The One Thing That Gives Women Power Over Men

Portland went off last night. Last night we landed in the PNW for a night of cocktails and conversation! We'll talked all things entrepreneurship, creative & tech with women who are breaking down barriers and actively putting in work to build a better future. Over 300 guests attended the popup at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, hearing  from panelists Grace Mahary, Jessica Naziri, Karen Okonkwo, and Heather Lipner about their life in STEM, their aspirations, and how women are the true superheroes. 

Read some of our favorite takeaways below and head to our Facebook to watch the full live stream including our keynote with Sonja Rasula. 

FIND YOUR TRIBE

TechSesh founder Jessica Naziri quit her job in the startup world when she felt like she didn’t belong. She told the crowd, “I never want to feel like that again. I want to make it my mission to empower myself and empower others.” So she taught herself to code— well, with a little help from her friends. “I am part of a network called Persian women in tech. We all meet once a month.” One of the women in the group help Jessica learn to code. “I’m not going to say I’m a programmer. I know the basics and that enabled me to understand the foundation. Even if you don’t want to code, just knowing a little bit is so important. These days it’s so easy— you can take  an online course and empower yourself.”

Model and Project Tsehigh founder Grace Mahary also brought up that in such a digitally dependent world, there is no way to survive without getting involved in STEM in some way. So get on it. 

TURN PASSION IN PROJECTS

Heather Lipner, the founder of then now-closed, but highly popular, Clashist (they made James Franco leggings) and now Drawsta, knew that she wanted to continue in the fashion world, but incorporate tech. “Augmented reality at that point was not really even a word people were talking about.” Before Snapchat even came out with face filters, Heather was doing R&D to figure out how to make Augmented Reality work in the fashion sphere. “If you don’t know what it is, it’s adding a digital layer to a physical thing you can touch and feel, and the digital layer can only be experienced through a device like an iPhone. With Drawsta you can have real time changes to your clothes. With AR you can upload a new animation— you can program your clothes in real time. It’s a powerful tool and a new way to experience wearing something. With Snapchat and Instagram stories everyone is changing their face, but it could be on clothes and surfaces.”

It could also make fashion more sustainable— something that Grace Mahary brought up.

OFFSET YOUR WORK 

"I work in an industry that’s one of the most polluting on the planet, so it’s all about offsetting,” the activist told the crowd.

Project Tsehigh (PjT) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing uninterrupted energy to impoverished or remote communities around the world via renewable energy sources. 

“While I was visiting and living in some of these developing nations I realized, very quickly, I couldn’t charge my phone, I would go to a restaurant and the power would go out. When you live in that condition you’re forced to see how people live and wake up every day. To think that you can't wake up every day and have facilities that run consistently— that’s how I became passionate about it. We’re working with solar panels, and as of this month, we’ll be launching our first project in Eritrea, and we’re donating 101 solar units to households — and then a school, a church, and a mosque.” 

PROMOTE INCLUSITIVITY 

Karen Okonkwo of TONL, a which seeks to transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world, explained, “For people to feel welcome in any industry, they need to see online that there are other people that look like them, in those particular fields. Imagery, in the form of advertising, is the first step in saying, ‘hey you are welcome and we want you here.’ That angle is very powerful and underutilized.” 

“Sometimes, especially in the black community we feel tokenized,” Karen told the crowd. "I’m not trying to act like the spokesperson for the black community. I’m simply someone who is trying to provide change and influence. I may have some missteps along the way. Try to give people grace as they launch their businesses and feedback.” 

She also dropped a version of this gem: Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself. 

"Be your own Dora the Explorer and teach yourself."

Tweet this. 

“If you don’t see what you want— anyone who has a skill set, be that change. Start your own Facebook group or start your own meet up, or agree to mentor one person, that’s how we create that cascade of people who can enter into STEM. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help, either. That knowledge is there for you to take." 

WOMEN ARE FREAKIN SUPERHEROES 

“A lot of money is controlled by men, and that’s the biggest problem," shared Heather when talking about raising money and going into VC meetings. "When you go and try to raise you’re almost always talking to a man and they don’t understand the female perspective. Until you experience something or have that problem, you’re not going to understand what the solution is. It’s harder for women to get funded, it sucks,” she said frankly. “For me I’ve been jumped into a room and seen a total glaze.” Which is why she says, "The money has to also be diverse in category, gender, race, and everything so you can create companies that are targeted for what your niche is.” 

Heather then dropped this AMAZING bomb during the Q&A portion.

“I just had a baby. The baby was in me and then it came out of me. And I feed the baby with my breasts. Men cannot do that. I wish I could go back to all the VC meetings I had and to the men in those rooms  say, ‘You have no power.’ I wish I could have a different mind shift and just go for it without being intimidated or being scared. It’s a crazy thing to think about. They might have the money. It’s artificial. It’s contrived. And we can change that. You just need that mind shift. 

Any questions?

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

RSVP Now! For An Intimate Evening in LA with Create & Cultivate & Club Monaco

We’re teaming up with Club Monaco to host a little GNO in our hometown of Los Angeles! Come mix + mingle with fashionable ladies, shop + enjoy a conversation with our very own Jaclyn Johnson, Geri Hirsch of Because I’m Addicted + Courtney Halverson of Pretty Little Fawn. Enjoy champagne while you shop the Fall 2017 collection + explore the ever-evolving notion of the modern woman. 

The evening is open to the public with RSVP, but it will fill up fast. Be sure to sign up + show up early to gain access! 

THE DETAILS 

Date: September, 14th 2017

Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm

The Location: Club Monaco 

401 N Beverly Drive

Beverly Hills, California, 90210

Our Club Monaco pop up event is free & open to the public. RSVP is required & does not include a plus 1! We suggest arriving early as space is limited! 

*By signing up, you are opting in for emails from ourselves and our partners. You will always have the option to opt out.

RSVP Closed

Everything You Missed From Our CreateCultivatePopUp at the Beverly Hills Marriott

#CreateCultivatePopUp in collaboration with Marriott Hotels

photo credit: Irida Mete 

Last night at the Beverly Hills Marriott Hotel over a hundred female entrepreneurs, photographers, and bloggers joined under the setting sun to listen to panelists dish on best biz practices, traveling for work, and how to grow and maintain a following. 

We heard from power women like Jacey Duprie of Damsel in Dior, Vanessa Simmons, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, who shared the BTS realities of their jobs and about the importance of uplifting and empowering other women. 

Here are some of our favorite and *KEY* takeaways. 

MAKE A CASE STUDY

Puno, founder of Made with Map (and creator of #finditliveit) and Drea Sobieski, founder of elsewhere, both told one audience member who asked how they get noticed, to "make a case study." 

Drea told the audience about a trip to Morocco that she put on a credit card. It was 3k and she financed the entire trip herself, but what she got from that risk was invaluable. She returned home with a "case study I still use to this day. And those images are still circulating. I knew what I wanted and I went for it." 

"Never tell a brand that you 'want to collaborate,'" added Puno. "Show them how you are going to bring awareness to their brand. Explain in detail what you can do for them." A case study is one of the best ways to do so.  

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME

Jacey Duprie told the audience that they need to find what they’re good at and approach smaller brands. She explained that you don't need to approach someone with HUGE numbers to get noticed and often times it's about going after smaller people with 8-10k followers who really believe in your brand.

Puno echoed this sentiment, telling the crowd, "micro-influencers are where the conversation with brands are heading. You want people with high engagement and who convert." When she first launched Made with Map, she found and approached 60 new people who made sense for the brand-- per day. Not everyone responded, but not everyone needed to. 

Jacey also mentioned how imperative it is to "get creative," when going after your dreams. She told the story of financing a trip to Africa by hosting a party at her house and asking her friends to donate to her cause. It worked. Because she asked. 

IT’S OK IF YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE A BUSINESS

There is a lot of pressure for everyone to be an entrepreneur. Especially with Instagram turning everyone into a brand. But if you don't want to have a business, you don't need to. You can be just as successful working for someone else. 

Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This told the audience, "You feel like you need to keep up with people closing brand deals, but your worth is not about a brand deal. Go for the claps not for the likes— you might not get the campaigns, but you will be true to your strengths."

"Go for the claps, not the likes." 

Tweet this. 

photo credit: Irida Mete

ASK YOURSELF: WHAT IS YOUR TALENT?

Erica also challenged the audience to focus on "what your talents are," not someone else's. She told told them, "It sounds cheesy but you can really do anything if you do that." 

Adding, "You can’t be talent if you’re not talented.” 

Piggybacking on that, there was a lot of talk about:

FINDING YOUR TAGLINE & NAILING DOWN YOUR VISION 

Vision. It’s a word Vanessa Simmons brought up and it’s so important.

She said people assume that being on TV is going to make your brand “explosive.” It helps, sure, but she also explained that “all TV does is magnify what’s already going on.” If you're not clear about your vision, it will be evident. 

She encouraged the audience to hand write their goals and take baby steps, every day, toward those goals. 

"You can’t fail, until you quit,” she said.  

"You can't fail, until you quit."

Tweet this.  

Hilary Williams of DBA told the women in the audience they need to take their commitment to blogging seriously if they want to break into the "overcrowded" space. "Ask yourself, really ask yourself" she said, "is this a real business and am I devoting my entire life to it?"

"The talent I work with," she added, "their vision is super clear and they have a unique spin on it. What makes you different? How do you make noise and get a brand excited?" 

LOVE A KICK OFF CALL 

It’s not just about the money— it’s about the brand, the messaging, and what will go into the campaign. Hilary Williams told the audience that client and fellow panelist, Erica Domesek, "loves a kickoff call."

Simply because Erica wants to chat through ideas and how to best position her work with a brand. It's not just about a $ in front of number-- it's about the idea, the brainstorming, and the collaboration. 

To see more from our collaboration with Marriott Hotels be sure to check out our Create & Innovate series, featuring female entrepreneurs in cities across the United States. 

MORE FROM OUR BLOG 

Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This Talks Crafting the Career of Your Dreams

photo credit: Amy Bartlam

Let’s talk for a moment about crafting a career. Sure, maybe Erica Domesek founder of P.S. I Made This can pom pom trim the pouf out of a hat (and best believe, she did), but how did she turn it into a business? One, years of hard work. Two, the simple act of being a good person-- something, we’d like to note takes zero DIY "skill."

Crafty since she was a kid, Erica says she always had a paintbrush or crayon in hand and was constantly creating. “I was blessed to have people around me who were also interested in moments of creative living,” she says, “and I got that DIY in my DNA early on. But DIY isn’t necessarily about picking up a glue gun, it’s a way of life and living creativity.”

“I believe anybody can craft the career they want,” Erica says. “Not to sound cheesy, but I truly believe it.”

“I got that DIY in my DNA early on.”

Tweet this.

After graduating from school in Florida where she studied business and fashion merchandising, she set out into world. “I had a jewelry line before I could even have an adult beverage and I was doing trunk shows at Saks Fifth Avenue and all over the Eastern seaboard,” she says. She didn’t necessarily know that she would be a “serial entrepreneur,” but she knew she “enjoyed makings things and making people happy.” That, and the entrepreneurial spirit of trying new things. “I didn’t have a roadmap, I met nice and interesting people and I believe when you’re nice and like to help people, well, it’s called karma.”

From helping out the fashion director at Golf Digest when she was in college to then meeting “every editor at Condé Nast when I was 21 years old,” Erica was naturally curious and had a willingness to get involved-- to work. She wanted to learn. She wanted, to do-it-herself. These are all traits that helped her along that unpaved road.

“It was a very different world when I rose up,” she said, “but you can’t compete with being a good person.” Her career moved in the direction of prop stylist and design consultant, which allowed her to work with brands like Kate Spade, Anthropologie, and Bloomingdale's, as well as major fashion magazines. It was during a moment when she was creating wire sculptures for Anthropologie that she realized, “I was just happy-- I was happy making and creating, but ultimately I knew that there was a goal from the business side.”

P.S. I Made This launched in 2009. Shortly thereafter, Elle deemed Erica “Fashion’s Queen of DIY.” She did some "heavy lifting" in the DIY space, spending 11 years in New York, the city where she says her hustle “sparkled and shined.” Coming off the hamster wheel of the city however, she knew she had to ask herself, ‘Wait, where do I see myself in five years?’”

She doesn’t have a specific answer to that five-year question, but is looking into how virtual reality will play into her work. “I’m really interested in VR,” she says. “I’ll always be a storyteller, but pressing on to find the next round of innovation is always going to tickle my curious bone.”

She knows that “Gen Z is going to be the power user,” so she’s thinking about how they will interact with tech and what that side of the business will look like. She also knows that there are key ingredients for success, those that don’t shift or change even as tech does. “Hustle, confidence, desire, keeping true to your integrity and being a good person along the way,” are her standouts.  

Having grown up in the business pre-social days she says “numbers don’t define you. I think people are so focused on a number. Social media is a blessing in so many ways, but self-worth is not based on the number of likes received on a post. I was definitely conflicted about the ‘we’ vs. ‘me,’ and the ‘I’ vs. ‘us.’ I was torn what to share-- the narrative was confusing and I struggled.”

This is not an uncommon feeling among bloggers juggling platforms, what to share and what not to share. (That is the modern question.) To alleviate part of that stress Erica has a personal Instagram account for friends and family, what she calls “a small, private space on the internet.”

She advises young entrepreneurs to do the same. “Find a place on the internet-- should you want to,” she says, “that’s just yours.” It’s how to believe you can attempt balance in the midst of the hustle. “I give advice to a lot of people and I think it’s really important for younger generations to have separation,” she says. “If you want to craft the career you want, you have to be happy inside. And that’s the hardest DIY project in life.”

“If you want to craft the career you want, you have to be happy inside. And that’s the hardest DIY project in life.”

Tweet this.

Erica’s current hustle depends on the day. When we talk she’s in the midst of prepping for multiple shoots the following week, as well as joining us on stage at our Beverly Hills #CreateCultivatePopup. She tells us, “I’ve always gone for what I’ve wanted and always took the road less traveled.”

photo credit: Amy Bartlam

In addition to her blog and brand, she has a new TLC series, “Erica in the House,” where she's sharing her DIY and lifestyle expertise with viewers. In a video introducing the series Erica says, life is “like the monkey bars, you gotta let go of one to get to the next.”

Last year Erica let go of New York and headed west to Los Angeles. Since moving the entrepreneur says she now “cooks more than she crafts.”

“I love entertaining and having people over-- doing things where I’m able to put my phone down. I might pick my phone up and Instagram a pretty plate but weekends are not about work for me. I had to make a separation because I did hustle so hard.”

“I think hustling is great,” she adds, “but it’s also great to be able to enjoy life.” She quotes friend (and fellow TLC-ite) Stacy London, saying, “One of her favorite words is ‘almost.’ She loves it because it means that we haven’t arrived, that we can always reach for more.”

"Hustling is great, but it's also great to be able to enjoy life." 

Tweet this. 

“We’re still evolving. Everybody who says they’ve figured it out, is wrong. They’re lying. We all have that 'almost' inside of us.”

MORE FROM OUR BLOG