5 Boss Women Share What They're Thankful For
Meet us at the corner of huslte and happiness.
There is something to be said that we kickoff holiday season with a day of giving thanks. The focus on family and friends, not presents. On full bellies and full hearts. People gathered around a table or the smells in the kitchen. We put our hardships, grievances, and worries aside for a moment and really soak into what we do have. Because no matter who you are or where you come from, or how rough the last month has been for many of us, there is always something to be grateful for. There is always something worth toasting.
We asked four boss women what they're thankful for.
Cheers to them and you and from the team at Create & Cultivate, have a warm, wonderful, and love-filled Thanksgiving.
SONJA RASULA, FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR, UNIQUE MARKETS, UNIQUE SPACE, CAMP
"I'm most thankful for the rediscovery of my intuition, such a powerful and important tool we all have yet often ignore... I've always been very in-tune with it and the energy that surrounds me, but this year was hard and I realized it's because while I was giving others the advice to 'trust your gut,' I hadn't been listening to my own intuition which impacted my work/life. "
NICOLETTE MASON, WRITER AND FREELANCE CREATIVE CONSULTANT
photo credit: Nicolette Mason
"I'm really, really grateful and appreciative of my queer and POC communities. It has been remarkable to see groups come together to share resources, provide support, and help one another."
EUGENIE GREY, FOUNDER FERAL CREATURE
photo credit: Anna Demarco
"I'm thankful for my chosen family, who align with my political beliefs and support me in all my endeavors. Times are extra hard for some of us right now, and the sense of community is the most valuable it's ever been."
CHELSEA SONKSEN, FOUNDING EDITOR, BOSSLADIES MAGAZINE
photo credit: Bossladies Magazine
"This year I'm especially thankful for the warm reception that women around the world have given my little magazine. When you start a new publication (or any new project for that matter), there is no way to know if people are going to resonate with it. I’m so grateful that Bossladies has touched on something that inspires and moves people at their core. There isn’t anything more you could ask of your work than that."
BETH KIRBY, FOUNDER LOCAL MILK
photo credit: Local Milk Blog
"I'm grateful to have a job that allows me to be creative and travel—whenever I'm stressed I remember that stress means I have work and having work means I get to do what I love for a living."
What are you grateful for? Share in the comments below!
MORE FROM OUR BLOG
BTS: Our #CreateCultivateATL Speaker Dinner with Crown Royal
An exclusive look at our speaker dinner last week.
We can't believe it's almost been a week since we sat down to delicious cocktails from Crown Royal Vanilla and even more delicious convo at our speaker dinner at the W Atlanta in Downtown. Is it possible to FOMO post event? We think so.
So we're throwing it back to a night of "bests." Where Sarah Michelle Gellar called the night's specialty Vanilla Fashioned cocktail the "prettiest drink ever" she's ever seen. Where the Beckerman Twins, Cailli and Sam deemed their personalized monogrammed bags, "the best takeaway ever." (Which, we'd have to agree.) And countless boss ladies from Nicolette Mason to Adrianna Adarme of A Cozy Kitchen and Ingrid Nilsen raised a glass and toasted to being in a room filled with amazing female energy.
The Crown Royal Vanilla Fashioned is "the prettiest drink ever."
- Sarah Michelle Gellar
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Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate addressed the speakers, telling them that the kick-off dinner is an event that she looks forward to every year. "It is an honor to have each and every one of you here tonight," she said, "and I am so excited for you guys to experience the conference tomorrow."
Click through the gallery below and enjoy the night's cocktail recipe from Crown Royal!
Vanilla Fashioned
1 sugar cube soaked in orange bitters
2oz Crown Royal Vanilla
Frozen flowers
Flamed orange zest
Place the sugar cube in a rocks glass with orange bitters, top with 2oz Crown Royal Vanilla. Once the sugar dissolves you put in your ice (containing frozen edible flowers) and stir! Orange peels are a great garnish (and you can even ignite the citrus oil when you squeeze the peel by a lit match).
Cheers!









Interview with a Fierce & Feral Creature
Eugenie Grey is just a girl from the 'burbs. Sort of.
It's not surprising that you can spell "genuine" with the letters of Eugenie Grey's name.
The brazen blogger grew up in the suburbs of LA, but just one look at her Instagram and you'll find she's shed any evidence of a "little boxes all the same" kind of life. There's no one like her, which is part of her "brand."
So, what makes Eugenie, unique? In part she's always wants to stay away from safe. Find out more below and be sure catch her on stage when she joins #CreateCultivateATL.
You are considered one of the OG bloggers and have now amassed over 460k followers online. From a business perspective, what's been your growth strategy?
I was blessed with being an early adopter. I started blogging in 2008 and got social media accounts very early on, and have been able to observe trends and adjust quickly ever since. I also think that staying true to my unique style has helped build my brand--I wanted to stay away from "safe".
I think that staying true to my unique style has helped build my brand--I wanted to stay away from "safe".
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You go to school, live bi-costally between LA and New York, are a full time blogger, and still manage to have a pretty exciting social life that we're a little envious of. How do make time to fit it all in?
Ever since I was in high school, I worked three jobs at once while going to school, blogging on the side for fun all the way. The gradual increase of my workload with various transitions in my adult life felt natural to me.
For you to work with a brand, what are they guidelines they have to meet in order to create a partnership?
Does the brand appeal to me? Do I believe in the product? Will this benefit my life, and in turn want me to share it with others?
What is the smartest business decision you've made thus far?
Probably purchasing my domain name for $2500 off someone many, many years ago. That was a fortune to me back then!
What's the worst business decision you've made? How did it help you grow?
Maybe this wasn't the "worst" decision, but it was a lot of work to keep up my blog while finishing up school. It taught me a lot about proper time management and priorities.
Via Feral Creature, you have been able to create a brand that embodies being your true self and breaking away from the status quo. What other messages do you hope translates to your followers via your blog?
I hope to inspire others to embrace their individuality, quirks, and weirdness. I hope people feel confident in their differences and what makes them unique.
I hope people feel confident in their differences and what makes them unique.
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How do you see the world of Instagram evolving?
Instagram is moving more to video. Algorithms made likes go down, but video views (which you see instead of likes on video content) remain high.
Describe your brand in three words.
Bondage Sith Lord.
What is one hair color that you've yet to dye your hair?
Orange!
What is your trick to taking the perfect Instagram #OOTD pose?
Head down/looking away will usually leave you without any gripes about a weird facial expression. Stand straight up, pop one knee out to the side. Do something with your hands: put them in your pockets, hold your purse strap, brush your hair behind your ear, cross your arms, etc.
What's a creative area that you'd like to explore?
I've a keen little nose. I'd like to get into making fragrances one day.