Should You DIY Your Website or Hire a Pro Designer?

If you’ve been in the business world for any amount of time, you've probably noticed the impact a well-designed, conversion-focused website can have on your business. Not only does it help position you to look like the professional you are and build your ever-important “know, like, trust” factor,  but a powerful website can also be a major boost to your marketing efforts.

But figuring out when it’s the right time to invest your time in DIYing your site or invest your hard-earned money in a professional designer can be a minefield. Here are five questions to ask yourself to help you decide if you should DIY your website or take the leap and hire a professional designer to create one for you.

1. What stage of business are you at?

When just starting out, and during those first few growth months, it can seem daunting to tackle creating a website from scratch, but it is usually a good idea to DIY your website at first.

Not only because you’ll be able to save your investment in a professional designer for other, arguably more critical, parts of your business but also because you’ll likely see many shifts in your brand and business as you evolve over the next few months, so investing a large portion of your income into a professional site might not give you the returns you’d like to see for your investment.

Once you are bringing in a consistent income and you feel relatively settled into your brand, it can be a great time to start talking to website designers to see how creating a polished, strategically designed, and aligned website could support your growth.

2. How do you feel about tech?

The exception to the above is if the idea of all of the tech that comes along with websites sets you off in a panic. If you know you need a website but you also know that if you do it yourself you’ll leave it on your to-do list forever because you’re dreading working on it, then it could be more effective to invest in hiring a web designer to set it up for you.

Another great option could also be to find a well-designed template that you can take and tweak to your specifications and save yourself a lot of technical heartaches.

3. Do you have an eye for design?

While your website doesn’t need to be, and shouldn’t be, overdesigned, if you don’t feel comfortable picking out appropriate colors, fonts, and layouts that make sense for your business and represent you as an expert, then bringing in a professional designer could be a great idea.

A strong brand is key to creating a successful website, so starting with a brand template or semi-custom brand could be a great starting point to help you feel empowered to then tackle the layout and graphic design. If, on the other hand, website layouts leave you scratching your head, opting for a strategically designed website template could be a great way to empower you to create your website yourself.

4. Do you have a strategy for how your website needs to work to serve your business?

The whole point of your website is to bolster your marketing efforts, warm up leads, and make sales, but every business has slightly different needs, so how all of this needs to come together on your website will be unique to your business and your goals.

When DIYing your website, you’ll be either mapping out this strategy yourself or following a template. When working with a designer, they’ll help figure this out with you and offer their expert advice on how to best optimize your website for your goals.

Have an honest conversation with yourself (or someone else if you prefer) about which option makes the most sense for you and your business at this point.

5. What’s your budget?

The last key thing to consider when deciding if you want to DIY your website or hire a designer is what your budget looks like.

If money is tight and you need a quick return on your investment, a professionally designed website might not be the best investment for you. That’s because websites often take time to truly pay off with increased traffic, more leads, and better conversions so they are a longer-term investment.

However, if you have a runway of a few months and can afford to put in the money upfront to see the return down the line, that can be a great sign that it’s time to put some fuel on the fire and invest in a professionally designed website.

"Have an honest conversation with yourself about which option makes the most sense for you and your business."

—Michelle Pontvert, Branding and Website Designer

About the author: Michelle Pontvert is a branding and website designer supporting her fellow moms and mums on a mission to scale up their service-based businesses without burnout so they can spend more time with their families and doing what they love. Grab her free training on creating a website that converts on her website and say hi over on Instagram @michellepontvert.

Featured image: Color Joy Stock

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Grow On: How to Double Your Revenue With Elyce Arons, Co-Founder and CEO of Frances Valentine

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ABOUT THE EPISODE

Doubling your revenue is no easy task. 

You need to set well-defined goals, create meaningful connections with your customers, and discover new distribution channels and marketing opportunities.

Which is something that Elyce Arons knows a thing or two about. 

In the midst of a pandemic that has pummeled the fashion industry, the former Co-founder of Kate Spade has led the luxury lifestyle brand Frances Valentine to double (!) its revenue. 

Needless to say, I can’t wait to chat with Elyce about how she’s grown the brand exponentially, including the old-school marketing strategy she tapped into to increase the brand’s sales by 40% (!).


EPISODE TOPICS

  • Her Second Act: Building Frances Valentine

  • Adapting to the New Online Retail Space

  • Why She Recommends a Mix of DTC, Wholesale & Retail

  • Why Pop-Ups Are the Best Way to Test New Markets

  • The Importance of Regional Retail Spaces

  • How She Doubled Her Revenue During the Pandemic

  • Where She Puts The Majority of Her Marketing Dollars

  • What She Pulls Inspiration From In The Design Process

  • Her Predictions on Major Fashion Industry Shifts


RESOURCES

  • To submit your questions call the WorkParty Hotline: 1-(833)-57-PARTY (577-2789)


LISTEN TO THE EPISODE

"When You Are Doing What You Love, You Definitely Become More of a Morning Person"

Welcome to our series A Day in the Life where we ask women we admire to share the daily minutiae of their professional lives, from the morning rituals that set them up for success to their evening wind-down routines. In this edition, we’re chatting with credit specialist Tierra Jae. Below, the founder of New Beginnings Community Consulting & Restoration shares her daily routine, including what inspires her to wake up early each morning and how she stays motivated from 9-to-5 (hint: there's a Bluetooth speaker involved).

Tell us a bit about your business. What opportunity did you see in the market, and what need did you want to fill?

New Beginnings Community Consulting & Restoration specializes in second chances. We offer credit restoration services, bankruptcy assistance, non-violent criminal record expungements, and felon-friendly resources. We provide opportunities that allow individuals nationwide to enhance their overall quality of life. Recently, we launched The Credit Calendar, which is one of the first Black-owned credit management planners. 

When I started my company in 2015, there weren’t many people in the finance industry that my demographic could identify with. Credit repair and criminal record expungements are personal to me because they are a part of my personal journey and what I’ve been able to overcome. I felt the need to share my knowledge and uplift my community because everyone makes mistakes but not everyone has the knowledge to positively move forward. Credit isn’t a topic that is taught in schools and most adults are embarrassed to discuss it—yet it affects some of the most important milestones that take place in your lifetime. 

This is what also led me to create The Credit Calendar, a one-of-a-kind planning tool that helps individuals manage their credit score and ambitions. My goal when creating this company and The Credit Calendar was to help those who may not have the tools or knowledge to help themselves in this industry. 

Now, let’s talk about your workday routine! First, are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why?

I am definitely a morning person and that’s when I do the bulk of my important work. I like to wake up early and knock things off my to-do list before my clients, family, and friends start contacting me. However, I am known to be up until the middle of the night if I’m working on a task or project.  Sometimes I really get “in the zone” and lose track of time. I hate not completing a task before it’s done, especially when my momentum is high and I’m on a roll! 

What time does your alarm go off, and what’s the first thing you do upon waking?

I actually don’t have an alarm. I wake up around the same time every morning—around 7 a.m. It’s kind of ironic because prior to starting my business I couldn’t wake up early! It’s true, when you are doing what you love, you definitely become more of a morning person. 

What does your morning, pre-work routine look like?

Every morning, I take a few sips of coffee or tea while making my first social media post of the day. Then I proceed to plan out the rest of my daily social content for all of my platforms. I glance over my weekly to-do list and cross out the tasks that I completed the day before. I always create a smaller list of things I need to complete by the end of the day. Once I have everything in writing, I begin knocking out the tasks.

Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” What’s the first thing you do when you get to your desk?

As soon as I sit down, I turn on something to listen to! I have to work with music playing;  it’s like my secret sauce. There is almost always a playlist or podcast blasting from my Bluetooth speaker. I always listen to something that will spark my intellect, educate me on something new, or anything pertaining to my profession and industry. 

What are you working on this week?

This week, I’m working on client progress reports and marketing content for social media. I took some marketing advice and created a content calendar. I highly recommend it to anyone that struggles with social media material.

What’s been the most rewarding part of running your business? The most challenging?

The most rewarding part of running my business is the response I receive from my clients! When my clients thank me for how my business helped them achieve a goal, I can't help but smile and be grateful. Hearing how I helped a single mom qualify for a new home, a small business owner leveraging their credit to improve their business, or a previous offender being able to secure employment as a result of my felon-friendly job listings—that’s rewarding.

The most challenging part of my business is figuring out how to take a break and slow down because I truly love what I do. I find it extremely hard to take a personal day with no work involved. I have to force myself to avoid work or deal with anything pertaining to business on Sundays. Sundays are meant to be a personal day.

Do you ever reach inbox zero? How do you handle the constant influx of inquiries and communication entrepreneurs are so familiar with?

My inbox has never seen a zero that didn’t have a number or two in front of it! I would probably panic if I ever looked at my inboxes and didn’t have messages. I’m a huge multitasker and I’m almost always on my phone or laptop. Constant communication is easy for me, it’s second nature actually. 

I have a booking tool for all new inquiries which helps delegate my daily schedule and my clients have direct lines of communication to me via telephone, email, and client portal messages. I tell my clients “I’m only a text away” and they utilize that a lot. 

The only time I regretted nonstop communication is when I only had one cell phone and my business and personal communication clashed. I had 40 active clients at the time and many would text me with questions, concerns, updates, new problems to solve, etc. That was a bit much, but I handled it all with grace.

What is your go-to work lunch?

My go-to lunch is whatever DoorDash has to offer that my DashPass will give me a discount on. Usually, I will have a smoothie or sushi; that’s if I don’t work straight through to dinner. I’m not proud of that but I’ve been trying to get better at not doing it. 

What advice do you have for balancing the minutiae of day-to-day tasks with big-picture planning?

My advice for balance is creating a to-do list! I live by these lists and I highly recommend getting in the habit of creating them. It’s so satisfying to me when I check off a task on my list. I feel accomplished and it helps me break down my tasks from a busy week into days so the tasks don’t seem as daunting. 

What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals?

Healthy work habits can be challenging when sitting at a desk the majority of the day but one thing I do is drink plenty of water. I drink five or more bottles of water a day. I also find that my home office helps me stay on track because it’s equipped with all the tools I need to work. The décor in my office also consists of my business accomplishments, which motivates me to keep going! 

Any favorite apps you use regularly?

My favorite app right now is Canva. It's a life hack for entrepreneurs! Having access to design my own graphics when needed makes life so much easier. I’ve most recently fallen in love with TikTok as well. I learn so much just by using the app and it gets my creative mind going. TikTok is very versatile and I love that I can find business tips, recipes, workout routines, and shopping recommendations all in one. Lastly, Instagram reigns supreme when it comes to social media in my book. It’s helped me build, maintain, and now scale a successful business over the years.

What are you reading, watching, or listening to right now to help you wind down at the end of the day?

After a busy workday, I don’t normally need much winding down before my bedtime routine. The moment I lay down in bed next to my partner, I fall asleep within minutes. He actually jokes about how fast I can fall asleep once I’m comfortable. Some days, running a business can be really draining. I cook dinner for my family every night on the weekdays then I watch TV during dinner and it's typically whatever series I’m binge-watching on Netflix.

When do you go to bed? What’s your “optimal” number of sleep hours?

On most nights, I’m usually asleep by midnight. I get about seven hours of sleep regularly. I don’t believe in depriving my body of sleep to be super productive. Getting rest is very important to me.

What’s the most rewarding part of your day?

The most rewarding part of my day is climbing in my big comfy bed next to my partner and reflecting on my day that was spent doing what I love, which is helping others achieve their financial goals.

Featured image: Courtesy of Tierra Jae

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This Tech Founder Has Raised Over $3.5 Million in Venture Capital—Here's Her Best Fundraising Advice

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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. For this installment, we caught up with Kim Kaplan, founder and CEO of the video dating app Snack. Here, she shares the ah-ha moment that inspired her to launch a new kind of dating app, the reason she believes women should talk about money and business more openly, and the best advice she has for female founders currently seeking funding.

You were one of the earliest employees at Plenty of Fish, a dating site that eventually sold to Match Group for $575 million in 2015. What was the lightbulb moment for Snack and what inspired you to launch your business and pursue this path?

I was scrolling through TikTok one day and saw a video of a woman pointing to her name, age, location, and zodiac sign. I had this ah-ha moment and realized that she was trying to use TikTok to date. However, the platform wasn't built for it (there's no location, way to know who's single, what their age is, etc.). The song that went with that video trend had over 130,000 videos created that were all dating-related, and the hashtag single had over 13 billion views at the time—that was when I knew there was a massive opportunity.

You recently raised a $3.5M seed round from investors like Kindred Ventures, Coelius Capital, Golden Ventures, Garage Capital, Panache Ventures, and N49P—no doubt you’ve learned a lot along the way. What are three crucial elements everyone should include in a pitch deck when raising money and why?

A lot of emphasis is placed on the pitch deck when it comes to raising capital, I actually think the process for raising capital is just as important (if not more so). These are the three pieces of advice I would give:

1) Spend the time upfront to prepare a list of funds and partners at those funds that you want to speak to. Find which connections you have in common and see who can give you a warm introduction.

2) Think about what you can learn from the process, whether it’s the advice you're hearing from investors on how you can better frame your pitch or what you should change in the next pitch to pre-empt some of the questions you’re getting. 

3) This is more COVID-19 related, but find a place where you feel the most comfortable. One benefit of pitching over Zoom is that you’re not racing from one location or office to another. Instead, you get to pick where you pitch from. I chose to pitch from my couch, inviting investors into my den instead of going into theirs.

What advice can you share for entrepreneurs on partnering with the right investors? What do investors need to bring to the table other than just money? 

There are numerous investment options out there, but the three primary routes for startups are venture capitalist firms, private equity, and angel investors. By understanding your needs, you can narrow down which type of investment would suit your company. 

My personal experience at Snack has been with venture capitalist firms and angel investors. From that experience, my number one tip would be to do your reference checks and talk to founders of other companies they’ve invested in to understand what they’re like to work with and what their expectations are. This will help you ensure you’re aligned with their values. 

Women-led startups received just 2.3% of VC funding in 2020. Why do you think there is still so much inequality in the venture capital world, and what advice can you share for women entrepreneurs who are currently seeking funding?

I think part of the issue is approaching investors with confidence and the ways in which women present themselves. I was told to act overconfident when I was pitching. It wasn’t so much that I wasn’t confident in myself or my idea, but I need to exude that confidence in a way that I think is a lot more natural for men.

Where do you think is the most important area for a business owner to focus their financial energy on and why?

Time is your biggest resource, so how do you make sure you're directing it to the right parts of the business? It’s important to hire (if possible) to fill the areas that need attention but are not your areas of expertise. For example, I immediately hired an accountant to help with bookkeeping as I knew it would take an exorbitant amount of time and someone could do it better and more efficiently than I could. 

What are your largest expenses every month?

Salaries. We want to make sure we have great people around the table and as such it’s definitely the largest expense.

Legal fees. We’re still in the process of fundraising and completing the company setup (such as trademarks) so there are lots of legal fees.

Do you pay yourself, and if so, how did you know what to pay yourself?

This is a hard question to answer because every founder is in a different financial situation; there’s no one size fits all. What I can say is, if you can afford to pay yourself less, you’ll be able to scale faster. 

Do you think women should talk about money and business more? 

Yes!!! Men have more open conversations with other men about money; how much they make, what they are investing in, and about new opportunities. These types of conversations not only help people learn about their financial worth but also open up opportunities. Additionally, I believe these conversations boost a person’s confidence to jump into the unknown and take a risk. Take startup investing or crypto as an example, there are fewer women in these industries so there are fewer people to go to discuss shared experiences, ask questions or simply learn.

Not only do we need men to be transparent about their finances, but women need to be speaking openly with each other as well. The more we engage each other in financial and business conversations, the more confidence we will collectively gain. Quite simply, we all need to talk about money and business more openly. 

What money mistakes have you made and learned from along the way?

Oftentimes at the start of a business, it makes sense to bring on a contractor when you don’t have enough work or capital for a full-time hire. I hired a contractor that simply wasn’t delivering as expected. Looking back, I should have checked in with them more often, set very clear deadlines for deliverables, and cut ties much sooner.

What is your best piece of financial advice for new entrepreneurs?

For founders that are seeking investment, I would remind them that people invest in you as much as your idea. Communicate your passion and confidence in your business and think about how to build a relationship with your potential investors. Investors provide value beyond finances; it’s important to find ones that you connect with.

Featured image: Courtesy of Kim Kaplan

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Candice Kumai Has a Genius Strategy for Managing Her Inbox (Seriously, We're Stealing This)

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Welcome to our series A Day in the Life where we ask women we admire to share the daily minutiae of their professional lives, from the morning rituals that set them up for success to their evening wind-down routines. In this edition, we’re chatting with multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, journalist, author, podcast host, producer, director, and model Candice Kumai. Scroll on to find out how she gets it all done, including her genius strategy for managing her inbox and her delicious go-to lunch on a busy day (a.k.a. every day).

You're a journalist and six-time bestselling author who has been called "the golden girl of wellness" by Elle. How were you first drawn to wellness and what inspired you to pursue this path?

While walking through Union Square at 26, a friend in New York once said to me, “I don't think you chose this job, I think it chose you.” I come from a lineage of Japanese impressionist and tapestry artists on my mother’s side. My grandparents escaped the second atomic bomb in Kyushu by random chance during World War II. On my father’s side, my grandfather was a POW. While serving in Poland he was captured by the Russians, and he escaped death off a moving train on the other side of the world, roughly at the same time. If I’m carrying their legacy of survival, as one of the last and youngest members on each side of the family, I ought to serve them well. Each of our family members and their lineage lasts within us, and our family’s past shapes our present-day choices, our outlook on life and the opportunities that appear.  

I had always felt that my calling was to be of great service to others and to help the only way I knew how. Wellness and communication were my strongest suits all the way through college, culinary school, and while writing at the top magazines in NY, penning multiple books with doctors, nutritionists and journalists, and through the insurmountable amount of struggle I have faced in my own career as a minority female. I suppose wellness, and the way I communicate it through different mediums (podcast, shows, books, news, magazines, journals, TikTok, Instagram, newsletters), is a cover-up to all of my own pain, and perhaps my lineage’s pain. Wellness is how I can communicate relief, grief, and support to others who also may need a little inspiration or comfort from a very real and relatable standpoint. Again, probably not a choice, rather a deep-rooted calling. 

You're also the host of the podcast "Wabi Sabi," where you talk about all things wellness. What inspired you to launch this podcast, and what do you hope people take away from it?

When I wrote “Kintsugi Wellness,” my sixth book on Japanese wellness, people didn’t understand it. It was 2018 and nobody in my space had introduced this lens of Japanese wellness to the masses yet. I didn’t get booked on all the shows I normally did with my other books because it was such a “foreign concept” compared to the basic clean green eats books I usually wrote. Soon, I thought, I better explain what this book is about through a different medium: a podcast. By sheer luck, the smart ones got it. It clicked for many and the hashtags #goldenrepair and #kintsugi are TikTok faves seven years after I wrote “Kintsugi Wellness.”

The podcast “Wabi Sabi” is a love letter to every girl (and some wild men!) out there. If you need a pick-me-up, don't grab the wine. Instead, listen to the podcast and go for a run. I speak from my mixed, minority female, with immigrant parents background on business, love, relationships, spirituality, mental health, sex, and wellness as told through my experience with managing emotions and boundaries in my F-ed up life from NY to Tokyo, LA and beyond. 

The “Wabi Sabi” podcast is free of ads, and I pay out-of-pocket to put it up myself simply to help others. It is public service journalism at its finest. It gets thousands of downloads each week and has 700+ five-star reviews. I could use much more help on it, so feel free to email me anytime at info@CandiceKumai.com.

Lastly, you ask “what do I want you to take away from it?” I have cheered on my many colleagues who have made it right beside me. I think what I want you to take away from the podcast is that I, too, belong here even if I never wanted to become “famous,” and if the public heard my story, they may discover a fresh, perfectly ripe, and unique bridge to culture, wellness, and spirituality they have been searching for. It's not the same, dated gross cup of coffee every basic person drinks, it's a Japanese-American bowl of fresh matcha. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take actionable steps toward taking ownership of their wellness and leading a healthier lifestyle?

Baby steps, be gentle, but take action. Do these three things: Stop drinking sugar, stop eating out, and stop trashing the planet with at-home packaged meals or meal kits. 

"Wellness is how I can communicate relief, grief, and support to others who also may need a little inspiration or comfort."

Image: Courtesy of Candice Kumai

Now, let’s talk about your workday routine! First, are you a night owl or a morning person? When do you do your most important work and why?

I am a morning person. I am obsessed with the sunrise and meditating with matcha for 30-60 minutes each morning. My best work always takes place between 6:30/7 am to 10 am, typically because there are fewer distractions.

What time does your alarm go off, and what’s the first thing you do upon waking?

I get to bed by 8 pm and wind down or read, no alarm unless I have an early am call time to shoot. My phone sleeps away from me. I wake at sunrise and I put on a cozy or sexy robe (depending on the feeling) while I boil water for matcha.  

What does your morning, pre-work routine look like?

Boil water, make matcha, go outside on the patio, watch the sunrise. Then meditate for 30-60 minutes, undistracted on pillows. I feed Sisi, my chunky tuxedo cat, check emails (I open the best ones first), and don’t touch my phone for at least the first two hours of the morning. 

Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” What’s the first thing you do when you get to your desk?

I stay as organized on email as possible and send out emails that work for my business first. I’ve had to step back from helping everyone else and slowly learn to help myself first, for the first time in my career. 

What are you working on this week?

To put things into perspective, I run one production company, one content-creation company, and one Japanese-American start-up. I still model into my late thirties and I still write every single book, recipe, and shoot, write, develop, direct, and produce all of my own work. 

This week, I worked on three budget Excel sheets (we call them line sheets) for upcoming shoots. I’ve been planning out 2022, working on a new project for Shiseido, working on scheduled posts for Kora Organics, scheduling a shoot for Porsche and Goop, working on car selections, makes, models, red cams, drones, scouting shoot locations, interviewing crew, working on production schedules, crewing up/hiring and post-production deliverables. Organizing footage, contracts, editing tape, music selections, hitting deadlines, and making clients happy. 

In terms of production, we shot Thursday, Friday, and Sunday for 12 hours each day. I worked the front and back of the camera. Sunday I was booked to cover the Goop 2021 In Health Summit and booked to shoot separately with a Porsche Macan for five days. I covered and shot the event from 8 am to 2 pm at the Porsche track. Then, went home, changed, prepped, and drove downtown to shoot late into the night with the car in DTLA and then returned the car by 8 pm (hence the 12 hour days).

I’m also writing my seventh book with Audible, and I commit to writing in the early mornings from 630 am to 8 am and Saturday or Sunday mornings with few distractions. I love my books so much. Each book I’ve written takes years to finish and I'm hoping, one day, someone will notice. 

In terms of video content, I shoot and edit videos each day with my team and we curate highly stylized and integrity-based content that is useful and looks stunning. We keep all footage organized on hard drives and Dropbox.

Then there are the weekly essentials. Calls are organized on my Google calendar. We have a team call most mornings, followed by Zoom calls with new business development/clients, my legal council, and agents. I draft a new newsletter each Saturday, work on TheMatchaShoppe.com orders and record a new “Wabi Sabi” podcast each Sunday or Monday night. The podcast drops on Tuesday mornings all for free. Roughly 90% of my work is unpaid.

I also make time for IRL get-togethers each week. I have scheduled meet-ups organized on my calendar. For example, this week, I attended a Sculpt Society event to support my girlfriends Megan and Kelly, went to an Alo Yoga party with my friend Rosie, and went to the food bank to volunteer on Saturday for three hours at the local church. I talk to my besties from junior high and one from college (they make me happy!), I work out for 50 minutes daily (I think I said this 3x, I’m obsessed). 

Lastly, the boring essentials. I comb through pitches and proposals from clients, publicists, ad agencies, and my agents each day. I check accounting items like bank statements, payroll, tax forms, work closely on bookkeeping with my CPA, and I pay bills and taxes on time. I keep my office organized with wardrobe, props, lighting, camera equipment, files, art, and work-related materials. I try my best to upkeep my websites, images, social, writing, and résumé.

Image: Courtesy of Candice Kumai

What’s been the most rewarding part of running your business? The most challenging?

The most rewarding: Helping others, being of great use to others, giving back all that I am able, creating jobs for hundreds of crew and staff in the US. Mentoring young women on how to run multiple creative businesses in different sectors, production, creative content, media, and wellness. Reading letters, emails, and DMs of thanks and gratitude, the iTunes reviews on my podcast are known to make me cry. 

Most challenging: Outdated work models, working with a**holes, having a very dated, unstable playing field, discrimination, racism, restricting contracts, stale/old production, flaky people, non-communicators, unprofessional entitled individuals, those who culturally appropriate Japanese culture (educate yourselves). Mostly, I am working through my own challenges daily, as I am most certainly not perfect.  

Do you ever reach inbox zero? How do you handle the constant influx of inquiries writers are so familiar with?

I use four separate email accounts, and they are color-coded. I like to keep organized this way.

I get spammed with non-stop PR pitches on email. I block unsolicited emails and I set big boundaries with texts, DM, emails, etc. Being available to everyone all the time is not my thing anymore. I return emails to work colleagues within 15 minutes of receiving them during work hours (8 am to 6 pm), and I write back to those who bring value. 

My info email account is an open space where readers/listeners can write. The love letters are deep and passionate, and I often cry when reading them. I read them aloud on my podcast at times, with permission.

What is your go-to work lunch?

Matcha. Miso avocado toast. Lots of water with greens powder. 

What advice do you have for balancing the minutiae of day-to-day tasks with big-picture planning?

When you run your own business(es), others have to remember you are the only person who will keep that company afloat. Your work schedule begins from the moment you open your eyes until you close your eyes at the end of the day. Period. You work on weekends, you work on vacay, you work on long flights. 

I let go of friends who I felt deeply judged me; it is ok to do so. I let go of people who thought my social media was my real life and they never asked me how I was doing in person. If you need to do this yourself, allow yourself the gift. Suffering comes when we hold on to things that are no longer meant for us.  

If we are a reflection of the five closest people to us, I stick to the wonderful, beautiful, and real friends who are with me when times get very dark. The friends who are warm, loving, compassionate, hilarious, weird, and keep me smiling. I hope I can do the same for them. 

Volunteering at my local church food bank for a few hours each weekend has been my saving grace. The investment in giving to others has been wildly helpful to my health. I highly recommend volunteering at least once a week and learn how to serve others with nothing in return.

Image: Courtesy of Candice Kumai

What are some work habits that help you stay healthy, productive, and on track to reach your goals?

I work out for my mental health at least five days a week and meditate for at least 20 minutes a day; it makes a difference. I also set boundaries. I stay away from insubordinate or hard-to-work-with individuals. I choose to hire those who are a pleasure to work with and only the best at what they do. When anyone I hire begins to complain, I don't hire them again. I rehire those who work with integrity and a smile; teamwork makes the dream work.

Any favorite apps you use regularly?

I try to minimize all app usage. I am not a fan of electronic devices. I’ll recommend my podcast “Wabi Sabi.” It's free and it helps others to learn you are never alone. Otherwise, my advice is to read a physical book, go for a hike in the woods, a swim, or go for a surf. Apps and the phone are too much for your beautiful brain. 

What are you reading, watching, and/or listening to right now to help you wind down at the end of the day?

“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah is one of the best books I’ve read in my life. I am reading it again because it's hard to find a good book like that these days. I use a salt lamp at night, I use a noise machine, and I sleep with crystals. My bedroom is my sanctuary and sleep is my favorite part of the day. Invest in a quality mattress, new pillows, and fabulous sheets!

What’s your “optimal” number of sleep hours?

Eight to nine hours  

What’s the most rewarding part of your day?

Great question! And yet it is so hard for me to answer.

Strong Work Relationships: Recently, I listened to a voice note from my DP (director of photography) in New York, Carlos. There are a few like him on my team Christina S., James H., Robert R. and they've worked with me for a decade, some longer. I feel so lucky to have them in my life to remind me the work we do is profoundly helpful, beautiful, and useful.

Pets: Being with my cat Sisi, who is now 19, is extremely rewarding. I only have a few more years with her. When you have a pet, there is a time when it will all end. It is profoundly sad, but true. It is the pathos of life. We call this “mono no aware” in Japanese. 

Valuable Time: All of our time here is limited and a gift. I chose to spend it much more wisely than I once did, especially with the jobs I take, the books I write, and the people I choose to give time to.

The Girls & Flowers: Working with girls who don’t ask for a paycheck or a handout. Jacqueline, Raiany, Cecelia, Julianne—these are a few who enjoy helping the creative side of my business and, for their helping hands and heart, I am grateful. Mentoring young girls on the job is also extremely rewarding, similar to when I volunteer with those who cannot give back to me at the food bank. We hand flowers to the individuals we provide for at the food bank, and, watching their reaction, their eyes, as I reach over to hand them some flowers unexpectedly, each reaction is different and uniquely special. This little moment with a sparkle in their eyes is truly the greatest gift and I look forward to it each week.

Featured image: Kevin Kim

4 Steps To Define Your Brand Voice

Do you have a certain name for your followers, such as “posse,” “magic makers,” or “Insiders?” Do you love shortening the word “business” to the ever-so punchier “biz?” How about insisting your checkout page says “add to bag” over “add to cart?” If you’ve answered yes to any of these, you already have the makings of a verbal identity—aka brand voice. But if that's not you and you're looking to define your brand voice, don't fret!

So what is a brand voice and why does it matter?

A brand voice is how your personality is shown through language. It encompasses everything from your words to your tone, to even your grammar. Everyone has a personality online, and most entrepreneurs have a sound that’s based on their voice. But whether that’s a clear, conscious personality is a different story. 

Developing brand recognition requires consistency and repetition to establish trust. So if your personality or messaging changes often, it’ll be difficult for your audience to know what you stand for. 

At the end of the day, your customers want to connect with you on an emotional level—85 percent of people buy from companies they have a strong emotional connection with—so having a strong sense of self in your brand helps attract the right people to you, and plays an important role in cutting through all the noise out there. Whether you’re looking to create a memorable brand from scratch or gearing up to finally scale your content, here are four simple steps to flesh out a brand voice your audience will love, and one that feels authentic to you.

1. Use the W.I.L.D framework

This is the exact framework I use when documenting a client’s brand voice for them. Use it as a lens through which you’ll review your writing.

W - Words: The lingo, vocabulary, and terminology for everything, from your regional slang to how to call out your most coveted product.

I - -isms: Your quirks, traits, and all the little things that make you, such as your fav emoji, your favorite phrase, how much you mention your dog, and more.

L - Length: The rhythm of the sentences, such as a long, languid flow or choppy and to-the-point writing (or something in-between).

D - Delivery: The tone of your writing, as in excitable and filled with exclamation points, curious and always asking questions, or even rebellious and breaking all the grammar rules for emphasis.

2. Survey your audience

When you’re a one-person show, it can be tough to take a good, hard look at your style. In that case, turn to your audience. Simply send them a survey or post on your Stories to ask the following:

  • In one word, how would you describe our brand?

  • If our company were a person, who would it be?

In addition to or in place of their direct input, try auditing your high-performing content. Whether it’s an email to your list or even a podcast episode, your popular and successful pieces can provide insights into the messages and voice your audience likes best.

3. Look at competitors

If you’re brand new with no data to help you, or you’re feeling stuck and dont know where to start, ask yourself: “What don’t we want our brand voice to be?” Looking at others in your field, was there something that sparked you to start your own business? Is everyone saying the same things, and you know you were born to stand out? Use that fuel to determine how you will write your messages.

4. Document it all

Now that you’ve got the research and brainstorming section done, it’s time to distill that information into your brand voice DNA.

Besides price, voice is typically the number-one reason entrepreneurs don’t, or feel like they can't, hire a copywriter to handle their writing. So have an in-depth, well-defined brand voice and style guide to ensure whoever you hire gets your voice just right. That'll give you time to focus on what you do best. Here's some of the details you should include:

A personality type

This can provide an overarching sense of how you show up online. Are you the momma bear who’s fiercely protective of her tribe? Or are you the Monica Gellar of your industry striving for perfection? Have fun with it!

3–5 voice pillars

According to the adjectives your audience used to describe you, as well as the insights you’ve conducted, simply look for the common threads. Are you bold, savvy, witty, sophisticated, elegant, authentic, flirty, etc? Choose three to five that best describe you.

Changes per channel

As for tone, think: Does your authoritative self come out on Linkedin? Does your brand discuss sensitive or politically-charged topics that you’d want to be more sensitive about on social—but bolder on your email list? List out the channels where you are present, and how the tone may change.

Grammar

If you cringe at a missing serial comma or you’re a mega fan of the interrobang (‽), get it all down on paper. This not only makes your writing consistent and full of personality, but ensures you can cut down on editing time next time you want to hire a writer. 

About the author: Kaleena Stroud is a conversion copywriter and brand voice strategist from California. She creates personality packed verbal identities for DTC brands that want to stand out and personal brands that need help defining their brand voice magic. Check out her website for more voice and writing tips or contact her to find out which of the nine voice archetypes YOU are.

This story has been updated.

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4 Digital Strategies To Watch If You're a Small Business Looking for Big Growth

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E-commerce has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with the rise of more personalized, convenient, and engaging ways of shopping. eMarketer estimates that e-commerce sales will reach $6.39 trillion by 2024. However, the question remains: What's next for online retail innovation?

To get some answers, we turned to Karen Behnke, beauty industry veteran, expert in sustainability, and founder of Juice Beauty. In a recent interview on WorkParty, Behnke shared her insights on the future of e-commerce, and why she see’s it as one that's driven by personalized experiences and technology that enhances the customer journey.

Ahead, she highlights four emerging strategies that she believes will be game-changers for small businesses looking to drive growth.

1. Live shopping

Live shopping combines the power of video with the engagement of a live event to build deeper connections with customers and drive sales in competitive marketplaces. It's also a great way to build excitement while assessing interest and taking feedback in real time.

Recently Juice Beauty dipped its toe into live shopping by partnerning with Reach TV, the largest in-airport TV network, to launch a new shoppable video series titled Beauty on the Fly and featuring guests like Kate Hudson. "The early results look good," Behnke says. "It is driving traffic, and it's only been running for barely a month."

2. Artificial intelligence

AI-powered tools can help personalize the customer experience, automate repetitive tasks, and help business owners gain valuable insights into customer behavior. Juice Beauty recently upgraded to Shopify 2.0 to start working with new technologies like AI. "It was a big deal for us and our digital team,” says Behnke. “The capabilities for our customers are so much more rich.”

3. Video

Behkne also sees video as a tool that should be used across all channels to make content more engaging and informative. She believes video is the best way to showcase products and brand personality in ways that text or images can't do alone.

4. Digital partnerships

Juice Beauty launched 17 years ago as a retail-only brand focused on in-store activations. Today, its products are available on Amazon Luxury, Ulta.com, as well as Sephora.ca. And Behkne says brand partnerships like these with retail stores that have strong digital capabilities proved to be a smart way to expand reach and tap into new markets.

"Juice Beauty has been a [brick-and-mortar] retail brand from inception, so it was a little bit harder," says Behnke. "But, we're talking with our major retail partners about everything digital. Our team is doing a great job of moving more and more into the space."

Discover more small business technology solutions and digital beauty marketing tips by tuning into this week's episode of WorkParty.

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Daria Shapovalova on How Digital Clothing Can Disrupt the Fashion Industry

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Imagine a closet filled with clothing that automatically fits your body, always looks good in photos, and is sustainably and ethically made. That’s what virtual fashion is designed to do: Blur the lines between fantasy and reality by creating digital garments to be worn by your online avatars using 3D technology or edited onto images of your body using augmented reality. 

While the concept of selling virtual clothing is still relatively new, it’s not totally foreign. In May 2019, the world’s first piece of ‘digital couture’, an iridescent, translucent one-piece designed by Amber Jae Slooton, was sold at a New York charity auction for $9,500. 

And 2023 CC100 honoree Dara Shapovalova, co-founder of DressX, the first multi-brand digital fashion retailer, predicts that in the future, every fashion brand will offer a digital collection regardless of style or price point—similarly to how high-fashion luxury brands branched out to offer perfumes or accessories when the industry saw a rise in those categories. 

DressX was created as a “metacloset” for consumers and brands to easily access the Metaverse. Launched in 2020 by Shapovalova and Natalia Modenova, the digitally native company’s main goal is to offer every person in the world an infinite digital wardrobe for their online identity with no limitations on creative expression. The company just raised $15 million in Series A funding, which it plans to use to improve its app and NFT marketplace.

“Digital fashion offers a more accessible and eco-friendly way for customers to experience luxury fashion while still providing a sense of exclusivity and excitement that comes with wearing designer pieces in a digital space,” Shapovalova explains. 

A few pioneering fashion houses have already begun to pave the way for luxury fashion in the metaverse: Gucci, already well-known for its experimenting, released virtual sneakers while Louis Vuitton launched a metaverse game where players can collect NFTs.

But the biggest hurdle, when it comes to digital clothing going mainstream, is understanding what the Metaverse is and how virtual fashion exists inside of it.

Waiting for ‘meta fashion’ to have its moment

Purchasing in-game “skins” and cosmetics, used to customize characters, is nothing new to the gaming world. And now the fashion industry and its consumers are starting to take notice—Morgan Stanley forecasts that the virtual fashion market could be worth over $55 billion by 2030. 

“Meta fashion presents a great opportunity for the industry to reach new heights, open up new opportunities, create new markets, and become integrated into the digital creative economy,” says Shapovalova.

“The transition from traditional fashion to its digital form continues to take place in a natural way,” she adds. “It’s reflecting the overall shift in how we live and experience the world around us.” 

She describes how within this rapidly changing landscape, we are increasingly becoming “the avatars of ourselves” on various social media platforms, gaming, messaging, and streaming services, adding that “digital fashion serves to adorn our digital personas.”

Like media, fashion will have to embrace digital to survive

For luxury fashion to thrive in the next decade, brands will need to release their collections into a digital world where most young consumers are already spending or gambling with the chance that contemporary artists who are already well-versed in the online world will release some sort of variation before them, which recently happened to the French luxury brand Hermés.

In December 2021, digital artist Mason Rothchild released an NFT collection of faux fur, colorful variants of Hermès iconic Birkin handbag dubbed “The MetaBirkin.” After being sued by the famed fashion house, the court ultimately ruled against Rothschild in February 2023 when a nine-person federal jury in Manhattan determined that he had infringed on the company’s trademark rights. The jurors also found that his NFTs were not protected speech.

Virtual fashion paves the way for a more sustainable future

With the fashion industry being the second-most polluting industry, it’s been widely debated whether or not virtual clothing is a definite answer to its long-existing environmental issues. According to TechCrunch, an estimated 30 percent of all manufactured goods end up as waste within months of rolling off the production line every year. In a survey commissioned by the credit card company Barclaycard, nearly one in 10 UK shoppers (9 percent) admit to buying clothing only to take a photo for social media. 

Considering the current data combined with the continuous rise of fast fashion that only promises more waste to come, the benefits of digitally constructing fashion present a compelling opportunity for brands to reshape outdated business models and pave the way for a more sustainable future.   

Shapolvalova says that the production of a digital garment produced by DressX emitts 97 percent less CO2 and saves 3,300 liters of water per garment on average, compared to a physical one.

“By replacing just one percent of physical clothing with digital garments, we could save five trillion liters of water and reduce the fashion industry’s annual carbon footprint by 35 million tons,” says Shapovalova, citing a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 

The reality is that as long as physical clothing exists, the industry will still likely struggle with the damage done to the environment. But if digital outfits can be used as more sustainable alternatives when it comes to things like content creation or building, introducing trendy, one-off collections, and building hype around brands, that damage could be reduced dramatically.

Looking forward to digital fashion

As Shapovalova explains, meta fashion will definitely shape the future of the fashion industry. Even though digital fashion cannot fully replace physical clothing in its current form, what it can do, she says, is allow us to continue to enjoy the fun of fashion while also making a meaningful contribution to the environment. 

And while an argument can be made that virtual fashion only exists in the digital space, robbing us of the tangible joy that physical clothing can bring—it isn’t any less real because of that. Virtual fashion opens up previously locked doors that lead us to very real experiences that are at the core of the traditional fashion industry: creativity and self-expression. While the clothing may not exist in real life, those feelings still do.

Rewatch the Keynotes, Panels, and Workshops from Future Summit

Create & Cultivate recently hosted our Future Summit in Austin, Texas, which brought together founders and entrepreneurs from some of the most disruptive brands in the tech and innovation industries. The conference aimed to help attendees stay ahead of the curve with emerging technologies such as Web3, cybersecurity, fintech, and customer acquisition.

Below, the keynotes, workshops, and panels provide actionable advice and resources from the speakers, who shared their firsthand experiences and expertise on timely topics and trends in the industry. Dive into the conversations below, and check out the next events to sign up for.

How To Be a Multifaceted Creator with Tinx

Tinx has continually innovated throughout her career to be in service of her audience, who consistently asks for her help with wide-ranging issues. In this talk, we'll dive into how she stays on the cutting-edge of trends and what's next.

How To Use Burgeoning Tech To Bolster Your Small Business with Victoria Mariscal

This conversation will focus on how small businesses can leverage Web 3 tactics to build stronger brands. The tenants of this talk will be about creating community, developing new ways to get your brand in front of customers, and utilizing NFTs to interact with your customers, etc.

Web3 and Beyond: What Every Entrepreneur Should Know

From open-source social media to the leaps made in AI, AR, VR, and beyond, 2023 will push forward how small business owners and entrepreneurs approach their digital footprint. In this panel, we’ll discuss a handful of these new technologies—what they are, how to use them, and where they’re headed.

The Realities of a Recession from Women at the Top

The economic downturn calls for new protocols from leaders at every level. In this panel, we’ll bring together leaders to talk about how they’ve pivoted given the looming recession, how they navigate during tumultuous times, and use technology to do so.

What EComm Looks Like in the Metaverse

Explore the intersection of e-commerce and the metaverse, including virtual storefronts and immersive shopping experiences. Follow along and fill out the corresponding worksheet here.

How To Grow a Quality Audience

Discover how to optimize business performance by incorporating AI and data science strategies into your operations—from Chat GPT to programs that help you dive deep into your company's analytics.