“Your Weaknesses Today Are Your Strengths Tomorrow”—and Other Awe-Inspiring Quotes From Our SF Conference
Last Saturday we headed to the bay to host our San Francisco conference and let us tell you, the energy and knowledge-dropping was unparalleled. Stationed on the corner of Market Street in the bustling city we all know and love, our event location SVN West held over 1,400 attendees for a day packed full of awesome panels, activations, and so much more. Prior to Saturday, we wanted to make sure we were getting connected with the SF community of influencers, movers, and shakers by holding a few pre-conference events. Shoutout to our generous hotel partner, Bei Hotel, who not only held and assisted us with events at their hotel, but also set us up for a successful weekend overall.
To ensure our team and attendees were ready for the conference, we held one of our favorite events to date at the gorgeous Assembly for an early workout session with Living Proof. Fast forward to Saturday morning, we hit the ground running with the poppin’ pop-up market, incredible speakers, and delicious food. But you know what they say? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and our attendees couldn't have made it through without the yummy breakfast provided by our friends at Olly. Having FOMO? Don’t fret—we have a rundown of all the key learnings and happenings below, just for you! Follow along for some insane tips and memorable quotes.
Keynote: Giuliana Rancic
Panelists:
Giuliana Rancic | TV Host, Founder, Fountain of Truth Clean Skincare
Moderator:
Michelle Lee | Editor-in-Chief, Allure
On realizing what really matters...
“The hardest part of my teenage years was dealing with scoliosis. I grew up crooked and that’s hard for a young girl. I was always in baggy clothes. I was always insecure because I looked and felt a certain way. It made me really work on what’s in here.(points to herself). I was able to build a sense of humor, personality, and all these great attributes that helped me later in life. Thank God for that whole experience because I was able to create what I really needed in life and the real attributes that matter.”
“I would not change a thing about that. I would still go back to being crooked. That shaped who I was, made me realize when you don’t look a certain way you go inward.”
On her best advice...
“Your weaknesses today are your strengths tomorrow.”
“We all have talents. If you can take that natural ability and turn that into a business, look at that first. When you’re naturally good at something, you can master it at a quicker pace and it doesn’t feel like work.”
“Love what you do and what you’re good at.”
“Go with your gut. Go with your intuition. Try something different. If it’s not working, flip it on its side. Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.”
“Ask yourself ‘where do you want to be in 10 years 20 years?’ Then reverse engineer that.”
“It’s easy to get caught up in the bad, but you have to focus on the good.”
On her definition of success…
“Success is different for every person. First step: What does success mean to you? Going out and getting it.”
“For me success is truly personal fulfilment and professional fulfillment, but the key word being fulfillment.”
On her journalism career’s inspiration...
“I thought I would do hard news. All my stories had a fun and quirky tone, so the dean of our school looked at my work and he said ‘have you ever thought about Hollywood? Maybe you should think about Hollywood.’”
“I love being in the moment, fun, silly, asking about fashion and beauty, all the fun questions. At first I was a little offended but I'm so glad he turned me on to that because at the end of the day, that's what I really love. I love pop culture, I love hearing people’s stories.”
“I love the opportunity to be able to stand there and ask those questions. The fact that I get to do what I love, which is basically asking questions and putting it out there in the world, in a field of entertainment, is a win win.”
“I had this full-circle moment recently when Barbara Harrison retired and they reached out to do a tribute video, I thought wow, this woman was my biggest inspiration who got me in the career I wanted to be in when I was seven years old.”
On her new beauty line, Fountain of Truth...
“Being diagnosed with breast cancer was a shock of a lifetime. It was a fluke and I was fortunate to have found it. It was terrifying. So, I started making a lot of changes to my life like researching what I put on my skin. It was scary what I was finding, so I started making my own concoctions at home. I was going on YouTube then whipping it up in the kitchen. Then this idea came up to create a clean, high-performance skincare line at an attainable price range. It came from a place of need then turned into passion.”
Keynote: Jenna Dewan
Panelists:
Jenna Dewan | Actress, Dancer, Author
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder, Create & Cultivate
On embracing authenticity and the things that light you up...
“Be you, everyone wants to see you.”
“Be authentic. It’s impossible for me to promote or speak about anything that’s not authentic to me.”
“Trust that you can be everything and anything that you want.”
“I’ve started to embrace what lights me up. I know I’m the happiest when I have a connection to something greater than myself.”
On her new book...
“It started as a poetry book and then it evolved into this personal journey of my life.”
“The book became a labor of love, a child born really. It was a way for me to give my truth because I think there has been a lot of things said that aren’t necessarily my truth.”
On advice for the not-so-great parts of life…
“You have to move through it. You have to feel it and you have to love yourself while you're feeling it. Know you're not going to feel this way forever—there are no shortcuts to healing.”
On imposter syndrome as a woman…
“[As women] we’re never just one thing. Women are able to be many different things at once.”
“There have been many times in my career and I’m really confident but I cried all morning and that's how complicated we are, we’re never just one thing.”
On being a sex symbol in the indusrty…
“I was aware that this was in my body very early on. I embrace it.”
“I love sexy people—sexy women that inspire me.”
“It’s a natural part of who we are. I think women can be mothers and can be sexy. Why can’t we be all of that and be sexy?”
On the long game...
“It took me a long time to come fully into my own. I believe you have to stick with it. It sounds so cliché but you really can’t give up. I was being clear about what I wanted to feel. When that happened the opportunities changed.”
On self-care…
“I’m the happiest when there is always some sort of movement in my life. I’m the happiest when I'm dancing. It ebbs and flows. It’s hard to find time, but you have to make it. You’ll realize how much better you feel when you do.”
Keynote: Kourtney Kardashian
Panelists:
Kourtney Kardashian | CEO and Founder, Poosh
Moderator:
Allison Statter | CEO and Co-Founder, Blended Strategy Group
Advice on money conversations...
“You’re never going to get a better deal then if you negotiate yourself. It’s much easier to have someone negotiate on your behalf. But meeting people and negotiating yourself will always be the best.”
“When someone sees you face-to-face, there’s something different. You’re an actual human with a story.”
“I like to know every detail—actually knowing the details of whatever you’re doing—because I don’t want any surprises later.”
“Find something you love to do, and figure out how to make money doing it.”
“Trying different things is okay. I’ve had so many different jobs in my life and it’s about learning as much as you can from those jobs and carrying those things with you into the future jobs.”
On prioritizing...
“It’s a lot to balance. I think it’s about prioritizing what I have to get done. There are a lot of days where every single minute is booked. I usually do not book things when I’m with my kids. But now I’ve realized I can show my kids that I work, and it’s a great thing—a lot of people have to do that.”
“Take time off when you need it in order to be excited when you come back.”
A day in the life of Kourtney…
“I don’t wake up before 7 am. We all get up at 7am, We get ready, I go work out, I come home, squeeze in a sauna, I do glam, film until six, dinner with my kids, bedtime.”
On Poosh, the story behind the name, and everything in between…
“I feel like a big thing for me is to only take on something that my heart and soul is really in. I didn’t feel motivated to do something unless I was all in—if it was fulfilling, added to my life, and made me happy. That’s where Poosh came along.”
“It (Poosh) embodies my lifestyle. Being able to share so many of the things I do and my team does, we think of it as a conversation. We have an amazing group of contributors.”
“Poosh is Penelope’s nickname—that name just stuck with us.”
Favorite sister is...
“It changes everyday. Today it’s Khloe. Yesterday it was not Khloe. Yesterday it was Kim.”
From Startup to Success Story: Meet the Ladies Killing the Entrepreneurial Game
Panelists:
Rachel Pally | Owner & Creative Director, Rachel Pally
Yanghee Paik | CEO and Founder, Rael
Ellyette Gheno | Founder, BootayBag
Elizabeth Stein | Founder and CEO, Purely Elizabeth
Bianca Gates | CEO, Birdies Slippers
Amanda Baldwin | Brand President, Supergoop!
Moderator:
Maxie McCoy | Author of You’re Not Lost and Founder, MaxieMcCoy.com
Rachel Pally
On trial and error...
“In my 17 years of business, I’ve had a lot of errors and a lot of success. I was open to trying everything and seeing what worked. It’s not always the straightest line but I eventually got there.”
“I was finding that I was being pigeon-holed for so long, I’m constantly having to reinvent. I convinced people that I’m allowed to evolve.”
“You can’t control what’s coming at you but you can control how you handle it.”
Yanghee Paik
On learning from other people...
“You would be surprised how much you can learn from talking to people that have spent a lot of years in the industry, reading, and hustling.”
“We had to learn everything from scratch—passion really helped.”
On educating others on healthy choices...
“I looked at myself the past few decades, and I had been using these products without really asking what’s in them. I figured that that was a problem. We wanted to educate consumers that this can affect your health.”
“You don’t have to sacrifice performance and comfort while you make a healthy choice for your body.”
On the importance of people…
“People matter the most. The team that I built definitely helped me a lot.”
“Hiring people that are smarter than me, who know how to get things done, that’s how I started building the team.”
“I’m very inspired by seeing the team grow, and every single person we’ve brought to the company has helped the team so much.”
Ellyette Gheno
On what inspires her mission...
“That’s why I do this, the hope that my story inspires someone’s beginning.”
On starting a business from scratch...
“I Googled a lot and still Google a lot. Google is my best friend.”
“Go out and network, force yourself to go to those events. Be uncomfortable because you might make a connection.”
Elizabeth Stein
On the launch of her product in Whole Foods...
“I remember that feeling so vividly, thinking ‘oh my God, my life is about to change. This is really working, this is a real business.’”
On the importance of self-care…
“I’ve realized that if I don’t feel good, I’m not making good decisions. I think I take extra, extra self-care and realize how important that is.”
Bianca Gates
On the start of her business venture…
“The beginning of it all stemmed from community and friendships.”
“I did what most people might do, I Googled how to make slippers.”
“Meghan Markle announced her pregnancy in the Redwood Forest in her Birdies, and it was that ‘holy shit’ moment where you’re like, ‘this is big’. When I woke up that morning, sales had exploded. We had a 30 thousand- person waitlist, and what was meant to be good started becoming crazy.”
On consumer demand..
“It could sink a business if you don’t respond immediately to what’s happening.”
On advice from a friend...
“If you don’t do what your investors tell you to do you might get fired, if you do do what your investors tell you to do, you will get fired. It has to come down to what you think is right for the business.”
Amanda Baldwin
On the feedback loop and constant iteration of Supergoop!...
“It’s mission-driven. We’re here to change the way people think about sunscreen and stop the epidemic of skin cancer. Everything we do goes back to that, including the product innovation. It’s always going back to that problem and always trying to solve it.”
On the importance of people…
“At the end of the day, the change and the crazy growth we’re going through, it’s all about the people. Who you hire, who you surround yourself with—it’s everything. Every single hire is a gamechanger for the business. Everything is about finding the right people.”
On the pains of firing employees…
“As painful as it is in the moment, know it truly is the best thing for both of you.”
Swipe Up: How to Create Compelling Content in a Clickbait World
Panelists:
Kellie Brown | Influencer, Brand Consultant, and Founder, And I Get Dressed ...
Chloe Watts | Founder and CEO, chloédigital ...
Jessica Franklin | Lifestyle and Beauty Content Creator, Hey GorJess ...
Quigley | Influencer and Content Creator, Officially Quigley...
Mandy Ansari | Founder, Girl and the Bay...
Steph Weizman | Legal Advisor, Lifestyle Blogger, and Founder of Let Me Wear That...
Moderator:
Reesa Lake | Partner and Executive Vice President, Digital Brand Architects ...
Kellie Brown
On authenticity/transparency/vulnerability...
“I think that for me authenticity meant, there was a specific way that plus women were presenting themselves—I am the anti-flattering girl. The pay off in sticking to my true self resulted in a lot of press and opportunities.”
“Sticking to your guns no matter what that means to you, will put you ahead because there’s only one you.”
On creating content and diversifying content...
“I like on-the-fly content. I like the in-the-moment vibe because it’s super relatable. You get a lot more interaction.”
Chloe Watts
On authenticity/transparency/vulnerability...
“It’s really about what is the goal, what is your why? From there your why trickles down into everything you do. Because my end is to be authentic, I need to make sure I’m always doing that. I need to make sure I am connecting to my audience.”
On the decline of instagram / rising platform...
“There will always be new platforms, different social platforms, it’s always best to be an early adopter of these platforms.”
Jessica Franklin
On authenticity/transparency/vulnerability...
“When the natural hair movement started, my followers related to posting about natural hair. I experienced adult acne, so many people related to it. It’s important to realize that all of us have our insecurities and it just makes us closer.”
Quigley
On authenticity/transparency/vulnerability...
“The more vulnerable I could be on the platform the more deep of a connection I had with my audience. I think we need to stop pointing fingers at people for fake authenticity.”
“Don’t just show the good stuff,show everything! Don’t just show people the highlight reel. Show them the big picture.”
On creating content, diversifying content and …
“When Instagram first started, it was a visual platform but my strength is writing. A huge transformation for me was when I started writing captions first and then thinking about how I wanted to represent my words visually.”
On Instagram removing likes…
“Have I made a genuine connection with one person today? It’s the DMs and the comments sections that we need to focus on. If you connect with one person, you’re an influencer.”
On creating stories...
“If you can post in real time it’s better for engagement. Show up with your face. Make them as interactive as possible.”
Mandy Ansari
On authenticity/transparency/vulnerability...
“I really believe in turning our wounds into wisdom.hen we show our wounds as wisdom we inspire people to be real with themselves. There’s so many masks we are asked to wear, we’re always pressured to be something we’re not. It’s so important that we’re open about where we’re at. What’s more important than having a real conversation?”
“We have the gray days and the bright and colorful days, and it’s important to know your content doesn’t need to be in that box.”
On Instagram removing likes…
“I measure my success on how it goes down in the DM’s.”
Steph Weizman
On creating content, and diversifying content …
“I don’t believe in pigeon-holing yourself. The more diversified the better! I’m more than just the girl that posts pictures of her outfits. It’s important in this day and age to diversify. I listen to my followers and give them what they want.”
“Don’t be afraid to try new things! Find what works for you. That’s how you’ll find your voice and your aesthetic.”
On the decline of Instagram / rising platforms...
“I don’t think Instagram is going anywhere for now, but I have my blog, and YouTube channel. I don’t believe in putting all your eggs in one basket.”
Fair Game: Exploring the World of Venture & Women in Tech
Panelists:
Shilla Kim-Parker | CEO, Thrilling
Tiffany Ho | VC, Acme Capital
Angela Sutherland | CEO and Co-Founder, Yumi
Mimi Chan | Founder and CEO, Littlefund
Dami Osunsanya | Operating Group of Softbank Investment Advisors
Moderator:
Yasmin Moaven | VP of Investor Relations, Fair
Shilla Kim-Parker
On her passion for sustainable, secondhand shopping...
“The passion I have for this company is being a part of the solution—secondhand shopping and making it more accessible.”
On biases...
“No matter how woke we think we are, we all suffer from a certain amount of prejudice or bias. Most people exercise it by the selective helping, it’s that selective helping that perpetuates this system.”
Tiffany Ho
On men’s ‘social scripts’...
“Part of the reason there’s so few women backed by VC’s, is that there are very few social scripts out there that we have internalized to make connections with men quickly.”
On venture capital...
“Venture is this interesting art and science and I think it’s very people-driven”
“Being able to create trust quickly is very important.”
On equity vs. salary…
“The rule of thumb is the more risk you’re taking, the more equity you should have.”
“First, absolutely do your homework. Ask around, particularly to your investor friends and friends that have joined startups before. You want to be able to go to the negotiation table with numbers behind you. Second, you need to have that conversation with yourself, your partner, and your family to understand what your responsibilities are. Third, if you are just like me, an investor, if you’re joining a startup—you have to do your diligence to see if this company will exist / thrive three to five years from now.”
Angela Sutherland
On raising money…
“The idea has to resonate with the people in the room that are investing in it.”
On building a company that is evergreen...
“Build a company that’s good enough regardless of the season. I wouldn’t worry about the fundraising side.”
Mimi Chan
On raising money as a woman...
“Hustle, hustle, hustle. Don’t take no for an answer. It’s a numbers game.”
“As women raising money in the early stages, we don’t get the benefit of the doubt. There is no science to early stage investing. Go with your gut, so many decisions do rely on gut, and unfortunately for women, we walk into a room and we’re pitching, unconscious bias starts seeping in.”
“If you’re spending a lot of time fundraising, you’re not spending a lot of time building your business and that’s a disadvantage.”
“In order for the numbers to change, more funds need to be investing earlier.”
“I have felt less respected as a woman walking into a room and pitching. My fundraising journey would’ve been completely different pitching as a man. We just don’t get the benefit of the doubt.”
Dami Osunsanya
On advice and truths of investing..
“Be open to new opportunities and being able to take risks.”
“Take initiative to get out of your comfort zone and to get to where you want to go.What am I willing to do to get to where I want to go?”
“The people at the table making the decisions are unconsciously biased.”
Intersectionality in the Workplace: A Conversation on Diversity and the Important Role of Allies at the Office
Panelists:
Bhavagna Bhattiprolu | Vice President, Blended Strategy Group
Miatta David Johnson | President and Co-Founder, MVD Inc
Massah David | Co-Founder, MVD Inc
Ally Maki | Actor
Sahara Pynes | Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Moderator:
Randi B. | Diversity and Inclusion Strategist, Author, Speaker, and Trainer …
Massah David
Diversity is…
“Vital to your success, and profitable.”
On creating an inclusive space where everyone can participate…
“M sure you’re very intentional. When you’re starting an initiative you have to make sure you’re targeted.”
Importance of diversity vs. inclusion…
“I think it’s important because diversity on its own can only serve optics. Inclusion is making sure that people’s voices are being heard, being in the conversation, not just the topic of the conversation.”
Miatta David Johnson
On hiring…
“First and foremost, we’re looking for the best candidate. For us it’s extremely important that they understand our DNA. Two things that can't be taught: working hard and integrity.”
On the “why” behind DOPE AFRICANS...
“There is a need for comradery in the music space. A lot of Africans felt alienated. It has formed a sense of community in the music space for African Americans.”
On creating real change…
“Bring us in the room because it’s great for optics. But if you’re not hearing from us, then nothing is going to change.”
“If they understand this will affect their profits that’s what is going to create a change.”
On making brands a part of the conversation…
“If they say no, they’re not the brand for your company. Brands respond to statistics, they’ll respond when you start putting stats in front of them.”
Ally Maki
On her work impact the next generation…
“Truly one of my life missions now is to give the next generation of girls growing up what I'm learning now in my 30’s. I look back to when I was young and I didn’t feel worthy of being in any room or any table.”
“Providing a seat for these girls and changing the narrative inspires everything I do because I sometimes still see myself as that eight-year-old girl who didn’t belong.”
On the hostile environment of audition rooms...
“I had to start to restructure my thoughts of this room. Why did we feel like we were the enemies? I had to reframe my mindset of there's only one slot for all of you. That’s what they want you to think, that you’re sister is the enemy. It's terrible and negative and a dangerous way to think. Look right next to you—this is the woman I should be talking to. Who’s really going to have your back?”
Sahara Pynes
On social media keeping brands accountable...
“It’s a great thing that consumers have a direct line to the brands they’re purchasing. Now, if you do something wrong or right, you’ll hear about it from the people consuming the product.”
“You have to take responsibility and give a sneak peak behind how you’re doing better, how you’re remedying the problem.”
How to make real change in large companies...
“Make sure the right people are in the room. To have diversity conversations without white male founders is pointless—unless you bring the decision makers into the room, nothing will change.”
“It's easy to bring people in the door, but you have to get them to stay and feel like they’re a contributor.”
“Leadership has to start from the top. There has to be accountability at the top as well. There has to be regular check-ins.”
On creating a sense of belonging...
“The easiest way to start is in bite-sized pieces. On your teams. Making sure to include people in meetings they normally wouldn’t be a part of so you’re hearing their voices and perspectives.”
Bhavagna Bhattiprolu
On the importance of advocacy…
“Leadership lending a hand is important to the discussion. We are all a group. It’s important to me that I'm reaching out to all women, all ethnicities. I’m not boxing myself into such a narrow group that I'm ultimately not including someone else.”
“I think allies are so important. I think the way we have to look at it is we are all a group. I see it as I am a woman of color who has had a certain level of success and it’s important to me that I’m reaching out.”
On diverse representation...
“I grew up in a world where I consumed so much content showing people that didn’t look like me. It’s really exciting to be in a time where people have different perspectives represented.”
On holding large companies accountable...
“It’s not just getting people in the door and retained but getting them into the higher level positions.There is the optics of getting someone in the door, but it's about putting in the work to get people past that.”
“Get people trained so they can handle these roles.”
Status Quo No Mo: A Conversation on the New Work/Life Balance for Working Women
Panelists:
Taylor Sterling | Founder and Creative Director, Glitter Guide
Amy Nelson | Founder and CEO, The Riveter
Katie Hinz-Zambrano | Founder, Mother and In Good Company
Anne-Sophie Stock | VP, Chandon
Ali Fedotowsky | TV Personality and Lifestyle Blogger, AliManno.com
Nicole Lapin | Anchor, author, and businesswoman, NicoleLapin.com
Moderator:
Chloe Watts | Founder and CEO, Chloe Digital
Nicole Lapin
On the start of her career...
“I started in TV news at the bottom and then I was offered a job as a business reporter.”
“In school, we don’t learn how to do a budget or taxes or a business plan. The last thing I ever thought I would do was work in business or finance. I totally ‘faked it till I made it.’”
“I was super clueless, but I just figured out how to love what I did.”
On self-care…
“Self-care is the biggest asset or liability in your career.”
“Balance, happiness, whatever you wanna call it—leads to success. Not the other way around.”
“I’m so over this ‘busy’ badge of honor. I think we’re burning out like crazy. Just because I'm stressed out doesn’t mean I’m important.”
“I come up with a few really tangible goals for the day and connect them to what my long-term goals are.”
“I know I can feel the difference if I don't start and end the day with gratitude.”
“I encourage you to think about the top five things you value and check to see if you are on that list.”
On being a girls girl...
“I’m an ultimate women’s woman at work.”
“I’m not getting married anytime soon. I put a ring on it myself.”
Ali Fedotowsky
On building a brand....
“Team up with other people and other women. Support each other.”
“Don’t look at your competitor as a competitor—look at them as your best asset.”
On work/life balance...
“I just think do whatever works for you. If hustling is what makes you feel accomplished at the end of the day, do that.”
“If the answer isn’t ‘hell yes’, it’s no.”
“You have to say no to things so that you can focus on what’s truly important to you.”
On having your own spin on your business...
“If you’re doing what somebody else is doing, that’s okay too. Nobody else is doing it like you.”
On sharing your knowledge with others...
“People are going to want to go to your company or follow your brand if you have a service that serves them. I’ve found that when I open up and share my secrets, my business grows. Share your knowledge and share your secrets.”
On her best advice…
“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.”
On being a mother...
“I had this big fear that once I became a mom, my career was over. Don’t be afraid of becoming a mother because you just figure it out.”
“I feel like the universe is like, ‘well you’ve been in labor, so you can take more!’”
Amy Nelson
On starting your own business...
“Starting a company is a one-way door—once you walk through it, you don’t stop.”
On work/life balance...
“The idea of balance is bullshit.”
“All of our lives are going to look different and we have to do what’s best for us.”
On building a business...
“Building a business is so hard. I had no idea how hard it would be. But I would do it over, and over, and over again.”
“If I didn't have that ‘why’, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. You have to dig into that ‘why.’”
On Create & Cultivate...
“We would all be remiss if we didn’t talk about the champion, Jaclyn Johnson. She’s helped my business. She really walks the walk and connects people and builds networks.”
On no’s…
“Learn how to hear ‘no’, and know it’s not about you 100%. ‘No’ today doesn’t mean ‘no’ tomorrow —so keep asking.”
Anne-Sophie Stock
On living life in the moment...
“It’s about the small wins.”
On work/life balance...
“You need to have perspective on what you’re doing and what you need to accomplish. And from there, really prioritize.”
“The moment you really prioritize what you want to do, it’s life-changing.”
On the separation between work and self…
“I am not my work. What I produce is not me.“
Katie Hinz-Zambrano
On work/life balance...
“The word ‘balance’ is super loaded. We’ve swapped the word balance for juggling. Some things are up some things are down and some things you drop on the floor. We’re all juggling, it’s fine.”
On establishing the ‘why’ behind your business...
“I care about women, I care about mothers, they’re raising the next generation—that’s my ‘why.’”
On her best advice…
“Keep building your network.”
Taylor Sterling
On goal setting and fulfillment...
“Success will only last for a short amount of time and it’s something you have to continually strive for. It’s not paying attention to what is ‘successful’, it’s paying attention to what fulfills me. Usually, success will follow.”
“Having three to five things at a time is kind of all I focus on. I’ve gotten into the mindset, where I’m like, ‘if this is all I accomplish in one day, that’s okay with me’.”
On carving out time for self-care...
“As a business owner and as a mom, you feel the pressure to be available for everybody at all times. For me, I needed to re-work my business so I could feel that I have mental space left and that I’m taking care of myself. I had to get really crazy about boundaries.”
On women supporting women...
“I wouldn’t have been able to do any of the things I do without a supportive network of women.”
On her best advice...
“Stop feeling guilty.”
Strong Foundation: Meet the Women Disrupting the Fashion & Beauty Economy
Panelists:
Catherine Gore | President, Biossance...
Nicole Farb | Vice President of Clean Beauty, Grove Collaborative...
Anne Maza | Co-Owner and VP Sales and Marketing, Olivia Garden...
Jill Layfield | Co-Founder and CEO, Tamara Mellon...
Jenn Acito | Director of Retail Sales, Living Proof...
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
Catherine Gore
On longevity…
“Not many people know this, but we sell our ingredients back into the beauty industry. We’re that proud of the ingredients that we want to help others get on board.”
“In four days, we’re launching an initiative called Clean Academy which is an educational tool that will help debunk a lot of confusion and will help elevate the conversation. We’re hoping clean academy will just bring more knowledge and hopefully make all beauty clean beauty”.
On creating a brand with meaning…
“We align our brand with people that are on the same mission.”
“Have that deep, deep connection with the consumer.”
On advice for entrepreneurs…
“Don’t get drunk at the business party. You can spend a lifetime building your reputation and only 30 seconds losing it, so be consistent with your image.”
Jenn Acito
On Living Proof hiring scientists…
“Living Proof looks outside the industry because we want progress and we want a solution. Our scientists can look at things differently coming from outside the industry. Looking outside the industry is our secret sauce.”
“93%of our scientists are women and I’m really proud of that.”
On longevity…
“To switch the consumer’s mindset you need to find your purpose.”
On advice for entrepreneurs…
“You have to take chances, you have to believe in yourself every step of the way even when you’re having doubts.”
Nicole Farb
On building trust with customers…
“Trust is something that sounds really hard but when you bring it back to the basics it’s doing what you say you’re going to do. Trust for us is publishing our standards. We’re super transparent about why we chose to include or not include ingredients in our products.”
“Beauty products are expensive. So, what’s the brand’s story and do we believe in it?”
On changing the conversation…
“It starts with the way it talks to us as women. We’ve been told for decades that if you want to look like her you should use this product, it’s not about looking this way it’s about feeling this way. We feel good because these ingredients make us feel good. I’m most excited about changing the conversation”.
On advice for entrepreneurs…
“Don’t play the middle. You’ll capture more people but won’t make anyone happy. Play to the extremes and you’ll get people loving what you’re doing.”
Jill Layfield
On making your brand stand out…
“The product is exclusive but the brand’s inclusive.”
“What I learned was that it wasn’t enough to make just a brand story. Investors are looking for technology stories.”
“Our marketing is rooted in feminism—knowing her worth and owning her health”
On taking risks...
“Culture is the way you get the work done, the behavior that’s acceptable and behavior that’s not. The culture is a reflection of the CEO and if you’re clear on how you want your employees to behave.”
On having young women coming into the company...
“They have to own their voice and that it matters just as much as ours.”
On advice for entrepreneurs...
“The risky way is the safe way. You’ve got to go for it because actually, that is the safest bet.”
“The next great group of companies are not going to be built in the same channels we have today.”
Anne Maza
On disrupting the market...
“We’re constantly trying to come up with the next innovation—get ahead of a problem you see customers might be experiencing”.
“There’s a lot of pride in coming out with a really good product”
“How can we do this better? If we’re not going to do something better than someone else, we don’t want to be a part of it”
On longevity…
“We’re extremely detailed in what we do. Plan is great but things change and opportunities might come your way that you didn’t expect. You have to readjust.”
“Staying true to your principal and never wavering from that, and if that means your product launch gets delayed because it’s not up you your standards that’s okay”.
On creating a brand with meaning…
“It’s so important that all your teams speak with the same voice. Make sure the people you’re working with really understand where you’re coming from and can use your voice.”
On advice for entrepreneurs...
“Enjoy the journey as much as you’re going to enjoy the rewards.”
Fireside Chat: Gail Becker, Caulipower Founder & CEO
Panelists:
Gail Becker | Caulipower Founder & CEO
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
On not hiding the healthy ingredients…
“We’re so proud of being a vegetable, we put it in our name”
“We like to celebrate the magic of the vegetables.”
On starting Caulipower…
“Why did I wait so long to do what my heart wanted me to do”
“Caulipower was born out of the convergence of this realization that I needed something more meaningful, and my own frustration of trying to find more foods that are gluten-free.”
“Why can’t we all share from the same plate? That’s the ethos behind Caulipower.”
“When you care about something so much that you’re willing to risk everything for it, there’s nothing you wouldn’t do. There’s no amount of hours of sleep you wouldn’t give up.”
“It’s more rewarding than anything I could’ve ever dreamed.”
“It does take a toll. I want to be super honest about that. There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and literal tears behind all of that. People never talk about that part.”
On how to hire the right people...
“You need people who are as passionate and care as much as you do.”
“Every single person at caulipower today feels like it’s their company, and that’s how it should be. Those are the kind of people you should hire.”
“You need people that are going to be as passionate and care as much as you. I hired people who wanted to take a leap, too.”
”They have to really have the passion to try to make the world a little bit better.”
On raising capital...
“To grow a business, you have to have money, and you have to have some sales before you raise money, ideally.”
“Don’t let the thought of raising money get in the way of actually building your business.”
On the brand..
“Everything about the brand is accessible. Accessible in the way it looks, the way it tastes, the stores it’s sold in, the fact that we donate to teaching gardens.”
The Truth Serum: Sourcing Trustworthy Skincare Advice in a Click-Bait World
Panelists:
Lauryn Evarts Bosstick | CEO and Founder, The Skinny Confidential
Dr. Anna Guanche | Dermatologist
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder, Create & Cultivate
The last thing I googled was…
Lauryn: “Can you jade roll your tits?”
Dr Guanche: “WorkParty.”
My favorite anti-aging hack is…
Lauryn: “Facial massage.”
Dr Guanche: “Use retinol every single night.”
The weirdest home remedy for skin I’ve tried is…
Lauryn: “Order olive oil from room service to remove my makeup.”
Dr Guanche: “Bird-poop facial. The geishas used to use this. It has enzymes in it to exfoliate your skin.”
Dr. Anna Guanche
On what happens to skin as we age...
“You reduce your elastin production once you're born, your collagen is decreased. Your skin can no longer compensate for the skin damage that has happened to you since you were born.”
On the most common questions and concerns regarding anti-aging…
“They want to know what really works and the active ingredients that do reverse aging.”
On retinol and anti-aging...
“Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and is naturally found. It exfoliates and as you keep using it it keeps your skin looking dewy. Retinol is the quickest way to get retinol on your skin—it’s milder than retinae.”
On tips for getting good skin…
“Drink plenty of water, don’t stress out, get lots of sleep, sleep on your back, have a low-salt diet, and wash every single drop of makeup off every night. Good skin takes discipline.”
On how long it takes to see results from a new product…
“Four to six weeks of consistent use.”
On empowerment and self-love…
“Try the empowered approach. There’s no shame in wanting to be beautiful. I was very hard on myself when I was young. Try to love yourselves. Actively try to overcome the things you don’t like about yourself and be empowered by putting your best foot forward.”
On best self-care tips...
“I try to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. You need to have routine and you need to have discipline. Try to manage your stress, meditate, wear your sunscreen every day, wash your face completely at night, and take good care of yourself.”
Lauryn Evarts Bosstick
On the topics shared on her podcast...
“We’ve talked about everything, from vagina steaming to boob jobs, I feel like there isn’t anything we haven't talked about.”
“People do have these questions that they’re embarrassed to ask. I’m trying to create a space where we can talk about these taboo topics.”
On carefully selecting partnerships…
“I’m really specific and strategic. I’ve left a lot on the table because it wasn’t the right fit. I’m really careful with what I promote.”
On being inspired by other people’s routines...
“I’m really inspired by other countries. I like to observe and see what they’re doing differently—it's a lot of oil and facial massage. I feel like Americans have a very more is more approach. I really try to watch and observe what other people are doing and implement it into my routine.”
On self-care…
“We’re in a day and age where women don’t want to look like someone else, now everyone wants to be the best version of yourself and I think self-care is that.”
On the importance of suncare…
“I am batshit crazy about the sun. I wear driving gloves in my car and sunscreen on my hands, chest, and ankles.”
Right to Desire: Conversation With Rumer Willis and Cindy Eckert
Panelists:
Cindy Eckert | CEO, The Pink Ceiling
Moderator:
Rumer Willis | Actress and Advocate
Cindy Eckert
On her biggest lesson...
“To get back up. You’re going to be underestimated. You can pull back and either doubt yourself or see the underestimation as an invitation to impress people.”
My message to women is ...
“Own it. Get a piece of the pie. Own your sexual desire. You have the right to desire, to start your own company, to have your own voice.”
“Speak up, stand up, and lock arms with other women who share your passion.”
On sex advice...
It’s a priority. It’s so beneficial overall for your health. Just f*cking do it. Have more sex!
“It’s about owning it and owning ourselves.”
On hard statistics…
“Only 3% of pharma companies are run by women.”
On changing the narrative of sex and supporting other women...
“The goal was changing the narrative and about women having the choice”
“Starting to remember our inherent value is a key part of changing this conversation.”
“If things go wrong with men in the bedroom, we say it’s biology. But with women, it’s psychology.”
“I’m a huge crusader for women’s health. If it broke down in the bedroom it broke down at the breakfast table.”
The New Disruptors: Meet the Women Making Moves in the Modern Marketplace
Panelists:
Jesse Draper | Founding Partner, Halogen Ventures
Shawntee Reed | Inclusion Diversity Lead, Square
Alicia Jager | VP, Mastercard
Diana Hilson | Product Marketing Manager, Intel
Shannon Race | Associate Director Brand Relations, Vital Proteins
Samantha Fulgham | Chief Creative Marketing Officer, Bumble
Moderator:
Sherry Jhawar | Co-Founder, Blended Strategy Group ...
Jesse Draper
On investing...
“It doesn’t matter if it’s $100 or $1000, put your money to work, take risks with your money.”
“How are you going to learn how to build money if you don’t take the risk?”
“The data is there that women will invest back into the female ecosystem.”
“Put your money to work, ladies!”
On prioritizing your side hustle...
“If your side hustle is your passion, and you really want to go after it and you want to quit your day job—work as much as you can on your side hustle.”
On what she looks for when investing in a new company...
“I like it to be very disruptive, the first or second in the space.”
On starting a business in a saturated market...
“If you’re entering a busy space, be sure you know how to differentiate yourself.”
Shawntee Reed
On making waves in the market..
“Create those strategies that really does disrupt how we think.”
On women being a big part of inclusivity...
“We took to the market place internally to learn from women to ensure we have an inclusive work environment. Women are very instrumental in that.”
Alicia Jager
On hiring...
“I think it’s really important for us women to be thinking about hiring a diverse team.”
On her best advice...
“Help young women hone their skills and become leaders.”
On being the only woman in the room...
“When you’re not the minority, you don’t really notice.”
“I was almost always the only woman in the room.”
“It's been very encouraging for me, a woman, to feel like there is a place for me at the top”
Diana Hilson
On her best advice on growth and building a great company...
“Listen to consumers, do research, think about what’s the next big thing.”
“Look for the diversity.”
Shannon Race
On her best advice...
“Don’t get caught up looking left and right—look up and far beyond.”
“Don’t get sidetracked about what everyone else in the space is doing.”
“Look for inspiration from brands that are completely outside of the space.”
On C&C...
“You have such a deep-rooted community, I want to find ways to mimic that.”
Samantha Fulgham
On the importance of innovation...
“Every single time our consumers think we’ve done something super innovative, it’s really not that innovative—we really just listen to our users. We listened to feedback after feedback and started Bumble BFF. Some of our most innovative ideas have come from our interns.”
“Our goal was to create an app where women make the first move.”
On giving women a fair chance...
“There's an inequality right now and we need to bring women up.”
On Bumble’s founder setting examples...
“Women can run companies and run them successfully, and balance that with dating.”
On waiting for the guy to text you back...
“It wasn’t written in the rule book and it wasn’t written on the wall. So why did we do it?”
No Fear Zone: How to Cultivate Your Craft and Turn Your Passion Into a Career (Pottery Barn)
Panelists:
Monica Bhargava | EVP Design & Product Development, Pottery Barn...
April Gargiulo | Founder, Vintner’s Daughter...
Caitlin Flemming | Interior Designer and Founder, Caitlin Flemming Design...
Gray Malin | Photographer, Author, Founder, Gray Malin ...
Orland Soria | Interior Designer, Author, and Visual Artist, Founder Homemaker.com ...
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
Monica Bhargava
On getting her start in design...
“I grew up in India and I came to the U.S. when I was 17 years old because I wanted to explore education in the United States. Design and development was in my DNA. My earliest memories are jumping on piles of rugs or looking at empty documents, or visiting my family and seeing all the colors, that's where my passion for design came from.”
On leading a team and vision at Pottery Barn…
“When I think about the trust that these women have placed in me, it’s empowering. The platform that I have access to, I feel like I have the opportunity to build the American dream. We’re a very large company that operates like a very small company. The design process is invigorating. I cannot think of a platform where I have felt more empowered.”
“It’s a very collaborative process. You need to deliver the product to have a vision. You have to solve a lot of your creative problems at home. It is a complex procedure and it’s collaborative. That vision comes together from a lot of different places.”
Gray Malin
On his start and mission...
“I excelled in photography in high school, my parents advised me to. I got really into film. Everyone around me thought I was such a success, but I felt like such a failure. It wasn’t until I told my parents I wanted to do fine art photography that everything began. I learned that people weren’t feeling accepted by the gallery world, so I set out on a mission to make photography that was relatable.”
“I think when you launch a brand and start to think about growth—it starts internally. What brands do I have a connection with? We learned that photography didn’t have to live on a two dimensional space on the wall. I felt like travel is a part of this brand and we were in talks with a big brand and they just didn’t get it, but then we got a call from AWAY and they got it. It was an authentic connection. Collaboration works in different ways, you just have to ask yourself if it’s authentic.”
Orland Soria
On rocky beginnings...
“I had a super rocky road to get to where I am. It’s rare to be put into a space with someone that you have such a connection with (on working with Emily Henderson). I had years and years of applying for jobs and not getting them. Literally couldn’t get a cashier’s job. It was a long road to get on that show.”
“It taught me that there is a lot of success that has to do with luck and happenstance and you can’t beat yourself up too much for not being where you want to be because so much is out of your control. I can finally say I deserve to be here and I worked for it.”
On sustaining motivation...
“In order to maintain excitement and interest I always have to have a new goal.”
April Gargiulo
On her mission…
“I was somebody who had struggled with my skin all my life and I had been using what I thought were all the finest products. One day, I was pregnant with my first daughter and I started looking at ingredients.”
“Luxury to me is knowing that it’s safe. I created a skincare product that is built on that same concept.”
Caitlin Flemming
On starting her business...
“I love to look fear straight in the face. When I went to college and got a business degree. I graduated right before the recession and it put so much fear in me.”
“I started Sacramento Street because I needed a creative outlet. Then I started to get a few clients and I couldn’t maintain it. I worked full time with a side hustle for five years.”
“My parents have always taught me to go for what I always wanted.”
On developing aesthetic...
“I’ve always known my inner aesthetic. You can always compare yourself to someone else, but you have to think about what is true to myself and your brand. My aesthetic has been crafted since I was a little girl.”
“Put down your phone when you’re traveling, look up. Keeping your eyes open will help you develop your own aesthetic.”
Getting Niche: Finding an Untapped Market and Creating a Unique Brand
Panelists:
Aleksandra Zee | Influencer, Entrepreneur, and Author, The Way of the Woodshop...
Barb Paldus | Founder, Codex Beauty...
Colleen Stauffer | Global Business Marketing, Pinterest...
Mari Mazzucco | PR & Influencer Marketing Manager, Olly ...
Jen Cohen Bogan | CEO, BlueJay Bikes...
Rachel Dealto | Chief Dating Expert, Match...
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
Mari Mazzucco
On the importance of the consumer...
“We want to make sure our consumer is empowered.”
On the successes from a brand’s point of view on influencer marketing...
“Influencer marketing has always been a really important channel of marketing for Olly. Influencers have a been a really valuable asset to help us tell our story.”
“Influencers have been a really valuable lever for PR.”
On types of influencers to work with...
“At each tier there’s a benefit. Mid-level are great for engagement and micro-influencers help us convert customers.”
Jen Cohen Bogan
On the benefits of electric bikes...
“There’s something super magical about a bike that can ride up a hill and go anywhere.”
On self-funding your vision...
“When it’s your money—every little decision—you feel it.”
“I feel that it’s a blessing because it forces me to be very focused. I have limited resources, I have to stay very focused to create what we need to have for this next generation.”
Aleksandra Zee
On making art that stands the test of time...
“I don’t want to make art that’s not mine forever.”
On starting a new venture...
“It was definitely learn as you go—‘fake it til you make it.’”
“I am self-funded as well, so every dollar does count.”
On making your side hustle your main hustle...
“I remember that feeling of being able to pay my rent with my artwork, which really blew my mind and still blows my mind today.”
“Do a day job that doesn’t take away from your creative space. Leave that creative space intacct.”
On sustainable purchasing...
“I want to encourage being intentional with your purchases.”
Colleen Stauffer
On finding inspiration on Pinterest...
“It’s a good place to do a gut check.”
Rachel Dealto
On the ways of dating in the modern world...
“We’re calling bullshit on dating today. Match is trying to fix part of the problem, trying to shift the way we think about dating.”
“Only 10% of Gen Z and Millennials are heavily dating. That means 90% are looking.”
On the multifaceted aspects of dating...
“The principles you apply to dating, you can apply to every other aspect of your life.”
“If you're in charge of your dating life, then you can be in charge of your professional life as well.”
Barb Paldus
On bringing her spin on clean products into the marketplace...
“If I don’t try, the world will not be a better place.”
On the importance of raising money...
“The moment you take venture capital money, it means massive growth and profitability.”
On taking time to make the right products...
“We really wanted to take the time to do the science right.”
Brand Equity: How to create a brand that lives beyond the social bubble
Panelists:
Angela Tafoya | Editorial Director, Lonny
Tanesha Awasthi | Influencer and Designer, Girl with Curves
Julie Solomon | Founder, The Influencer Podcast, Pitch It Perfect and The Influencer Academy
Katie D'Amato | Director of Brand and Social Activation, Alaska Airlines
Rachel Curry | Director, Marketing, Owned Channels at Volvo Car USA
Moderator:
Maxie McCoy | Author of You’re Not Lost and Founder, MaxieMcCoy.com
Angela Tafoya
On connecting with audience...
“We’re writing about a feeling. We never losing sight of what that feeling is and apply that to how we want to connect with our audience.”
“Consider mindful interaction and purpose.”
On vulnerability…
“Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. Doing so opened up a lot of areas for me.”
Tanesha Awasthi
On going into fashion...
“Really early on I wanted to be a fashion designer. I made the connection that what I was wearing really boosted my confidence.”
On her most important lesson...
“Be yourself. All you can ever be is yourself.”
“I valued my connection with my audience so much and what I realized through fully opening up and being real, is that we’re all going through so many of the same things.”
On a multi-dimensional brand...
“Your online business is going to spearhead the success of your offline business.”
On connecting with her audience...
“Real, authentic, and open communication with your audience. Not only are we trying to tap into a market that is underserved, I want to get my curvy girls exactly what they want.”
Julie Solomon
On brand growth...
“When you are creating and growing a brand, it’s a reflection of your own purpose and your own ‘why’ to the audience you're serving. First, you have to be able to answer for yourself, ‘why do you want to pick up your phone and post every day?’ The second is who are you talking to? If you’re talking to everybody, you’re essentially talking to nobody. You have to be very clear on who you’re talking to.”
On what she’s gotten wrong…
“I spent so many years in that affiliate rat race. If you’re not trying to build your own brand and your own activations, you’re missing out. Now I’m able to show up and really be a solution provider to my audience.”
On mentors...
“Align with the people you aspire to be or aspire to work with. Make sure that you’re following the people that inspire you, educate yourself and it will take you to the next step.”
On being unique…
“It’s not about what makes you different, it’s about what makes you unique. You have to get yourself out of that special snowflake syndrome. What is your unique spin on something. People don’t buy information they buy results. What unique angle do you have to get them to the results they need?”
On having clear goals…
“Clearly define your goals so you can eliminate your excuses. Break it down into really tangible goals. Really get clear on those steps.”
Katie D'Amato
On brand definition…
“The relationship a product or company has with the consumer.”
On human connection at Alaska Air...
“People are coming on board with a hundred different situations and our people are really important in developing that relationship.”
On brand mission and success...
“Know who you are. We pay attention to what we do really great at and stay in that lane.”
“What do you want to be known for and then go do that. Build a reputation out of that thing.”
Rachel Curry
On asking for help...
“It’s okay to find somebody who is really good at it and ask them for help.”
“Some of it will be self preservation some of it will make you fitter, better, faster.”
On growing as a brand…
“We stay pure to what we were founded on—safety and scandanvian design. But, we find ways for people to experience the brand in a new way and that’s why social is so important.”
On Volvo and storytelling…
“Buying a car is not always that exciting, so you have to wrap some storytelling around it—storytelling to help communicate why these features are important.”
Priceless Conversations: Meet the women making an impact
Panelists:
Deepica Mutyala | Founder and CEO, Live Tinted...
Taylor Jay | CEO and Founder, Taylor Jay Collection (Small Biz Mktplce)...
Payal Kadakia | Founder and Executive Chairman, ClassPass...
Victoria Pettibone | Managing Director, Astia...
Jennifer Marcou | General Manager, Relationship Marketing and Privacy, Microsoft...
Moderator:
Ginger Siegel, North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard
Deepica Mutyala
On starting your brand..
“Going down makeup isles and never seeing myself represented. Ever since then, I wanted to create an inclusivity brand.”
“Waiting for someone to do it so you can do it, but then you think, ‘why not me?’”
On being an entrepreneur...
“One day you have the highest high and the next, the lowest low.”
“It was important to me to start as a community-first brand.”
On flipping the script on investors...
“You realize you don't want investors who don’t understand what you’re building. When I heard a ‘yes’, I realized that was truly the right partner for me.”
Taylor Jay
On how her brand stands out in the marketplace...
“We stand out by being loyal to the woman that wears it.”
“We’re definitely slow fashion, we’re consistent, and we push comfort and style.”
“It was an organic twist, I had a product that people responded to in a positive way. I pretty much built on that. Community was important. Having a community of women you impact in a positive way, that pushes you to do things you had no clue you could do.”
On starting a new venture...
“I didn’t allow the insecurity of me not being a trained designer to hold me back.”
“I watched people that I was inspired by myself and watched what they did.”
“I believed in what I had and what my ideas were.”
“It was the hard hustle that pushed me through and still pushes me through, and faith.”
“You have to practice what you preach. If you operate that way, operate that way. If you don't, you don't.”
On tailoring her brand to the modern woman...
“As women, our lives change from day to day. My life is different every day, and I wear my brand literally every day.”
“It doesn't matter how you wake up feeling that week, the clothing is there for you.”
Payal Kadakia
On the power behind women starting businesses...
“I know other women out there are going to raise more money than I have.”
“We want women to build companies that are timeless. I want this to last hundreds of years, and that’s what gets me up in the morning.”
On what her secret sauce is...
“What I realized was that people didn’t have a way to stay active in an easy functional flexible way. We’ve been able to tap into people’s time. It’s about changing behavior.”
“It’s a behavioral change that we’ve created, it’s hours of people’s lives that are now spent getting off the couch and doing something they love.”
“It’s a mission I feel grateful to work on everyday. I never feel done.”
On wise words...
“Most things that we are passionate about take time.”
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
“We started out to change the world. Sign up for something that’s big. You’re going to take it to the grave. I hope I never feel like I’m done.”
“You have to realize that starting a company takes time. The important thing I learned is to stay the course, keep the mission and vision always in mind—that’s what helps me in those moments. Surround yourself with a great team that you can go to in those moments when you have to make those hard decisions.”
On eliminating competition with copycats...
“I had to get out there and become a leader.”
Victoria Pettibone
On inclusifying funding...
“When we focused on women, we were missing women of color. We’ve become much more intentional about it ourselves.
“That’s what we’re doing and what I’d like to see more of in other organizations.”
“.0006% of funding is going to black female founders.”
“There's a lot about venture that’s broken and we are trying not to replicate it.”
On fighting for investments...
“Don’t take no for an answer. There will be a lot of no’s but don’t take no for an answer.”
“We have a process that takes away a lot of subjectivity where we screen the deals and look beyond the geography of Silicon Valley. We put the entrepreneur first, and often were the first call the entrepreneur will make when they’re having trouble navigating a situation.”
Jennifer Marcou
On how Microsoft is continuing to meet needs in the ever-changing tech landscape…
“The customer is the number one priority.”
“Being close to the customer and staying close to the customer is number one.”
“To me, it’s the most customer-focused thing you can do. Be transparent with customers on how you’re using their data, giving them choice.”
On creating a sustainable team as an individual…
“First is creating a group of comradery. Second is building a skillset. And I think the most important thing is allyship. ”
On the top down mentality...
“We cannot make the changes we need to as women to change the percentage of investment in women’s groups unless we change things from the top down.”
The Industry of Influence: Meet the Women Building Businesses and Brands Through the Power of Personality
Panelists:
Megan Roup | Creator, The Sculpt Society (Diageo / Ketel One)...
Lauryn Evarts-Bosstick | CEO and Founder, The Skinny Confidential...
Arielle Vandenberg | Comedian, Actress, TV Host, and Influencer...
Jessica Ricks | Founder and Creative Director, Hapa Time ...
Ashlee Margolis | Founder and CEO, The A List...
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | Founder and CEO, Create & Cultivate
Megan Roup
On her journey for building a brand...
“It was my personal journey before it was my personal brand. Once I found a new sense of confidence and strength within myself, my why became really clear, really fast for me. I wanted to create a space for women to feel empowered. I attended a create & cultivate conference, and 2.5 years later I'm on the stage.”
On confidence…
“Practice, practice, practice.”
On business advice…
“Work smarter, not harder”
“Everything doesn’t happen in one day”
Lauryn Evarts-Bosstick
On making blogging a business…
“I came into it with the intention not to immediately make money. Bloggers have to go into it and provide value and I went into it knowing it wouldn’t make money for three years. Refine your intention for why you’re doing it.”
On thinking strategically about partnerships and content...
“You have to be really strategic with who you’re working with. I like to use it for a month at least. I like to find what’s unique about it. I think of my audience as influencers, I think A to Z. Are they going to go to happy hour and tell five of their friends? Is this something they’re going to keep going back to? Think five steps down the line. It’s a full 360 approach. It has to be a win, win, win—in for the brand, win for me, and win for the audience.”
On entrepreneurship...
“With an entrepreneur you have to learn to embrace the chaos. You have to wear 100 hats and be fine with it. Hire smart. You have to be your own crusader.”
On confidence…
“If you’re not keeping promises to yourself it reflects outward.”
Arielle Vandenberg
On being yourself and the rest will follow…
“I have never been one to be embarrassed or worry about what people think about me. Being on social media, there is a lot of haters and haters gonna hate but if you’re truly yourself you don’t need to think about that. You’re you and you’re perfectly you and no one can change that. I’m into anything that brings me joy, but I still try to keep it real. I just want to be myself even if I look crazy. I taught myself how to use premiere pro and direct and edit and light my own shit, I taught myself everything I needed to know.”
“If you’re truly yourself you don’t need to care about what anyone thinks about you.”
“I’m into anything that brings me joy but I still try to be real.”
On doing being successful on her own terms...
“My confidence was shot until I started doing it my way.”
Jessica Ricks
On the unknown territory of blogging…
“I had no idea, blogging has changed so much and it’s been a crazy journey figuring it out as we go.”
“No one knew what blogging could become.”
“It ebbs and flows… you really never know what can happen if you follow your dreams.”
Ashlee Margolis
On refining your focus and looking ahead...
“Don’t look at your competitors and don’t let that bring you down. Everyone is hustling, everyone is doing things differently. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused on what you’ve got going on.”
On standing up for yourself and knowing your worth in business...
“Know your worth and stand for it. Walk them through why you’re commanding more money, be honest with your clients. Explain where your value is.”
C&C Classifieds: Too Faced Cosmetics, OUAI Haircare, SoulCycle & More!
Your job hunt ends here!
Your job hunt ends here!
ID Group- West Hollywood
The Shelf - Remote
Cuyama Buckhorn - New Cuyama, CA
Hotel & Restaurant General Manager
Aha! - Remote
SoulCycle - Remote
Senior Manager, Casting & Talent Production
Qapital - Remote
Devada - Remote
OUAI Haircare - Los Angeles, CA
WGSN - Los Angeles, CA
Too Faced Cosmetics - Irvine, CA
Marketing Communications Coordinator
WAVE - Santa Monica, CA
Slow Stories—Literally, Slow Down: How Taking a Content Break Can Lead to Successful Storytelling
The turtle wins the race.
Photo: Courtesy of Slow Stories
Ahead of the season three launch of the Slow Stories podcast, I'm thrilled to return to our namesake column after a summer-long hiatus. When I wrote the most recent article in July, I was on the tail end of a period where I had essentially been operating on autopilot. Naturally, this ran counter to the idea of slow content and the themes that we explored last season on the podcast.
While my work certainly didn't stop this season, taking a brief pause from this particular initiative allowed me to recalibrate how I am able to fully implement a slower and more thoughtful approach to content across my personal and professional channels. As things kick into high gear for the upcoming fall/holiday content craze, I'm sharing a few things to think about if you're planning to rethink your content strategy during a high energy time.
Create Context
The most direct way to set the tone for a slowdown in content is to establish context as to why your audience can expect changes. This can range from a formal announcement outlining concrete details and timing of a content hiatus, or if you're unsure as to how long you need to recalibrate, subtle changes in your content calendar over an extended period. If you're a personality or individual content creator, I also encourage revisiting my April article, which also touches on the importance of boundaries. At the end of the day, whether you're a personal brand or business, it is at your discretion to decide how much you share online about the choices you're making within your company.
Adjust Your Posting Cadence
If you don't want to shock your followers with an unexpected silence, ease them to the changes by establishing a routine that is more in-line with your current content calendar. For instance, if you're in the middle of a visual rebrand and don't know how to incorporate this transition in your content, include elements that are reflective of your upcoming relaunch (i.e., inspiration imagery that contains colors from your brand color palette, behind-the-scenes creative imagery, etc.).
Or if it's a matter of the kind of content you want to step away from for a while, think about alternative ways to stay engaged with your audience. For example, if you are looking to step away from more highly-produced content, you don't have to stop publishing entirely. Instead, you can focus on "off the cusp" content geared towards mediums like Instagram Stories or Snapchat versus content that traditionally requires more planning on a blog, website, or Instagram feed.
Consider What a "Storytelling Sabbatical" Might Look Like
Regardless if you're in a marketing or content-focused role, creating content can be a full-time job in our current business landscape. Many modern companies have introduced sabbatical programs for tenured employees to take time off away from work and come back feeling recharged. The same thought-process is worth exploring in roles that require "always-on" responsibilities. While it would be challenging to step away from digital storytelling completely, if you are in a leadership position, consider implementing breakpoints that allow your team to immerse themselves in their field outside of the office.
Perhaps there is an opportunity to facilitate an offsite retreat or outing. For individual team members who may need to recharge, consider covering charges for a co-working space or an industry conference (like Create & Cultivate!) that will enable them to still add value to the company while also providing space for personal growth. The most compelling content and stories derive from innovative thinking. Sometimes all it takes is stepping back for a moment to inspire a considerable leap forward in the long run.
With the above points in mind, if you can take a content hiatus (either personal or professional) here are a few ways to maximize your time:
Regroup with Your Team or Collaborators
Whether you're in a corporate team or a solopreneur, storytelling is a collaborative effort. Use the time away from your devices to encourage face time to brainstorm and reconnect with those you work with closely.
Relaunch and Revise
When it comes to creating content with longevity, timing is crucial, so take the added time off to experiment and refine your content strategy, branding, or medium.
Redefine Your Definition of "Content"
Finally, think about how content exists in a modern landscape. Can events or experiences be content? Does content take shape in the form of a book or printed entity? Posing these questions will inspire new ways of thinking about how to disseminate your brand's story so that it keeps people on their toes while still connecting with in-the-know consumers.
These are just a few thought-starters to think about as you plan an upcoming content break and how to make the most of that precious time away from your screen. And if you need some inspiration during that time away, I encourage you to listen to the slow stories contributed by creative professionals in CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL's community.
I'll be back with my next article in October, but until then, check out these highlights from our season two podcast contributors:
Episode: Brandy Pham of PLANOLY on Creating Content with Purpose and Empathy
Opened by fashion illustrator Jeanette Getrost. Jeanette shares why The Florence Academy of Art Instagram page inspires her.
Opened by digital strategist and Written Coffee founder Ellie Eckert. Ellie shares why the book Applied Empathy resonated with her.
Opened by jewelry designer Grace Wong. Grace shares how Company of One speaks to what she's trying to do as a solo, small business owner.
Episode: Kathryn Duryea of Year & Day on Fostering Vision, Values, and Enduring Stories
Opened by Michelle Toney, co-founder of Morrow Soft Goods. Michelle shares a couple of books that have inspired her to slow down and lean into her imagination.
Episode: Carolyn Witte of Tia on How Content Can Shape How We Think About Modern Healthcare
Opened by Matisse Bustos-Hawkes, founder of Otro Lado Communications. Matisse shares why a podcast snippet featuring Sabrina Hersi Issa inspired her.
Episode: Alisha Ramos of Girls' Night In on Storytelling That Inspires Self-Care
Opened by Erin Allweiss, co-founder of No. 29. Erin reflects on two notable talks that resonated with her at the TED Conference.
Episode: Michael Ventura of Sub Rosa on Applying Empathy in Business and Storytelling
Opened by Veronica Souza of Vero Branding. Veronica shares why rediscovering a manifesto from her favorite cookbook reinvigorated her to slow down.
Episode: Tanya Taylor on Slow Content, Sustainable Style, and Standing up for Women Everywhere
Opened by Avery Cox, an interior designer. Avery shares why a compelling photography series by Anna Boyiazis inspired her.
To learn more about what slow content means and what it can mean to you, check out my first column here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Rachel Schwartzmann is the Founder and CEO of The Style Line LLC. She created The Style Line in late January 2011 via Tumblr and has fostered The Style Line’s brand in its growth since then. Rachel has been featured in esteemed sources including Forbes, Refinery29, and MyDomaine and has also spoken at Create & Cultivate and Columbia University on establishing a unique brand point of view and entrepreneurship. On October 1, 2015, Rachel took The Style Line in a new direction as a boutique content company with the introduction of its slow content agency CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL.
You can follow Rachel at:
The Style Line: @thestyleline (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter)
CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL: @connecteditorial (Instagram)
Rachel Schwartzmann: @rachelschwartzmann (Instagram) @RMSchwartzmann (Twitter)
Day in the Life: How a Modern-Day Philanthropist Runs Her Purpose-Driven Company
The founder of ALMA gives us a glimpse into her day-to-day life at a philanthropic startup.
Ever wondered what people do at work? If you’re a voyeur like us, then you’ll love our series A Day in the Life where we get a real behind-the-scenes glimpse into the professional lives of CEOs, business owners, and entrepreneurs we admire. From their morning routine to the rituals that set them up for success and questions such as “do you ever reach inbox zero?” because we all want to know how to streamline our lives.
“As most entrepreneurs will probably tell you, there’s no ‘average day’ in startup life. In the last year since starting ALMA, I’m no longer surprised by the daily surprises.”
—Michelle Rittenhouse
We’ve all heard the quote, “be the change you wish to see in the world” but if you want to see what this can actually look like when put into practice, check out ALMA. The co-founders Michelle Rittenhouse and Dan Hill are pretty perfect examples. The pair met while working at Airbnb and after realizing that they shared mutual passions for change-making and empowering others, they decided to create ALMA.
It’s not every day that you hear stories of people wanting to see a change in the world and actually taking initiative to make it happen. Rittenhouse and Hill have a very specific vision for their mission-based organization. In Latin, ALMA means “nourishing,” and that is exactly what this company intends to do: nourish and empower a new generation of philanthropists.
The organization is a platform that brings together nonprofits and donors, with an emphasis on transparency and collaboration. We sat down with Rittenhouse to walk us through a day in the life of the successful philanthropist, and to give us insight into what it takes to run a purpose-driven organization.
What does an average day in your life look like?
“As most entrepreneurs will probably tell you, there’s no ‘average day’ in startup life. In the last year since starting ALMA, I’m no longer surprised by the daily surprises. In a typical day, I might meet with a couple of nonprofit partners, launch an Instagram campaign to support the pro-choice movement, then test our new donation flow designs. I’m constantly switching gears.
“That said, I love routines to help me stay organized, so I build routines into my week whenever possible. Monday morning starts with a weekly planning meeting, and Friday ends by recapping the week with a PPF (Progress, Plans, and Fires). The day-to-day work changes constantly, but anchoring my week with those routines helps me to stay focused on the top priorities.”
What time do you get up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
“On a good day, I’ll get up at 6 AM and run, but realistically, most days it’s closer to 7 AM. I’m guilty—the first thing I do is check my phone. Since our product is very closely tied to trending topics, I always check a few news sources to see what issues people are starting to stand behind, and think about how ALMA might help be part of the conversation. I also read emails but don’t respond to any until I’m in the office in front of my computer. Glancing through emails, my schedule, and catching up on the news helps me prepare for the day ahead.”
Are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why?
“I’ve always been a night owl. If I have hard problems to solve, particularly if it requires going deep into the data, I find that I’m able to focus better late at night. Workdays can be too filled with distractions and competing priorities, but at night I can clear everything off my plate and go deep on a single idea. “
What does your morning, pre-work routine look like? What rituals set you up for success?
“First, breakfast! I need a good healthy breakfast before heading to the office. Lately, I’ve been prepping and freezing ingredients for smoothies to easily make throughout the week. I currently have an hour-long commute on a metro (with no wifi!), so I’ve been listening to podcasts or reading on the way to work which is a great way to ease into the day.”
Being a founder means you are wearing so many hats and across so many facets of the business. How do you manage your time effectively?
“I’m a ruthless list person, and I need to actually write things down. Nothing is quite as satisfying as crossing something off my list and I don’t get the same thrill from checking it off online. I’ve also learned when to ask for help or outsource certain areas of the company. I’m never going to be an expert in every aspect that’s required to build a business, so we lean on the experts when it makes sense.”
I’ve learned when to ask for help or outsource certain areas of the company. I’m never going to be an expert in every aspect that’s required to build a business, so we lean on the experts when it makes sense.”
—Michelle Rittenhouse
Do you ever reach inbox zero? How do you handle the constant influx of inquiries and communication entrepreneurs are so familiar with?
“Yep, though not too often. Since most of my team communication happens in real-time over Slack, email is less time-sensitive than it used to be. I tend to batch my email and crank through it in bursts, rather than constantly monitoring it all day. I don’t like to let emails dangle, so I’ve gotten better at quick replies, even if it’s letting the recipient know I’ll get back to them later. “
What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals?
“Talking to our customers is one of the most energizing and productive things I can do. It helps me see ALMA through their eyes, and they often have great ideas. I can’t tell you the number of strangers I’ve approached in coffee shops to ask them about their perspectives on donating to charity. It’s awkward at first, but oh-so-productive.
“Outside of work habits, it’s the self-care routines I’ve built that keep me balanced. I’ve always been a runner, and it’s critical for me to find the time and space for long runs on the weekends. It clears my head and sharpens my focus.”
When do you go to bed? What’s your “optimal” # of sleep hours?
I” aim for 11 PM. I recently set up Downtime on my iPhone it’s been a game-changer (Settings > Screentime > Downtime). At 11:15 pm, all my apps automatically lock. That’s my signal to put the phone down and grab a book.
“My other tip is keeping a journal. I’ve been writing in a five-year-journal for the last few years, which helps me unwind and clear my mind before bed.”
What’s the most rewarding part of your day?
“Hearing from happy customers is always the best part of my day. My company, ALMA, is a donation platform empowering a new generation of philanthropists, mostly younger, everyday donors giving $20 a month or so to the causes they care about. We hear constantly from donors that they’re much more satisfied with this type of intentional giving compared to just donating reactively to friend’s fundraisers or whenever there’s a natural disaster. We’re sending $1,000s of dollars to our nonprofit partners each month, including many small, local nonprofits, so this support is very impactful for them already.”
When did you know you wanted to start your own company? What was your journey like?
“I’ve had the itch for a long time, and last year the timing was right for me both personally and professionally. I was an early employee at LivingSocial, then worked at Airbnb for years, so I’ve been lucky to twice experience once-in-a-career type startup growth. When I was thinking about my next steps after leaving Airbnb, I knew I didn’t want to go work for a large company, nor was I eager to join someone else’s start-up. I had plenty of ideas and was eager to build something from scratch.”
What are some exciting projects you’re working on this month? What are you most excited for in 2019?
“It’s been great to see how active and passionate our generation is to drive change. In the first six months after launching ALMA, we raised over $500K for charity, with the average donation around $50. We’re connecting everyday people with really important causes. We’ve recently launched a number of big product updates, including the ability to donate to any verified nonprofit in the U.S. I can’t wait to see how much impact our community is able to drive over the next six months.”
MORE ON THE BLOG
Money Matters: Why "Being Close to the Financials Is Key" for Every Entrepreneur
Tech CEO, angel investor, and bestselling author, Kim Perell gives us the 101.
You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.
“Great people make great companies, so you need to invest in people first and foremost. No one is successful alone!”
—Kim Perell
When Kim Perell sold her first company, the cash file was so big, it exceeded the space on the receipt at the ATM. But it took a lot of hard work and grit to get to that point. In fact, Perell’s first company actually went bankirupt and she fully self-funded her first startup so it’s humbling to know that not every success story has a fairytale beginning.
Now Perell is helping other women join the billion-dollar club as an angel investor but that doesn’t mean she has slowed down her own entrepreneurial pursuits. The reality is quite the opposite. A serial entrepreneur at heart, Perell is now a tech CEO, and author of the national best-seller, The Execution Factor which offers practical (and real) advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
In this edition of our popular Money Matters series, Perell gives all budding entrepreneurs a reality check with her best money advice and financial tips to get your passion project off the ground. Just be ready to dream big and hustle hard.
Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy?
“As my first company went bankrupt, and I self-funded my first startup, I relentlessly focused on the bottom line. As a business owner, you have to pay very close attention to all financials—incoming, outgoing, collections, cash flow—all the financial fundamentals, including growth and profitability.
What was your first big expense as a business owner?
“Great people make great companies, so you need to invest in people first and foremost. No one is successful alone! We all bring different strengths, talents, knowledge, and experience to the proverbial table. The more we can recognize, nurture, bridge, and leverage these differences, the more effective, productive, successful—and, ultimately, the happier we will be.”
How did you decide what to pay yourself?
“When I first started my company, I didn’t pay myself and I continued on that trend for a very long time, and continued to re-invest in the company.”
How did you decide what to pay employees?
“We would pay competitively based on market value in addition to equity, and I’m also a big believer in goals and paying on the achievement of goals. Setting specific financial goals for people and teams and the company creates a win/win. Everyone is successful and aligned.”
“As an entrepreneur, being close to the financials is key.”
What are your top three largest expenses every month?
1. People
2. Rent (we have 21 offices)
3. Technology infrastructure investment
How much do you spend on office space?
“My first office was my kitchen table and from there I moved up to a windowless storage room as our first official office. It’s a wonder anyone worked for us. We were extremely scrappy when we started. Big office leases have bankrupted many start-ups, so I encourage entrepreneurs to be conservative on big overhead commitments. Today, many years later, as a global tech company, the amount we spend on office space is significant, as we have 21 offices across the globe. Cost varies greatly by city and the number of people in a specific office. Our offices in the bay area, NYC, London, and Singapore are particularly expensive.”
How much do you spend on employee salaries?
“People make up the largest % of our overall budget.”
“For women to reach the highest levels of leadership, the ability to understand the numbers and metrics of a business (and the sector you operate in) is key, and women are generally exposed to this less. ”
How much are you saving? When did you start being able to save some of your income?
“I remember when I sold my first company in 2008. I was, ironically, in Vegas for a conference when the buyer wired the money into my account. I remember going to the ATM, and the cash file was so big, it exceeded the space on the receipt. I started jumping up and down just thinking, Oh, my gosh. I can’t believe this actually happened.’
“Then I went back to work. I worked so hard to get to that point and am so appreciative and grateful for the opportunity that I’ve been given, that I must ensure that I continue to live a very responsible lifestyle. That was really the biggest turning point in my life. Up until that day, I was investing every dollar back into my company and I was finally able to see the reward from all my hard work.”
What apps or software are you using for finances? How did you decide when to hire a financial advisor?
“When I first started the company in 2003, I used Quickbooks and I ran all the financials myself. As an entrepreneur, being close to the financials is key, and I was especially aware as the company I was with previously went bankrupt. The keen understanding of the business metrics is also what enabled me to successfully sell the company later.”
Do you wish you’d done anything differently in your financial journey as a business owner?
“Dream bigger. While caution can be a good thing, don’t let it stop you from reaching your full potential. Allow yourself to dream bigger and reach for greater success. Now I think bigger and dream bigger in every aspect of my life. When you dream, dream big!
“Follow the two by two rule: it’s going to take twice as long as you think to achieve your goals, it’s going to cost twice as much, and you are not the exception. ”
Why should women talk about money?
“Everyone should talk about money, and especially women who tend to talk about it less. I would encourage women to ask more. Often times, success starts with an opportunity, and then delivering great results leads to more opportunities. If you’re stuck and don’t know how to get that first opportunity, the best way to start is by asking for what you want.
“Ask for the promotion. Ask for the raise. Ask for the opportunity. If you don’t ask, you won’t get. The worst thing that will happen is you don’t get it, but I’ve found that most of the time just the simple act of asking opens up the door to even more possibilities.
“For women to reach the highest levels of leadership, the ability to understand the numbers and metrics of a business (and the sector you operate in) is key, and women are generally exposed to this less. Understanding the numbers lets you speak the same language as everyone else, especially in management and leadership.
“Objective metrics also reduce the potential of gender bias because they are data-driven. I would encourage women to run towards the opportunity to gain exposure and understand the P&L and the financial fundamentals of your business and the sector you want to work in. Focus on how to improve and impact it in your role and in your team. Every role has some financial or key metric impact—how are you helping to drive revenue/growth, or profitability, i.e. reducing cost or allowing the business to gain greater leverage or increase efficiency.”
Do you have a financial mentor?
“My Dad. My dad was an entrepreneur who often struggled and he taught me the concept of having “F YOU” money, which means you should strive to always have enough money (at least six months worth of savings) so that you never have to rely on a job that doesn’t suit you. If you are financially in a position where you are not dependent on each paycheck, it will allow you to make better life decisions that are more aligned with the vision you want for your life.”
What is your best piece of financial/money advice for new entrepreneurs?
“I’ve become an active angel investor and I tell all entrepreneurs and the companies I invest in to follow the two by two rule: it’s going to take twice as long as you think to achieve your goals, it’s going to cost twice as much, and you are not the exception. To this day, I continually remind myself of this in whatever I’m doing financially, professionally, and personally whether I’m going to remodel a house and it’s going to cost me twice as much and take twice as long. If I’m going to buy a business at a certain amount, it’s going to cost me twice as much. Just knowing that it is going to cost more and it is going to take more time than anticipated helps create both the financial framework and the mindset.”
What was the biggest money lesson you learned since starting your company?
“How true the 2x2 rule is. Everything is going to take twice as long and cost twice as much as you originally thought.”
From Scratch: How This Founder Turned the Gut Health Trend Into a Best-Selling Beauty Brand
It’s an inside job.
We know how daunting it can be to start a new business, especially if you’re disrupting an industry or creating an entirely new one. When there is no path to follow, the biggest question is, where do I start? There is so much to do but before you get ahead of yourself, let’s start at the beginning. To kickstart the process (and ease some of those first-time founder nerves) we’re asking successful entrepreneurs to share their story in our new series, From Scratch. But this isn’t your typical day in the life. We’re getting down to the nitty gritty from writing a business plan (or not) to sourcing manufacturers and how much they pay themselves, we’re not holding back. If you want to know how to start a business, you’ve come to the right place.
Photo Courtesy of: Create & Cultivate
Of all the interviews we’ve conducted at Create & Cultivate, one of the main messages we hear from successful founders is find a need, figure out the white space, and turn it into a business. But here’s the thing, finding your niche or that untapped market can be tricky: You could list all of your interests and passions and still come away feeling as if you haven't hit upon the singular thing you were meant to do.
When you do find it, you’re often faced with anxiety-inducing panic because you now realize you have to execute it and if you don’t move fast enough, someone could copy it! But the question is—is it better to get up and running and be the first to market, or wait around and do it right?
For Carla Oates, it was always about doing it right. Her entrance into the startup world was ignited by her desire to see change. During her time as a beauty editor, Oates felt frustrated by the industry’s lack of transparency about the potentially harmful effects of their products and couldn’t stand idly by while people used ineffective chemicals to treat their skin. This is how she came to start The Beauty Chef, a company revolving around the concept that “beauty begins in the belly.”
Oates is no stranger to struggles with health and skincare. Dealing with eczema and allergies since childhood, she learned from an early age the strong connection between one’s mind and body. Oates is a firm believer that taking a holistic approach to skincare and wellness will make your skin brighter and healthier than any cosmetic product could achieve.
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Oates to share her journey from blogger and stylist to beauty guru and author of best-seller Feeding Your Skin, The Beauty Chef Gut Guide, and The Beauty Chef recipe book.
Did you write a business plan?
“When I first started out I didn’t have a business plan. I had no idea about the business. I had created the product now known as GLOW™ Inner Beauty Powder and developed a simple website where customers could purchase the product online. From there the business grew very organically, and it wasn’t until the third year when I saw a substantial increase in demand across various different retail channels that I felt it necessary to create a strategy and business plan to support the additional growth.”
How did you come up with the name? What was the process like?
“In 2009, when I brought my first product, GLOW™ Inner Beauty Powder to market, the business was actually called Carla Oates Beauty. At the time I was also giving a lot of talks at various organic and beauty expos around how to make natural recipes for skin health using raw ingredients. I’d been deliberating on whether I wanted my name to be the brand name or to keep it separate. Around this time I started titling my talks—as well as my regular column in Australia’s Sunday Telegraph—as The Beauty Chef.
“As the business grew it made more and more sense to streamline my talks, the brand, and the products to this name. My very first product that launched in 2009 was called Carla Oates Beauty Inner Beauty Powder and in 2012 I decided to change the name of the brand to The Beauty Chef as I felt it was a strong, more cohesive representation of what I was doing. This decision also helped in separating me from my brand—our mission to help people be the healthiest, happiest versions of themselves has always been bigger than one person.”
What were the immediate things you had to take care of to set up the business?
“All of the above! Website domain, business name, and trademark. Setting up our socials didn’t come until a little later.”
“I knew looking after your skin properly was an inside out job.”
What research did you do for the brand beforehand? Why would you recommend it?
“Research came in the form of my personal journey to creating The Beauty Chef, which really stems from my own skin and gut health issues and that of my family’s. As a child, I suffered from eczema and allergies and my mum took me to see a naturopath who dramatically changed what I ate, removing processed foods as well as allergens such as gluten and dairy from my diet. My allergies and eczema subsided, so I experienced firsthand the connection of food as medicine—that what we eat can affect our skin and health.
“As a journalist in my early career, I landed a job as a beauty editor for a mainstream newspaper and was inundated with lots of beauty products from mass-market brands. My excitement soon dissipated, after researching the ingredients and becoming increasingly concerned about the many toxic chemicals in skincare products. Women from all over Australia were writing into my column asking for advice on what products to use for their eczema, psoriasis, acne and other chronic skin issues. I knew looking after your skin properly was an inside out job from my own experience with eczema, and knew that none of these chemical-laden products would actually help, heal or regenerate their skin.
“I decided to make it my mission to help change the paradigm in the beauty industry and help educate women on how to look after their skin in a healthier and more holistic way. So I left the newspaper, wrote a book with Penguin books in 2004 called Feeding Your Skin and became the natural beauty writer for Wellbeing magazine, who I still write for today. I also penned a natural beauty column called DIY Beauty for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper for eight years, and during that time wrote hundreds of articles on natural health and beauty. I was the ambassador for organic skincare for the Biological Farmers of Australia for nearly two decades and am currently an ambassador for Australian Organic.
“Interestingly, when my daughter also experienced eczema and allergies, around 12 years ago, when she was about ten, I eliminated trigger foods like dairy and gluten from her diet, but I also started researching the link between gut health and skin health and found some of the studies very interesting. As I explored this link more closely, I decided to put my family on a gut-healing protocol which included eliminating certain foods from our diet but also introducing lots of Lacto-fermented wholefoods teeming with beneficial bacteria aka probiotics into our diet. These included foods like sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi. As I began to experiment in my kitchen at home, Lacto-fermenting a variety of whole foods, I realized I was onto something.
“Friends and family also took notice, asking what I was doing differently as my skin was glowing and I quickly became the local beauty pusher and supplier of these fermented foods as they became in high demand from everyone from neighbors, friends, and family. They found they had better energy, happier tummies, and healthier, more radiant skin. From here in 2009, the first iteration of GLOW™ Inner Beauty Powder was born, my first inner beauty product containing 24 bio-fermented superfoods with prebiotics and probiotics for gut health, glowing skin, and wellbeing.”
How did you find the manufacturer/production facility that you use? Did you have any bad experiences? What did you learn?
“Like a true journalist, I found our manufacturer through research. I did have some interesting experiences, to begin with as I was just starting out. The orders and quantities I was placing were modest and not in line with their usual requirements for minimum runs so I had to convince them and gain their buy-in that the business would grow. A key piece of advice I would pass on to anyone starting out is to ensure you have all correspondence in email so that there’s a record of the conversations. Also, be very clear about what you will and will not accept in your products.
“The processes and ingredients must be compliant with your brand philosophy; it’s important to be persistent, strong and dogged with your manufacturer from the onset as you don’t have the buying power and protection of bigger brands. Ensure that you obtain a solid, rigorous supply agreement from them early on to guarantee best practice is maintained between both parties.”
““I began the company with a few thousand dollars.””
Did you self-fund the company? Did you raise seed money or initial investment money? Why/Why not?
“The Beauty Chef products came from a genuine need rather than the approach of setting out to start a business, so I began the company with a few thousand dollars—$5000 to be exact. My first big break in a commercial sense came when I was approached by an agent at TVSN, the TV home shopping network here in Australia to sell GLOW™. In order to facilitate this opportunity, I funded the first run of products myself. GLOW™ was received very positively, meaning I needed more money to up the quantities that were being produced, so my sister and a best friend invested in the business and are still shareholders. To this day, GLOW™ is the number one seller in TVSN’s health category—and the continued success helped inject capital into my business.
“My biggest piece of advice to those starting out would be to do as much as you can yourself and remember that debt is always cheaper than giving away equity in your business. For me, keeping control of the brand in order to execute the vision without it being diluted has been paramount. That said, it really depends on the individual brand. Variables like growth and capital requirements can be important for attracting investors from a strategic and funding perspective, but it must be the right person(s) who can further amplify your growth and share the vision. The right partnerships are very important—PR, manufacturing, investors, etc.”
How much did you pay yourself? How did you know what to pay yourself? (You don’t have to give the $ value, just the percentage)
“Nothing for the first year. Following that, I paid myself $600 AUD a week for another year, and it went up incrementally from there. I supplemented this income by doing writing work for magazines.”
How big is your team now? What has the hiring process like?
“We now have 30 full-time staff at our head office in Sydney, Australia. Up until about two years ago when I brought on an external HR company, I did it all myself. I had no experience but knew I needed to find the right people with the right skillset. Do not compromise to fill a headcount. Be sure to follow your gut and to ensure that the person is the right cultural fit for the company. It also helps if the person has an interest in the brand mission, as their passion will run deeper if they have that personal interest that pulls them towards the product and philosophy.”
Did you hire an accountant? Who helped you with the financial decisions and set up?
“Yes. I hired an external accountant to help with taxes but I made all the financial decisions to begin with, which was a huge learning curve. I hired my first in-house account two years ago which helped alleviate the pressure from me enormously. One of the most important things I’ve learned when you start a business is to find a good accountant. In my experience, this is not easy. It is really important to understand the finances of your company and have a good understanding of taxes, tax concessions, grants, etc. So even if you are not all over the small details, you can pick up if something doesn’t look right. My advice is to ask questions! Continue learning and use your common sense. I ran a lean ship at the beginning, and kept overheads really, really low checking on cash flow and production flow charts each week and often on a daily basis.”
“Do not compromise to fill a headcount. Be sure to follow your gut and to ensure that the person is the right cultural fit for the company.”
“Look after your gut, be gutsy and follow your gut instinct!”
How did you promote your company? How did you get people to know who you are and create buzz?
“I had worked as a fashion stylist and beauty editor for several years so I had exposure to PR and marketing but no direct experience. I remember when I first launched GLOW™, beauty editors, while being baffled, were also intrigued, so it received a lot of attention from the media. As a result of a piece written on the product in Vogue Australia, the buyer from the Farmers department store in New Zealand called me and said that she had seen a story on the product in a magazine and bought it from my website. She was amazed by the results and said she would love to stock it but there was nowhere to put it on the shelves—no category for it, and that it was way too ahead of its time.
“As you can imagine, pioneering a category means you need big marketing spend to educate people about a new concept. So with very limited marketing spend, and no awareness of the category, how was I to market this new product and concept? With no shelves to put it on?
“You can’t ever underestimate the power of word of mouth! Our product worked—and people talked about it— they told their neighbors who told their aunts, their work colleagues, their cousins. And then once TVSN caught wind of it and asked me to sell it on live television this gave me national reach and a fantastic platform to educate the customer about the concept and it resonated with them.”
What is one thing you didn’t do in the setup process, that ended up being crucial to the business and would advise others to do ASAP?
“Not creating a business plan from the outset and not having a deeper understanding of margins and profitability. I had picked the most expensive raw ingredients and chosen a fermentation process that takes 6-8 weeks. Neither of these things is commercially viable yet ultimately has set the brand apart. Funnily we haven’t been able to partner with a distributor as our products cost so much to manufacture however it has worked in our favor, as The Beauty Chef has become known for quality and efficacy and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to) what advice do you have?
“Look after your gut, be gutsy and follow your gut instinct!”
Shop some of our The Beauty Chef favorites:
Collagen Inner Beauty Boost
$50
Body Inner Beauty Powder
$70
Well Spray Inner Beauty Support
$29
Come Backstage to DSW’s First-Ever Runway Redone Event in NYC
This post is in paid partnership with DSW.
In life, there are some rules you’re meant to follow, and others that are meant to be broken. Say what? Yup, you read that correctly. We believe that in order to live a fulfilled life, you might need to bend the guidelines every once in a while—and some just really never made sense, to begin with.
Let’s take the rules of the runway for example. For as long as we can remember, there has been a standard size, weight, and height that qualifies you to walk. Create & Cultivate and DSW recognize these outdated criteria and decided it was high time we throw out the rule book. So, in honor of fashion season, we joined forces with DSW to host an inclusive runway show called Runway Redone that was all about breaking down cultural barriers and celebrating inclusivity, individuality, and self-expression.
This was no ordinary fashion show. For the casting-call, DSW opened it’s entries to everyone across America. Instead of choosing people based on their appearances, we looked for those who have big personalities, charisma, and a unique story to tell—because that’s what really translates to beauty on the runway. The response was monumental with over 4,500 heartfelt entries and we read every single one.
After choosing the final 10 winners—which took an entire week—we flew them to New York City for a full day of beauty and confidence workshops hosted by Be Strong Representative, Shira Blumenthal, in conversation with model, activist & runway host, Hunter McGrady and Be Strong Speaker, Kechi Okwuchi. Be Strong is DSW Gives’ philanthropic partner and were founded as a national non-profit organization focused on preventing bullying and inspiring positivity and confidence. The Runway Redone models took part in one-on-one styling sessions with celebrity stylist Samantha Brown and glam sessions to perfect their looks for the fashion show. The following day, Hunter McGrady introduced our incredible winners who walked the runway alongside five DSW-selected stylish influencers and five DSW store associates to showcase the brand’s stunning new Fall ‘19 campaign. It was truly a moving experience to witness what a runway show should really look like—inclusive and vibrant.
The message was clear—we want representation, we want to see ourselves reflected on the runway, and in the clothing and footwear we want to wear. Our hope is that the momentum from this show lives on and becomes the norm for every fashion week. Follow along for some incredible behind-the-scenes moments caught on camera at the show—we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Watch the full fashion show here! #DSWRunwayRedone
Click to view the event slideshow!
Day in the Life: A Freelance Publicist Shares What It's Really Like to Go Out on Your Own
Truth bombs this way.
Ever wondered what people do at work? If you’re a voyeur like us, then you’ll love our series A Day in the Life where we get a real behind-the-scenes glimpse into the professional lives of CEOs, business owners, and entrepreneurs we admire. From their morning routine to the rituals that set them up for success and questions such as “do you ever reach inbox zero?” because we all want to know how to streamline our lives.
“Most of my daily activities are intentional, which makes me feel in control (like a real boss).”
—Kamari Chelsea
Photo: Courtesy of Kamari Chelsea
Confession: Sometimes I scroll through my own Instagram page (when I’m fighting late-night insomnia) and I reflect on old memories and how far I’ve come. When I scroll back to May 2016, I’m surprisingly nostalgic for the then 30-year-old me, staring away from the camera with bright-eyed expectation perched on a violet velvet couch inside the Mondrian Hotel lobby, Los Angeles.
The real context of that moment was even more alluring. In only a few minutes, I would be whisked away in an Uber to attend my first-ever Create & Cultivate conference. I envisioned myself rubbing shoulders with badass founders like Jaclyn Johnson and hearing megastars like Jessica Alba and Rachel Zoe share the secrets to building a wildly profitable yet chic business.
Needless to say, I was not disappointed by my experience (the VIP gift bag full of beauty products was a cherry on top of a surreal day). In fact, I attended the next two subsequent conferences in Atlanta and New York, soaking up all the business advice I could possibly get. It was a millennial pink whirlwind of networking, knowledge, and endless perks. By the end of a year, I was on a complete high.
As all highs do, though, mine slowly dissipated when I found myself sitting back at a desk job in late 2017, depressed because I had no idea how to create my own entrepreneurial lifestyle. I also had no perception of what that lifestyle actually looked like. Between the Insta-glam moments and breath-of-fresh-air conferences, I thought to myself, What does it actually take?
To answer the questions I once had—and to give an insider’s POV for those reading this who are also asking similar questions—I’m going to break down what my day-to-day life looks like now, three years into my journey. Since then, I’ve signed three major communications consulting clients, took a leadership role at a non-profit, and got married!
While this may feel far off for you, take a glimpse at what it takes, and you may realize in only a few steps, you’ll be on your way, too.
7:00 AM: Wake at Your Own Pace!
Listen, most business owners rave about waking up between 4:00 AM and 5:00 AM to take on the day. So, I’ll be brutally honest: No freaking way!
Unless I have a flight to Los Angeles or a train to New York (in which case, consider this quick tip: always travel early AF in the morning, so you can have a full day in the city you’re arriving in), I try to stay in bed with my husband until at least 7:00 AM. That means more time to playfully nudge each other and whine about who is taking up more space or comforters. There’s true value in being someone who gets eight hours of sleep a night; the benefits show up in everything from your skin to your attitude. I’ve learned to listen to my body and not what other people do, and it’s worked out gloriously for me.
So by 7:00 AM, I get up and give myself two full hours of peace. I try to leave the house within 25 minutes of waking up to go for a nice long walk in a local park. The fresh air, music (I play Jhéne Aiko on my headphones because she’s so pleasant in the morning), and the time spent moving slowly and intentionally is a luxury I won’t take for granted. It also allows my body to fully wake up on its own.
Ok, well, coffee also helps, so I religiously dash into the Starbucks by the park before heading home to shower and prep for the day. Basic, I know. So sorry.
9:30 AM: Finances, First!
Now it’s time to get down to business. I start with the most important thing: my finances. I recently hosted Kristin Lee, a celebrity financial planner, on my podcast and she emphasized the importance of checking your accounts and actually looking at your money. Literally everyone, with every size bank account, from Kylie Jenner to a 21-year-old intern, should be checking their accounts regularly.
I do just that. I review my personal and business bank accounts one-by-one, every day. This even includes my savings and stocks. Mainly, I do this to ensure there are no major surprises (the more you invest, though, the more you’re inclined to sometimes see good surprises like dividends).
Then, I review my business books. I start by opening up my accounting software, to ensure I don’t have any outstanding invoices or invoices that need to be sent to existing clients. Then, I check the ratio between my business expenses and my business income. This will help me keep a pulse on whether I should cut costs, pursue more client work, or set aside more money for quarterly taxes.
For some people, books can be boring; trust me, I used to be “some people.” Today, I’ve learned that a little pump-you-up music (Megan Thee Stallion, anyone?) plus some financial moments to look forward to (again: dividends!) can actually make this part of the day fun.
10:30 AM: Emails; I Make My Own Rules!
Once the money is squared away, I dive head-first into emails for legitimately two-and-a-half whopping hours. Since I work in PR and media, a lot of my time is spent pitching. I pitch partnerships; I pitch stories; I pitch for new business; I pitch potential podcast guests… I’m a pitching machine.
To be clear, “pitching” is a fancy way of saying “selling.” Any entrepreneur will tell you that selling is essentially the key to a successful business. You always need to be on your toes, making a sale and connecting people to what they need.
Inbox zero is not a goal (remember, I try not to do things just because other people do it). Instead, I pride myself in making sure I have at least five opportunities (pitches) going out every day, and five opportunities coming in. In my book, an opportunity can be anything from someone wanting to have a coffee date to an offer to be a guest on a new podcast.
Setting an email rule that makes sense for me and my goals is one of the best things I’ve done in my business.
“Inbox zero is not a goal.”
—Kamari Chelsea
1:00 PM—6:00 PM: Meetings, Meetings, More Meetings, and Surprise Meetings!
By 1:00 PM ET, I’m geared up and ready to relinquish my day to the whims of others. The minutes leading up to 1:00 pm are usually like the nerve-racking few seconds one feels when they’re riding a rollercoaster and it’s creeping up toward the edge of the tracks, begging to careen over into topsy-turvy mayhem.
Ok, maybe that’s dramatic, but I usually need to take 10 minutes to exhale (or inhale a salad) before the day of meetings begins. Most of my clients are on the West Coast, while I’m in the East, so having my mornings to myself is a God-send. However, this is the moment when everyone is wide awake, caffeinated, and working, which means… I am up to my ears in meetings, calls, and surprise issues.
6:00 PM: Networking: Required for Entrepreneurs!
By “quitting time” on the East Coast, I’m technically still knee-deep in meetings. However, by this time, I’m rolling into a different type of meeting.
I exclusively block off evenings in my calendar for networking meetings. The only way to grow a business and keep new opportunities in your inbox is to nurture your network. That’s why I try to take at least four nights a week to meet up with someone in my professional circle.
These meetings can include anyone from media to mentors and mentees, to cold-invites I send to people I really want to get to know. Actively networking (which is really just fancy language for “making new friends”) has become one of the most foundational building blocks of my business.
If you’re just starting out, begin by setting aside four hours a week to meet new people in your industry. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have an excuse to go out for a drink or appetizers in new spots around your city.
“The only way to grow a business and keep new opportunities in your inbox is to nurture your network.”
—Kamari Chelsea
8:30 PM: Dinner and Educational Leisure: A Book, Documentary, or Course
While the day is far from over, by 8:30 PM most of my clients are winding down, which means I can finally leave my phone in my bag for more than five minutes at a time. Since I try to commit one day on the weekend to being completely work-free, I maximize my evenings to do more work-adjacent activities.
The biggest myth of being an entrepreneur is that once you work for yourself, you’re completely free from anyone’s demands. But the truth is, the most successful entrepreneurs demand a lot of themselves.
For me, that means whipping up a 30-minute healthy dinner for me and my husband (vegan tacos are my specialty). And immediately after eating, I kick my feet up to crack open a new business book (right now, it’s Ted Talks by Chris Anderson), turn on a documentary (my current fave is Netflix’s The Black Godfather), or catch up on an advanced-skills course (today, I’m learning more about Facebook ad-buying).
Overall, it can sound like a gruesome day, but most of my daily activities are intentional, which makes me feel in control (like a real boss). My routine is a result of years of trial-and-error (no, I can’t wake up early to save my life; yes, I can eat healthier). It’s also centered on doing what is right for my unique business.
So, the real lesson is, once you know what industry you want to go into, get out there and network and then build your time around the goals that matter most to you. Before you know it, you’ll be building something of your own.
About the Author
Kamari Chelsea Guthrie is a multi-hyphenate media consultant, specializing in PR and content creation. Past and present clients include Coca-Cola, Parkwood Entertainment, Vote.org, DJ Spinderella, and TheKnot. She is also the host of The Truth Report podcast. Find her on Instagram @kamarichelsea.
So, You're Building Your First Team—Here's 5 Things to Know Before You Do
Take your company to the next level.
Photo: Angie McPherson
Building your first team as a startup entrepreneur is one of the most exciting parts about starting your own business. At last, the time has come for you to delegate responsibilities and get assistance. Let’s be real: you’ve probably needed more help for a while—now you get to actually hire the talent.
Human capital is what makes your business go (and grow) forward. For startups, the first 10 employees hired are crucial to the success or failure of the business. The hiring decisions you make will shape your company’s culture, and your employees will represent and express your brand to the world.
Want to know how to build a team? Here are five critical things to consider when you’re recruiting your first team.
1. You’ll Attract What You Project
When it comes to hiring, you’ll attract the job candidates your postings appeal to. Finding qualified candidates is one thing, but discovering applicants who truly connect with your messaging requires branding yourself with this purpose in mind.
Think about it as a second layer to your brand: there’s what everyone sees, then there’s a look at the corporate culture beneath the brand. Is your startup all about the beer fridge and billiards, or are you more focused on fair pay and benefits? The values and purpose you espouse on your careers page via your social media presence and in your job postings are crucial to finding the right fit.
Forty-seven percent of surveyed recruiters believe that social media is the best way for you to establish and promote your employer brand. Plus, your general audience will also enjoy the transparency; consumers love a peek behind the curtain.
2. Choose From Full-Time Employees and Gig-Economy Masterminds
In lean startup culture especially, it’s customary to harness freelance talent during a growth phase. You can hire freelancers on a per-project basis and you don’t have to contribute to their benefits, though generally their hourly or per-project rates will be higher. Freelancers are independent; they can come and go as they please and as you need them, and they won’t have the loyalty to your business that a full-time employee might.
Your full-time employee, however, has a vested interest in stabilizing and growing your startup. This employee’s livelihood, and most, if not all, of their working hours are devoted to the success of your venture. However, your investment is more concrete.
Your business, and its needs, will best determine this decision; most startups get a core team of full-time employees and freelance as they grow. Some of your best freelance employees may become full-timers eventually.
Whatever you decide, ensure you abide by IRS guidelines about contract workers vs. full-time employees. Many startups make the mistake of confusing the two, leading to potential penalties.
3. Save Money with Virtual Workspaces
Traditional, physical office locations bring a sense of community to your team, but they also contribute to a lot of overhead. As a startup, you can likely use some of your funding elsewhere.
Unconventional workspaces are nothing new to startups, long lauded for beginning in garages, basements and at Starbucks locations across the nation. Before you fill your workspace with people, think about what it looks like. Experts predict that the majority of the American workforce will be remote by 2027. If you’re hiring remote employees, consider candidates who have worked for startups before, people who have worked remotely, and those who indicate they’re self-starting and self-directed.
Tools like time-keepers, Trello, Asana, meeting-free Mondays, and carefully scheduling calls can also help you and your employees, whether virtual or ever-present in a physical location.
4. Recruit Online and by Recommendation
As a startup founder filling a specific niche, you’re probably already acquainted with many people in related industries. These connections are a rich resource. Harness your network to find top talent, especially when it comes to recruiting those initial core team members.
In a survey of over 3,800 recruiters, 43% indicated their primary source for quality hires was from social professional networks, followed at 42% by internet job boards and 32% from employee referrals. Therefore, recruiting online and asking your existing network for direct referrals can support your success.
When it’s time to find your core team, consider these methods. Don’t be afraid to ask a more advanced industry connection questions like, “If you had extra budget, who would you hire?” and “Where did your top entry-level candidates go to school?”
5. Focus on Analytics
As you build your team, it’s imperative to consider the importance of tracking your success. Metrics provide data that can inform your decisions to grow and expand your team, and if you’re planning to receive outside funding, proving your success is mandatory.
It’s also about your customers and clients. Regardless of your industry, every customer you serve is interested in at least one of two things: recommendations and/or metrics. Think about your average e-commerce customer. Shaped by online shopping experiences provided by the likes of Amazon, they’re used to receiving recommendations based on their browsing history and previous purchases.
Providing those recommendations means having a handle on browsing history and customer behavior data. If you want to compete in e-commerce, you’ll need employees who are skilled at working with big data to ensure customer and client success.
In a B2B (business-to-business) market, your customers will be interested in metrics. Their investment in your tool or service may not be useful to them if you can’t prove ROI (return on investment), meaning analytics are also essential components of what you do.
Additionally, there’s the success of your growing business to think about, and that will require productivity and financial analyses. Your core team members must address how to organize, finance and market your organization, and those high-level tasks require detail-driven analytics.
When you hire an analytical mind, consider how they will work with your most creative marketer or your dedicated developer. While “synergy” is a buzzword of the past, the concept still applies; especially in the early stages, you need a team ready to collaborate and weather startup challenges. On opening day, you have the best sense of what your business needs, so trust the data, qualified recommendations, and your business needs. Trust yourself to assemble the best team possible.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jori Hamilton is a feminist writer from the Pacific Northwest who enjoys discussing social justice, empowerment, and how to improve the workplace. You can find more of her work in her portfolio here.
Nature Needs Heroes—Timberland Is Calling on the Next-Gen of Conscious Creators to Put the Planet First
Put your best “green” foot forward and shop with a conscience.
We’re coining them the “zeroes”—this new generation of zero-waste heroes are conscious creators, plantfluencers, and eco-crusaders that are marching to the beat of a green drum towards a sustainable future. They’re also keeping the fashion industry accountable for its high waste-producing reputation. (For context, the EPA estimated rubber, leather, and textiles make up more than 9% of all solid waste within the US.)
According to the Pulse of the Fashion Industry 2019 Update, more people are choosing to look for fashion brands with an eco-friendly focus. In fact, 75% of consumers in the report view sustainability as either extremely or very important to them. But we’re at a critical point where the environment can no longer wait for the consumer to lead this movement—it’s up to fashion leaders to make the bold moves and switch to a sustainable business model. That’s why we’re so thrilled to be partnering up with Timberland for their Nature Needs Heroes event at their stunning NYC flagship on 5th avenue.
Photo: Courtesy of Timberland
While the lens on sustainability has been magnified in recent years, Timberland’s environment-first commitment has been ongoing. In a bid to alleviate the fashion industry’s impact on global C02 emissions, they’re going to plant 50 million trees over the next five years—they’ve planted more than 10 million trees worldwide already.
We’ve invited four conscious creators for an enlightening conversation on why putting the planet first is good for all—and we want you to join us!
Photo: Courtesy of Timberland
Read on to learn more about each of our panelists, the work they're doing, their mission, and why we should get behind them—be sure to RSVP NOW as space is limited and this will fill up fast!
Photojournalist exploring sustainability and social politics, founder, Adimay.
You can’t talk about sustainable fashion without mentioning Aditi Mayer. The creative force by sustainable fashion blog, ADIMAY, she has been exploring the ties between style, sustainability, and social justice for four years. *Read: Before it was a buzzword. Frustrated with the lack of representation and intersectionality within the sustainability movement, ADIMAY became a space that looked at sustainability with an eye that was equally curious, curatorial, and critical.
Deborah Shepard
Digital Content Creator, Clothed In Abundance
The 25-year old writer and speaker founded Clothed In Abundance to teach people about the benefits of minimalism and how the art of decluttering can positively impact our mental health, and finances. Deborah teaches spiritual women to care about things, deeper than things. She’s also the founder of Broke Not Broken a clothing line and upcoming podcast that supports and uplifts mental health survivors through the power of storytelling. Follow her minimalism journey on Youtube, Instagram, and find out how to support her work.
Founder, Trash Is for Tossers
As the founder and CEO of Package Free, Lauren Singer is on a mission to make the world less trashy by offering products that help you reduce waste daily. Her zero-waste editorial platform, Trash is for Tossers is an extension of that MO where she showcases how to live a low or zero-waste lifestyle that’s cost-effective, accessible, and fun.
An Environmental Studies graduate from NYU, former Sustainability Manager at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, and popularizer and pioneer of the Zero Waste Movement, the amount of trash that she has produced over the past eight years can fit inside of a 16 oz mason jar. Singer has empowered millions to reduce their waste and has kept over 100 million pieces of trash out of landfills through her work at Package Free.
Founder, Reading My Tea Leaves and Author, Simple Matters
As the writer and photographer behind popular lifestyle blog, Reading My Tea Leaves Boyle writes about all things slow, simple, and sustainable. In 2016, she authored her first book, Simple Matters—a nod to the growing consensus that living simply and purposefully is more sustainable not only for the environment but for our own happiness and well-being, too. Boyle embraces the notion that “living small” is beneficial and accessible to us all—whether we’re renting a tiny apartment or purchasing a three-story house.
Please come and join us on October 2 at Timberland’s NYC flagship on 5th avenue from 6:30—9:00 PM for our panel conversation “Conscious Creators—Why Putting the Planet First Is Good for All” and celebrate a more sustainable future. Make sure you RSVP HERE because this will be sure to fill up fast!
Hey Bay! Here's What to Expect at Our San Francisco Conference
Has anyone told you that San Francisco is boomin’? Maybe you already knew that but we wanted to remind you that the golden city is a cultural hub, technology epicenter, and foodie paradise—Oh, and it also happens to be the lucky location for our final conference to close out the 2019 calendar year! With all the excitement that San Francisco has to offer, it only made sense that we would make the trek up north to host our next event.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with our conferences, they are the biggest and best events C&C has to offer. But this time around, San Francisco promises to be even bigger and better than any other conference we’ve held before. We always bring our A-game but this time we’re putting some serious A-list talent on the stage, the pop-ups are poppin’ and the on-site experiences are major—and we even teamed up with PLANOLY to create a limited-edition Instagram stories template collection.
Before we give away too much, follow along to see what the day has in store.
THE NITTY GRITTY
Parking
Our SF event location doesn’t include on-site parking, however, there are paid lots nearby. We encourage you to take advantage of the city’s incredible public transport or ride sharing to set yourself up for a day of success.
Registration
When checking-in on the day of the event, you will receive your access badge, super cute At-A-Glance notebook, and track 1 or 2 schedule card outlining the day ahead. Depending on your lanyard you will be setup for track 1 or track 2—but we have that all mapped out for you so don’t stress. If you’re a VIP, you’ll get some additional swag and opportunities as well, including Alaska Airlines VIP lounge access and your own beauty bar (see below for more perks)!
Help?
If you need assistance throughout the day or have accessibility needs, then we’re only too happy to accomodate. Just look out for the friendly faces wearing blue tees with our San Francisco logo on them around the event—shoutout to Dazey LA for making these custom tees for our team.
Attire
Heads up, the event venue is massive with so much to see and do but this also means a lot of footwork. So, we suggest wearing your favorite pair of sneakers or comfortable shoes to make sure you’re using the ramps and stairs with ease—it’s a long day!
Bathrooms & Pump Room
We have two bathrooms at the venue but the biggest one (and chicest thanks Rael) is located on the 2nd floor. Pump rooms will be located on that level as well.
Our events fly by, so we suggest planning ahead see below for all the amazing activities!
LOCATION
SVN WEST
10 S Van Ness Ave,
San Francisco, CA 94103
Enter on 12th street
VIP
We love our VIPs and this time the perks are jam-packed! Take a look below to see what is in store for you:
A copy of WorkParty in your gift bag
Private Beauty Bar for VIP guests only! Get glammed up by Glam Squad revive your skin with a NuFACE facial, and freshen up your hair with Living Proof.
Gift bag with goodies from our partners and friends worth more than $350 dollars
Open bar all-day including Chandon and Ketel One Botanical
Perks from our brand partners (early access RSVP & more!)
Access to the Alaska Airlines VIP Lounge on level 3 to mix and mingle with your fellow VIPS, re-charge for the day at our charging station, and enjoy your own bar!
Yummy chocolates will be served in the VIP lounge by Maggie Louise Confections
Meet and greets with Ali Fedotowsky, Giuliana Rancic, LittleBlackBoots, and Hapatime
C&C INSIDERS’ PERKS
Our Insiders’ members get a ton of on-site perks and San Francisco is no exception. Not an insider yet? Well, don’t miss out—you can sign up here and pick up your membership kit at the Insiders pop-up on level 2 by the food hall in San Francisco.
If you are a member, here is a rundown of what you can expect as a C&C insider in San Francisco and beyond:
Hate waiting in line? Receive expedited check-in, and front of the line access for meet and greets
You’ll have priority seating at the main stage and second stage (yup, that means front row).
We have some swag for you at the C&C Insiders booth to pick up on-site
Skipped a panel to explore the pop-ups and activations? Insiders get access to all the panel footage after the event on your C&C Insiders dashboard.
Tarot card reading at the OLLY pop-up between the times of:
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
8:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Insider Meet & Greet at second stage between 6:35 pm - 7 pm with the below talent:
And last but not least, four lucky Create & Cultivate Insiders will each receive two round-trip tickets from Alaska Airlines. We’ll be announcing the winners on stage before the keynote speaker at 7 pm.
SPECIAL ACTIVATION RSVP
NuFACE is coming in hot with their retro airstream for special Microcurrent facials done by appointment. Not familiar with NuFACE or Microcurrent technology? Read up on what they’re all about here and see what they’ll be doing at their pop-up in the floor-by-floor break down below! Trust us—you’ll want to RSVP to this exclusive and lavish skincare activation. If you don’t sign up now, there’s a chance you might not get a spot once we’re on-site since it will be first come, first serve to those who didn’t fill out this form. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back.
Select one of the time slots below that you’d like to show up for (reference your track card for the specific times that align with your schedule). Note that the order will be dependent on who arrives to the airstream first and will go in order accordingly!
SCHEDULE
Want the full lineup? Check out the play-by-play schedule to map out your big day. It’s going to be huge so we recommend getting a head start on planning out your day now.
LEVEL 1
Key points for level 1: This is where you will find registration, beauty lounge, second stage, mentor power hour, and much more.
Batiste
Come and see for yourself why Batiste’s dry shampoo is a cult-favorite with celebrities and beauty editors. Have your hair styled and get the full model experience with their fun wind-blown photo moment.
Beauty Lounge
Want to have a major beauty moment? Come to the Beauty Lounge to have your hair styled by Olivia Garden with makeup touch-ups by Glamsquad.
Birdies
We all know Birdies after seeing Meghan Markle wear them but now you can experience the range first-hand and see their new design before anyone else at their pop-up. Be the first to try and buy on-site! And bonus—anyone who shares a photo of themselves wearing the shoes in front of the Birdies’ Instagrammable moment will go in the running to win free Birdies shoes every month for an entire year! For C&C attendees, you get this one time offer to receive 20% off Birdies shoes when you use: C&C20.
Bluejay Bikes
E-bikes are the next frontier in commuter travel and Bluejay bikes are leading the charge. Come and test ride their new power assist bikes on Level 1 right by registration. This company is very cool so don’t miss out on chatting to their team and trying this new bike out—they’re open from 10 am to 6 pm—PLUS, they’re giving away a bike (worth $2995) to one lucky C&C’er who test rides that day!
Chandon Bar
Our conferences are jam-packed with exciting things to see and do, but it’s also a place to celebrate and have fun. So make sure you stop by for a glass of Chandon’s delicious sparkling rosé or pick up a cute Sweet Star AluMini with a new (or an old) friend.
Codex Beauty
The clean beauty movement isn’t going anywhere and we’re excited to have one of our favorites, Codex Beauty in San Francisco. Take advantage of their exclusive 20% off deal only for those purchasing from the pop-up on site. Not sure which product to buy? No worries, they’ll have samples for you to try and a team of experts to answer all of your questions, along with some fun giveaways!
NuFACE
If you haven’t heard of NuFACE then we highly recommend you checkout their game-changing line of beauty tools in their retro airstream by registration. You can RSVP above for timed appointments during the breaks throughout the day for a microcurrent facial with their on-site team and test out their incredible skincare products—plus they’ll be doing plenty of product giveaways! This will be a pop-up you won’t want to miss.
POOSH
We’re beyond excited to have Kourtney Kardashian as a keynote speaker in San Francisco. She has been super busy with her new project, POOSH which has launched a ton of exciting collaborations this year with major brands such as Swell, Aquis, Vital Proteins, Saje, and Hora. And you’ll be able to check out (and purchase) all of them in person at their exclusive pop-up.
Pottery Barn
With all the things to do, see, and learn, you’ll want to take a break here and there to reset and recharge. When that happens, we highly recommend heading to the Pottery Barn Lounge near the second stage to kick your feet up and take a chic pic at their stylish set up. And when you share your experience on social using the hashtag #PotteryBarn they will make a donation to Girls inc.—so get sharing!
Vital Proteins
By now, you all know how much we love our Vital Proteins so don’t miss out on trying their delicious collagen water in a variety of flavors at their pop-up. Who wouldn’t want some yummy water that doubles as a glowy skin boost? Sign us up.
LEVEL 2
Key points for level 2: This is where you will find the food hall, C&C Insiders pop-up, and Instagrammable moments created by Corrie in Color and Shift Creative.
At-A-Glance
We all know the importance of a killer to-do list, and your notebook is a major player in your productivity. That’s exactly why we’re bringing our team’s favorite notebook brand, At-A-Glance, to the conference for all of our attendees. At their booth, you’ll be able to customize their notebooks thanks to an onsite calligrapher—love a monogram moment!
Chameleon Cold-Brew
Sip on some cold brew while you become an Instagram Storytelling guru at the PLANOLY pop-up workshop.
Insiders Pop-Up
Grab your C&C swag at the Insiders booth. It’s not too late! You can also sign up here if you aren’t a member yet.
Jade Leaf Matcha
Love your matcha as much as we do? Head over to the Jade Leaf Matcha pop-up cafe where their team will be whisking up complimentary Iced Matcha Lattes. Attendees will receive free samples of their new products that include their Matcha Latte Infusions and Matcha Fruit Bites. Bonus: Get your camera ready because their matcha latte art designs are so pretty, you’ll want to gram them.
Olipop
The entire C&C team is obsessed with Olipop. Why? Aside from the fact that it tastes delicious, this healthy alternative to soda only has three grams of sugar and not to mention prebiotic properties. Grab a can from their retro drink cart and decide which flavor is your favorite. (We love the Cinnamon Cola!).
Instagram Stories is where it’s at in terms of content creation right now and PLANOLY is leading the pack with their IGS template app, StoriesEdit—be sure to download our exclusive San Francisco templates. If you want to up your Instagram game, then don’t miss their Storytelling with PLANOLY workshop that will teach you about the importance of brand storytelling and so much more!
Purely Elizabeth
You’ll need some serious fuel to get you through all the walking, talking, and learning you’re about to do, so don’t miss out on breakfast at the Purely Elizabeth booth. They’re also serving up a seriously cool Instagram moment so don’t forget to take a picture with your breakfast.
FOOD & BEVERAGE:
BREAKFAST powered by OLLY
This is your time to supercharge before the big day ahead with smoothies, yogurt parfaits, grab-and-go breakfast bars, and vitamin samples provided by OLLY.
LUNCH
Urban Remedy
We’re obsessed with the healthy (and delicious) meals from Urban Remedy so we’ve partnered up with them for lunch. Select from two different kinds of salad bowls that will keep your energy levels up to power through the rest of the day.
BREAK
Beyond Meat
There’s a reason for the buzz around Beyond Meat. Pick up one of their burgers and discover this delicious meat alternative that will fill you up without compromising on flavor. You won’t believe it’s not real meat!
WATER
Core Water
It’s a long day so we want to make sure you’re staying hydrated thanks to our favorites at Core Water. Pick up a bottle at any of the bars on-site.
HAPPY HOUR
Batter Bakery
When you need a quick energy hit, pick up the delicious caramel nib brownies and shortbread cookies from Batter Bakery. They’re sure to cure your sweet tooth cravings!
Lush Yummy Pies
Close out your busy day of panels, new learnings, and new friends with the yummy “Butta Cookies” from Lush Yummy Pies.
Made by Melissa
It wouldn’t be a true happy hour without cupcakes! Try Made by Melissa’s—you’ll crave them forever even after one bite.
Sparkling wine and low-cal cocktails will be flowing at happy hour, provided by our friends at Ketel One Botanical and Chandon.
The Pop-Up Market: LEVEL 3
Key points for level 3: This is where you will find restrooms, the pop-up market, charging stations, and Instagrammable moments created by Tiffany Lusteg and Dazey LA.
Alaska Airlines VIP Lounge
Calling all VIPs. The Alaska Airlines VIP Lounge is where it’s at. Drinks will be flowing all day, you can get glammed up by Glamsquad, revive your skin with NuFACE facials, and freshen up your hair with Living Proof. Call it your one-stop-shop for all things rejuvenation and relaxation provided by our friends at Alaska Airlines. Those who come hang will also get the chance to win a roundtrip ticket to anywhere, so make sure you stop by.
Alaska Airlines Confetti Corner
Not a VIP? Don’t sweat it—Alaska Airlines also has a fun Confetti Corner in the pop-up market you won’t want to miss. Snap a photo at this awesome Instagrammable moment—your friends will definitely be feeling the fomo with this one.
Biossance
If there’s one brand that’s completely reimagining clean beauty it’s Biossance skincare. At their pop-up, you’ll learn all about what makes their products “clean” with testing and samplings of their best sellers. Snap a pic in front of their “raise your standards” art piece. They’ll have sales happening on-site along with samples to test out the products before you buy.
Bluejay Bikes
If you could ride a bike anywhere, where would it be? Stop by the Bluejay Bikes pop-up to write on their chalkboard to write where you’d go. We’re excited to share that you can test ride their bikes on Level 1 by registration and one lucky rider will win a Bluejay bike worth $2995!
Bumble Bizz
Bumble Bizz puts the fun in networking and business building. Make sure you set up your profile before arriving at our SF conference because Bumble Bizz are offering free professional headshots at their pop-up to all users. Bumble Pro Tip: Change your radius on Bumble Bizz to one mile to match with other attendees on-site for the ultimate networking experience.
CB2
No-one does cooler office décor than our friends at CB2—just take a peek inside our CEO, Jaclyn Johnson’s badass boss office to see what we mean. If you’ve always wanted to experience it in person, then don’t miss the CB2 photo moment at their pop-up. Snap your next profile picture here and get inspiration for you home office design.
Chandon
Sip on delicious sparkling wine from their adorable Sweet Star AluMini’s while you snap a picnic flat lay selfie for the gram. Share this pic for a chance to win a trip to Domaine Chandon in Napa. Yes, you heard right, a trip to the Chandon HQ in Napa! So, get snapping.
Dyson
We all know Dyson has some of the best cutting-edge vacuum technology on the market but have you tried their blow dryers? Test out their hair tools for yourself at the Dyson Lab pop-up for complimentary styling with their latest hair-care technology. During your appointment, your hair will be analyzed by a Dyson stylist to pick the best techniques for you and show you how to do it yourself, as well. They’ll also have a super fun social-worthy photo moment for your post-blow out ‘do.
ELOMI
We all know how frustrating it can be to buy the right bra. And with so many options now, sometimes we all need someone to help us cut through the noise. Well, now you can thanks to our friends at ELOMI. There will be a team of on-site experts to help guide you through the process and find a supportive, comfortable bra that works for you. So make sure you stop by their pop-up for bra fittings and walk away with a free bra that’s made to fit your body.
Fair
The future of car ownership is here, and it’s called Fair. The car-buying app makes the big decision much less daunting and far more fun. At the Fair pop-up, there will be swag giveaways along with a fun photo moment. Not sure how the app works? No problem. There will be an app how-to video so you can understand how easy it is to avoid the dealership.
Fountain of Truth
We’re obsessed with Giuliana Rancic’s clean, high-performance beauty line, Fountain of Truth. Swing by to test all their products including fan fave Truth Insta-Face Elixir. All of the products are available for purchase. Create & Cultivator’s receive an exclusive 30% discount with every purchase on-site using the code 30CCSF at checkout.
GHD
You won’t need to fret about doing your hair before our event day because GHD is here to save the day. Head to their pop-up to have your hair styled by one of their experts then watch their celebrity hairstylist lead a master class on how to create the perfect waves with your flatiron. Fill out an inspirational post-it note while you’re there and put it on the wall for everyone to see.
Grove
Grove is the first online retailer to deliver natural home and personal care products right to your door. Come visit their pop-up and be the first to experience their new Clean Beauty experience "Roven" before it goes live. Roven is there to help you find clean products that work without the guilt, fear, or jargon—so come test, play and explore! Plus, share and tag them on social by using @heyroven and get a free full size clean beauty surprise and an exclusive make up bag!
Intel
If there is one leader in the technology space who continues to innovate, it’s Intel. Now they’ve done it again by making technology portable and easy with their latest Nuc tablet. This mini PC fits is packed with all your entertainment, gaming, and productivity needs. Visit their pop-up and see for yourself why Nuc is at the top of everyone’s conversations. They’ll be playing exclusive videos from your favorite creators including Jess Franklin and Deepica Mutyala, discussing how technology plays a big role in their lives and careers.
Kamik
Love the outdoors? This pop-up will take you there. Come visit the Kamik Lodge to step inside a cozy fall escape and preview their latest Fall/Winter footwear collection—and leave with a tasty Canadian treat.
Ketel One Botanical Bar
When it’s time to unwind, hit up the chic Ketel One Botanicals bar. Their bartenders will be serving three of our favorite delicious, low-cal cocktails.
LaCroix
Everyone’s favorite carbonated, sugar-free soda will be passed out at the Lacroix pop-up along with colorful, branded swag.
Living Proof
Test drive Living Proof’s beauty-editor approved, cult-favorite dry shampoo at their pop-up. While you’re at it, you can get your hair styled so that you look and feel ready for a jam-packed day of panels and activations!
Match
Drop into the Match pop-up for some cotton candy and one-on-one dating advice with their dating coach. Spoiler alert: if you come by at break time, you’ll have the chance to meet fashion icon and content creator, Little Black Boots!
Microsoft Teams
Check out our mini-documentary to see how the C&C team brings events to life with the Microsoft Teams feature. Plus, snap and share your “Team Goals” photo in the Microsoft Teams pop-up for the chance to win a free pair of Surface Headphones!
OLLY
Sample the best-selling gummy vitamins and learn more about their benefits from a deeper sleep to vibrant skin. Be sure to snap a pic in their cool “California Dreaming” photo moment. Are you an Insider? Swing by to sign up for exclusive tarot card readings at their pop-up.
Olivia Garden
If you’re looking to invest in professional grade hair styling tools then Olivia Garden is your destination. Pop by their pop-up for complimentary hair styling and a special Instagrammable photo moment inspired by Game of Thrones—yes, that throne is involved. This is a can’t miss opportunity you won’t find anywhere else!
PicMonkey
Get a professional IG moment at the PicMonkey pop-up and receive the edits in real-time along with a cute PicMonkey template. You won’t be leaving empty handed either—grab some PicMonkey swag before your next panel!
RAEL Bathrooms
Who wouldn’t want female founded, natural feminine care products at a fair price (and globally)? RAEL is making bathroom breaks at our SF conference easy, enjoyable, and seriously chic. They’ll also be providing some sweet goodies and tote bags in the lounge area.
RoC
See why one of our favorite drugstore brands, RoC is renowned for their game-changing retinol line. The team will be showcasing their product range for you to test and try while providing cute and tasty macaroons too.
Rodan + Fields
Visit San Francisco-based, prestige skincare brand, Rodan + Fields at their #RFxCC booth to get an exclusive sneak peek and hands-on experience of their newest innovation! Learn first-hand why this brand is a go-to for skincare experts about their groundbreaking proprietary technology and how it delivers visible results. You’ll leave with an instant, glittering, holographic glow and have a chance to win the new launch!
Supergoop!
Sun protection, but make it fun (and cute!). Come sample and purchase the extensive suncare line at Supergoop! Their retro pop-up is totally grammable so snap a photo in front of their fun photo op!
Tamara Mellon
Shoes for women, designed by women that break the rules—now that’s a mantra we can all get behind. Come see what Tamara Mellon is all about and try (then buy) your favorite pair (or two) on-site at their pop-up. You’ll also receive an exclusive gift card in your gift bag at the end of the day!
Tampax PURE
Tampax PURE tampons are organic AND give you the trusted protection you expect and deserve—no need to compromise. Visit their pop-up to snap and share a picture of what you are not willing to compromise on this year. For every post shared, Tampax and Always PURE will donate period product*, up to 5,000 pads and tampons, to people in need through their partnership with Feeding America®.
*Tampax and Always will donate one pad or one tampon for every Instagram post made before Sunday, (9/22), 11:59 pm ET. Instagram profile must be public and tagging @Tampax @FeedingAmerica and #PUREandEasy in post.
Vanity Fair® Lingerie
Are your bras lacking in comfort, support, and style? Not sure if you’re wearing the right fitting bra? The team at Vanity Fair® Lingerie can help. Head to their pop-up and be measured to determine your perfect size and receive a free bra. If you come during the break between 1pm-2pm, you’ll be able to meet TV personality and lifestyle blogger, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno!
Vince Camuto
Elevated, stylish and comfortable boots and shoes that are made for walkin’? Vince Camuto has you covered. Be sure to head over to their pop-up for a very special meet-and-greet with chic content creator, Hapatim, during the break between 6:05 pm - 7:00 pm on Level 3.
Volvo
Life is stressful, we all wear a lot of hats but Volvo is here to save the day. In celebration of their new luxury SUV plug-in hybrid XC90 vehicle, they’re helping attendees to recharge and reset with a complimentary massage station. Get in early because this one is going to be popular.
LEVEL 3 (ROOFTOP)
Key points for level 3 (rooftop): This is where you will find the Mastercard Main Stage, Small Business Marketplace, and a priceless Instagrammable moment by Mastercard.
We’ve partnered with mastercard to select some incredible local small businesses in the San Francisco area. Come support these amazing ventures that will be showcased in the Mastercard Small Business Marketplace on the Level 3 Rooftop. These businesses include Taylor Jay Collection fashion label, Oso and Me children’s apparel and accessories, Kim + Ono kimonos, Mel Rice Ceramica ceramics (don’t miss out on seeing their live throwing demonstration), East Olivia Creative floral designs, Esselle SF gifts, goods, and wares, Michele Holmes Brow Studio (with brow appointments on-site!), and TinyB Chocolate (with samples for everyone!).
GIFT BAGS
We know you want ‘em! Get your shoulder ready for gift bags filled with goodies from some of your favorite brands like OLLY and Chandon. Please note, gift bags are only available at the end of the night. Pick them up at registration on the first floor (where you checked in at the beginning of the day) in exchange for your badge. So, please keep in mind, if you have to jet off early and want to collect your bag on the way out, you’ll also be forfeiting your right to come back in.
Can’t make it to our SF conference but still want in on all the gift bag fun? No problem—enter here for a chance to win our gift bag giveaway!
Get prepped ahead of next weekend’s conference and stay tuned for updates by following along on our social at @createcultivate and use the hashtag #createcultivatesf to keep in touch!
WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU IN SF! Who are you most excited to see? Share in the comments below!
C&C Classifieds: SoulCycle, Tinder, Microsoft & More!
Your next job is waiting for you!
Your next job is waiting for you!
Choosy - New York, NY
Marketing & Creative Coordinator
Vampped - Los Angeles, CA
Influencer Marketing Account Coordinator
New Belgium Brewing Co. - Fort Collins, CO
Informa Markets - New York, NY
Cora - San Francisco, CA
Senior Associate, Social Media
Makeup by Mario - New York, NY
Personal Assistant to Mario Dedivanovic
The Little Market - Westwood, CA
Microsoft - Chicago, IL
SoulCycle - Chicago, IL
Tinder - Los Angeles, CA
Senior Manager, Performance Marketing
IPSY - San Mateo, CA
Free Download: How to Take Better Instagram Photos, According to Our C&C Photographer
School is in session.
Have you always wanted to shoot professional imagery for your brand but don’t have the budget to afford a photographer? Well, what if we told you that you can do it yourself?
Now that’ we’ve shown you how to use Lightroom to create gram-worthy images, Create & Cultivate photographer and founder of Smith House Photo, Becki Smith is taking you back to basics with her new online course, The Develop Course.
Smith specifically designed the program to help amateur photographers learn the basics from how to use a camera or find the best light so you can shoot gram-worthy imagery for your personal brand, website, or business.
Read on to learn more about the course modules and to get the exclusive free download on how to up your Instagram game by shooting better photos on your iPhone.
The Develop Course includes the following modules:
The Basics of Photography
To get you started, this first section of the course will teach you all about how to use your camera from the aperture, ISO, shutter speed, the exposure triangle, and more to take better photos.The Best Light
Any photographer will tell you that snapping the perfect shot is all about finding great light. This section teaches you how as well as what to do when there isn't any, the temperature of light, and what it all means to your camera.Introduction to Composition
Learn the rules of composition so you can shoot great images that not only engage your audience but draw in new followers, too.Shooting in Real Life
Now that you’ve learned the basics, it’s time to take your skills out into the real world. This part of the course will show you how to take great photos even when you’re on the go and put them into practice for Instagram.
Bonus Module for Create & Cultivators: An Intro to Editing
Because we know you want it, this section will teach you how to utilize Lightroom, how to make adjustments, and export photos to look their best and make you look like a professional—because now you really are, right?
Visit SmithHousePhoto.com to sign up! This one is sure to fill up fast.
EXCLUSIVE: Free Download for Create & Cultivators!
Have you always wanted to shoot professional photos just using your iPhone? Well, now your feed can look just as beautiful and bright as the Create & Cultivate Instagram thanks to Smith’s exclusive download.
The C&C photographer lets us in on the secret app she uses to shoot manually on her iPhone—you can download it HERE, it’s genius! Click the link below and follow her simple instructions, then be sure to tag us in your profesh photos on Instagram so we can see!
Camera 101—An Introduction to Manual Mode
Happy snapping!
Want more? Sign up for the full course at SmithHousePhoto.com —you don’t want to miss this!
Everyone's Got Rhythm: How Music Promotes Happiness and Well-Being
Have you ever taken a moment to consider the power of music? According to research by the National Alliance of Mental Illness music therapy can benefit several mental health conditions including depression, trauma, and schizophrenia (just to name a few). Apparently, music acts as a medium for processing emotions, trauma, and grief but it can also be a calming agent for anxiety. That’s some powerful stuff, right?
Beyond music’s therapeutic abilities, just listening to music and playing instruments raises our overall happiness meter. We’ve all experienced those warm and fuzzy emotions when a nostalgic throwback song comes on the radio and we are instantly transported to another space in time. Music affects our sensory system more than we realize.
What if we told you that you could improve your mental health just by learning how to play a new instrument? You don’t even have to master it. Just learning how to read sheet music or attempting to play the chords can have the same positive impact. Oh, and from the comfort of your own home, or car, or desk—we aren’t joking!
Our friends at Fender have created an app known in the marketplace as Fender Play and we are in awe of its capabilities. This groundbreaking app teaches you how to play guitar, ukulele and bass, anywhere. Attendees at our Self Care Summit this year were some of the first to experience the app during the Fender Play ukulele class. But if you couldn't be there, we interviewed Fender Digital’s Director of Product, Mary Keenan to take a deep-dive on music therapy, how to play an instrument at the tap of an app, and so much more.
Follow along for some hard-hitting facts and deep insight on why music is something we all should embrace—for the betterness of our minds and bodies.
Create & Cultivate: What does your role entail at Fender? In what ways does your role touch Fender’s app, Fender Play? How long did it take to develop? Tell us everything!
Mary Keenan: “I oversee the curriculum and learning for Fender Play. I work closely with the other members of the product team to define the learning experience in the app. My team designs and writes each of the lessons used on Play and interacts with the production team to get it shot. We publish all of our content and, most importantly, provide support to users who are actively using the program. That helps us to shift our curriculum roadmap as we grow.
“We just celebrated our two-year anniversary. From initial germ of an idea to launch, it didn’t take us long to write and shoot the few hundred lessons we started with. However, we are expanding our content every day and have gone from hundreds to thousands today.”
C&C: Can you provide us with a rundown on the app? Why should people download it?
MK: “Fender Play is an online learning platform specifically for beginners. It’s designed to get you playing in minutes using a guided learning experience showing, step-by-step, how to get there. We bring players from the first step, how to hold the instrument, all the way through playing songs at an intermediate beginning level.
“Why download it? Because it works. We have over 17 thousand five-star reviews from users telling us this is the first time since trying to learn that they’ve really been able to play. That’s exciting to hear, but not really surprising. It’s because we approach learning a little differently than other programs.
“Our goal is to cater to busy lifestyles. Not only can you practice anywhere, anytime but Fender Play also helps you learn hundreds of skills with lessons averaging two to six minutes in length. Our videos are shot in very high-quality 4K, with clean and simple concepts presented one at a time. We break down what is a very overwhelming process into bite-sized, achievable steps. Anyone who has a goal of learning to play and gets motivated by quick results is going to love the approach.”
C&C: In your own words, how does music cultivate happiness?
MK: “When we think and talk about music, we often think about it as a hobby. But music is actually an essential part of our physical, mental and emotional health. There is ample research surfacing about how the brain and body reacts to music, thus uncovering more about the benefits of music than ever before. From my perspective, music cultivates happiness by bridging gaps—creatively, socially, academically and even deep in the recesses of our own brain.”
C&C: How is learning to play an instrument and read music crucial to brain health?
MK: “The list of physical and emotional advantages of playing an instrument is about a mile long. It helps with speech, literacy, math, dexterity, emotional intelligence, improved memory and overall IQ. It turns out that we use many parts of our brain when we listen to and play music.
“If we play enough to develop muscle memory, it gets stored for the long term in the cerebellum. Reading music taps into the center of the brain where language is processed. Playing an instrument is a complex psychomotor task, which means that it requires a combination of motor control, auditory and cognitive work to even happen.
“More recent research shows that everyone benefits from musical instruction, from very young children to seniors. Our brains have neuroplasticity which allows us to actually cause measurable changes by playing music. So cognitive and neural function is improved across the board, regardless of age. Fender Play takes advantage of this finding by applying some key learnings from neuroscience and biomechanics to the instructional approach.”
C&C: Music has the power to impact us on a deep, emotional level. How can music be therapeutic? How can music learning enhance our well-being and mental health?
MK: “Music is very connected to the emotional centers of our brain. When we listen to a song that we like we get a rush of dopamine, which is the hormone that puts us in a good mood, motivates us, and helps us to focus and complete tasks.
“Our approach leans into popular, familiar songs as a way to motivate our users to play. Each time a skill is learned, it’s presented again in the context of learning a new song, to promote learning transfer. Players feel excited about their progress and even more so about their playing when it’s applied to something familiar and fun.
“Research shows that learning music isn’t as effective at making changes to your brain when it’s music that we don’t like. But when we do like a song, that’s when you really start to see the impact on mental and emotional health.”
C&C: Are you aware of any scientific leads or proven facts surrounding music’s connection to well-being? If so, what might they be?
MK: “As for recent research, a couple of studies caught my eye this summer, two in particular that came out of the University of British Columbia. Both have different but important implications for learning and what we are trying to accomplish with Play.
“*University of British Columbia published a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology that demonstrated how students who learned to play a musical instrument in elementary school and then continued playing that instrument in high school were approximately one full year ahead of their fellow students in English, math and science. And the academic gains were even more pronounced for the students who played an instrument rather than taking vocal music.
“**Another really interesting bit of research was also released by the same university’s School of Health and Exercise Sciences. We have a natural tendency to adapt our own biological rhythm to match musical rhythm. Apparently upbeat music can make a hard workout seem less difficult—and not just emotionally. It’s so effective that it actually elevates our heart rate and peak power during exercise. Ultimately it can make challenging things literally feel less difficult to do.
“Taking it further, I recently came across an author and podcaster named Indre Viskontas who is a professor at the University of San Francisco. Her book How Music Can Make You Better is a wonderful read on just this topic. In the book, she talks about Melodic Intonation Therapy which is used in music therapy to help patients recover from traumatic brain injuries and strokes. It’s a fascinating picture of how music not only improves well-being, but is also used to treat conditions like anxiety, depression, autism and dementia. If we can increase academic achievement, make difficult things feel easy, and overcome debilitating mental and physical conditions by simply learning to play an instrument, it may just be worth giving it a try.”
References:
*Martin Guhn, Scott D. Emerson, Peter Gouzouasis. A population-level analysis of associations between school music participation and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 2019; DOI: 10.1037/edu0000376
**Matthew J. Stork, Costas I. Karageorghis, Kathleen A. Martin Ginis. Let’s Go: Psychological, psychophysical, and physiological effects of music during sprint interval exercise. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2019; 45: 101547 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101547
This post is in partnership with Fender.
Download Alert: This Design App Will Up Your IG Game (and Save You Serious Time and Money)
This post is in partnership with PLANOLY.
Tap, tap, tap. Skipping mindlessly through your Instagram Stories again but nothing catches your eye or grabs your attention long enough to digest what you’re viewing? We’ve all been there. In this over-saturated, digital world we live in, it requires unique and cutting-edge content in order to be seen and resonate with your audience—and we know the algorithm isn’t on our side, either.
Trying to scale your business or personal brand is tricky. But the best way to kick-start you or your brand’s Instagram presence is with quality, interactive, beautiful, and engaging content. With over 500 million active users, Instagram Stories is one of the best ways for businesses to connect with new audiences, boost engagement and drive sales. We know that taking a new strategic approach on Instagram Stories can be time-consuming (and costly), but we’re thrilled to let you know that you don’t have to spend your entire budget on graphic designers to create impactful Instagram Story designs that captivate—you can do it yourself for that matter.
Introducing StoriesEdit by PLANOLY who has done all the legwork for you. The C&C team loves (and trusts) the original PLANOLY app to map out the @createcultivate Instagram grid ahead of time. Being the first visual planner on the market for Instagram, it was a no brainer for PLANOLY to drive into the world of beautifying and strategizing Instagram stories. Their beautiful templates turn your lackluster Instagram Stories into a stylish and chic design at the tap, tap, tap of the app. In fact, the C&C team loves the StoriesEdit so much, we partnered with them to create an exclusive, limited-edition template collection for our San Francisco Conference attendees on September 21. (You’ll find them under the “collections” tab in the app or on desktop, but more on that later.) The fun and artistic designs will be available to everyone before, during, and after our event so you can share your experience in style. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #CreateCultivateSF so everyone can see!
If you are one of our lucky San Francisco conference attendees (or need a little nudge to purchase your ticket), we are excited to share that PLANOLY’s Founder, CMO + CCO, Brandy Pham, and Director of Marketing, Priscilla Castro, will be leading a Digital Storytelling on Social workshop for VIPS and C&C Insiders at the event. Be sure to stop by for some social wisdom!
The designer templates are completely customizable and can be edited to your liking, making them your own to fit your own brand guidelines. Simply drop in your image or video clip to the template and play around to see what direction you’ll be taking with your next post. Follow our simple step-by-step guide below and see how easy it is—your friends and followers will definitely be DM’ing you to find out your secret, and not only that, you’ll definitely start seeing your engagement go up with your Stories
We’ll be using these templates at #CreateCultivateSF and we can’t wait to see your customized stories!
Step 1:
Open the app and navigate to the “Create & Cultivate” collection on the featured page or under the “collections” tab.
Step 2:
You’ll be able to preview the 12 available branded templates. Select your favorite and begin your creation by tapping the plus sign in the gray box to add your image.
*Pro-tip:
Anything that has a white background is customizable to your liking. Choose the icon with the three overlapping circles to update the color.
Step 3:
Add any shapes to your template by tapping the Shape tool (the circle and triangle icon) in the center of the navigation bar.
Step 4:
Add text overlay by selecting the letter “T” in the bottom left-hand corner of the navigation bar and shapes by selecting the triangle in the center.
Step 5:
When you are happy with your creation, tap the down arrow in the top right-hand corner to save directly to your phone or upload directly to your socials!
C&C Classifieds: LEKFIT, Dermstore, TOMS & More
Act fast, these jobs are 🔥.
Act fast, these jobs are 🔥.
LEKFIT - Los Angeles, CA
Whym - New York, NY or Remote
Social Media & Marketing Intern
Getaround - Boulder, CO
Pearson - Boulder, CO
TOMS - Los Angeles, CA
Planted, Inc. - Los Angeles, CA
Dermstore - Los Angeles, CA
Conde Nast - New York, NY
Pinterest - New York, NY
One Love Foundation - Los Angeles, CA
Sugarfina - El Segundo, CA
MORE ON THE BLOG
Classifieds: Hearst, Squarespace, Chairish & More
New listings in marketing, PR, and social media.
New listings in marketing, PR, and social media.
C. Black Content - Los Angeles, CA
Billion Dollar Boy - New York, NY
Influencer Marketing Internship
Chairish - San Francisco, CA
Alaska Air - Seattle, WA
KT Merry - Remote
Patreon - San Francisco, CA
Endeavor - San Francisco, CA
Squarespace - New York, NY
Bleacher Report - New York, NY
Manager, Experiential Marketing
Hearst - Los Angeles, CA
Tastemade - Los Angeles, CA
TikTok - Los Angeles, CA
Create & Cultivate - Los Angeles, CA
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How to Save Money in Your 20s in 5 Easy Steps (Yes, It's Possible!)
It’s time to make your finances a priority.
Written by Brittney Castro.
Do you have a resolution to get your finances together in 2019? A lot of people in their 20s are dealing with large amounts of student loan and credit card debt and living paycheck to paycheck, dreaming of days when they can begin to use their money to reach their financial goals. While it's easy to that think financial planning at this stage in your life is pointless, the truth is there are some basic strategies you can implement, regardless of how much debt you have or how much income you’re earning. Learning these strategies will help set up the financial foundation you need to move through this challenging time in your life and set the stage for a strong financial future.
Ready to get started? Read on to find out how to save money in your 20s and live the life you want.
1. Create a budget
Even as a young adult who may not be making that much money yet, budgeting is critical, as it allows you to see how much money is coming in and going out every month. Although most 20-year-olds understand they should budget, the reality is most just don’t do it. Get a budgeting system as early in place as possible and review how you are spending your money so you can make adjustments, if necessary, to ensure you are living within your means and able to save for your financial goals.
The basic budget formula for after-tax income is:
-50% for fixed expenses, such as housing (28% or less for housing expenses), basic food, insurance premiums, etc.
-20% for financial goals. This would include extra debt payments, your cash cushion, retirement, etc.
-30% for variable expenses, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, etc.
2. Build up a cash cushion
The goal of a cash cushion is to have three to nine months of your fixed expenses in a savings account to pay for life’s unexpected incidents. Life always throws curveballs—your car breaks down, your computer crashes or you receive an unexpected medical bill—and having money in the bank to cover those expenses will help you maintain your financial peace of mind. If your fixed expenses are $3,000 per month, you should aim to build a cash cushion of anywhere between $9,000-$18,000, depending on your comfort level, job security, etc. That sounds like a lot, I know. But remember, just start with what you can to build you cash cushion over a few years. Again, even if it’s $10 a week, that’s still one step in the right direction.
3. Keep an eye on your credit score
Our credit score affects nearly everything in our financial lives. It affects the interest rate on the car loan we apply for, the mortgage loan, the credit cards—even employers and landlords can reference your credit score when reviewing your application. By monitoring your credit score, you can see where you stand and what you can do to improve it if necessary. Use websites like creditkarma.com to view your credit score (not your actual FICO) regularly for free and then pay to see your actual credit score at least annually using annualcreditreport.com.
4. Create a debt reduction plan
The first step is to make a list of all your debts. Get clear about how much you owe, the interest rate of each debt, and the minimum payment due. Then review your budget to determine how much you can realistically add toward extra debt payments and start with the debt with the highest interest rate while paying the minimums on the rest. This will allow you to save the most in interest payments. Once the debt with the highest interest rate is paid off, move on to the second highest, and so on.
5. Focus on building your earning potential
Income is one of the biggest factors in wealth creation over time. After all, if you don’t make money—or don’t make enough money—it is very difficult to save for your financial future. So if you can’t save as much as you would like to due to your income level, focus on ways to increase your earning potential for the long run. There are a lot of free courses you can take online, and even watching YouTube videos to sharpen your skills is something anyone can do. There are plenty of ways you can earn extra money on the side. Think outside the box, and continue to focus on increasing your earning potential every year.
This post was originally published on December 26, 2018, and has since been updated.
Up Next: I Paid Off $30K in Credit Card Debt in 6 Months — Here’s How You Can Too.
MORE FROM THE BLOG
A Day in the Life: The C&C Photographer, Becki Smith on Routines, Founder Depression, and the Inbox Zero Myth
“Always be open to the pivot.”
Ever wondered what people do at work? If you’re a voyeur like us, then you’ll love our series A Day in the Life where we get a real behind-the-scenes glimpse into the professional lives of CEOs, business owners, and entrepreneurs we admire. From their morning routine to the rituals that set them up for success and questions such as “do you ever reach inbox zero?” because we all want to know how to streamline our lives.
“Always be open to the pivot. If I had been hellbent determined to stay on the same path forever, I would absolutely not be where I am now.”
Photo: Courtesy of Smith House Photo
There’s something incredibly special about Becki Smith. Her eye has captured hundreds of images at our Create & Cultivate events and despite the organized chaos behind-the-scenes, she is always the grounded, enigmatic, effervescent girl who smiles the widest through it all—and that energy goes straight into every single capture. You can almost feel it when you look at them. It’s Smith’s gift.
But the founder of Smith House Photo wasn’t always a professional photographer by trade. One day, Smith quit her corporate job to see if “I could make this photography thing work” but she didn’t know that one day she would eventually be shooting for C&C, shooting weddings, and for major brands like Chandon. Smith just took the leap and hoped that her feet would find solid ground eventually. It’s safe to say, she has landed safely and is now leading a very successful business—with more exciting projects launching soon—shhh!
So, we took five with Smith recently to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the day in the life of a photographer. She was incredibly candid sharing her experience with founder depression, her typical routine, and why she believes inbox zero is a myth. Read on!
Photo: Courtesy of Smith House Photo
What does an average day in your life look like?
I have never been particularly great at routines and I get bored fairly easily, which is why being a photographer and business owner is the best fit for me as a career. Every day is different. Whether it is a shoot day, an event day, an office day, or an off day, I get to work in so many different roles, stretch my creative muscles, learn something new constantly, and explore places and people I never could have imagined. But no matter what, every single day includes coffee (usually an Americano or a coconut milk latte), my skincare routine (because in addition to wanting to have great skin as I get older, it is incredibly relaxing), and puppy snuggles.
What time do you get up? What’s the first thing you do upon waking?
I have an alarm that goes off every day at 7:30 am. It is a “hey its morning!” kind of alarm. Sometimes I wake up and make breakfast, sometimes I lay in bed and read for a little while, sometimes I go for an early walk with the pups. It really just depends on the day and the calendar or to-do list for the day. The one thing I don’t do (as hard as it is) is check my email—Jaclyn Johnson also follows this rule. I have to give myself time to get moving and caffeinated in the morning before I dive into the inbox. It is life changing and mood changing. I highly recommend it.
Are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why?
For as long as I can remember I have been a night owl. But as I get closer to wanting to start a family I have tried to make adjustments so I don’t work deep into the evening (and evening is generous because if I’m being honest, it was deep into the dark morning hours). I read the book The Power of When earlier this year and it helped me to figure out my most productive hours are actually around 2 pm to 5 pm, so I make the most of these hours by getting organized in the morning so I am ready to run during those peak times.
“I went down a deep path of depression when this loneliness first set in because I was certain I had a job that would bring me joy. Everyone was always telling me I should feel ‘so lucky’ to pursue my passion and work from home but it didn’t seem so lucky, and it didn’t always bring me joy.”
Photo: Courtesy of Smith House Photo
Being a founder means you are wearing so many hats and across so many facets of the business. How do you manage your time effectively?
Time management? What’s that? I kid, I kid but this is definitely not my strongest suit. The best thing I have done for my own time management is to hire and outsource. I did an audit of all of my tasks, which ones I excelled at and which ones only I could do. Then looked at the other side of what were my pain points and what caused the most stop in my workflows. What could other people do as well, if not better than, me? And then I surrounded myself with people to fill in those tasks—and they are rockstars.
Do you ever reach inbox zero? How do you handle the constant influx of inquiries and communication entrepreneurs are so familiar with?
Oh, inbox zero. I used to think of that as a huge goal, but I realized it is truly a false hope. If I am actively working with clients, or getting inquiries for new work, I don’t actually want my inbox to be at zero. So instead, I make it a goal to keep my inbox cleaned up and organized so that I don’t miss anything and aim to respond to all emails within 48 hours. I still fail at this sometimes—usually on the days where there are 100+ new emails or I have been shooting/out of the office for multiple days in a row.
My saving grace is to always be honest. Own up and apologize when you miss an email or take too long to respond. We’re all human, we all do it, and the person on the other end of the email is much more likely to respond favorably and with kindness if you own your mistake instead of trying to cover it up.
What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals?
Staying healthy is not talked about nearly enough in our entrepreneurship and “hustle” world, but it is so important. I struggle with anxiety, and it flares up the most when I’m not taking care of myself. So, no matter what is going on or how busy I am, I give myself time to rest and time to walk with my dogs. Both of these things stave off anxiety for me, which enables me to stay on track with my goals. I am better off being behind and needing to outsource something extra for the month than being exhausted, lethargic, and anxious.
Keeping this time for myself is also helpful in saying no to projects or clients who aren’t the right fit, and setting future goals. I am constantly learning how much space and time I need, how many projects I can handle simultaneously, etc. So rather than just aiming for more, I am able to set new goals that steer me in the direction I want to go and ensure I have ample time and energy to follow them through.
Photo: Smith House Photo
When do you go to bed? What’s your “optimal” # of sleep hours?
Oh, sleep, how I love thee. The only thing in the world I love more is my dogs. I was very guilty of having no work life balance for the first few years of my business. As I get closer to starting a family I have given myself boundaries, which includes cutting off the computer in the evenings so that I can actually go to bed at a decent hour. (I’ll say, cutting off the computer about 95% of the time, because deadlines, am I right?)
On a regular basis I need a solid eight hours. During event or large shoot weeks, I actually struggle to sleep more than five or six from pure excitement. But when I come home from such weeks, I typically have a 12 to 14 hour sleep night to make up for all of it at once—14 hours sounds crazy, and it totally is, but when your body needs it, it needs it!
What’s the most rewarding part of your day?
Recently someone described me as “the girl next door who works her ass off so that she can stay home and snuggle her dogs” and it is so true. The most rewarding part of any day is when I can come home knowing that I have worked incredibly hard to serve and love my clients and my team well, crash on the couch, and snuggle my pups.
When did you know you wanted to start your own company/brand? What was your journey like? What challenges did you face along the way?
I recently shared about my “Tequila and Two Weeks Notice” story on Instagram. But even after I decided that I wanted to quit my corporate job to see if I could make this photography thing work, I didn’t know that I wanted to start my own company. And I probably didn’t even know what a brand was for a little while. I was just picking up my camera and trying to convince whoever I could to get in front of it. This turned into inquiries and booking paid jobs.
My journey was all over the place; I have photographed families, babies, dogs, weddings, furniture… anything you can imagine. It took me about two years into my journey to really dive into branding, and I don’t think that was a bad thing. I knew more about myself, what I loved, what work I wanted to pursue long term, and who I was as a photographer and business owner by this point which made the branding process so much easier to go through.
What advice do you have for aspiring female founders/entrepreneurs?
Always be open to the pivot. If I had been hellbent determined to stay on the same path forever, I would absolutely not be where I am now. I was given the opportunity to work with a handful of small, local brands when everything else I was shooting was specifically couples and weddings. If I had said “this isn’t my lane, I can’t do it” I would have never gained more commercial and event work, which I have learned is truly what sets my heart on fire.
How do you combat the loneliness often felt by women at the top or branching out on their own?
It may be a cliche sentence, but the struggle is real. Starting off as a solopreneur was hard especially after working with coworkers and in fast-moving environments. I went down a deep path of depression when this loneliness first set in because I was certain I had a job that would bring me joy. Everyone was telling me I should feel so lucky to pursue my passion and work from home but it didn’t seem so lucky, and it didn’t always bring me joy.
After some soul searching, lots of therapy, and realizing that I wasn’t the only person that felt this way, I was able put a network into place of other photographers, business owners, etc. that could be my “remote” co-workers; they were just a phone call away, or a coffee shop date down the road, when I needed someone to lean on.
Now I have a small team, but they are all remote and freelancers. So there is still the work from home loneliness sometimes, but I have coping mechanisms and a great support system, so it doesn’t have nearly the affect that it used to.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The best piece of advice I have ever been given was “Don’t be a Luke & Cat cover band”. Luke and Cat are fellow photographers and mentors of mine. They are incredible educators and are willing to tell all of their secrets and share all of their knowledge to bring up future photographers and build up the industry as a whole. But they give it all away with the advice that everyone should take the information and create their own brand, their own goals, their own journey because cover bands are never as successful as the real thing.
What’s the worst piece of advice you’ve been given?
There is far too much bad advice out there to narrow it down to a single worst piece. I am a person who believes you can learn something from anyone you meet. But you have to take information, opinions, and advice from people with a grain of salt. Whether it is a stranger in the grocery store who thinks they can tell you how to get new clients without knowing anything about you or your business, or a trusted colleague or mentor, you should always be weighing the advice. Say thank you, take it home, and then decide if it is worth listening to or dismissing.
What are some exciting projects you’re working on this month? What are you most excited for in 2019?
2019 has been a big year for Smith House Photo and we are just getting started. We have been working on a handful of long term projects (stay tuned!) that are launching in the next few months and the excitement is building up so strong that we are bound to pop like a bottle of Chandon once we get to shout it all from the mountains.
Up Next: A Day in the Life—Glitter Guide's Taylor Sterling Shares Her #1 Ritual for Success.
Show Them Who's Boss—What the ModCloth Team Wears to Work to Feel Confident
This is what the ModCloth team wear to work to feel their best selves, every day.
August is the best month of the year. Why you might ask? It’s the last stop before summer officially closes its doors and everything is perfect up until that moment. The weather is at its peak warmth, summer attire is in full-swing, and there’s an entire day dedicated to celebrating women’s equality.
Our Create & Cultivate team celebrates women from all walks of life, every day; but this month, we have partnered with our friends at ModCloth to highlight women that inspire us in honor of Women’s Equality Day on August 26. To ring in this month of celebration, ModCloth has launched a special capsule collection and campaign called Show Them Who’s Boss bursting with nostalgic pieces and 70s vibes.
In addition to their new collection launch, the ModCloth team are releasing a second female-focused initiative with coveted artist Steffi Tsai. She designed a cozy sweatshirt with the words “Elect More Women” emblazoned on the front and a *100% percent of the purchase price from each one sold on ModCloth.com will be donated to She Should Run. Yeah, we know, pretty dang cool.
To help you celebrate Women’s Equality Day in style, ModCloth are offering C&C readers 40% off any purchase over $100 when they use the code CREATE40. Visit ModCloth.com to take up this exclusive offer.
With all this fiery female energy and empowering projects in ModCloth’s pipeline, we wanted to know more about the fabulous women behind the scenes who are driving this movement. So, we asked a handful of their team members about their career, how they express themselves through fashion, why it's important to buy with purpose, and so much more.
Follow along to see the names, faces, and personalities behind the brand we all know and love—and be sure to scroll to the end to shop our favorite pieces from the Show Them Who’s Boss collection.
What does your day in the life at work look like?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “Phone calls on the drive to work, meetings, brainstorming, product reviews, more meetings, at-my-desk lunches, taking care of school stuff for my daughter... my day in the life is a multi-tasking frenzy.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “Every day is so different. I work with so many different teams and up to four seasons at a time. There’s really no telling what the day will hold. On any one day, I’m designing prints, pulling colors, getting inspired for upcoming collections, working with our designers to choose the best print and color for current seasons, working with our production partners to make sure everything is looking perfect for production, and sending our prints to our partners in marketing for use on the site, in campaigns, and in stores.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP, Fashion: “Most days are a mix of meetings, from the big ones (trend presentations, season presentations) to the medium (exec team, business reviews, team meetings) to small (touch-bases and quick check-ins on fabrics, prints, colors, styles). And then there is usually late night catching up on email and working on docs/presentations.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “Every day is different (which I love). A mix of meetings and creative problem solving with the team.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager of Social Media: “Before I even head into work, I typically check my calendar so that I can get a good sense of what to expect from my day. As soon as I get into the office, I skim through all of our social media channels to make sure the morning posts are up. I have a check-in with my social media specialist and from there, I open my emails and scan for anything that needs my attention. The rest of my day-to-day really varies, but I think that’s the beauty of working in marketing.
“Some days I’m in meetings with our creative team to talk through social content we produce in-house or you’ll find me at my desk mapping out the following month’s social media strategy. Some days I am hyper-focused on securing influencers for a campaign with the greater social and PR team, and other days I am analyzing reports to find new ways to grow and optimize our channels.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “No two days are ever really the same. But, each morning starts with a look at the homepage to see what's new and exciting, followed by a quick check of what sales were like the day before. The rest of the day can be filled with meetings, projects, vendor appointments, or a combination of everything—you never really know what to expect.”
How do you express yourself through fashion at work?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “I like to think of what outfit will make my day easier, give me confidence or comfort, or bring me luck—depending on what I am facing that day. Some days, I am black on black, other days, I need a pretty floral dress to take the edge off.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “I dress insane or insane to me. I love lots of color and am obsessed with music and vintage clothes. I know a lot of textile designers that wear a limited palette and simple clothes because they can’t handle the visual stimulation overload, but that’s not me. I’m a maximalist. I’m drawn to interesting, inspiring prints and color. I love vintage band t-shirts (real ones, not repros) and am an actual shoe addict. I can be pretty loud and I think the way I dress expresses the volume.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP, Fashion: “Constantly. But really, working in fashion means you can wear whatever you want, whenever you want. I think because I work with a smart and talented group of designers, who also really bring their individual style to the office, it makes me up my game as well.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “I’m pretty low key and express myself by dressing louder than I am—lots of bright colors and animal print.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager, Social Media: “I love a minimal aesthetic and I tend to gravitate towards solid, neutral colors like beige and white. This leaves a lot of room for me to experiment with statement pieces like a cool blazer or a floral skirt. Because my style is so minimal, I also love expressing my style through my shoes. I have a solid shoe closet full of sneakers, heels, mules, and boots that I rummage through daily.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “I like being able to wear the things I have in a bunch of different ways. It's not uncommon for me to wear a snapback and sneakers one day, and then a pair of skinnies and heeled booties the next. I've always been pretty laid back, and I like my style to reflect that.”
How does your work outfit make you feel?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “I don't have 'work outfits.' Most of my closet is pretty eclectic. I mix it up in the morning depending on what is ahead of me that day. I like to look and feel like myself.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “I dress like my authentic self and that allows me to be open with my creative voice in the workplace. I think you can look put together and be taken seriously while still expressing yourself. I like people to know what they’re going to get when they work with me—a lot of color, a sense of humor, easy-going vibes, and a serious love of fashion.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP, Fashion: “I don’t really have a work vs. non-work outfit. But, I’m always comfortable. I like knowing that myself and the other people in the office are working just as hard as a bunch of bros in suits or business casual. And that we look great doing it.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “My daily uniform is a dress and a pair of Vans or low block heeled sandals. It makes me feel put together even if I’m not feeling it.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager, Social Media: “My goal when it comes to my work outfit is for it to look and feel as effortless as possible while still looking put together. I love mixing casual streetwear pieces with more formal fashion pieces to give it that I-Didn’t-Try-Too-Hard-But-I-Kind-Of-Did type of look.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “My go-to work outfit makes me feel put together, but still relaxed. Deciding what to wear each morning shouldn't be a difficult decision. So, my closet is full of some awesome basics that I can pair back to any of the standout pieces I own.”
What do you wear to feel your most confident self at work?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “I am rather extroverted and Italian. I like colors, prints, and experimenting with dressing—especially shoes. My dressing is expressive; I wear my emotions as my second skin. Some days, I need to dress the part of a confident, serious, professional businesswoman. Other days, I can indulge in feminine prints and dressing. Style helps me to be my best self.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “Normally, if I’m really feeling myself/need a boost of confidence for the day, I’ll throw on a wild pair of tight pants (they make me sit up straighter?), colorful/metallic and/or clear shoes, gold jewelry and a ‘special’ top with interesting/surprising details. I celebrate clothes for being self-expressive and for reflecting the vision of their maker. When I wear pieces that are special on their own, but all-at-once, it makes me feel more confident in my creative vision because I’m equally inspired by every single piece I’m wearing.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP of Fashion: “Anything. I feel like it’s ‘me’ that makes me feel confident. Clothing wise, that could be a lot of different things. If I have to do more of a business-y type meeting, I will probably wear a heel. But, I’ve also worn an old men’s mechanic suit and Chuck Taylors.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “A cute pair of shoes and a brightly colored dress are an instant mood booster. No matter what happens throughout the day, I’m confident my shoes are cute.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager, Social Media: “I always say I need two things in life: lipstick and a pair of really killer shoes. There’s something about throwing on a gorgeous pair of heels or boots and walking out of the door that just starts my day in a better way. I walk with more confidence and my stance is more powerful when I feel and look my best. Anytime I have a big meeting, I know I need to up my shoe game for that day.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “Black or blue high-waisted jeans, an oversized t-shirt, and a kick ass pair of shoes—flat or not. It depends on the day. There is nothing more satisfying than wearing something you love.”
How much does a fashion brand’s purpose and mission impact your purchasing decisions?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “I think inner values are more important than a brand’s mission statements. I believe in the power of women, equality, and opportunity. I would never wear a brand involved with exploitation or discrimination. I personally like the idea of secondhand finds and democratizing luxury. I love the new movement of recyclable fashion. I cherish a vintage Fendi bag that has been bought and resold three times and gave joy to three owners.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “I try to either buy vintage, small-business, or female-owned pieces nowadays. I think the consumer is hyper-aware of the impact of their patronage to fashion brands. I love ModCloth because we’ve always believed, as a company and as individuals, that body positivity and diverse representation is one of the most important needs in the fashion industry today. I’m really proud to work for a company who pushes for diversity and representation in such a big way. Also, seeing people of all shapes and sizes wearing things I helped design makes my heart soar.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP, Fashion: “A lot. They affect my working decisions as well. I don’t shop fast-fashion. I buy for quality and for longevity. I loved being hired by and working for Susan Koger, who co-founded ModCloth and love supporting female-founded brands and companies. As a person working in fashion, it’s important to make sure the people making the clothes we designed are being treated fairly (and as a shopper). At ModCloth we’ve introduced some eco-friendly fabrics (like organic cotton tops and recycled polyester in some of our denim) and changed our shipping practices to be more eco. These things are important to me personally and there’s a lot more we can do. Since ModCloth is so inclusive, I’ve really noticed when other brands aren’t. That’s definitely a turnoff. But, it seems to be improving over the past couple years.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “It comes into play more and more as a reason to make or not to make a purchase. With so many options to shop out there. I am definitely more mindful about what the brands I’m shopping with stand for—sustainability and inclusivity are currently top of mind.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager, Social Media: “It’s an intentional decision to purchase from brands that have a strong mission to support women. It’s also something I am aware of as a consumer. Whether it’s size inclusivity, supporting female creatives or giving back to women’s resources—I want to know (or at least think) that my purchase is making an impact.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “There are so many brands out there today so when it comes to buying clothing, I like to purchase things from brands whose values align with my own. Quality shouldn't be compromised by affordability, and so I like to spend money on things I feel are worth it from all angles.”
How are you voting with your wallet this Women’s Equality Day? Why is it important?
Silvia Mazzucchelli, CEO: “ModCloth collaborated with one of our favorite female artists, Steffi Tsai, to create a limited-edition sweatshirt in honor of Women’s Equality Day. One hundred percent of the purchase price of these sweatshirts is going to She Should Run—a non-profit dedicated to supporting women leaders considering a future run for office—so, I’m obviously buying at least 20 of them. I’m grateful to work at a place like ModCloth, a company that believes in empowering women as much as I do. It’s important to me and to the brand to support female-led businesses and initiatives because when women support women, we all win.”
Julie Seltzer, Senior Print Designer: “I will most likely make donations to various organizations supporting women and human rights. There are so many people in this country right now who do not have a voice, or don’t have the privilege of speaking up. It’s important to show up with not just our wallets but with our acknowledgement and voices, to help these people (immigrants, POC, LGBTQ+ people) and let them know that they have every right to safety and resources. If I do end up ‘shopping’ for myself on Women’s Equality Day, I will most likely only patronize companies who share this outlook and will be donating portions of their proceeds to those in need.”
Lizz Wasserman, VP, Fashion: “On Women’s Equality Day, I’ll be using my wallet to support organizations that help women and protect their rights to equality, safety, and resources. Every other day that week, I’ll be shopping my fall must-haves on ModCloth.com.”
Cecilia Aranez, Creative Services Director: “It’s so important as women to support other women and celebrate our successes, especially in this industry. This Women’s Equality Day, I’ll be on the lookout to support women led businesses and businesses that support women’s rights.”
Angela Liu, Senior Manager, Social Media: “I think it’s important every day to make a conscious effort to support women-owned businesses. This Women’s Equality Day, I am also looking to purchase from companies that are giving back to non-profits that serve women and female youth. As women, we are directly and indirectly responsible for our future generation of female inventors, leaders, scientists, politicians, and more. It’s important to show up and encourage young girls that they can and will reach their full potential.”
Saloni Mahendro, Associate Buyer, Bottoms and Outerwear: “You'd be hard-pressed today to not find a female owned/operated brand in any industry. Fashion, beauty, food—we're making waves across the board. Showing your love to these brands should happen all year round, but on Women's Equality Day, it should be a no-brainer!”
Shop Our Top 5 Favorite Pieces From the New ModCloth Collection:
ModCloth Informed Ensemble Skirt
$59
These A-line skirt in the classic houndstooth motif print is the best kind of 70’s throwback.
ModCloth Bold Notion Tie Waist Jumpsuit
$89
This jumpsuit will be your next desk-to-dinner go-to. Just add a red lip for drinks after work.
ModCloth Pardon My French Quarter Cape
$89
This vintage-inspired cape pairs perfectly with your office slacks or with jeans on the weekend.
ModCloth Enjoy Every Moment Midi Dress
$89
We love the whimsical floral motif of this chic A-line dress. Throw a blazer over it for major boss vibes.
ModCloth Marvel the Masses Tie-Neck Blouse
$55
Wear this black blouse to your next job interview and show them who’s boss.
To shop the complete Show Them Who’s Boss collection, visit ModCloth.com.
*For each “Elect More Women” long-sleeved sweatshirt sold online at ModCloth.com between August 26, 2019 and November 11, 2019, ModCloth will donate 100% of the purchase price ($45.00) to She Should Run, up to a maximum of $15,300. Supplies are limited. She Should Run’s mission is to expand the talent pool of women running for office in the U.S. by providing community, resources, and growth opportunities for aspiring political leaders.