Hey, Creatives! Here's What to Expect at Our Making It With Madewell Summit

Photo: Smith House Photography

Calling all artists, creators, dreamers, and makers, we’re teaming up with Madewell on August 15th for our Making It With Madewell Digital Summit. Join us for a super fun afternoon of biz-focused chats, workshops, and studio tours devoted to championing creatives, including artists, small business owners, and Madewell’s own Hometown Heroes.

We’ll be joined by the likes of Blair Armstrong, founder of Gilded, Steffi Lynn Tsai, artist and founder of Have a Nice Day, Danielle Nagel, designer and founder of Dazey L.A., and more makers who will be chatting about the challenges of scaling a biz built on handmade goods, the ever-evolving small business e-comm landscape, and so much more! 

Experts from Planoly and Squarespace will be hosting workshops on how to make the most of all their latest tools and resources. Plus, we'll have a community Slack channel where you will have the opportunity to network with fellow creators, artists, and designers all day long! Who knows, you might meet your next business partner!

Last, but certainly not least, Emmy-nominated actress, comedian, and producer Yvonne Orji will take to the virtual stage to chat with C&C founder and CEO Jaclyn Johnson about how she pushed fear aside to follow her creativity, what her creative process looks like, and how she feeds and nurtures her creativity to build a life of passion and purpose.

Scroll on for all the deets, and if you haven’t already, be sure to RSVP for free (yes, you read that correctly, FREE!) ASAP!

THE DATE

Saturday, August 15th, 2020

TUNE IN FROM HOME

First things first! On Saturday, August 15th, you’ll receive an email with the link to access the exclusive Making It With Madewell site. Please note: All content will go live on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), including the launch of the exclusive Making It With Madewell site. To find out what time a session is happening in your time zone, use this handy time zone converter.

Making It With Madewell is made up of pre-recorded video sessions hosted via Vimeo and live video sessions streaming via Zoom. We recommend that you have a strong WiFi connection and update to the latest version of Zoom for the best experience. Making It With Madwell is optimized for desktop, so it is best viewed via a computer or laptop, rather than a tablet or phone.

While the live content is specifically designed to be watched in real-time, you’ll be able to access and view it until Friday, August 21st at 5 pm PDT (Insiders, you have all-access even after the cutoff via your C&C Insiders dashboard!). You’ll be able to RSVP up until August 19th at 12 pm PDT. 

THE SCHEDULE

Making It With Madewell is built just like our in-person conferences, which, of course, you all know and love. We have a stacked schedule with an A-list line-up of speakers so we suggest taking notes along the way. 

Want the full lineup? Check out the play-by-play schedule to map out your big day. Please note, all times are listed in PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) and EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). To find out what time a session is happening in your time zone, use this time zone converter. 

It’s going to be HUGE so we recommend getting a head start on planning out your day now.

THINGS TO PREP AHEAD OF TIME

Here are a few things to prep before the big day so it goes off without a hitch:

• Make sure you have a strong WiFi connection.

• Install Zoom on your desktop computer or laptop and test it out.

  • Zoom tips:

    • Find a quiet place to tune in. Try to situate yourself in a small room that does not have an echo. 

      • Try and stay away from noisy electronics and silence your cell phone and computer notifications for an optimal experience.

    • When possible, limit your internet connection to solely the device you’re using for the Zoom conference.

      • Set your phone to airplane mode, pause your television connection, ask others in your home to pause anything that may require a strong internet connection, etc. 

    • Update to the latest version of Zoom for the best experience

• Be sure to download the workshop assets so you can follow along with the expert in real-time. Note: Your exclusive workshop downloads will be available starting Saturday, August 15th via the exclusive Making It With Madewell site. 

• In the gamified workshop From Telling to Selling: How to Grow Your Brand Online Presented by Squarespace, with Brittany Antoinette, founder of The Idea Girl, your Internet knowledge will be put to the test using the best e-commerce/online practices.

  • As viewers follow along on this live website audit, they'll be graded on a scoring system where they'll receive points for each practice already implemented. 

  • You’ll leave this workshop more knowledgeable and confident on how to amplify your online presence and convert site visitors into diehard customers.

• In the interactive workshop Maker Toolkit: If You Build It They Will Come, Instagram Planning 101 Presented by PLANOLY, co-founder and CCO Brandy Pham will teach you how to utilize storytelling on Instagram to break through the clutter and turn your followers into customers.

  • Follow along using a worksheet (which will be available to download on the day-of site on August 15th) to brainstorm storytelling techniques, content that drives engagement and sales, and learn planning best practices from the woman who pioneered visual planning on Instagram.

  • You’ll leave this workshop with a better understanding of how to best position your social media through storytelling by creating captivating stories that are driven with intention along with a clear path to making sure your content stands out.

• Join the Mentor Power Hour Slack channel and peruse the list of mentors who will be answering questions in real-time in hour-long Zoom webinars and choose your mentor(s). 

  • We have experts in everything from creating engaging content to growing a dedicated following on social media. 

  • If there’s more than one mentor you want advice from, don’t worry! You can hop from session to session over the course of the hour if you’d like. 

  • Don’t forget to jot down any questions you have for the mentor sessions ahead of time! You’ll be able to ask your Qs in real-time by typing them into Zoom’s Q&A feature.

GET SOCIAL

Stay tuned for exciting announcements and updates by following along on our social at @createcultivate. Don’t forget to tag @createcultivate and @madewell and use the hashtag #MakingItWithMadewell for the chance to be featured in our Instagram Stories throughout the day! (Psst… Search “Create Cultivate” on Instagram to use our custom GIFs.)

NETWORK

Networking is a huge part of our event and our C&C Making It With Madewell Attendees Slack Workspace is a great place to mix and mingle with your fellow Create & Cultivators before, during, and after the big day. We’ve created channels for every workshop and panel, as well as channels for international attendees, networking, and more! 

Attendees will receive a link to access our Create & Cultivate Making It With Madewell Attendees Slack Workspace in our What to Expect newsletter on Wednesday, August 12th. This Slack channel will remain accessible until Friday, 21st at 12 pm PDT. Not familiar with Slack? Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Download the Slack app to your phone, computer, or both

2. Complete your account profile with a profile photo, your name, and what you do

3. Public conversations will happen in the channels (ex: #networking) and are located on the left-hand side of the app. You can also start direct messages with others in the Slack workspace

4. Hit send too early on a message? Slack has an edit feature! Click the three-dot icon located on the right side of the message to open the drop-down of message options

5. We’re all about GIFs at C&C! Here are instructions on how to integrate GIPHY into your Slack account.

6. Our Slack workspace is a busy, happening place on the day of the event. Streamline the notifications you receive by using the “mute” feature on channels that don’t pertain to you. To mute a channel, simply open up that channel, click the three-dot icon labeled “more,” and select the mute option

7. Most importantly, be kind and respectful of others. If you don’t follow this rule, you will be removed from the Slack group

If you have any questions on the day of the event about navigating the schedule, accessing the workshop downloads, or anything else, you can drop them into the customer service channel in Slack.

C&C INSIDERS’ PERKS

Our Insiders get a ton of perks at all our events—and Making It With Madewell is no exception. As an Insider, you’ll have access to all of the workshops, mentor sessions, panels, and keynotes via your C&C Insiders dashboard. This content will be uploaded by August 24th, 2020. Not an insider yet? Well, don’t miss out—you can sign up here. 

VIRTUAL GIFT BAGS

We know you want ‘em! Complete our post-event survey to receive an email packed with promo codes from some of your favorite brands, including Madewell, Planoly, Dazey LA, Schmidt’s Naturals, BYCHARI, Have a Nice Day, Teressa Foglia, Sunwoven, and more. You’ll receive the survey in your inbox on August 21st, 2020.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES?

Live chat with a C&C specialist on CreateCultivate.com. You’ll see a “Chat With Us” pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen. 

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU ONLINE! Who are you most excited to hear speak? Which workshop are you looking forward to most? Tell us in the comments below!

MORE ON THE BLOG

"Self-Care Isn't Selfish" and More Boss Quotes From Our Digital Beauty & Self-Care Summit

Photo: Create & Cultivate

On Saturday, July 25, we hosted our Digital Beauty & Self-Care Summit presented by Mastercard. Thousands of attendees from all around the world (India! Puerto Rico! South Africa!) joined us for a day of networking (our Slack channel was hot), learning new skills (search engine optimization, anyone?), and listening to thought-provoking conversations with a diverse lineup of leading industry disruptors.

We touched on everything from bootstrapping a business to developing a marketing strategy to growing a podcast. Miranda Kerr, Tyra Banks, Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Michelle Pfeiffer, and more bosses taught us a thing or two about scaling a business, raising capital, and being an entrepreneur. If you missed out or if you just want to relive the highlights, scroll on because we captured the most memorable moments for you!

(Psst… If reading this is giving you serious FOMO, join Create & Cultivate Insiders to get unlimited access to all of our Digital Beauty & Self-Care Summit content, including video recordings of every panel and workshop download in C&C history.)

Morning Keynote: A Conversation With Miranda Kerr & Sacha Strebe

“

If you’re not able to give 150% then you shouldn’t even think about having your own company.”

—Miranda Kerr

Panelist:

Miranda Kerr | CEO & Founder, Kora Organics

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate  

On launching a clean skincare line...

“Certified organic skincare is so much more than just clean skincare—it’s more potent, powerful, and results-driven.” 

“I don’t want to put something on my face just because it’s clean. I want to put something on my face because it’s really going to fill my skin with nutrients to be healthy and glowy and full of vitality. That’s why it’s important for me to be Certified Organic.” 

On focusing on your strengths…  

“You can’t be everything so it’s important to focus on your strengths.”

“One thing that is not my strength is finance—putting a P&L together, understanding cash flow, making projections, and re-adjusting our revenue is something I’ve had to learn.”

“Still, to this day, I haven’t taken a cent out of the company.”

On self-funding over investors…

“I want to keep it as my baby for as long as I can because I’m very specific about the way I want it to be. I didn’t want anyone else coming in to water down my ideas or make the products less potent.” 

On raising money…

“I’ve always been open to those conversations and I might need it at some point but I’ve been lucky that I haven’t yet. Hopefully, I won’t.”

“Our team understands that for us, this is more than just selling skincare. This is about helping people build their confidence—it’s a holistic perspective.”

 “I lead with my heart. When I’m in that heart space, all the answers come.” 

On being an entrepreneur...  

“It’s a full time job plus plus. It’s like raising a child. You love and care about your business just like you do your child. It requires consistent love and nurturing from you, the founder.”  

 “If you’re not able to put that in and give 150%, then you shouldn’t even think about having your own company. It takes a specific type of person who is willing to give that without expecting much in return—just giving it for the love of it.”

“It’s not easy and there are things you have to do that you don’t like doing like hiring and firing or going through each line of the P&L—it’s a lot! You can’t turn a blind eye to anything when it’s your own company.”

Small Biz, Big Dreams: Meet the Women Building the Next-Gen of Beauty & Wellness Brands, Powered by Mastercard

“There’s a big difference between starting a business and running a business.”

—Africa Miranda

Panelists: 

Shontay Lundy | Founder, Black Girl Sunscreen

Tai Beauchamp | Co-Founder & CBO, Brown Girl Jane

Rochelle Graham-Campbell | CEO & Co-Founder, Alikay Naturals

Africa Miranda | Author, Host, & Founder, Beauty by Africa Miranda

Moderator: 

Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard

On disrupting an outdated industry…

“A cosmetic product is supposed to make you feel good and look good.” - Shontay Lundy 

“There is a myth that Black people don’t need sunscreen and we’re here to bust that myth.” - Shontay Lundy 

On finding whitespace in a market…

“Pivoting is never easy, but oftentimes it’s about recognizing a void in the market and an opportunity to have an impact.” - Tai Beauchamp

On finding your purpose…

“Passion is not enough. Passion is necessary. Passion helps fuel the energy that you need to go at times when you don’t have the resources, capacity, or bandwidth. However, what should inspire you is finding your purpose and being clear about your intention.” - Tai Beauchamp

“The same way that a business has a manifesto and a mission statement,you should have your own personal mission statement, you should have your own personal manifesto, and then align that as you’re looking for opportunities in the market to build.” - Tai Beauchamp

On building a community…

“If you remain authentic with your audience and take them along on the journey with you, I believe that it builds a loyalty that cannot be broken.”  - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“I’ve shared my wins, I’ve shared my pitfalls. We’ve cried together, we’ve celebrated together. It’s a “we.” It really is a community.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“If you are a business owner or a brand owner, you have to figure out if you want the responsibility of a community because you owe them more. You have more of a social responsibility to them and you have more of a responsibility to make sure that the actions that your brand is taking are not just a reflection of your own beliefs but also the beliefs of the community as well.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

On finding a whitespace in the market… 

“Create something with your story and your approach. That does not exist. There will always be a space for that if you stay true to that.” - Africa Miranda 

On learning along the way…

“Respecting the process is a big part of the entrepreneurial journey. If you don’t respect the process, then being an entrepreneur may not be for you.” - Shontay Lundy 

On breaking into a controversial category…

“Being a Black-owned business focused on centering Black and Brown women, there are so many stigmas that exist within our community around CBD and a lack of knowledge and education.” - Tai Beauchamp 

“A part of our business model is that a portion of all our proceeds go to support nonprofit and for-purpose organizations that center women of color around their mental health and wellness and the over criminalization of Black and Brown people who have been incarcerated because of cannabis and marijuana.” - Tai Beauchamp  

On running a business… 

“There’s a big difference between starting a business and running a business.” - Africa Miranda 

On raising money for your business from your network...

“Utilize your network. There may be someone in your circle of family and friends who has been watching your journey and may be very willing to give you a small loan or a small gift to help you get started.” - Africa Miranda 

“We think that we need $10,000 or $100,000 to get started, but sometimes $1,000 or $500 can be the difference between an idea and actually starting a business. Be open to nontraditional sources of support.” - Africa Miranda 

On just going for it…

“I didn’t overthink the process and I didn't focus on my launch needing to go the perfect or traditional route, I just went for it.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

On running a self-funded business…

“We decided that, instead of focusing on what we couldn’t have, let’s focus on what we were making and just make sure that we manage our business finances just as strictly as we do our personal finances.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“For every dollar that we spend, we have an ROI.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“Every dollar I spend, I need it back.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“If anyone is considering starting a business and self-funding, understanding your cash flow management is something that is extremely important. As early as you possibly can, hire an accountant or a CFO.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

On prioritizing e-commerce and DTC channels…

“A mistake that a lot of product-owned businesses make is they focus more on the retail channels and then they neglect their e-commerce. Your e-commerce is your direct connection to your people—to your customers and to your tribe—and you have to make sure that you’re nurturing that because retail can disappear at any time.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

On their Priceless money tip for small business owners…

“The first hire is a bookkeeper, accountant, or CFO.” - Tai Beauchamp  

“Know what you’re spending and be very intentional about it even as you’re building a business.” - Tai Beauchamp 

“You should be very dangerous in every department, so know a little bit about a lot of things.” - Shontay Lundy 

“Fire yourself from every position other than CEO. Once you get your company to the point that you’re able to, it’s really important to take a step back and delegate to other people on your team.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“As CEO you need to focus on money-making or brand-building and driving activities and not answering an email or filling out a form.” - Rochelle Graham-Campbell

“Prioritize. If you know you don’t have a large pot to pull from, then really look at where your dollars can go the furthest.” - Africa Miranda 

A Conversation With Glow-Getter Courtney Shields, Powered by TULA

“You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.”

—Courtney Shields

Panelist: 

Courtney Shields | Founder, CourtneyShields.com

Moderator: 

Maya Allen | Digital Beauty Editor, MarieClaire.com

On launching a beauty blog… 

“I love helping women feel more confident.” - Courtney Shields 

On cultivating inner beauty…

“Inside out, outside in.” - Courtney Shields

On the importance of getting started... 

“You can always pivot as you go, but just start.” - Courtney Shields

On forging ahead during COVID…

“You can look at 2020 two ways. One way is you can choose to complain and feel stuck and frustrated, or you can use 2020 as an opportunity for growth.” - Courtney Shields

“There’s power in our perspective.” - Maya Allen

On not paying attention to the number of followers, likes, or comments…

“If you are seeking outside validation, you’re never going to be happy.” - Courtney Shields

On seeking work-life balance… 

“You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.” - Courtney Shields

On prioritizing self-care…

“Go for the walk, take the bath, do whatever fills you up, otherwise you’re pouring from an empty cup.” - Courtney Shields

On standing out in a saturated space…

“You have to do what you’re passionate about.” - Courtney Shields

“Standing out in a saturated space is all about being yourself and being authentic.” - Courtney Shields

“If you start trying to emulate what everyone else is doing, you’re on an uphill battle.” - Courtney Shields

“Looking inward, figuring out what feels good to you, and then doing that full-force is so important.” - Maya Allen

On navigating negativity and naysayers…

“I’m not a jar of Nutella, I can't please everyone, no matter what I do.” - Courtney Shields

On the best advice she’s ever received…

“Don’t procrastinate. You’ve got to get it done eventually, so might as well do it now.” - Courtney Shields

On her purpose…

“Walking through hard shit and showing people that you can still do hard things with a positive attitude and come out on the other side.” - Courtney Shields

The New Disruptors: Meet the Women Shaking Up the Beauty, Fashion, & Wellness Business

“To follow your passion, sometimes you have to make really difficult decisions.”

—Babba C. Rivera

Panelists: 

Monique Rodriguez | Founder & CEO, Mielle Organics

Lauren Chan | Founder & CEO, Henning

Babba C. Rivera | Founder, ByBabba

Beatrice Dixon | CEO & Founder, The Honey Pot Company

Barbara Paldus | Founder & CEO, Codex

Moderator: 

Ashley Dunn | Host & Entertainment Journalist

On switching lanes after establishing a career…

“I worked as a registered nurse for 8 ½ years before stepping out on faith and starting something that I love and that I was truly passionate about.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“Even though I always had the burning desire to be an entrepreneur, I never thought that it was something that was attainable.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“You can’t be what you can’t see.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“My vision was not to create a hair care brand. I was looking to just talk about something that I love and am passionate about with other women who look like me.” - Monique Rodriguez 

On launching a size-inclusive fashion brand…

“I was surrounded by fashion all the time and I wanted to participate but I couldn’t because I had a bigger body than everyone else.” - Lauren Chan

“I grew sick of the disadvantage for being plus-size. I grew sick of being unequal.” - Lauren Chan

On leaving a steady paycheck…

“To follow your passion, sometimes you have to make really difficult decisions.” - Babba C. Rivera

“Not making a decision is also a decision.” - Babba C. Rivera

“I couldn’t stand to continue as an employee because of this inner voice.” - Babba C. Rivera

“I had to just do it and trust that I would figure it out.” - Babba C. Rivera

On launching a brand with confidence...

“The reason I started the company is because I had issues with my own vagina. The mother of invention is often necessity.” - Beatrice Dixon

“I always knew that Honey Pot would be a household name, as synonymous as Tampax and Kotex and Summer’s Eve and Vagisil.” - Beatrice Dixon

On scaling quickly and sustainably…

“You want to be efficient in everything that you do because, at the end of the day, you want to make sure you’re having profits in your business.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“Make sure your books are in order and make sure you understand your margins and profits.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“You have to know your numbers. You have to know what you’re bringing in and what you have to spend.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“Every challenge is an opportunity to rise higher.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“You’re going to have obstacles, you’re going to have challenges, you’re going to not know, and you’re not going to have anybody to ask those questions to, and you've just got to figure it out and do it afraid.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“No successful person has made it to the success or level that they have without making stupid mistakes—but they didn’t give it up.” - Monique Rodriguez 

On bootstrapping over seeking venture capital…

“I thought I could do it better and faster if I had no one to answer to but myself.” - Lauren Chan

“I set the prices. I set what we pay for cost of goods to insure that it is high quality.” - Lauren Chan

“I went out and proved that there is a plus-size luxury market. My average customer spends $2400 dollars with us in a few seasons. Our average order value is $750. Now I have that to back me up.” - Lauren Chan

“I was being told that you can’t make things that expensive for this market, that the customer does not exist.” - Lauren Chan

On hiring and managing a team as your grow… 

“Management skills have expiration dates. As we face new generations, we have to adapt our management skills.” - Babba C. Rivera

“Everyone is different and the only way to figure out what drives them is to have those conversations on an ongoing basis.” - Babba C. Rivera

“For each piece of negative feedback you give someone, you have to give them more positive ones.” - Babba C. Rivera

“My time as a boss is better invested in focusing on what they are doing really well and how can I create a greater space for them to do more of that.” - Babba C. Rivera 

“When people get the space to focus more on the things that they’re really good at, they tend to have more fun at work, they tend to become more loyal, they tend to stay longer, they tend to recommend their friends to come and work for you, it has so many trickle affects and it becomes more than just a job.” - Babba C. Rivera

On giving back during COVID and beyond…

“My philosophy is: To whom much is given, much is required.” - Monique Rodriguez 

“One of the key things that defines success is: How many opportunities do you create? How many people do you build up? How many people do you motivate, do you inspire?” - Monique Rodriguez 

“People first, then product.” - Monique Rodriguez 

On launching new product despite the pandemic...

“We wanted to keep fighting. We didn’t want to lay down.” - Lauren Chan

“If the independent’s don't survive, then consumers will lose many a plus-size option and they will lose mostly the options that are well-made, high-quality, ethically made, fairly sourced, sustainably minded, and what we’d be left with is the giant corporation that could stand to survive this time and i just couldn’t stomach that regression in size-inclusive fashion that we’ve been building on for a decade plus now.” - Lauren Chan

On being in the midst of planning a product launch during COVID…

“My team and myself have been hard at work during the lockdown prepping for a big launch we have coming up this fall. We are in the process of launching a clean hair care brand rooted in Latin heritage.” - Babba C. Rivera

“For me, it’s much more than a business, it’s part of a mission that I’ve been on throughout my career to create space for women, and in this particular case, really bringing up the Latin woman.” - Babba C. Rivera

“We live in a world where the Latinx community accounts for 20% of the country yet most brands are speaking to a predominantly white demographic.” - Babba C. Rivera

“Latinas spend the most on hair care products. They spend 46% more than their white counterparts, and I’m like, ‘Where are the brands that are talking to me and my friends and my family?’” - Babba C. Rivera 

“Only 0.4% —less than half a percentage—of venture funding goes to Latina founders.” - Babba C. Rivera

“Only 58 Latina women have ever raised $1 million in capital.” - Babba C. Rivera

On expanding to markets beyond the U.S.… 

“By going outside of the U.S., we can set the new standard for what natural, effective, sustainable, and ethical beauty should be.” - Barbara Paldus

On seeking the right investors for your company…

“As an investor, you can be a partner to that entrepreneur for five to seven years. It’s like a marriage and you really need to have a relationship that is like a two-way street.” - Barbara Paldus

“Make sure you really want to go the VC route and then really figure out which VCs you want to work with.” - Barbara Paldus

“See if the VC really understands the business and you because they’re going to make or break your company.” - Barbara Paldus 

Work It Out: A Conversation on Why Brands and Consumers Are Jumping on the Health, Wellness, & Fitness Boom

“If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing.”

—Maryam Ajayi

Panelists:

Katie Dunlop | Founder & CEO, Love Sweat Fitness

Zehra Allibhai | Founder, The FitNest

Lora Haddock DiCarlo | Founder & CEO, Lora DiCarlo

Maryam Ajayi | Energy Healer, Entrepreneur, Writer, Activist, & Speaker

Devi Brown | Wellness Educator, Energy Healer, Author, & Founder, Karma Bliss

Remi Ishizuka | Founder, Rrayyme

Moderator: 

Faith Xue | Editorial Director, Byrdie

On cultivating a thriving community… 

“Everyone’s journey is unique. I want to help inspire and empower other women to figure out and create what healthy looks like for them because it’s very personal.” - Katie Dunlop

On overcoming feelings of self-doubt… 

“Who cares what other people think as long as I'm helping the people that I set out and have intention to help, that really gave me a sense of belonging.” - Zehra Allibhai 

On driving innovation in the sexual wellness industry… 

“I wanted to change the conversation around mastrubation.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

“Disruption was a part of the business plan very early on.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

“There are almost 250 parts in our product, whereas most products in the sex-tech space have about 20 to 30 parts.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

On producing products to help people feel more confident… 

“Our mission is to strive for a world where folks can feel more comfortable in their identity and their sexuality.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

“Confidence is what empowers the greatest of us to go out and change the world each in our own way.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

On changing the narrative of the wellness industry… 

“We’re in real time changing the trajectory of the wellness industry and making it one that’s inclusive for everybody, for BIPOC, for LGBTQIIA+, for people that are differently abled.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“Growth is messy and hard, but on the other side of that is fulfillment.” - Maryam Ajayi 

On navigating self-acceptance… 

“Your level of self-acceptance is what informs every other relationship you have in your entire life and what informs everything that you do in the world.” - Devi Brown

“We are the stars of our own life. The point of being here is finding yourself, remembering yourself, coming into a space of wholeness. There is nothing more important you can be doing with your life. No work is more important than the work of you.” - Devi Brown

On starting the journey to self-acceptance…

“If you find yourself not able to do a lot of self-care, investigate why. Is it because it’s uncomfortable to be in the mirror with yourself? Is it because it’s uncomfortable to touch your own self? Or to just spend time in your own body without outside stimulation or conversation?” - Devi Brown

On being consistent…

“You need to be consistent to see improvement in your fitness, your nutrition, your wellness, and it’s the same in business. You have to show up consistently and know what it is that drives you and motivates you.” - Remi Ishizuka

On championing diversity in the wellness industry…

“People of color created wellness. All of the things that we do in the wellness industry—every technique, every time you’re doing breathwork, every time you’re doing a yoga posture—it was all created by people of color in different cultures, globally.” - Devi Brown

“It’s really dangerous when we’re learning to democratize and decolonize our wellness practices from other white individuals—that only upholds white supremacy.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“For any wellness leader, influencer, company, step one is hiring black indigenous women of color to help them unpack the systems of oppression that they’ve learned to uphold.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“Start to decolonize your individual wellness practices and how you spend your dollars.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“White people can act in solidarity by supporting BIPOC businesses in wellness.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“If we’re going to champion diversity and inclusivity, we also need to understand that intersectionality involves diverse passions, preferences, anatomies,  regardless of gender, identity, expression, sexuality, ethnicity, age, relationship status, disability or even socioeconomic status.” - Lora Haddock DiCarlo

On working with brands…

“I probably end up working with10% of the brands that reach out.” - Katie Dunlop

“It’s really important that the product is something that I personally already use and love.” - Katie Dunlop

“Following your intuition is so important. If something feels off, it’s probably off for a reason.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“Make sure you know what you stand for and why you stand for it. Integrity goes a really long way. You may have to say no to a lot of money and a lot of deals, but in the long run, you’re going to be ahead of the game if you’re a person of integrity who’s putting yourself and your community first.” - Maryam Ajayi 

“Once I accept a brand deal, I put as much value into it as possible so that my audience is getting the same amount of value from a branded post as an organic post.” - Remi Ishizuka

Mid-Morning Keynote: A Conversation With Tyra Banks & Jaclyn Johnson

“Different is better than better.”

—Tyra Banks

Panelist:

Tyra Banks | Entrepreneur & Supermodel

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate 

 On being an entrepreneur… 

“I’m such an entrepreneur at heart.” 

“For me, if it doesn’t hurt, it’s just not worth it.”

“I’m a business person. I want to own something. I get so much pleasure being in a meeting with my team. I love the process.”

On finding whitespace in a crowded market…

“Different is better than better.”

On doing the research and putting in the work…

“When you are trying to get that job, do as much research as you can about that company.” 

On being the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue… 

“I went from being a well-known model in the fashion industry to a household name walking down the street.”

“I did know that it was bigger than me. I did understand that being a Black woman on that magazine cover was impactful.”

“I think that it did some things for the industry but a lot more for public perception of Black women's sexuality and beauty. That we can be the girl next door who just happens to be Black. That we are American.” 

On knowing the difference between hate and healthy critique… 

“Hurt people hurt people.”

“Is this hate, or is this healthy critique? You have to learn the difference.”

On managing finances…

“Cash flow is everything.”

“It is so important that, if you are starting a business, to be as modest as you can.”

On navigating COVID-19…

“Don’t stop thinking about different things that you can do.”

“If the dream is there, you can get there.”

“If your business went away, that doesn’t mean you can’t start another one.”

“Investors always say they don’t invest the product, they don’t invest in the idea, they invest in the person.”

On making an impact…

“How many People of Color can I give an opportunity to that not just changes their life but changes the trajectory of their legacy for generations?” 

On being an entrepreneur and a mother during COVID…

“I have so much respect for stay-at-home moms and I have so much respect for teachers because this is no joke. The only thing that helps me is I know we’re all in this together and trying to figure this out because it’s not easy.”

Holding Space: The Women Leading the Way for WOC in the Health & Wellness Industry, Powered by Califia

“The answer to wellness is not always a purchase.”

—Gianne Doherty

Panelists:

Latham Thomas | Celebrity Doula, Maternity Wellness Expert, Author, “Own Your Glow”

Koya Webb | Founder, Get Loved Up Holistic Health and Yoga School

Gianne Doherty | Co-Founder, Organic Bath Co. and Founder, WELL Summit

Jenné Claiborne | Vegan Chef, Author, YouTuber, and Founder, Sweet Potato Soul

Moderator: 

Sonja Rasula | CEO and Founder, Unique Markets

On making space for WOC and BIPOC in wellness and beyond… 

“Amplifying our voices and coming together to make a change is the way we’re going to see massive change in the future.” - Koya Webb

On rest as a form of resistance…

“Rest is how we reclaim our peace, it’s how we reclaim our mental health and no matter what you’re passionate about and what you stand for, if you are not well rested you are going to drive yourself into the ground.” - Gianne Doherty

On diversifying wellness…

“There is a misperception that wellness, and wellness as most of us think of it now, is for people who have more money, for white people, for women and that leaves a lot of people out of the conversation, and out of wellness.” - Jenné Claiborne

On improving health outcomes…

“It doesn't just affect Black people, but it affects Black people disproportionately, so if we focus our energy on solving the problem for Black folks first, everybody’s going to improve.” - Latham Thomas 

“We’re serving everybody, but we’re especially equipped to serve those who we know may fall through the cracks.” - Latham Thomas

On visibility and representation in wellness…

“We’re creating our own spaces and those spaces are allowing us to heal from the trauma that we’ve experienced from living in a world that’s cloaked with white supremacy and oppression.” - Koya Webb

“When we take care of ourselves, we can start change, we can start getting out there to vote, changing the systems, and coming together to make change that we want to see in the world.” - Koya Webb

On cancel culture…

“I’m not a fan of cancel culture. I don’t really think that helps people evolve and I don’t think it solves a lot of problems. I think we need to invite people to the conversation and we can’t shy away from these conversations.” - Gianne Doherty

On voting with your wallet…

“As consumers, we vote with our dollars, we have so much power.” - Gianne Doherty

“I think it is important to actively divest in brands who are not part of this conversation. Not just spend your money over here, but stop spending your money over here.” - Latham Thomas

On creating wellness brands and spaces that reflect the community…

“Hire the people who are in positions of leadership in their communities, in organizations doing this incredible work already. Bring them in to help so that you don’t make mistakes and you don’t misstep and then when you’re designing spaces you’ll be designing for who’s most marginal, who’s going to benefit the most.” - Latham Thomas

“If we’re designing from our space of privilege, then we’re never going to consider the needs of people who are underserved or underestimated.” - Latham Thomas

On making space at the table...

“I hate this metaphor about bringing people to the table. I don’t need that. I don’t need people to bring me to a table. I can build my own stuff. We need to expand that table so it can fit everybody or we need to completely dismantle it and build something new that is actually inclusive of the needs of everybody who’s involved, especially the most marginalized.” - Latham Thomas

On finding your place…

“Just me being me, my presence, is a protest.” - Koya Webb

“Me dealing with all of the pain and trauma is worth it because it’s inspiring other women to do the same,  that they can do it too.” - Koya Webb

“Just show up the best that you can, being the best version of yourself, and knowing that that is enough.” - Koya Webb

On coming together to make change…

“Together we can make a difference but it can’t be all put on Black people—we all have to bond together and really change the systematic racism and systematic oppression that we see in the world today.“ - Koya Webb

On wellness for all…

 “Wellness is what you need, where you are, with what you have.” - Gianne Doherty

“The answer to wellness is not always a purchase.” - Gianne Doherty

On self-care doesn’t cost money…

“It’s part of our culture to think that we need to buy something to satisfy. You don’t really need anything. Really take an honest look at what you’ve got around you and what you can utilize.” - Jenné Claiborne

On ending systemic racism in wellness and beyond…

“I’m not in resistance, I’m in a dance with joy towards liberation.”  - Latham Thomas

“What we are calling for is people who are non-Black to show up in a bigger way with dollars, with access, pick up the phone and make the calls, get out to vote, but stop putting the burden on us.” - Latham Thomas

Self-Care Nation: Why Taking Care of Yourself Has Cultivated a Major Following

“Confidence isn’t an end point. Confidence is something you have to chip away at daily.”

—Hunter McGrady

Panelists:

Coco Bassey | Content Creator

Hunter McGrady | Model & Designer

Christina Grasso | Content Creator & Co-Founder, The Chain

Candice Nikeia | Content Creator & Motivational Influencer

Candice Kumai | CEO, Writer, NYTimes Bestselling Author, and Chef

Moderator: 

Kristina Rodulfo | Women's Health Beauty Director

On slowing down and making time for rest...

 “It’s important to make sure that you’re okay, that you are taking care of you before you take care of other people.” - Candice Nikeia

On confidence... 

“Confidence isn’t an end point. Confidence is something you have to chip away at daily.” - Hunter McGrady 

On self-love…

“Self-love to me looks like peace. I think being at peace with yourself no matter where you are in that journey, no matter what your size is, no matter what you do, being at peace with you in that moment.”  - Hunter McGrady 

On the power of vulnerability…  

“If we don’t share our story in the most authentic way with others then we’ll never actually be able to connect.” - Candice Kumai

On her approach to wellness...

“Just understanding that we are enough as we are, no matter what it is that we’re wearing, no matter what we have on our skin, or whatever people are selling to us.” - Coco Bassey

On supporting women...

 “I would love for more women to support more women and love women.” - Candice Kumai

“We have to stand up for each other and learn to love a little bit deeper and practice empathy, compassion, kindness. Those are the three most important things in wellness.” - Candice Kumai

On her #AllWorthy movement…

“We’re all worthy of success, of feeling beautiful, of feeling valued, of feeling important, we’re worthy purely because we exist.’  - Hunter McGrady 

“It’s about holding brands accountable and saying this is what I want to see, this is what I’m going to support, and I’m not going to support this, my dollar doesn’t go there anymore and then the domino effect can happen.” - Hunter McGrady

On the self-care movement…

“When you look at the voices now in social media, they’re really breaking ground, making changes, and really being raised up.” - Coco Bassey

“It’s okay to show your less perfect days, it’s okay to show that even if you’re trying out a skincare brand that your skin isn’t perfect but that you're a work in progress just like every other person.” - Coco Bassey

On the comparison trap…

“Comparison is the thief of all joy”  - Candice Nikeia 

On ending the shame…

“It’s okay to not be okay, and it’s okay to love yourself as you are and if you gained 10 pounds you gained 10 pounds, it’s not the end of the world.” - Hunter McGrady

On getting out of the negativity spiral...

“When someone is in that realm of tearing someone else down, they’re really projecting that they haven’t healed yet.” - Candice Nikeia

 “What you see in other people is really what you see in yourself.” - Candice Nikeia 

“The best thing for me to do is figure out who I am, the things that I love about myself, and use them to heal and to develop myself instead of looking at the lacks in my life.” - Candice Nikeia

On striving for change…

“We’re seeing that when you’re loud, things can change—so, stay loud!” - Hunter McGrady

On being yourself and telling your story…

“Regardless of who you are or what you look like, your own story matters.” - Coco Bassey

“Be yourself. You are enough, you are interesting as you are.” - Coco Bassey   

Beyond the Filter: How to Launch, Scale, and Grow a Brand from the Ground Up

“

We don’t sell diversity and inclusivity, we sell authenticity and self-love.”

—Sharon Chuter

Panelists:

Lauren Bosworth | Founder & CEO, Love Wellness

Katie Sturino | Founder, Megababe

Sharon Chuter | Founder & CEO, UOMA Beauty

Courtney Adeleye | CEO & Founder, Mane Choice

Bobbi Brown | Founder and CEO, Beauty Evolution

Moderator: 

Kayla Greaves | Senior Beauty Editor, InStyle

On turning a home-based hobby into a thriving beauty empire…

“The biggest form of marketing you can receive is customer service and word of mouth. So, for me it was always about exceeding the customer expectations. If that’s the foundation of your company, it’s much easier to grow.” - Courtney Adeleye 

On ditching the fear to start all over again… 

“Anything you do as an entrepreneur you could either look as scary or as an opportunity.” - Bobbi Brown

“I am incredibly naive, I’m not afraid, and I don’t think what I’m going to do is necessarily going to be a success but I don’t worry that it’s not going to work out.” - Bobbi Brown

On ditching unrealistic beauty ideals to redefine beauty…

“We don’t sell diversity and inclusivity, we sell authenticity and self-love and the ability to be unapologetically yourself and that’s what makes us different.” - Sharon Chuter

On the challenges that come with scaling a business…

“If you want to scale your business, the entire thing is a challenge so what are you going to do about it? Not everyone is built for it. But you have to roll right through it, and learn from your mistakes, and keep rolling.” - Courtney Adeleye 

On the challenge of being an “overnight success”... 

“It takes 14 years to blow up overnight.” - Sharon Chuter

On hiring the right team… 

“Hire slowly and fire quickly as you build your team because team is everything.”  - Sharon Chuter

“Everything is a challenge but I would urge every entrepreneur to not underestimate the value of the right people around you, especially when you are in the fast growth phase.” - Sharon Chuter

“The strength of our business is that the people who are in it are the brand.” - Sharon Chuter

On following your own path...

“I will never do what’s popular, I will always do what’s right to me.” - Sharon Chuter

“Be strong enough to defend the values of the business because, at the end of the day, throughout whatever growth and as you scale, if the foundation is not right the house is going to collapse.” - Sharon Chuter

On tapping into her community for R&D...

“We take the feedback from our community and we put that back into the research and development and we evolve. We give the people what they want.” - Katie Sturino

On raising capital…

“Talking about capital and raising money has really been romanticized over the past few years. There’s this element of glamour. But it’s really important to realize that you don’t have to go out and raise money like that.” - Lauren Bosworth

“If you are starting a business, I would really think about exploring traditional, old-school routes of raising money, which is a bank loan, or raising from friends and family instead of being convinced that you have to go down this investment path.” - Lauren Bosworth

““If you choose to bring on investors and bring people into your business it’s like a marriage and a lot of people raising for the first time don’t quite realize the depth of those relationships with these people.” - Lauren Bosworth  

On starting The Generational Advantage Fund...

“When I started my company with $500 we went from zero to 60,000 doors within two or three years. No credit card, no line of credit, no loan, no investor, it was, literally grow as you go.” - Courtney Adeleye  

“Here I am, having sold over $100 million worth of products and I still have to prove myself in the finance world. There’s still a lot of discrimination that’s going on. We can’t get the funding, we can’t get a loan, we can’t get a line of credit. There’s no one speaking up for us as an African American—as a business owner we are automatically exiled out of things, there are grants that don’t apply for us, so for me this really hit home.” - Courtney Adeleye 

On creating a diverse brand…

“It was really important to me that there was a color for every woman that came to the counter.” - Bobbi Brown

“We should always have room for diverse people because it makes the conversation richer, it makes your products stronger, it makes your management approach better and overall it creates a healthier business.” - Sharon Chuter

“Diversity is reality, at the end of the day. It’s what makes the world turn.” - Courtney Adeleye 

On switching career lanes…

“First and foremost, you have to make peace with how you feel about yourself and how you feel about how other people perceive you. And then it’s figuring out how you tell your story. You have to figure out how to market yourself.” - Lauren Bosworth

Redefining Beauty: A Conversation With Self-Love Advocate Nabela Noor, Powered by OGX

“You are beyond any size, measurement, tag, label, or anything that’s trying to put you into a box.”

—Nabela Noor

Panelist:

Nabela Noor | Content Creator, Founder of Zeba, & OGXpert

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate 

On launching her YouTube channel...

“When I started to make videos, it was really because I saw other people doing it and felt so inspired by them and they represented so many beautiful diverse communities.” 

“I realized that I can do this for my community. I can do this for Brown girls everywhere. I can make videos about my complexion and share tips for people like me and anybody who wants to celebrate beauty.”

“It all started from seeing that there wasn’t something there yet for people like me and then making it happen.”

On embarking on a self-love journey…

“I grew up, and still live, in a very conservative, predominately white town, and I did not see myself represented in the world around me. Not just in the media, not just in entertainment, not just in beauty and fashion, but also physically in the world around me.”

“I grew up with a lot of insecurities and not feeling beautiful in my own skin and not knowing that I am beautiful and that those differences that I’m reminded of daily actually are beautiful and should be celebrated.”

On being a champion for diversity and inclusion…

“This isn’t something that’s a fad right now, this is our truth. We have, for our entire lives, wanted to be seen and represented.”

On navigating negativity in the comments…

“If you are happy and successful, the likelihood of you going online and saying horrible things to someone else is very small.”

“Happy people don’t say hurtful things. With joy comes kindness. It’s offered me peace in times when I’ve wanted to cry and believed the things that people say about me.”

“It’s helped me, it’s freed me, because there was a time where I was constantly shaping my understanding of myself based on what other people were saying about me.”

On collaborating with Elf Cosmetics…

“I’ve had opportunities to do other collaborations but I chose Elf for my first-ever collaboration because I come from very humble beginnings, I'm a daughter of immigrant parents who came to this country with nothing, and I know what it’s like to want to look and feel your best but not have a big budget.”

On choosing which brands to partner with...

“A brand that loves and values me and has an incredible product is a brand that I’m going to want to work with.”

On being an OGXpert…

“I started my self-love journey by picking up a bottle of OGX shampoo and deciding I’m not going to listen to what other people say about me and my body, I’m going to try to find the things I love about myself and start there—and it was my hair.”

On holding brands accountable... 

“I’m really looking for people and brands who are championing diversity from the ground up, from their business internally outward.”

“Are you actually doing the things internally within your company and with your actions to really reflect what you’re saying to the world?”

“We want to feel seen and heard in a way that’s authentic and in a way that includes us.”

“If we’re not having diverse people in these conference rooms, if it’s just a bunch of white people talking about how they can be more diverse, how is that actually authentically seeking diversity?”

On becoming the first-ever Bangladeshi-American cover star for a major magazine...

“Me having the Glamour UK cover, hopefully inspires another brown girl—another Bangladeshi girl—to reach for her dreams to try something because she saw that somebody can do it too.”

On cultivating confidence…

“When you make a conscious effort to be in love with yourself, it really helps you be more confident and feel like you can take on things that are tough or difficult or uncomfortable, because you know, at the end of the day, you can sit with yourself and be proud.”

On launching Zeba, a self-love movement and a size-inclusive brand…

“We are challenging the idea that beauty is something that can be defined by one institution or by society and we’re constantly encouraging others to redefine beauty standards to include them rather than changing themselves to fit within someone else’s standards of beauty.”

“You are beyond any size, measurement, tag, label, or anything that’s trying to put you into a box.”

On creating an inclusive community online…

“When you’re building your own community, really figure out ways to champion conversation rather than you on a stage—that’ll make the difference.”

“Are you talking at people or are you talking with them?”

“I create posts that I think invite people to share their stories—and people want to share their stories.”

WorkParty Podcast: Tia Mowry-Hardrict on the (Many) Benefits of Having More Than One Career

“Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to get the answers that you’re looking for.”

—Tia Mowry-Hardrict

Panelist:

Tia Mowry-Hardrict | Actress, Author, Producer, Co-Founder, Anser Supplements

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate 

On believing in yourself…

“You have to ignore the naysayers.”

“It starts with you believing in yourself, believing who you are.”

“When you know who you are and you believe in who you are, then you become this strong pillar, and the outside noise or wind or turbulence doesn’t affect you because you’re strong in who you are.”

On listening to your body and navigating a broken healthcare system… 

“Don’t give up. Don’t listen to one doctor. You know your body, you know what’s going on, and don’t give up the fight.”

“Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to get the answers that you’re looking for.” 

On taking care of yourself… 

“Self-care is not selfish.”

“How can you be the best mom, how can you be the best sister, how can you be the best entrepreneur, how can you be the best friend, if you do not take care of yourself?”

“It’s okay to take care of yourself.”

On launching her wellness brand Anser…

“I wanted to encourage women to take charge of their health and wellness.”

“When I was on my personal wellness journey, I did not see representation. I did not see Women of Color, I did not see women of diversity, and that bothered me. I wanted to change this narrative. That’s why it was so important for me to come out with a brand that spoke to consumers that did not feel involved, that did not feel included.”

“DNA doesn’t vary when it comes to ethnicity, but where it does vary is with lifestyle, culture, awareness, and education.” 

“My goal with this brand is to continue to educate, to continue to bring awareness, to continue to inspire, and to encourage people to reach their potential when it comes to their wellness. You deserve it!”

“You are in control of your health and your wellness. You have that responsibility, don’t put that responsibility just on a doctor.”

On selling products at affordable price points… 

“It hurt me to the core when I was out there on my personal journey and I saw that wellness was only designed or made for one type of customer. That’s not fair; I wanted to change that narrative.”

“My goal is definitely to make sure that Anser is accessible without sacrificing the quality and the integrity of the product.”

On where entrepreneurs should focus their financial resources… 

“Product, product, product is the most important thing.”

“You want to make sure that you put a lot of your coins on the product.” 

On carrying a business through COVID-19…

“The key to being a great entrepreneur is learning how to pivot, learning how to adjust.”

“The key in times like this is to communicate with your audience—what are they thinking, what do they want from you, what’s going in their minds—and deliver.”

On leading a team…

“You can’t do everything on your own.” 

“I look at it like a song. You cannot have a beautiful song with just one person, or one instrument, one note.”

“Trusting your team and building a team that knows how to take care of your weaknesses—because we all have weaknesses—you start to build this beautiful symphony and the music is harmonized and it’s beautiful.”

“You have to be very vocal in vocalizing what your goals are and what your vision is, unapologetically.” 

On the advice she’d give to her younger self…

“You are enough. You can do anything that you put your mind to.” 

“Make sure that you continue to stay steadfast, believe in yourself. Trust the journey.”

“Look at yourself in the mirror every single day and tell yourself, ‘I love you! You are worth it.’”

Evening Keynote: A Conversation With Michelle Pfeiffer & Jaclyn Johnson

“When you start a business, you want to serve a need that nobody else has served.”

—Michelle Pfeiffer

Panelist:

Michelle Pfeiffer | Actress & Founder, Henry Rose

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate 

On moving past the negativity and forging ahead… 

“Initially, it was a lot of ‘no,’ ‘this will never work,’ ‘you’re going to fail,’ ‘nobody’s going to buy genderless fragrances,’ ‘nobody wants to hear about celebrity fragrances.’”

On launching a business in a brand-new category… 

“I am equal parts naive and courageous. Often, I’ve thrown myself into a situation without really thinking it through because of my courage and then I find myself in the deep end and I can’t swim.” 

“When you start a business, you want to serve a need that nobody else has served.” 

 “The problem is, because no one has treaded that path yet, there are no guidelines for you and you have to make it up as you go along.”

On developing a clean fragrance line… 

“Between IFF’s restrictions Cradle to Cradle’s restrictions EWG’s restrictions, our perfumers went from a typical palette of 3,000 ingredients to 250.”

“Everybody put their egos aside and set about making this happen.”

“Throughout the process I learned that there are some safe synthetics that are safer for the general population than these concentrated plant-based materials.”

On pursuing 100% transparency… 

“When I went to the cosmetics industry to develop this with them, it was much too soon. Nobody was willing to look at the safety at a deeper level in the products that they used and nobody wanted to be 100% transparent.”

“Everybody’s afraid of trade secrets and getting their formulations ripped off, which I understand, but with reverse engineering you can pretty much find out what’s in anything.”

On navigating COVID-19…  

“We’ve had to pivot along the way and the good thing about being a direct-to-consumer product is you aren’t really affected by retail closing down and you can pivot quickly.”

“We had our supply chain disrupted a couple of times and we had our labs closed down in the middle of working on things for holiday, so there are some things that won’t happen this year that we wanted to happen, but at the same time, we still have so much work to do on awareness of our fragrance line.”

On finding the right partners… 

“The hardest thing is finding the right partners, whether it’s your partners in developing your product, doing your packaging, your PR, and building the business.”

On advocating for environmental health… 

“The consumers really believe that whatever is on those store shelves is safe because they believe that their government has looked at the ingredients and know them to be safe, and they have a right for that to be true.” 

“The FDA right now doesn’t have the authority to demand to know what’s in the product, to demand to recall the product, they have no jurisdiction.”

Don’t miss Sophie Monet, Steffi Lynn Tsai, Blair Armstrong, and more at our digital Making It With Madewell summit on Saturday, August 15. RSVP for free here.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Hey, Glow Getters! Here's What to Expect at Our Digital Beauty, Self-Care, and Wellness Summit

Photo: Smith House Photography

Taking care of your mind, body, and spirit has become a trillion-dollar industry, and we’re coming straight to your home to tackle it all. From energy healing and acupressure sessions to informative workshops and inclusive conversations with leading industry disruptors, our Digital Beauty Summit presented by Mastercard has it all—and we’re not holding back. Prepare yourself for a jam-packed day full of panels, keynotes, live podcasts, wellness experiences, and everything else you’ve come to know and love about our Create & Cultivate digital events.

As always, our lineup for Saturday, July 25 is stacked. Pound Fitness is kicking off the day with a heart-rate-raising cardio class, then Miranda Kerr (yes, THE Miranda Kerr!) is taking the virtual stage to talk about switching lanes from supermodel to clean beauty entrepreneur, Nabela Noor is taking the mic to share how she’s redefining beauty and launching a self-love movement, and Tia Mowry is sitting down with Jaclyn Johnson to discuss managing a multi-hyphenate career for a live episode of WorkParty. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out!

Read on to discover everything else we have in store for this jam-packed day, and if you haven’t already, be sure to buy your digital pass ASAP!

THE DATE

Saturday, July 25th, 2020

TUNE IN FROM HOME

First things first! On Saturday, July 25th, you’ll receive an email with your link and password to access the exclusive Digital Beauty Summit site. Please note: All content will go live on Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), including the launch of the exclusive Digital Beauty Summit site. To find out what time a session is happening in your time zone, use this handy time zone converter.

Digital Beauty Summit is made up of pre-recorded video sessions hosted via Vimeo and live video sessions streaming via Zoom. We recommend that you have a strong WiFi connection and find a comfortable place to tune in from home. Digital Beauty Summit is optimized for desktop, so it is best viewed via a computer or laptop, rather than a tablet or phone.

While the live content is specifically designed to be watched in real-time, you’ll be able to access and view it until Friday, July 31st at 5pm PDT (Insiders, you have all-access even after the cutoff via your C&C Insiders dashboard!). Tickets will be available to purchase until July 29th at 5pm PDT. 

THE SCHEDULE

Digital Beauty Summit is built just like our in-person conferences, which, of course, you all know and love. We have a stacked schedule with an A-list line-up of speakers so we suggest taking notes along the way. 

Want the full lineup? Check out the play-by-play schedule to map out your big day. Please note, all times are listed in PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), as C&C headquarters is located in sunny Los Angeles. To find out what time a session is happening in your time zone, use this time zone converter. 

NETWORK

Networking is a huge part of our event and our Create & Cultivate Beauty & Self-Care Summit Attendees Slack Workspace is a great place to mix and mingle with your fellow Create & Cultivators before, during, and after the big day. We’ve created channels for every workshop and panel, as well as channels for international attendees, networking, and more! 

Attendees will receive a link to access our Create & Cultivate Beauty Summit Attendees Slack Workspace in our What to Expect newsletter on Monday, July 20th. This Slack channel will remain accessible until Friday, July 31st at 12pm PDT. Not familiar with Slack? Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Download the Slack app to your phone, computer, or both

2. Complete your account profile with a profile photo, your name, and what you do

3. Public conversations will happen in the channels (ex: #networking) and are located on the left-hand side of the app. You can also start direct messages with others in the Slack workspace

4. Hit send too early on a message? Slack has an edit feature! Click the three-dot icon located on the right side of the message to open the drop-down of message options

5. We’re all about GIFs at C&C! Here are instructions on how to integrate GIPHY into your Slack account.

6. Our Slack workspace is a busy, happening place on the day of the event. Streamline the notifications you receive by using the “mute” feature on channels that don’t pertain to you. To mute a channel, simply open up that channel, click the three-dot icon labeled “more,” and select the mute option

7. Most importantly, be kind and respectful of others. If you don’t follow this rule, you will be removed from the Slack group

If you have any questions on the day of the event about navigating the schedule, accessing the workshop downloads, or anything else, you can drop them into the customer service channel in Slack.

THINGS TO PREP AHEAD OF TIME

Here are a few things to prep before the big day so it goes off without a hitch:

• Make sure you have a strong WiFi connection.

• Install Zoom on your desktop computer or laptop and test it out.

  • Zoom tips:

    • Find a quiet place to tune in. Try to situate yourself in a small room that does not have an echo. 

      • Try and stay away from noisy electronics and silence your cell phone and computer notifications for an optimal experience.

    • When possible, limit your internet connection to solely the device you’re using for the Zoom conference.

      • Set your phone to airplane mode, pause your television connection, ask others in your home to pause anything that may require a strong internet connection, etc. 

• Set aside your athletic gear and your mat (or towel) and fill up your water bottle for our morning moves session with Pound Fitness.

• Be sure to download the workshop assets so you can follow along with the expert in real-time. Note: Your exclusive workshop downloads will be available starting Saturday, July 25th via the exclusive Digital Beauty Summit site. 

• Dance along with the NetWerk Dance Movement instructors during a special NetWerk Dance Movement Session. Don’t forget to network with your fellow Create & Cultivators via our exclusive Digital Beauty Summit Attendees Slack Workspace.

• Don’t miss the opportunity to get real-time advice from small business owners, venture capitalists, and other experts during Mentor Power Hour presented by Mastercard.

  • Join the Mentor Power Hour Slack Channel and peruse the list of mentors who will be answering questions in real-time in hour-long Zoom webinars and choose your mentor(s). 

    • We have experts in everything from raising money to creating engaging content to growing a dedicated following on social media. If there’s more than one mentor you want advice from, don’t worry! You can hop from session to session over the course of the hour if you’d like. 

    • Don’t forget to jot down any questions you have for the mentor sessions ahead of time! You’ll be able to ask your Qs in real-time by typing them into Zoom’s Q&A feature.

GET SOCIAL

Stay tuned for exciting announcements and updates by following along on our social at @createcultivate. 

To access our custom Digital Beauty Summit IGS filters, head to @createcultivate on Instagram and click on the smiley face icon beneath our bio, or open your camera in Instagram and click on “browse effects” and search with keyword “createcultivate.” You can also search “ccselfcarebeautysummit” on Instagram to use our custom GIFs. 

Don’t forget to tag @createcultivate and use the hashtag #CCSelfCareBeautySummit for the chance to be featured in our Instagram Stories throughout the day!

C&C INSIDERS’ PERKS

Our Insiders get a ton of perks at all our events—and our Digital Beauty Summit is no exception. As an Insider, you get discounted ticket rate of $29.99 and you’ll have access to all of the panels and keynotes after the Friday, July 31st 5pm PDT cutoff via your C&C Insiders dashboard. Not an insider yet? Well, don’t miss out—you can sign up here. 

VIRTUAL GIFT BAGS

We know you want ‘em! Complete our post-event survey to receive an email packed with promo codes from some of your favorite brands, including OLLY, Codex, GOODFISH, NetWerk Movement, House of Lashes, The Perfume Bar, Vie Healing, the Honey Pot Co., and more. The survey will be sent out to all attendees on Friday, July 31st.

GIFT BOXES

Plus, the first 250 ticket purchasers will receive a gift box the week of event date featuring the following products:

• Pound Fitness RIPSTIX

• Juvéderm Lipstick Kit

• SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Body Lotion & Body Wash

• Purely Elizabeth Strawberry Cauli Hot Cereal Cups

• Enavant Active Sports Bra

• House of Lashes Lash + Glue Set

• ECO Therapy CBD Mint Box

• J.R. Watkins Cleansing Hand Elixir

• Each & Every Lavender & Lemon Deodorant

• Juna Hemp Drops

• Mane Club Dry Shampoo

• Lora DiCarlo promo card

• Califia Farms Nitro Latte Oatmilk

Note: If you are one of the first 250 ticket purchasers, the C&C team will reach out to you prior to the event.

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES?

Live chat with a C&C specialist on CreateCultivate.com. You’ll see a “Chat With Us” pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen. 

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU ONLINE! Who are you most excited to hear speak? Which workshop are you looking forward to most? Tell us in the comments below!

MORE ON THE BLOG

“Knowledge Is Your Power”—and More Memorable Moments From Our Digital Summer Camp Summit

Photo: Create & Cultivate

On Saturday, June 13, we hosted our second digital stay-at-home summit, Summer Camp. Thousands of attendees from all over the world joined us around the virtual campfire for a jam-packed day of networking (Slack was on fire!), learning new skills (hello, content marketing funnels), and listening to inspiring conversations from a diverse range of CEOs, entrepreneurs, content creators, small business owners, and experts in their fields.

We covered everything from launching a product to starting a podcast to jumping onto TikTok with some of the best in the biz. Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Farnoosh Torabi, Melanie Elturk, Brittany Xavier, Brad Goreski and more bosses dropped some serious knowledge throughout the day. If you missed out on the fun (or if you just want to relive the magic), you’re in luck because we captured the most memorable moments for you, so read on!

(Psst… If you’re having serious FOMO, join Create & Cultivate Insiders to get unlimited access to all of our Digital Summer Camp content including video recordings of every panel and workshop download in C&C history.)

How Danielle Fishel Karp Went From Entertainer to Clean-Beauty Entrepreneur

“

I really am behind the keyboard the way it appears that I am. It’s my picture, my name, and my voice—it really is me.”

—Danielle Fishel Karp

Panelist:

Danielle Fishel Karp | Actor, Director, Producer, & Entrepreneur

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate 

On becoming a director...

“I didn't know I wanted to be a director until we went back to Girl Meets World and I realized I felt very, very protective of the kids on the show.”

“Kids relate to me in a way that they wouldn't a director that had never been an actor.” 

On launching a transparent beauty brand…

“Authenticity is really important to me. It always has been, so anytime I've partnered with a brand it's either been a product that I really do love or use or it's something that really resonates with me.”

On her relationship with beauty...

“I was never really much into beauty. I'm just not. I have a few products that I love and I use them consistently and unless somebody really says, ‘No stop using that thing, use this,’ I'm going to keep using the same products I know and love. I don't like a lot of change in that regard.”

On launching a beauty brand...

“I didn't ever think I was going to do anything in the hair—or beauty world, for that matter—and then I got pregnant and I went to my first doctor's appointment and I heard my son's heartbeat.” 

“All of a sudden, I really understood why women who are thinking of having a child start looking at everything they're consuming and start looking at it from the standpoint of is this good for me? Is this good for my child?” 

“I went home and downloaded the Think Dirty app, and for the first time ever, I scanned all of my beauty products.”

“From the ground up, I have been involved in every step of the way.”

On being an entrepreneur...

“Acting and directing is an art form, so everything about them is subjective. It's not that way in business. Things aren't subjective.”

“I think I underestimated how much it really takes energy-wise and time-wise to launch a brand.”

On making a clean but efficacious beauty line...

“If I felt the need and a lack in the space, then other people did too.”“When I was trying to create the line, I wanted something that was as natural as it could possibly be, while also not losing any of the efficacy.”

On misinformation in the beauty world...

“Figure out what your comfort level is. Just because I'm comfortable with a product that falls somewhere on the three to four scale, doesn't mean that you are.”

On launching before COVID-19…

“We had planned five new products for this year. A lot of things have changed in 2020. I'm not sure how many of those products we’re going to be able to roll out now.”

On being close to the customer... 

“One of the things I realized very quickly is that I wanted to hear everybody’s feedback, and I really wanted to take their thoughts into consideration because I'm not just making this product for myself.”

“I rely so much on being able to have a direct conversation with consumers about what to do.”

“I respond to a lot of comments and like comments through direct messages.” 

"I have personally responded to I don't even know how many emails, so I am as involved as I can be without having to run every single aspect of it myself.”

“I like people to know that I really am behind the keyboard the way it appears that I am. It’s my picture, my name, and my voice—it really is me, and I think that goes a long way.” 

Let's Grow: How to Build Your Following While Creating a Dedicated Community

“How can I get the right people who are very entrepreneurial excited about my brand from a very early point? And, hopefully, how can they continue to grow with the company?”

—Trinity Mouzon Wofford

Panelists:

Trinity Mouzon Wofford | Co-Founder and CEO, Golde

Mandy Ansari | Digital Influencer & Entrepreneur

Jera Bean | Social Media Strategist and Creator, The Social Media Saloon

Aysha Harun | Content Creator

Chinae Alexander | Content Creator and Social Entrepreneur

Moderator: 

Maxie McCoy | Author of "You're Not Lost"

On the phrase content is king or queen….

“What is going to get me to double-tap? We are all also consuming content as well, even if we are a content creator.” - Mandy Ansari

“Is my content inspiring? Is it empowering? Is it educating and is it entertaining? It doesn't need to be doing all of those, but the more it is doing at one time the better.” - Mandy Ansari

On identifying a need and mapping out a content strategy….

“Businesses need to think of Instagram as a business card. When a friend recommends something, one of the first things we do is go to Instagram. I like that Instagram shows more than just the highlight reel. It shows the journey and the process.” - Jera Bean

On building an engaged online community requires consistency…

“As a content creator, your personal life is your business in a sense, so taking the time to slow down is important to keep that consistency.” - Aysha Harun

“As a creator and as someone that works alone the majority of the time, to admit to themselves that, yes, I do need help.” - Aysha Harun

On building a social media following organically, without putting many resources toward marketing...

“How can I get the right people who are very entrepreneurial excited about my brand from a very early point? And, hopefully, how can they continue to grow with the company?” - Trinity Mouzon Wofford

“Surrounding yourself with those people who believe in it just as much—if not, some days, more than you do—was really my key to getting this far without taking much money.” - Trinity Mouzon Wofford

On growing your community and reaching a wider audience…

“Having a little prescriptive is helpful in moving past criticism.” - Chinae Alexander

“We can show up as humans. I haven't always had a perfect response to people who say rude things. I also have a zero-tolerance policy for it, but that's just how I am as a person. I’m just actually living my truth.” - Chinae Alexander

“My most successful content—and not in likes or comments, but in that it has moved the needle for other people—has been the days where I get up and I’m about to write something and I write it, look at it, and it makes my stomach hurt. It makes my stomach hurt because I’m scared to post it, I’m scared to say it, and I’m like, Oh, God, and I know I got something good. I know I went there, and I’ve never had someone negative attack when I went there. Because of its vulnerability.” - Chinae Alexander

Mental Health Meeting of the Minds: How to Tackle Your Anxiety and Live a Happier Life

“Rejection is objective. Rejection is from the outside. It comes from someone else saying no to you, but rejection is not failure—failure is what we think.”

—Stacy London

Panelists:

Erica Domesek | Founder, P.S. I Made This

Stacy London | Style Expert and New York Times Best-Selling Author

On collaborating...

“It's important, in my adult life, to make sure that the people around me aren't competing but are collaborative and supportive, and I think that we all need that—we need it for life in general, but we certainly need it now.” - Stacy London

On creating connections… 

“To really be able to really create connection, I think it requires agency.” - Erica Domesek

On making self-care a priority… 

“I just have to go back to the OG reference of when you’re on the airplane and the mask comes down and you put it on yourself before you can put it on anyone else. I just realized that I have to take care of myself before I can take care of other people.” - Erica Domesek 

On dreaming big… 

“This moment is the moment to dream big, in my opinion. The reason I feel that way is it does a lot to mitigate anxiety and depression—again, if you feel you have agency. Instead of feeling helpless, like the world is happening and there's nothing you can do to stop it, what I love to think about is what it's like to dream big, right now.” - Stacy London

On navigating social media right now...

“Social media has created moments of such anxiety, that is paralyzing—pre-COVID! You can mute people right now.” - Erica Domesek 

On achieving personal success… 

“Personal success—small, medium and large—is just as important to me.” - Erica Domesek

On handling rejection… 

“Rejection is objective. Rejection is from the outside. It comes from someone else saying no to you, but rejection is not failure—failure is what we think.” - Stacy London

“We forget that rejection, for every door closed, means the door that we are supposed to go through remains open.” - Stacy London 

On not comparing yourself to others...

“We forget that our scale doesn't have to be somebody else’s, and we forget our own lives because we get so involved in scrolling through other peoples.” - Stacy London 

On finding real connections… 

“Whether it's your business or your personal life, connection is essential, and it's not just networking to me that's not enough.” - Stacy London

“Real connection, people who you know you can count on regardless of whether you feel like a success or a failure.” - Stacy London

“Those people who see you for who you are—for the good, the bad, and the ugly and they don't turn away and they stick by you—those are the people who you are going to need throughout your life.” - Stacy London 

How to Leverage Podcasting to Build Your Brand With Farnoosh Torabi

“

You have to be your biggest fan and your biggest advocate

.”

—Farnoosh Torabi

Panelist:

Farnoosh Torabi | Host of the Webby-Nominated Podcast, “So Money”

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate 

On not needing to do it all… 

“As someone who is in charge of your own brand, you have to think about it, I think it's worth experimenting, but you can't do it all.” 

“There are a lot of things that I don't do. It feels like I do it all, but there are also so many things I don't do, which are conscious because it doesn't spark joy.” 

 On talking about money… 

“Everybody has a story, and that story ultimately shapes how we relate to money.” 

“I wanted to have bigger conversations about money that nobody would give me the bandwidth to have elsewhere because they just didn't think it was interesting, so a podcast gives me the opportunity to expand on topics that you really can't find elsewhere.”

On tapping into your audience…

“You don't know what you don't know so ask your audience, they will tell you.”

“You have to be your biggest fan and your biggest advocate.” 

“That's the secret, don't pretend like you have to know the answer, your listeners will tell you what they want.”

On launching a podcast...

“You have to be really clear on your editorial hook, What is the voice? And part of that exercise is listening to a lot of other shows in your category.”

“The key to make this really easy is streamlining as much of the process as possible.”

On staying informed...

“Knowledge is your power. If you have answers to your questions, then you will know where to go next.”

On getting down to business...

“This is not just a passion project, it’s a growth engine for your brand and your business.”

TikTok 101—Everything You Need to Know About This Buzzy New Platform

“Do what you like to do. Don’t feel pressured to do what everyone else is doing.”

—Kiitan Akinniranye

Panelists:

Brittany Xavier | Global Style Influencer

Kiitan Akinniranye | Content Creator & Founder, Atarah Avenue

Blanca Garcia | Beauty & Lifestyle Influencer

Joyce Chun | Creator Marketing, TikTok

Moderator: 

Reesa Lake | Partner and Executive Vice President, DBA

On following trends… 

“You should pay attention to trends, but don’t let them rule your content creation.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

On jumping onto the platform… 

“It’s an outlet for me to express different parts of my personality that I don’t express on Instagram and YouTube.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

On just having fun… 

“Just have fun with it—that’s what TikTok’s all about.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

“I think the reason TikTok has taken off is because people are just being themselves, having fun, and not taking it too seriously.”  - Kiitan Akinniranye

“Just have fun and don’t think too much about it.” - Blanca Garcia

On staying true to yourself… 

“Anyone can tell the difference between someone trying to be someone else versus someone really being their authentic self.”  - Joyce Chun

“Do what you like to do. Don’t feel pressured to do what everyone else is doing.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

“It’s really important to stick to what you want to do and show your personality. That way, whatever views a video gets, you’re still proud of that piece of work.” - Brittany Xavier

On creating content… 

“The most important thing is that you enjoy what you’re creating.” - Joyce Chun

“No matter what anyone else does, you can have your own unique spin on it.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

“Create content that you enjoy, and most likely, other people will enjoy it as well.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

“When creating my videos, I try to have a take-home value or some resource that they can get from the video.” - Brittany Xavier

On turning TikTok into a revenue stream…

“Start creating content, and the revenue will come.” - Brittany Xavier

On checking metrics… 

“I always remind creators that TikTok is a video-based platform. It’s built to democratize content so that anyone who has 0 followers to a million followers can have a chance to be seen no matter their size.” - Joyce Chun

“It really is a quality over quantity game.” - Joyce Chun

“Videos don’t ever expire, so you’ll notice that older ones are continuing to be spread and that’s a good indicator of what other content you can do going into the future.” - Brittany Xavier

“I check watch time to see when people are dropping off and that helps me figure out what I’m doing wrong in a video.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

“I try to take myself out of it, so that I'm not super invested in the outcome because it takes away from how I feel about content creation.” - Kiitan Akinniranye

Uncapping Your Self-Love: A Candid Conversation With Today's Top Beauty and Lifestyle Experts on How to Cultivate Confidence and Self-Love Both Inside and Out During the Social Media Age

“Knowledge is power and that gives you confidence.”

—Melissa Alatorre

Panelists:

Kandee Johnson | Creator, Beauty Authority, & OGXpert

Jessica Franklin | Lifestyle Influencer & OGXpert

Melissa Alatorre | Beauty & Lifestyle Influencer

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate

On tapping into your voice on social media...

“Always talk like you’re talking to your best friend. When you’re your most comfortable, when you’re your quirky, weird, unique, different self, that is going to be the you that people will fall in love with.” - Kandee Johnson

On getting real with your audience… 

“Other people are going through it too.” - Jessica Franklin

“From posting my struggles, I realized everyone has them and people want to relate.” - Jessica Franklin

“People can relate and feel like they’re not alone.” - Jessica Franklin

On being vulnerable with your followers...

“As long as my content is helpful, I’m willing to share it, even if it’s embarrassing.” - Melissa Alatorre 

“I recently started opening up about my struggles with IBS and the response has just been incredible. I don’t mind sharing something embarrassing as long as it helps someone.” - Melissa Alatorre

On having grace for yourself during COVID-19…

“Go easy on yourself. If you have a day where you’re not productive, that’s okay.” - Kandee Johnson

“It’s okay to feel stuck. It’s okay to feel some type of way about this situation because we’re all going through it together.” - Melissa Alatorre

On monetizing your account without alienating your audience…

“I have to genuinely like and use the product.” - Jessica Franklin

“If you don’t love the product and it’s not a genuine review and something that you would actually use, it’s not going to resonate with your audience.” - Jessica Franklin

On dealing with negative comments…

“You can get thousands of people saying wonderful things to you all day long, and it’s the one awful one that just gets to you.” - Kandee Johnson

“A miserable person—whether they’re upset, stressed out hurt—whatever the content of their heart is, that’s what’s going to spew out of them.” - Kandee Johnson

“If I’m going to reply, it’s going to be a reply with a lot of love. It’s never going to be a snapback or a clap back.” - Kandee Johnson

“It’s usually better to ignore it and leave that alone and go about your day and focus on the people that love you and do have positive things to say.” - Kandee Johnson

“If you’re following me just to be negative and give negative energy to my page, there’s no point. If I can, I’ll just ignore it, block, and just keep moving.” - Jessica Franklin

“You need boundaries on social media because everyone thinks they have privilege and access to you and that they can say whatever they want and that you’re not human.” - Jessica Franklin 

“Your platform is like your house, and you wouldn’t invite these people to come into your house and say these disrespectful and rude things.” - Kandee Johnson 

On finding the silver lining…

“When you’re at your worst, at your most rock bottom, you have nothing to lose, so you can start any new ideas.” - Kandee Johnson

On cultivating confidence…

“Confidence comes from knowledge.” - Melissa Alatorre

“Knowledge is power and that gives you confidence.” - Melissa Alatorre

Design Darlings: How These Design Enthusiasts Are Inspiring Millions

“If your heart is pulling you in one direction, go for it.”

—Christina Martinez

Panelists:

Breegan Jane | Interior Designer

Monika Hibbs | Creative Director and Founder, Monika Hibbs

Christina Martinez | Life and Style Blogger, New Darlings

Angela Tafoya | Editorial Director, Lonny

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe| Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

On diversifying your revenue streams…

“When you chase these passions with purpose, it can lead you to the openings that the universe is trying to create for you, even when the world says, Don't do it, put your energy here.” - Breegan Jane

“My life, and a lot of my goals, come from wanting to empower other people and being an employer.” - Breegan Jane

“It's really important to me to give other girls, women, men, anyone, the opportunity to try something, be good at it, fail at it, enjoy it.” - Breegan Jane

On taking a leap of faith…

“If your heart is pulling you in one direction, go for it.” - Christina Martinez

“It works as long as you are willing to put in the work.” - Christina Martinez

On growing an audience authentically…

“I think the honest voice is really the true voice of what people wanna hear and they wanna hear your story.” - Monika Hibbs

On how content strategy has pivoted…

“What can we offer people right now that feels like it's a definitive resource for what they’re going through?” - Angela Tafoya 

“It's not solely providing aspirational content—which we still do, obviously—but thinking about how we can be there for our audience in a way that feels cognizant of what’s going on.” - Angela Tafoya 

On staying true to who you are but also building a business that makes money…

“Look at your audience like a friendship. Some of your friends know everything, right? You’ve got that girlfriend you can call that you’re like, This is what's really happening. Then, you have other friends that are parents at school that kind of know your life and don’t know your middle name. And so, where your comfort level is with social media I think you can kind of filter it that way and each friend can be different. FB is different than IG, different than TikTok.” - Breegan Jane

On knowing when it’s time to make your first hire..

“I started to realize that I was missing partnership opportunities in my email because I just couldn't get to them. I realized really quickly that I was actually losing revenue and beating myself up and really working myself down.” - Monika Hibbs 

“Once you release and know that you can't do it on your own, that's really where the growth comes in.” - Monika Hibbs 

On the best design tip… 

“Zero in on how a room makes you feel, even digitally when you’re looking at a space. Really try to dissect what it is that you like about that space.” - Angela Tafoya

Ready, Set, Launch: How to Strategize a Perfect Product Launch

“You have to think very long term on how you want the brand to evolve but also stay the same over the years.”

—Melanie Elturk

Panelists:

Dianna Cohen | Founder and CEO, Crown Affair

Janessa Leone | CEO and Designer, Janessa Leone

Abigail Cook Stone | Founder and CEO, Otherland

Éva Goicochea | Founder & CEO, maude

Cass Dimicco | Founder, Aureum Collective

Melanie Elturk | CEO & Co-Founder, Haute Hijab

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe| Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate 

On launching a product...

“Anytime that you're looking to launch a business or a product, it's so important to know in your gut that you cannot be everything to everyone.” - Dianna Cohen  

On building communities alongside customer bases…

“More than ever, we are realizing the power of niche audiences and people being genuinely passionate not only as a community member but also as a customer.” - Dianna Cohen

On reaching your target audience…

“I think the best things come out of natural, organic, real relationships with people” - Janessa Leone

On how to match an unmet need…

“The extra verve of the added touch is all about a little bit of extra effort that you put into something that takes it from good to great and elevates the everyday.” - Abigail Cook Stone

On the buying journey…

“We went through a really big exercise on who the audience was and how we speak, look, act, feel.” - Éva Goicochea

On validating and testing your audience…

“It's so important that you really can build an entire persona of what your brand represents—without even showing the product—months before you're about to launch.” - Cass Dimicco

“Your customer and your audience will tell you what's working and what's not.” - Cass Dimicco 

On having a clear brand story…

“I know what the product is, I know that there is this highly underserved market, so what’s the brand story going to be around this product?” - Melanie Elturk

“We want this to be a legacy brand and not just spur of the moment, emotional decisions yet these are very important—down to color—that you have to think very long term on how you want the brand to evolve but also stay the same over the years.” - Melanie Elturk  

On challenges…

“During challenging times and previous recessions, people do tend to go to brands that they already have an emotional connection with. That being said, in the land and world of new consumer brands, you don't have to scale back if you have not scaled.” - Dianna Cohen  

On launching small…

“You want to see how your customers are buying things, so it's helpful to have an edit at first and then be able to iterate upon that.” - Éva Goicochea

“If founders are just trying to get their footing and understand if this is something they want to do, I suggest you really incorporate creative problem solving into every single roadblock that you see in front of you and smash through that to the next one. Use it as an opportunity to learn, to delegate, to outsource.” - Melanie Elturk 

On building brand loyalty…

“At the end of the day, that is going to be what your business is: your customers, your community. If you can build that, they will buy whatever you're selling.” - Dianna Cohen  

How to Lead With Resilience and Empathy

“Even if you’re afraid, speak up. Use your voice. Keep raising your hand.”

—Julie Smolyansky

Panelist:

Julie Smolyansky | CEO, Lifeway

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate

On stepping into the role of CEO… 

“Failure was not going to be an option.”

“I worked really hard. I used the business as a place where I could put my mourning and grieving pain and do something with it.”

“I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it.”

“Tough times are where you’re called to rise—and you either rise or you don’t. Sink or swim.”

On honing her vision for the company…

“Educating people around gut health has been my mission from day one.”

“You have to tell your story over and over again. You have to tell the marketplace over and over again.”

“We’ve doubled down on advertising and marketing during some of the more troubling moments of crisis like 2008 for example when the economy was flattering, we saw that as an opportunity and we doubled our advertising and that paid off. Some of our biggest growth happened during the recession.”

“We’ve adapted at every point in time and every point in our history.”

“We’re constantly learning and adapting and evolving.”

“What I know for sure is that what everyone wants is health. They want health, they want wellness, they want to feed their families good, nutritious food.”

On scaling a team…

“If I can delegate and let other people take the plan and execute it, it’s much more empowering for them and more fun, and then I can focus on the big picture.”

“It was a slow process of giving up that control because I was so used to doing it all myself.”

“It’s about working on your business, not in your business.”

On her advice for fellow female leaders...

“Even if you’re afraid, speak up. Use your voice. Keep raising your hand.”

“No one gives you power, you just have to take it.”

“If you’re not at the table, you’re the meal.”

“Keep being brave. Bravery is a muscle. It’s like your gut, it’s like your bicep—you keep using it, you keep getting stronger.”

On doing good during COVID-19...

“Lifeway was originally started with this idea to feed people.”

“My family survived war and famine and disease and all sorts of things in the Soviet Union during a painful time in history, so feeding people has always been super important to us.”

“30% of kids in the Chicagoland public school system are food insecure and rely on the school system’s lunch as their one nutritious meal a day—and suddenly they weren’t going to have it overnight.

“We immediately started unlocking and deploying our emergency response plan to reach those communities most impacted.”

“There is no more sacred purpose than to feed people and bring them wellness.”

“We’ve been working 24/7 just to keep food on people’s tables.” 

On finding the silver lining through COVID-19...

“This crisis has shown us how vulnerable we are and how in-lock and connected we are to each other. Our safety and security and health depend on each other. We are interlocked with each other.” 

“We’re starting to see that we are all really in it together and that we can show up for each other.”

On advice for anyone struggling during COVID...

“Don’t stop. Keep going. Hold your head up high. Find moments of joy for yourself. Trust the process, trust the universe. Trust that all of this is happening not to you but for you.”

Evening Keynote: A Conversation With Brad Goreski & Jaclyn Johnson

“

From my experience, starting at the bottom and learning everything was so valuable.”

—Brad Goreski

Panelist:

Brad Goreski | Celebrity Stylist and TV Personality

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate 

On falling in love with fashion from an early age…

“Fashion was my way of communicating who I was.”

On interning for Vogue and W…

“Interning was the most valuable experience I ever had.”

“From my experience, starting at the bottom and learning everything was so valuable.”

“I learned so much because I was responsible for so much.”

On starring on The Rachel Zoe Project…

“That show was the first of its kind. It was the first time that the curtain had been pulled back on the world of celebrity styling.”

“I almost didn’t take the job because I didn’t want to be on the reality show.”

“People were watching me learn the job.”

On taking the leap to start his own business…

“I got Jessica Alba as my first client, but there were two months where no one was calling, no one was asking me to style them.”

“One of the best pieces of advice I got was, ‘The only way you’re going to have a successful business is if you learn how to delegate.’”

“I literally didn’t make any money for my first two years.”

“Most of my business has been through word of mouth, so it’s always good to be easy to work with and it's always good to be available.”

On earning accolades and taking them in stride...

“In any job, you want to be on some sort of best-dressed list of whatever you do.”

On developing the traits to succeed as a celebrity stylist...

“You have to learn how to work under pressure really fast and you need to be a quick problem solver.”

On overcoming shyness...

“My shyness is overcome because I remember that kid who so desperately wanted to be here. Now that I’m here, I don’t want to squander any opportunity.”

On his best advice for his younger self…

“Continue following your heart no matter if you think it’s going to lead where you think it’s going to lead.”

“Let the script play out the way it was written and not try to interfere with it too much.” 

Don’t miss Michelle Pfeiffer, Miranda Kerr, Beatrice Dixon, and More at our Digital Beauty Summit on Saturday, July 25.

MORE ON THE BLOG

Hey, Tech Savvy Self-Starters! Here's What to Expect at Our Money Moves Digital Summit

Photo: Angelica Marie Photography

One word we've heard a lot over the last few weeks is PIVOT! The world has changed, the way we do business has changed, and now, more than ever, we need to come together as a community. We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate brainstorming ways we can show up and support you during this uncertain time. Community is at our core, and connecting with others through one-of-a-kind experiences is what we love to do. 

And while the world has changed, our mission has not. We’re committed to helping women create and cultivate the career of their dreams, which is why we’re proud to host Money Moves Summit, our first-ever digital conference to help small business owners build, grow, and pivot in the new normal. We always bring our A-game but our lineup is stacked—Chelsea Handler is taking the virtual stage to buoy our spirits and get real about her career highs and lows, staying positive in a pandemic, and why humor is the best coping mechanism. You don’t want to miss this one! 

Read on to discover everything we have in store for this jam-packed day and get your ticket ASAP!

THE DATE

Saturday, May 2nd, 2020

TUNE IN FROM HOME

First things first! On the morning of the summit, Saturday, May 2nd, an email with your link and password to access the exclusive Money Moves Summit site will be waiting in your inbox. 

Money Moves Summit is made up of pre-recorded video sessions and live video sessions that will be hosted via Zoom. We recommend that you have a strong WiFi connection and find a comfortable place to tune in from home. Money Moves is optimized for desktop, so it is best viewed via a computer or laptop, rather than a tablet or phone.

While the live content is specifically designed to be watched in real-time, you’ll be able to access and view it for 72 hours after the event (Insiders, you have all-access even after the 72-hour cutoff!).

C&C INSIDERS’ PERKS

Our Insiders get a ton of perks at all our events—and our Money Moves Summit is no exception. As an Insider, you get free admission to our Money Moves Summit and you’ll have access to all of the panels and keynotes after the 72-hour cutoff via your C&C Insiders dashboard. 

Not an insider yet? Well, don’t miss out—you can sign up here. 

THINGS TO PREP AHEAD OF TIME

Here are a few things to prep before the big day so it goes off without a hitch:

• Install Zoom on your desktop computer or laptop and test it out

  • Zoom tips:

    • Find a quiet place to tune in. Try to situate yourself in a small room that does not have an echo. 

      • Try and stay away from noisy electronics and silence your cell phone and computer notifications

    • When possible, limit your internet connection to solely the device you’re using for the Zoom conference.

      • Set your phone to airplane mode, pause your television connection, ask others in your home to pause anything that may require a strong internet connection, etc. 

• Make sure you have a strong WiFi connection.

• Download the workshop downloads so you can follow along with the expert. Your exclusive workshop downloads will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download them ahead of the workshops so you can follow along in real-time.

• Grab a notebook and a pen—and keep your headphones handy just in case your roommate has other plans for the day!

• Jot down any questions you have for the live workshops and mentor sessions.

• Set aside your athletic gear and your mat (or towel) and fill up your water bottle for our morning moves session with Melissa Wood Health. (No equipment needed!)

• Gather the ingredients for the happy hour cocktail workshop. (Recipe in the section below!)

THE SCHEDULE

Money Moves Summit is built just like our in-person conferences, which, of course, you all know and love. We have a stacked schedule with an A-list line-up of speakers, so we suggest taking notes along the way. 

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. 

Morning Welcome with Jaclyn Johnson, CEO and founder of Create & Cultivate 

8:50 AM - 9:00 AM PDT

Get Up & Go: A light workout to get your morning moving

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM PDT 

*Watch whenever*

Expert:

Melissa Wood-Tepperberg | Founder, Melissa Wood Health

Morning Moves: Intention setting for the day ahead

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM PDT 

**Watch LIVE**

Expert: 

Koya Webb | Celebrity Holistic Health Coach and Author of “Let Your Dreams Make You Fierce”

Morning Keynote Conversation

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM PDT 

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Payal Kadakia | Founder & Executive Chairman, ClassPass

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder of Create & Cultivate

Financial Workshop Powered by SoFi

Get Your Money Right™: Financial Strategies That Aim to Help Your Business Thrive

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PDT 

*Watch whenever*

Expert:

Lauren Anastasio | Financial Planner, SoFi 

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Mid Morning Keynote Conversation

10:30 AM - 10:50 AM PDT 

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Shay Mitchell | Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Béis 

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder, Create & Cultivate

Roundtable Conversation

The state of content creation in COVID-19: How brands and creators are pivoting in this new era of marketing

10:50 AM - 11:35 AM  PDT 

*Watch whenever*

Panelists:

Marianna Hewitt | Co-Founder, Summer Fridays

Lauren Bosworth | Founder & CEO, Love Wellness

Courtney Quinn | Content Creator, Color Me Courtney

Marie Forleo | CEO & #1 NYTimes Bestselling Author, Everything is Figureoutable

Moderator: 

Reesa Lake | Partner and Executive Vice President, DBA

Roundtable Conversation Powered by Mastercard

Small Business Brainstorm: A meeting of the minds to chat through the state of being a biz owner

10:50 AM - 11:35 AM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelists:

Sonja Rasula | Founder, Unique Markets

Sarah Larson Levey | Founder and CEO, Y7 Studio 

Tonya Rapley | Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author   

Paige Midland | Owner and Buyer, Midland

Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard

Moderator:

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

Fireside Chat Sponsored by Dell Technologies

Post COVID-19: How do we lay down the foundation for success moving forward

11:35 AM - 12:05 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Cyndi Ramirez | Founder & CEO, Chillhouse

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder of Create & Cultivate 

 Workshop

Organization tips for WFH while in quarantine to stay productive and focused

11:45 AM -12:15 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Experts:

Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin | Founders, The Home Edit

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Fireside Chat Powered by Bümo

Mama to Mama: Surviving and thriving during the stay-at-home order

12:05 PM - 12:30 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Chriselle Lim | Influencer & Entrepreneur, Bümo

Moderator:

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

Mentor Session

Live mentor sessions with experts who will be answering your questions in real-time via Zoom webinars

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM PDT

**Watch LIVE**

Mentors:

Arian Simone | Founder & CEO, Fearless

Maxie McCoy | Author, "You're Not Lost"

Jaime Schmidt | Founder of Schmidt’s Naturals and author of “Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms”

Carolyn Rodz | CEO and Founder, Alice

Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard

Katia Beauchamp | Co-Founder, Birchbox

Kristin O’Keeffe Merrick | Financial Advisor at O'Keeffe Financial Partners LLC

Wellness Session

Vision boarding and goal-setting for post-quarantine

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Expert: Camille Styles | Founder and Editor-in-Chief, CamilleStyles.com

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Pitch Competition

Three finalists pitch to win $10,000 for their small business. Each finalist gets 6 minutes to pitch and 4 minutes to answer questions from the judges—ready, set, go!

1:35 PM - 2:05 PM

**Watch LIVE**

The Finalists:

To be announced!

The Judges:

Maxie McCoy | Author, "You're Not Lost"

Jaime Schmidt | Founder of Schmidt’s Naturals and author of “Supermaker: Crafting Business on Your Own Terms”

Alli Webb | Founder, Drybar

Arian Simone | Founder & CEO, Fearless

Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard

Financial Workshop Powered by Ally

Plan It Forward. Prepare For Your Best Financial Future.

2:15 PM - 3:15 PM PDT

**Watch LIVE**

Experts:

Lindsey Bell | Chief Investment Strategist, Ally Invest

Emily Shallal | Sr. Director for Consumer Strategy and Innovation, Ally Bank

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Roundtable Conversation

A conversation on how brands should be spending their marketing dollars during this time

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelists:

Tera Peterson | Esthetician & Co-Founder of NuFACE

Mari Mazzucco | Influencer Marketing & PR, OLLY

Steph So | VP of Digital Experience, Shake Shack

Nancy Twine | Founder & CEO, Briogeo

Cheryl Guerin | EVP, North America Marketing and Communications, MasterCard

Moderator:

Sherry Jhawar | Co-Founder and President, Blended Strategy Group

Workshop

From 0 to 100k: How to grow your following on a platform quickly and with authenticity

3:25 PM - 3:55 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Expert: 

Natalie Ellis | CEO & Co-Founder of BossBabe

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Afternoon Keynote

On pivoting and remaining positive as a business owner

3:30 PM - 4:00 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Bobby Berk | Interior designer and star of Netflix’s “Queer Eye”

Moderator:

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

Digital Deep Dive

A conversation on the 5 things you need to know when transitioning your business to digital with Jenna Kutcher

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelist:

Jenna Kutcher | Podcaster and Virtual Business Coach

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder of Create & Cultivate 

Wellness Session

Staying sane in small spaces and the hacks you need to thrive

4:05 PM - 4:35 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Expert:

Whitney Leigh Morris | Creator, Tiny Canal Cottage

Your exclusive workshop download will be available on Saturday, May 2. Be sure to download it ahead of the workshop so you can follow along in real-time.

Roundtable Conversation

The Three Rs: How to respond, recover, and reset to emerge stronger through the COVID-19 crisis

4:15 PM - 5:00 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelists:

Rachel Tipograph | Founder and CEO of  MikMak

Sarah Kunst | Managing Director, Cleo CapitalJeni Britton Bauer | Founder and Creative Director of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream

Denyelle Bruno | President and CEO of Tender Greens

Babba Rivera | Founder of ByBabba 

Moderator:

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

Roundtable Conversation

How the C-suite is coping with COVID-19 and what their strategy is for moving forward

4:15 PM - 5:00 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Panelists:

Ariel Kaye | Founder & CEO, Parachute

Alli Webb | Founder, Drybar

Morgan DeBaun | Founder & CEO, Blavity

Rebecca Minkoff | Founder, Rebecca Minkoff & The Female Founder Collective

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder of Create & Cultivate 

Evening Keynote

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM PDT

**Watch LIVE**

Panelist:

Chelsea Handler | Comedian, Bestselling Author, & Activist

Moderator: 

Allison Statter | Co-Founder & CEO, Blended Strategy Group

Cocktail Workshop

Time to celebrate your successes! Join us for a cocktail workshop with one of your favorite influencers.

5:30 PM - 5:40 PM PDT

*Watch whenever*

Experts:

Adrianna Adarme | Founder, A Cozy Kitchen

Cassie Winslow | Founder, Deco Tartelette

Recipe: Pink Grapefruit and Chamomile Palomas from Floral Libations by Cassie Winslow

Makes 1 Cocktail

Ingredients:

½ tsp Rose Salt (recipe below) or coarse salt

1 lime or grapefruit wedge

Ice Cubes

¼ cup [60 ml] fresh Ruby Red grapefruit juice

2 Tbsp Chamomile Simple Syrup (recipe below)

¼ cup [60 ml] tequila

Splash of soda water

½ tsp freshly grated orange zest

Fresh organic chamomile flowers for garnish (optional)

1 grapefruit slice for garnish (optional)

Rose Salt

Makes approximately ¾ cup [5 g]

Ingredients:

¼ cup [5 g] dried rose petals

½ cup [100 g] fine sea salt

Directions:

In a food processor or spice grinder, grind the rose petals for about 10 seconds until the rose petals resemble small flakes. Be sure not to grind them into a powder.

In a small bowl, stir together the salt and rose petals. For optimal flavor, wait about 1 week before use. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 year.

Chamomile Simple Syrup

Makes approximately 1 cup [240 ml]

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp dried chamomile flowers (or 1 bag chamomile tea)

1 cup [200 g] cane sugar

½ cup [120 ml] filtered water

Directions:

In a saucepan, stir together chamomile flowers or 1 tea bag, sugar, and water, and cook over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened into a syrup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Recipe: Frozen Strawberry Margaritas from A Cozy Kitchen by Adrianna Adarme

Serves 2  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water 

1/4 cup granulated sugar  

Kosher salt, for rim 

6-8 ounces tequila blanco 

2 ounces triple sec  

2 ounces lime juice  

2 cups frozen strawberries 

1 cup ice  

Directions:

In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, add the water and sugar. Mix and warm until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool, about 5 minutes. 

Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons kosher salt to a shallow plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of both of your glasses. And then dip them in the salt and set aside. 

In a blender, add the simple syrup, tequila blanco, triple sec, lime juice, frozen strawberries and ice. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide amongst the two glasses and serve. 

Recipe Notes: 

Tequila: Use 6 ounces of tequila if you’re a lightweight and don’t love the flavor of tequila. If you’re a tequila lover, use 8 ounces in this recipe. 

Strawberries: You can use fresh strawberries if you like. Freeze them on a baking sheet for at least 2 hours. And then you can transfer them to a freezer-safe bag/container until you’re ready to use them. 

Music Session

10-minute Q&A followed by an exclusive three-song live performance!

5:40 PM - 6:10 PM

**Watch LIVE**

Artist:

Lennon Stella | Singer & Actress

Thank You & Pitch Contest Winner Announcement

6:20 PM - 6:30 PM PDT

GET SOCIAL

Stay tuned for exciting announcements and updates by following along on our social at @createcultivate. Tag @createcultivate and use the hashtag #CCMoneyMovesSummit for the chance to be featured in our Instagram Stories throughout the day!

Networking is a huge part of our event and our Create & Cultivate Money Moves Summit Attendees Slack Workspace is a great place to mix and mingle with your fellow Create & Cultivators before, during, and after the big day. We’ve created channels for every workshop and panel, as well as channels for international attendees, networking, and more!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES?

Live chat with a C&C specialist on CreateCultivate.com. You’ll see a “Chat With Us” pop-up in the bottom right corner of your screen.

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU ONLINE! Who are you most excited to hear speak? Share in the comments below!

MORE ON THE BLOG

Soft Is Strong: How Taking a Softer Approach Can Have a Powerful Impact on Your Career

This post is in paid partnership with Nivea.

Being soft gets a bad rap and is all too often associated with being weak, especially in the workplace. In fact, according to a recent survey conducted by NIVEA, 59% of people view "being soft" as a negative and 49% of people define the word "soft" as being "weak." That’s why NIVEA—a brand that’s been dedicated to giving us all soft, beautifully nourished skin for over 100 years—is on a mission to challenge this negative perception of 'being soft' with their #RethinkSoft campaign. That’s right, in partnership with Kindness.org, NIVEA is destigmatizing softness.

At our annual LA 2020 conference, we sat down with successful women who, like NIVEA, are challenging the negative perception of soft and celebrating its power. During the Soft Is Strong panel powered by NIVEA, our founder, Jaclyn Johnson, chatted with Noor Tagouri, renowned journalist, activist, and motivational speaker, Jaclyn Lindsey, co-founder and CEO of Kindness.org, Adrienne Bosh, activist, CEO, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and Gina Ybarra, creator of Hunt for Styles, about how softness has had positive, long-lasting impacts on their careers. 

Spoiler alert: The conversation was just as enlightening as it was entertaining, so be sure to scroll on for all the most memorable moments from the conversation. Trust us, you’re going to want to commit these mic-drop quotes to memory.

Soft Is Strong: How Taking a Softer Approach Can Be Positive and  Have a Powerful Impact on Your Career—Powered by Nivea

Panelists:

Noor Tagouri | Rethink Soft Storyteller, Journalist, Touring Speaker and Entrepreneur

Jaclyn Lindsey | Co-Founder & CEO, Kindness.org

Adrienne Bosh | CEO, Activist, Philanthropist, & Entrepreneur

Gina Ybarra | Content Creator, Hunt for Styles

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | Founder & CEO, Create & Cultivate

On leading with kindness… 

“When you are leading in a kind capacity, you are more respected. There is an effect on employee engagement and wellbeing when you lead with kindness.” - Jaclyn Lindsey  

On positivity on social media…

“I like to share positivity and good energy because I believe it comes back to us.” - Adrienne Bosh

On navigating negativity on social media…

“I see the negative comments as a positive thing.” - Gina Ybarra 

“It’s about understanding that there is another person on the other end of the screen.” - Noor Tagouri 

“We have to learn how to lean into compassion.” - Noor Tagouri 

On not letting negativity in… 

“What people say about you is none of your business.” - Noor Tagouri 

“Our opinions do not define other people.” - Noor Tagouri 

On being vulnerable on social media… 

“I like to share vulnerable, tough moments because I think, to inspire people, they need to be able to see themselves in your pain to see themselves in your success.” - Adrienne Bosh 

On taking a soft approach in the boardroom… 

“I’ve had to let many people go over my career. I was encouraged to show no compassion. It was awful for me. I told my HR department that I won’t do this anymore, and I need to do this with softness and compassion.” - Jaclyn Lindsey 

On strength… 

“Use what makes you vulnerable as your strength” - Noor Tagouri 

On a strength that’s seen as a weakness…

“I am extremely patient and my blood runs slow. People think it's a bad thing, but I just try to think before I talk so I don’t hurt anyone.” - Gina Ybarra

On the power of storytelling…

“Different people see themselves in my story, and I am able to soften their hearts by being myself” - Noor Tagouri 

 On adding softness to the world...

“We have to frame softness into an image of strength.” - Noor Tagouri 

Learn more about the Nivea Rethink Soft campaign and shop their popular product categories across Nivea Body Care, Creme, Lip, and Body Wash products.

Photography: Smith House Photo

2020 Vision: How 4 Women Are Approaching Wellness in the New Decade

This post is in paid partnership with iHerb.

It’s hard to believe that a decade ago, Google search interest in “self-care” was at its lowest. Now, the most popular buzz word of 2019 is feeling, well, a little burnt out. Ironic, isn’t it? But just because the word is a little overused, doesn’t mean the physical act of it is. In fact, self-care has largely contributed to the wellness market boom which is now valued at a whopping $4.2 trillion, having grown 12.8% in the last two years. And it’s not just outside of work either. The global corporate wellness market is also estimated to reach $66 billion in 2022 because news flash: healthier workers are more productive. Who knew?

Thanks to more people choosing to pursue activities that promote physical and mental well-being, self-care is now being seen as a form of necessary healthcare and not a selfish behavior as it was once viewed in the past. After all, if you don’t put your oxygen mask on first, you can’t help others. 

But it’s not always easy to find the time and wellness can be expensive. iHerb understands the challenges that come with navigating the winding road of wellness. That’s why they provide wellness solutions for all the key aspects of your life, including supplements and vitamins, sports nutrition, herbs and homeopathy, and self-care essentials like skincare and body care, at prices we can all afford.

We partnered with iHerb for our 2020 Vision panel at the recent Los Angeles Conference and asked four women—Britney Vest, Dr. Deepika Chopra, Lauren Kleban, and Kirbie Johnson—to share their thoughts on wellness in the new decade.

Read on to hear some major realness from the conversation and be sure to comment below to share your thoughts on wellness in 2020, too.

2020 Vision: A Conversation on Wellness in the New Decade Powered by iHERB

On body positivity…

“For me, body positivity is truly learning to love yourself every day exactly as you are in this moment” - Britney Vest 

“The movement has really blown up, but there is still so much to be done.” - Britney Vest  

On weight loss and body positivity...

“They can exist together, it is not a bad thing to want to improve and want to change.” - Britney Vest 

On work as self-care… 

“Work, for me, is self-care. It makes me feel valued and valuable.” - Kirbie Johnson

On taking work home...

“You're devaluing yourself because you are only paid to work from 9 to 5.” - Kirbie Johnson

On change in the beauty industry...

“We’re switching from, ‘You need this to look beautiful,’ to, ‘This will make you feel good or will help someone in need.’” - Kirbie Johnson

On partnering with brands authentically...

“No matter what it is, I typically only work with brands that I already have in my home that I am already using that I am authentically connected to.” - Britney Vest 

On wellness on social media…

“Being able to celebrate yourself on social media is so important.” - Britney Vest 

On improving… 

“Remember: It is not a bad thing to want to improve yourself and want to change.” - Britney Vest 

On not taking on too much...

“The way you can achieve wellness is by realizing that you can’t do everything at once.” - Dr. Deepika Chopra

On being an optimist… 

“Being an optimist doesn’t mean skipping around fields or always having a perfect day, it’s about being someone that sees setbacks as temporary and knowing you have the power to overcome them.” - Dr. Deepika Chopra

On mental health…

“I learned very quickly to keep blinders on—don’t be in a position where you compare yourself to others.” - Lauren Kleban

“We have our physical health and our mental health to take care of. It's what makes us all human.” - Dr. Deepika Chopra



"Be That Shoulder to Lean on for the Next Woman" and More Empowering Moments From Our LA 2020 Conference

On February 22nd, we brought our biggest conference of the year to our hometown, Los Angeles. Attendees were armed with their boss babe energy and ready to be inspired by all the panels, keynote, and pop-ups that rocked our socks off. Over a thousand amazing women (and a few men) joined us at the transformed Rolling Greens Nursery downtown for all the mic-drop moments.

We learned from the greatest about everything from how to build billion-dollar businesses (yes, with a capital B) to the future of the wellness industry to what true inclusivity in the boardroom looks like, and so much more. Between hearing from our heroes (hello, Jessica Simpson, Eva Mendes, and Jessica Alba), eating delicious food, sipping on oat milk lattes, shopping the pop-up market, and, of course, snapping the most Instagram-worthy photos, the day was certainly one to remember.

If you missed this one, don’t stress, we captured it all for you. Read on for all the inspirational moments and quotes worth adding to your vision board.

Morning Keynote: On Building a Billion-Dollar Business With Jessica Simpson

Panelists:

Jessica Simpson | Author, Entertainer, and Entrepreneur

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder, Create & Cultivate

On making mistakes… 

"We are all figuring it out and that’s okay—figuring it out is the fun part. It is through the mistakes that we can find the leader within us."

On asking for help...

"It’s important to put ego aside and look to someone who can help guide you who’s really passionate about what they do."

On being generous with compliments...

"I know how good a compliment feels—it can really change your day."

On designing for women of all sizes… 

"I don’t ever want to exclude a customer. I’ve been every size there is, and in those moments, I felt I deserved a nice outfit."

On leading a team...

"I have a team of just eight women, and these ladies are all so unique and effortlessly themselves, and in every approval meeting, everyone leaves their ego at the door."

"I don’t look at myself as the boss. In so many ways, they teach me."

On wearing heels...

"The taller I feel, the more confident I feel."

Mirror Mirror: An In-Depth Dive Into the Ever-Evolving Business of Beauty, Health, and Wellness

Panelists:

Monica Veloz | Content Creator

Stephane Colleu | President and CEO, Dr. Brandt Skincare

Sarah Kieny | Senior Director of Marketing, Not Your Mother’s Haircare

Karilyn Anderson | Vice President, Digital, Bliss

Kiana Reeves | Chief Brand Educator, Foria

Moderator: 

Sara Tan | Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor at Bustle

On taking risks… 

“Sometimes you lose, but you learn.” - Stephane Colleu

On marketing strategy... 

"One of our main focuses this year is to create more of an emotional connection with our customers." - Sarah Kieny

On the next generation of shoppers...

“She wants to know the brands and she wants the brand to know her.” - Karilyn Anderson

On building a brand with purpose…

"If you’re making products that are profoundly impacting people's lives in really deep ways, you’ll be successful." - Kiana Reeves

On partnering with brands...

"I’ve been extremely grateful to work with people and brands who want me to be myself." - Monica Veloz

Secure the Bag: How to Pitch for Profit, Raise Money for Your Business, and Land Six-Figure Deals

Panelists:

Lori Harder | Author, Speaker, Podcast Host, and Founder & CEO

Kosha Shah Eisenberg | Licensing and Ventures, UTA Ventures

Shiza Shahid | Co-Founder, Malala Fund, Our Place, & Now Ventures

Raina Penchansky | Co-Founder & CEO, Digital Brand Architects

Sherry Jhawar | Co-Founder, Blended Strategy Group

Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard International

Moderator: 

Bhavagna Bhattiprolu | Vice President, Blended Strategy Group

On networking…

“Everyone has access to a network, there isn't a magical one that others have and you don't, you just have to go out and build it” - Kosha Shah Eisenberg

“Everything in my life has come from cold emailing. My business partner cold emailed me and now we own a business together” - Sherry Jhawar

On finding investors… 

“Once the big funds miss out on deals with women, they realize they need to start investing in women and take them more seriously.” - Shiza Shahid

On not having it all figured out...

“Something that has freed me recently, and I wish I knew when I first had this idea, was how little people actually know when they launch their ideas.” - Lori Harder

On failing...

“Failure can come in if you only focus on passion. Because even if you have great passion, you still need to get up every day and do the dishes.” - Ginger Siegel

But Make It Fashion: How to Sell Style and Make a Splash in the Fashion Industry

Panelists:

Anine Bing | Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Anine Bing

Clare Vivier | Founder & CEO, Claire V 

Emily Jackson | Founder and Creative Director, IVL Collective/Influencer/Ivory Lane 

Rachel Pally | Founder and Designer, Rachel Pally

Denise Vasi | Digital Entrepreneur and Founder, Maed

Lindsay Albanese | Founder & Inventor

Moderator: 

Natalie Alcala | Founder, Fashion Mamas

On taking the leap...

“If you know your passion, you can’t fight it. At a certain point, you have to take the leap.” - Clare Vivier

"What’s the worst that can happen? Someone says 'no?' Ask someone else." - Rachel Pally

On building a brand/launching a business...

"You have to have a really good idea and be ready to roll your sleeves up because it’s really fucking hard to build a brand." - Anine Bing

"I just knew that I wanted something that wasn’t out there. I wanted my activewear to be fashion-focused and I didn’t want to compromise." - Emily Jackson

2020 vision…

“I’m constantly reminding myself to enjoy the journey. It’s not always celebrating the shining moments.” - Lindsay Albanese

On self-care…

“Self-care is just as important as that client meeting.” - Denise Vasi

Bossing Up: How to Build a Brand, Market, and Create a Culture That Consumers Love While Making Money

Panelists:

Rachel Curry | Director, Marketing Owned Channels, Volvo

Emily Zwerner | Director, Marketing Communications, OLLY

Dianna Cohen | Founder & CEO, Crown Affair

Kristyn Clark | Director of Brand Communications, Shake Shack

Kim Walls | CEO & Co-Founder, Furtuna Skin

Becca Tilley | Content Creator & Podcast Host, “Scrubbing In”

Colleen Stauffer | Global Business & Creator Marketing, Pinterest

Moderator: 

Ali Grant | Founder, Be Social Group

On overcoming the fear of asking for help…

“Ask for help. There are so many people in the industry that seem intimidating, but if you ask for help, they are so willing to give it to you. Don’t be scared to ask for help” - Becca Tilley

On trusting in your own abilities… 

“I’ve realized how important it is to trust in your own abilities. You realize no one really knows what they're doing, so when you get comfortable with your skills and start trusting yourself it changes the game.” - Kristyn Clark

On building a brand with purpose…
“Things happen when you know you have an idea you are passionate about.” - Dianna Cohen

On when you feel like a boss…

“When my team gets recognized, I feel like a boss. When the credit goes to them, it makes me feel so good.” - Rachel Curry

On launching Olly in a crowded market…

“Yeah, the category is saturated, but there had been no change. It was a market that was ripe for disruption.” - Emily Zwerner

On transparency…

“Transparency really means having standards and defining standards so you can communicate it in a way that people get immersed in it.” - Kim Walls

On telling your story…

“Tell your origin story. That’s really important when building a brand. It makes it really human and brings the human element to the brand.” - Colleen Stauffer 

Triple Threat: Meet the Multi-Hyphenate Moguls Making It Happen

Panelists:

Keltie Knight | ET Correspondent & Co-Creator LadyGang Podcast

Stassi Schroeder | New York Times Bestselling Author, Reality TV Star, & Podcast Host

Gabi Gregg | Body-Positive Designer & Influencer

Mamrie Hart | Comedian, Author, & Co-Host This Might Get Weird Podcast

Rachel Parcell | Fashion Blogger & Designer, Pink Peonies

Alyson Stoner | Actress, Dancer, and Podcast Host, Simplexity

Katrina Scott | Co-Founder, Tone It Up

Moderator: 

Reesa Lake | Executive Vice President of Brand Partnerships, Digital Brand Architects

On choosing a multi-hyphen career path…

"A hobby isn’t a hustle, they’re not the same thing." - Keltie Knight

On being patient…

“The glamorous moment is at the end. Don’t feel bad that it will take a long time to get anything made.” Mamrie Hart

On building a team…

"I love to do everything myself, but that is one of the biggest weaknesses of an entrepreneur." - Katrina Scott

“Network, put yourself out there, connect with people. You can’t do it alone, you need to utilize incredibly talented people to get to the next level." - Rachel Parcell

On navigating self-doubt…

“It takes time and patience to make money.” - Stassi Schroeder

On simplexity…

“It was about creating a middle ground. To give a microphone to people doing the real work, I wanted to be able to shift the attention to greater issues.” - Alyson Stoner

On building a community-first brand… 

"If you’re looking to be the next Instagram influencer, creating your vision first and letting people get to know you, and launching your product much later, is the best way to go." - Gabi Gregg

Soft Is Strong: How Taking a Softer Approach Can Be Positive and  Have a Powerful Impact on Your Career—Powered by Nivea

Panelists:

Noor Tagouri | Rethink Soft Storyteller, Journalist, Touring Speaker and Entrepreneur

Jaclyn Lindsey | Co-Founder & CEO, Kindness.org

Adrienne Bosh | CEO, Activist, Philanthropist, & Entrepreneur

Gina Ybarra | Content Creator, Hunt for Styles

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | Founder & CEO, Create & Cultivate

On leading with kindness… 

“When you are leading in a kind capacity, you are more respected. There is an effect on employee engagement and wellbeing when you lead with kindness.” - Jaclyn Lindsey  

On positivity on social media…

“I like to share positivity and good energy because I believe it comes back to us.” - Adrienne Bosh

On a strength that is seen as a weakness…

“I am extremely patient and my blood runs slow. People think it's a bad thing, but I just try to think before I talk so I don’t hurt anyone.” - Gina Ybarra

On the future of media…

“Media shapes the way we view people, culture, and society. Because of this, we have a huge responsibility.”  - Noor Tagouri

OLLY Office Hours With Antoni Porowski

Panelist:

Antoni Porowski | TV Personality, Actor, Author, and Home Cook

Moderator: 

Kirbie Johnson | Reporter and Co-Host, Gloss Angeles Podcast

On pursuing your passion...

"Even if you don’t believe in yourself, know what you’re interested in."

"Work is important but our lives are so fucking short. You’ve got to be passionate about it."

On organically partnering with OLLY…

“We were heading to Tokyo to film Queer Eye and I picked up a sample of the OLLY Sleep gummies because I’m a terrible plane sleeper, and I posted an Instagram story and they ended up contacting me about it because that’s how social media works.”

On meditating each day…

“It’s a little moment with myself where I try to get centered. Five minutes are better than no minutes.”

On social media…

“When you put yourself out there, that part of you is no longer yours. But at the same time, people who are watching want you to be organic.”

On mental health…

“I think pursuing mental health is just connecting with other people and having an empathetic approach.”

My 2020 vision is ...

“Taking what I’ve learned from Queer Eye, in that being of service to others is what my purpose is and trying to implement that in my personal life, working life and making sure that 90% of what I do has meaning and that I’m contributing to the world.”

2020 Vision: A Conversation on Wellness in the New Decade, Powered by iHERB

Panelists:

Britney Vest | Founder, Fitty Britttty, and Co-Founder, Confident Collective

Dr. Deepika Chopra | Optimism Doctor, Happiness Researcher, and Founder, Things Are Looking Up

Lauren Kleban | Founder and CEO, LEKfitKirbie Johnson | Reporter, Producer, & Podcast Co-Host, Gloss Angeles 

Kirbie Johnson | Reporter and Co-Host, Gloss Angeles Podcast

Moderator: 

Suzanne Hall | Co-Founder and Editor in Chief, The Chalkboard

On body positivity…

“For me, body positivity is truly learning to love yourself every day exactly as you are in this moment” - Britney Vest

On taking work home...

“You're devaluing yourself because you are only paid to work from 9-5.” - Kirbie Johnson

On mental health…

“I learned very quickly to keep blinders on—don’t be in a position where you compare yourself to others.” - Lauren Kleban

On being an optimist… 

“Being an optimist doesn’t mean skipping around fields or always having a perfect day, it’s about being someone that sees setbacks as temporary and knowing you have the power to overcome them.” - Dr. Deepika Chopra

Inspired Inclusivity: Creating Cultures and Companies Where Everyone Belongs

Panelists:

Nyma Tang | Beauty Influencer & Inclusivity Advocate

Adrienne Houghton | Singer, Actress, Talk Show Host, Lifestyle Personality, & Entrepreneur

Shahd Batal | Model, YouTube Star, & Influencer

Arnell Armon | YouTuber & Influencer

Sunita V. | Influencer

Moderator: 

Randi Bryant | Sista-Intendent, Diversity and Inclusion Strategist

On the future of inclusivity... 

"We need to stop taking baby steps. I want to jump, I want to leap. I want to see everyone represented." - Shahd Batal

On having the courage to make your voice heard…

“Anytime that I’ve done something that was genuine, kept it real, that’s when doors would open for me.” - Adrienne Houghton

On representation...

“I think brands really need to look internally and ask, ‘Why haven’t we created these shades? Why are they ashy? And do we have people in boardrooms who can speak up?’” - Nyma Tang

"It definitely helps when you see another person with their confidence and how they represent themself." - Sunita V.

On representation in work culture…

“You’re hiring black influencers but there are no black people on your team. Actually hire us and work with us.” - Arnell Armon

From Side Hustle to CEO: How to Quit Your Day Job and Start Your Biz

Panelists:

Ellyette Gheno | CEO & Founder, BootayBag

Hillary Kerr | Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer, Who What Wear

Marianna Hewitt | Co-Founder, Summer Fridays

Tera Peterson | Esthetician & Co-Founder of NuFACE

Jesse Margolis | Founder, Overheard

Tiffany Paul | Founder & CEO, Slept

Moderator: 

Yola Roberts | Host of I Suck at Life Podcast and Senior Contributor, Forbes

On taking risks…

“Taking the risk isn’t always pretty or safe.” - Tiffany Paul 

“Don’t sit and ponder too long about what you’ll do, otherwise you’ll never get off the ground.” - Tera Peterson

On raising money...

“When raising money, you should do it slowly—it’s like dating, you have to meet as many people as possible and really get to know who will work for you.” - Marianna Hewitt

On putting in the time…

“You owe it to yourself to make the time for your business and see where it goes.” - Hillary Kerr

On advice for hiring…

“Don’t hire your best friends.” - Ellyette Gheno

On social media saturation…

We are fatigued by all the content we see, but it becomes clearer when it is authentic. -Jesse Margolis

Powerhouse Panel: Meet the Women Shattering the Glass Ceiling and Owning the C-Suite

Panelists:

Suzanne Lerner | Co-Founder & President, Michael Stars

Katie Jackson | Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Jackson Family Wines

Elizabeth Chambers Hammer | Founder & CEO of BIRD Bakery

Daria Burke | CMO, Just Fab

Sona Gasparian | Founder, Persona Cosmetics

Deepica Mutyala | Founder & CEO, Live Tinted

Julie Smolyansky | CEO, Lifeway

Moderator: 

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

On sending cold DMs… 

“You never know who will respond and what it will lead to. That’s how Bobbi Brown became an investor in my company, I just DM’d her.” - Deepica Mutyala

On challenges...

“Every challenge and every lesson is getting you where you’re going.” - Elizabeth Chambers Hammer

On tapping into your community...

“We have ‘Meet the VIP’ events all the time, we bring women into our office all the time and ask them what they want.” - Daria Burke

On self-funding a business… 

“We used our savings, we actually had just gotten married and we were saving money for a house, and decided to use that money to launch the business instead.” - Sona Gasparian

On sustainability…

“The reason we do it is because we believe it is the right thing to do.” - Katie Jackson

On building a social conscious brand…

“Think about something you care about, think about something your customers care about, that will be the start of what you can do.” -  Suzanne Lerner

On vision for the company…

“The gut is having a moment and there is a party happening in the gut.” - Julie Smolyansky

From Influence to Industry: How These Women Are Turning Their Platforms Into Profit

Panelists:

Tia Mowry | Actress, Chef, Producer, Author, Wife, & Mother

Chriselle Lim | Influencer & Entrepreneur

Heather Dubrow | Performer, Author, Entrepreneur, & Podcast Host, Heather Dubrow's World

Desi Perkins | Digital Content Creator

Jera Foster-Fell | Content Creator

Moderator: 

Zuri Hall | Entertainment Reporter, TV Personality, and Actress

On connecting with followers…

“Letting your guard down is when you create magic with your community.” - Jera Foster-Fell

On evolving…

“I don’t like when people say ‘stay in your lane,’ you can be in every lane as long as it’s who you are.” - Heather Dubrow

On where to focus your financial energy…

“Invest your energy and money into the people around you. It’s probably one of the only reasons why I’m still here.” - Chriselle Lim

On staying true to yourself...

“I've never been the person to follow trends, I just stay true to who I am. Everyone is telling you to be a certain way to make money, and I've never bought into that.” - Tia Mowry

“Sharing things that aren't picture perfect is important.” -  Desi Perkins

WorkParty Live: Gail Becker, Caulipower Founder & CEO

Talent: 

Gail Becker | Founder & CEO, Caulipower

Moderator:

Jaclyn Johnson | Founder and CEO, Create & Cultivate

On raising money… 

“Just because you can raise more money doesn’t mean that you should. It’s just going to make you more beholden and tie more constraints on you.”

On hiring...

“One mistake that entrepreneurs often make is that they think they have to know everything. You know what you know and you hire people to fill in the gaps.”

On betting on yourself...

“I took a risk and bet on myself. That’s the hardest part. If you don’t bet on yourself, no one else will.”

On working a side hustle and a 9-5…

“I was working in corporate America and worked my way up to the top of the firn and didn't like the view.”

“I left my job and hired consultants, and basically, I paid them to teach me. I knew enough to hire people who knew more than me.”

On double standards...

“One thing I can assure you is there’s no man standing up and saying, ‘I’m worried about being too pushy’.”

On loyalty…

“Loyalty early on means everything.”

Keynote: Eva Mendes & Greg Scott

Panelists:

Eva Mendes | Actress and Fashion Designer of the Eva Mendes Collection in Partnership With New York & Company

Greg Scott | Chief Executive Officer, RTW Retailwinds Inc.

Moderator:

Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate

On career dreams...

“My dream wasn't to be an actress or a designer but to be financially independent.”  - Eva Mendes

On failing…

“I don’t believe in failed businesses. When a project isn’t successful, that’s when I learn the most” - Eva Mendes

On affordability... 

“I grew up here in L.A., very, very lower-middle-class, and that’s still in me. I’m not a spender, I look at price. I will always be that girl, and I like that about myself.” - Eva Mendes

On finding a niche...

“Do something that you love and do one thing really well. Solve a problem. Don’t make stuff to make stuff, make stuff to solve an everyday issue.” - Greg Scott

“The challenge is to look for something that fills a niche and do it really well. Don't go too wide.” - Greg Scott

On ambition...

"The word ‘ambition’ to me has never been a dirty word. I’m very ambitious but what I am ambitious about changes. It’s always there, it ebbs and flows.” - Eva Mendes

On inclusivity...

"I’ve always thought the fashion industry was a bit archaic in that way. I never understood why there was only one form of beauty." - Eva Mendes

On sustainability...

"In the future, customers will not be buying clothes upon clothes upon clothes." - Greg Scott

Passion, Purpose, & Profit: A Roundtable Conversation on Building Businesses With Love With Lauren Conrad, Hannah Skvarla, & Jessica Alba

Panelists:

Lauren Conrad | Designer, New York Times Best-Selling Author, Philanthropist, & Co-Founder of the Nonprofit The Little Market

Hannah Skvarla | CEO & Co-Founder of the Nonprofit The Little Market

Jessica Alba | Founder, The Honest Company

Moderator:

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO and Founder, Create & Cultivate

On building a team...

"We always look for mission-driven employees. Skill and experience can be learned but attitude and mindset can’t." - Hannah Skvarla

 "If you’re really good at your job but you have a bad attitude and you’re not fun to be around the whole office can feel that." - Hannah Skvarla

"Hire someone you'd want to be stuck in an airport with for five hours." - Jessica Alba

On social entrepreneurship...

"If you do care about any social entrepreneurship, it has to be part of your concept from day one." - Jessica Alba

On paying it forward to fellow female founders...

"All you can do is work really really hard to get in a position where you can show kindness to other women." - Lauren Conrad

"Be that shoulder to lean on for the next woman." - Jessica Alba

On being a leader...

"There is no right way. I can tell you I fell on my face many times. I continue to try and learn about how to be a good leader." - Jessica Alba

On opting for a nonprofit business model...

"From day one, we just went after this as a nonprofit. Our main goal was to help women and reach as many as possible." - Lauren Conrad

See more photos from the event!

Photography: Smith House Photo

Get Out Your Planners—Here's What to Expect at Our LA 2020 Conference

We couldn’t be more thrilled to host the first conference of the new decade in our beautiful home town—LA 2020 is going to be major! With all the excitement that Los Angeles has to offer—the sand, the sun, the glamor—it only made sense that we would bring it back to the city of angels.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with our conferences, they are the diamond in our crown—*Read: the biggest and best events Create & Cultivate has to offer—and we promise LA 2020 will be monumental! We always bring our A-game but this time we’re putting some serious A-list talent on the stage—Jessica Simpson, Eva Mendes, Antoni Porowski, and more!—the pop-ups are poppin’, the VIP lounge is packed with activities and surprises, the networking is next level (this is the city of exchanging business cards after all) and the on-site experiences are Instagram heaven. You don’t want to miss this one!

Read on to discover everything we have in store for this jam-packed day and get your tickets ASAP!

THE NITTY GRITTY 

Attendee Happy Hour 2/21

Networking is a huge part of our events and the attendee happy hour is a great time to mix and mingle with your fellow Create & Cultivators over a Pomp & Whimsy gin cocktail (made by female founders in L.A.) before the big day. You will need your badge or confirmation email for entry but if you haven’t received it yet, you can pick it up here. 

When: February 21
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
Location: Second Home
Address: 1370 N St Andrews Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90028

Conference Parking

Our LA 2020 event location doesn’t include on-site parking, however, there are paid lots nearby (see below). 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. 

A few lots nearby include:

1331 E. 6th Street, Los Angeles

• Price: $20 max

• Distance to venue: 0.6 miles

2001 E. 7th Street, Los Angeles

• Price: $9 max

• Distance to venue: 0.2 miles

647 Mateo Street

• Price: $10 max

• Distance to venue: 0.3 miles

 LOCATION

Rolling Greens

1005 Mateo Street

Los Angeles, CA, 90021

Registration

If you haven’t received your badge in the mail, please collect it at the attendee happy hour or during check-in on the day of the event, this includes all non-U.S. based attendees too. Please have your government-issued ID with you for access. You will also receive a super cute At-A-Glance notebook, and track 1 or 2 schedule cards with your badge outlining the day ahead. Depending on your lanyard you will be set up for track 1 or track 2—please note you are NOT able to change your track (unless you are a C&C Insider member).

If you’re a VIP, you’ll get some additional swag and opportunities as well, including VIP lounge access and your own beauty bar (see below for more perks)! Concerned you’re going to miss out on one of the panels? Sign up here for an Insider’s membership to get access to all of the panels—yes, both tracks 1 and 2.

Address: Rolling Greens DTLA: 1005 Mateo Street - Los Angeles, CA 90021

Attire

Heads up, Rolling Greens is massive and half of the LA 2020 event is outside (yes, we’re talking all surfaces from concrete to dirt). With so much to see and do, this also means a lot of footwork. So, we suggest wearing your favorite pair of sneakers or comfortable shoes to make sure you feel confident and comfy all day long because this one is jam-packed.

The forecast for Saturday is also looking a little chilly at 62 degrees with a chance of rain, so please come prepared for incumbent weather to ensure your day goes off without a hitch. We recommend bringing a small umbrella or waterproof poncho to keep you dry from any drizzle while you’re waiting in line.

Pump Room 

New mom? We have a dedicated pump room located in the greenhouse by the Mastercard Main Stage.

Our events fly by, so we suggest planning ahead. See below for all the amazing activities! 

VIP PERKS 

We love our VIPs and this time the perks are jam-packed! Take a look below to see what is in store for you: 

• Access to rest, relax and network at VIP lounge on site 

• Private bathroom and water fountain (to refill your reusable Pathwater bottle)  

• Your private beauty bar including: 

  • Glam Squad doing makeup touch-ups all day.

  • House of Lashes will be applying beautiful lash sets to VIPs all day.

• Your exclusive dining experience including:

  • Breakfast

    • Donuts provided by Donatsu 

    • Your own Califia coffee station 

    • Smoothies by Bumpin Blends

    • Yogurt and protein shakes provided by Forager and Bare Naked Granola 

  • Lunch 

    • Cafe Gratitude guacamole and chips, pure kale and sea vegetable salad, whole-macrobiotic bowls, humble Indian curry bowls  

  • Break 

    • Ice Cream Social brought to you by Not Your Mother's Haircare featuring NadaMoo vegan ice cream. 

  • Happy Hour 

    • Shake Shack special Create & Cultivate Custard 

  • Bar 

    • Private bar Ketel One Botanical plus access to Jackson Family Wines and Chandon all-day including.

• Your exclusive Programming

  • Break 

    • 4:20-4:50 @ Second Stage 

      • PR 101 session at the second stage with Holly Curtis, Senior Director PR, Blended Strategy Group

      • First twenty VIPS get a C&C Planner 

    • 4:50-5:10 PM  @Second Stage 

      • Legal Workshops - Understanding the Capital Raise: Choosing the right investor and the right structure at Second Stage with Emily Yukich, Managing Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP

• 6:30-7:00 PM  @ VIP Lounge 

  • Networking mixer 

• Swag & Giveaways 

  • Surprise & Delight giveaways throughout the day! 

  • Gift bag with goodies from our partners and friends worth more than $400
    

C&C INSIDERS’ PERKS

Our Insiders’ members get a ton of on-site perks and Los Angeles 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 in the showroom. As an Insider, you will get access to all of the panels and keynotes, yes that’s Track 1 and Track 2. 

C&C Insider Perks: 

• Skipping the line 

  • Front-of-line access at the Attendee Happy Hour 

  • Front-of-line for registration and first in to snag those IG moments 

  • Front-of-line for the beauty bar in GA and VIP 

  • Front-of-line at our Illusion IG moment 

• Seating 

  • You’ll have priority seating at the Mastercard main stage and second stage (yup, that means front row, always).

• Meet & Greet 

  • MC Main Stage 8:30-9:00 AM

    • Jessica Simpson book signing 

  • Olly Pop-up booth 12:30-1:00 PM 

    • Antoni Porowski meet & greet  

  • MC Main Stage 4:50-5:10 

    • Insider Meet & Greet with Adrienne Bosh, Heather Dubrow, and Jaclyn Johnson

• Swag 

  • Stop by the Insider booth for your brand new keychain 

  • Swing by the #ShopCreateCultivate pop-up for a free gift with special personalization. Insider’s get 10% off all pre-sale items purchased on site. You’ll have to visit the pop-up to find out what our next product line is—shhhh!!!

• 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.
  
  

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. 

RSVP-ONLY EVENT

Adobe Workshop: Up to Speed: Time-Saving Tricks for Video Editing in Premiere Pro

Where: Mastercard Main Stage

Time: 4:20 PM - 4:50 PM 

Even the most established video editors are forever looking for hacks to get to export faster. In this workshop, social media influencer and Adobe brand ambassador, Amber Torrealba, will show easy ways to significantly speed up Premiere Pro workflows without sacrificing any quality—and even adding some!—with professional color, audio, graphics, and social-specific specs in a matter of clicks. 

Don’t miss this exclusive Adobe Workshop to get the latest tips, and tricks on Adobe Premiere Rush discover new features and learn how to take your videos to the next level. This is an RSVP-only event so make sure you sign up below to guarantee your seat. It’s time to wow your followers on social media.

Pop-Up Market

Insiders Pop-Up

Grab your C&C swag at the Insiders’ pop-up. It’s not too late! You can also sign up here if you aren’t a member yet. See all of the benefits of a membership at the top of this post.

LaCroix 

Everyone’s favorite carbonated, sugar-free soda will be passed out at the Lacroix pop-up along with colorful, branded swag.

OLLY  

Sample the best-selling gummy vitamins and learn more about their benefits from deeper sleep to vibrant skin. Be sure to snap a pic in their cool “California Dreaming” photo moment and post it to social for an exclusive 1:1 tarot card reading at their pop-up.

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! 

Volvo 

As the official auto partner of LA 2020, Volvo is bringing their A-game. Their stunning floral installation makes the perfect photo moment and while you’re there, write your intention on their 2020 Volvo XE40 car. Yes, you heard right. Grab and pen and write your 2020 vision directly onto their brand new car. Fun, right?

Califia Farms

Get your intention latte bracelets with every coffee and snap a photo in front of their living plant wall while you’re at it. They are also serving cold brew coffee in the food hall. Grab-n-go their dairy-free milk with your morning coffee.

Crunchmaster

Snap a photo in front of the “Lookin’ Like a Snack” mural and satisfy your hunger at their sampling station where they’re serving a delicious range of healthy, GMO, and gluten-free crackers.  

NuFace

Need a Lift? Join NuFACE, the leader in Microcurrent Skincare™ for micro-treatments and special offers at the Mobile Lifting Lounge ™ (it’s inside the cool metallic silver airstream).

Brahmin

Show your true colors and snap a selfie at the Brahmin bright wall of handbags. Experience the quality of these beautiful accessories for the modern woman and purchase your favorite arm candy in their pop-up, too.

Lily’s Sweets

Have a sweet tooth but trying to #breakupwithsugar? Stop by Lily’s sweets to try out their new products, chocolate bars, and chocolate-covered caramels that taste delicious without the sugar! All attendees will receive Lily’s chocolate in their gift bag too. 

Michael Stars

In the mood to do a little shopping? Stop by the Michael Stars’ pop-up to browse the stunning range from their latest collection.

Nivea

Discover why it’s a strength to “Think Soft” at Nivea’s pop-up where there will be major photo moments (we’re talking a sequin shower), hand massages with their cult-favorite moisturizers, an interactive mural, and loads of product sampling. You don’t want to miss this one!

Bliss

One of our favorite skincare lines is launching their new vitamin C product at LA 2020 so head on over to their pop-up for free product sampling and see why everyone is raving about Bliss. Snap a photo in front of their orange tree and snack on an orange-flavored custom macaroon while you’re there. Also, anyone who posts a pic on Instagram and follows Bliss on TIKTOK will get a full-sized Bliss product.

Not Your Mother’s Haircare

Step inside this stunning real-life greenhouse and sample a wide range of the Not Your Mother’s haircare line. Then get social and snap a pic at their stunning floral photo moment.

Dr. Brandt

Don’t miss out on experiencing the brand new microdermabrasion cream at the Dr. Brandt pop-up. And, if you post on social media and tag @drbrandt with the hashtag #sayIloveyou they will make a donation to their Dr. Brandt Foundation dedicated to mental health well-being.

Jessica Simpson Collection

See first-hand why Jessica Simpson has built a billion-dollar-a-year business out of this best-selling line. Experience the collection and buy your favorite pieces, too.

Caulipower

Sample this delicious gluten-free pizza base and chicken tenders all day and taste why Caulipower is on track to generate $100m in revenue this year.

SLEPT

Design a bedtime ritual that works with curated sleep essentials from SLEPT. Get a FREE crystal-infused bath bomb when you share your @thesleptlife selfie from the pop-up.

JustFab

Want a free pair of shoes? Head to the JustFab pop-up for a major surprise-and-delight moment. Pick a line labeled one to three, check behind the door, and walk away with a new pair of shoes. Easy!

Lifeway

Discover why this Kefir is being called “the champagne of dairy” with their delicious smoothies with toppings being served all day.

ONE
Experience their tropical set up and lounge area while you snack on their delicious protein bars being served all day.

Crown Affair

Start a new ritual for your hair—yes, your hair—and experience this innovative range of combs, brushes, towels, and oils. Buy on-site and have your order shipped directly to your house. Be sure to pick up their unique Crown Affair stickers too.

Jackson Family Wines

This family-owned vineyard is renowned for its delicious wines from the beautiful Sonoma region. Head to their pop-up trailer for wine sampling all day.

iHerb

Between never-ending emails and meetings, there’s no such thing as a 9-to-5 gig. iHerb | Love Letter is all about helping you find the balance you need to inspire #badassboss vibes in your life. So head over to their pop-up to sample some of their natural wellness products and self-care essentials.

New York & Company

Hear Eva Mendes talk through her designs on stage as our keynote speaker, then head over to the New York & Company pop-up to see them first hand (and purchase them too). Take a photo on their stunning floral bench while you wait for friends to browse the Eva Mendes collection, too.

Facebook Messenger

Head to the Facebook Messenger Small Biz Studio to chat with their experts on how to use FB messenger for your business. 

#ShopCreateCultivate Pop-Up

Loved our office stationery collection? Then swing by the Shop Create & Cultivate pop-up to get a sneak peek at our brand new product collection and shop the pre-sale before anyone else—shhh!

Acco

If you missed out on buying the stationery collection online or in-store, then head to the Acco pop-up to see the line. There will be Shop Create & Cultivate collection giveaways too. Simple post a photo in the booth and tag @shopcreatecultivate for a free Clip Folio.

The Little Market

The Little Market is a nonprofit fair trade shop featuring ethically sourced, artisan-made products. Head over to experience this feel-good product line. They’ll be doing Create and Cultivate-inspired candle customizations with the purchase of any candle (only while supplies last) and gifting a mini bouquet to the first 40 Create & Cultivate attendees who make a purchase from The Little Market pop-up. Then be sure to hear Lauren Conrad and her co-founder Hannah Skvarla joined by Jessica Alba as our final keynote speaking about their passion for building a business with purpose.

Honest & Co.

Honest Beauty will be on-site offering makeup application of their brand new Lit Powder Blush at their pop-up. This gorgeous, pearl-infused powder makes for a blush and highlighter in one to give bold, blendable payoff and a lit-from-within golden glow. Snap an Insta at their pop-up after you get your glow on! End the night with Founder, Jessica Alba, alongside The Little Market's Lauren Conrad and Hannah Skvarla for a roundtable discussion on Passion, Purpose, & Profit.

Pinterest

Did you know you can use Pinterest to help with all your small business needs? Find out how by speaking with the Pinterest team at their pop-up. We guarantee you’ll leave feeling inspired and ready to pin your next business idea.

WeWork

Computer at 5% battery? Need some sun on a rooftop with DTLA views? Check out The Maxwell (1019 E 4th Place, LA) on Friday, February 21 before the Create & Cultivate conference kicks off! WeWork is offering a complimentary hot desk membership for 1 day at their premier location.

To Redeem:
Visit we.co/maxwellhotdesk and enter promo code WWHD51395*
*Code must be redeemed by February 29 and once you sign up, membership is valid through February 29. Membership will automatically renew on March 1 with a charge of $420/month, unless canceled prior to that date.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

BREAKFAST 

This is your time to supercharge before the big day ahead with nutrition-packed smoothies provided by Bumpin Blends and yummy yogurt parfaits from Forager Project. Enjoy hot coffee with dairy-free milk by Califia Farms. 

LUNCH

All GA’s will be feasting on Urban Remedy macro bowls and vegan Caesar salads. Yes, please!

BREAK
Ice Cream Social provided by Not Your Mothers

Get your hands on Nadamoo’s delicious non-dairy and organic ice cream thanks to Not Your Mother’s Haircare. To celebrate the Not Your Mother’s new haircare collection, they teamed up with Nadamoo to create delicious ice creams topped with the natural ingredients inspired by the line. Grab a honey-flavored or matcha topped ice-cream with the matching sample of the new haircare product. Cute right? Don’t miss out.

BEVERAGES 

Make sure you stay hydrated with Health-ade Kombucha, ROAR, and Pathwater served all day. 

Enjoy coffee all day at the Califia bar located in the showroom pop-up area with comfortable lounges and chairs provided by Witty Rentals. 

HAPPY HOUR 

After a long day of panels, pop-ups, and networking it’s time to refuel. Finish up the day with the famous vegan burgers from Beyond Meat. The sparkling wine and low-cal cocktails will also be flowing at happy hour, provided by our friends at Ketel One Botanical and Chandon. 

ALLERGIES? 

We try our best to accommodate but we recommend that you BYO lunch at the conference if you have food allergies.

GIFT BAGS 

We know you want ‘em! Get your shoulder ready for gift bags filled with goodies from some of your favorite. Please note, gift bags are only available upon exit. Pick them up at registration on the first floor (where you checked in at the beginning of the day) in exchange for your badge. 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. 

Other Need to Knows

There are no charging stations on-site so please come prepared with a fully charged phone or a mophie with extra juice to be set up for success all day.  

Handicapped accessible parking is located at the front in Bay 3. 

Need Help? 

If you need assistance throughout the day or have accessibility needs, then we’re only too happy to accommodate. Please email carol@createculitvate.com with any special needs that you have on-site ahead of time so we can assist with any additional needs before the event. On the day, lookout for the friendly faces wearing light purple jogger sets with our LA 2020 logo on them around the event and they’ll be happy to help!

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 #createcultivatela to keep in touch!

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU IN LA! Who are you most excited to see? Share in the comments below!

I Want Your Job: Dyson's Marketing Director on the Power of Interning to Launch Your Career

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

Marketing. It’s a word we’ve all become familiar with but what does the job entail exactly? For many of us, the concept can seem ambiguous, but in short, marketing is really all about storytelling. Just ask category director of personal care at Dyson, Caitlin Murtha. Her career trajectory from intern to dream job is inspiring and proves that hard work, commitment, and grit are traits you can always count on to get there. After speaking with her for this story, we can say with honestly, I want your job.

Ahead, Murtha shares the importance of internships, how she scored the gig at Dyson, what their marketing secret sauce is, and advice for other young professionals who want her job too. Grab your notepad because you’ll want to write these down.

Describe your career journey—how did you get your foot in the door and land where you are today?

I received my college degree in marketing and always knew I wanted to pursue it as a career. I did several internships while in college, which were all very different such as working at Chanel (RTW), Women’s Wear Daily, and Estee Lauder (BeautyBank). I knew the importance of interning, getting that experience prior to graduating, but equally using those experiences to help guide me and give me a better understanding as to what marketing was. 

My first job was in retail working at Macy’s doing their events. After a couple of years, I moved to New York City to work at Bath & Body Works on their Public Relations team. While I loved the pace of that job, I knew I wanted to do more marketing, particularly around beauty. An internship opportunity came up at Coty working on the new Beyoncé Heat fragrance. While it was a huge risk going from being fully employed to doing another internship, I felt it was the right thing to do for my career and ultimately help reach my goals. 

I worked at Coty for a few years, moving from the U.S. brand management team to the Calvin Klein global marketing team. I progressed in my career while at Coty, helping to launch the CK One Color line and then eventually moving over to the fragrance side of the business. A move to Chicago afforded me the opportunity to work for a smaller beauty company for a couple years, which eventually led me to Dyson. Ironically, I had been following Dyson for a couple years as I was intrigued by the company as much as I was about their products and technology.

I didn’t want to pigeon hole myself too much by continuing to work in beauty and felt it was important to gain more experience outside of the industry. So I took a leap of faith by accepting a job at Dyson looking after the Environmental Control (purifiers, fans, heaters) products, but ironically was soon tapped to head up the personal-care category. It was a nice way of telling me that I belonged in beauty. 

Dyson is such a respected name in the personal-care category, with high-tech beauty tools loved by many. When a new technology is released, what’s the process you and your team follow to market it effectively?

The beauty about working at an organization such as Dyson is that the technology and products really speak for themselves. Every product launch is unique in its own right and may be approached differently depending on the overall objective of the launch and the audience we are trying to reach. However, there are a few critical pieces we try to follow:

1)    Having the right technology and offering for the consumer that truly solves a problem.

2)    Continuous testing and research pre- and post-launch. 

3)    Work hand-in-hand with our cross-functional team members—it takes a village!

We work well in advance of a launch to really understand the technology, the problems it solves, why it’s different (and better) and identifying what the white space opportunity is. 

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

Social media has changed marketing so much these last few years. Can you share a time you’ve pivoted your strategy to adapt to a new feature, algorithm, etc.? 

We always try to stay abreast of the newest technology within social platforms as it is a great way to engage with shoppers and our owners. As their moods and interest evolve with the technology, we need to be ready with the right message to the right person at the right time and being on top of trends and technology allows us to do that.

What advice would you give to young professionals trying to break into the marketing industry?

Don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s okay to fail, as long as you learn from it and keep moving. And don’t be afraid to work hard and ask questions especially early on in your career. I learned so much about marketing in my first few years of my professional career (and still am) by asking questions, getting my hands dirty to really understand the foundation of a business, how it works, etc. 

What’s a marketing initiative you’ve worked on recently that you’re particularly proud of?

We recently launched a campaign refresh of our SupersonicTMhair dryer, which was the first technology in our personal care category. It’s a big moment for Dyson because the campaign features a variety of models, influencers and real women with various hair types and needs that are relatable. This most recent launch stemmed from James Dyson’s desire to enable the Dyson SupersonicTMhair dryer to style better, while continuing to protect hair from extreme heat damage—irrespective to whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly or coily. It’s been exciting to see this come to life.

Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate

Where do you go to get inspiration?

Inspiration comes from a variety of places and while that differs for everyone, based on the types of things I am interested in, I always look outside the industry I play in. Look at the world around you and what impacts you. That can come from magazines, social media, music, books, friends, and family. 

Can you share one woman who paved the way for you to be where you are today? 

My mother is the one woman that has paved the way for me to be where I am today. She had a successful 40+ year career in the beauty industry and has taught me so much both personally and professionally having raised two children as a single mother. I can confidentially say I would not be where I am today without her. 

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

Focus on empathy and perspective as it allows you to see the big picture and understand decisions from all perspectives.

Up Next: 17 Small Home Office Mistakes to Avoid, According to 7 Interior Designers.

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We Take Self-Care Seriously—How the C&C Team Relax and Unwind After a Long Day

This story is in paid partnership with Diageo.

Progress over perfection. Ever heard of it? At Create & Cultivate, it’s one of the mottos we live by. In fact, we take it so seriously, that we even have it painted on the office kitchen wall. Whether it’s personal or professional, big or small, we believe the lessons lie in the journey, not the destination. While we love dreaming big and thinking of the full picture, we make sure to celebrate the little milestones along the way too because true success is the sum of all your small efforts, right?

As opportunities, responsibilities, expectations, and commitments stack up, so do our to-do lists. But that doesn’t mean we don’t love the hustle. Of course, we do. Just make the time to pause at each step so you don’t stretch yourself too thin. And there’s a myriad of ways you can do that. Our favorite? Celebrating the wins along the way by taking time for self-care such as applying a clay face mask, taking a bath, reading a book, or our personal favorite, cracking open a Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer.

Because taking time out to relax and unwind—and getting in those eight hours of sleep a night—should be just as important as those to-do’s like creating a P&L or sending that client email. So, to help you get there, we tapped the shoulders of our very own hustlers, the team C&C, to ask how they unwind after a jam-packed day. C&C team pro tip: swap your glass of red for a low-cal alternative like our favorite Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer for a guilt-free nightcap. For more pro tips and tricks, follow along to see how our team does self-care and be sure to scroll down to the end to make our exclusive drink recipes and say cheers to yourself for getting through another day!

Danielle Boyce, Graphic Design Intern

“I work two part-time jobs and have two side hustles so I never feel like I have an ‘end of the day.’  I have made boundaries like I can't work or use my laptop after I shower and do my skincare routine. I try and unplug at least half an hour before I go to sleep. But, I usually listen to a podcast or call my friends living in San Francisco for the summer. I like recapping my day with my favorite people, it always puts me in a good mood for the morning.”

Alyssa Sage, Marketing Manager

“How do I unwind? With a bubble bath and my fave book, wine, and candles.” 

Nicole Povey, Coordinator 

“After a long day, I love to wind down with a glass of Pinot Grigio and some bad reality T.V. If I’m not feeling the electronics, painting is my go-to for winding down and resetting.” 

Dana Saperstein, Senior Event Producer

“I unwind after a long day by cooking. Cooking allows me guidelines that I can follow so I don't have to think too much. Chopping is like my meditation. I can zone out. It also provides a little bit of excitement because you never know how it's going to turn out!”

Dre Reyes , Senior Marketing Associate

"I like to unwind by cleansing my face, putting on a face mask and enjoying a glass of wine while I lounge on the couch in my comfy robe. To me, this is the ultimate form of self-care.”

Sacha Strebe, Editorial Director

“For me, unwinding is all about a long, hot, salt bath. There’s nothing quite like it for soothing aching bones, muscles, and to allow some time for your brain to digest the day, detach from the to-do list, and quietly meditate without screens or distractions. I just read that 1kg of pink Himalayan salt (has to be food grade) in a bath is a powerful detoxifier because it extracts the toxins out of your skin and tissues. It’s akin to soaking in an ocean of energy. The process is called dermal absorption because your skin soaks up the minerals from the water including calcium, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, zinc and more. So, I’m hitting up my Amazon Prime account and having a few bags of salt delivered stat.” 

Kylie Tansey, VP Sales

“My fiancé and I are learning to cook together. Cooking always seemed like a chore to us. Now that we have become a little more comfortable in the kitchen, it has become a way that we relax and catch up with each other after a long day. Cheesy as it sounds, I find that having something as simple as time together to look forward to at the end of the day makes even the hardest of days feel more joyful.” 

Spice up  your nightly self-care ritual with one of our favorite Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer recipes below! 

Spiked Piña Colada 

Ingredients:

1 can of  Piña Colada Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer

1 oz. coconut cream

6 oz. fresh pineapple juice

1 cup of crushed ice

Directions:  Combine all ingredients then blend until smooth. Add a fun toothpick umbrella and a slice of pineapple for optimal vacation vibes.

Raspberry Frozé

Ingredients:

1 can of Raspberry Rosé Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer

1 oz. lemon juice

3½ ounces strawberry syrup

1 cup of crushed ice 

Directions:  Combine all ingredients then blend until smooth. Place blender container in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes for the best consistency.

Five Glo Getter Looks From Our NYC Conference

At Create & Cultivate, we believe glowing happens from the inside, out. For us, it’s less about physical attributes and more about your  inner charm. We’ve all been privy to the light someone brings when they enter a room with confidence. Now that’s a glow we can get behind. But how does someone tap into that fountain of assurance? Well, self-confidence is all about believing in your ability to succeed. Once you begin to nail that, you’ll glow all day long and achieve your goals. ability to succeed.

But there are some smaller steps you can take to ensure you glow with confidence every day and it can be as simple as maintaining a daily self-care ritual that sets you up for success. Taking time to care for your skin is also instrumental because when you feel good in your skin, you naturally exude confidence. Because let’s face it, with all that hustle and hard work, we need to give our minds and bodies the love they deserve.

Setting aside some time to apply your regimen of serums, creams, or oils is a great way to prep yourself for the day ahead and allow you to unwind that night. We are also convinced that healthy skin makes for the ideal canvas to apply your makeup too. And for those who opt out of makeup, your skin care ritual is the key to achieving naturally beautiful skin. So where does that leave you? Looking for the best possible skin care products the market has to offer and hoping for cutting edge, natural ingredients.

Ingredients like squalene. Yup, you heard it right. Squalane. A natural compound you have probably never heard of,  but will soon not live without. Squalane is an oil that reacts well with all skin types. Not many oils can say the same. Whether you are acne-prone or embracing mature skin, Squalene will replenish your natural skin barrier and provide it with the moisture it needs. *Que radiant, glowing skin*. Biossance skincare has based its products on the all the magic squalene has to offer. Our favorite? Nylon Beauty Hotlist and Glamour Beauty award winner, Biossance Squalane + Mineral SPF 45. Why just moisturize when you can protect your skin from the sun at the same time?!

You’ve probably heard the words, “look good, feel good” at one point or another. While we adhere to this catchy phrase, we also believe feeling good will inevitably make you look good. So take all the time you can to love yourself, your skin, and your mind. The pay off? Glowing from the inside out.

In the spirit of this message, we captured  five of our favorite glo-etter looks from our NYC Conference. Take a look below!

Collaboration Over Competition: How This Company Is Sharing Data to Make Driving Safer for All

I grew up in a 1980 Volvo Coupe. It was large and in charge with a bold, bright red hue. Fast forward 20 years, and I would do anything to have that car again. Now more so than ever because I’ve learned about Volvo’s positive impact on the auto industry, and the values they’re inspiring all of us to believe in, too.

Volvo is a prime example of how “collaboration over competition” can be put into action for the greater good. We’re partnering with Volvo to share how this philosophy can be applied to every aspect of your life, whether or not you’re behind the driver’s seat.

Volvo Gave Away Their #1 Invention

It’s hard to believe that car safety used to be an afterthought. Now, we have cameras on our rear view mirrors and sensors telling us when we’re getting close to other cars. Driving has never been easier, some would argue, but it wasn’t always that way. Volvo was the first car manufacturer to care deeply about consumer safety. So much so that they “gave away the most important safety device ever invented: the three-point seat belt.” Car safety was forever changed because they believed that the best thing to do was to share their knowledge and collaborate on changing the way we drive today.

Building the Road Ahead—for Women

In March 2019, Volvo announced that they will share research on “crash-test safety with other automakers for free,” roughly 60 years after the three-point seat belts became standard in all cars. They continue to embody this idea of “collaboration over competition,” and are even making strides to specifically protect female car occupants. Volvo’s Project EVA, which stands for Equal Vehicles for All, aims to diversify test dummy sizes and designs, including people outside of average height and weight ranges that fare worse in car crashes. One of the ways Volvo has already addressed this concern is by implementing WHIPS anti-whiplash seat design in 1998 to help women, and especially tall women, be less likely to incur whiplash neck injuries in crashes.  

Aiming for Zero

Volvo is not only changing the way all automakers keep their drivers safe, but they’re committing to Vision 2020, the goal being to have no one killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020. This isn’t a “better than thou” type of commitment, this is a basic priority that they’re giving to every human being. Volvo’s safety experts have identified three ‘gaps to zero’ that they will address to reach Vision 2020: speeding, intoxication, and distraction. Volvo will be limiting the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph (that’s roughly 112 mph) in 2020, as well as looking into geofencing technology that would automatically limit speeds around schools and hospitals. And with the invention of in-car cameras, Volvo vehicles may be able to intervene by slowing down and parking safely if it senses the driver is intoxicated or distracted in other ways. They’re thinking of everything  and sharing their ideas and findings with their counterparts.

Volvo’s embodiment of “collaboration over competition” inspires all of us to think about how we can share our own knowledge and advice to those who need it most. When we’re open to sharing and open to caring, great things happen.

Sponsor: Volvo

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What To Expect At Our 2019 Style Summit

Houston—we’re coming back to ya! Our fourth annual Style Summit is right around the corner. We’re hosting a day of amazing panels, instagrammable moments, fashion and beauty tips, and an amazing keynote speaker all at The Galleria in Houston! Get ready to learn tips and tricks from your favorite fashion & beauty bloggers, get major discounts from shops around the entire mall (more details below), plus enjoy glam treatments, cocktails and more! The first 200 guests to arrive will receive a swag bag with goodies from L'Occitane, Madewell, NYX Professional Makeup, Morphe, Toni & Guy, AG Jeans, Aveda, Blanco Tacos + Tequila, Shake Shack, Scotch & Soda, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Reminder that Create & Cultivate Insiders can skip the line, so be sure to snag your membership before the event!

Explore The Galleria and save! We partnered with The Galleria to offer a Style Summit attendee discount throughout the entire day. All you have to do is show your confirmation email at checkout to receive the discounts.

CUSTOM JACKETS

Have you ever wanted a personalized jacket? Now’s the time! Before the Summit, purchase a jacket from Saks Fifth Avenue or one of these retailers, then get your jacket customized with calligraphy at the C&C event—just show your receipt!

AG Jeans: 30% off all denim and leather jackets

AllSaints: 20% off all leather jackets

PAIGE: 20% off all denim jackets

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Style Summit at The Galleria

Saturday, June 1 | 1:00PM-5:10PM

WELCOME

1PM - 2PM

It's time! Head over to the Saks Fifth Avenue Wing at The Galleria to get a glam treatment and grab a seat!

Reminder: The Style Summit is an RSVP event, and it is still a first-come, first-serve event. We suggest arriving early to guarantee entrance & a great seat. Make some new friends with your neighbors while you’re at it!

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BEAUTY TUTORIAL

2PM - 2:30PM

We’re working with Morphe, NYX Professional Makeup, and Origins to show you the tips and tricks you need to know to get your glam game 💯!

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STYLE CONVO

2:30PM - 2:50PM

Our favorite fashion influencers are hitting the runway to show you some of their best summer looks from Scotch & Soda, Ted Baker, AG Jeans, Sandro, Maje, PAIGE, and Club Monaco!

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PANEL: EYE FOR STYLE

2:50PM - 3:35PM

Want to know how to create & cultivate confidence through your closet? We’re sitting down with Courtney Kerr, Sarah Adam Hafez, Agatha Ashiofu, Jaserah Asadullah, and Lee Anne Benjamin to hear how they style their lives as successful content creators.

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KEYNOTE: AUDRINA PATRIDGE

3:35 - 4:10PM

Come hear from Audrina on her career, goals, and style advice for all of us.

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HAPPY HOUR

4:10PM - 5:10PM

Cheers! Time to toast to a day well spent with your fellow create & cultivators!

Want to win a $500 Simon gift card, $100 AllSaints gift card, and a free ticket to attend the next Create & Cultivate conference? Complete the Social Checklist you receive upon checking in and you’ll be entered to win!

Before or after the event, shop the entire mall for discounts below!

In-Store Events: Valid 6/1/19

• AG Jeans – Swing by AG Jeans to shop and enjoy complimentary champagne.

• Origins - Enjoy a free mini facial service; call 713.623.2255 to make your reservation.

• Aveda – Enjoy a relaxing 20-minute deluxe Jade Roller Ball facial.

• Fig & Olive – Stop by the Frosé Soiree Happy Hour and enjoy $4 Frosé, $1 Oysters and $5 Flatbreads.

• Invicta – Receive a gift of your choosing with any in-store purchase.

• NYX Professional Makeup– Visit the store and receive 1 of 5 mini lessons; call 713.623.2255 to make your reservation.

• Scotch & Soda - Enjoy refreshments during the Hi Brutus, Bye Popeye Launch Party from 4-6 PM.

• The Body Shop – Enjoy complimentary skincare and makeup consultations, facials and hand massages.

• Sandro - Swing by Sandro to shop and enjoy complimentary champagne & truffles.

  Special Offers: Valid 6/1/19 – 6/2/19

• AG Jeans – 30% off all denim and leather jackets.

• AllSaints – 20% off leather jackets. 

• Aveda – Buy an Invati Travel set for $37 then buy your Invati full-size 3-step-system and receive the full $37 back. 

• Aveda – Receive a free full-size Pure Abundance Style Prep with a $65 purchase.

• The Body Shop – Purchase two full-price items and get a third for free; receive an additional 10% off any purchase of $30 or more.

• Invicta – Buy two watches and get four watches free; buy one watch get one free (with a 5 year extended warranty).

• L’Occitane en Provence – Enjoy a free mini-facial at the boutique.

• Madewell – 20% off your entire purchase.

• MCM – Receive a MCM branded notebook with any in-store purchase.

• NYX Professional Makeup - 20% off any purchase of $20 or more.

• PAIGE – 20% off all denim jackets.

• Scotch & Soda – Receive a complimentary Brutus Tote when you spend $250 or more in-store.

• Toni & Guy – Receive a complimentary travel hairspray with any service.

• The Westin Oaks & The Westin Galleria – Texas Summer Sale: Stay Longer, Save More (Stay 2 Nights Save 10%/Stay 3 Nights Save 15%) .

  • Description: Available for Thursday-Sunday stays; Booking Window: May 20-Sept 2, 2019; Stay Window: May 27-Sept 2, 2019.

  • Offer: Stay 2 nights, get 10% off (Rewards Members - 15%); Stay 3 nights, get 15% off (Rewards Members - 20% off).

  • How to book: Go to www.marriott.com/HOUGW and apply Non-Member Code "D3Q" or Member Code "M96" in Corporate/Promo/Set # in "Special Rates" - Rate will display as "Stay Longer, Save More" Special Rate.

• The Westin Oaks – Enjoy a Sangria drink special available in the Lobby Bar. 

• Morphe - 15% off Morphe Core (valid 6/1/19 - 6/9/19).

Must show Style Stummit RSVP confirmation email at time of purchase. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Limit one offer per purchase. Not valid on gift certificates, gift cards or prior purchases. No cash value. Offer subject to change without notice. See store for details as some restrictions apply. Valid only at The Galleria. Expires 06/02/19 unless otherwise stated above.

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Who's ready? Comment below to say hello to fellow attendees!

MORE FROM OUR BLOG

Behind The Stage: How The C&C Team Built Our Desert Pop Up Event

Putting on a Create & Cultivate event takes some serious teamwork. From the first idea to the last panel, from setup to the final IG post, the C&C team has to stay in constant communication to keep production, talent coordination, brand partnerships, and marketing efforts on track. And we know our situation isn’t unique—all teams thrive when they have great communication and collaboration systems in place.

That’s why we’re partnering with Microsoft Teams to show you how we bring events like our Desert Pop Up to life. Our Teams documentary gives a behind-the-stage look at what it took to put the pop up together—and how we used Teams chat, file sharing, and video conferencing to make it all happen.

Heading back to Palm Springs was a big homecoming for us—the first-ever Create & Cultivate event was held in Palm Springs, with just 50 attendees! We’ve grown juuust a bit since then: more than a thousand people attended this year’s event. See how we did it bigger and better this year in the mini-doc below!

How We Use Teams To Bring Events To Life

0:55 - Our production, accounts, and digital teams work closely on campaigns. To keep things organized, we keep all our brand briefs, deadlines, and working files in shared PowerPoint docs. Teams makes it easy to share those files between coworkers.

1:20 - Well before events take place, our production team is on the ground scouting venue options. Our senior producer, Lainey, put together a floor plan for the event to present to the team in an online meeting to make it easy for everyone to understand their roles at the venue.

1:42 - While much of our team is on-site, the others are back in LA working on prepping digital assets. Team chat and online meetings make it easy for us to stay in touch in real-time—we can even send a quote from a speaker back to our designer to illustrate before the panel is even over.

2:40 - Our partners are located all over the country—sometimes we don’t ever meet our contacts in real life! So when we need to collaborate with them on pop-up designs or digital campaigns, we add them as guests to our chats so they can review PowerPoint presentations and creative documents. Feedback is easy, communication is smooth, and both our sponsors and our team leave happy and ready to tackle the job.

Need to streamline your team’s processes and create a collaborative hub for your business? Download Microsoft Teams today to get a jump start on teamwork success!

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Martha Stewart on Growth, Imposter Syndrome, and How She Wants to Be Remembered

What. A. Legend. When we found our we’d be graced with the presence of the one and only Martha Stewart as one of our keynote conversations at our New York conference, we may or may not have collectively lost it at the C&C office. And, of course, Martha did not disappoint. Though she admitted she doesn’t suffer from imposter syndrome (LOL, can you share your secrets, Martha?!), she did offer some sage advice that only a woman who’s been killing it in business for decades could know. Read on for her tips on growth, hiring, and what she wants her legacy to be.

On whether print is dead…

“Even though magazines are now, again, failing and closing, due to the digital world—we still produce a beautiful magazine every single month.”

On having more than 8,000 products in her line…

“We found that even though we were giving people the how-to ideas, many people wanted the product, so it was a perfect way expand into product development. We continue to do products in many different categories.”

“I want to see which method of selling works the best. Can we improve those ways of selling?”

On the longevity of her product line…

“We’ve been making beautiful, useful, well-made products for a long time, and I want to continue to do that in a big way. We want to be where the customer wants and needs us.”

Advice for women looking to grow a team and find their forever employees…

“Find someone who is competent, exciting, curious. And you have to be able to train people and spend time with a new employee.”

On imposter syndrome…

“Take the reins. Be a strong, willful, self-possessed person. You have to be if you’re going to be in business for yourself. You have to be able to let stuff run off you—you can’t dwell on the problem.”

“I have a silly little motto: When you’re through changing, you’re through. You have to be able to change and swerve to adapt.”

Advice for younger self…

“Stay true to your beliefs.”

“Be a strong, willful, self-possessed person. You have to be if you’re going to be in business for yourself.”

Last text to Snoop…

“I wished his mom a happy birthday!”

Life hack for busy working women…

“2-3 housekeepers.” 🤣

Where she gets her energy…

“Green juice!”

On her legacy…

“I want to be remembered as a good woman who is a good teacher; one who is fun and has accomplished a lot.”

MORE ON THE BLOG

6 Ways To Brush Up Your Networking Skills

Our New York Conference is inching its way closer to us, and as we get ready for the big day, we want to make sure you’re prepped and primed for the big day.

And that definitely includes networking on site at the conference.

While networking can always seem intimidating, it’s something all of our attendees have mastered on site and have been able to take advantage of for their own professional development, and you should too. If you’re looking for ways to brush up your networking skills, we’ve got you covered with the tips below to make sure you don’t lose out on any opportunities.

Nail down your elevator pitch.

When you’re in a room with 500 other women, you’re going to have to nail down your elevator pitch. Make it concise and straight to the point. No beating around the bush, and no overtly selling yourself. BS tends to reek in a crowded environment.

Put your best foot forward.

When you feel your best, other people take notice. No matter how big or small you are in your career, as long as you continue to engage and ensure that your strategy is always to make a lasting impression, you will see that people will be more inclined to establish a deeper connection with you. Confidence is contagious… and while it may seem simple, a smile goes a long way — it's hard to hate a smile!

Practice makes perfect.

If you’re feeling antsy thinking about what you should say to start a conversation with someone, practice with your friends and see how you can nail down the starting a conversation with a stranger. From the approach, to how you introduce yourself, to what you talk about, make sure you can simulate the an entire conversation with a stranger via your friend. Come in ready with a game plan and see that networking anxiety go away.

Engage with the crowd, but don’t be an attention seeker.

It’s easy to fall into the hole of talking about yourself and letting people know about all the things you do in a networking setting. But take a look back and think about the last person who wouldn’t stop rambling about themselves.

Exactly. Don’t be that person.

This is why it’s important to nail down your elevator pitch and keep it short, clear, and concise. Give people the Cliffs notes to your story, and leave them wanting more so they are more inclined to email, call, or text you and get to know you more. Rule of thumb: always keep them wanting to know more.

However, make sure you’re treating the crowd with the same level of interest as you would want them to give you. Be genuinely engaged in knowing who they are, their career, and their story, and see how you can start building a strong connection.

Don’t give out your cards, trade them.

Of course, we should always come handy with a stellar set of business cards that we're ready to hand out. It’s an obvious tip, but one we have to remind you of. Make sure that your business card isn't generic and can show off your creativity and brand effortlessly.

Also, a rule of thumb to have when you’re networking is to make sure that you’re sure you get as many business cards as you hand out. You don’t want to leave empty handed.

Follow-up.

After you’ve finished meeting a new person and have hopefully gotten their contact information, make sure that you’ve written some notes and remember one key point in your conversation (doesn’t have to be business related, it can be something about your mutual love for Honey Nut Cheerios).

Wait a day or two to follow up, and use that key point as a conversation starter for the next time you reach out to them. Not only is this a good way to remind them that you met, but it will let them know that you were genuinely engaged in what they had to say and who they were.

And if you happen to meet someone at our happy hour on Friday, feel free to email or text them that same night so you can meet on site at Create & Cultivate New York the next day! #BuildYourCCSquad

MORE ON THE BLOG

Rocky Barnes on the Power of Collaboration, Connections & Staying True to Yourself

If you weren’t at our Desert Pop Up event in Palm Springs a couple of weeks ago, you missed out on a killer keynote with Rocky Barnes, who just announced a new collection at Express that we’re absolutely fangirling over. Read some of our favorite mic-drop moments from her conversation with Keltie Knight below, and check out her to-die-for collection in the photos—it’ll be online and in select stores on May 3!

“An overnight success is 10 years in the making.”

“I think it’s so important to find the right person or brand to collaborate with. Don’t be afraid to say no and find the right match. It’s like finding a boyfriend.”

“When you’re passionate about something, you do it all the time.”

“I don’t want anyone to think there’s a quick easy shortcut to success—it may look like there is, but it’s all about hard work.”

“Make time for face-to-face interactions, take the time to have coffee, say hello—make a personal connection. You have no idea how far that will go in this industry.”

“The best advice I’ve ever received is to never take anything personally.”

“No one is bigger or better than anyone else. Everyone started in the same place.”

“I truly believe in manifestation and being about to visualize your dreams and goals. I’ve manifested everything in my life.”

“Instead of focusing just on that dream job, focus on the way you want to feel. That’s where you should put your focus.”

“Be true to yourself, make some goals for yourself, and think positive about it.”

We’re dying over those lilac boots! Which piece from Rocky’s collection do you have your eye on? Share in the comments below!

This post is sponsored by Express.

MORE ON THE BLOG

What to Expect at Our New York Conference

Big Apple, Big MOOD! We cannot wait to get to the city that never sleeps for Create & Cultivate NYC and we hope you’re just as excited as we are! Before we pull up, we wanted to give the play-by-play of what to expect during the big day. Besides the jam-packed speaker lineup and beautiful ambiance, the day is full of Instagrammable moments, shopping, food and drinks, and tons of inspiration. Get ready!

ALL DAY FUN

First things first: You should be receiving your welcome box with your badge in the mail by April 25th (if you’re an international attendee, your box will be available for pickup the morning of the conference)! Your box will have your badge with a lanyard dictating your track and your mentor power hour selections. Upon arrival, you will receive your C&C NY conference notebook from At-A-Glance! If you’re a VIP, you’ll get some additional swag & opportunities as well, including access to the Alaska Airlines VIP lounge access and your own beauty bar!

You’re in for one amazing day. We’ve organized every detail of the day for you below, so all you’ll need is your badge, schedule, and your best IG-worthy outfit—we’ll take care of the rest (we’ve even got the Poo-Pourri, everyone’s favorite bathroom bestie, covered)!

Keep reading to plan your day!  

LOCATION

Industry City

220 36th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Enter on 2nd Ave. between 36th and 37th St.

C&C INSIDERS PERKS

Are you a C&C Insider yet? Grab your membership card and meet us at the Insiders pop-up to learn more about your membership perks and get your free Insiders PopSocket! If you’re not a member yet, don’t worry—we can give you run down and sign you up at the booth! Insiders will be able to meet and greet some of our amazing speakers during the day, including:

Jaclyn Johnson, founder & CEO of Create & Cultivate

Anastasia Soare, founder & CEO of Anastasia Beverly Hills

Michelle Lee, editor-in-chief of Allure magazine

Rebecca Minkoff, founder of Rebecca Minkoff

Sharifa Murdock, co-owner of Liberty Fairs & founder of ENVSN Festival

SHOPPING, FOOD, & FUN

We’ve partnered with some of our favorite brands to bring you amazing shopping experiences, to-die-for photo ops, and delicious food and drinks! Peruse each booth to find your new go-to brands for home, beauty, and fashion! Shop ‘til you drop, girl!

LIFESTYLE

Mastercard

As our presenting partner for the conference, Mastercard will be serving up the knowledge during our panels. Stop by the Mastercard Small Business Marketplace during breaks to meet some amazing local boss lady businesses and support their vision. It doesn’t stop there—looking for a new creative headshot? Swing by the Mastercard sketch studio to get your portrait sketched live in their studio and share what sparked your career for another photo inspo pic!

Mastercard Small Business Marketplace businesses include:

Bliss Lau | East Olivia Creative | YES I AM | Coco and Breezy | Teressa Foglia

Alaska Airlines

GET PUMPED FOR SOME PTO! We’re so stoked to have our team’s go-to travel partner, Alaska Airlines, on-site at the conference giving out round-trip flights to our hard-working attendees. Head to their booth to enter to win your next Out of Office trip on the house. We will be announcing the 10 lucky winners throughout the conference, so listen up!

Microsoft Teams

Want a behind-the-stage look at how the C&C team puts on events using Microsoft Teams? Lucky for you, we filmed it all! Stop by the Microsoft booth to watch a minidoc that shows how we use Teams to bring all our events to life…and see how you can use Teams in your office, too!

Fair

Welcome to the future, where you can now get a car on your phone. Meet the future of mobility at the Fair booth and learn about their car subscription app that’s disrupting the auto industry—plus, hear from their female execs on the Raise Up panel!

Hallmark

As we love to say at WorkParty, behind every great woman are strong women. Pick the perfect card, write a love note, and send your mom a special moment for Mother's Day at the Hallmark pop-up and see what a card can do.

Volvo

Ready for a road trip? Feel the wind in your hair, girl! Stop by the Volvo booth to check out one of their newest models and live out your best road trip moment in their amazing video booth.

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 bring our team’s favorite notebook brand At-A-Glance to our conferences for all of our attendees. At the NYC conference, you’ll be able to customize their notebooks thanks to an onsite calligrapher. Love a monogram moment!

PicMonkey

Need a quick and easy way to up your content game by 100%? *Everyone simultaneously raises their hands* We’re so happy to have PicMonkey on-site with an amazing animated portrait booth! We’ll have a photographer on site to capture your best lewks. Plus, you’ll be able to learn more about how the app can help your personal + brand content without paying for extra graphic design help. Dream come true!

GoDaddy

Be inspired by the lives, work, and stories of powerful women thanks to GoDaddy. They’re highlighting Icons of Our Tribe in their IG-worthy setup—stop by to see what makes YOU an icon!

QVC

It’s your time to shine, girl! Stop by the QVC recording studio for your very own five minutes of fame and try your hand at selling a beauty product on camera. Who knows? You could be their next on air host!

I AM A VOTER

The 2018 midterm elections had the highest youth voter turnout in the past quarter century—and a record 102 women were elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 elections. Our voices are not only important, they’re necessary. Turn into our afternoon keynote for I AM A VOTER activist Mandana Dayani’s conversation with Amber Heard. Not registered to vote? Stop by the I Am A Voter kiosk, and make a difference!

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Bio-Oil

#LoveYourMarks! We’re all about authenticity, and what’s more authentic than celebrating who you are in this exact moment? Check out the Bio-Oil pop-up to learn about and sample Bio-Oil—and embrace all your marks with us by snapping a pic at their fun photo booth!

Lola

Lola is helping women live their best lives—period. This is a pop-up you do not want to miss. Head over to the Lola booth to learn more about everything this organic tampons brand is doing for women right now.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Keep scrolling to find out all your food and drink options while you’re enjoying the big day!

Ketel One Botanical

Stop by the main bar to grab a Ketel One Botanical cocktail—or their floral bike cart for a Botanical Spritz!

Chameleon Cold-Brew

Need an afternoon pick-me-up? Chameleon will be serving organic cold-brew coffee to keep your day going strong!

CORE

Stay hydrated with bottled water from CORE—you’ve got a day full of panels to attend! Grab them at any of our bars all day long, plus show us your balance by snapping a pic in their upside-down pop up booth.

LaCroix

Everyone’s favorite 100% natural sparkling water is at it again with a super ‘grammable pop up experience. Snap some IG-worthy pics in LaCroix’s interactive booth and (duh) pick up your favorite flavor to take with you to the next stop.

Chandon

Glasses up, girls! It’s time for more bubbly. Visit the Chandon pop up to grab a mini bottle of Chandon (another super ‘grammable moment) and get your new girl gang together for an IG worthy boomerang!

New Belgium Brewing

Cheers! You got through spring cleaning and now it’s time to drink to the summer sunshine! Stop by the New Belgium Brewing pop-up to try their new (PINK) Mural Agua Fresca Cerveza. It’s tasty and it’s chic.

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company

With all the fun of the day, you’re sure to need a quick refresher. Grab your new friends and juice up between panels with a stop at the Natalie’s Orchid booth, where they’ll be serving delicious juices all day long!

Santa Cristina Wines

Need a break? Head on over to the bar and grab a glass of Santa Cristina wine. Or two! ;) You’ll have your choice of a Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie DOC, Cipresseto Toscana IGT Rosato or Rosso Toscana IGT! Learn more about their wine selection and find your fave.

Navitas Organics

It’s time to get crafty (and full) at the Navitas Organics pop-up. Check your schedules, because during break you’ll be able to have a hand at a DIY station and mix your own nuts & berries snack—plus, you can sip on a matcha, turmeric, or cacao latte while you get your ‘gram on in a Insta-worthy photo booth!

RAGÚ

The now-famous pasta sauce came from humble beginnings, co-founded in 1937 by Assunta Cantisano, who sold the iconic sauce straight from her front porch. Snap a pic on the RAGÚ porch, and don’t miss some of their tasty recipes available during break.

FASHION & BEAUTY

ShopStyle

Everybody freeze! We’re heading all the way back to the 90s with this one. Head on over to ShopStyle’s pop-up with your new girl gang to snap a good photo and relive your yearbook moment. Hands up if you’re well overdue for a reshoot?

Moroccanoil

Truth is, all this work deserves some relaxation. Take a moment for yourself and visit the Moroccanoil pop up to get a hand massage and have your hair styled at Moroccanoil’s beauty bar (and if you’re a VIP, you can get glammed up in the VIP booth, too!).

Biossance

As a 100% plant-based skincare line, Biossance is giving us sustainable beauty through biotechnology. Head to their booth to stop & smell the roses! Hop in the photo booth then shop till you drop with a special gift with purchase (pro tip: the rose vitamin C mask & rose oil are a C&C team fave!).

Supergoop!

Sunscreen, anybody?! We’ll answer for you: Yes. Everybody. Join Supergoop! in a pop experience for Skin Cancer Awareness month in their booth. Hop in the time machine and flashback to the 90s while you snap a pic at their nostalgic photo op.

Dyson

Wellbeing is shaped by the air we breathe, the light, dust, and allergens we’re exposed to, and more. These affect our bodies, skin, hair and sleep quality. Stop by the Dyson booth to experience the newest Dyson machines that support your wellbeing by empowering you to control and personalize the elements that affect your daily life—for a healthier home & happier you.

Dynamite

Shop the latest clothes & accessories from Dynamite, then get your ‘gram on in their gorgeous pink couch photo booth!

DevaCurl

Who run the world? Curls. Get your curls poppin’ and don’t stop ‘em at the DevaCurl pop-up. Head on over to experience their styling station and learn more about their top-of-the-line products, then show off your look in the photo booth for an IG worth photo moment.

ghd

If you’re in major need of a good hair day, you’re going to want to head on over to the ghd pop-up. Their styling pros will be touching up that fabulous hairstyle you put all that work into—and they’ll be their all day to help keep you picture perfect.

Olly

OK, who doesn’t want flawless, vibrant skin? OLLY is here to make your skin dreams come true, amongst all your other dreams! Sampling their famous beauty supplements, the OLLY booth is not to be missed. Check out their Instagram to see all the ladies who swear by the vitamins for their wellness and beauty fills.

Living Proof

New color, who this? Need some tips and product tricks for that new hair color? Look no further. The Living Proof pop up booth has what you need. Stop by to check out their new color care line and snap a pic in their IG photo booth!

Tamara Mellon

GIVEAWAY alert! Want a year’s worth of shoes? Obviously—you do. Tamara Mellon is hosting a giveaway you won’t want to miss! Stop by the booth and enter for a chance to a year’s worth of new shoes, then snap a pic at the booth photo op. If you like what you see, check out the booksellers during break to buy Tamara’s book!

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, MAY 3

ATTENDEE HAPPY HOUR | 6:30 - 8:30PM

SERAFINA LUDLOW

98 Rivington Street (at the corner of Ludlow)

Join us on Friday, May 3rd, at Serafina Ludlow for our pre-conference happy hour to meet your fellow attendees.

SATURDAY, MAY 4

All that ‘grammin got your phone short on battery? Charge your phone up at charging stations presented by STAMBA Superfoods, located throughout the venue.

Feeling thirsty? Stop by the bar and our popups to grab a beverage in an Instagrammable (duh) Tossware glass—you deserve it!

TRACK 1

BREAKFAST | FOOD HALL | 8:00 - 9:15 AM

Energy up with a delicious breakfast, get that photo opp, and introduce yourself to your fellow C&Cers!

PANEL: RAISE UP | SECOND STAGE | 9:20 - 10:05 AM

On Venture Capital, Negotiation, & Bootstrapping Your Biz

Panelists: Yasmin Moaven, Angela Du, Ginger Seigel, Jordana Kier, Marah Lidey

Moderator: Sherry Jhawar

PANEL: IN GOOD COMPANY | MAIN STAGE | 10:10 - 10:55 AM

The Women Creating, Collaborating, & Cultivating Community

Panelists: Marie Forleo, Gabby Bernstein, Katie Sturino, Pauline Lhote, Suzy Batiz, Betsy Patel

Moderator: LaTonya Yvette

PANEL: LAUNCHPAD | SECOND STAGE | 11:00 - 11:50 AM

How to Build Your Brand & Bring It to Market

Panelists: Carmen Tal, Robert Schaeffler, Fiona Parkin, Sharifa Murdock, Asa Siegel

Moderator: Maxie McCoy

LUNCH | FOOD HALL | 12:00 - 1:00 PM

Nom alert! Grab your lunch, hydrate, and be sure to hit the popups! We’re halfway through the day!

MENTOR POWER HOUR | SECOND STAGE | 1:10 - 2:10 PM

Meet with your mentors for two 30-minute “pick your brain” sesh!

Mentors: Nicole Tollefsrud, Erin Silver, Tracy G., Nita Mann, Gail Nichols, Francey Grund, LaTonya Yvette, Caroline Vazzana, Maxie McCoy, Jessy Fofana, Mandy Ansari, Cynthia Andrew, Tamara Mellon, Eva Goicochea, Rachel Martino, Hunter McGrady, Sherri Haymond, Christina Vongas

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 2:20 - 2:50 PM

Powered by I AM A VOTER
Mandana Dayani in conversation with Amber Heard

PANEL: BRAND LOVE | SECOND STAGE | 2:55 - 3:40 PM

How To Build Companies With Kindness At Their Core

Panelists:

Camilla Ruth Marcus, Teressa Foglia, Kristy Lewis, Katie D’Amato,

Moderator: Amina Smith

PANEL: PRICELESS CONVERSATIONS | MAIN STAGE | 3:45 - 4:30 PM

Powered by Mastercard

Meet the Women Making an Impact

Panelists: Kelsea Olivia Gaynor, Bliss Lau, Breezy Dotson, Piera Gelardi, Jaclyn Johnson

Moderator: Cheryl Guerin

PANEL: CHANGEMAKERS | MAIN STAGE | 4:35 - 5:20 PM

The Women Breaking Boundaries & Building Businesses

Panelists: Tamara Mellon, Rebecca Minkoff, Gwen Whiting, Jaime Schmidt, Deepica Mutyala

Moderator: Annie Fulenwider

BREAK | 5:20 - 6:20 PM

Grab some yummy beet chips and chocolate bark from west~bourne, then stop by the food hall to get book signed by your favorite female authors—and meet actor, model, and activist Hunter McGrady at the Bio-Oil booth!

KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 6:25 - 6:55 PM

Michelle Lee in conversation with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

HAPPY HOUR | FOOD HALL | 7:25 - 8:25 PM

Powered by Alaska Airlines

Cheers to you! Let’s toast to taking on the world!

KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 8:25 - 8:55 PM

Jaclyn Johnson in conversation with Martha Stewart

TRACK 2

BREAKFAST | FOOD HALL | 8:00 - 9:15 AM

Energy up with a delicious breakfast, get that photo opp, and introduce yourself to your fellow C&Cers!

PANEL: MODERN ACTIVISM | MAIN STAGE | 9:20 - 10:05 AM

Exploring the Role of Diversity, Inclusion & Politics in the Workplace

Panelists: Nabeela Noor, Halima Aden, Hunter McGrady, Denise Bidot, Lindsay Peoples Wagner, Nikki Ogunnaike

Moderator: Heather Records

PANEL: POD SQUAD | SECOND STAGE | 10:10 - 10:55 AM

Meet the Ladies Killing the Podcast Game

Panelists: Noor Tagouri, Becca Tobin, Julie Kramer, Emma Diamond, Mamrie Hart, Grace Helbig, Ahyiana Angel

Moderator: Tyeal Howell

PANEL: THE PERSONAL IS PROFESSIONAL | MAIN STAGE | 11:00 - 11:50 AM

How to Build a Personal Brand You Love That Brands Want to Work With

Panelists: Mari Mazzucco, Justine Marjan, Laura Minch, Wendy Nguyen, Dr. Dendy Engelman

Moderator: Tiffany Reid

MENTOR POWER HOUR | SECOND STAGE | 12:00 - 1:00 PM

Meet with your mentors for a 30-minute “pick your brain” sesh!

Mentors: Nicole Tollefsrud, Erin Silver, Tracy G., Nita Mann, Gail Nichols, Francey Grund, LaTonya Yvette, Caroline Vazzana, Maxie McCoy, Jessy Fofana, Mandy Ansari, Cynthia Andrew, Tamara Mellon, Eva Goicochea, Rachel Martino, Hunter McGrady, Sherri Haymond, Christina Vongas

LUNCH | FOOD HALL | 1:10 - 2:10 PM

Nom alert! Grab your lunch, hydrate, and be sure to hit the popups! We’re halfway through the day!

AFTERNOON KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 2:20 - 2:50 PM

Powered by I AM A VOTER
Mandana Dayani in conversation with Amber Heard

PANEL: MARKETING MASTERCLASS | MAIN STAGE | 2:55 - 3:40 PM

Showing Up in the Social, Offline & Online World

Panelists: Tezza Barton, Cynthia Andrew, Hilary Sloan, Rachel Curry, Jacey Duprie, Naomi Jacobs

Moderator: Reesa Lake

PANEL: MEET THE MOGULS | SECOND STAGE | 3:45 - 4:30 PM

Meet the Moguls: The Women Dominating the Fashion & Beauty Game

Panelists:

Lilit Caradanian, Lisa Price, Kate Walsh, Holly Thaggard, Anastasia Soare

Moderator: Cyndi Ramirez

PANEL: CHANGEMAKERS | MAIN STAGE | 4:35 - 5:20 PM

The Women Breaking Boundaries & Building Businesses

Panelists: Tamara Mellon, Rebecca Minkoff, Gwen Whiting, Jaime Schmidt, Deepica Mutyala

Moderator: Annie Fulenwider

BREAK | 5:20 - 6:20 PM

Grab some some yummy beet chips and chocolate bark from west~bourne, then stop by the food hall to get book signed by your favorite female authors!

KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 6:25 - 6:55 PM

Michelle Lee in conversation with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

HAPPY HOUR | FOOD HALL | 7:25 - 8:25 PM

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Cheers to you! Let’s toast to taking on the world!

KEYNOTE | MAIN STAGE | 8:25 - 8:55 PM

Jaclyn Johnson in conversation with Martha Stewart

GIFT BAGS

We know your want ‘em! Gift bags are only available at the end of the night and will be handed out in exchange for your badge. If you have to jet early, you will be forfeiting your right come back in...but we doubt you'll want to do that!

 WE ARE SO EXCITED TO SEE YOU IN NYC! Who are you most thrilled to see? Share in the comments below!

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The Importance of Mentors & How to Find Them

"Get mentors." That's Alexa von Toble's advice to young entrepreneurs.

Von Toble, who remains CEO of LearnVest, the financial planning company which sold for more than $250 million in 2015, echoes something we've always promoted at Create & Cultivate. 

Mentors are not only a wealth of information for the career-driven young-preneur, they also help boost your confidence by given you actionable advice. Something we consider vital when you're starting out. 

So why mentors? 

Mentors are inspiring 

Ask any successful person about their career trajectory and they will always cite people who have inspired them. They have stories that push us to work harder. They've made mistakes we can learn from. They have wins that keep us going. 

It's like having an inspirational professional playbook. 

Mentors tell you when you should do better

Constructive criticism is easier to take from a mentor than from a boss. If you've chosen one or two people who you really trust, then you can remove any workplace issues or resentments that make it hard to hear what your boss (or superior) is saying. 

No one likes being told that they're wrong. Or that their work needs improvement. But when it is coming from an objective third party, it's much easier to stomach and will likely inspire you to *gasp* do better. 

Mentors have key relationships

If you impress your mentor, chances are they are going to find a way to connect you to other people who matter, professionally speaking. Often this can happen naturally. People who are willing to be mentors like connecting the dots and as such, will connect the dots. 

Plus paying it forward is a win-win. When you are in a position to introduce them or connect them to new clients, do it. 

Mentors know what it takes to make it

Work. Work. Work. Work. Work. That's what it takes, and when you're midnight-deep in another oil burner at the office, and you don't think you can do it anymore, a text to your mentor that reminds you they were once (and probably still are — because making it means even later hours) in the same boat, goes a long way. 

They've also heard "NO" a million ways and never gave up.  

A little bit of encouragement from someone you respect and trust? That's the juice that turns into a money-making smoothie. 

Just because you’ve made it, doesn’t mean you don’t need a mentor 

Sophia Rivka Rossi co-founder of HelloGiggles, has “made it” by most professional standards. The feel-good company online platform was acquired by TIME last year for an estimated $30 million. And yet, when speaking with Elizabeth Rice and Julie Cutler, co-founders of SoulCycle, she cited both women as her mentors, and who she continues to look to for for inspiration. Smart, savvy, successful business women never stop learning. It's how you grow. Even when you think you're tall AF — there are still professional inches to be gained.

Where to find them

One, at Create & Cultivate. Have you become an insider yet?

Two, six degrees of separation is real. One very simple way to see who knows who you want to know, is to look through who your friends follow on Instagram. You'd be surprised to find out how interwoven our lives are. Then, craft that DM and tell person X that you'd love to bring them coffee and take 15 minutes of their time.

It could be the beginning of an amazing working relationship.

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