Create & Cultivate 100: Music: Tori Kelly

When you rise to fame on American Idol, people pretty much expect you to stay in your pop star lane.

But not Tori Kelly. Released in September, her sophomore album Hiding Place is decidedly gospel. A collaboration with legend Kirk Franklin, the album felt like a natural next step to Tori, who grew up listening to gospel music and wanted to come into her own after her first album, a pop sensation that hit #2 on the Billboard 200.

That move took guts. But for Tori, it wasn’t a choice. She wanted to share her truth, even if it wasn’t Top 40-friendly. And that’s how she approaches everything in her career—with honesty, relatability, and the pursuit of fulfillment.

Read on for Tori’s take on following your passion full-force.

You debuted your first gospel album, Hiding Place, after your 2015 pop album reached #2 on the charts. What drove you to release a Christian music album?

Gospel music was always playing in my house as a kid and I really studied a lot of gospel singers growing up. It honestly just started out as a small idea, and when the opportunity came to work with the legendary Kirk Franklin, I knew it would be a special project.

Were you worried about how your fans would receive your new album?

I knew some people wouldn't understand it, but I wasn't worried. I hoped that my fans would at least feel encouragement and hope when they heard these songs. I wanted them to really see my heart and what I was passionate about.

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

I've always gotten advice and encouragement from my parents. They have always pushed me to write and produce my own songs. They even got me my first guitar for Christmas one year. I think that really gave me the confidence to believe that I could do this thing on my own and even do shows with just me and a guitar.

What do you hope your fans and listeners feel when they listen to your music?

When people listen to my music I hope that they feel like they're not alone. Whether it’s a sad song or an uplifting song, I hope they feel like someone can relate to them, and that they are loved.

What advice would you give to young women who need courage to make a change or shift in their careers?

I would say to make sure you have a support system around you to push you and challenge you, but also to make sure you have a vision. Set long-term goals and short-term goals for yourself and take it step by step.

Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

I honestly look up to the women on my team. They might not be front and center all the time, but they are the ones that make stuff happen. These confident women have so much drive and determination while also having a loving tenderness and care about them. I'm so blessed to work with the women on my team.

When I focus on the people around me and how they are doing, that’s when I'm the most fulfilled.

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Where do you get your inspiration for your songs?

I have to write songs that I connect with somehow. I mostly write about my own life experiences, but occasionally I'll try to see life through the lens of someone else.

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

I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's 'own,' or 'real' life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life—the life God is sending one day by day.”

Although it can be hard sometimes, I've tried to live like that. It's all about perspective. Something that seems like a "bump" in the road might actually be the very thing you needed.

What keeps you up at night?

Usually when I can't sleep it’s because I start getting creative super late or I'll get a song idea that I have to work out.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I am so thankful that I get to call this music thing a career. It's still wild to me. But I am the most fulfilled when I don't make it all about me. It’s the best feeling when someone tells me how one of my songs affected them or got them through a hard situation. When I focus on the people around me and how they are doing, that’s when I'm the most fulfilled. Life is such a gift, and I believe no matter what your job is or how successful you are, loving people is the most important thing.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 MUSIC LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Lo Bosworth

Lo Bosworth is a true example of what it means to use your platform for good.

The 32-year-old former Laguna Beach and The Hills star is the founder of Love Wellness, an inclusive feminine health brand that ditches body shame and archaic packaging for a female-first voice. She founded the brand after experiencing her own health scares, and she aims to empower women everywhere to take charge and feel good about their personal health.

Below, Lo shares her best moments of 2018, her thoughts on social media, and why she won’t be appearing on The Hills reboot this year.

You’ve been busy! In addition to your site, TheLoDown, you host a podcast (LadyLovin) and run a health and hygiene company, Love Wellness. What inspired your journey into the women’s wellness space?

Running Love Wellness is my first priority and has been for the past year. I was inspired to make this move in my life after a personal wellness journey that I chronicled on TheLoDown. It's been nice to move into Love Wellness full-time as it's a space where I can have a greater, or more tangible impact on women's lives. I personally felt there was a lack of an open self-care culture for women in the United States when I was experiencing health issues a few years ago and through Love Wellness we're actively working to cultivate these body positive conversations and culture through natural and safe products that directly support that mission.

Tell us more about Love Wellness. You offer beautifully-packaged period and vaginal health products—did you feel like that was previously missing from the market?

When I started Love Wellness what I felt was most lacking from the feminine care category, ironically, was a true female voice. It's no secret that the majority of the traditional personal care products for women you know have been conjured up by men in a boardroom. The proof of that is in the anti-feminist undertones of the messaging used to market these products to women, teaching young girls and women through subliminal images and words that our bodies and genitals are dirty, shameful, and private. Ask any woman you know about the emotional experience of buying tampons or anti-fungal cream and generally speaking, it's not a positive one.

At its core, Love Wellness aims to solve that problem. Our products are more than their packaging (though the packaging is lovely). Our products give women their power back by giving them a choice. Most women, when presented with the options, will go with a modern, female-founded brand that understands that a body-positive message is as important as effectiveness and packaging. We want women to feel good about their personal care choices. We make products that do that.

You recently gave a resounding “no” when asked if you’d be appearing on The Hills reboot. What about reality TV is unappealing to you at this point in your career?

I run a women's personal care company that is about positivity for all women and nothing less. Reality television programming, inherently, is about conflict. You need conflict for any type of programming to be remotely interesting. If I participated I can guarantee that a decision would be made by the powers that be to pit me against another woman on the show in order to feed that conflict. As the owner of a business for women by women, it's unconscionable to think that I would agree to submit myself to potential vilification of that nature that could de-base another woman's feelings, reputation, or worldview.

“We want women to feel good about their personal care choices. We make products that do that.”

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

It's the women of Love Wellness that make me feel the most fulfilled: our customers and my team. It's so encouraging to receive notes of support from a woman whose life has been changed by using our products, and I love that we've been able to attract women to work alongside me that are powerful, smart, and inspired to be a part of the positivity and awareness we're spreading.

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

I consider bumps in the road to be the greatest measures of success. It's how you deal with problems that defines your character and strength. There is a solution to every problem if you're willing to discover what it is. I thrive on the solutions.

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

The honest answer is that I'm exhausted by social media; it's just something I deal with at this point. Authenticity here is important for two reasons: my authentic self is a kind and straight-forward person and I want people to know me for who I am. The second reason is that I believe social media is eating away at the core values of our society and so if I have to send out any message at all, it better be one that's positive. If we can at least consume positivity, we have a shot.

“It’s not meat ‘til it’s in your mouth - meaning, that until the contract is signed and the money is in your account, keep working at it.”

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

Hiring full-time employees at Love Wellness in 2018 has been the highlight of my career to date, hands down.

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

It's not meat ‘til it's in your mouth - meaning, that until the contract is signed and the money is in your account, keep working at it.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I'm hoping to have a year that's steady: with work, with friendship, family, romantic relationships, and home. The past few years have been ones of turmoil, lessons learned and rebuilding and I'm ready for 12 months of calm seas and clear skies.

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Cassey Ho

If it’s easy, it’s probably not POP Pilates.

Cassey Ho, the boss behind Blogilates, has used her digital platform for over a decade to teach her signature fitness routines and preach the Pilates gospel. What started as a small YouTube community is now an international health movement and multi-million dollar brand with Cassey at the helm.

POP Pilates is definitely Cassey’s largest endeavor, and its scale is hard to ignore. It’s an entire philosophy and empire—from DVDs to workshops to 12-week teacher trainings to international classes, Cassey has created a discernible Pilates practice with a cult-like following. She’s personable and passionate, which is part of her appeal and why she can draw crowds of 500+ to join her for Pilates when she’s passing through town.

Above all, Cassey keeps it real. She’s vocal about cyberbullying and body-shaming and sheds light on the less-than-fun aspects of being a public figure online. In an industry that too often preaches perfection, Cassey Ho is a refreshing (and strong as hell) teacher and thought leader.

You started Blogilates, an award-winning fitness channel, nearly a decade ago. What drove you to start the company, and how has it changed over time?

Blogilates began as one YouTube video that I filmed for my 40 students at 24 Hour Fitness, as I was moving cross country. I put it up because I wanted to continue teaching Pilates and being connected with my students no matter where I was. Unexpectedly...way more than 40 people started watching that first ab video!

Now, Blogilates has become so much more than fitness. It’s a multimillion-dollar brand with high quality activewear, our own certified instructors, and over 4,000 POP Pilates classes being taught every month worldwide!

Your video The Perfect Body has nearly 13 million views on YouTube. What drove you to shoot the video, and what do you hope viewers take away?

What drove me to shoot that video were mean, body-shaming comments directed at me. I took all that sadness, that anger, and turned it into positivity. The response was totally unexpected! But I’m so happy that a piece of heartfelt content like this went viral. I think a lot of women felt very empowered seeing that the way we look at ourselves is way more important than the way other people view us.

If you could give one piece of advice to young girls just entering the phase of life where body image becomes a big focus, what would you say?

Focus on your skills. Your talent. Your brain. Beauty TRULY comes from confidence. And when you can see yourself getting better at something you train at, you glow more and more.

If you weren’t working in health, what career path would you choose?

Evening gown fashion designer!

Don’t do anything that makes you lose trust with your audience. They got you where you are.

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

If you don’t take a risk on your own success, who will?

What keeps you up at night?

Not much really. I’m so exhausted that I fall asleep as soon as I hit the pillow!

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

Problems. I welcome them with open arms. They force me to be more creative.

Whose career really inspires you?

Jennifer Hyman, Rent The Runway.

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

Don’t do anything that makes you lose trust with your audience. They got you where you are. But at the same time...do what gets you fired up and excited in your soul!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

My goal is to spend more time doing fewer things while having greater impact!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Health + Wellness: Candice Kumai

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with golden lacquer, transforming it into a new and beautiful work of art in its own right.

If you ask chef, model, and entrepreneur Candice Kumai, the technique can also be applied to real life. She’s had her own share of struggles, but she’s made a life for herself built on those imperfections. Kintsugi Wellness, her latest of six books, explores this very idea—and it makes Candice the wonderfully relatable influencer we know and love.

Below, Candice talks about her book, her podcast Wabi Sabi, her love of matcha, and why Elle calls her the “Golden Girl of Wellness.”

You were raised by hard-working immigrant parents. How has their dedication affected your career story?

When I think of success, I think of Mom + Dad: they’re the only reason why I work so hard. Watching them as a child, they showed me what hard work was — in Japanese we call this “Oyano se wo mite ko wa sodatsu.” Translates to— children watch what their parents do, not by what they say.

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

Oh man, this has been a gnarly challenge to be honest.

I started out as a poor-broke-ass writer who moved to Brooklyn at 26– with $200 and a suitcase— who lived next to the projects and could barely make rent ...

Prior to that I paid for culinary school on my own at 22-23 by modeling and fit modeling in LA, NY and Asia. Mom told me to my face, I’d never make it cooking for other people.

I’ve been broke AF and I’ve made major cash money. I’ve been someone’s assistant chef and line cook mopping floors and doing dishes and I’ve also been a judge on Iron Chef and opened Nasdaq and closed the New York Stock Exchange with the New York Times, twice.

Life threw me every curve ball you could ever imagine — people tied my hands behind my back, blindfolded me and set me on fire — miraculously with Japanese practice (Gaman/great resilience) I always made it out alive and made pioneering look easy; and I didn’t always hit home runs, but when I did— I had to note how hard I worked to get there.

That’s the long answer, the short answer is —humility.

Nobody handed me sh*t, I paved my own path solo..worked every job as a writer/tv host/ for very little and most of my work for a decade was for no pay. It was about building a real brand that would last, from scratch.

All the boys in food (you know; those tatted up chefs all over the nation) and some top execs in media never thought I’d make it and now, they come to me to seek advice/inspo/content and ask— “how do you do it all”?

Humility —every time I fell on my face and humility for every day as an entrepreneur— self funded, self propelled and self made. That’s it.

Being an entrepreneur continues to be a challenge: Pioneerin’ ain’t easy, but it’s the only thing I’m wired to do —create the new.

And f—- follower counts —what do you have to offer when the battery dies?

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

Wow. So many! Too many to count but I can name a few:

When mom told me my first solo cookbook, Pretty Delicious at 26 years old was “better than she thought it was going to be.”

When Chanel, Origins, Cover Girl, Shiseido, Sephora, Bosica etc. all signed me for beauty campaigns —over a 8 year span, all over the globe—I never thought a girl who cooked and wrote would become a mogul for beauty

When my agents at WME IMG made a decision to sign/rep me globally in Japan/Tokyo/Asia

Gracing the back of a Kashi Cereal Box - Werd up.

The 500+ 5 star reviews on my podcast, Wabi Sabi and the 200k downloads within a few months of its inception — who knew my stories of struggle and tenacity were so relatable? It made me smile with humility.

When my mom’s school principal (where she teaches) asked me to come speak with Mom—to the kids and their parents—and share how a small San Diego hometown Japanese- American surfer girl could “make it” big as a writer/author in NYC.

Being interviewed by Forbes & The Wall Street Journal, Arianna Huffington, Vogue & Oprah Mag all in one year—major surprise.

Whose career really inspires you?

Mom - Japanese Cultural Teacher

Dad- Nuclear Auditor and US Navy Veteran, drafted at 21

Sis - Entrepreneur in London, founder and director of The London Bike Kitchen-killin it overseas sis!

Grandpa- Impressionist painter in Tokyo

Aunt Kyoko - has a permanent collection at the MoMa

Anyone who’s out there trailblazing -I truly commend you.

You’re super open about your past struggles in business and finance. What’s the driving force behind this vulnerability?

Simply being honest and real — there are too many fakes and wannabes out there & this is the way I’m wired.

I gotta tell the truth and keep it real. My work is honorable to my legacy- it does me and none of you any good if I fake sh*t. Truth and honor are part of my legacy, that’s the Japanese and Polish American way—be honest and always give your best. This is what my family taught me. I’m not out here bustin’ my ass to be fake, I have no desire to be famous- I’m out there on the field everyday (writing, producing, directing) to help people. I can only help people when I’m vulnerable, myself and masks are all off.

“Success is immeasurable — stop looking around and look within.”

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

Oh man—shift down or shift up. Take breaks—TRAVEL SOLO. Spend time alone—learn to love your solidarity. Write. Stop depending on others and outside factors for happiness. Be original and find new and fresh inspiration. Listen to Drake, Lil Wayne and ASAP Rocky. Go hiking/forest bathing. Stay away from people who don’t make you feel good. Get a pet or hang with animals. Volunteer at a space where you can help those in need: a shelter, a food bank, a soup kitchen, an animal shelter, the Salvation Army, donate and connect w those less fortunate than you. Hop to the beach and learn how to surf, swim or stand up paddle. Success is immeasurable — stop looking around and look within— f—- what everyone else is doing. Pray for others. Practice gratitude and tell those you love, you love them. xx

You’ve run your business for over 10 years now: What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?

Staying on top of email marketing and the changing social landscape.

Finances - tough to balance, & payroll/admin: hard to keep inspired by that lol

It’s tough to get investors when you’re a creative artist

I really don’t want to be on social all day—it kills creativity

It was once very hard for execs and tv execs to take me serious & I wasn’t going to change who I was to fit into their basic mold

I have so many creative ideas- it’s hard to keep up with my ideas and my love of the new!

Struggling to keep the arts profound and inspiring while having to run a business and deal with admin/finance

What does a normal day in the life of Candice Kumai look like?

Wake up, make matcha

Write or create content in some format

Meditate

Work out at barre, yoga, surf or run depending on where I’m at

Conf calls, meetings or shoot

Finish all work tasks and emails

Cook, enjoy some kind of view or company of another/friends

Drink a ton of water

Review video cuts or images or content

Manage finances/accounts and payments to team

Eat chocolate, laugh w some homies or go listen to ASAP Mob etc

Read something profound/reflect/pray

Sleep really really good

What are you most excited for in 2019?

- Tokyo 2020 prep

- Shooting/directing/writing/producing a NHK World Series in Japan

Setting up shop in SF and NY and Tokyo the trifecta year

NEW CONTENT I CREATE⚡️

Making my clients in LA, NY, SF, Japan all happy

Possibly writing a new paperback book

Creating a new form of media and journalism with the launch of my new company: Kirei Media Inc

Growing: TheMatchaShoppe.com

Wabi Sabi Podcast: to take off into outer space lol-I just want more girls to fall in love w it.

I just wanna laugh more, spend time with those I love, eat cookies, cook more, find a home soon, create better content, sleep like a goddess and be a better journalist, financially kill it & keep being weird. That’s it. xxx ck

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Jesse Marble

Jesse Chamberlain Marble developed her first photo at age 12 (in her bathtub, nonetheless) and never looked back.

And while she’s moved on from her first Pentax K1000, the LA-based photographer still has a camera in her hand most days of the year.

Jesse’s work conveys a nostalgia for a year from no definitive era. Her photos utilize a spectrum of pastels that emanate a dream-like effect, further enhanced by their playful use of silhouettes and optical illusions. Her portraits are vibrant and full of an energy that demand a second, third, or fourth look—as her subjects are positioned so cleverly within their respective environments.

The creative entrepreneur is also the co-owner of Our Labor of Love, Smilebooth, and The Flashdance, all in the photography, wedding, and fashion categories. Having photographed over 500 weddings, Jesse left no design stone unturned at her own wedding to groom Jimmy Marble last year at the Madonna Inn. The couple designed everything from the menus to the Do Not Disturb signs, ensuring that all wedding decor was amplified by the iconic and prismatic Southern-California hotel. Naturally, the photos are amazing.

On your website, you say photography is your superpower. Can you tell us why it’s so powerful to you?

It’s my favorite language. Just as a raise in an eyebrow and slight little smirk can be a universal feeling in any language. A photograph speaks clearly in any culture and every language.

What do you think it takes to make it as a successful photographer today?

Success in photography takes a lot. First and most importantly, it takes a defined style. So when people see it, they know it’s yours. Next, I would say a lot of work and drive, like in any other version of success. For me, I personally love collaborating with new artists on personal projects in my off time to build a community and elevate my vision.

Tell us how you got your start as an artist, and how you eventually found your niche.

I’ve been painting, sculpting, drawing and dancing since I was three years old. My dad and stepmom built a dark room and a photo studio in my house when I was 12. Placing that blank piece of paper in the developer and gently rocking the developer over it until the image appeared was complete magic. It was just a photo of friends at an amusement park but to me it was the beginning of everything. I ended up at a boarding school called George School which had an incredible photo department. My roommate freshman year was Elliott Erwitt’s daughter. Sally Mann sent her daughter there. The head of the photo department was Mark Osterman, who is considered a master of wet-plate collodion photography. I was fortunate enough to have some pretty incredible inspiration guiding me in my youth. For work through college and the early years, I worked for PR firms shooting restaurants, celebrities, homes etc. as well as photographing weddings. It’s been a long road that has led me to fashion editorial and advertising, which fulfills both my love for collaboration as well as connection to humans.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

I have a few people in my life who have been what i consider my creative match. It’s like a best friend but it involves a lot of brainstorming ideas and making them. Our relationship is fueled by it. We trust each other completely creatively so the critiques and excitement come easily and genuinely. Our projects never feel like work.

Do you feel that the power of social media has impacted your career as a photographer at all?

Yes, in all the ways. It’s an incredible resource when used to build your creative network/team. In reverse, it’s a great business card for people to get a quick glance of what you do and how to reach you. My husband and I enjoyed each other's work before we even knew each other because of Instagram.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

Sally Mann, Mona Kuhn, Ariana Papademetropoulos, Kimia Kline, Yayoi Kusama.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

The rising tide. Watching other creatives that we work with grow.

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

Work hard.

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

I’ve started producing short films recently with my husband and that has been thrilling. The most recent one, UGH, was shown at Tribeca Film Festival.

What keeps you up at night?

My six-week old baby and four-month old puppy.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

A common struggle is that women aren’t taken seriously until they prove themselves.

Eventually, you’ll know the value of your time & most likely that will increase as you go along.

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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?

Again, it is all about collaboration. In any job, there will be setbacks, whether its budget, talent, location etc…and in my own experience, between the art director and my producer, one of us will be able to see a creative way out.

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

I think each artist gradually sorts this out at their own speed. Most people start working for free and doing passion projects and as your skill increases so does your pay. If you are still building your portfolio, it’s not something you need to know right away. Eventually, you will know the value of your time and most likely that value will increase as you go along.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

More of the same! We (my husband and I) have a couple shorts we are excited about making. More editorials. More all-women collaborations.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Kanya Iwana

In a time when attention is currency and ephemeral content reigns supreme, Kanya Iwana wants to make art that lasts. The kind of work that makes an imprint on you—that you file away in your brain to access at a later date. Whether through music, writing, photography, or film, she believes in eliciting emotion and aims to create a firework-like effect on her audience.

A simple scroll through the Indonesian-born, LA-based photographer/director/creative director’s portfolio fulfills that mission. Her work has an effervescence, an intimacy, and a romantic aura with a DNA unto itself. Her use of color and warmth elicits a nostalgia you didn’t know you craved. Her work has graced the likes of of i-d, Vogue, W Magazine, The Fader, and Paper Magazine—and her client roster is even more extensive.

Unsurprisingly, Iwana has a backstory that makes you want to ask as many questions as is socially acceptable. It includes writing a strategic proposal to her mom to leave Indonesia and move to the US by herself to complete school, where she received a bachelor of fine arts in theatre at age 19. She then married her best friend, divorced said best friend, met her soulmate, and gave birth to her beautiful daughter. Amidst this journey, she’s never lost sight of her vision as an artist or entrepreneur.

You work with a lot of well-known artists and fashion industry insiders. What have you learned the most about working with high-profile individuals from a young age?

I learned very early on that you have to be educated and aware of the industry—not only on the people who are in it as well as creative trends and history, but the legal side. You need to know your rights as a creative and how to protect yourself. Knowing these facts really empowered and elevated me into becoming the professional that I wanted to be.

There’s still a gender gap when it comes to male and female photographers. How can we change that?

It needs to come from the inside—the bosses, the higher-ups. I wish I could sit down with an executive and ask them, in a genuine one-on-one conversation, why they’re so afraid to be disrupted. In the meantime, we female artists just have to keep doing what we do to the best of our ability and use our platforms to bring awareness to this issue.

What does it take to make it as a photographer today?

Off the top of my head: Discipline, taste, and genuine love for the craft. I think discipline is pretty direct. When it comes to taste, whatever yours is, you have to find it, stick to it, and really believe in it so other people will believe you too. And you shouldn’t do anything that you’re not in love with. For me personally, whenever I take photos or after I process them and see all the colors, it feels like fireworks happening in my brain and heart. Hopefully people are doing things that make them feel that way.

When it comes to taste, whatever yours is, you have to find it, stick to it, and really believe in it so other people will believe you too.

Tweet this.

Tell us how you got your start as an artist, and how you eventually found your niche.

From the beginning, I knew I wanted my photographs to look cinematic. I’m such a cinephile and want my work to pay homage to movies. The movies I love have brilliant colors and lighting and strong narratives, so subconsciously my photos ended up that way too. I’ve gotten a lot of work because of my use of colors—I think it’s nostalgic and people are drawn to that. These days I’ve been working a lot more on music videos, so it’s getting closer to that full circle. I just follow the momentum and try to do my best.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

Real life people and their emotions and how they navigate themselves in their environment really inspire me. Whenever I write a treatment for a video I always think of a certain memory or person that triggers an emotion, and I write to that “ahh” feeling. I also draw inspiration from music composition. Being a musician as well, sound paints certain stories, and I really ride on that.

Do you feel that the power of social media has impacted your career as a photographer at all?

100%. I do most of my marketing on social media—Instagram is my business card. Everyone has their own personal battles with social media, but I’ve learned how to utilize it in the healthiest way.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

It’s ever-changing. I look up to several different people for very specific things. One of the people I love right now is photographer Driely Carter, and I don’t think it’s going to stop. She’s a real firecracker in the industry, through her work and her commentaries. She’s really someone I look up to when it comes to constantly creating something that I love, and f*** everything else that doesn’t.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

That I get to go in rooms or email chains that I would have never thought I’d be in as a teenager, and that they’re so down to listen to what I get to say and what I get to create. It’s an amazing feeling to be heard, and I’m so excited that the industry is slowly starting to open up more to young, passionate creatives.

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

There’s so many, but my partner told me something along the lines of “Your highest is never as high as you think it is; so is your lowest.” It really keeps me grounded and going.

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

I think my overall career arc thus far is pretty surprising! It’s just so cool. I’m so blessed. I’ve got a long way to go, but the past two years have been amazing.

What keeps you up at night?

Possibilities! I’m always so anxious and excited about my next step. I’m so crazy restless.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

To be taken seriously. I personally can relate to this. I feel like I have to work twice and sometimes triple as hard, especially being a woman of color.

The most random things can spark your next brilliant idea.

Tweet this.

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

Take a break. It’s so important to temporarily shut down, whether it is from social media or from work overall, and I use that time to invest time with my family. And from there, start having new conversations with people you trust or people you’ve never met before, and just get new ideas from there. The most random things can spark your next brilliant idea.

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

Something that has worked in my favor is the presentation itself. Understand that people have very low attention spans these days, so make your presentation visually inviting, on-brand, and engaging!

What are you most excited for in 2019?

More opportunities for sure!

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Libby VanderPloeg

Illustrating emotion is not an easy task. Yet somehow, you feel things when you peruse Libby’s work. She’s responsible for the GIF that became the unofficial GIF of fourth-wave social media feminism. Many of her illustrations emphasize the power of women, collaboration, and civic engagement. And many of them go viral as rally cries for the movement.

The positivity that underscores her work makes her representation of women that much more meaningful. You want to be friends with the women she draws! You feel inspired by them! You feel connected to them! In a world filled with aggressive push notifications, click bait, and sensationalism, it feels empowering to see artists using their symbolic swords to make art with impact and calls to action.

Simply put, Libby’s work makes you feel good. And in this climate, who doesn’t need that?

Your work has gone viral so many times. Your Lift Each Other Up GIF you made was even mentioned by Gina Rodriguez on one of our panels. How did that change your career, and what was the inspiration behind that piece?

Ah, yes! The Lift Each Other Up GIF was a little bit of magic. Shortly before making that piece, I had taken a leap of faith and quit my full-time design job to pursue my illustration career. It was a little bit nerve-wracking but, lucky for me, I had a lot of strong women in my life (both IRL and through Instagram) who were also small business owners and creatives, and we were all so encouraging and supportive of one another! So I wanted to make a piece about the power of that reciprocal support. While out for my morning run, this animation idea hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was so excited to see if the idea would work that I immediately literally ran home to start working on it. By that evening, I had finished the piece and I could hardly wait to share it, and then I realized that, serendipitously, International Women’s Day was just a few days away! So things just sort of clicked into place with this piece, start to finish. Once I shared the GIF that following Tuesday, it didn’t take to long for it to go viral. I kept getting messages from friends all over the country and even in Europe that they were seeing it everywhere, which was a pretty crazy feeling! A couple years later, I’m still seeing it shared on a daily basis, which makes me happy. I’m so glad that the message of the piece resonates with women in such a positive way.

Career-wise, the viral nature of the piece put me in front of millions of individuals and organizations, which, of course, grew my audience. But it also set me on a path of working with more women-owned businesses and corporations that were taking women’s issues seriously and working publicly to address inequality. It’s wonderful to see a personal project really bloom into a public call to action!

You’ve worked with so many amazing brands. What do you think is the best way to bring your creative mind to brands + create meaningful partnerships that you feel proud of?

I always try to consider the objective of companies I’m creating work for, what the work needs to achieve, and the tone the work needs to strike. I love working collaboratively with my clients because their goals aren’t necessarily the same as mine, and because of that I need them to give me as much info as they can in order for me to work in the right direction. As I see it, my job has two parts: Part 1. Ask a ton of questions; Part 2. Solve problems. And I love when I can deliver solutions to my clients in the form of something fun and beautiful that will hopefully bring a little visual joy to their audience/readers/followers or what have you!

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

I’m inspired by just about everything around me! I’ve lived in relatively urban areas for most of my life (Grand Rapids, Chicago, Brooklyn, Stockholm) and in such environments you’re just immersed in interesting culture without trying very hard. I find humans endlessly fascinating (and weird), and along that line I’m interested in the little worlds they/we create through fashion, decor, and culture more broadly. I’m constantly cataloging all of this visual information in my head, or sometimes jotting notes down on my phone to refer back to if I just feel like doodling but am not sure where to start. For me, I’m tripping over inspiration daily. Sometimes it’s the bolt-of-lightning type, but most of the time it’s more like “I think I’ll draw my funny socks today because I love them,” and that’s fine, too.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

When I was first starting out on my illustration path, I was so inspired by Erin Jang, and I still absolutely love her work and it’s minimal, playful sophistication. I was also super inspired by Lisa Hanawalt! After seeing her work at a little variety show in Brooklyn, I was immediately sure that I wanted to quit my job and become a full-time artist and illustrator. It was a revelation. She’s so incredibly funny and honest in her work, and I love the imaginative world of characters she creates.

I also really love the work of Lisa Congdon, Roz Chast, Anna Rifle Bond, and Maira Kalman. It’s hard to narrow this down! Within the fine art world, I was and still am so inspired by the work of Louise Bourgeois, Miranda July, Karen Kilimnik, and Alice Neel. And I can think of several rising stars whose work I love! Lauren Tamaki is one of my absolute favorite illustrators. Her work is gorgeous and so distinctive! And Jordan Sondler’s work is pure joy! Also Carolyn Suzuki. Her work is seductively cute, but so powerful. And Loveis Wise is amazing too! There are too many artists I love and I know I am forgetting to name 50 or so of them.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love owning my own company and getting to decide what it is, what it’s not, and where it’s going. It’s wonderfully rewarding to feel so creatively challenged and energized, and to see your ideas come to life! And it’s also really fantastic to be able to work with clients who value my work and trust my ideas.

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

I think I was in high school and trying to finish a painting for art class or something like that. My perfectionist tendencies were in full force, and the more work I put into the painting, the worse it got. Seeing my frustration, my dad casually said to me that sometimes you just have to finish things and move forward. It was really freeing to hear that then, and it still helps me with every project I do. I don’t think I’m ever completely satisfied that I’ve done the best that I could do on a project, but deadlines are in a way a blessing that helps us move forward. We can look at what we’ve finished, critique, learn, and always strive to do better next time.

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

Probably my ability to produce multiple viral pieces of art! There was, of course, the Lift Each Other Up GIF, but there was also the Layer Up GIF, the Shimmy If You’re With Her GIF, and the Huddle drawing that I made as a reflection on the 2017 Women’s March. A definite career highlight was when Cyndi Lauper posted Lift Each Other Up. My mind was completely blown! “She’s So Unusual” was such a formative album for me! It’s just an awesome feeling when one of your heroes notices your work.

What’s next for you?

I have a couple of big, fun book projects that I’m working on right now, and they’re really keeping me busy! One of them involves tons of research, so I’m learning a lot of fun, historical facts as I work on it. And I just wrapped up a very large project that I am super excited about, but shhh... I can’t talk more about until later this year. But I also want to do more personal work in 2019, and have so many ideas for prints, apparel, and other goods that I want to start making!

What keeps you up at night?

I have a hard time quieting my brain when I lay down to go to sleep. I often start managing my schedule and planning out my next work day as I’m laying there, and then I might also start trying to do some specific creative problem-solving too. If I feel that start to happen, I sometimes indulge it for a few minutes, but if it goes on longer, I start saying “sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep…” in my head and the next thing I know it’s the next morning. Sleep problems ebb and flow depending on how screwed I am, via over-scheduling. I am trying to get better at that.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives in business?

I’ve seen a lot of instances where people are concerned about negotiating a better rate/fee because they are worried about a client saying no or thinking they are being difficult. It can be tough to assign a value to creative work, and there are so many factors that go into pricing. When clients don’t agree with how you price your work, it’s disheartening because you’ve made very thoughtful calculations to arrive at that value. We’re not always in a financial position to walk away when we don’t feel that a rate is quite fair, but I think it’s important to push back when we are able.

Another big challenge for creative folks in the internet age is the rampant theft of content. Illustrators are constantly having their work stolen and posted without credit, and it’s getting more brazen everyday. I suppose some people think that once something is on the internet that it is up for grabs, but it simply is not. If you want to share something you found on the web, give yourself time to look for the source. You can probably find the creator with a simple Google, and then contact the artist to ask for permission! A lot of times artists are more than happy for their work to be shared, as long as there is attribution. But ask first, especially if you want to use the work as part of a promotion. The internet is sort of the wild west, but we can all work to bring order to the chaos if we start to enforce some decorum with one another. So if you see someone’s work posted without credit, call it out! Artists deserve credit for their work.

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

I had both a lot of bumps and plateaus. The plateaus came several times in the form of realizing that my graphic design jobs were ultimately unfulfilling for me and I wasn’t working towards a future that I was going to love. In some of those instances, I was able to stretch my skills in different directions that were closer to the illustration career I wanted. I might find ways to incorporate some hand-lettering or illustration into my design work. But I started realizing that if I was really supposed to be an illustrator then I needed to focus on it and do it every damned day, like any other job. The big bump in the road came in the form of getting laid off from my job as an art director. I was actually incredibly happy to get the news! It was a kind of freeing moment where I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to forge a new path. I did freelance for about a half a year after that, and then took another full time job back in design (after getting cold feet), but I gave myself a hard deadline of one year to save up money so that I could be all-in as an illustrator, and that’s just what I did. Bumps in the road are so necessary, as they give you a chance to recalibrate and zero back in on your goals!

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

No one chooses to tether themselves to a life of scraping by whilst working their ass off. Sure, you can probably get a ton of work if you charge bargain rates, and sometimes you’re not in a position to negotiate. But if you’re getting all “yeses” to your quotes, then you might consider whether you are charging too little. This might not bother you too much at first, because it can be a comfort to be busy, but after years with your nose to the grindstone, trying to make ends meet, while your friends are out buying houses, vacationing in Italy, and going to doctor’s appointments because they can afford health insurance, you might start to really resent your work. So set good precedents for yourself. You might get more nos, but if you’re a problem solver, the inquiries will keep coming.

I always encourage people in the creative field to be as transparent as possible with one another about the kind of rates they are getting and from whom. Budgets are often dependent on the type of work/client, so there is never a simple way to price things, which is why conversations with peers are incredibly valuable. Ask them if they think a rate is fair or if you should push for a little more. And if you have a client that doesn’t pay on invoices for six months, please...let your friends know.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

Well, it has nothing to do with drawing, but I am super excited to finally finish remodeling the little house I bought a couple of years ago! It’s in a super cute, woodsy little beach town in Michigan, just a few blocks from Main Street. I have been dying to decorate it since the drywall went up and they floors started going down. I can’t wait for summer days there, away from the noise, making art, jumping in Lake Michigan, baking bread, and just soaking up nature :)

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Jen Gotch

Following Jen Gotch’s journey is like riding a rollercoaster of human experience—one that’s wildly compelling, colorful, rare, and magnetic. Jen is your business crush, BFF, mentor, mental health guru, fashion icon, and #SexHair spokesperson. She’s destigmatizing mental health through her work with the non-profit Bring Change to Mind and her namesake podcast “Jen Gotch is OK...Sometimes,” while simultaneously building a ban.do brand empire on rainbows and glitter. Her career path has been anything but linear—she spent a decade as a food stylist before showcasing a vintage hair piece on her blog. The rest was band.do her-story!

Jen shares the day-to-day of her life as a “Serious Business Woman” and is transparent about the ups and downs that go into running an e-commerce business and a personal brand built on radical honesty. She shows off her Trash Dancing skills in the office parking garage and her conference room panic attacks. She truly contains multitudes!

Come for her candor and sense of humor, but stay for her business acumen and sage advice. And the ban.do product line. So sit down, let us tell you a story: Jen Gotch is here for a good time and a long time.

New podcast alert! What’s been your favorite episode of your new podcast Jen Gotch is OK…Sometimes and why?

Ok, well here’s thing—I haven’t listened to any of the episodes. Actually, I listened to the first episode just to see if it was real and then I walked away. I knew I would find fault in every word and I didn’t want to do that. It’s very stream of consciousness and I wanted to keep it that way, rather than feel like I wanted to self-edit. I don’t think I can pick a favorite. I love the aftershow—that’s my favorite part. Especially the ones that are compilations of all of the voicemails my dad leaves me. I also liked the Buttermilk Waitress episode about my very zig zaggy career path, because my friends and I wrote and recorded a song about all the jobs I had. It was fun and creative and weird, and I can’t sing but I did it anyway.

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

Pull over and email it to myself, because my ideas usually come when I am driving. And yes, I know there is probably a better system—notepad, voice memo, etc. But this is the one that stuck. You should see my inbox. It’s wild and a lot of the emails don’t make sense!

In the very beginning stages of ban.do, what advice did you get that stood out the most?

The only overwhelmingly consistent advice I remember was “Don’t do it! Business is really hard.” I didn’t believe “them,” but they were right and now that is the first thing I say to anyone who asks me about starting a business. The ones that are meant to do it won’t listen to me, as well they shouldn’t.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I have two things that come to mind immediately. First, watching ideas come to fruition from just being a thought to being something out in the world that people can see and touch and be moved by. And second, witnessing people I love very much learn and grow and work hard and become leaders and great bosses and great people. Standing by and watching that happen is one of the most incredible things I’ve experienced in business.

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

I talk a lot about resilience, which is essentially the ability to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I’ve been resilient for as far back as I can remember, and for that I am incredibly grateful. Bumps and hurdles hurt for a second, but they always teach me something that I can use for future bumps and hurdles. I feel stronger and wiser knowing that I’ve moved beyond them. I don’t know that there is a strategy, it’s just a mindset to keep going, be optimistic, do some creative problem solving, and don’t stay down for long.

Who are the first three people you think an entrepreneur should hire?

I am a creative entrepreneur with no previous business experience, so my answer comes through that lens.

Hire someone who can do administrative and mundane tasks of the business at a fraction of the cost of what your time is valued at. Emails, packing boxes, running errands, etc.

Hire someone with a skill set that complements yours. So for me that would be someone with more business acumen, highly organized, right-brain thinker, great at logistics and operations. Oh and someone who can do math. Hehe.

Hire a ride or die. Someone who is as invested in what you are doing as you are and will trust and support you wholeheartedly. I am lucky enough to have found several people like this, and their enthusiasm and dedication changed my life and my business.

What does it take for one to be considered as a “serious business woman?”

Part of me wants to say that there isn’t a set of rules or standards, so if you feel like you are a serious business woman, then you are one. The other part of me says a serious business woman (or man) would be passionate about their work, grateful for their opportunities and kind to the people that work for them and the people that they do business with. They would be productive, but not so busy that everything else in their life fades away. They meet challenges head on, they admit defeat and learn from failure and they work to add value to their life and the lives of others.

Who inspired you the most in your life growing up?

I would be remiss if I didn’t say Oprah, since she’s everybody’s inspiration. But outside of that, every time someone asks me this question, I just don’t know how to respond because it’s less about specific people and more about specific traits that people possess: kindness, humor, generosity, gratitude, optimism, emotional intelligence, and resilience. I have and always will be inspired by those things…and Oprah.

“‘Serious business women’ meet challenges head on, admit defeat and learn from failure, and work to add value to their life and the lives of others.”

What keeps you up at night?

I usually sleep pretty well, but mostly what will keep me up are unresolved issues, conflicts I am avoiding, responsibilities I am avoiding, etc. Small things like, “Man, I should be flossing. Why aren’t I flossing?” to things like, “What she did really hurt me and I haven’t had the courage to say anything, so now I am gonna stare at the ceiling at 3am and think about it.”

Whose career really inspires you?

Santa Claus and Busy Philipps.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

It is really hard to pick one: ban.do, my podcast, writing a book. I will say that the biggest opportunities are also the biggest challenges.

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

I have seen less challenges and more tenacity, sensitivity, and innovation.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

My book (and my hair growing past my boobs).

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: Food: Elizabeth Chambers

While you may be most familiar with Elizabeth Chambers from the red carpet or her idyllic Instagram that documents life with her husband, actor Armie Hammer, and their two children, you may not be familiar with her greatest love: baking.

Elizabeth worked as a model, actress, TV journalist, and amateur matchmaker before founding BIRD Bakery with her husband. The family-inspired bakery serves up nostalgic sweet treats (think coffee cake and southern pecan pie) that have inspired a cult-like following at both her San Antonio and Dallas locations.

To say that the San Antonio-born entrepreneur’s schedule is hectic would be an understatement. She’s a globetrotting mama who supports her partner on every red carpet, premiere, and festival, all while overseeing two store locations and building the BIRD Bakery brand. Yet somehow she remains stunningly down-to-earth—if homemade baked goods are the key to her success, we’ll have a dozen Elvis cupcakes and some champagne cake for good measure.

You’ve held many titles throughout your career. What inspired you to step into the food industry?

I come from a big food family, my dad is in the wine business, my sister is a chef and I grew up in the kitchen with my mother and grandmother. My grandmother had a catering business in San Antonio and people always asked us for her recipes so opening up BIRD Bakery was a no brainer! It’s so special meeting so many people who remember my grandmother all these years later.

What goes into creating one of your iconic Bird Bakery recipes?

So many of them are inspired by our own family recipes! Whether they were passed down from my grandmother or a family favorite my mom made growing up, so many of them have a personal connection from childhood.

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

I would love to share a meal with my grandmother who sadly has passed away. I’d want to eat all of the amazing dishes she was known for creating when she had her catering business in San Antonio.

You’re very involved with your team, even after the massive growth Bird Bakery. Why is it important for you to stay active in all aspects of your business?

Nobody understands, appreciates and knows your business like you do. There is no substitute for being present.

What do you crave in life?

Feeling like you’re actually making a difference. I crave feeling fulfilled and I do that by being the best I can be to my family and business. I always aim to give my absolute best in every aspect of my life.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I’m most fulfilled when I’m giving my best and not leaving anything on the table. It’s important to know we’re always growing and expanding, living up to our greatest potential whether that’s personally or professionally.

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

My mom taught me early on to never take no for an answer.

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

I’ve had so many many amazing moments through the years but I think starting a new BIRD location and watching it not just operate but thrive is incredibly rewarding.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

The feeling of success is something I’ve always craves. Whether it was in school and getting good grades or doing well in business, I love knowing we are positively affecting people and keeping them happy. Also my mom, she has the most extraordinary drive of anyone I’ve ever met and instilled that in me.

What keeps you up at night?

What doesn’t?! Mostly just being busy. I know it sounds redundant but I’m always thinking about how we can be the best we can be and better serve our customers. On top of that, just my to-do list! It’s never ending.

“I kind of love a ‘no’ because that means something isn’t meant to be and we are forced to take new roads. Taking challenges head on is important and force you to perfect your business. There aren’t failures; there are opportunities for success.”

Whose career really inspires you?

There are so many amazing people who inspired me! 10 years ago you couldn’t own a bakery and be a news correspondent. I love that there are so many people doing so many things. Whit Wolfe Heard has inspired me because she’s built something incredible the serves such a greater purpose. And Oprah! She will forever be my beacon of television inspiration not to mention all the good she’s done. I also look at so many restaurateurs who have built out multi-location concepts as inspirations as well.

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

Opening our original location was my biggest challenge. I had never owned or opened a restaurant; my background was TV and marketing but not building something from scratch. It was easy for people to discount me as someone who wanted a side-hobby which couldn’t be further from the truth. BIRD is a true passion project and I’ve always known in my heard it was going to be a success.

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

Hurdles happen every day. I kind of love a ‘no’ because that means something isn’t meant to be and we are forced to take new roads. Taking challenges head on is important and force you to perfect your business. There aren’t failures; there are opportunities for success.

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

In 2019 I’m toasting to health, happiness and new beginnings. I want to take everything to the next level, potentially open a new location in Denver and approach each opportunity the 365 days ahead will bring.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE FOOD LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Courtney Adeleye

Courtney Adeleye is a BAWSE. Literally.

The self-made mogul is the CEO of The Mane Choice, Foolproof Body, executive producer of Who’s The Bawse (coming summer ‘19!), and CEO of The Bawse Conference. She launched The Mane Choice hair empire with $500 of her own money and business acumen from growing up with scarce resources in Detroit and putting herself through college. Her entrepreneurship paired with her unique perspective on the beauty industry has made her a force to be reckoned with.

Oh, and that $500 investment in herself scaled to $25 million in sales for The Mane Choice in just four years.

She is the definition of a hustler, but with the spirit of a community leader. Because she didn’t have a mentor as she launched her career, she’s passionate about providing professional counsel to a new generation of entrepreneurial women. Whether it’s through her weekly “Pay My Bill” initiative on Instagram wherein she pays one follower’s bills each week, granting female-driven startups seed capital through Who’s The Bawse, or sharing motivational realness on her Instagram, Courtney has an intimate relationship with her community of aspiring BAWSE babes.

How did the idea for The Mane Choice come about? What made you want to start a hair care line?

After a hair coloring experience went terribly wrong, I went on a rampage to find the best way to fix it, but I wanted a more natural solution. I started to research ingredients and hair products to help with the journey. So, I decided to make my own deep conditioner by blending natural ingredients together. I started a YouTube channel to document my journey to healthy, waist-length hair. Eventually, I shared my deep conditioning recipe with my subscribers, and most of them didn’t want to make it. They preferred for me to make it and sell it to them. The light bulb came on, and that’s when The Mane Choice was born. My husband, Wale, and I started the business with $500. That same deep conditioner was the very first product sold under The Mane Choice name, and the rest is history!

A lot of people have asked you to be their mentor. What’s one piece of advice you would give everyone if you could?

Everyone has a gift! Ultimately, it’s up to you to learn what it is and hone it. Be open minded and receptive to learning and growing—ALWAYS. If you’re not teachable, there’s no way you can evolve. Condition your mind and your body every day. Take it upon yourself to learn something new and exercise, daily. Be introspective; always evaluate yourself—polish your current skills, develop new ones, and expand your limitations.

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

I’ve been able to build some new relationships and nurture existing ones. Social media has been instrumental in helping me to touch people that I may not have had access to before.

What can the beauty industry be doing better?

By not only recognizing that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and colors, but by being intentional and inclusive. All people should see themselves represented in a positive light in the beauty industry. We need to see more variations of beauty. EVERYONE should be represented, as representation matters.

What characteristics make you successful in the beauty industry?

You must be bold, creative, and resilient! The beauty industry is ever-changing, and you must be adaptable, or you’ll be stagnant. Stagnation eventually causes you to become extinct or invisible (at least in the eyes of the consumer).

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

It takes innovation and the guts to take risks. Find your target demographic and shower her with love and attention! You MUST listen to your consumer and be open to not nailing it 100% in the beginning. That creates opportunities to learn and evolve.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I’m fulfilled knowing that my way of creating solutions to problems in the beauty industry has simultaneously enabled me to offer livelihoods to some amazing people.

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

Try not to rush the process, yet don’t be afraid to take chances. Enjoy each phase of growth. Learn as much as you can in each “season” of building your business so that you can scale in the best way possible. Many business owners want to grow large, and quickly! Believe it or not, it’s possible to be unprepared for rapid growth, so pace yourself.

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

My biggest highlight, so far, really has little to do with business. It has been the effect that my giving back has on people. What comes second nature to me, can be monumental to others. Recently, my husband and I wanted to do something special for our daughters’ teacher. She works so hard, and when I found out that she was taking multiple buses to get to work, I thought something was grossly wrong with that. It bothered me terribly; it was only natural for me to want her to have reliable transportation, so I bought her a car. It was so fulfilling to just GIVE! The response I received from everyone caught me completely off guard! It was and still is an overwhelming highlight in my life.

“Try not to rush the process, yet don’t be afraid to take chances. Enjoy each phase of growth.”

Where does your passion/drive come from?

I’m heavily driven by my family. Mostly my husband and my children. They’re my ”why!”

What are the common challenges you've seen among female hairstylists?

Typically, I’ve seen them have challenges with adaptability. When times change, and hair styles and techniques evolve, some of them either refuse to just go with it or they wait as long as they can to learn new techniques or polish up the ones they have.

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

Just like in life, you deal with it. In the beginning, it may knock the wind out of you, but you assess the situation, learn from it and use it as a catalyst to grow. Sometimes the solution won’t be obvious, so you may have to really dig deep and request the help of your support system, and/or mentor.

Whose career really inspires you?

Right now, the owner of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. He’s a beast! I truly admire his work ethic and business savvy!

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

For 2019, my mission is to be on all hair care aisles, not just the ethnic/multicultural section…I am most excited about the possibilities. They are infinite!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 BEAUTY LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Michelle Wolf

Known most recently as the woman who crushed hosting the 2018 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Michelle Wolf is a force in comedy. After working in finance and taking improv classes after college, she traded in her “Wolf of Wall Street” title for recruiting work at a biochemistry lab because it offered her more time to work on comedy. She honed jokes at her desk, tweeting them out and rewriting bits each day. Eventually, she saved up enough money from the gig to last a year without a job, so she took a chance on herself.

It paid off.

A year after leaving the lab, Michelle got hired as a writer on Late Night With Seth Meyers. Two years later, she was performing on-camera on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. And two years after that, she was giving that famed speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. If it seems she came out of nowhere, know this: Michelle performs sometimes upwards of 20 times a week. She’s a hustler, and it shows. We’re so excited to see where 2019 takes her.

You quit a career in finance to pursue comedy. What did you learn from leaving a steady career to pursue your passion?

That the best motivation for me was to be absolutely terrified.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I just love jokes. I love figuring them out, finding where they go, and how they end.

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

Evolve.

What keeps you up at night?

Nothing. I work a lot. As soon as I go to bed, I'm out.

To prepare for your HBO special Nice Lady, you did a 100-show tour. What advice would you give women on the importance of practice and preparation for their dream job?

I'd give women the same advice I'd give men: do the work.  

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

Any time I'm stuck, I'll go for a run. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't. Comedy is hard. You're gonna hit hurdles all the time. Run into them and try again.

You’re an ultramarathoner and completed a 50-mile race this year. What do you love most about running?

Everything.

Comedy is hard. You're gonna hit hurdles all the time.

Run into them and try again.

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Which women in your industry do you look up to most? Why?

Carol Burnett. She's the best.  

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I'm just excited to work hard and see what happens.

Photo Credit: Craig Blankenhorn

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTERTAINMENT LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Fashion: Shiona Turini

Shiona Turini is bold. When she wanted a job in fashion, she walked into YSL and asked for one.

Shiona got what she wanted. After an internship, she served on the PR team at YSL for three years before moving on to jobs at magazines like W, Teen Vogue, and Cosmopolitan, then moving into consulting and styling.

Today, Shiona is the costume designer for the hit HBO show Insecure (dream job, right?), among an already-impressive resume filled with clients like SZA, Nike, and New York Magazine. Oh, and she was also a stylist on Beyoncé’s Formation music video in 2016. Casual.

Below, she talks the difference between fashion and costume styling, her aesthetic, and what she wants to change about the industry.

How did you get your start in the fashion world?

I showed up at the doorsteps of YSL one day with little notice and stalked the girls there until they gave me an internship. To be honest, my real entry was my knowledge and passion. YSL was the first major house to put a black model on the runway. I admired the history and heritage of the house as well as its foresight; it made me work ten times harder to be there and appreciative of every opportunity I had. After interning, I was asked to join the PR team and gladly obliged.

You went from a fashion editor to having your own consulting business, and now you’ve stepped into the world of costume design. What inspired you switch paths throughout your career?

I’ve been extremely privileged to be able to follow my passion for storytelling with clothing across a few fields. While every title comes with different process, my responsibility remains the same in a sense. As an editor, I worked closely with brands and oversaw the fashion and accessories market at a few incredible publications I was able to learn from really innovative stylists, and was also given the opportunity to produce content. Consulting and freelance styling was a logical next step. I saw the industry changing, I was evolving as a person, and I wanted to be in greater control of my own path. I got to marry my understanding of brand needs with my passion for creating beautiful videos and images, while still styling music videos, commercials and some red carpet. My venture into costume designing came out of my genuine love for TV and changing tides in the fashion industry. It wasn’t a planned path, but when the opportunity presented itself - it felt like the right next chapter. Still, in all spheres, I find myself asking the same storytelling questions for characters and editorials: what is the backstory, who is this girl/ character, what inspires them and what is their aesthetic?

Your Instagram is a hub of fashion inspiration. How would you describe your aesthetic?

Once an editor, always an editor. I use the same careful consideration I comb through my work with to curate my grid. When it comes to my personal style, I definitely have a recognizable M.O.: catch me in a flowy skirt or high waisted pant, and never not a crop top. I love to sprinkle in a great shoe pic - the previous accessories editor in me insists. Also, as someone who loves travel, I want my page to be reflective of the amazing experiences I've had all around the world. Ultimately, it's all about balancing bright colors and mixing two of my favorite things: fashion and travel - all cohered by rap lyrics in my captions because that's what feels most natural to me.

How does being a costume designer for television differ from everyday styling?

So much of that depends on the job, the character and the script. What I have loved so much about costume designing is being a part of the character development and evolution of a person on screen. Both have a creative root and aim to make the person or character look like the best version of themselves. But costume designing is much more real. There is no retouching, you have to be so detail oriented in the process - how will this fabric move, how will it sound, how will it react day 3 of shooting? How does it play with the other characters and how will it look in changing environments? Depending on action, we may need multiples of a look and everything, must be fit to perfection, especially for principal characters - there is no clipping or editing in post. It’s quite a different approach but it’s all about finding the best options that work for each character. The pace is also considerably different - with costume designing, there are so many elements, moving storylines, and bodies to dress to meet one vision that it is a lot more intense, and it's all about tempered fantasy. While with editorial you're almost encouraged to play up the extravagance in fashion, the costume designing I have been a part of so far is about the balance of fantasy, TV magic and reality.

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

People want to feel like the best version of themselves and comfortable in their own skin. Style is intrinsically linked to this!

What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

A well-tailored suit. It’s a classic professional look and can be broken up into separates. The ultimate multi-tasker in your wardrobe.

“My passion and drive, especially in fashion, come from a deep-seated respect for those who came before me and the roads they’ve paved, and knowing that is is a privilege to be able to do what I do for a living.”

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

On a lot of my projects, I'm given complete autonomy to create. Being able to exercise my creative muscle daily is truly fulfilling—something I don't take for granted.

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

"It's just fashion."

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

Going freelance and realizing that I can transform my name into a business that people gravitate to has been a highlight. I was linked to large corporations for a large portion of my career, so stepping outside of that was really daunting, but I'm finding that the successes and challenges in creating on my own or alongside others (fashion houses, editorial hubs, etc.) from my perspective and knowledge are one and the same.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

My passion and drive, especially in fashion, come from a deep-seated respect for those who came before me and the roads they've paved, and knowing that is is a privilege to be able to do what I do for a living. It all makes me even more motivated to achieve my goals and set new standards.

Whose career really inspires you?

Patti Wilson. June Ambrose. Misa Hylton.

Whose style inspires you?

Diana Ross is my number one style icon. She's bold and unapologetically fabulous. Mahogany is one of my favorite movies - She's a vision in bold colors and dramatic flair. I also have the pleasure of working and collaborating with Melina Matsoukas. She has an incredible sense of style and vision; her finger is on the pulse of the upcoming and new and she isn't afraid to take risks with fashion.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

My biggest opportunities are often my biggest challenges. When I was approached by the team at HBO to costume design for Insecure, the prospect was both exciting and intimidating. I had never worked in TV before and was jumping in mid-season all while relocating and managing several other projects. It helped to mentally change the frame. To approach the position not as a challenge, but an opportunity to learn and grow outside of my field.

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

What I really love about the industry is that I get to work and surround myself with strong female voices and opinions from all different walks of life. Still, I do not see as many women of color in these spaces as I should. I do not think that black women and minorities are given as many opportunities in these spaces. It's quite frustrating because we know the value of having different voices at the proverbial table; the lack of diversity is a disservice to the industry.

What would you change about the fashion industry if you could?

Even with as many internal issues as the fashion industry has, I would change the perception of it to the outside world. Someone, please get us a PR agency! More than anything, we're a group of (mostly) forward-thinking doers and have a lot to share and teach. It's refreshing to see now that music, art and tech, (industries people are taken seriously for years) are becoming larger, more vocal components of fashion. I think that's a reflection of outsiders beginning to understand the value of what we do and how various fields can have a symbiotic relationship with us.

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

Finding new roads is all about getting out of your comfort zone - saying ‘yes’ to opportunities that aren’t necessarily in your wheelhouse, and being open to learning. There’s an illusion in many industries that everyone knows what they’re doing. Sometimes, you have to trust that even without past experience, you can figure it out. Before Insecure, I’d never costume designed but I trusted myself to take my knowledge of the industry to the department and I’ll never look back.

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

I’m currently the costume designer for Queen and Slim, a movie written by Lena Waithe, and directed by Melina Matsoukas. I’m excited to work under these women and watch it all come to life.

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FASHION CATEGORY HERE!

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Jennifer Hyman

Once upon a time, you had to buy an expensive new dress if you were invited to a formal event.

Then Jennifer Hyman came along and, in her words, “democratized fashion.” Jennifer saw whitespace in the fashion world: Women going into debt on formal wear they needed for a single event. And so she took it upon herself to fix it, and thus, in 2009, Rent the Runway was born. Simply choose a dress to have shipped to your home, wear it, and return it, either via mail, to a RTR store, or at a designated WeWork dropbox—Hyman wants to make it easy for you. Repeat as desired (warning: RTR is pretty addictive).

Jennifer is a visionary and the ultimate disrupter in the fashion industry, and we can’t wait to see how she continues to revolutionize the way we get dressed in 2019 and beyond.

Rent the Runway has been celebrated for disrupting the fashion industry in so many ways. Where did the idea start?

I had the idea when I watched my sister Becky go into credit card debt buying a designer dress to wear to a wedding. She didn’t want to wear a dress she already had in her closet as she had been photographed in everything already and the photos were up on social media. I realized that what Becky and what millions of women care about is the feeling of walking into a room and feeling your most confident.

​I also was thinking through the huge expense of closets filled with clothes that we didn’t wear—and feeling like we had to splurge to buy the designer pieces we aspired to. I loved the idea that RTR could democratize fashion for all.

Tell us about the new WeWork and Rent the Runway partnership. What inspired it?

This is one of my favorite partnerships we’ve ever done! In October of this year, we launched a national Drop-off Box network in 15 WeWork locations across 6 cities in the US: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, D.C., and Miami. Our customers can use the dropboxes to return clothing they’ve already worn and instantly order their next items. With the dropboxes situated in WeWork lobbies we were eager to make it convenient and easy for our customers to return their rentals.

RTR and WeWork members already using the drop-off boxes daily. We’ve heard from so many customers requesting dropboxes in their neighborhoods—so stay tuned!

What do you think is key to finding a great co-founder for a business?

Look for someone you have fun being around and who has a fundamentally different skill set than you do. Therefore, you are both bringing something special and important to the table.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I’m proud that an idea I had in my sister’s apartment has impacted millions of women’s lives and empowered diverse women to feel like the best versions of themselves before important days in their lives. I also feel incredibly fulfilled when I think about the team that we have built at RTR—it is an extremely passionate, innovative group of people who are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. And most, the team is incredibly fun and kind! It’s amazing how many RTR team members have met their best friends, significant others or future co-founders at Rent the Runway. To create a community—an extended family— that lives beyond me is one of the most incredible things in life.

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

Keep a positive attitude, learn as much as you possibly can from the hurdle and keep moving. Hurdles are part of the ride and the more you get used to these daily challenges—big and small—and view them as opportunities for growth, the less they’ll slow you down.

“Hurdles are part of the ride and the more you get used to these daily challenges—big and small—and view them as opportunities for growth, the less they’ll slow you down.”

Who are the first three people you think an entrepreneur should hire?

Early team members at a startup need to be all-around athletes—people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do anything and everything they can to make the business grow from answering customer service calls to implementing wacky marketing campaigns to taking out the trash. Jenny and I looked for a can-do attitude and a founder mentality because there is no real plan at the beginning. Every day is different, incredibly fast paced and exciting. From a tangible skills perspective—if your business has technology at its core, one of your first hires has to be able to code.

Who inspired you the most in your life growing up?

My parents are my role models. They have what I think is the most important quality in people: resilience. They have always maintained a positive attitude despite any challenges thrown their way and have inspired me to be resilient, tenacious and to always go after my dreams.

Whose career is inspiring you today?

I’m inspired by anyone who goes after their own happiness in every part of their life and doesn’t make their career the only thing in their life. This takes self-awareness and honesty to understand what it is on a personal level that makes you happy. For me, it’s a close, loving family and circle of friends that make day-to-day life fun.

If you could live a day in the life of anyone else, who would it be?

Beyonce—I want to understand what it would feel like to be able to dance and sing like that!

“To create a community—an extended family— that lives beyond me is one of the most incredible things in life.”

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

A big challenge is that the capital is still largely controlled by men—and many men are not as confident in or passionate about businesses that cater to women (which is bizarre as women control over 80% of household purchases!). It’s a case of not being able to see the world as clearly because you lack the desire or willingness to step into someone else’s shoes.

When beginning to raise venture capital it became very clear to me that this was not an equal playing field for women. Growing up I was told there were no limitations to what I could do—the idea that being a woman would make it more difficult to raise money never crossed my mind. But, many male investors couldn’t understand the potential for RTR, the largeness of the idea and the extent of demand for a closet in the cloud. Therefore, businesses like RTR likely have raised less money than they should have and therefore don’t have as much capital to swing for the fences.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

First and most importantly, I’m having my second baby in 2019—so I’m really excited to meet him or her and continue to build my family with my amazing husband. We also have so much in store for Rent the Runway in 2019 especially related to making our subscription to fashion an even bigger, more important and easier part of women’s lives. It’s incredible how many new brands are coming on board so that our customers can have something to wear for every imaginable occasion.

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Fashion: Stacey Bendet

“Dress like you are going to meet your worst enemy today.”

While Coco Chanel never got the chance to acquaint herself with alice + olivia, it’s likely that she would have worn the brand for any showdown with her enemies. The pieces make a statement.

Stacey Bendet founded alice + olivia in 2002 with her college roommate with one mission: to make trousers sexy. Sixteen years later, after taking the reins of the business at 23, Stacey has expanded that mission beyond that first pair of perfect pants into a full lifestyle collection sold in major retailers and brick and mortar stores across the world. She functions as the brand’s CEO and creative director and has become a staple of the industry, known for her whimsical Fashion Week presentations, vivid colors, and eye-catching prints. She is a champion of women, as evidenced by how she’s scaled her empire: The brand is designed by women and run by a team of 400+ women. alice + olivia was profitable in its first year, and Stacey still owns the majority of the company—valued at a cool $200 million—proving that her keen eye for fashion is rivaled by her business acumen.

In a post-Trump era, Stacey has become even more vocal about social issues, specifically equal pay. By using the brand as a vehicle for public discourse, she’s simultaneously been able to support women in the arts and prompt necessary discussions in a largely male-dominated industry.

How did the idea for alice + olivia come about?

In the beginning, I wanted to create the perfect pair of pants! Everything was either jeans or slacks, so in 2002 I made my own pants and it just grew from there!

Who is the alice + olivia girl?

She’s empowered, confident, and supports other women!

How would you describe alice + olivia’s aesthetic?

Whimsical and flirty with a sexy and sophisticated twist!

You’ve embedded activism into a lot of your clothing. Why is it important for you to use your platform this way?

My brand is so much about women. We are women designing for women and inspiring women. I have a global platform that I want to use to spread messages of positivity and awareness whenever I can!

How has the power of social media impacted your business?

It has been amazing! Every brand is now their own marketing vehicle; social media has allowed us to connect with customers and share our creativity in so many new amazing ways! And I believe the next generation of social media is social commerce which will continue to allow for new innovative ways for shoppers and brands to connect!

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

When you get dressed in the morning, you are choosing how to express yourself to the world! Sometimes we feel colorful and happy; some days maybe more subdued, but your clothes allow you to share your inner you!

What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

A chic statement jacket that can make any jeans and t-shirt look feel fancy!

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

How good women feel when they wear the clothes I design!!

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

Probably opening my first retail store. It just made my whole business seem more real and it taught me so much about our customers.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

I am not sure! I just love seeing ideas come to life!

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

Do what you love and success will come (Thanks, Dad!).

“Every creative person needs a business partner to really succeed.”

Whose career really inspires you?

My partner, Andrew Rosen. He is truly the godfather to the American fashion industry.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

In business, challenge and opportunity come every day—you have to take those challenges and turn them into opportunities.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female fashion designers?

Every creative person needs a business partner to really succeed.

What would you change about the fashion industry if you could?

I have always strived to have my clothes and stores make women feel their best verses feel not good enough. For many years, I think magazines and the industry were about elitism and making women feel like they had to aspire to be a part of something. I want women to feel like they ARE SOMETHING, anything and everything they want to be and clothes can just make you feel a little bit better while you do it!!

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

When times are tough, I try and focus on what I know and what I can improve no matter what!

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

We have new store openings, some exciting collaborations and lots of excitement happening in Asia!

VIEW THE ENTIRE CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FASHION CATEGORY HERE!

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Create & Cultivate 100: Fashion: Anine Bing

There’s a lot more to Anine Bing than her perfectly-sculpted eyebrows.

Jealousy-inducing brows aside, the former model-turned-blogger-turned-designer has made her mark on the retail industry with her eponymous clothing line, Anine Bing, which launched in 2012. The brand is inspired by the fusion of “Scandinavian heritage and American spirit,” which draws from Anine’s Danish upbringing and love of Los Angeles, where the brand’s headquarters are located.

If you’ve followed Anine on Instagram for a while, you’ll know that she’s queen of “effortlessly chic” and can wear the hell out of a band tee and blazer. Her style is accessible yet elevated and captures that elusive “daytime to date night” style that fashion editors seem to always talk about. With a sizable blog platform and a fandom of fashion-obsessed shoppers, Anine turned her aspirational looks into a global brand that was an instant hit.

2019 is going to be a big year for Anine Bing. This past September, the womenswear company closed a $15 million series A round of funding with plans to put the money towards retail expansion, digital growth, and development of consumer analytics technology and personnel. Keep your eyes on Anine, because she’s going to continue to make waves in the industry.

How does the Anine Bing brand manage to stay fresh and relevant?

When I started the company, I wanted to make clothes that were effortless. It was really about designing the few pieces I wanted to wear again and again. Everything I design has that feel of being an essential in it’s own way, which I hope will make them staples in everyone’s closet for a long time. But I’m also always looking for new inspiration to spark ideas and keep our brand feeling fresh. Sometimes I’ll see something around LA that sparks a new idea or I’ll get inspired listening to my favorite music. There’s always new ideas we are bringing into the design studio to keep reinventing what basics our women want to wear.

How would you describe the Anine Bing aesthetic?

Our clothes are all about finding that perfect balance between effortless and put together with a little rock ‘n’ roll twist. The women that wear our brand are dynamic and cool and I want our clothes to embody that. Each piece is feminine but masculine and timeless but still cool and edgy so everything can mix and match easily.

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

Being able to feel their best with minimal effort. We have such busy lives, most people don’t have an extra hour to pick out what they’re wearing, I know I don’t, so I rely on basics to always mix and match and go together. Over the years I've created a sort of uniform for myself so I could get ready quickly and so many people have been drawn to that, which I think is what makes our company successful.

What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

A great pair of denim, a go-to pair of boots and a classic piece that gets better with time—mine is a leather jacket.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I love working with so many amazing women who inspire me every day. It’s an incredible feeling to wake up each morning and do what I love and learn from everyone around me.

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

Stay true to yourself. I know it sounds cheesy, but I really believe it! I have a tattoo that says “be true, be you” which is the motto I try to live by. There will be so many people who don’t understand your vision or everything you want to do, but when you know something is right in your gut you just have to go for it.

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

There have been so many incredible moments since we started the company, it’s hard to pick one highlight. Opening our store in New York was definitely huge, and the first time we did a really big collaboration was a moment I will never forget, but honestly, so much is happening day to day and I’m grateful for all of it.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

I’ve always loved fashion and being creative. I’ve done a little bit of everything and learned through my career that I’m happiest when I can create things. I am constantly inspired by all of the incredible women around me. They push me to do better. And my family, who supports me no matter what. They keep my drive strong.

What keeps you up at night?

I think more than anything, the pressure that comes with growing this team and company. It’s the most rewarding feeling, and I really feel as though I met my calling doing exactly what I’m doing. But it doesn’t come without its own stress and pressure. Around our five-year mark as a company, we went through a big hiring spree and experienced lots of changes. And with that, of course, comes growing pains and new pressures. Since we went through that big transition, we’ve been stronger than ever, but those transitional pain points can definitely keep a person up at night!

Whose career really inspires you?

I recently saw Diane Von Furstenberg speak at a CFDA event here in LA, and she was so inspiring. I was beaming the rest of the day after I got the chance to see her speak and connect with her one-on-one. She went really deep into the idea that the most important relationship is the one you have with yourself, and that’s something I’ve been working on both personally and professionally, especially lately. Everything about her work ethic and way of life really resonated with me. I also never stop getting inspired by the life and path of Coco Chanel—she will always be a huge source of inspo for me.

What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

Going through the motions of seeing our company change and grow was a big challenge, but also an amazing opportunity for me to grow, too… Like I mentioned before, we went through a big transition with the team and bringing on new roles, departments, and new ways of doing things. It forced me to open my eyes in a different way, and open myself up to learning and organizing the company structure very differently from before, when we were a small team of five out of a garage in Silver Lake. We’re in such an amazing place now, but it took a lot of work and sometimes hard decisions to get there. But I learned more than ever about myself both as an entrepreneur and as a designer.

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

We’re always trying to do everything: Network, grow, create, take the kids to school, make dinner, say yes to everyone, also take time for ourselves. Women can do so much, but I really feel that sometimes we do too much. I think it’s so important to remember to recharge and take time for us so we can continue to support our companies and our friends and family the way we want to. Lately I’ve realized I most definitely cannot do everything and that learning to say no is a powerful lesson in itself. I’m trying to be more selective with my time and choices, and it’s paying off in a big way.

“I’ve realized I most definitely cannot do everything and that learning to say no is a powerful lesson in itself.”

Whose style do you love?

I love how effortless Rosie Huntington-Whiteley looks in everything. She’s been an ANINE BING Muse since the beginning. I also love vintage style and Mick Jagger’s rock ‘n’ roll edge has always been huge inspiration of mine.

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

I try to take some time for myself to reset and refocus. Something small that lets me get centered on what’s important. Sometimes I feel guilty taking this time for myself, but every time I do, I always come back feeling better and more motivated to go after what I want. One thing I recommend is to really sit down and write down your thoughts. Sometimes I write a little story to myself on how I envision the future looking, in an effort to manifest my goals, both long and short term. It really helps me stay inspired and organized and accountable.

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

Our brand is growing every day which is so exciting. We’re adding more people to our team, we are opening more stores, and we’re finding new ways to get our brand out in the world. We’re also coming out with some of my favorite designs yet in our spring collection, which I am so excited about. It’s going to be a big year for us, I can’t wait.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FASHION LIST HERE!

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Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Moj Mahdara

“You don’t need lipstick; lipstick needs you.”

This is just one of the quotes that hang on the walls of the BeautyCon HQ, but it encapsulates a lot of Moj Mahdara’s attitude. The BeautyCon CEO is steadfast in her mission to redefine the beauty industry and how consumers feel about beauty.

BeautyCon is more than a conference—it’s a festival celebrating a new generation of self-expression. Under Moj’s direction (she took over the company in 2015), the event has transformed from an invite-only YouTuber meetup to a massive sold-out festival with crowds of 15,000 makeup- and YouTube-obsessed fans. The platform enables the trifecta of beauty industry stakeholders to come together—the brands, the influencers, and the fans under one roof.

If you’ve ever been to a BeautyCon event, you know firsthand the kind of energy that pulses throughout. Complete with neon signs, 360-degree photo booths, keynote speakers and panels, hundreds of brand booths, celeb appearances, and influencer meet-and-greets, the festival feels like a bazaar for the cult of beauty. While events are mostly held in LA or New York, the beauty festival has also held its signature events in Dallas, London, and Dubai, proving there is a global audience who co-signs the movement to redefine what beauty means to them. And Moj Mahdara is hustling behind the scenes to ensure it continues to scale.

You’ve been named a serial entrepreneur. Where do you get your business momentum?

I probably get my business momentum from our fans. I think BeautyCon has some of the most contagiously enthusiastic fans in the space, and I get momentum from fellow founders who I find to be super inspiring. I'm also biologically someone who's just incredibly ambitions and really likes to push things to the extreme next level and constantly innovate.

In the early stages of your career with the Beautycon team, you took the company to new levels. Change isn’t always easy for people to adapt to. Did you face any criticism and how did you move past it?

Criticism is a part of leadership, which is not fun. It's not the sexy stuff. But I think when you get criticism, you have to balance by thinking, "The truth is somewhere in the middle." Initially, I used to be really hurt by criticism, and I think now I’ve come to understand that sometimes those criticisms are about me, and sometimes they're not about me. And when they are about me, I take that feedback as a opportunity to innovate, iterate, and better the product and process that we're working on.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job here at BeautyCon is getting to work with hundreds of thousands of young people who want to redefine beauty and think about beauty through the lens of expression and power and creativity. I'm super inspired by the overall energy of our audience.

It’s incredible to meet someone who feels like they've been particularly touched by BeautyCon's mission. How they've had a moment of insight into themselves around what beauty really is, or when we're able to work with talent and have them have sort of a breakthrough around what beauty means for them. Because beauty can be such an amazing thing, but can also be very vicious. And I think beauty being redefined is really important to a generation of people that were raised to be very hard on themselves.

What are some habits or routines you’ve established that you’d say contribute to your success?

Well, exercise is super important to me. I'm an avid boxer and I like to swim at Equinox. I eat really well and I don't drink very much alcohol, if at all. I have a bit of a CBD habit that helps with anxiety. I have a lot of anxiety at times. Meditation and prayer help too. I believe in faith and a higher power can be a well-balanced practice. Also cuddling my new baby is also really grounding.

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

Oh my gosh, when I get a new idea, I like to tell someone else about it, talk about it. Start to research it, Google it, look on social about it. I do a lot of research when I think about a new idea.

“It’s incredible to meet someone who feels like they’ve been particularly touched by BeautyCon’s mission—how they’ve had a moment of insight [about] what beauty really is.”

When it comes to building a strong team, what qualities or personality traits do you look for?

I feel like that's an always-building process. I think the qualities and personality traits are changing on a yearly basis, but I would say I'm always looking of people who are better at different projects and tasks than I am, that I can learn from. I don't like "yes" people, I like working with people that can be direct and honest about what can or can't be done within a certain amount of time or budget. I like people who have a good sense of humor, because working in a startup you have to have really thick skin. So people who have a strong emotional constitution is something I also really look for.

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

Pretty much every single thing that we have to do is going to be about ten times harder than it would be for a man. I sometimes have fantasies about, what would my life be like if I just could be a boy Monday through Friday, and go home and be myself on the weekends and evenings.

Because I feel like, frankly, there's a lot of things that would be a lot easier. I don't know if society is ready for female CEOs to exist the way we want to exist or the way I want to exist. And there's still such intense gender disparity, especially when you fold in sexuality and ethnicity and faith, that I don't know that people are quite ready to deal with a queer, Iranian-American, butch CEO. I think it's still something that society as a whole is still adjusting to, but it doesn't change my ambitions or the things I'm interested in.

I think women in general need to learn to be more comfortable talking about money. I think we need to be more comfortable with being stronger leaders and personalities, and I think we need to lean into our instincts more, because I think that's one of our greater gifts.

“Being self-reflective and keeping detailed track of decisions you made is important to move forward and not make the same mistakes over and over again.”

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

I think I hit bumps and hurdles every day. I think I am constantly switching gears. I mean, look, when you're an entrepreneur, you're constantly auditing and analyzing your behavior to see where you can alter outcomes. And so being self-reflective and keeping detailed track of decisions you made and how you made those decisions, are really important factors moving to moving forward and not making the same mistakes over and over again.

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

You need to give more than you take in terms of your network and your relationships. Just because an idea has never been done, doesn't mean that it should. Your marriage and your significant other is probably the most important business decision and co-founder you could ever choose in your life. Those are all three things that I really do believe.

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

The ability to lean into the sharp edges of failure and to not personalize those failures. To move forward and use them as insights and education. And then, I think you have to have really strong instincts, and I don't know that you can learn that. I think having really, really strong instincts is one of the most important things an entrepreneur can hone-in on themselves.

If you were stranded on a deserted island what beauty products are you bringing with you?

Well, obviously some sunscreen. I've been using a lot of True Botanicals, and its clinical face washes and cool serums and night creams. I also love this new product Bite. It's in my pocket. It's an agave lip-mask and just something I've been using a lot.

Who inspired you the most in your life growing up?

Bob Geldof, Steve Jobs, Jimmy Iovine, Oprah Winfrey, and Hillary Clinton. Those were some folks that I was very inspired by as a young person.

Whose career is inspiring you today?

Oh, gosh. I think Whitney Wolfe is super inspiring with what she's done with her bounce back from Tinder. And Bozoma Saint John is also someone that I am really inspired by. Oh! And Mindy Grossman, the new CEO of Weight Watchers. Those are three boss women that I really think are amazing.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

I feel like I'm always excited for whatever's next. 2019's going to be a big year, and I'm excited to continue to explore the boundaries of what health and well-being mean to me. I'm excited for my baby boy's one-year birthday on March 17th. And for BeautyCon New York and BeautyCon LA. We have three big formats we're announcing, and then we have a bunch of new team members joining, so stay tuned.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE ENTREPRENEUR LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: STEM & Finance: Leanne Pittsford

Queer. Inclusive. Badass.

These are the fundamental principles behind Lesbians Who Tech, a global community of 50,000 LGBTQ women, trans and non-binary folks, and allies in tech. These principles also describe the organization’s CEO and founder, Leanne Pittsford.

Leanne describes herself as an entrepreneur, investor, and thought leader at the intersection of technology and economic opportunity. We’d also like to add "cute dog mom” and "humanitarian” to this description. Leanne has spent her career advocating for marginalized groups in STEM fields while also creating tactical solutions for recruiters and companies to find underrepresented tech talent.

Leanne founded several companies under this mission, but Lesbians Who Tech is the largest community she’s formed. Women currently account for one in 15 people in STEM fields, but Leanne’s work will undoubtedly shift that incongruous ratio. In 2019, she’s literally breaking records (more below!), launching new platforms, and gearing up for the Lesbians Who Tech San Francisco Summit, where past speakers have included Hillary Clinton, Sheryl Sandberg, and Lydia Polgreen—to name drop a few. She’s the advocate and ally you might not have known you needed, but you absolutely deserve.

What are you most proud of with Lesbians Who Tech + Allies and why?

We have built the largest LGBTQ technology community in world focused 100% on and for queer women.

Lesbians Who Tech + Allies is the largest LGBTQ technology community in the world -- committed to visibility, intersectionality, and changing the face of technology. In 2012, Pittsford took her frustrations with the preexisting networks dominated by men and cis straight women and channeled them into launching Lesbians Who Tech. The first happy hour event in 2012 attracted 30 LGBTQ women for a night of networking.The 50,000 non-binary, LGBTQ women, queer women of color (and our allies) in tech who make up our community come from every background and live in over 40+ cities worldwide. This year we become the largest professional LGBTQ event in the world and the largest event for women in tech in California.

Our programmatic work includes a coding scholarship for non-binary and LGBTQ women called the Edie Windsor Coding Scholarship Fund, a mentoring program, Bring a Lesbian to Work Day, and a leadership program -- #LWTSQUAD -- focused on supporting our members as they move into senior leadership roles. We're not just creating communities; we're pushing the tech sector to be more inclusive and changing the face of the entire tech industry.

What lead you to start Lesbians Who Tech + Allies?

Lesbians Who Tech + Allies started out as an experiment to prove myself wrong. I wanted to see if there were other lgbtq women in tech who'd want to meet up and talk about the issues facing us in the tech sector. I started with one happy hour in 2012 in San Francisco and soon after we grew to a 1000 person summit in SF. This year, we hosted summits across the globe in San Francisco, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Mexico City, Montreal and more. I think we have to put ourselves out there to try what we think can't be done and see what happens as a result. Without that first happy hour, we wouldn't be where we are now with over 50,000 members, in 52 cities around the world.

What’s been your favorite Lesbians Who Tech + Allies memory or achievement and why?

Interviewing Hillary Clinton for the New York summit this year. To have her walk onto a stage called Lesbians Who Tech and then interview her on everything from technology as a utility to her favorite app.

Also, to be able to honor Edie Windsor by naming our coding scholarship after her was a moment I’ll never forget. We were able to bring her on stage to announce the scholarship and to date we’ve been able to support over 100+ queer, lesbians, gender non-conforming and trans folks gain the skills to enter the tech workforce -- therefore, truly doing the work to change the face of technology.

You once told Forbes that “There are more CEOs in the Fortune 1000 literally named John than there are women”. Do you think this is changing at all? What do you think needs to happen to make this shift?

I very much try to steer conversations away from the focus on individuals. What we have to do is change power structures and create urgency to do that. Why can’t we have 50% women and 50% people of color on corporate boards? We look at Norway and other countries and see that they have implemented quotas. For this country, companies can make public statements that the press can hold them accountable for. I’m honestly surprised that no tech company has said we’re going to be the first to mandate 50% women on our technical team by next year and we want you to hold us accountable to that. Could you imagine if Mark Zuckerberg came out and made a goal like that? Hundreds of companies would follow suit.

I would also love to see the laws changed around quotas, as affirmative action policies like that are illegal in our country. With that, you change the criteria around the prerequisites for jobs. Currently, if a company is looking for a CEO to go public with, the pool of candidates to choose from is mostly white, straight cis-gender men who are all probably named John. That’s the list, and if you’re always looking at the same prerequisite the pool will never change. Power doesn’t give up power. You must create urgency around change. It doesn’t happen naturally.

I’d recommend having quotas to every single tech company out there. And for employees who want to see more diversity in your company: say something! Especially if you’re a man, and especially if you’re a white man. Use that privilege and ask to be on a hiring committee, or just suggest that the next five hires be nontraditional tech hires. The more a company hears that this is important to employees, the more pressure there is to actually change something in the hiring process.

“We’re not just creating communities; we’re pushing the tech sector to be more inclusive & changing the face of the entire tech industry.”

Who are some LGBTQA women in tech/entrepreneurs that you consider your mentors and why?

Megan Smith, 3rd CTO of the US and CEO shift7. One of the first female VPs at Google.

Kara Swisher, Recode

A long time ago, back when President Obama was in office, I was asked to help organize the very first LGBTQ Tech Innovation Summit at the White House. I asked a VP at Google named Megan Smith to come and speak, and, with very little notice, she said yes. It was there that she was recruited to be the next CTO of the United States. That’s the kind of thing that happens when we connect queer women and give them the chance to be visible. That’s the power of events and building relationships. And for queer women especially, visibility doesn’t just happen -- we have to make it happen.Lesbians Who Tech + Allies brings together the people who are, literally, building rocket ships and curing cancer, and we give them the chance to think and work together. We don’t even know yet what kind of impact that will have, but what we’re seeing already has been amazing.

Who are some queer women in tech/entrepreneurs we should keep our eye on and why?

Rose Marcario, Patagonia's CEO

Moj Mahdara, CEO & Founder, BeautyCon

Arlan Hamilton, VC & Founder, Backstage Capital

Diedra Nelson, CFO, The-Wing

What advice do you have for women with great ideas that are afraid to launch them?

I tell women all the time that when you’re the only woman in the room at a tech conference, a pitch or at a meeting, you carry with you the other women who have been in this space before or who want to be. You’re not actually alone, no matter how much it may feel that way. And the more women we can get into tech spaces, the easier it’s going to be for women in the future. I can’t wait.

“I believe in positive persistence + hustle.”

What are some apps you can’t live without?

Blinkist and Texture.

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

I believe in positive persistence + hustle. With both, you are able to move past bumps in the road, find alternative paths, and move forward toward success.

What are you most excited for 2019?

The launch of Include.io launch and getting Michelle Obama and Lena Waithe on the Lesbians Who Tech main stage!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 STEM & FINANCE LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Whitney Port

Whitney Port needs no introduction.

The fashion designer, TV personality, and author has spent the last decade on the main stage, fielding everything from her starring role on The City and her namesake blog to her fashion line and the upcoming relaunch of Bundle Organics, a line of juice and teas for new and expecting moms. All while parenting her toddler son. Are you exhausted just reading that?

Now, with the upcoming premiere of The Hills reboot, we’ll get to see her life unfold on-screen. Below, she talks about why she’s excited for the reboot, how she juggles her many ventures, and what she’s excited for in 2019.

We’ve loved followed along with you as your career has changed and grown over the years. What are you most excited to be working on right now?

Wow! So many things! I actually just wrapped filming THE HILLS: New Beginnings, which was such a trip! It’s crazy to think about how so much has changed since I first started filming the show. I’m so excited for everyone to experience our lives through a more adult lens and for the audience to experience the complexities of our adult lives instead of the simplicity of what our 20s entailed. I mean, at 25 I thought my life was so complicated and intense but it is NOTHING compared to what it is now.

I’m also super excited for the launch of Bundle Organics. Bundle has been my baby for 2 years now. Our mission is to help expecting and new moms be more healthy, active, and comfortable and to better nourish their little ones from the very beginning. We’re striving to build a community and inspire a larger movement dedicated to the health and wellness of women during this special transition in their lives. Bundle Organics is the first line of organic prenatal snacks and beverages, pasteurized and specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of women that are trying to get pregnant, expecting, and new moms. Our teas, juices, smoothies, granola bars and granola bites are designed with nutrients and vitamins to maintain a healthy pregnancy for mom and help support baby’s healthy development, as well as providing breastfeeding moms a boost of nutrients they need. For more information and to buy products visit bundleorganics.com and buybuybaby.com.

You started a YouTube series called “I Love My Baby, But…” after having your son. What value do you think there is in sharing “the hard stuff” with your followers?

The value is the support and feedback I get from my followers. Knowing I am not the only one who has these issues or feels this way not only helps me feel sane and ok, but also allows my followers to not feel so alone. I strive to create a nurturing and open community where no feeling one has is wrong.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

I feel most fulfilled when I feel like the work I have done has solved some sort of problem. Whether it's keeping a pregnant woman satisfied with the snacks we make or tackling issues like mom-guilt or mom-shaming. I strive to show how I work through problems, and I think that empowers anyone that reads or buys what I make to work through their own.

What advice would you give to women who are just starting out where you did, stressing over coveted internships and opportunities in the industry?

It’s scary! Times have moved away from gradually working your way up somewhere. It’s more about paving your own way and figuring it out for yourself. Do not rely on a degree or a connection, just hustle as hard as you can and don’t let anyone tell you the idea you have isn’t worth while. However, create a backup plan/more traditional way to make money while you are trying to pave your way. Also, try as little as possible to say no to things. Saying yes opens you up to so many more opportunities to meet people. Do random things and eventually you might land in a place you never thought you’d be in but feels so right.

Can women really “have it all?” Is that a myth?

I don’t think anyone can really have it all without a good amount of financial freedom. The world unfortunately just isn’t set up that way. You can’t get 8 hours of sleep, work a 10 day hour, have two hours of free time, volunteer, work out, cook dinner for you family, etc. every day. There’s just not enough hours in the day. The trick is to identify the few things that are the most important to you (and these may change day to day) and plan your life so you get to do those things as much as possible.

If you could entirely switch careers for a year, what would you choose?

I would want to be a painter, but only if I were really good at it. I know being “good at it” is subjective, but you know what I mean. The thought of just sitting in a studio and doing art sounds so relaxing and nourishing.

I strive to show how I work through problems, and I think that empowers anyone that reads or buys what I make to work through their own.

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What has been your biggest opportunity or biggest challenge?

My biggest challenge was dealing with the clean up of my clothing line, Whitney Eve, when my dad passed away. I started my clothing line with him in 2008. He had a lot of experience within the business of fashion, and I knew he would always steer me in the right direction. After he passed away, my sister, brother and I tried to make it work, but we just couldn’t. It was so hard, because it wasn’t only just closing a business and shutting down a passion, but it felt like I was letting my father down. About a year after we closed our doors, I got more perspective and realized it was also one of the best things career-wise I had ever done. The burden of this responsibility to make him proud was too large for me to bear, and I was able to have more career freedom once I let that go. It kind of just goes to show, as cliche as this sounds, when one door closes, another one really does open.

You’re going to be on The Hills reboot this year! What are you most looking forward to about the show? Are you nervous to see it premiere?

Ahhhhhhhhh! I am so excited! I’m just excited to be out there again! I’m excited that it will shed more light on what it is like to be a new mom and continue to expose what I have been up to.

I’m a little nervous just because I’m getting old and I am nervous for how I am going to look! I know that sounds shallow but it’s true!

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

I take time away from the situation and sleep on it for a couple days. I really think there is nothing that some time and some good conversation can’t fix. Choose a couple people in your lives whose opinions may vary and talk to them about these things. Get their opinions, think about them, sleep on them and then form your own solution.

What are you most excited for in 2019?

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I have such a great foundation from which to take my career in whatever direction I want. I truly feel like the world is my oyster and there’s nothing I can’t at least try. None of it may be successful, but I feel confident about my possibilities.

I am also just so excited to keep getting to know Sonny and form a more meaningful relationship with him. I know that sounds silly. Tonight, while giving him a bath, we were looking at each other in the eyes as I sang Norah Jones, and I felt this connection that never would have happened 6 months ago. So, I am just excited for him to grow and want to nurture him through all of it. My goal is to give him the most amount of possibility to be the happiest he can be.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica

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

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Create & Cultivate 100: Beauty: Huda Kattan

Huda Kattan is living proof that when one door closes, another opens. Within days of getting laid off from her finance job, the lifelong makeup lover was on a plane to Los Angeles to study at the Joe Blasco Makeup Artistry School. This passion for self-expression, paired with her charismatic energy, translated to her beauty blog and YouTube tutorials, and by 2013, she launched Huda Beauty along with her sisters Mona and Alya. Cut to 2018, and Huda Beauty is an empire with millions of brand-loyal followers. Seriously. The brand has over 30 million followers. Casual.

The sister-owned and operated company is poised to dominate the beauty game in 2019 by expanding their makeup empire to include fragrance and skincare. Listening to Huda talk about her success, you can feel how genuine her love of this business is. Without a doubt, you’ll see more of Huda in the headlines for a long time to come.

What characteristics make you successful in the beauty industry?

Our success comes down to listening to our social family and reminding them that they have the power to define beauty for themselves. I am constantly inspired by the comments and requests we see on Instagram. When it comes to creating new products, we always consider what they are looking for and we never create anything unless we recognize that there is a need for it.

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

As cliché as it might sound it has to start with passion and that goes for any brand, not just beauty brands. For beauty brands specifically, I think you need to be open, authentic and inclusive to continue to garner the right type of community that will follow you and support you through and through.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

My team and I spend so many months developing the most amazing products so when I see people using these products every day it’s the most incredible feeling. Seeing the effect my product has on the community is so fulfilling. Seriously, every video tutorial that I see of people inspired by our products or every person that stops to tell me how much they love our brand reminds me why I love what I do.

What have you learned the most about today’s beauty consumer? What do people want from beauty brands?

They want honesty and authenticity which really isn’t much to ask for when you think about it. They just want product that delivers, and they want to trust the source it’s coming from. They also want to be heard, which is something we always keep in mind when we are developing new products. We want to give them what they want, so why not ask them? Our social family has influenced every single product launch in more ways than they’ll ever know.

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

One of my mentors from University always told me, "It’s better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” That statement has replayed in my head over and over again and every time I’m about to make decisions, I remind myself of this. I really think this is what has made me as bold as I am today. I really live by this.

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

Sephora stocking our lashes for the first time was a really surreal moment for me – I literally had to pinch myself! If anyone knew how many times I emailed them to schedule a meeting to give my business pitch, they’d think I was crazy. But I was so determined, and I wasn’t giving up until that meeting was secured. When it was, I told myself, “Go in there and give the best business pitch you know how to give.” And I did.

Where does your passion/drive come from?

Ever since I knew what makeup was, I loved it. When I understood how powerful makeup was and how it could alter your feelings and confidence, I wanted to share that power with the world. My passion really comes from the feeling that makeup can give you, no matter how much or little you choose to use and apply. It’s really a vehicle for confidence and creativity and with confidence, you can conquer anything.

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

In my experience, it’s getting the right people to take you seriously. In the beginning, getting anyone to take me and my business ideas was so difficult—it was really upsetting and challenging. It’s kind of sad and backwards, but it takes succeeding first in order for people to then take you seriously as an entrepreneur. I really wish that weren’t the case!

“When I understood how powerful makeup was and how it could alter your feelings and confidence, I wanted to share that power with the world. ”

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

It’s really all about where you apply your focus. If you focus on the bump or hurdle, it will start to consume you and won’t benefit you. You just have to learn from your mistakes and apply those learnings to future situations and remain positive. No one is perfect, and problems will always arise. It just takes being solution oriented and positive to get through it all.

Whose career really inspires you?

I’d probably have to say Oprah. I mean, she is major goals. She’s honest and authentic, and she’s challenged so many norms and broken so many rules in all of the right ways. She’s gotten to where she is by never taking no for an answer, believing in her vision and relentlessly chasing her dreams. I think if you use her journey as guidance, you can’t go wrong.

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

We ended 2018 really strongly with the introduction of KAYALI and the announcement that we’d not only be diving into fragrance but also into skincare come 2019. We’re super excited to be challenged by something new and to work as a team to continue to make the magic happen. We’re working on so many fun and innovative things right now and we can’t wait to share with everyone soon!

VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 BEAUTY LIST HERE.

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Create & Cultivate 100: Art & Design: Laci Jordan

There seems to be a common theme with the artists the C&C team has connected with this year. Almost all of them were on the path to what they thought was a “good” career—a nurse, a lawyer, or, in Laci Jordan’s case, an F.B.I. agent. Casual.

For Laci, her leap of faith to become a full-fledged, fully autonomous artist began with a challenge for herself: Specifically, a 30-day illustration challenge where she would create and publish a new illustration every day for a month. By day 21, that bet on herself paid off (more on that below!). Now, years later, Laci is a sought-after illustrator whose work synthesizes pop culture, streetwear, intersectional feminism, and identity politics. Her portfolio is rich in colors—amplified by burnt oranges to corals to cobalt blues—and her affinity for sneakers is immediately apparent. She’s an advocate for inclusivity in the art and design space, and is passionate about seeing more women of color represented in the arts, which shines through in her illustrations of people. The reality is, you just feel cooler just by viewing her art.

Below, Laci share a bit more of her nontraditional journey and elaborates on the importance of being your own biggest hype woman.

You went from working for the FBI to Walt Disney, and now you’re killing it as a freelance artist. What inspired you to make that jump and take matters into your own hands?

Thank you! Honestly, I reached a point where I hit a glass ceiling in my 9-to-5. My role at the time wasn’t fulfilling anymore and I didn’t see much room for growth. I started looking for jobs around the area but I never found a listing or role where I wouldn’t be placed in a box. Nothing excited me.

Simultaneously, I was dealing with guilt of not being able to create illustrations as often as I wanted because of other creative projects. I decided to challenge myself to a 30-day illustration challenge. By day 21, my inbox was very overwhelmed with illustration requests from publications and brands that I admire. That’s when a little light bulb came on—I realized that with a great level of hustle and faith, I could create the type of career I want without working in a corporate structure. I decided to bet on my own magic.

Tell us how you got your start as an artist, and how you eventually found your niche.

During my senior year of college and after graduation, I did a few internships and remote design positions. Even though that experience was great, I think my true career started when I moved to Los Angeles to intern with Walt Disney Imagineering. During my time at Disney, I was exposed to multiple disciplines and and variations of art + design. One discipline that I realized I really gravitated to was illustration, in particular vector illustration. It was something that I dabbled in previously but never took it seriously or really knew how to approach it.

When figuring out what to draw, I immediately go to the things I love, such as black culture, music, fashion, etc. Those categories became my “niche,” but my niche is forever evolving. I believe I can create my way into any arena.

People look to you for inspiration, but where do you go to feel creatively inspired?

I have super weird and crazy ideas of where I see my life going and my capability to inspire people around the world. I want to do everything from illustration to working on visuals for Rihanna and Beyonce. Those dreams keep me inspired.

Sometimes there are moments that while I’m inspired, I just don’t have the energy to create or I’m having a block. When that happens if I can, I travel or I try to focus on something else and come back to the issue with fresh eyes.

I’m also a huge fan of podcasts and interviews. I love to constantly soak in information and learn about people doing cool stuff in different spaces. It keeps me going. For example recently I saw media girlboss ScottieBeam receive a contract at Wilhelmina Models. It was so amazing to see a black girl that looks like me be in that space. It’s a reminder and proof you can do anything.

Who are some female artists that inspired your past? Who do you think is a rising star?

Its so weird to talk about the “past” because while I’ve been creating for years, I’m just coming into myself and figuring out the things I’m truly inspired by. To be honest, my exposure to women artists in college and after (until I became active in social media) wasn’t the best. I knew of a few fine artists but wanted to look to someone more graphic-based. After searching and really diving into the design world, I found designers such as Jessica Walsh—her ability to create in different worlds always amazes me and is something I strive to do.

Now that platforms like Instagram are here, it’s much easier to find artists. There’s a ton of people I’m inspired by and that I see killing it in the design and creative space. When I think of rising stars (other than myself) haha, I think of people like Sage Adams (SZA Creative Director), Kelly Shami, Ravie B, and D'ana of COVL. I also love Andrea Pippins; she’s a vet in the game but her work is amazing and always super inspiring.

What about your job makes you feel the most fulfilled?

Three things: Inspiring people, highlighting and representing POC, and continuously surprising myself by beating my own goals and expectations.

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

If you build it, they will come.

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

Honestly, getting this far, haha.

For 2018, I have two highlights: Working with Jordan (three times) and a writeup on my life and work in Forbes. While both brand names hold weight, it’s not just about that for me. With Jordan, it’s a brand I’ve admired and invested my money in my whole life. I made a goal to work with them in 2018 and actually did it. Those projects are a constant reminder I can do exactly what I put my mind to. Forbes was huge to me because I thought no one was looking at me on that level, so it taught me my potential reach and true influence. Both projects were confirmation that I could quit my 9-5, which was the highlight of the year.

What keeps you up at night?

One or two things. Either I have a bunch of ideas and I want to stay up and brainstorm, or I’m tossing and turning at the idea of not obtaining certain goals—those thoughts are now going in one window and out the other, but I still have them.

What are the common challenges you've seen among female creatives?

I tend to work in a few different spaces, from streetwear to activism, and there are different challenges in each space. Common challenges are equality in both pay and opportunities. I also hear people say that they can’t find women artists or artists of color when recruiting; leading to another challenge in visibility—I’ve heard this a TON in the corporate space. Good thing it’s platforms like Women Who Draw and Women Illustrators of Color that give a directory of dope artists.

Never, ever, ever stop learning. The internet is free.99

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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?

If you’re from the south, you’ve probably heard the phrase “there's more than one way to skin a cat” (sorry, cat people). The meaning is there’s always another way to do something. I love problem solving and figuring out that other route, so when any bumps occur, I immediately try to figure out a plan B to get to back to plan A. Usually, the answer is right in front of me and I need to take a step back to realize it.

Artists have it tough when it comes to pricing talent/skills. What’s the best advice you have for artists/designers/photographers out there who are working to turn their creative skills into a career?

Bet and believe in yourself

Put in the work (do self projects, don’t wait on jobs)

Put your work out there (if not, how will people know you?)

Never, ever, ever stop learning. The internet is free.99

Have a voice and don’t be afraid to use it

What are you most excited for in 2019?

The unknown and new opportunities. I’m ready to make crazy dreams come true and embrace the unexpected ones.

Photography by Annie McElwain Photography

Photoshoot skincare provided by Dermalogica 

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

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