from being a chef, your bio says you’re a food and feelings advocate, and an empowerment engineer. Can you explain to us how you tie in food with feelings and empowerment?

I believe ‘food” constitutes much more than just the edible variety. Food is so deeply tied to overall consumption, I truly believe there is emotional and mental “food” –the stuff we absorb throughout the day outside of what is edible. Food is so often used as a tool for guilt, shame, pain, etc. which I find to be a travesty because we need every variety of “food” to survive. When we dive deeper, and look at our individual relationships and stories around food, what we end up with is often so a much deeper narrative than we had initially thought. So often a person may want to get their diet back on track, but it turns out they were struggling with an eating disorder, being made fun of as a child, or perhaps is dealing with deep-seeded insecurities. This is why “empowerment” is so valuable in connection to food.

If you could have a meal with someone, living or deceased, who would it be and why?

This is such an interesting question because the answer changes depending on mood and timing. Right now, I’d really love to have a meal with my father. He died before I could meet him, and I think it would be really special to have been able to share a meal with him before he passed away.

What do you crave in life?

Childlike wonder and copious amounts of HAPPY!

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

It’s my greatest hope that my work reminds people of who they are, the power they possess, and the knowledge that they can in fact be who they dream of, and more.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

“If you blame it on someone else, don’t expect it to get any better.” Ultimately, we are the keepers of our own lives. Always blaming others for what you don’t have or didn’t accomplish (victim addiction) only passes blame, and maybe makes you feel justified…but rarely resolves the issue.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Being on the most recent cover of Cherry Bombe magazine (issue 12)!I have been a reader of that magazine for years. Its pages have inspired me, and my career in food beyond belief, so it’s a real honor to grace the cover.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

From knowing how painful pain can feel, and how happy happiness can feel.

What keeps you up at night?

All of the hundreds of things I want to make and give to others.

It’s my greatest hope that my work reminds people of who they are.

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Whose career really inspires you?

I can’t say because I don’t know what it’s like to exist as anyone but myself. The words of so many inspire me, the actions of so may also inspire me. But to dial in on a person’s career? That’s challenging for me because to the naked eye someone’s career may be super inspiring or filled with greatness; however, I am sure behind what we all see is so much hard work, struggle, and maybe even some suffering. I am more inspired by people themselves, and not so much their careers.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge as a young, female entrepreneur?

My own confidence has been the biggest hurdle for me. I am constantly bombarded with self-inflicted imposter syndrome. Finding a place where I believe that I actually deserve a career has been a huge struggle. I had such a tumultuous childhood, so figuring out how to maneuver those memories, and feelings as an adult seeking a career has been my greatest challenge.

What are the common challenges you've seen among women in the food industry?

I think one of the biggest problems with women in the food industry is simply proper visibility! It’s not like suddenly there are tons of women in the kitchen. So many publications talk about this new uproar of females in the kitchen. WE HAVE BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME! I think now you’re seeing more focus on women in food because women are paving their own ways in the industry. Women are creating their own restaurants, concepts, publications, etc. I don’t really see this as a struggle, I’d like to think women are just setting themselves free from the standards that have been put in place for so long.

It’s important when things go wrong to stay calm, assess the situation in realistic way & shift gears accordingly.

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When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?

As long as you know and understand that at the start of every venture there will be hiccups, and bumps in the road, you sort of give yourself permission to stay calm when you’re staring face to face with one. 90 percent of what I worried would happen, never ended up happening anyway; it’s very important when things go wrong to stay calm, assess the situation in realistic way (leaving the emotion as far out of it as possible), and shift gears accordingly.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Finishing my first book!!!!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE FOOD LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM & Finance: Shivoni Siroya

Many of us take our credit scores—or the fact that we have them—for granted. Credit is the vehicle to financial stability and growth, yet 3 billion people around the world are currently financially underserved.

Shivani Siroya founded Tala—a tech startup providing micro-loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world—to address this disparity. Not only has Shivani paired her passion for social impact with her tech entrepreneurship, she’s disrupting the entire fin-tech industry with an unparalleled strategy: Analyze credit-seeker’ smartphones with an app that will determine how creditworthy they are. By generating data—texts, emails, GPS coordinates, social-media posts, retail receipts, and so on—Tala’s Android app is able to study a person’s smartphone behavior (literally down to obscure variables like how frequently a user recharges the phone’s battery, how many incoming text messages they receive, how many miles they travel in a given day or how they enter contacts into their phone) and use the data to predict the likeliness of a loan being repaid. Currently Tala’s repayment rate is 92 percent and the platform has reached 2.5 million people globally. Suffice to say, Shivani’s creating the blueprint to something special—something with scale, impact, and the potential to stimulate wealth everywhere. It comes as no surprise that Tala’s 2018 was explosive.

The long and short of it: Add Shivani to your CEO-inspo moodboard STAT.

Can you explain your company and your mission with Tala to our readers?

Tala’s mission is to expand financial access, choice, and control to the 3 billion people who are financially underserved around the world. Through Tala’s Android application, anyone with an Android smartphone in our markets can apply for a loan and receive an instant decision, anytime and anywhere, regardless of their financial history, so they can access customized financial services to take care of business costs, family expenses, and school fees.

And this is only our beginning—our mission doesn't end at opening access, we’ve added in financial tips and will be launching additional products this year to keep putting our customers in charge of their own financial lives.

Tell us a little about the impact Tala has on women and small business owners living in underserved financial communities.

Jenipher, an entrepreneur in her 60s, was one of our earliest customers in Kenya. She ran a food stall in Nairobi’s Central Business District and used Tala loans as working capital, to purchase ingredients in bulk for lower costs. Eventually, with the credit history we helped her build, she was able to walk into a commercial bank and secure a small business loan to support her dream of opening a restaurant. Our mission is to co-build a financial system where stories like Jenipher’s become the new reality. Our lending product opens access to financial services for a class of emerging consumers with potential that only needs to be proven.

If there is one thing you could tell our readers about Tala, what would it be and why?


Building Tala has taught me the importance of knowing and understanding your customers and their entire daily life. There’s a misconception that the people we serve are akin to non-profit beneficiaries and not a viable customer base; in actuality, they are consumers capable of being economic catalysts with significant purchasing power and reading and consuming the same content that we do. But there is no way I would have learned this without spending years living and working alongside them, learning about their personal lives and dreams for their families, and seeing them take action to make their goals a reality.

I’m also excited to share that we’re hiring! If our mission piques your interest, or if you’re ready to fix finance for over 3 billion people around the world, we’re waiting for you. See our global openings at Tala.co/careers.


You’re using your financial background to launch world-changing tech. What is your advice for women wanting to take the leap from an industry like finance to technology?


The opportunity presented by a world like tech is that it is a space where diverse interests can thrive. Though imperfect, this era of “disruption” means that there’s likely a group of people working on solving a problem you’re interested in—do your research and go out and find them! I also encourage you to find mentors that can help you learn the dynamics of the new industry, and join communities you can contribute to and grow with. Most importantly, have confidence in your abilities and your value. Trust that you have something unique to offer your new industry, and work hard to show it!


How important is it for women in tech to build communities surrounding their brands and how has it influenced you and your work with Tala? 


For women in tech, starting a new venture can be exciting, yet lonely and difficult. A community can serve as a much-needed constant in a journey that’s likely to be unpredictable.

I fully believe that community is the key to sustainable success. My family taught me the importance of being there for others, and I love sharing ideas and helping others make connections, as I’ve benefited from the help and advice others have given me.

The fellowships and communities I’ve joined are spaces where I can safely share ideas and best practices with peers going through similar hurdles. By serving as some of my first sounding boards, they’ve helped me build my platform as Tala and I have grown.

Community was a significant topic for the Tala team in 2018; we incorporated it within our team offsite, in our speaker series, in community events for our customers and also in community outreach events here in Santa Monica.

“I always think of funding rounds as a mirror to what’s happening internally—it is the best way to get lots of feedback on your business at once.”

You’ve raised one of the largest series b by a woman. When did you realize you had a product to pitch to investors? What steps did it take to get you there? 


We actually didn’t start by pitching. An investor heard my story and traction and through that process, our round came together. To get to a point where we were ready to take on investment, our small, scrappy team had already spent a significant amount of time in our markets, making sure we understood our customers, their lives, and their needs and tweaking our product offering in response. We each wore the hat of customer service advocate to make sure we were attentive to how customers were experiencing the product. When an investment opportunity presented itself, we knew immediately where we needed to focus the funds. 


Since then, we’ve learned to view funding rounds in relation to our learnings goals, from developing our data models in series A to scaling the business in series C. I always think of funding rounds as a mirror to what’s happening internally—it is the best way to get lots of feedback on your business at once. It’s important to listen and ask for feedback even if you get a no—because you’ll always come out stronger.

Any advice for women looking to take their tech to the table to raise series A or B? What was the biggest difference between the two series for you?

My advice is to do your homework and own the narrative! I cannot overstate the importance of knowing your business’s unit economics, knowing the ins and outs of your market, your customers, and your approach to the opportunity you’re addressing.

Our fundraising strategy always parallels what we are looking for in board members and advisors, and plans for the capital.

What is one app you can’t live without and why?


Whatsapp. I know it’s one that everyone uses—but for me, it’s my lifeline to keeping in touch with my family in India. We have probably over 50 different groups WhatsApp chats going at a time and it always makes me feel like we’re connected even if we’re not seeing each other in person for months.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road + switch gears to find success?


I remember the problem our team set out to solve and the people we’re solving it for. Our customers and our mission are my consistent north star, and honing in on them are extremely helpful. I have also embraced the importance of taking time off to recharge and spend time with friends and family—last year, I hiked Mount Batur, and the rigor of the experience and doing it along with close friends provided refreshment and energizing clarity.

“I never expected to be an entrepreneur – I set out to solve a problem and this was the right path to get to my goal. ”

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Our team experienced a significant amount of growth in 2018—new teammates, new product features, new markets, and increased fervor and clarity towards fulfilling our vision. In 2019, I‘m excited to see how the 2018 foundation that we set will help us create more momentum globally and excited to see us take on some very new audacious experiments and product launches!

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled? 


I’m most energized by meeting our customers, hearing their stories of what they’ve been able to accomplish with Tala, and getting their feedback on the product.

It’s just as rewarding to hear that someone used their Tala loan to open a cyber cafe in their community, as it is to hear that same person ask us to create a forum so they can trade entrepreneurial tips with other Tala customers. This tells me that what our team has built is not only working but that our customers trust us enough to share their ideas with us and with each other.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? 


Before founding Tala, an earlier boss encouraged me to “figure it out” after I shared that the data I needed for a four-month project did not exist—and I was already out of the country and needed to return to our team with answers. Being confronted with an information gap that needed to be closed led to me starting Tala and finding out about the problem that we’re focused on solving.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?


I never expected to be an entrepreneur – I set out to solve a problem and this was the right path to get to my goal. This perspective has helped me keep a clear focus on our mission, though I occasionally have to pinch myself when I see how fast our team is growing.

What’s your superpower?

Challenging my limits. I love high-intensity workouts and strength training because there’s power in learning that I’m capable of lifting two or three times my body weight—it all comes back to believing that you’ve got that power within you to take on something new. It’s a lot easier to walk into a daunting meeting with potential investors or speak at a large conference when you’ve started your morning by accomplishing what once seemed impossible.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 STEM LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

From acclaimed fashion model to actor, designer to businesswoman, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has done it all. The multi-hyphenate mogul’s latest venture, Rose Inc., offers an insider peek at some of Rosie’s favorite beauty products, makeup tutorials, skincare tips, and interviews with some of your favorite beauty gurus. Rosie takes a hands-on approach to her site, with a “Memo From Rosie” section dedicated to personal notes from the founder herself.

In addition to everything she’s working on for Rose Inc., Rosie will be our keynote speaker at Create & Cultivate New York! Check out her interview below, then join us in the city to get all the advice she’s learned from launching her namesake brand.

You’ve become a household name after years of putting in hard work as a model, and some acting work. What prompted you to venture off into beauty?

Beauty has always been a passion of mine and a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, starting as a passion and ending up in a career.  Growing up I would sit and watch my mother in awe while she would get ready for work or a night out. I loved seeing how she could transform into this striking, confident woman.  It was then that I began to understand the way makeup could alter a person’s demeanor or mood. As a teenager, I always enjoyed experimenting with makeup and trying out the newest products.

Over the last 16 years as a model, I’ve spent countless hours in the hair and makeup chair learning from all the incredible artists I’ve been lucky enough to work with.  Every time I’m in the chair I find I learn something new and creative and have made special friendships and memories along the way.

Rose Inc. for me is a place where I could bring my passion to light and hopefully create an inspiring online destination where I can highlight my favorite artists, peek inside the bathrooms of some of our favorite influencers, tastemakers and professionals, and where we could explore, interview and discuss new products, tips and tricks with the top experts in the industry.  

What was the inspiration behind Rose Inc. & its aesthetic?

In looking at the landscape of beauty websites, I thought it was important to create a space that was curated by someone who has been in the industry, sat in the makeup chair, and had firsthand experience of the impact that these products and routines can have on your life both physically and emotionally.

We have features and stories that cater to every type of woman, whether you want to know more about your favorite beauty icon or you’re in search of some serious advice for your next must-have product.  We want to reach women all around the world and hear what they have to say about the beauty space.

The brand launched in May and is taking off swiftly. How did you build that bond with your audience?

I think with any brand it’s all about authenticity and honesty. I hope that it’s clear when people come to the site or spend time with me that they can see I have a true affinity for everything beauty related. Building a bond with your audience is an ongoing process, it’s a two way street. We love to hear what our readers have to say, what they want to read or watch and then we try to deliver what it is they are asking for.

What characteristics make you successful in the beauty industry?

Passion, drive, and a clear vision.  When you embody those characteristics everything else will fall into place.

What does it take to build a beauty brand from the ground up in today’s world?

When I look at what’s happening in the beauty industry right now and see what’s working and what’s not, I see that it’s about having a clear point of view for your brand and believing in something bigger than the product itself.  Creating a sense of authenticity and dialogue with your consumer while exploring innovative and exciting products that make people feel their very best selves.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love meeting new people who inspire me both creatively and mentally, as this has been an ongoing learning process for me.  Seeing each of our initiatives through to completion, and hearing positive feedback from our readers, makes this all incredibly worthwhile and gives me an immense sense of pride!

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given?

I feel lucky I get to talk to so many brilliant people across this industry. I think the best thing I have heard lately was about the importance of delivering something that is unique and infused with your own personal style.

What’s been the biggest surprise or highlight of your career to date?

Without a doubt, launching Rose Inc.  It certainly feels like a new chapter in my life and while it feels like an organic next step for me because it’s my passion, becoming a founder is quite the departure from modelling, I do feel some days that I’m learning a lot on the go!

Where does your passion/drive come from?

This is a question I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to articulate properly because a passion for this industry is something that has been a part of me for as long as I can remember.  An appreciation for and fascination with all things beauty related is something that struck me from a very young age.

I often find that as women, we tend to attribute a lot of our success to a fluke.  I try to remember that while I absolutely would not be where I am today without a lot of help, and certainly some luck, it really comes down to my own determination and dedication.

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What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

I often find that as women we tend to attribute a lot of our success to a fluke.  I am sometimes inclined to feel this way about my own life and career, and while I try to remember that I absolutely would not be where I am today without a lot of help, and certainly some luck, it really comes down to my own determination and dedication.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find a new road and switch gears to find success?

I think that becoming a mother has given me a completely different perspective on the ups and downs that I face in my career.  My personal life is a priority for me, so when I hit a bump in my career, I am reassured by the fact that that is not the be all, end all.  I truly believe in visualizing what you want for your future, and eventually, you can get there.

Whose career really inspires you?

Any woman who has accomplished her dreams, through hard work and determination, while remaining true to herself and a good person.

What’s next for Rose Inc. in 2019? What are you most excited for?

I’m excited to work with even more unique and inspirational people from across our industry, and share their stories with our readers.  The beauty world is constantly evolving and in order to deliver the most thoughtful, and hopefully helpful, content, we will continue to seek out exciting new products, ideas, and innovators.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 BEAUTY LIST HERE.

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How Your Own Language Can Make or Break 2019

Language is powerful. As we enter 2019, would you believe that the outcome of your year may ultimately reflect the words you use to describe your experiences throughout it? As many people set goals and become more mindful of their habits, there’s no better time to make a conscious effort to become more aware of your language.

Words were my first love. Now, as a communications professional, they are the foundation of my professional living. As I’ve spent time around other entrepreneurs and successful business people, I’ve become aware of a common thread among them: their language is as on purpose as their success.

Consider making these three changes to begin experiencing the benefits of an immediate, more positive perspective and, ultimately, a more successful life.

“Have to” versus “get to”

How often do you hear colleagues talk about how they have to complete a project by a certain deadline or they have to get to work early for a big meeting? While the reality of those circumstances may be true, their characterization is disempowering.

Instead, imagine if your colleague said that they get to do those things. This phrasing reframes the commitments as opportunities instead of chores. Beyond changing the way other people experience the description of your obligations, it also reinforces a more positive perspective about your own commitments. The effect of this change is that you become more grateful for the plans you have, making them more enjoyable, instead of feeling burdened by tasks.

“Should” versus “will” versus “excited to”

The word “should” implies that the action is unlikely to happen and lacks urgency and significance. “I should start writing that book,” or “I should ask for a promotion” begins to sound like you’re giving yourself a pass to forego the leap between action and outcome. Changing “should” to “will” immediately conveys commitment and a stronger belief in yourself and from others that you’ll follow through.

Want to take it step further? Add a word that describes how you want the action to make you feel, and you’ll set yourself up to experience it that way. “I’m excited to have this conversation with my boss,” or “I’m grateful to have been chosen for this assignment.” Immediately, you’re in a position to feel the way you’ve described.

“Challenge” versus “opportunity”

What if the situations that most challenge you are actually opportunities for betterment? A business owner may be challenged when an employee leaves to pursue a new opportunity, and the inclination may be to simmer in frustration or feel daunted by the process of filling the role.

But what if this change is an opportunity to bring on someone with fresh ideas who’s even better equipped to support your work and grow your business? If you believe that’s the case, you’re more likely to focus on and find the person that meets those expectations. By changing the language you use, you can adjust your vantage point on a challenging situation and gain more control over the outcome.

This year, challenge yourself to make an intentional choice to find opportunities for growth and positive momentum that can result from encountering difficult situations. Making these changes may not come naturally at first and will take practice. Like any goal, the key is to stick with it.

After all, the outcome may depend on it.

Julia Bonner is the founder and president of Pierce Public Relations, a national public relations agency that helps individuals and brands accomplish their business goals through strategic PR programs. She frequently writes about communication, leadership and personal branding and has been published in outlets such as Fast Company, The Muse and The Nashville Business Journal.

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5 Entrepreneurs & Execs Share How Technology Has Changed Their Careers

From social media to emails, podcasts to presentations—technology affects every facet of our lives at work. And it’s changing every day. 

We wanted to know how some of our favorite technology leaders and entrepreneurs are using technology to build brands and products, as well as how the women behind that technology made it happen, so we teamed up with our friends at Dell last week to host the #DellExperience Power Players pop-up chat at CES. We loved listening to Alicia Quarles chat with Rachel Tipograph, Kimberly Bryant, Rakia Reynolds, Gerri Tunnell, and Stephanie Hallford about how their careers have evolved—and how they’re shaking up the industry themselves. Below, a few of our favorite tips from the pros:  

Their best piece of business advice…

“Invest in your voice. Your ability to be a powerful orator will get you much further than any other skill.” 

- Rachel Tipograph, founder & CEO of MikMak

“Step into the unknown. As women I think we’re always trying to think 10 steps ahead and always know what’s next, but where the real growth and opportunity lies is in the unknown.”

- Kimberly Bryant, founder & CEO of Black Girls Code

“Understand that things take time. We see so much glory through social media, but more people have to tell the story behind the glory. If you understand that things that time, you compete with yourself less and less.“

- Rakia Reynolds, founder & CEO of Skai Blue Media

“Vote with your heels. If you’re at a job you don’t feel is working, walk in and be vocal, or go find a job that will reward you for being you. Too often, people stay in a place where their skills are not fully realized, and you have to know the time to either walk in and ask for change or walk out.”

- Gerri Tunnell, SVP of Marketing, Dell 

“It’s OK to say no.”

- Stephanie Hallford, VP & GM, Business Client Platforms at Intel 

On starting a new venture…

“The part that I love about my job is the part after you’ve learned a bit but you don’t know everything, and you have just enough time to think about things in a really different way from everyone else.”

- Gerri Tunnell 

“Your setbacks are a setup for a really great comeback—and everybody loves a comeback. Look at it as an opportunity to innovate and build something new.”

- Rakia Reynolds

On inclusion in the industry...

“We need to look at what it means to be a black woman, or a gender-nonconforming person, or a disabled person in technology. Where that intersectional line happens is where we see the biggest gap. We can’t solve that unless with have a broader discussion around what inclusion and diversity looks like across the spectrum.”

- Kimberly Bryant

“We all have unconscious biases, and it’s so important to understand what those are so you can come from a place of understanding and action.”

- Gerri Tunnell

“Great leaders make other leaders. I’ve had people pour into me, and I’ve gotta pour support back into others.”

- Rakia Reynolds

Dell’s new XPS 13 is thin and light with an innovative top mounted HD webcam and has up to 21 hours of battery life. The XPS 13 is a beautiful and powerful product that helps powerful women get the job done.

On the future of tech...

“I want to see a young woman that has risen through the ranks of the tech industry and is the CEO of an emerging field. I want them to be able to break the barriers so much so that there won’t be a need for a Black Girls Code in the future.”

- Kimberly Bryant

“Young women are so socially-conscious about what they do and the mark they leave on the world. In the future, these women will be in places of power and will use technology for good.”

- Kimberly Bryant

CES 2019 was a hit and we were so happy to see so many of our Create & Cultivators there. This was our first time at the event and we’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to partner with Dell, who has been a real champion of women in the tech space. Same time next year? Sounds like a great plan to us! 

This post is sponsored by Dell.

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How This CMO is Transforming the Cannabis Industry For Your Health

What happens when women and cannabis join forces? As it turns out, success. dosist, an award-winning California-based wellness brand, is proof. Their proprietary cannabis pen offers a safe, consistent dose of formulas created to promote sleep, pain relief, calmness, and more. We were thrilled to partner with the company, named Fast Company’s most innovative brand in 2018, to host a happy hour our Miami Vision Summit. Below, we chat with Anne-Marie Dacyshyn, chief marketing officer, about what women bring to the table in the wellness industry and how dosist is transforming healthcare...one dose at a time.

You joined Dosist in July. What appealed to you about the company, and what did you most look forward to?

What appealed to me about joining dosist were three key and powerful things: First, it offered me the chance to be part of a monumental global shift where this incredibly powerful and therapeutic natural resource is on a trajectory towards widely adopted legalization, which is huge from a wellness perspective. Next, I was inspired by dosist in particular in that it had already pioneered and innovated a game-changing proprietary dose control device and targeted formulations, all aimed at helping people naturally manage their health and happiness. And finally, the leadership team and brand culture led by CEO Gunner Winston was beyond inspiring, so when it all added up I knew this was a chance to make history in not only transforming the cannabis category, but also transforming how people think about healthcare, working with an incredible and talented team along the way.

Women hold more executive positions in the cannabis industry than the average U.S. business. Do you think women bring a unique perspective to the category, and how do you see female-led companies changing the future of cannabis?

To start, at dosist we are 100% focused on the wellness side of cannabis use, and in fact are building a leading modern wellness brand vs. a cannabis brand. And I believe it is that important distinction and focus on health and wellness that has attracted an influx of women into the space and into our brand in particular, as consumer history has shown us that women have often been the catalysts in helping shape and drive the new global “modern wellness” platform as they continue to seek out and demand natural alternatives to support their wellness routines. So, from there it is only logical that more women are stepping in and helping drive this initiative and conversation through key roles, to help accelerate the access to and development of more cannabis-based wellness products.

As for how this influx shapes businesses at dosist we believe the best products and brands come out of companies with a culture that fosters and promotes diversified thinking across the board. So for us that comes from building a diverse leadership team that is not just about gender diversity, but also diversity across backgrounds and experience, and it’s all of these factors that are paramount to achieving our goals.

“There is still so much misconception and stigma that exists around this amazing plant, so it is imperative for us to ensure we are always educating first and foremost about its potential as a powerful therapeutic tool.”

Dosist is run by a more diverse leadership team than the average brand. What advantages does this have, from both a marketing perspective and an internal one?

We’re certainly proud to have a female CMO, CFO and a diverse team. But we’ve never thought about it in terms of hiring quotas. At dosist we are committed to developing talent around three principles – inspiration, collaboration, and accountability. And, do you share our vision of transforming healthcare? It’s those shared values across the team, combined with our commitment to innovation in products, therapeutic formulations and consumer experiences that inspire and differentiate us in empowering consumers to naturally manage their health and happiness.

What differentiates dosist from other companies in the cannabis space?

To start, at dosist we are focused on an entirely different approach in that we are building a leading modern wellness brand which uses cannabis to provide relief from some of today’s most common ailments through science and innovation. Our products and formulas are engineered to take the guesswork out of cannabis treatment, and create consistent, safe and effective results for our consumers.

We achieve this through a few key things. The first is our proprietary and award-winning dose pen, that uses superior vaporization technology to activate the key cannabis compounds in our targeted formulas and delivers a precise 2.25 mg dose each and every time, notifying the consumer of a complete dose with a slight vibration. Dose control is imperative to effectively using cannabis as a therapeutic tool, and we are the leaders in this technology and initiative.

Next, we worked with leading cannabis scientists to engineer our six targeted formulas:

Bliss, Sleep, Calm, Relief, Arouse and Passion, to deliver optimal health benefits without the sometimes overwhelming effects of THC. From reducing pain and inflammation to getting a better night’s sleep our formulas are expertly engineered to elevate your health and happiness naturally.

And last, we are dedicated to being the leader in providing education and awareness for consumers about cannabis. There is still so much misconception and stigma that exists around this amazing plant, so it is imperative for us to ensure we are always educating first and foremost about its potential as a powerful therapeutic tool. We are committed to breaking through the pre-existing barrier of misconception and ultimately removing the stigma that still exists.

What about your job makes you feel most fulfilled?

In short, all of it. From the opportunity to be a part of something that is so impactful to so many people’s lives and the incredible stories we hear from our customers every day, to the amazing and talented group of people and partners that I get to work with (like partnering up with Create & Cultivate at Art Basel!), it’s an incredible journey we are on to help people discover cannabis and utilize it as a safe, therapeutic alternative medicine. So it’s all of that and more that keeps me fulfilled, inspired and grateful.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Katie Austin

On top of serving major ab envy, Katie Austin is building a fitness empire.

The trainer, health coach, author, blogger, and model may have picked up a thing or two on how to inspire confidence through fitness from her mom—the iconic queen of spandex and home fitness tapes, Denise Austin. Katie has followed in her mother’s footsteps by building a community of fitness seekers and an app for those looking for new routines, recipes, and ways to get sore.

The former D1 college athlete knows a thing or two about conditioning the human body, and that deep-seated discipline is now powering her career. Below, the 25 year-old health expert sat with the C&C team to talk about what’s next for her digital wellness movement.

You played D1 lacrosse at USC. How has your background in sports affected your career path?

I’ve played lacrosse ever since I was 7 years old, so I think it taught me hard work, discipline, and time management from a young age. Those attributes have definitely helped me start my business and my career. I think playing sports definitely played a huge role in wanting to do fitness as a career, too. I did running/lifting tests for lacrosse since middle school, so fitness has really always been a part of my life. I love being surrounded by athletes. There’s a strong work ethic to every athlete out there that I really respect.

Being a fitness influencer is a big responsibility—what do you hope young girls and women take away from following you online?

I think being a fitness/health influencer is the best- just because you’re giving girls a positive takeaway. I really hope girls can learn how to better themselves, but in a real and practical way. It’s really important in this day and age to know that a lot of the stuff you see online isn’t attainable in real life. I want to empower girls with easy ways they can get fit, eat healthy, but still live their damn life.

If you weren’t working in fitness or social media, what would you be doing instead?

Well I am also a sports host! I co-host a Friday night show on Fox Sports West, and do some basketball hosting here and there. So I would definitely be pursuing that a bit harder!

Tell us about a time you failed, and how you turned that moment into opportunity.

Ohhh many of times!! So I have an app now, with workouts, recipes, challenges, etc., and it looks like it was super easy for me to just build something like that. Well, nobody knows that I actually built an app before.. I saved up $20,000 in college, and put it all towards an app. Long story short, it was terrible hahah. But I waited two years, and tried again!! It wasn’t a failure because I AM SO HAPPY it happened! I learned so much about what went wrong, how to make it better, and go stronger the next time. Every failure teaches me something great.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

Two answers. My parents! They both came from nothing, and grew their businesses from the ground up in their twenties. They inspire me like crazy! Then second, the girls who follow me and my workouts. I see their posts, stories, or messages to me and it makes me just want to help more and more people across the world.

What would you say to the haters who think Instagram isn’t a “real” job?

I’ve actually lost a friend over this… She would make fun of me for “instagramming for a job.” And it used to bother me, but now it doesn’t. Bring on the haters- they have no clue how much work goes into creating content, building a brand, creating and managing a blog/app/site, maintaining customer service, engaging back to your audience, pitching yourself, and SO much more. It’s funny though, because whenever a friend who isn’t a social media influencer sees the amount of work we put in they always say, “oh my gosh, I had no idea.” So I think it’s really that people just don’t understand it.

Watch our interview with Katie on the set of our Create & Cultivate 100 photoshoot.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Seeing girls feel accomplished, feel confident, and feel so great about themselves!! Even if it’s just a recipe they like of mine, or a workout, if I can just make another girl happy in the slightest, I feel fulfilled!! Truly.

What are some of your hobbies outside of fitness?

Hanging out with my friends! Anyone who follows my instagram stories… first off, I am sorry. I like to have fun haha. I love my girlfriends. And Sex and the City for the 38th time.

When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you find new roads + switch gears to find success?

I can definitely get down on myself when I hit a bump or hurdle. First off, I make sure to calm myself down and try not to be stressed out! Then I reassess what went wrong, or how I can be better. To keep up my motivation, I like creating new projects. I like to think of new creative things, guides, series, challenges, etc. I always like to switch it up with new content!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Most excited about being 25, and really feeling like this is the first year I KINDA know what I’m doing with my life. Haha but seriously…

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 HEALTH & WELLNESS LIST HERE.

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C&C Classifieds: Create & Cultivate, Brand Guild, OpExpert, & More!

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12 Questions to Ask Yourself to Unearth Your Life's Mission

"What’s your overall goal?”

It's the first question I ask any entrepreneur, client, friend, (just about anyone) who is in the midst of a career transition or looking to start or grow a venture. I follow it up with, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? Life-wise.” The question is basic and BIG.

But answering that question, or at the very least attempting to answer that question, creates clarity; crystal clear or not, it's an important step in the right direction to figuring out Life with a capital "L." And guess what? Your business is part of that Life. So before nailing down a business mission, start with your life goals.  

You don’t have to have the destination 100% set (if you do, awesome) but you do need a map so that when you get lost or head down a path less traveled and find yourself in parts unknown (which, is inevitable and healthy) you have a map to consult--to help you redirect and continue on. 

Answer these 12 BIG LIFE questions and you'll find that in the process you'll get further clarity on your business mission as well.

1. Visualize yourself in 10 years. What do you see for yourself? What/who do you see yourself surrounded with? What do you see yourself doing? 

2. What do you feel the most fearful of right now?

3. What are you willing to sacrifice to stay true to you? What are you okay saying “no” to?

4. What areas of your life are humming?

5. What areas of your life do you want to make changes in?

6. What do you wish you were doing more of that makes you happy?

7. What kinds of problems do you enjoy solving the most?

8. What about you makes you uniquely you?

9. What are your values?

10. Who are some other people in your life that you admire? Why? 

11.What are some commonalities in the people that you are drawn to?

12. What aspects of who you are do people find energizing?

Alison Gilbert is a business coach and consultant. She’s helped over a dozen owners and entrepreneurs grow profitable businesses quickly and efficiently, including such companies as Well+Good, Levo League, Maiyet and Plum Alley. Prior to building her consultancy she was hire number four and COO of food media company Tasting Table where she grew it into a forty person team reaching a readership of millions.  Visit her site and schedule a free consultation. 

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