12 LGBTQIA+ Founders, Executives, and Leaders Who Are Shaping Major Companies and Shifting Culture in the Process
From Coolhaus to Beautycon to Netflix—and beyond.
Until now, over half (52%) of the people who identify as LGBTQIA+ in the U.S. were living in states where they could be fired, passed over for a promotion, denied training, and harassed in the workplace based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
On June 15, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court took a long-overdue step in ending these discriminatory practices by ruling that the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, and sex, also applies to discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law,” Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority in the historic six-to-three ruling.
In honor of this landmark ruling, which also just so happens to coincide with Pride, we’re using our platform to shine a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs and leaders who are running cool companies and shifting culture in the process. Scroll on to meet just a few of the founders, executives, and leaders who are shaping some of the most influential businesses in our cultural lexicon—like Netflix, Facebook, and Reddit to name drop a few—and paving the way to the boardroom for the young LGBTQIA+ individuals coming up behind them.
Freya Estreller & Natasha Case
Co-Founders, Coolhaus
“When you are a true CEO, you are driving your own dream but you think of the company as a place for all of your employees to accomplish their dreams as well.”
—Natasha Case, CEO & Co-Founder, Coolhaus
It’s safe to say Freya Estreller and Natasha Case have successfully disrupted the freezer aisle. The co-founders of the women-owned, women-run ice cream brand Coolhaus, which is known for its innovative flavors (think street cart churro dough) and “farchitecture” ice cream sandwiches, have built a formidable franchise complete with a fleet of ice cream trucks, two scoop shops, and premium placement in the freezer aisle in over 7,500 grocery stores from Safeway to Whole Foods. Earlier this year, we shined a spotlight on the innovative founders as Create & Cultivate 100 honorees.
Jimena Almendares
Product Executive, Facebook
Jimena Almendares’ résumé is impressive, to put it mildly. Before she landed her current role as product executive at Facebook, she helped shape other major companies like Intuit, OkCupid, and Meetup. While at OkCupid, she led the company through its IPO, and ad Intuit, she led the expansion of Quickbooks into Mexico and set the record for the fastest global launch the company’s history in the process. Not to mention, she’s on the board of Out for Undergrad (O4U), an organization dedicated to helping high-achieving LGBTQ+ undergraduates reach their full potential.
Rachel Tipograph
Founder & CEO, MikMak
“
Invest in your voice. Your ability to be a powerful orator will get you much further than any other skill.”
—Rachel Tipograph Founder & CEO, MikMak
Rachel Tipograph is making marketing cool again. With a client list that includes brands like L’Oreal, Hershey’s, Unilever, and Estée Lauder, the founder of MikMak is leveraging social media for major profits, something the 2017 Create & Cultivate 100 honoree talked about at our recent Digital Money Moves Summit. It’s no wonder the innovative entrepreneur has been honored in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Who Are Changing the World, Marie Claire’s 50 Most Influential Women in America, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business, and Entrepreneur's 50 Most Daring Entrepreneurs lists. She’s also an angel investor who’s passionate about funding women, POC, and LGBTQIA+ founders.
Jen Wong
COO, Reddit
“We share responsibility for the health and safety of the platform with our communities.”
Jen Wong’s career reads like a dream run on paper. Before joining Reddit, Wong served as president and COO of Time, Inc, where she was the highest-ranking female executive. Before that, she served as PopSugar’s chief business officer and even spent a stint as AOL’s global head of business operations. Under Wong’s leadership, Reddit is reportedly on track to reach $262 million dollars in ad revenue by 2021, which is more than double last year’s revenue.
Photo credit: @onewong
Leanne Pittsford
Founder, Lesbians Who Tech & Allies
“Power doesn’t give up power. You must create urgency around change. It doesn’t happen naturally.”
—Leanne Pittsford, Founder, Lesbians Who Tech & Allies
In 2012, Leanne Pittsford organized a series of happy hour networking events for lesbians in technology. Fast-forward to 2020 and what started as a small gathering of just 30 people has grown into Lesbians Who Tech & Allies, a veritable tech community of 40,000 members with chapters in 40 cities. Since then, the 2019 Create & Cultivate 100 honoree has founded two more companies to help underrepresented people in tech land their dream jobs: Include.io, a mentoring and recruiting platform, and Tech Jobs Tour, a series of networking events across the country to bridge the gap between tech companies and prospective job candidates.
Lydia Polgreen
Head of Content, Gimlet Media
Earlier this year, Lydia Polgreen resigned as HuffPost’s editor in chief—a role she took on when Arianna Huffington, the founder, stepped down—to become head of content at Gimlet Media. In doing so, the seasoned storyteller, who spent nearly 15 years on staff at The New York Times before joining HuffPost, validated what many in media already suspected: podcasting is on the rise. In fact, Spotify paid nearly $340 million in a combined deal to acquire both Gimlet and Anchor, a company that makes easy-to-use tools for producing podcasts, in 2019.
Arlan Hamilton
Founder & Managing Partner, Backstage Capital
“
It started with my mom telling me I deserved to be in any room and shouldn't shrink myself to make someone else feel better about themselves.”
—Arlan Hamilton, Founder & Managing Partner, Backstage Capital
Here are some startling stats: Only 12% of venture capital funds are invested in companies with at least one female founder, according to All Raise. Additionally, of the $425 billion raised in VC funding since 2009, a mere 0.32% went to Latinx female founders and .0006% to startups led by Black women. Arlan Hamilton, the founder and managing partner of the venture capital firm Backstage Capital, is on a mission to tip these statistics in the right direction. Since launching in 2015, Backstage Capital has invested over $7M in 130 companies led by underrepresented founders, according to the company’s website. It’s no wonder we included her on our 2018 Create & Cultivate 100 list.
Emma Mcilroy
CEO, Wildfang
Emma Mcilroy started a feminist revolution in 2013 when she launched her clothing brand, Wildfang—remember this Wild Feminist T-shirt?—dismantling the patriarchy and gender norms in the process. And it seems a lot of people want to join Mcilroy for the ride. Now a multi-million-dollar company, Wildfang is also a global community and a place for women to feel that they can conquer anything.
Denyelle Bruno
CEO, Tender Greens
“It’s easy to get caught up in the game of trying to be like others, but the best copying will result in a less good version of another person.”
—Denyelle Bruno, CEO, Tender Greens
As the CEO of Tender Greens, Denyelle Bruno is at the helm of a casual restaurant chain that serves over seven million customers across 30 locations in California, New York, and Massachusetts and, not to mention, brings in an impressive $100 million in annual revenue. But it’s not just about the bottom line for Bruno. In an industry where the gender gap is getting wider, not narrower, Bruno is leading the charge in gender diversity. In fact, by the end of 2020, Tender Greens achieved gender parity across the company’s restaurant leadership, from executive chefs to sous chefs, which is one of the many reasons we included Bruno on our 2020 Create & Cultivate 100 list.
Angelica Ross
Actor, Writer, Producer, Founder and CEO, TransTech Social Enterprises
You probably know Angelica Ross as Candy Ferocity on Pose, but she’s also a leading figure in the movement for trans and racial equality. When you consider the statistics—72% of trans homicide victims between 2010 and 2016 were black trans women and femmes—it’s easy to see why Ross wants to ensure that these women aren’t reduced to a statistic. As the founder of TransTech Social Enterprises, she’s is working to empower trans and gender-nonconforming people through on-the-job training in leadership and workplace skills. As a powerful speaker, she tours nationally to share her mission with business leaders, educators, and the President of the United States.
Cindy Holland
VP of Original Content, Netflix
As vice president of original content at Netflix, Cindy Holland, who has been with the company since 2002, oversees the production of the streaming giant’s binge-worthy original series and the multi-billion-dollar budget needed to bring that high-quality, programming to the platform’s 182 million subscribers and counting. Under Holland’s watch, Netflix earned 117 Emmy nominations in 2019, 17 Golden Globe nominations in 2020, and has secured deals with the likes of Shonda Rhimes and Janet Mock, who is the first openly trans creator to sign a major deal with Netflix.
Up next: 19 Powerful LGBTQIA+ Leaders on Instagram to Follow and Support Now and Always
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Stop Being Color Blind: The First Important Step in Having Courageous Conversations
Five things to remember when entering a conversation as an ally.
Written by Mita Mallick, Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Marketing at Unilever.
“I’m color blind,” a colleague had confidently proclaimed to me several years ago while we were meeting. “I’m color blind, and I don’t see you as any color at all,” she boldly claimed again, sitting right across from me and staring me straight in the eyes. All the while slowly sipping her cup of coffee. I stared blankly at her “First Coffee, Then Slay” boss lady-style mug.
“I just don’t see color.”
Colorblind is the infamous get out of jail card, a free pass, a VIP status, to buy, pass go, and collect your $200 Monopoly-style and to let everyone know there’s no possible way that you see color. Along with phrases like;
“My dentist who I love is Indian.”
“My best friend from fifth grade is Black.”
“My grandchildren are half Asian. I don’t see color. How can I see color?”
“Did I mention my college sweetheart was Colombian? So I can’t possibly be a racist. And I am one of the most evolved, open-minded people you will ever meet. I live in Manhattan, after all.”
When you use the words “I am color blind” you have completely shut down any possibility of having a conversation with me around race. Because I am Brown. As a Brown person, I don’t have the privilege of saying I am color blind. I know when I walk into my workspaces and workplaces my brownness has entered the room before I have even had the chance to sit down and say hello. I wear my brownness every single day of my life.
Like many of you, I am in shock and in pain over the death of George Floyd—a pain compounded by Ahmaud Arbery’s tragic death in Georgia and Amy Cooper’s weaponizing of race in Central Park. As a Diversity and Inclusion leader and as a woman of color, I am trying hard to stand as an ally for the Black community.
Being an ally starts with acknowledging that race matters. And for Black and Brown people, race has defined us since the day we were born. Because for Black and Brown people, being color blind is a privilege we cannot afford.
To understand what’s happening in our country right now—emotions swirling, the flame reignited, the wildfire spreading again across the country—and to learn and understand about institutional racism, you must first see our Black colleagues. You must see that they are Black. Our Black colleagues must be seen and then heard.
Having courageous conversations on race is the first place to start as an ally for the Black community. Here are the 5 things I am reminding myself when entering into a conversation as an ally.
Photo: Retha Ferguson from Pexels
Please just listen. Allow the space for stories to be shared.
In a world that won’t shut up, it’s hard for us to just be present and listen because we want to talk and talk and talk. We just need to listen. Deeply listen to what is being shared. Sometimes when someone is sharing with you, it’s because of a recent racist experience they have had and they trust you to listen. They might be emotional. They may get quiet. Sit in the silence and emotion with them and to say, “I am here, I am here to listen.”
Other times, you might want to check in on how a Black friend or colleague is doing, particularly after a devastating event like the death of George Floyd. In that case, some might want to share how they are feeling; others won’t want to share. Maybe not at the moment, and maybe not ever. The pain and trauma are deep. The important part is that as an ally, you checked in. They know you are standing with them.
“We just need to listen. Deeply listen to what is being shared.”
Please don’t minimize their experience.
“Are you sure that happened? Maybe you misunderstood what she said? She’s the nicest person I ever met.”
“No way that happened.”
“You are joking, right? That’s not even possible!”
Please do not ask questions. Please do not make statements and question the validity of what is being shared. Now is not the time to be an investigative journalist. Accept that they are telling you to be true. Because it is true. Seek to understand and learn from what they are sharing.
“Seek to understand and learn from what they are sharing. ”
Please don’t time insert your own experiences.
Please don’t start telling stories about sexist or racist or homophobic experiences you have had in response to what they shared. After 9/11, it was the first time in my life I started to fear authority. I feared for my brother and my father and all the South Asian men in my life who could, for no reason, be dragged away and deemed a terrorist threat by police. My Black friends reminded me that this was the fear they have lived with all their lives.
Now is not the time to compare and contrast experiences or trying to show you understand their pain. Because if you haven’t lived in their shoes, you don’t.
When there are long periods of silence, and someone is emotional during a conversation, our instinct is to fill up the air to make it less comfortable. I try to stay present, ensure the person sees my eye contact. If this was an in-person conversation and I knew the person well, I would offer a tissue or lightly extend my hand on their hand or shoulder to show I am there for them.
I avoid phrases like “It’s going to be okay” or “It will get better” or “Progress takes time.”
Instead, I focus on phrases like “I am here for you as an ally” and “I am here to listen, there’s no rush, please take your time.” And “I can’t imagine how painful this is for you and thank you for trusting me and sharing” and “Please know you can trust me to share anything you like” and “I haven’t walked in your shoes, and I can’t imagine what pain you are in, and I am working hard to understand and educate myself on experiences that aren’t my own.”
“Now is not the time to compare and contrast experiences or trying to show you understand their pain. Because if you haven’t lived in their shoes, you don’t.”
Please don’t try to problem-solve.
As leaders, we are trained to problem solve. The most difficult part about conversations on race I have found is the non-closure. You have left the conversation feeling like you couldn’t help; you didn’t brainstorm an action plan; you didn’t provide a solution. It was a failed conversation.
If it was so easy to end institutional racism, we would have collectively eliminated racism a long time ago. So it won’t be solved in one courageous conversation. You need to keep engaging. You need to keep learning.
“It won’t be solved in one courageous conversation. You need to keep engaging. You need to keep learning.”
Please do continue to educate yourself.
Courageous conversations on race are an important place to start. When ending any conversation, please thank the person for trusting you to have the conversation. And that you are here for future conversations and that will continue to educate yourself. Please ask them how you can continue to be an ally for them.
Please also know that you cannot continue to emotionally burden every Black person you know to share with you their daily experiences, living, and being impacted by institutions of racism. There is so much content out there to start educating yourself as an ally; please don’t continue to ask all the Black people you know.
When I first started working in Diversity & Inclusion, my husband gifted me the book Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I went on to read White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin Diangelo. I am taking free Yale Open Courses and learning about African American History: From Emancipation to the Present. I still have my work to do, and it’s a start.
Please stop being color blind. Please start to see color. Start to see every Black person in your life. Please see them and hear them. Because we need you to start seeing color now. Because I need you as an ally to stand with me for the Black community.
“There is so much content out there to start educating yourself as an ally; please don’t continue to ask all the Black people you know.”
About the Author
Photo: Courtesy of Mita Mallick
Mita Mallick is a corporate change-maker with a track record of transforming businesses and cultures. Mita is a passionate storyteller who believes in the power of diversity to spur creative strategic thinking which can ultimately transform brands.
As the Head of Diversity & Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Marketing at Unilever, Mita’s efforts to build an inclusive culture are being celebrated. Under her leadership, Unilever is gender-balanced at manager level and above. Unilever was named the #1 Company for Working Mothers by Working Mother Media in 2018. Mita also co-created the first of its kind Cultural Immersions series to increase the cultural competency of marketers training over 5,000 marketers to date.
Mita has had an extensive career in the beauty and consumer products goods space. She was one of the chief lieutenants in launching The Vaseline Healing Project in the U.S., signing award-winning actress & activist Viola Davis as the brand’s ambassador to help set the brand back to growth.
Mita was named a Working Mother of the Year by She Runs It and named a Valiente Award Finalist at SXSW for her inspiring work in 2019. Mita has been featured in Forbes and quoted in The New York Times. She received the Inaugural Diversity Innovator Award from the National Association for Female Executives in 2018, and was on the “50 People Under 40 Shaking Up Beauty” Youthquake List by Women’s Wear Daily2017. Mita is also a columnist for Swaay and a contributor for FairyGodBoss and her writing has been published on The Good Men Project, Scary Mommy, The New York Post, and The Riveter.
Mita has a B.A. from Columbia University and a M.B.A. from Duke University.
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10 Tips On How to Be an Ally in the Workplace
“The first step to anti-racism in the workspace is to acknowledge the power of allies.”
Written by Aisha Marshall, VP of branding and digital marketing, and Destinee Dickerson, VP of public relations and digital marketing, Creative Label.
Systemic oppression and racism have thrived within professional spaces for decades. Even as black entrepreneurs who have their own business, we still encounter racism. Dangerously subtle or overt microaggressions have plagued people of color in various professions. It is only now that accountability is slowly seeping into corporate systems, causing a long-overdue shift in how we treat anti-racism within the workplace.
The first step to anti-racism in the workspace is to acknowledge the power of allies. An ally is someone who is not a member of an underrepresented group but who takes action to support that group. It is no longer enough to be passively anti-racist. Posting in solidarity on social media means very little when the racist systems go unconfronted. Trust us, as marketing and public relations professionals, black audiences see right through performative activism. True solidarity comes in the form of action.
Check out the tips below if you are searching for ways to become a better ally at work.
Acknowledge That You Can Be an Ally At Any Level
You do not have to be in high positions of power to make effective change. As a white person, if you feel you cannot affect change as a lower-level employee, you are not aware of the power of your privilege. The first step is to acknowledge that being a good ally means getting honest with yourself about your privilege. To be a good ally, you have to understand that your actions may go against people who look like you in supporting the underrepresented group. At times it will be uncomfortable, but you must remain active and consistent. Allyship is not a noun; it is a verb.
Educate Yourself
American activist Marian Wright Edelman once said, "education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it." If you want to actively support your friends and co-workers of color, take the initiative to educate yourself on their culture, history, and movements. The Racial Equity Tools Glossary is an excellent resource for understanding different terminology and its relation to the movement.
Another step in education is breaking the echo chamber by diversifying employees at all levels, social groups, and personal and professional social media feeds. No, this does not mean enlisting one or two people of color to be peppered tokens within your mostly white circles. It means actively seeking knowledge, listening, and taking notes on others' experiences, even if they make you uncomfortable. If you are looking to expand your knowledge during your social distancing downtime, check out these excellent reading suggestions!
Understand Your Privilege
This one is a biggie! When you have privilege, equality can feel like oppression. It is important to note that when minorities ask white people to acknowledge their privilege, it is not an attack. Reject the victim mentality that hinders you from hearing other sides. Also, be conscious of your guilt and do not insert your personal experiences into a narrative that is not about you. Though your intent may be to show support through empathy, expressing your guilt prioritizes white feelings.
Don't Expect Praise
If you are expecting a pat on the back for standing against racism, don't. This is not about you, and awaiting validation for doing the right thing is the opposite of being an ally. True allyship is valuing impact over attention.
Keep That Same Energy
We live in an age of trends and challenges that often fade quicker than the seasons. It is crucial to be clear that fighting racial injustice is a matter of life and death, not a social media trend. When people go back to posting their "normal content," we need allies to keep the same energy in your home, at work, around your non-Black friends, and around your Black friends. Protests and death should not be the motivating catalyst for you to show your support. Continue to advocate and support Black art, media, charity, schools, business, etc. even AFTER the attention dies down (if it ever does).
Take Action
Research the entities or companies you support or work for and make sure they are aligned with your values. Expand your criteria and standards when job hunting. In addition to inquiring about health care and benefits packages, assess how many non-white positions of power are within the company. If the answer is none, consider speaking out or looking elsewhere. Taking the initiative to ensure you surround yourself with diversity is a significant step.
If you work for or own a company that values community outreach, consider tailoring your programs to Black organizations. If you cannot make monetary donations, donating time and resources can be just as impactful.
Speak Up
We know this can be easier said than done at times, but calling out injustice is necessary. Do not be afraid to check a co-worker or lose a friendship with someone who does not share the same allyship as you. Part of being an ally is knowing that you are contributing to a bigger movement than yourself.
Speaking up does not always have to be confrontational. Often ideas from certain marginalized groups tend to be overlooked or appropriated. If you see this happening, call it out by drawing attention to your Black colleagues' contributions. This approach not only offers credit but highlights your co-workers' value to the team.
Help Open Up Space in the Workplace
There are two ways we suggest supporting diversity in your workplace. One, if you are in HR or in an upper management position, hire a diverse team. What better way to have the representation of all races as part of your staff? Two, if you are an employee working in a predominantly white space, request your management/HR department to start diversifying your workplace.
Show Yourself Grace
Becoming a great ally does not happen overnight. It takes guts, dedication, and a commitment to learning. It is okay to make mistakes or be unsure. The important thing is to allow yourself grace and time to learn more about racism and becoming the best ally you possibly can.
Don't Be Afraid to Have Difficult Conversations
We live in a society that prioritizes white comfort. Drop the notion that the issue of racism is political, it is not. It is a human rights issue. To combat workplace racism, we have to be willing to have difficult conversations. It is all of our jobs to provide safe spaces for these conversations and spaces in which white privilege can be called out, and white people can ask questions. Many people in their hearts may not feel that they are racist, but there are ways in which they operate that are insensitive or at the expense of others. Though some actions may not be intentional, it is essential to acknowledge and understand the negative impact they have on the people around you. Having these conversations is the only way to encourage consistent education around privilege. The education that will spark change.
About the Authors
Aisha Marshall, VP of branding and digital marketing, Creative Label
Creativity and Aisha go hand in hand. Having worked in creative development and its impacts on digital strategy, she has adopted a special niche for finding the most unique visuals for clients. Aisha is an Arizona State alumni, having a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Juris Doctor from ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Aisha was also a former ASU Spirit Leader, and she still enjoys dancing in her free time.
Destinee Dickerson, VP of public relations and digital marketing, Creative Label
Des has an eye and a passion for production. She has worked behind the scenes of major TV shows and networks such as The Dr.Phil Show, Lifetime, HGTV, and YouTube. Des knows what is visually appealing to an audience. This is why creating successful marketing campaigns and visually appealing digital content is her forte. Podcast and video production is her niche, and she loves being able to bring a client’s vision into an audio/visual reality. When Des isn’t working behind the scenes, she loves kickboxing and photography.
Show Me the Money: How to Get Funding and Scale Your Creative Business
From understanding capital to the prerequisites for funding.
Arielle Loren is the founder of 100K Incubator—the first business funding mobile app for women in both Apple and Google’s app stores. The story was part of her “Show Me the Money” workshop held at the Create & Cultivate Vision Summit in Miami.
Photo: Courtesy of Arielle Loren.
UNDERSTANDING CAPITAL AND HOW IT WORKS
(aka why your creative business needs money to scale!)
There are three categories of funding: grants, equity-based investments (what most investors require), and debt-based funding (business loans, lines of credit, etc.)
Let’s talk about debt though… there’s a difference between consumer debt for vacations and clothes—and strategically using a business loan as working capital for your business.
For example, if you charge a bunch of clothes on your credit card, those clothes can’t make you money and help you pay that back. You have to go to work and actually do that.
But if you invest the $5,000 you received from a business loan and turn it into $15,000 in sales, that means there’s a $10,000 gross profit. Now that’s worth considering a business loan, and it’s that mindset that you need to have when considering all funding options for your business.
PREREQUISITES FOR FUNDING
(aka what you need to get your money!)
Funding Budget
50-70% Advertising or Direct Revenue Generating Activities
30-50% Infrastructure—Sales Funnels, Photo and Video Shoots, Websites, Consultants, etc.
Average Personal Credit Score
Minimum 620 and up
Register Your Business Entity With Your State Government
LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp
Save money by registering directly on your state government’s website
Register Your Business for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) with the IRS
This is 100% FREE at irs.gov
Open Your Business Bank Account
Your Personal Finances and Business Finances Cannot Be Co-Mingled
File Your Taxes and Annual Report
THE 3 LEVELS OF FUNDING
(aka figure out where your business stands for the highest approval rates!)
Level 1: Zero (aka pre-revenue) to $3,000 per month in sales
Business Credit Cards
Personal Loans
Home Equity Loans or Lines of Credit
Crowdfunding
Level 2: $3,000 or more per month in sales
Pitch Competitions
Business Grants and Government Contracts
Government Small Business Loans
Payment Processor Loans
Private Business Loans
Business Lines of Credit
Level 3: $9,000 or more per month in sales
Angel Investing
Venture Capital
About the Author
Arielle Loren is the founder of 100K Incubator, the first business funding mobile app for women in both Apple and Google’s app stores. She’s helping 100,000 early-stage women entrepreneurs get funding for their businesses and scale to 100K+ in yearly sales. She is also a graduate of Harvard University, where she holds a master’s degree in Management and graduate certificate in Strategic Management. Additionally, she also holds a graduate certificate in International Business Management from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in Social and Cultural Analysis and a certificate in Producing from New York University.
Visit 100kincubator.com for more information, download the app, and start your free trial.
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3 Black Female Founders on How to Be a True Ally
“You have power. You have so much power, so use that power for good.”
Beyond posting messages of solidarity on social media, true allyship means acknowledging your privilege, holding space for your Black colleagues, friends, and community, and striving to be actively anti-racist. “It’s about amplifying the voices that are most impacted,” activist Tamika D. Mallory recently told Vogue. “A good ally places themselves in between the system and those people the system is harming, using their privilege to allow the voices of the impacted folks to be heard and protected.”
In order to do just that, we passed the mic to three Black female founders who generously offered to share their thoughts on allyship with our community as part of our Ask an Expert Instagram Live series. Ahead, we’re sharing just a few of the many takeaways from our conversations with Jasmine Marie, the founder of Black Girls Breathing, Devi Brown, a wellness educator, energy healer, author, and the founder of Karma Bliss, and Nikia Phoenix, a self-love advocate and the creator of Black Girl Beautiful.
Scroll on to learn more about how you can show up for Black-owned small businesses, hold space for Black colleagues, friends, and communities, and approach allyship with heart, humility, and kindness, according to these founders.
If you missed any of these insightful conversations, you can watch them in full via our Create & Cultivate IGTV channel, here, here, and here.
How Allies Can Show Up for Black-Owned Small Businesses Right Now
“I
t’s going to take more than the month of June to make an impact.
We need you to be consistent in your efforts and keep it going.
—Jasmine Marie, Founder, Black Girls Breathing
Get Local
“The biggest point I want to make is get local. It just takes you opening your eyes a bit to identify those businesses that could use your support and impact your local economy.”
“If you Google African American festival in your city, I guarantee you that there are some bands that have been highlighted that have been doing working in your city and you may not have heard of them.”
“One way that I like to look for Black-owned brands for myself is the Nile List. It’s like a directory for Black-owned businesses. They’re currently building what would feel like a Google for you to search and support Black-owned businesses.”
Be Consistent
“It’s so important to keep it going. Keep your actions consistent. This is not just a one-off.”
“Black people are hundreds of years behind in terms of financial wealth, so it’s going to take more than just the month of June to make an impact. We need you to be consistent in your efforts and keep it going.”
“Go share that message with other people within your circle that are looking for ways they can be active with how they combat against overt and systematic racism.”
Commit to 360-Degree Advocacy
“Take a look from your seat of privilege—and the title or the job that you hold—and say, How can I further impact service-based Black-owned businesses or initiatives that could use my voice and use our corporate dollars?”
“If you are at a major corporation, lots of major corporations have what is called a supplier diversity team. This team’s job is to source Black-owned, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses to put them into the supply chain, so it’s not just the same network of people and agencies and businesses that are receiving support from corporate dollars. Get tapped into your supplier diversity team.”
“Maybe you’ve started [a business,] how diverse is your team? Is there a way for you to be very specific in seeking out talented Black professionals and freelancers who need a platform and opportunity to showcase their art and not do so for free? We know how Black culture has impacted mainstream culture, however, a lot of Black creatives are not being paid for their services at the rates that they should be.”
”If you are contracting Black-owned vendors, be more of an advocate. Look at the numbers and make sure you’re paying them the same amount as you would a white-owned agency. Are they selling themselves short? How can you show up for them? As an ally and industry insider, let them know they need to up their rates before getting more business or taking on more clients.”
If you missed our conversation with Jasmine Marie, the founder of Black Girls Breathing, you can watch it in full here.
How to Hold Space for Black Colleagues, Black Friends, and the Black Community
“
Holding space is to be with someone without judgement, to practice active listening, and to really hear someone’s truth, no matter what it is.”
—Devi Brown, Wellness Educator, Energy Healer, Author, and Founder, Karma Bliss
Make This a Journey
“This is a journey and you have now signed up to dedicate the rest of your existence to being the most expansive, elevated version of who you are to show up as your highest self to show up in wholeness and to actively serve the world, not just people who look like you.”
“It’s important that you realize that your own unlearning and your own path to expansion and enlightenment is going to be a journey. This is not something that you are going to understand by binge-watching every documentary about the Black experience or listening to every podcast, this is also going to be an excavation of self.”
“It is a journey for you to unlearn all the belief systems that we now as collective consciousness outgrown. All the belief systems that can no longer serve you because they were not equally serving everyone.”
Commit to Continued Education
“It is not a Black person’s job to explain the entirety of their experience—the entirety of their generational trauma—in a way that you understand so that their feelings can be validated. That is your journey. That is your homework. You do not need to add to the work or emotional processes of a Black person.”
“This is going to be a constant life’s education. It is not just a documentary you’re watching this weekend, it’s also really realizing that this is collectively our human story. So, what are the ways that you are going to elevate your education and knowledge and your heart in service to others and knowing other people’s experiences?”
Show Up in a Supportive Way
“For all of us, that’s going to look different. Really see what impact do you want to have on the Black community now that you're aware of the challenges that are faced, the privilege that you’ve lived, and the inequality that is a part of every day for people.”
“As you’re doing this great unlearn, you also have the opportunity to be invested in the Black community, in your human being brothers and sisters, in a way that can supersede just this dismantling that we’re doing now.”
“How can I use my unique gifts, my unique calling, to be of service not just to myself but all underserved communities? Where can I best be used? How can I really show up in a way that’s uniquely mine and in a way that best serves other people? Where exactly do you want to make a difference?”
If you missed our conversation with Devi Brown, a wellness educator, energy healer, author, and the founder of Karma Bliss, you can watch it in full here.
If you’re looking for ways to continue your education and this process of unlearning, we’ve put together a list of 11 Books to Continue Your Growth in Being Anti-Racist.
How to Be an Ally With Love and Kindness
“
You have power. You have so much power, so use that power for good.
”
—Nikia Phoenix, Self-Love Advocate and Creator, Black Girl Beautiful
Acknowledge Your Privilege
“Acknowledge that you have been able to move in and out of this world in ways that others have not. There are certain privileges that come with being a white woman. You are able to be ignorant to the truths that people of color experience every day. This is a hard fact.”
Listen to Your Heart
“Breathe into your heart and exhale through your heart. So often we are listening to try to formulate a response, to try to formulate a rebuttal, instead of genuinely acknowledging that the person in front of us is a human being acknowledging their humanity.”
“When we’re able to listen with our hearts, we’re listening, we’re feeling, and we’re seeing through those eyes of compassion. We’re not trying to be right, we’re listening, we’re seeing through those eyes of compassion. Listen with your heart.”
Be Humble
“As an ally, specifically an ally to people of color, you are not aware of the microaggressions and the prejudice, the systemic racism that people of color experience on a daily basis. You don’t experience that.”
“Be humble, hold your tongue, and don't try to whitesplain a person of color’s feelings and a person of color’s emotions.”
“You have to listen. You have to humble yourself to learn and realize that you don’t get kudos you don’t get any brownie points for being an ally.”
“People of color have been in this fight for a long time and so much of what we’ve been saying has been falling on deaf ears.”
“Be humble enough to silence yourself when a person of color is speaking and sharing how their feeling because their feelings are just as valid as your feelings.”
”Part of being humble means confronting the part of you that allows your ego and your privilege to speak instead of your heart.”
Have Grace
“Have grace for yourself in your quest to be a true ally. Take those Ls, take those losses, because those are ways for you to learn.”
“You don’t have to show up and be perfect. Practice is not about being perfect. It’s about learning. Be okay to take those Ls.”
“It’s okay to make mistakes—because guess what? When you make those mistakes, when you open yourself up, when you’re vulnerable, you open yourself up to the truth and the work that you need to do.”
“Have grace for yourself and have grace for the people that you are an ally to. The person that you are attempting to be an advocate and an ally to, they may not be able to vocalize how they’re feeling.”
Be a Helper
“We are always looking for the helpers. If you have acknowledged your privilege, you’re listening with your heart, you can be a helper by using your privilege for good.”
“Make sure that you are using your privilege to open doors for people of color, and when you open those doors for people of color, make sure that you are listening to them.”
“When you see that a person of color is not being treated fairly, speak up.”
“Being an ally means being able to acknowledge that maybe you haven't been doing enough and that you can do better.”
“Seat at the table, pass the mic. Make sure that I have a plate to eat off of and that that plate is full. You cannot say that you are giving people of color opportunities if you are not paying them accordingly.“
Check Yourself
“You can always take time to check yourself. Check how you’re feeling, check and see if your ego is speaking or if your heart is speaking.”
“Check yourself about your intentions. Before you post something, before you write something, before you react to someone, check yourself. Get in touch with your heart and how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling that way. Check yourself, it’s a saving grace.”
“Even though you may believe that you are one person, you can positively change your community, positively change your environment, positively change your world. You have power. You have so much power, so use that power for good and help change some of these racist systems.”
If you missed our conversation with Nikia Phoenix, a self-love advocate and the creator of Black Girl Beautiful, you can watch it in full here.
Editor’s note: The book recommendations Nikia Phoenix shares during this IG Live are, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk and Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy.
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MORE ON THE BLOG
How to Deal With Imposter Syndrome, According to Psychologist and Executive Coach, Lisa Orbé-Austin
It’s time to own your greatness.
This is an exclusive excerpt from the book, Own Your Greatness: How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life written by Psychologist and Career & Executive Coach, Lisa Orbé-Austin, PhD, and Richard Orbé Austin, PhD.
Watch Lisa's workshop on Create & Cultivate IGTV to learn more and discover the steps to overcoming imposter syndrome.
AN OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT OF IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
In the 1970s, two psychologists, Pauline R. Clance and Suzanne A. Imes, were working in the college counseling center at Georgia State University when they first observed this phenomenon in the women that they were treating. Drs. Clance and Imes noticed that they were working with very outwardly accomplished women, both students, and faculty, who felt that they had acquired these credentials and opportunities in a fraudulent manner and that at any moment they could be found out. They wrote a paper in 1978,[1] coining the term “impostor phenomenon.” The paper outlined the characteristics of this syndrome, presented their first observations on the interventions that worked best to eradicate it and listed the factors contributing to its development.
Impostor syndrome is the experience of constantly feeling like a fraud, downplaying one’s accomplishments, and always being concerned about being exposed as incompetent or incapable. As a result, people with impostor syndrome engage in either overworking or self-sabotage. Impostor syndrome affects high-achieving professionals who are seemingly successful. However, when experiencing impostor syndrome, you are unable to enjoy your success and believe that this success is precarious. Research indicates that 70 percent of all people have experienced the Impostor Phenomenon at some point in their lives.[2] Impostor syndrome is not a diagnostic classification but rather a group of thoughts, behaviors, and feelings that cluster together to create this syndrome and have a significant impact on your emotional functioning. This syndrome can feed feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, and frustration due to the thoughts and behaviors that result.[3]
Signs of Impostor Syndrome
Here are the signs that you may be struggling with impostor syndrome.
You are high achieving.
You engage in The Impostor Cycle (see page 2).
You desire to be “special” or “the best.”
You deny ability and attribute success to luck, mistake, overwork, or a result of a relationship.
You discount praise, feeling fear, and guilt about success.
You fear failure and being discovered as a fraud.
You do not feel intelligent.
You have anxiety, self-esteem issues, depression, and frustration from internal standards.
You struggle with perfectionism.
You overestimate others and underestimate oneself.
You do not experience an internal feeling of success.
You overwork or self-sabotage to cover the feelings of inadequacy.
Initially, Clance and Imes thought that the impostor phenomenon would be found predominantly in women because of societal stereotyping that leads women to feel that they are less competent in certain domains (e.g., math, science, leadership). However, the research has been inconsistent and often finds that it is represented equally in men and women, although the findings suggest that women and men with impostor syndrome may behave differently in response to it.[4] It seems that men may be more prone to avoid situations where they might be exposed as a fraud and tend to compare themselves to peers with fewer qualifications. This allows them a protective mechanism that buoys their self-esteem, although it also leaves them underachieving.[5] Women with impostor syndrome, on the other hand, choose to remain in situations where they are constantly plagued by the fraudulent feelings.[6] We will explore these differences further in Gender Differences on page 6.
Impact on Education and Career
Clance and Imes noted that there were four particular hallmarks of impostor syndrome in the women they studied: 1) diligence and hard work; 2) intellectual inauthenticity; 3) charm and perceptiveness; 4) seeking mentorship for the purpose of external validation.
1. Diligence and Hard Work
In their seminal paper, Clance and Imes found that the women that they had observed used hard work and diligence as a cover-up for their perceived inadequacy. The women would engage in a cycle that looked like:
The Impostor Cycle
Receiving the praise would result in temporarily feeling good and at that point, once the good feelings subsided, they returned again to worrying about intelligence or ability to perform. Within this cycle, there is no internalization of the successful experience. The accomplishment isn’t accepted as part of their identity or attributed much value, so the next time they perform, it’s as if the previous accomplishments never existed. Thus, the cycle begins again. In more recent research, it has been revealed that people do not only engage in hard work in that second stage but can go in the opposite direction with self-sabotage. This is most commonly seen when someone with impostor syndrome procrastinates, usually due to anxiety about performance and perfectionism, as they attempt to unveil themselves as an impostor.[7] The belief is that the procrastination serves as a method to expose their status as an impostor, perhaps in hopes of releasing the stress and strain of it. However, they usually still perform well. But any mistake is interpreted as proof of their inadequacy due to their perfectionism, rather than as an artifact of being human, or of not giving themselves enough time to review the work.
The experience of self-sabotage can sometimes be hard to detect as it’s often connected to the performance anxiety, and this anxiety makes it difficult to tease out what has occurred. It can be seen in spontaneous and impulsive decisions to go against a plan, trouble organizing for high-stress events, or other subtle behaviors that affect preparedness, confidence, and performance.
In this example of Brenda, a school teacher, you will see how tiny choices influenced by anxiety serve to reinforce the performance issues and the impostor experiences:
Brenda is a fourth-grade math teacher who sought counseling due to her unhappiness with her current job of five years. She wants to explore other job options. In fact, she dreads going to work every day.
During our first session, Brenda was very tearful about her dissatisfaction but believed that she did not have many options. Although she has received countless positive performance reviews, Brenda did not regard herself as a good teacher. Rather, she thought that because she was so good-natured, people really liked her and gave her positive scores on her performance reviews.
As our work progressed, we were able to identify Brenda’s impostor syndrome and her self-sabotage tendencies that result from it. For instance, on the day of her teacher observation, Brenda covered a different lesson, one that should have been taught in three weeks, rather than the one she had prepared for the observation. As might be expected, the students were a bit lost and were not able to keep up. Brenda was certain that her observation went poorly and she would finally be revealed as an unskilled and incompetent teacher. However, the teacher who conducted her observation was highly impressed with Brenda’s poise and her ability to engage her students despite the material being a bit advanced. She gave Brenda a positive review.
In another instance, Brenda had to call in sick on the day of her interview for another role. The school where she was to interview, however, wanted to meet her so badly that they immediately rescheduled her interview based on her availability. Brenda went on the interview and was offered the role. Unfortunately, she turned it down, because she did not yet feel ready to leave.
2. Intellectual Inauthenticity
The second characteristic of impostor syndrome that Clance and Imes illustrated is intellectual inauthenticity, or the downplaying of knowledge, skills, or abilities, or not revealing true opinions of a situation in order to protect someone else’s feelings or preserve the relationship. When someone with impostor syndrome behaves like this, it only furthers their belief that they have engaged in some form of deception, exacerbating the feelings of being fraudulent. The kind of relationships that this intellectual inauthenticity might preserve are those with people who demonstrate narcissistic characteristics (e.g., needing excessive praise and not being able to tolerate critique or dissent) and/or have a fragile sense of themselves and their accomplishments. These can be dangerous people for those with impostor syndrome to connect with. You can see this as illustrated in Elise’s ongoing experience at the company where she has been a longtime employee:
Elise has been an office administrator at the same institution for 25 years. She has watched leaders come and go and has a significant level of understanding of the company’s history as well as an unusual expertise in the subject matter, for her position, because she has been so intimately involved in the company’s evolution. Every time another CEO is hired—and there have been many—she struggles to share her content and cultural knowledge because she senses their fragility and notices their desire to be the most knowledgeable person in the room, even though they are brand-new. In each experience with a new CEO, she becomes terrified that she will be fired because she will be seen as incompetent and outdated in her knowledge and skills.
3. Charm and Perceptiveness
Intellectual inauthenticity is often combined with a third behavior, which is utilizing charm and perceptiveness. In their ability to get people to like them and potentially advocate for them, those with impostor syndrome can feel like their ability to fool people extends beyond their intellectual capacity.
People with impostor syndrome can also exhibit high emotional intelligence. They are particularly keen at understanding what others need to make them feel valued and connected to them. They may utilize these skills, especially with mentors and senior leaders to generate positive evaluations of their behavior. However, a mentor who is not benevolent, and perhaps narcissistic as mentioned earlier, may exploit their yearning for connection and praise to maximize their performance. The potential for a truly dysfunctional relationship is highly likely in these cases. The person with impostor syndrome can find themselves in a situation where the mentor or supervisor makes them feel like they ARE truly an impostor and must constantly and unendingly prove themselves. These types of relationships become very hard to break because the person with impostor syndrome may feel as if their ineptitude has been found out, so they continually seek some sort of validation from someone who will never or very rarely provide it, because it keeps the person with impostor syndrome working hard for them.
4. Seeking Mentorship for the Purpose of External Validation
The final behavior that maintains the impostor syndrome is seeking a mentoring relationship from someone, who is well respected in their field, industry, school, or office, in order to gain external validation. But this relationship may be fraught for the person with impostor syndrome for the reason discussed above, or because it can feel inauthentic if the person with impostor syndrome believes they charmed the mentor into positive feedback because they think it has been acquired through duplicitous means (e.g., through charm).
In this example, Sam believes that his positive relationship with mentors and senior leaders has caused them to promote him unjustly, which creates fear and discomfort with his new role:
Sam just got his 3rd promotion at a technology start-up where he has been working since almost right out of college. He’s terrified about the new role and feels he is out of his depth. Everyone at his new level is at least 10 years older than him and have been at big impressive tech giants. Sam is convinced that he is sitting in this seat because he is just very good at getting along with his bosses. He feels like he may have accidentally convinced them simply with his social acumen that he can take on these new roles. In spite of consistent glowing performance reviews from different supervisors, which he believes are inflated, he is terrified of falling on his face in this new job.
In addition, it has been shown that people struggling with impostor syndrome have lower levels of job and career satisfaction, yet higher levels of organizational commitment. So, while people with impostor syndrome tend to be more unhappy in their jobs and careers, they are also likely to commit to these places that are making them unhappy, perhaps in an effort to create some sense of stability and predictability in terms of evaluation. Further, the research also indicates that people with impostor syndrome struggle with marketing themselves, which is critical for job searching or networking. Therefore, their salaries and promotions are usually negatively impacted, which can be seen in lower salaries and fewer promotions. It also shows up in being less optimistic about their career and being less adaptable when things go wrong. Moreover, those with impostor syndrome are likely to have a reduced knowledge of the job market, which makes taking a leap to a new role when they are unhappy even more difficult.
Throughout our experience working with impostor syndrome, we have seen it show up in the following ways that affect professional development:
Not understanding their worth (i.e., salary comps) in the marketplace
Fear of negotiating
Lack of motivation to leave stagnating roles
Reluctance to vie for promotion
Avoidance of high-visibility stretch assignments
Difficulty networking and communicating their accomplishments to others
Trouble envisioning their long-term career future
All of these behaviors of impostor syndrome have a significant impact on advancement, salary, and long-term earnings, but they can be reversed.
THE PROFESSIONAL IMPACT OF YOUR IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
What behaviors related to your impostor syndrome do you find yourself exhibiting? Give a concrete example of each to ground your response in an actual instance. List the behaviors and examples here:
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Trait vs. State
People with impostor syndrome consistently ask, “Is this inherently who I am? Part of my character? Or can I really change this?” Impostor syndrome does not appear to be characterological (i.e., part of your personality) or a trait. It seems that there are certain experiences in family dynamics, beliefs about yourself, and roles that you tend to play that make it more likely for you to have the propensity to struggle with impostor syndrome. In other words, you were not born like this no matter what other people tell you or want you to believe.
You may struggle to let go of certain behaviors, thoughts, and feelings connected to impostor syndrome because of the belief that your current success or accomplishments are a result of these behaviors, and if you let them go, all will be lost. Behaviors such as overworking and perfectionism are the hardest to change—largely, we believe because they are reinforced in our environments. Today, it is very easy to “log back on” to your company’s systems when you go home and work inordinately long hours. If you do more work, get more done, push ahead of deadlines, certainly no one at work is going to reprimand you or tell you to work less, and you are likely going to get the praise you are seeking for being a good, worthy employee. However, it is exactly this behavior that reinforces the impostor syndrome and the ideas that you are not naturally talented and therefore, must give more to be on par with everyone else. Hearing that “mistakes are costly” and seeing colleagues and others around you criticized when they make an error also supports perfectionism. These behaviors can also feed on each other. When people are perfectionistic, they often struggle to delegate tasks and manage down well (i.e., manage direct reports or junior colleagues) because they are concerned about how their colleagues’ work product will reflect on them. Thus, they often overwork, doing their job as well as a ton of other people’s jobs, which often leads to burnout and resentment.
As we work on your impostor syndrome, you will have to constantly keep in mind that aspects of impostor syndrome, like overworking and perfectionism, are not badges of honor. Instead, they are blocks to fully appreciating all your skills and abilities. They are a mask covering your talents, skills, and experiences rather than the reason you have succeeded. Do not allow yourself, your self-esteem, or your personal life to be at their mercy.
Ways to Release Perfectionism
Focus on “good enough” not perfect.
Recognize that perfectionism hurts you and those around you.
Be proud and accepting of your humanity.
Only compare yourself to you.
Find comfort in choosing your own path.
Learn to accept the beauty of compromise.
Choose standards that feel reasonable.
Appreciate mistakes provide opportunity for growth.
Realize that perfection is unattainable and reaching for it makes you feel like a failure.
Gender Differences
While the research does not show that impostor syndrome is significantly more prominent in men or women, it does suggest that there may be gender differences in the way that it manifests. As discussed earlier, men demonstrate a tendency toward underperforming, avoiding goals and feedback, and using peers who are less skilled as a comparison group when they are struggling with impostor syndrome. This then affects them by decreasing the likelihood for promotions and advancement over their lifetime, and reducing salary.[8] Men may feel a pull to save face and to conform to gender norms by doing work that they know how to do and will be successful at, rather than take the chance of failing and suffering the resulting self-esteem blow. Coping with the impostor syndrome by underperforming also reduces the feelings of anxiety, fear, and discomfort that impostor syndrome induces because there are fewer chances of feeling like an impostor.
For women, it’s quite the opposite. Women seem to take the leap into the challenge, which often heightens the impostor syndrome. Women who struggle with impostor syndrome spend more time on academic tasks than those without impostor syndrome,[9] work harder when they receive negative feedback,[10] and have higher GPAs than men with impostor syndrome.[11] A 2018 study by Lauren A. Blondeau and Germine H. Awad,[12] found that having low self-efficacy and impostor syndrome did not impede a woman from pursuing a STEM career. Her GPA and interests were more influential to her choice. When men had high impostor syndrome scores in the study, they were less likely to pursue a STEM career. This shows a definite tendency for women to be counterphobic (i.e., facing fears directly) when it comes to impostor syndrome fears, which leaves them steeped in the constant experiences of feeling like an impostor.
In both ways of coping, the significant impact of impostor syndrome on your future and current functioning is pretty clear. Either you get the relief immediately by underperforming and avoiding or you are counterphobic and experience all the intense impostor feelings as you continue to accomplish, but don’t get the relief because you discount these successes, which leaves you constantly under the weight of the impostor syndrome. Hopefully, this makes it really clear why building your skills around dismantling the impostor syndrome is incredibly important to you and your future so that you can own your greatness, live up to your potential, and enjoy it.
WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL IMPOSTOR RESPONSE?
In this space indicate whether you tend to avoid or engage the tasks that you fear due to your experience of impostor syndrome. Then consider if/when you notice the alternative response. For example, I tend to engage the tasks that prompt impostor syndrome, but if there is potential for conflict in the task, then I will tend to avoid it.
The Impact of Culture
Impostor syndrome becomes harder to cope with when the stereotypes about your cultural group reinforce the notion that you are not “good enough.” In marginalized communities, when your mere presence evokes concern that you have been given special treatment to be present in certain environments, the environment is telling you that you are an impostor. This makes overcoming your impostor syndrome particularly difficult because your accomplishments are actively disqualified (e.g., “you only attended that school because of affirmative action” or “they needed to diversify the team”). These are things you not only hear, but also experience when an organization further supports the idea that you are an impostor by over- or underutilizing you (e.g., not staffing you on important and internally visible teams or projects despite demanding your presence for public-facing pictures or for diversity initiatives). These types of microaggressions and microinsults at work can lead to entrenching the impostor syndrome because the external proof that you need to show yourself that you are not an impostor is harder to find.
Similarly, the concept of “stereotype threat” is useful to understand here as well. Stereotype threat is conforming to a well-known stereotype of a group you belong to when someone invokes the stereotype. In a very famous seminal study of stereotype threat conducted in 1995 by Claude Steele[13] from Stanford University and Joshua Aronson of University of Texas at Austin, these researchers found that Black college students scored significantly worse on standardized testing when they were told by an examiner that Black students would complete fewer questions and that it was an assessment of personal qualities. When the Black students were simply given instructions for the standardized tests, they scored similarly to the White students in the study. What Steele and Aronson, as well as hundreds of other researchers, were able to establish is that evoking a stereotype, sometimes even without words, can create diminished performance. Stereotype threat has been thought to contribute to gender and racial academic achievement gaps.
Now, imagine someone with impostor syndrome and from a marginalized group experiencing this stereotyping. This further impacts her performance as well as her anticipation of performing, perhaps further cementing the thoughts and insecurities that underlie impostor syndrome. Research has suggested that overcoming impostor syndrome for marginalized groups requires, besides the steps that we will cover in this book, a connection to and the ability to embrace the marginalized identity and the people who are similarly identified. It means not only connecting with those similar to you in this identity group, but also believing the counter narrative to the stereotype.
For example, if you are Black, the stereotypes that you are not academically capable have a long history of being ingrained in a cultural understanding of who deserves to be in the room and of meritocracy. Those beliefs are so perpetuated that often they are internalized by Black people, leading to beliefs that question other Black people’s worthiness, academic ability, and intellectual rigor. To overcome impostor syndrome, you have to work to connect with other Black people and the belief that their worthiness is not in question. When you question the competence of other people with similar salient identities, you challenge your own (even if only on an unconscious level). When you can believe in their competence and give them the benefit of the doubt, you can believe in your own.
Besides race and gender, various other identities (e.g., religion, immigration status, sexual orientation, economic, and veteran status), as well as the intersectionality and salience of particular identities, should be considered as you examine how identity has impacted your development of impostor syndrome. For example, if you are a recent immigrant, you may want to understand the relevance of your immigration journey on the experience of feeling fraudulent in certain circumstances, especially if you have felt that this identity impacts your ability to internalize your accomplishments.
In this chapter, we have outlined the characteristics that underlie impostor syndrome and examined how it may manifest differently based on gender. We have also laid out the additional cultural aspects of overcoming impostor syndrome and how it can apply to a marginalized group, where competence is questioned as a result of stereotypes. Now, it’s time to examine the important aspects of impostor syndrome that are most relevant for you.
THE KEY FEATURES OF YOUR IMPOSTOR SYNDROME
Review signs of impostor syndrome on page 1 as well as any other salient components of impostor syndrome that you have. This can include any potential gender, racial, ethnic, or other identity considerations. List them on the next page.
YOUR IMPOSTOR SYNDROME INTENSITY
After you have completed your own assessment of the features of impostor syndrome that are specific to your experience, take Clance’s test for impostor phenomenon, which you can find here.
Once you have scored your assessment, circle your current level of impostor feelings:
FEW MODERATE FREQUENT INTENSE
Reviewing your current level of impostor feelings is helpful in understanding the present impact of impostor syndrome on your life and career. If you score in the few to moderate range, this may be a great time to tackle the book because you are not feeling impostor syndrome in its most pressing state. This will allow you to look back at experiences when your impostor feelings were more powerful, and analyze and review them from a distance. If you are experiencing impostor syndrome at the frequent to intense range, this likely suggests that impostor syndrome is quite salient for you right now. You may have plenty of experiences that are coming up for you that you will be able to pull from and directly impact as you work through this book.
The 3 C’s Strategy to Overcoming Impostor Syndrome
Overcoming impostor syndrome can be a challenging proposition, especially when faced with a stressful work or personal environment. It may feel impossible to eliminate these thoughts and feelings of being a fraud, and you may always be on edge about being exposed.
Jocelyn was someone who constantly had such feelings. She was a management consultant who had worked in her field for several years and was on the partner track. Jocelyn worked long hours and traveled extensively. She had no social life and rarely saw her family, with whom she was very close. She came to seek coaching because she was thinking about making a career change. Despite receiving glowing performance reviews every year, Jocelyn felt like an impostor and was always concerned that she would be fired or be asked to leave her firm. Her manager would often tell her how well she was doing, but it did not convince her. She dreaded Mondays because she anticipated the miserable commute, the constant anxiety during her work hours, and the grind of the day. During the course of coaching, we identified that a good deal of her work stress was due to her impostor syndrome. Until we named it as such, Jocelyn thought these feelings of self-doubt were just part of her personality and could not be changed. She was relieved to find out that it was something that could be addressed and changed.
Fortunately, we developed the 3 C’s (Clarify, Choose, and Create) Strategy, which helped Jocelyn and can also help you alleviate fears and self-doubt, and vanquish your impostor syndrome. This chapter will provide a brief overview of the 3 C’s Strategy, and subsequent chapters will explore each phase of the strategy in more depth, with corresponding activities to help you master its application to live your best life possible.
We have used the 3 C’s Strategy as a framework during our more than 15 years in practice to help our clients overcome impostor syndrome. While impostor syndrome is not a diagnosable disorder, we have found that by using the 3 C’s strategy, our clients are able to diminish their impostor syndrome thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to improve the quality of their work and personal lives.
The 3 C’s Strategy involves reflecting on all aspects of your life, some of which you may not have considered (e.g., your self-constructed narrative), as well as clearly identifying factors that may have influenced the development of your impostor syndrome (e.g., family dynamics). It also prompts you to actively engage with others about your impostor syndrome rather than suffering with it in silent shame. While you may periodically have those impostor syndrome thoughts and feelings, applying the 3 C’s Strategy will cause them to occur less frequently and have less of an influence on your behavior.
Each of the three phases of the 3 C’s Strategy contains three steps, for a total of nine steps. When working with our clients, we tend to move through the phases in a sequential manner, with tangible activities to complete in each area. There is no set time period to move through the phases, but it is important to remain consistently focused on the tasks required for each phase. Such consistency will facilitate your ability to apply the strategy for its maximum effectiveness.
The 3 C’s Model
The 3 C’s strategy will be a key tool to help you overcome impostor syndrome. By progressing through each step within each phase, you will build confidence, change your thinking, create a more positive narrative, and finally own your greatness. When your impostor syndrome rears its ugly head, you will be well-equipped to spot it, neutralize it, and continue on your road to living in the glory of your accomplishments and excitement about your future.
Chapters 2 through 4 will review Phase 1 (Clarify) and the first three steps of the 3C’s strategy, which are knowing your origin story, identifying your triggers, and changing your narrative. Chapters 5 through 7 will examine Phase 2 (Choose) and the next three steps, which are speak your truth, silence automatic negative thoughts, and value your self-care. Chapters 8 through 10 will cover Phase 3 (Create), and the final three steps of the 3C’s strategy, which include experimenting with new roles, establishing your dream team, and understanding the optimal conditions for your success.
In these next chapters, we are going to outline our program for overcoming your impostor syndrome. We will lay out the 3 C’s Strategy to put an end to the way that impostor syndrome impacts your life, your view of your accomplishments, and your performance and advancement. We are going to help you to feel a sense of control and a reduction in fear of being revealed as a fraud. Once you can really own your greatness, you are going to be unstoppable!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
You understand the key components of impostor syndrome.
You comprehend its impact on career and work.
You have learned how gender may impact impostor syndrome.
You see how stereotyping around culture and identity can impact the perpetual impostor syndrome.
You have evaluated your own level of impostor syndrome.
You understand the brief overview of the 3C’s Strategy.
Sources:
[1] Clance and Imes, “The Impostor Phenomenon in High-Achieving Women,” 241–47.
[2] Gravois, “You’re Not Fooling Anyone,” in If I’m So Successful, Why Do I Feel Like a Fake? eds. Joan C. Harvey and Cynthia Katz (New York: Random House, 1985).
[3] Cozzarelli and Major, “Exploring the Validity of the Impostor Phenomenon,” 401–17; McGregor, Gee, and Posey, “I Feel Like a Fraud,” 43–48.
[4] Cromwell et al., “The Impostor Phenomenon and Personality Characteristics,” 563–67; Bernard et al., “Applying the Big Five Personality Factors,” 321–33.
[5] Chayer and Bouffard, “Relations between Impostor Feelings and Upward and Downward Identification,” 125–40.
[6] Tao and Gloria, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” 1–14.
[7] Chayer and Bouffard, “Relations between Impostor Feelings and Upward and Downward Identification,” 125–40; Yuen and Depper, “Fear of Failure in Women,” 21–39.
[8] Kumar and Jagacinski, “Impostors Have Goals Too,” 147–57; Neureiter and Traut-Mattausch, “An Inner Barrier to Career Development,” 37–48.
[9] King and Cooley, “Achievement Orientation and the Impostor Phenomenon,” 304–12.
[10] Badawy et al., “Are All Impostors Created Equal?” 155–63.
[11] Cokley et al., “The Roles of Gender Stigma,” 414–26.
[12] Blondeau and Awad, “The Relation of the Impostor Phenomenon to Future Intentions,” 253–67.
[13] Steele and Aronson, “Stereotype Threat.”
Watch Lisa's workshop on Create & Cultivate IGTV to learn more and discover the steps to overcoming imposter syndrome.
Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life
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This Founder's Curly Hair Salon Is Helping Women and Girls Love Themselves Just As They Are
“Our goal is to change the world one curl at a time.”
We know how daunting it can be to start a new business, especially if you’re disrupting an industry or creating an entirely new one. When there is no path to follow, the biggest question is, where do I start? There is so much to do, but before you get ahead of yourself, let’s start at the beginning. To kick-start the process, and ease some of those first-time founder nerves, we’re asking successful entrepreneurs to share their stories in our new series, From Scratch. But this isn’t your typical day in the life profile. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty details—from writing a business plan (or not) to sourcing manufacturers and how much they pay themselves—we’re not holding back.
“
Marketing is important, but not more than the quality of what you’re offering and the customer service experience. Word of mouth is GOLD.
”
—Carolina Contreras, Founder and CEO, Miss Rizos
Disrupting an industry isn’t easy.
Just ask Carolina Contreras, who decided to open a curly hair salon in New York City the very same year that New York state legally banned discrimination based on hair texture at work and in schools. The law, which went into effect in 2019, marked a long-overdue step in defining mistreatment based on hair texture or style as racially discriminatory, especially when you consider that Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from the workplace because of their hair.
“Miss Rizos is a curly hair salon that helps women and little girls love themselves just as they are,” the founder and CEO explained during our Digital Money Moves Summit pitch competition, which awarded a $10,000 grant to the deserving small business owner. “We use not only our curly hair salons but also our social media presence to redefine beauty standards and create a more inclusive picture of what it means to be beautiful. Our goal is to change the world one curl at a time."
In this installment of From Scratch, Contreras shares the nitty-gritty details behind what it really takes to get a business off the ground, including what it took for her to self-fund the company at the beginning (spoiler alert: all her savings) and how COVID-19 has impacted her brick-and-mortar business.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: Did you write a business plan?
CAROLINA CONTRERAS: When I first started my business, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I knew we needed a mission, vision, and values, so my little tiny team of two (my best friends, btw) and I took a two-hour car ride to our favorite beach town in the Dominican Republic, Las Terrenas. There, we hashed out all of our ideas and goals for a curly hair haven in a place where our hair wasn’t validated or celebrated. Before the salon, Miss Rizos was a blog, so we used this online platform as an inspiration for our space. I’ve written long- and short-term strategies for the business, but we are just now—five and a half years after opening—actually putting a real business plan together. I say, do it early if you, can because it will help you strategize and reach all of your business dreams.
How did you come up with the name Miss Rizos?
Originally, I named my blog Miss Rizos for a few reasons. First, there weren’t any curly hair beauty pageant winners, so calling it Miss Rizos (Miss Curls) was satirical. I also felt like my curls were adorning my head and making me feel powerful, sort of like a crown, and misses wear crowns at these pageants. The name Miss Rizos embodies this idea that I can make my own rules and define my own beauty.
What were the immediate things you had to do to set up the business? What would you recommend to new founders reading this?
I definitely trademarked the name first so that no one would use it. I registered the website the moment I thought of the name and created a social media handle I thought we could potentially use. Finally, defining the mission, vision, and values of a company is so important, and I recommend people actually spend time doing this because these principles will guide the way and help you make the best decisions.
What research did you do for the business beforehand? Would you recommend it?
I recommend benchmarking within and outside of your field. I love watching videos about digital marketing and really understanding the importance of the digital space in this very digital era. Finally, I would look at all of the administrative details of your company like permits, licenses, and tax information. Don’t let this stuff intimidate you from starting, just start!
“Insecurities, doubts, and fears will always exist, don’t let them paralyze you. Do it afraid. ”
How did you find the first hairstylists that you partnered with? Did you have any bad experiences? What did you learn and what advice do you have for other founders looking for trustworthy partners?
Omg, I’ve had my fair share of terrible experiences with business partners. USE CONTRACTS! Make sure agreements are legally binding and that you are incredibly transparent with all of the terms. Hire slow, fire fast. This means take your time hiring, do several interviews, and invite other people in the team or in your community to do interviews with you. Finally, hire and fire based on the values you defined for your company. It’s nothing personal, if someone doesn’t align with the values of your company, they will bring down team morale and potentially ruin a relationship with a client.
How did you fund the company?
I used a lot of my savings, actually all of my savings! I also pre-sold appointments and apparel using crowdfunding platforms. I have bootstrapped mostly, but a year ago, we acquired a new partner who also an angel investor. Again, this person’s values aligned with ours and our relationship has been incredible.
How did you determine how much to pay yourself?
I still struggle with this so much and hope to be able to make peace with it soon. I actually didn’t pay myself until like two years in. It’s really a symbolic payment more than an actual salary. I do have the business cover a lot of my expenses like phone, transportation, etc., and this is super important because it allows me to live a decent quality of life and be more present for my business.
I say, if you’re just starting, make sure you have savings that will support you for three to six months, so that you’re not putting a financial burden on the new venture. Then, it’s definitely important to create a salary or arrangement that will allow you to have peace of mind and concentrate on running the company. Finally, I say create a plan to get to that dream salary and work your way there.
How big is your team now, and what has the hiring process been like?
We started with the team of two, and now we are a team of nearly 40 people. As I mentioned before, hire slow, fire fast and let your values guide the way. I had lots of experience hiring from being a project manager in the nonprofit world for many years. Interviews should be a two way conversation and not an interrogation process.
Did you hire an accountant?
I hired an accountant late in the game and it cost me thousands if not hundreds of thousands! Get a CPA early in the game, learn the taxation system in your state and country. Get an online bookkeeping platform and keep all receipts and the books organized. When you can afford it, get a financial advisor who has experience with small businesses and can help you make sure your prices are right and identify what new strategies need to be implemented. Learn early what your point of equilibrium is, this is how much you need to make to break even. This will help you come up with a number of what you need to make a month, a week, a day, and even per hour. Be comfortable and in control of the numbers. It will empower you to make better decisions.
What has been the biggest learning curve during the process of establishing a salon business?
Definitely human resources. It’s not easy putting a dream team together.
How did you promote your company? How did you get people to know who you are and create buzz?
I created a community before I had a business and this helped tremendously. I also created a lot of buzz surrounding my activism, which got me a lot press. Social media has been instrumental, but more for my community-building than the actual random reach. Create good free content, give value to your potential clients. I’ve had a marketing team since the beginning. She worked for free for a while, now she owns 20% of the company. Hire a publicist as a consultant even if just for an event to get you in the media or for one to three months, if you can’t afford it. Marketing is important, but not more than the quality of what you’re offering and the customer service experience. Word of mouth is GOLD.
Do you have a business coach or mentor?
I didn’t for years. Get one when you can afford it, in the meantime there is Youtube.
“It’s important to have purpose and define it so that when things get really hard, you can always visit that “why.” ”
How has COVID-19 impacted your business operations and financials? What tactics and strategies have you put in place to pivot and ensure your business is successful through this period?
We had to close our stores. We pivoted by moving sales online and doing online consultations. We were very intentional about applying to as many grants and financial opportunities as possible, including pitch competitions, and I am grateful to have won the pitch competition for Create & Cultivate.
What short-term changes will be crucial to your business strategy long-term post-COVID-19 and what plans are you making for when we get back to “normal?”
We are definitely going to invest more on our online e-commerce experience. We plan on making sure we are generating revenue in lots of different ways and not just the salon experience.
What advice can you share for small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs who are also reeling in response to COVID-19?
APPLY to everything! See what aspects of the business can be done online. Create a new product or revamp an old one that could be sold online. Give your community lots of free important content, with this you’re communicating how important they are to you. Check up on clients. Call your landlord and let them know what you’re doing to pivot and think of ways to negotiate the rent payments without being defensive. Honey pulls more bees.
For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to) what advice do you have?
Be curious. What do you love doing and would do for free because you love it so much? Now find a way to make this, or an aspect of this, your business.
“
Hire slow, fire fast, and let your values guide the way.”
—Carolina Contreras, Founder and CEO, Miss Rizos
What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new business owner and why?
Scale slowly, not too slowly, and listen to your clientele. Don’t get into a bigger store or buy a ton of inventory you don’t need. Cash is king, so don’t just go crazy on making your overhead bigger if you don’t know how it’s going to get paid. It’s not magic, it’s strategy and planning. Robin Sharma says vague planning equals vague results. Strategizing and planning in advance, allows you to make the best decisions about growing your business. Take risks, but smart risks.
If you could go back to the beginning with the knowledge you have now, what advice would you give yourself and why?
Get a CPA and make sure to always use contracts!
Anything else to add?
Being a business owner is scary! There are so many responsibilities. So it’s important to have purpose and define it so that when things get really hard, you can always visit that “why.” Insecurities, doubts and fears will always exist, don’t let them paralyze you. Do it afraid. The worst thing that can happen is that the business fails, but you’ll learn in the process and will gather tools, resources, and networks to do it better the next time.
Enter to win a $10,000 grant for your small business
We're dedicating proceeds from our Digital Beauty Summit ticket sales toward a $10,000 grant for a small business owner in the health and wellness industry, including beauty, health and wellness, and self-care. We'll be selecting three finalists to pitch their businesses LIVE to a panel of judges for a chance to win the grant. Want in? Click here to check out the official rules and apply by Friday, July 17, 2020 at 11:59 PM PDT.
Up next: 32 Black Female-Owned Brands and Entrepreneurs to Support Now and Always
MORE ON THE BLOG
80 Powerhouse Quotes From Black Women and WOC Create & Cultivate 100 Honorees
“Compassionate listening is the greatest and simplest form of peacekeeping.” — Cleo Wade.
It’s no secret that women are driving the economy in America. In 2019, American women started an average of 1,817 new businesses every day. A whopping 42% (nearly 13 million) of all American businesses are women-owned. They employ 9.4 million workers and generate $1.9 trillion in annual revenue.
And Black women-owned businesses are leading the way.
According to the American Express 2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses report there are 2,681,200 Black women-owned businesses in the U.S.—that’s 21% of all women-owned businesses—making it the largest segment of women-owned businesses after non-minority women. In fact, Black women-owned businesses represented the highest rate of growth of any group in the number of firms between 2014 and 2019 and between 2018 and 2019.
Our team has had the honor of working with so many intelligent, talented and strong women of color and Black women founders, entrepreneurs, creatives, musicians, artists, chefs, and small business owners, spotlighting their incredible work at our events, on our platform, and in our annual Create & Cultivate 100 list. And, we look forward to continually growing and expanding upon this as a key part of our community.
Now approaching its fourth year, this list honors 100 inspirational women who are disrupting industries and smashing glass ceilings across 10 different categories from fashion, food, entertainment, entrepreneurship, health & wellness, content creation, beauty, fashion, music, small business, and more. We come together as a team to ensure the list is diverse and inclusive with a mix of household names you know and love as well as up-and-comers you need to read about.
But this list is about so much more than just a number. It’s about the ripple effect it inspires.
When you honor 100 women who are 100% in it, you encourage 100 more to create a future we all want to be part of. After all, if you can’t see it, you can’t be it.
Your recommendations this past week alone have been amazing in bringing even more Black women-owned businesses to our attention, and we want to thank you for that. Please, keep them coming—we’re listening and compiling, and will be integrating many of them into all we do long-term.
Read on to hear from 80 Black women and women of color who have been honored in our Create & Cultivate 100 list each year.
Create & Cultivate 100, 2017
Sanaa Lathan, Actress & Philanthropist
“One positive moment with a young person can change their path forever. ”
“Most people naturally just assumed I only do makeup tutorials for African American women, not realizing that we come in so many different shades and you don’t have to necessarily look exactly like someone to learn a new tip. ”
“It’s the love of my people and seeing a woman or girl flip through CRWN and her eyes light up…or when a sister confides in me about her hairstory and how CRWN is a place where she can finally see herself…These are the reminders that CRWN is so much bigger than Nkrumah and myself.”
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. It’s about creating yourself.”
Nikisha Brunson, Co-founder, Urban Bush Babes, and Founder, Folie Apothecary
“Life is too magical to put barriers on it.”
“Female empowerment is knowing that you can do anything, even if it might be in a field dominated by the opposite sex.”
“Compassionate listening is the greatest and simplest form of peacekeeping.”
“All women are beautiful, smart, strong as fuck, and special.”
Franchesca Ramsey, Comedian, Actress, Activist, and YouTube Personality
“Being a woman of color on the Internet is challenging, let alone being one that openly talks about racism and feminism. I deal with an intense amount of harassment, which at times can be discouraging, but is also a reminder of why these conversations are so important.”
“Take the time to plan your life or settle for what life gives you.”
“Being able to see yourself in every woman regardless of race, class, religion... when that happens empowerment is just a byproduct.”
“I learned to be grateful, honor my worth, and love myself the way that I am.”
“When women support each other we can accomplish anything!”
“There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that people would be surprised about when it comes to the beauty world and even more when it comes to being an African American influencer.”
“I wanted make the black hair experience fun and beautiful for Black women.”
“Beauty has nothing to do with one’s age, gender, body size, socio-economic status, race, religion, or culture.”
“Give negativity little to no oxygen.”
“Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything.”
“I like being able to go into male-dominated spaces and blow their minds anyway.”
“I obviously went through these things for a reason, and if it’s not to share with other people so they can handle their situations better, well, I don’t know what the hell I went through it for. I might as well share it because this the only life I got to live and who knows it might save the world.”
“I consider myself a fighter and a revolutionary and I’m driven to stand up to injustices and inequities whenever I see them manifest.”
“Don’t spend life daydreaming about ‘what could be’. Invest your energy in what is right in front of you and see how it can be cultivated into something meaningful #realtalk.”
Arlan Hamilton, Founder, Managing Partner, Backstage Capital
“It started with my mom telling me I deserved to be in any room and shouldn’t shrink myself to make someone else feel better about themselves.”
“I am not just a woman in STEM. I am a Black woman in STEM, who grew up in a low- income household, who never took a technology, business, or finance class in K-12 or college, didn’t go to an Ivy League school, and didn’t know a soul in tech prior to entering Silicon Valley in 2011.”
“I’d love to break down barriers that any woman feels when it comes to following your art.”
“The more your honor your spirit and soul, the more that energy grows around you.”
“You learn to make space and time for yourself.”
“My passion stems from my deep belief that empowering girls does change the world.”
“I was raised by a mother who taught me that I was complete all by myself.”
“Representation is important in the stories we tell.”
“My focus is on making the world see that kids are not just the future. We are the present as well and we can change the world now.”
“Be authentic. You’ll break through the static when you find your secret sauce and share it with the world.”
“Any challenge at hand is an opportunity, a chance to dig deeper.”
“I think too many people are afraid of failing. I’m not.”
“All victories count. There’s no need to compare yours to someone else’s.”
“Sometimes, especially in the black community we feel tokenized. I’m not trying to act like the spokesperson for the black community. I’m simply someone who is trying to provide change and influence. I may have some missteps along the way. Try to give people grace as they launch their businesses and feedback.”
“The day I die, I’d like people to remember me as someone who taught them how to be fearless and how to create their own destiny. I would love my daughter to say I was her motivator and role model.”
Lauren Ash, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl in Om
“Preventative and holistic self-care and self-love allow us all to breathe a little easier and slowly but surely it can become a lifestyle. This is what Black Girl In Om is all about.”
“A bump in the road doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Sometimes it just calls on you to push through a little bit harder.”
“We believe very strongly that it’s so important to show a real representation of women in fashion and the wider media landscape. We wanted to liberate women from feeling as though they need to live up to an unreal external projection of how they should be.”
“I’m inspired by women. I’m inspired by black women. I’m inspired by women who have found their voice, and who know what they want (or at least what they don’t want).”
“Sometimes the challenge, at least for me, has been getting women to change the way they feel about their hair and embracing the beauty that they were born with.”
“I was born as a black woman for a reason, and I just want to make sure I don’t miss it.”
Read the interview.
Follow her on Instagram.
Courtney Adeleye, Founder, Foolproof Body, and Generational Advantage Fund
“If you’re not teachable, there’s no way you can evolve.”
“Activism to me means taking a stand for something you believe in or something you’re against. Not just stating it, but taking actionable steps in creating the change you want to see. There are so many ways you can activate in your community, big or small. Marching, volunteering with or donating to organizations that support what you believe in, starting a movement on social media, having courageous conversations with your friends and family, and calling out people when they have done something wrong in your eyes. There are additional ways to go about it, these are just a few.”
“No rain. No rainbows... people relate to authenticity and I truly believe that being vulnerable helps amplify that.”
“I decided to bet on my own magic.”
“Hearing a NO is a sign that you’re growing and aiming higher and higher.”
“My internal monologue was all over the place. “Will I be able to continue doing what I love?”, “Will I get paid equal or more than what I’m earning now?” Also let’s talk about the weight of being the only black artist in that workspace at the time. There was a feeling of guilt I know many POC feel in majority white spaces. I was like “If I leave, no one here will look like me.” This is why representation is so important. ”
Read the interview.
Follow her on Instagram.
Nancy Twine, Founder, and CEO, Briogeo
“Find something you really believe in and that you won’t quit until you’ve succeeded. ”
Gabi Gregg, Founder, Playful Promises Lingerie, and Swimsuits for All
“Maintain your integrity and trust your gut.”
“Sometimes you have to trust that even without past experience, you can figure it out.”
“It’s important when things go wrong to stay calm, assess the situation in a realistic way, and shift gears accordingly.”
“Take the mistakes and failures, and make something out of them.”
“Social injustice and the state of our government (keeps me up at night). I feel politics are a bit out of control. It’s always been rough but now it’s getting nasty. Some of our leaders can’t even be looked up to as good role models for our kids, and that should be a prerequisite... at least be a decent person who is kind and loves all people.”
“I learned early on in my life that no one will be there for you more than you; no one will take action for you to accomplish the things you want like you.”
Ally Love, CEO and Founder, Love squad, Peloton Instructor, Brooklyn Nets Host, and Model
“Understand that you cannot apply equal energy to everything. Be conscious of your immediate goals and operate accordingly.”
“I choose to empower myself by empowering others.”
“Our parents always taught us from a young age that we can do anything we put our minds to and no to be afraid to dive in to do something that may not be considered things for little girls to be doing.”
“Surround yourself with people who are going to nurture your gifts and be transparent about your growth and how to improve.”
“Nothing is easy, so stop trying to figure out easy and instead focus on enjoyable, fulfilling, meaningful.”
Read the interview.
Follow her on Instagram.
Lisa Mae Brunso, Founder and Chief Visionary, Wonder Women Tech
“Rev. Jesse Jackson told me something so basic that it was also profoundly powerful, he said, “You just have to show up.” Those two words are something I carry with me every day when I feel like giving up. ”
Krystle Rowry, Web Designer, Digital Strategist, Kriss Dit It
“I look at hurdles as a time to learn, pivot, & get excited for what’s next.”
Kaya Thomas, Computer Scientist, App Developer, Writer, and Founder, We Read Too App
“When I hit a hurdle I remember what I’m working toward in the first place.”
“Communicating with clarity, purpose, passion, and honesty will enable you to serve others in a profound way.”
“Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and take risks. Be your most authentic self. ”
“Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid of change, and have a perspective.”
Daisha Graf, Actress, Dancer, Model, Singer, Influencer, Fitness Coach, and Co-Founder, D(n)A arts
“‘Making it’ is subjective. I have in no way, shape, or form ‘made it’ in my mind. I feel once I’ve ‘made it’ there will be nothing left to pursue. I never want to feel that. ”
“Keep trying things. In my experience, you have to try things out that aren’t for you in order to find what is for you.”
Kiitan Akinniranye, Content Strategy, and Lifestyle blogger
“I am my only competition. It’s definitely a hard mindset to keep at all times, but I think society has really tried to push this idea that there’s only so much space in any room for people who aren’t white men, and that’s completely false. I’m unique because I’m me, sharing what I love with people who love it too. I’m always challenging myself to push my limits and try new things, but it’s an internal push, not an external one.”
“You always hear that, as a Black woman, you have to work three times as hard. Sometimes working hard is enough, and sometimes it’s not. That was so hard for me starting out.”
“When you move through fear and resistance, new strength and resilience that you never knew you had, takes control.”
“Find your own voice, and dont be afraid of telling your authentic-to-only-you stories.”
“To get into the room with big brands, you need a reason to be there. Think about what you can bring to the table that’s unique, valuable, or exciting. Be the meeting that people look forward to.”
Read the interview.
Follow her on Instagram.
Trinity Mouzon Wofford, Co-founder, Golde
“Being an entrepreneur is basically just a series of unending failures... You can choose any of these moments to give up, or you can see them as learning curves that will prepare you for the next thing.”
Tia Mowry, Actress, Content Creator, Author, Entrepreneur, Founder, Anser
“It takes time to discover yourself, but once you do, the rest is history.”
Tyra Banks, Model, Entrepreneur, TV Executive, and Business CEO
“My mama has always—and still—teaches me to never give up. She always compared success to access inside a house. She’d say, ‘It doesn’t matter if you get into the house through a window, a door or through a hole in the roof—you just get in! Doesn’t matter if the front door is closed. You get in!’”
“You don’t have to settle for what people think you deserve.”
“Sometimes things fall apart, it’s part of the journey.”
Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones, Content Creators, Podcast Hosts, and Authors, Co-Founders, Food Heaven
“We’ve had so many people of color—particularly Black women—tell us that they thought nutrition and healthy eating was for White people, but once they discovered our platform, they realized it was for them too.”
5 Black Women Changing the Investment Landscape
They’re breaking the VC ceiling, stacking the odds back in their favor, and putting the dollars into the businesses who need it most.
Statistically, female-led and owned businesses make more money, but women are still underfunded, especially women of color. Out of $85 Billion in VC funding in 2017, only 2.2% went to female founders, and every year, women of color get less than 1% of total funding. And Black women-led startups get even less. According to a 2016 study, of the 0.04% of Black women-led startups, they only raise an average of $36,000 in funding (or about .01% of the money pulled in by the average successful startup). Of the 88 tech companies featured in the study, only 11 had raised $1 million or more.
But when you hear that women of color account for 89% (1,625) of the new businesses opened every day over the past year, the numbers just don’t add up. However, these five women are changing the game by becoming investors themselves. They’re breaking the VC ceiling, stacking the odds back in their favor, and putting the dollars into the businesses who need it most.
Read on to learn more and get ready to pitch your business.
Arian Simone, Founder & CEO, Fearless
Serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, angel investor, best-selling author, and marketing expert, Arian Simone is on a mission to change the glaring inequality in the venture capital industry that too often leaves black women behind. As the co-founder and investor in the Fearless Fund, Simone invests in WOC led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed or series A financing. It’s also the first VC Fund built by women of color for women of color.
Sarah Kunst, Managing Director, Cleo Capital
Just 4% of female-led startups are run by black women—Sarah Kunst is one of them. Despite the statistical odds, Kunst is the managing director of Cleo Capital with an impressive resume. The entrepreneur and investor (she has advised and invested in 40+ companies), has worked at Apple, Red Bull, Chanel, and Mohr Davidow Ventures, to name a few. The CC100 2019 honoree was also the founder of LA Dodgers-backed app ProDay, a subscription workout app that allows users to workout alongside professional athletes and fitness celebs. Oh, and she’s also a contributing editor at Marie Claire as her hobby. Kunst is a force to be reckoned with and she’s on a mission to change the odds and help more Black women achieve their dreams.
Arlan Hamilton, Author of It’s About Damn Time, Host of Your First Million podcast, and Investor
When it comes to inspirational stories, nothing comes close to Arlan Hamilton’s. She built her venture capital fund, Backstage Capital while homeless. Built quite literally from the ground up since 2015, Hamilton has raised more than $10 million and invested in more than 130 startups led by women, POC, and LGBTQ founders. She was the first Black woman non-celebrity to feature on the cover of Fast Company magazine in October 2018 and she just released her new book It's About Damn Time where she shares her remarkable journey from food-stamp recipient to a successful venture capitalist.
Arielle Loren, Founder, 100K Incubator
As the founder of 100K Incubator—the first business funding mobile app for women, Arielle Loren’s mission is to help 100,000 early-stage women entrepreneurs get funding for their businesses and scale to 100K+ in yearly sales. Loren helps early-stage women entrepreneurs get the funding and cost-effective business coaching they need to build the business of their dreams.
Download her 100K Incubator App.
Kathryn Finney, Founder and CEO, digitalundivided
Photo: Courtesy of digitalundivided
Inc. Magazine called her “one of the most influential women in tech” and it’s easy to see why. After selling her company, TBF GROUP—one of the first influencer media companies—Kathryn Finney launched digitalundivided—the only space and program dedicated to the growth of high-growth tech businesses founded by Black and Latinx women through the startup pipeline from idea to exit. Since 2013, DID has impacted thousands of people and helped raise over $100 million in investments. But on May 22, Finney wrote an essay on why she was leaving digitalundivided and what she plans to do next. “I hope to change the narrative that leaving something, especially for talented black women, is a negative event,” she wrote. “We deserve to be our full selves like everyone else. I know I will.”
Know of another Black woman changing the investment game? Share it with us below and we’ll continue to update this list.
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29 Quotes on Diversity and Inclusion From the Create & Cultivate Stage
“Bring us in the room because it’s great for optics but if you’re not hearing from us nothing is going to change.” — Miatta David Johnson
To put it simply, diversity matters, and the stats speak for themselves and new research makes it crystal clear. Companies with a more diverse workforce perform better financially. In fact, companies in the top 25% for gender and ethnic diversity at the executive level are more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the bottom 25% (not to mention they’re also 33% more likely to outperform the competition).
But it’s not enough to just listen and learn. We have to take action and understand our responsibility in moving the needle and making inclusion the norm, not the exception. Diversity, inclusion, and the importance of allies at work have always been an important conversation, but now more than ever, we need to talk about it, get uncomfortable, and do the work.
Read on for 29 quotes from powerful Black women and POC voices from the Create & Cultivate stage on the importance of diversity and inclusion so we can create cultures, communities and companies where everyone belongs.
Photo: Courtesy of Create & Cultivate
Panel: Inspired Inclusivity: Creating Cultures and Companies Where Everyone Belongs
Where: LA 2020 Conference
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 bringing inclusivity into the boardroom…
“Everything I do, I want it to be inclusive. I wanted diversity. It was important to me that people could see themself in the brand.” — Adrienne Houghton
On representation...
“I wasn’t represented, which is why I do what I do now.” — Shahd Batal
“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
On the entertainment industry…
“Us as consumers need to recognize our power. Be the change we want to see.” — Adrienne Houghton
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
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
“You’re hiring black influencers but there are no black people on your team. Actually hire us and work with us. — Arnell Armon”
Panel: Intersectionality in the workplace: A conversation on diversity and the important role of allies at the office
Where: The San Francisco Conference 2019
Panelists:
Bhavagna Bhattiprolu | Vice President, Blended Strategy Group
Miatta David Johnson | President and Co-Founder, MVD Inc
Massah David | Co-Founder, MVD Inc
Ally Maki | Actress
Sahara Pynes | Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Moderator:
Randi Bryant | Diversity and Inclusion Strategist, Author, Speaker, and Trainer
On the importance of diversity versus inclusion…
“I think it’s important because diversity on its own can only serve optics, inclusion is making sure that people’s voices are being heard, being in the conversation, not just the topic of the conversation.” — Massah David
On creating real change…
“Bring us in the room because it’s great for optics but if you’re not hearing from us nothing is going to change.” — Miatta David Johnson
“If they understand this will affect their profits that’s what is going to create a change.” — Miatta David Johnson
On how to make real change in large companies...
“Make sure the right people are in the room. To have diversity conversations without white male founders is pointless. Unless you bring the decision-makers into the room nothing will change.” — Sahara Pynes
“It's easy to bring people in the door, but you have to get them to stay and feel like they’re a contributor.” — Sahara Pynes
“Leadership has to start from the top. There has to be accountability at the top as well. There have to be regular check-ins.” — Sahara Pynes
On the importance of advocacy…
“Leadership lending a hand is important to the discussion. We are all a group. It’s important to me that I'm reaching out to all women, all ethnicities. I’m not boxing myself into such a narrow group that I'm ultimately not including someone else.” — Bhavagna Bhattiprolu
“I think allies are so, so important. I think the way we have to look at it is we are all a group. I see it as I am a woman of color who has had a certain level of success and it’s important to me that I’m reaching out.” — Bhavagna Bhattiprolu
“Get people trained so they can handle these roles.” — Bhavagna Bhattiprolu
On diverse representation...
“I grew up in a world where I consumed so much content where people didn’t look like me. It’s really exciting to be in a time where people have different perspectives represented.” — Bhavagna Bhattiprolu
On her work impacting the next generation…
“Truly one of my life missions now is to give the next generation of girls growing up what I'm learning now in my 30’s. I look back to when I was young and I didn’t feel worthy of being in any room or any table.” — Ally Maki
“Providing a seat for these girls and changing the narrative inspires everything I do because I sometimes still see myself as that eight-year-old girl who didn’t belong.” — Ally Maki
“Bring us in the room because it’s great for optics but if you’re not hearing from us nothing is going to change. — Miatta David Johnson”
Panel: Modern Activism: Exploring the Role of Diversity, Inclusion & Politics in the Workplace
Where: The NYC Conference 2019
Panelists:
Nabela Noor | Content Creator, Activist, and Public Speaker
Halima | Model & Activist
Hunter McGrady | Model & Activist
Denise Bidot | Model & Activist
Lindsay Peoples Wagner | Editor-In-Chief, Teen Vogue
Nikki Ogunnaike | GQ Deputy Fashion Director (former Style Director, ELLE)
Moderator:
Heather Records | former VP of Marketing, Create & Cultivate
On including activism in the workplace…
“Pretty much every meeting I go into, most people know I’m the only black editor-in-chief in the US. That’s really hard because there really isn’t leadership above me that has done what I’m trying to do. There isn’t a blueprint. You just gotta push.” — Lindsay Peoples Wagner
“I feel like if I don’t say something, and I don’t speak up, no one else will.” — Lindsay Peoples Wagner
“Just stand up for what you want. Go, be bold” — Denise Bidot
“Before, models were just models, and now we’re activists. We should be held accountable for our actions.” — Denise Bidot.
“We have to talk about culture and what women really need. If we’re not doing that, we’re not doing our jobs.” — Lindsay Peoples Wagner
“Be what you needed when you were younger.” — Lindsay Peoples Wagner
On diversifying the workplace…
“The onus to effect change often falls on women of color, but women who’ve helped me most are the whole women in the room who’ve said, ‘No, this is not OK.’ It’s not just on the people of color to bang down that door, it’s really on the people who don’t look like us to bring us along with them to help diversify that room and that table.” — Nikki Ogunnaike
“Who you chose to align yourself with is a really big indicator in what you believe in” — Nabela Noor
In response to people who say “we don’t see color” …
“I need you to see color. I need you to see it, to understand it, to get comfortable with it.” —Nikki Ogunnaike
In response to people in corporate America…
“People need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and I think corporate America isn’t there yet. There aren’t a lot of people at the top who aren’t white males. My biggest marching order for myself is to help diversify that space.” —Nikki Ogunnaike
“There’s this saying, ‘Ignore the bullies.’ I don’t believe in that or think it’s helpful for the world to change. I’m going to face them head-on and tell them I love myself.” —Nabela Noor
“I need you to see color. I need you to see it, to understand it, to get comfortable with it. —Nikki Ogunnaike”
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5 Ways Brands Can Show Up for Their Stakeholders Right Now
Time to double down on your values.
Photo: Retha Ferguson for Pexels
Brands across the globe are in the midst of deep values recalibrations due to the COVID-19 crisis. Voluntarily or involuntarily, they’re being challenged to look at why they exist and who they exist for in order to find ways they alone are positioned to serve.
It’s crucial that brands recognize that what matters has little to do with simply incorporating giveback missions and promoting sales and is more about providing what your core stakeholders (customers, teams, suppliers, etc.) need while being mindful of context, tone, and transparency. The brands that double down on their values in order to add value are most likely to find their way through the painful decisions they’ll have to make during this and any future crisis.
While the opportunities to contribute are endless, below are a few ways brands can think about showing up, strengthening loyalty, and building toward the future.
Through Information
Every individual with access to the internet is inundated with information at the moment, even without beginning to consider paid marketing. At a time when anxiety is running high, misinformation or poorly timed information can be damaging to your brand. Sometimes showing up means saying less.
Here are questions to ask:
How does your brand currently contribute to the spread of information? Is this information timely or necessary to share?
Can your brand contribute positively by distributing sound information that’s useful (ex. resources, guidance, activities, recipes)?
Do your paid ads feel disingenuous? Can you adapt the tone for relevancy?
Through Compassion
With empathy taking over the marketing lexicon in the past couple of years, now is the opportunity for brands to truly put it into action. Ditching a need for polished perfection in preference for vulnerability can bring your brand closer to all of its stakeholders.
Here are three questions to ask:
Which of your stakeholders is most affected at this time? How can you support them?
Is it possible to be honest with your customers about where your brand stands and how that’s evolving as time goes by?
How can you reimagine your services, adjust your pricing model, or launch campaigns to serve your audience where they are?
Through Action
We’ve seen brands around the world pivot almost overnight to digital offerings, transform their factories, and more. Taking what’s core to your brand mission into account and then expanding that reality to continue to adapt is paramount. There’s more opportunity for experimentation and iteration than ever, but brands need to be willing to take their audience along for the journey.
Here are three questions to ask:
What’s a single action would your brand regret not taking right now?
Can you reformat your offering to help on a macro level? Who can you collaborate with to touch new people and spread awareness?
What content and experiences can you create that your audience is craving at this time?
Through Ideas
It’s no surprise that innovation comes in times of deep pressure. The uniquely human capacity for imagination that’s born out of constraints is what’s allowed us to evolve and survive for thousands of years. More than ever this is an opportunity for our biggest ideas to emerge to help us navigate the seismic shifts appearing in our world today.
Here are three questions to ask:
What can you do now that has never felt possible before?
Can you serve an additional audience that you may never have thought of reaching?
What can you begin creating now that the world will continue to need when we emerge from this? Who can you collaborate with to bring these new ideas to life, in order to maximize impact?
Through Optimism
Our strength as a global community relies on our ability to stay determined and hopeful that we can guide ourselves out of this. That doesn’t mean we should approach reality with a sense of naiveté or pretend we aren’t going through a global crisis, but it does mean we need the determination and faith that something brighter awaits in order to forge forward.
Here are three questions to ask:
What silver linings have appeared for you and your brand? How can you galvanize around them?
What problems have appeared that your teams can dream up ideal solutions for?
How can your brand cultivate and share messages of hope without undermining the gravity of the situation?
There’s no certainty in how long this pandemic will last, or what the true impact on our global community and economy will be, but the more determined brands are to keep asking tough questions the more new ideas will start to appear. Commitment and courage from every leader in sharing ideas out loud—first with themselves, then to colleagues, to audiences and the world will allow us to shape and enhance the evolved reality we want to live in. It’s the only thing that ever has.
About the Author: Lori is the founder of a big idea, a home for thoughtful brand building based in LA, where she works with emerging and growing mission-driven brands. She has a decade of experience working with legacy brands, media companies, startups, and social enterprises to develop and optimize marketing strategies. An idealist and a builder at heart, she began a big idea with a desire to give identity to the undeniable ideas we all have inside of us and create new brands that are built to last generations. She's currently offering free 1:1 strategy sessions to brands affected by COVID-19 - you can schedule by reaching out at lori@abigidea.com.
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Ask an Expert: How to Be Innovative as a Small Business Right Now and Remain Profitable
The youngest black woman to ever launch a line at Sephora shares her insight.
We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community 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. 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 announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!
Photo: Courtesy of Trinity Mouzon Wofford
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our Ask an Expert series, it’s that innovating will be crucial for small businesses to come out of the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever. “Pivot,” “shift,” and “adapt” are buzzwords that have popped up in nearly every conversation we’ve had with founders in nearly every industry, ranging from events to skincare to fitness.
Naturally, we could think of no one better to speak to the topic of innovation than Trinity Mouzon Wofford, the youngest black woman to ever launch a line at Sephora and a Forbes 2020 30 Under 30 honoree. Keep scrolling to read a few highlights from our conversation with the forward-thinking co-founder and CEO behind the wellness-meets-skincare brand Golde, as told by Wofford to Create & Cultivate.
Check-In With Your Community
If you’re wondering how to talk to people right now about your business, ask your community. Instead of racking your brain trying to figure out what’s appropriate, ask them. It all comes back to thinking about your community and what they’re looking for from you right now.
Does your product or your service provide value for people right now? At Golde, we’ve found that our products provide a lot of value and service to people who want to practice wellness at home right now. What is it you’re selling and does it resonate with what people are going through right now?
Prioritize Word-of-Mouth Product Recommendations
No one wants to be sold to right now. More than ever, those micro-influencer relationships, those one to one product recommendations that are coming from friend to friend, are what’s resonating with people right now.
Lean Into Digital to Acquire (and Retain) New Customers
If you’re seeing increased traffic to your site and increased conversion rates, this is an opportunity to develop an acquisition strategy that brings people into your retention strategy.
We’re shopping online way more than we were before, and although consumer patterns have shifted due to a temporary situation, these shifts may last longer than the crisis, if not permanently.
Again, it comes down to having honest conversations with your community and what they want from you. You have to figure out what your voice is and what your opinion is and couple that with who’s listening and what they want to hear from you.
About the Expert: Trinity Mouzon Wofford was raised in New York's Hudson Valley by a single mom with an autoimmune disease. When she was a teenager, her mom started seeing a holistically-minded physician and saw an incredible improvement in her symptoms, which inspired Wofford to study pre-med at NYU. When Wofford’s mom had to stop seeing her doctor because she couldn't afford it, Wofford abandoned her plans for med school, frustrated by the lack of accessibility to holistic care, and fell into a marketing career in New York. She absolutely loved it, but she knew she wanted to come back to wellness somehow. That's the mindset Golde was born from in 2017.
Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert.
Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!
Ask an Expert: How to Grow Your TikTok Following From 0 to 30K in 3 Days
Influencer Courtney Quinn shares her secrets.
We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community 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. 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 announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!
Photo: Courtesy of Courtney Quinn
If there’s anything we’ve learned for our Ask an Expert series, it’s that now is the perfect time to learn a new skill. Given that we’re all staying home to flatten the coronavirus curve, now is the time to start that blog, launch that newsletter, record that podcast, and jump on that new social media platform everyone’s talking about.
To find out how to thrive on TikTok (aka the hottest social media platform of the moment), we tapped Courtney Quinn of Color Me Courtney for a special segment of our Ask an Expert Instagram Live series. Quinn is a veritable influencer with over 600K followers on Instagram and now 30K followers and counting on TikTok (after just 3 days!).
Read on for her top three tips for growing a following on TikTok, and be sure to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram Live.
1. Analyze trends.
“Look at what’s trending and create content specifically for TikTok—don’t repurpose content from Instagram, YouTube, or other platforms. You have to create unique value on each platform so that the followers who are with you on TikTok and Instagram aren’t being fed the same content on every platform.”
2. Immerse yourself in the platform.
“I’ve reached 30K followers in three days and my goal is 50K by the end of the week. When I started, I spent about two hours a day immersing myself in the platform. I also spent about two hours a day making TikTok videos, which doesn’t take as long now since there’s a learning curve. I also spent about two hours a day engaging, commenting, liking, and following.”
3. Check out your analytics.
“Everyone has analytics in TikTok, you don’t need to have a business account or anything like that. When you’re checking your analytics, watch time is really important. When people watch videos all the way through, that’s how they go viral. So, finding a hook that gets your followers to stick around for those 15 seconds is really important because that’s going to boost your video.”
About the Expert: Courtney Quinn is the colorful lifestyle blogger behind Color Me Courtney. Color Me Courtney has amassed over 600K Instagram followers as well as a substantial following on her website, YouTube, Pinterest and more. Courtney has been featured in a variety of campaigns including a National TV commercial for Microsoft, designing the ABC Good Morning America holiday window for Instagram, a clothing line for Hudson’s Bay, as well as partnering with brands like Disney, IKEA, and HGTV to name a few. She's also frequently featured in industry-leading publications like Refinery29, Essence, Teen Vogue, Forbes and many more.
Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert.
Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!
Ask an Expert: How to Unite a Remote Team During the COVID-19 Crisis as a Small Business Owner
“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”
We’ve been spending a lot of time at Create & Cultivate HQ discussing how we can best show up for and support our community 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. 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 announce our new Ask an Expert series. We’re hosting discussions with experts, mentors, and influencers daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST on Instagram Live to cure your craving for community and bring you the expert advice you’ve come to know and love from C&C. Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the latest schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out!
Photo: Courtesy of Sonja Rasula
Small businesses everywhere are stepping up and doing their part to help flatten the curve, canceling events, shuttering offices, and implementing work-from-home policies in order to help contain the alarmingly rapid spread of the coronavirus. Of course, by now (read: week two of #WFHlife) we all know that the transition between working from the office to working from the home office (a.k.a. the dining table, the couch, or even the bed) is easier said than done.
For helpful tips on how to unite a remote team while working from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, we tapped none other than small business owner and serial entrepreneur Sonja Rasula, the founder of Unique Markets and The Unique Space, for the latest installment of our Instagram Live series, Ask an Expert. Read on for Rasula’s tried-and-true tips for boosting morale as well as productivity while managing a WFH team. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it in full here, and be sure to tune into our next Ask an Expert conversation on Instagram Live.
How can I unite my remote team digitally and keep them inspired?
“The first thing that you have to do is implement structure. If you have daily meetings or check-ins, those still need to happen. Now more than ever, it’s important to check-in and have face-to-face meetings through Zoom, Face Time, and Google Hangouts to stay connected.
The socializing aspect of work is so important. If you use Slack as a communication tool, create a channel called ‘The Break Room’ or ‘The Water Cooler’ for your team to share stupid memes to share photos of their desk as a way to create a social human connection beyond work. Because it’s not all about work.”
How should I adapt my leadership style to help my team feel positive and optimistic?
“Being positive and optimistic yourself is really important. You set the bar. Even if you are freaking the eff out on the inside, you need to be as cool, calm, and collected as you can for your team.
That said, full transparency is important. Once in a while, letting your team see how you’re feeling is really important because they need to know you are not a robot, you are a human being.”
My business is really hurting financially right now and I’m struggling to see the silver lining. How can I thrive as a founder and keep the lights on?
“Figure out your digital presence. There are no excuses now, it’s all about your digital footprint, so start that podcast, send that newsletter, start that blog. Utilize the free technology that’s available (social media, blogs, etc.) to expand your digital footprint.
We’re all at home, we’re trying to make shit work with what we have, and we are not superhuman. We can only do what we can do, and then you have to let go. Try your hardest, but recognize that now, potentially, might not be the time. Just relax, pause, reevaluate, and think about business differently.”
About the Expert: In 2008 Sonja Rasula self-funded her first business, Unique Markets, by risking her entire 401k retirement savings. Thankfully it worked! Her innovative, modern pop-up marketplaces have taken place around the country including Los Angeles, San Francisco, N.Y.C., and Austin! Nike, Airbnb, Madewell, and Adobe are some of the many brands to tap into Sonja’s entrepreneurial mindset and creative consulting. She was named “1 of 30 Women Entrepreneurs Changing the World” by fashion mogul Eileen Fisher, and Los Angeles Magazine awarded her 1 of 10 of L.A.'s Most Inspiring Women in their annual issue about women in Los Angeles.
Tune in daily at 9 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm PST, for new installments of Ask an Expert.
Follow Create & Cultivate on Instagram, check out our Ask an Expert highlight reel for the schedule, and hit the countdown to get a reminder so you don’t miss out. See you there!
How 5 Women Ditched Perfection to Embrace Their Own Skinversity
Yes, it’s possible.
We’ve all felt the pressure of perfection. But according to some studies, this sentiment is mostly felt by women. Sound familiar? A U.S. survey found that women (more than men) felt they “did not meet their own high standards with family and workplace commitments.” And in a 2011 survey, half of the female managers, compared with fewer than a third of the male ones, reported self-doubt in their performance.
But these insecurities don’t stop with our achievements, they also apply to our appearance. Of the 2000 adults surveyed, 9% of men considered themselves handsome compared to just 2% of women who thought they were beautiful. This needs to end. That’s why we partnered with the clean, goat-milk skincare line, Beekman 1802 and their mission to embrace your Skinversity and cultivate a beautiful life.
Watch the video below to learn more about their mission and why loving your skin is always in. Because it’s not about how your skin looks to others, it’s about how your skin feels to you.
Ahead, we asked five women how they’re ditching perfection to embrace their own Skinversity and encouraging others to do the same. Join the movement and share how you #EmbraceSkinversity by tagging your photo or story on Instagram with @beekman1802 and #embraceskinversity.
“
Your skin, dark circle, pimples, blemishes will never fully disappear so instead of refusing them, you might as well accept and love them just as much as you do the ‘perfect’ parts of you”
Rahel Brhane, Content Creator
On the pressure of perfection…
In the social media space, there is a lot of pressure to look perfect all the time. When I first started creating content, I wouldn’t record myself without makeup or a filter to hide my imperfections because I was scared of what people might have to say about my skin. After three years in this space, I came to the conclusion that you can’t hate something about yourself you will live with forever.
Your skin, dark circle, pimples, blemishes will never fully disappear so instead of refusing them, you might as well accept and love them just as much as you do the “perfect” parts of you. Be kind to yourself every day and see how your overall wellbeing changes instantly.
On the person who has encouraged her inner confidence…
My mother is my biggest inspiration when it comes to taking care of myself. She would always make sure we see the good in any situation and stay positive. She was also the first person to show me that taking care of your skin is just as important as taking care of your soul. Without feeling good outside you can never feel fully great within. It goes hand in hand.
On how skincare plays a role in how she feels about herself…
I start my day with time to myself. I take care of my skin, have my coffee and focus on my thoughts before starting to work on my brand. I take this time very seriously as I feel so much fulfillment by knowing I take care of myself every day.
On her top three confidence-boosting tips…
Write down what you are thankful for and you will immediately see that there is so much to be happy about.
Manifesting is real. If you focus on negativity, more negativity will enter your life so make sure to think positively to attract more of that instead.
Treat yourself to a nice meal or a drink and spend time alone. You will feel so empowered that despite in a lot of people's minds being alone= loneliness, you're perfectly fine and enough just by yourself. This is my ultimate go-to for a confidence boost.
“Despite the outside noise, I am always trying to embrace the skin I have and accept all the aspects that make me unique like my rosacea and freckles.”
Nazira Sacasa, Blogger and Body Acceptance Advocate
On Feeling the Pressure of Perfection…
Yes, I have definitely felt the pressure for perfection. There is constant messaging around us that tells us there is something wrong with our skin, body, looks and if we aren’t working towards perfection then we are lazy. When you look at skincare, most brands are selling the message of fixing and/or getting rid of aspects of yourself.
As I get older, I am feeling the constant pressure of staying “young” and it seems like everywhere I look someone is promoting the latest anti-aging products. Despite the outside noise, I am always trying to embrace the skin I have and accept all the aspects that make me unique like my rosacea and freckles.
On the person who has encouraged her inner confidence…
My mom has always encouraged me and since I was very young she’s instilled in me that beauty comes from within. When I first found out that I had rosacea my mom was very encouraging and helped me see that this didn’t make me less beautiful.
On how skincare plays a role in how she feels about herself…
I love my skincare routine. I think it’s such a beautiful form of self-care and also a time to slow down and connect with myself. My skincare has changed over the years and the older I get, the simpler it gets. My main focus now is using clean and simple ingredient and I view my skincare as a way to enhance what’s already there rather than trying to fix or change anything.
On her top 3 confidence-boosting tips…
Curating my social media feeds. I think it’s super important to follow diverse people with diverse body types and skin types. It’s so important to be exposed to images of people that look like us and are also different from us. It’s so easy to get stuck looking at photos of people who represent the beauty ideal which can lead to a lack of confidence, but the more we can broaden the types of people we see, the more confident we can feel about our own skin. Lastly, taking care of myself: eating well, drinking enough water, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and sticking to my skincare regime.
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I think I had to believe that what makes me unique and different is part of my beauty.”
Andrea Thomas, Model
Photo: Tony Redmer
On the pressure of perfection…
I think women are pressured in a lot of ways to fit an ideal mold. As a model, I feel pressured to stay young-looking. Whether it is covering my grays to keep my perceived age as young, maintaining a beauty regimen or staying the same size or shrink but never to gain any weight. The pressure comes from my belief that I will be valued more by clients if I look younger and more flawless.
I have always wanted to age gracefully and I try to accept all the changes my body and my face go through that are difficult to control. It is always appreciated when a brand sees that showcasing imperfections and flaws can add value to their campaign as opposed to brands that want to feed into their customer’s insecurities to make a profit.
On who has inspired her inner confidence…
I've been inspired by a few different people. First and foremost, a fellow Piscean, Rihanna. I love the attitude she personifies and the way she lives her life. I have really made an effort to focus my life on my own personal development and joy rather than stressing about what everyone else will think. Lately, I've been inspired by Kenna Sharp. She has fair skin and very long black hair. She inspired me to kind of stop trying to blend my vitiligo with a spray tan and makeup and to just embrace the contrast of pale vitiligo with my dark hair. Now I love a little blush on my pale cheeks.
On how she recognized her own beauty…
I think I had to believe that what makes me unique and different is part of my beauty. And sometimes seeing that confidence personified in someone else can help you see it in yourself.
On how skincare plays a role in how she feels about herself…
Taking the time to remove my makeup and do my serums and creams makes my skin glow, and ultimately makes me feel better. It's funny because people always think a skincare routine is too time-consuming but I find myself looking for more steps when I'm already done. I think spending those few minutes massaging the product on my face has helped me love my skin and myself more rather than using that time to just crash in bed or spend extra time on my phone.
On her top three confidence-boosting tips…
I have a playlist for almost any occasion and I listen to music whenever I'm alone, usually working, cleaning or getting ready for the day. You will really start feeling yourself and remember to play certain songs whenever you need that boost! Wear cute pajamas to bed whenever you can. And work out for at least 20-60 minutes a day whether it's at home or the gym. There's no better way to feel stronger and to get back in touch with your body.
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When I take the extra time to do my full skincare routine, I feel more at ease and confident because I can feel the difference it makes in my complexion.”
Joy Green, Founder of Joyfully Green
On the pressure of perfection…
I was born in China, moved to Germany in middle school and came to the U.S. during high school years. Moving so many times across several continents, without knowing the language or having friends made me hyper-aware of my shortcomings or differences as a child and adolescent. Even as an adult and mother now, I feel the need to be everything to everyone. I think it’s an innate pressure as a woman to want to be a good mom, a hard worker, and a great wife. We spend so much time thinking about how to make everyone else we love happy, it translates into a self-asserted need for perfection.
On who has inspired her inner confidence…
My mom has inspired me ever since I was a little girl. She taught me to be confident and independent, even in unfamiliar situations. When we moved to Germany for China with nothing but four suitcases, we left all our friends and family behind. My mom was in her 30s and didn’t speak a word of German. Even though life changed so drastically, she would always encourage me to be confident, try anything and give it my best effort. She taught me that every change was an opportunity to improve yourself and take the challenge head-on. I was afraid to make new friends at first but she pushed me to just be myself and the confidence would translate in any language.
Being the only Asian student in my school, I was also acutely aware of how different our background was. My mom taught me to be proud of our differences and celebrate what made me a unique person. Fast forward 20 years, I am raising a daughter in a blended, multiracial family. I hope I can bring out the same self-love and confidence in her!
On how skincare plays a role in how she feels about herself…
Skincare is one of the ways I saw my mom always investing in herself. Ever since I was little, I could remember my mom using special lotions and creams every night. I would sneak a dip in her fancy jars and felt like such a pampered princess. The older I get, the more I appreciate a good skincare routine. It’s a simple 10 to 15 minutes a day that I take for myself.
As a mom, I’ve learned to really savor those little moments you get to relax and reward yourself. When I take the extra time to do my full skincare routine, I feel more at ease and confident because I can feel the difference it makes in my complexion.
On her top three confidence-boosting tips…
It always starts from within. I am a huge proponent of positive self-talk and affirmations. I believe if we are mindful of our inner dialogue and change the way we speak to ourselves, the confidence and positivity radiates from within
Small changes in our body posture and smiling can be an instant confidence booster too! Like my mom always says, straighten up, chin high.
Do what makes you feel good. On days when I take the extra five to 10 minutes to get ready or put on a special outfit or do that extra step to make my skin glow, I always have an extra pep in my step.
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I feel the pressure of perfection every day. I am still learning to listen to my standards and not the world.”
Hannah Neese, Body Positive Content Creator
On the pressure of perfection…
I have struggled with perfectionism my entire life. Even though my platform’s sole purpose is to encourage others to be themselves, I constantly feel like there is still something I’m not doing right.
I feel the pressure to grow my business as quickly as possible. I feel the pressure to juggle as much as I can, while still looking and appearing perfect. We’re constantly taught that a thin body, clear skin, and a beautiful smile is the key to unlock everything in this life.
Applause is addictive, and you receive a lot of that when you’re nearing perfect. But at what cost? Your happiness? Mental health?
I feel the pressure of perfection every day. I am still learning to listen to my standards and not the world.
On who has inspired her inner confidence…
My best friend, Madee, built me up each time I began to pick myself apart. She was the first woman I’ve ever known that valued my confidence and success as much as her own. It was never a competition with her.
I am incredibly inspired by her “who cares?” attitude. If she likes it, she’ll wear it. If it doesn’t fit, she’ll throw it out. If it’s going to interfere with her happiness, she will not do it. The way she shows up completely like herself, in a world pushing for the opposite inspires me daily.
On how skincare plays a role in how she feels about herself…
I don’t have perfect skin, and that’s okay. I thought I hadn’t found the “right” routine if I still had acne or dry skin. Now, I base it on how I feel. I want to feel clean when I start and finish the day. It’s a way for me to wash the day off, and prepare for the next. My skincare routine makes me feel confident. It feels good knowing you can take care of yourself, without the end goal being perfection.
What are your top 3 confidence-boosting tips?
1. Know your role model, and think “What would ___ do?”
2. Wear matching underwear.
3. Do something that makes you feel good! I love a fresh tan and styled hair. I dare you to come to me when I have tan and loose waves—I am a powerhouse.
I am proud of each and every woman showing up when they feel like they “shouldn’t”. I am proud of every woman who is fighting to realize their self-worth. It’s not easy out there, but you’re doing it! I am with you, and I am proud of you.
Your skin is not a problem that needs a solution. Discover how to embrace your Skinversity at beekman1802.com.
This Founder Walked Away From a Steady Wall Street Job to Bootstrap a Clean Beauty Brand
And the risk paid off.
You asked for more content around business finances, so we’re delivering. Welcome to Money Matters where we give you an inside look at the pocketbooks of CEOs and entrepreneurs. In this series, you’ll learn what successful women in business spend on office spaces and employee salaries, how they knew it was time to hire someone to manage their finances, and their best advice for talking about money.
Photo: Courtesy of Cocokind
Leaving a steady job and switching lanes isn’t easy.
Just ask Priscilla Tsai, who was climbing the Wall Street corporate ladder when she decided to shift gears and launch Cocokind, a clean, conscious, sustainable skincare brand. "The first years were tough,” the founder and CEO tells Create & Cultivate. “I was only 25, considered successful in my career, and about to leave it all behind to start a company in an industry that I had very little experience in."
Disappointed by the lack of transparency in the beauty industry and sparked by her own struggles with hormonal acne, Tsai felt compelled to ditch her high-paying job in finance to launch an accessible clean-skincare company. Of course, it’s safe to say that Tsai’s risk has more than paid off—Cocokind is now stocked in every Whole Foods store in the U.S.—but all that success didn’t come without hard work and determination.
In this installment of Money Matters, Tsai shares the nitty-gritty financial details behind what it really takes to get a business off the ground.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: You walked away from a career on Wall Street before bootstrapping your business. What led you to leave a steady paycheck and switch lanes from finance to beauty?
PRISCILLA TSAI: I always knew I wanted to start my own company. My mom is an entrepreneur and watching her career progress definitely inspired me. Separately, my hormonal acne was my biggest insecurity, and I hated the harsh medications and pills that my dermatologist prescribed me. They kept my skin technically clear, but they also totally stripped it of moisture and gave me digestion issues. Ultimately, I decided to explore more holistic remedies for my skin and body, and when I’d created something that worked and that I was proud of, I knew I needed to share it. As a consumer, I was also disappointed at the lack of clean ingredients and transparency in the beauty industry, and I felt compelled to offer a better, more accessible option.
Can you explain what those founding years were like financially?
The first years were tough. I was only 25, considered successful in my career, and about to leave it all behind to start a company in an industry that I had very little experience in. I hustled in every way possible. I made full batches of products by myself. I created our first labels on Photoshop instead of hiring a designer.
I think many founders think that they need a ton of capital to start a company. Obviously, capital is important, but for me, time was almost as important as money. It took a lot of time for me to get Cocokind’s formulas to meet my standards, and it took a lot of energy and persistence to get our products into brick and mortar stores. I went door to door to Whole Foods’ in northern California to demo my products to the regional buyers, which led to building great relationships with them. Today, Whole Foods is one of our biggest retailers—we’re actually stocked in every single store in the United States.
“Knowledge is power. Knowing as much as you can about your financial situation is essential to feeling financially empowered and independent.”
Talk us through your bootstrapping process. How did you self-fund your business? Would you recommend that route to other entrepreneurs?
I really just tried to take things one step at a time, but I also worked quickly once I had a product concept and samples. I started going door to door to get my product out there and to start bringing in revenue as quickly as possible. Finding retail partners like Whole Foods helped me get Cocokind off the ground pretty immediately.
These days, it’s much more common to raise than to bootstrap and I think that either strategy can be effective. It’s really just about what the founder wants and which approach makes more sense for their work style and personality. I personally loved bootstrapping, but I definitely don’t think it’s for everyone.
How did you know the brand was ready to scale and introduce new products?
At Cocokind, we’ve always been big on social media because it makes it easy to build relationships with customers and hear their opinions and feedback. We’re able to use this feedback to decide what our community and what the market, in general, wants.
In the beginning especially, we funded new products by starting with really small batches—that way, we were never taking huge risks with inventory. On top of that, I thought it’d be better to sell out of a product and have a waitlist than it would be to overproduce a product and potentially run the risk of not selling enough of it.
I guess my main point here is that entrepreneurs should always recognize that their product will most likely change to improve, so over-investing in early iterations can be a bad idea.
“I hustled in every way possible. I made full batches of products by myself. I created our first labels on Photoshop instead of hiring a designer.
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-Priscilla Tsai, CEO and founder of Cocokind
What was your first big expense as a business owner?
Either insurance or inventory!
How did you decide what to pay yourself?
I didn’t! I didn’t pay myself for the first two years of my business, but I was lucky enough to be able to live off of savings during that time.
How did you decide what to pay employees?
Research. I always want my employees to be paid fairly but as competitively as possible.
What are your top three largest expenses every month?
Payroll, inventory, and rent for our office and warehouse.
How much do you spend on office space?
We’ve always tried to spend 4% of our sales or less on rent. We did recently just relocate to a larger office space so we can continue to grow our staff.
How much are you saving? When did you start being able to save some of your income?
It varies. Saving has always been important to me, even more so when I had a regular job, before starting Cocokind. When I was in college, my parents helped me with my tuition and living expenses as long as I sent them an itemized list of all of my expenses every month. That experience helped me learn how to budget and it also taught me that when you know your numbers, you save more.
“Cash is everything. No matter how much profit your company is bringing in, you need to adhere to a tight cash flow model.”
What apps or software are you using for finances?
I actually just use Excel to track all of my expenses. I don’t have a financial advisor at this time.
Do you wish you’d done anything differently in your financial journey as a business owner?
Nope! I’m really proud of Cocokind and how far we’ve come, and I think we’ve always been responsible with capital.
Why should we all be talking about money?
I think everyone should talk about money. Knowledge is power. Knowing as much as you can about your financial situation is essential to feeling financially empowered and independent.
Do you have a financial mentor?
I don’t. But my parents did and do a great job of teaching me strong values when it comes to my finances and how I think about them, and I’m grateful for that.
What is your best piece of financial advice for new entrepreneurs?
Again, knowledge is power! Knowing your numbers and staying on top of them is crucially important to starting and running a sustainable business.
What is the biggest money lesson you've learned since starting Cocokind?
Cash is everything. No matter how much profit your company is bringing in, you need to adhere to a tight cash flow model. It’s something I’m still learning and always trying to improve upon.
Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Priyanka Chopra Jonas
“Nothing comes easy. Yes, luck and destiny do play a part, but nothing works like hard work.”
When it comes to rewriting the rule book, Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the editor in chief.
The actor admits she took a “huge risk” to leave her thriving career behind in India to work in the U.S. and it’s safe to say the leap paid off. Today, the former pageant queen is one of the most successful women in Hollywood but she’s put in nearly two decades of work and hustle to get there. “If you don’t take chances if you don’t push yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, you never evolve,” she tells Create & Cultivate.
For the next chapter of her rule book, Chopra Jonas has added humanitarian, producer, and a tech investor to her title. She launched her own production company Purple Pebble Pictures in 2015, became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, and an investor in dating app, Bumble. Let’s not forget that she has starred in more than 50 films and is slated for several major projects this year and next, including a starring role in Amazon's Citadel with Richard Madden.
Ahead, Chopra Jonas shares the story behind her bold move to the U.S. (and why it was the hardest professional decision she’s ever made), her secret to confidence, and how nothing works like hard work.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: So, we read that you originally wanted to be an engineer before your mom secretly entered you in the Miss India contest (which you won) and later the 2000 Miss World contest. How did that experience shape you? What did you learn? And how did that steer you towards your career path today?
PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS: It is essentially the foundation of what I would eventually become. I learned to get out of my comfort zone and try new things; that taking risks can yield big returns; that if you want something bad enough and if you work hard, you will succeed. Miss India and Miss World introduced me to the world of entertainment and also to my creative side, which I hadn’t tapped into at that time. It opened my mind to the immense possibilities that the world has on offer.
“If you don’t take chances, if you don’t push yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, you never evolve.”
Can you recall the hardest professional decision you’ve ever had to make and how you got through it? What did you learn in the process? Why it’s important to make decisions that aren’t easy?
Every few years I’ve found I am faced with a hard decision that is imperative to make and critical to my career. It comes in waves. The big one I can remember is the decision to work in Hollywood, while still having a thriving and very relevant career in India. In hindsight, I am glad I took the leap and that it paid off, but at the time it was a huge risk. What I learned in the process is that if you don’t take chances, if you don’t push yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, you never evolve—and for me, evolution is important in my personal and professional life… ultimately it’s what allows you to define your own road.
You have achieved so much success but that didn’t come without hustle and hard work. What advice would you give to young actors who are hoping to break into Hollywood but are feeling overwhelmed by the competition? What traits do you need to succeed today the way you have? Why?
Understand what makes you unique and special. Work on your strengths. It will give you the courage to go after your dreams and aspirations. In anything you choose to do, there will be many others who have the same idea—the competition so to speak—understand what makes you unique and special and embrace that.
I understood early that nothing comes easy. Yes, luck and destiny do play a part, but nothing works like hard work. Have a vision for yourself and work as hard as you can to make it happen. Oh, and remember, life is rarely ever a straight road—with the good, there will also be the bad. It is what you do after the good and what you do after failure, how you choose to get up, that defines your life.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
I always find that acknowledging the failure and coming to terms with it, helps you move forward—then it doesn’t come back to haunt you or cause self-doubt later. Also, I have always believed in exploring all aspects of my creative self, which is why I am always pushing myself to explore new areas and try my hand at it. I never say I can’t do something until I’ve tried it. In the world, we live in today, and the immense amount of opportunities out there, it’s important to remember that it’s not a single lane of traffic but an eight-lane highway to an endless world of opportunities.
You always seem so bold and self-assured. Where do you think this confidence stems from? What do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you were first starting out? Why?
Confidence is self-taught. You’re not born with confidence. It is something you pick up along the way, and it is up to you how much you want to pick up. I am a firm believer that everything you go through in life leads you to the exact spot you need to be, as long as you are involved in shaping it rather than being a bystander and letting things happen. So, there is very little I want to change. I would probably just tell my younger self as I was starting out to breathe. Not every crisis is the end of the world, this too shall pass.
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTERTAINMENT LIST HERE.
Create & Cultivate 100: Entertainment: Shay Mitchell
“If you take no risks, where will you be in three years? Probably still unhappy and stuck.”
We talk about career shifts a lot at Create & Cultivate because there’s nothing more inspiring than seeing someone push their doubts and fears aside to embark on a completely new path, oftentimes without any previous experience or education. Shay Mitchell is one of those people. While she launched her career as the character Emily Fields on the hit show Pretty Little Liars (or as Peach on season one of Netflix’s new hit show You), that might not be where many of you reading this found out about her. Why? Thanks to Mitchell’s entrepreneurial mindset, she recognized the opportunity on YouTube very early on.
Five years into filming the show, Mitchell started creating videos for her channel across beauty, fashion, fitness, food, and travel. She has now amassed over four million subscribers on the platform—and almost 27 million followers on Instagram—and the popularity of her travel series, SHAYCATION led to the formation of her sell-out travel accessories line, BÉIS. Since it’s 2018 launch, the brand has seen more than 200% growth and is on track to deliver more than $20 million in profitable revenue. Oh, and did we mention that Mitchell recently became a mom too? Yep, she really is a pivot pioneer.
Read on to hear how Mitchell successfully switched lanes from actor to vlogger to entrepreneur and why she believes self-doubt is totally normal.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: Your career launched playing Emily Fields in the television series Pretty Little Liars but it continues to span across so much more than entertainment—your YouTube channel documents fashion, hair, and makeup tips, your favorite food recipes, travels, fitness routines and now your journey as a new mom. How did you make the pivot from actor to creative director and more? What advice do you have for people reading this who want to make a similar pivot in their career but don't know where to start or fear the leap?
SHAY MITCHELL: I’m a super passionate person, and I love to have my hands in as many projects as possible. At the time that I joined YouTube, I was five years into filming Pretty Little Liars and found myself itching to flex my own creative muscle. I was constantly surrounded by super fun, artistic and smart people, and thought it would be fulfilling to create original content with my friends and colleagues. My travel series, SHAYCATION, on YouTube, and my lifelong passion for travel, gave me real-life experience and inspiration for my travel accessories line, BÉIS. I purchased a lot of luggage and travel items over the years, and always felt that I was compromising for either form or function, and would doodle ideas for luggage and accessories that had both all the time.
When the opportunity popped-up for me to start my own brand, I literally jumped at it. To be perfectly honest, I am not one that likes really likes to give advice because I feel like what works for me might not work for others and vice versa. That said, as cheesy as it might sound I would say the principles that I try to live by are to follow my heart, vision, and intuition. If you take no risks, where will you be in three years? Probably still unhappy and stuck. Vulnerability is one of life’s greatest givers of lessons. It’s also okay to fail, so long as you use it as an opportunity for growth and not shutting down.
You launched your travel accessories company BÉIS! and the success has been phenomenal—congrats! What has been the biggest lesson you've learned through launching and expanding your business? What advice do you have for women with small businesses hoping to grow or change their businesses and achieve your success?
It was actually just a little over a year ago that we launched BÉIS! and again, I don’t really like to give advice but would say that authenticity in approach and execution are penultimate. I do things because I feel like I understand there is an opportunity or because I really believe in what I’m doing and think I can do a better job of what is already available. I don't think it is ever smart to do something exclusively for money or clout. You should do it because you really care about what you’re setting out to achieve.
“If you take no risks, where will you be in three years? Probably still unhappy and stuck.”
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
First and foremost, I never view things as failures. If I make a decision and it doesn’t succeed then I feel it’s a learning curve and lesson from which to learn. Finding new paths and switching gears can be challenging, but if we’ve exhausted the roads we are on then the best thing to do is to find another way to forge ahead.
You always seem so bold and self-assured. Where do you think this confidence stems from? What advice do you have for people who are feeling self-doubt and want to have more courage?
That’s so nice to hear, though I will be the first one to admit, as most humans do, that I have self-doubt often. I doubt myself all the time, and I think that is totally normal. No one is ever really sure of themselves 100% of the time. As humans, we have to question ourselves because we care. To me, this is similar as to when people ask me if I'm nervous before an audition. Of course, I’m nervous! If I'm not nervous then it concerns me more because deep down I feel like it means I don’t care that much and that I probably shouldn’t be there in the first place. My “advice” (aye yi yi) would be to embrace the self-doubt. Questioning yourself is an important part of growing as a person and growing a brand—making sure you’re doing the right thing—its also a way to keep your intuition in check.
You've achieved phenomenal success but that didn't come without hard work and determination. What does it take to be successful today? What personality traits do you need in this competitive environment? Why?
The first word that comes to mind is tenacity. Being dedicated. Seeing things through—even when things seem impossible or difficult. Maintaining a positive outlook. Having a strong team and community to depend on.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced during your business and how did you turn it into an opportunity?
I think one of the biggest challenges we faced was during launch when we sold out of six months of supply, of most products, almost immediately. We had invested so much in marketing and brand building and then didn’t have any product to sell. Some would say it’s a good problem to have, and yes, it was great to have early success but the team and I saw the opportunity cost in lost sales and frustrated consumers.
To turn it into an opportunity we decided to be very transparent with consumers and told them what was happening, which in some ways we feel resulted in a more emotional connection with our audience. Being out of stock also created pent up demand and a sense of scarcity which has proven to be a super-strong sales lever for us. We translated that into a strategy for some of our more seasonal and limited-edition styles: “get it while it lasts” if you will.
You have an incredibly busy schedule juggling multiple businesses, acting, and family—What are your productivity hacks to get it all done? What apps or is there a hack you use every day to help keep you organized and on track?
Truthfully, no hacks or apps, just a really steady head and have taken great care to surround myself with passionate people that are experts at what they do to support me along the way. My team is small but mighty, and they can always be counted on to keep me organized and on track.
“Questioning yourself is an important part of growing as a person and growing a brand.”
What is your 2020 vision? What is in store for Shay Mitchell this year? Why?
Nothing radically different, just more, more more! It’s the nature of my personality and the beast.
What is the #1 book you always recommend and why?
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s an amazing read, pertinent to almost everyone and riddled with pertinent lessons we should take to heart.
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 ENTERTAINMENT LIST HERE.
Create & Cultivate 100: Content Creator: Rocky Barnes
The OG influencer knows a thing or two about amassing a social following.
With over 1.8 million followers, Rocky Barnes knows a thing or two about Instagram. But, believe it or not, the model slash style icon entered the influencer space well before the visually-driven social media platform was a thing. She got her big break back in 2012 when she starred in Justin Beiber’s “Boyfriend” music video and then quickly started gracing the pages of Vogue and Cosmopolitan and becoming the face of brands such as Sam Edelman, Furla, and bare minerals.
But don’t call her an overnight success. Barnes has been hustling for years to get where she is today. As she told us at our Desert Pop Up event in Palm Springs last year, “An overnight success is 10 years in the making.” And she’s put in the work. She launched her eponymous blog, Rocky Barnes, over seven years ago (a.k.a. during the digital stone ages) and has slowly but surely amassing a loyal band of followers. Not only has she partnered with big-name brands like PAIGE, Moët Chandon, and AmEx, but she’s also stepped into the role of designer by launching an exclusive collection with Express last year. And she has plans to make more major moves in 2020—like giving birth, among other things.
Below, Barnes gives us the low-down on starting out when Instagram wasn't even around (in other words, when the influencer space was very different from what it is now), on staying true to herself in order to stand out amongst the competition in a saturated space, and on struggling to draw boundaries around what she does and doesn’t share on social media—especially now that she’s expecting.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: As a model, influencer, and style icon you are always pursuing interesting collaborations. How do you choose what companies to partner with? What makes a successful collaboration?
ROCKY BARNES: There are many different reasons I choose to collaborate with a brand. I, first and foremost, must believe in the brand and the product we are creating. Another important factor is finding a partner who allows you to have input and creative freedom. My most successful partnerships are the ones born from organic relationships where brands that I have been wearing for years approach me to collaborate.
What is your best social media advice? What can other content creators learn from your success?
I believe a huge part of my success has come from consistency and a strong sense of self. I really try to post based on what I find interesting and beautiful versus trying to get the most likes—not every post has to be about the numbers. It’s about showing people a glimpse of the world through your eyes. Something I am personally trying to improve on is being more vulnerable with my followers. I really appreciate it when people are able to share the good, the bad, and the ugly.
“To some people, I may look like an overnight success who just popped up out of nowhere, but in reality, I have been busting my ass for the last 10+ years.”
Did your follower count on social media increase gradually or was there an event that escalated your growth?
My growth has been slow and steady. I’ve been consistently posting on Instagram and blogging for about seven years!
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
I always find I get the most attention and movement from personal projects. I am very adamant about always making time for passion projects and not letting sponsored jobs take up all my time. It’s important to stay inspired!
You started out when Instagram wasn't even around and the influencer space was very different from what it is now. How have you remained unique and true to your voice in what is now a saturated space? How do you continue to differentiate yourself and stand out among the competition?
An important thing I have learned over the years is when to say “no.” It can be hard at first, but having a long term goal in mind versus capitalizing on a short term goal is very important. Stay confident, and don’t be afraid to hold out for your dream clients!
How do you hope to empower and inspire women through fashion and your modeling career? What advice do you have for those looking to start out in the space today?
I hope that I can inspire other women and demonstrate that hard work really does pay off. To some people, I may look like an overnight success who just popped up out of nowhere, but in reality, I have been busting my ass for the last 10+ years. I worked four jobs out of college and never gave up! I am grateful for the connections I made in the modeling world, and it has been fun seeing my peers grow in the industry next to me! Fashion has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and I feel grateful to be in an industry I love!
You share much of your life with your followers on Instagram. Most recently, you shared your pregnancy—congratulations! How do you draw boundaries around what you do and don't share? What advice can you share for others?
The beauty of Instagram is that you truly have control over everything! You can share as much or a little as you like. I always felt like a picture says a thousand words, but these days it’s hard not to feel like I should be sharing more. I struggle with finding a balance between sharing my life and living in the moment. I am still working that out myself.
What do you wish you had known when you were first starting out? Why? What about your job do you wish more people knew? What are the biggest misconceptions?
The biggest misconception is that our lives are a permanent vacation. Don’t get me wrong, we do have amazing experiences, but it isn’t always as glamorous as it seems. As is true with the modeling world. Dealing with the modeling world prepped me well for the influencer world. We work all the time, weekends aren’t a thing, and there is no such thing as sick days or paid vacation days. Working for yourself is stressful and scary, but when it hits, also the most rewarding.
Being an influencer can be a 24/7 job. What is your content planning process like? How far ahead do you schedule/prepare content? What are some best practices when it comes to creating and planning content?
For me, I like to shoot and post as much in real-time as possible. For sponsored jobs, you usually need to have content approved, so I shoot those ahead of time. Luckily, I work with my husband (he is my manager and photographer) so we have the ability to shoot almost every day. I try to have a rack of outfits always styled and ready to go to make shooting on the fly easier!
With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
My husband, Matt, is always amazing on days when I struggle with motivation or when I’m feeling overwhelmed. He is so supportive and positive and helps me prioritize and focus when I can’t do it myself. I am also so grateful for the position I am in and always try and remind myself how far I have come!
What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. Learning to not take things personally in our industry has helped me more than anything.
Photographer: Jenna Peffley
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 CONTENT CREATOR LIST HERE.
Create & Cultivate 100: Food: Wendy Lopez & Jessica Jones
“We've had so many people of color—particularly black women—tell us that they thought nutrition and healthy eating was for white people, but once they discovered our platform, they realized it was for them too.“
Dietitians Wendy Lopez and Jessica Jones are on a mission to make health and wellness more inclusive, diverse, and accessible.
And it’s a good thing too, because the stats on food insecurity—aka not having enough access to nutritious food to live an active, healthy lifestyle—are staggering. According to Feeding America, more than 40 million people (and 12.5 million children) lived in food insecure houses in 2017. And, unfortunately, increasing access isn’t the only hurdle to ending food insecurity. The cost of groceries and purchasing patterns also play major roles too, according to The New Food Economy.
To help fill the void for healthy recipes made with ingredients that are both accessible and affordable, Lopez and Jones founded Food Heaven in 2011. Fast-forward to 2020, and what started out as a humble YouTube channel is now a full-fledged brand complete with a podcast, multiple cookbooks (28-Day Plant-Powered Health Reboot and A Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World), merchandise, and a devoted social following. Proof that all their hard work is truly resonating with people and paying it forward.
Below, we chat with Lopez and Jones about what it’s like being at the helm of an influential mega-brand with a BFF slash business partner, why they encourage people to eat for nutrition and enjoyment (sans guilt), and how they built a successful business without losing their friendship in the process.
CREATE & CULTIVATE: Food Heaven has grown from a blog into a mega-brand—was this always part of the vision? How do you stay on top of all of those projects?
WENDY LOPEZ & JESSICA JONES: Not at all. We started as a creative outlet with no business aspirations. After about three years of making food and nutrition content with no real plan, we decided we wanted to try selling a product. The first items we ever sold were black shirts that read "kale & spinach & collards & chard" in white text. I remember being so excited when we sold our first tee. We decided to use all of the revenue we earned to create a more professional website and invest back in the business. After we sold out of shirts, we started creating different products and experiences (digital downloads, books, retreats) and then began working as dietitian-spokespeople for a bunch of different food and nutrition brands.
Your mission is to increase access to health and wellness and to allow black people to see their bodies and their needs reflected in conversations about wellness. What are some of the ways in which you are connecting and following through with this MO? What impact have you seen this have on the community already? How has it resonated with audiences?
We've had so many people of color—particularly black women—tell us that they thought nutrition and healthy eating was for white people, but once they discovered our platform, they realized it was for them too. We think it's really important to not make wellness a one dimensional, one size fits all conversation. Our motto is that we all have the power to define what wellness looks like for us, and for most people, it's going to be a lot different than what we see on Instagram. What's more, we don't all have to be pursuing weight loss or be a size 2 to be healthy. Research shows that our behaviors play a bigger role than our weight when it comes to health. Our audience members often feel both seen, accepted and relieved that we talk about health and wellness in a complex and comprehensive way that doesn't involve restriction or guilt.
You were best friends before you launched Food Heaven. What is it like to work with your friend? How do you build a business with a friend and not lose your friendship in the process? What are some boundaries you've set?
Having a business partner is legit like being in a relationship. Add being BFFs to the equation and, to quote “Basketball Wives,” it can go "real right or real wrong." For us, we lucked out when it came to working with a friend. We both have pretty chill personalities so over the last several years there haven't been any major conflicts of blow-ups. That's not to say that there haven’t been disagreements, hurt feelings or differences of opinion. At this point, we do a pretty good job of telling the other when one person is upset or unhappy with something. I think we've also gotten good at reading each other and knowing when we have reached our threshold or are starting to get annoyed (ha!). The good part about having a business partner is there is always someone to help with the load. Especially if one of us is going through a hard time - i.e. a breakup or loss. Having said that, there isn't always a clear distinction between a friend relationship vs business relationship. They both overlap all of the time. We try to maintain our friendship outside of the business by talking daily and going on fun trips.
When you hit a bump or hurdle in your career, how do you #FindNewRoads + switch gears to find success?
We are the queens of pivoting. If an idea or aspect of our business is not working, we have absolutely no issue slashing it and moving on to something else. We have to make sure that the work that we are doing is enjoyable, helpful and profitable. One thing that helps us evaluate this is by having quarterly meetings where we discuss "what's working, what's kinda working, and what's not working". Taking the time to look at the big picture is crucial for ensuring longevity and success.
“We’ve had so many people of color—particularly black women—tell us that they thought nutrition and healthy eating was for white people, but once they discovered our platform, they realized it was for them too.”
Today's diet culture is constantly skewing people's relationship with food—how do you cut through the noise and encourage people to enjoy their food and eat for nutrition without the guilt?
We are big advocates of helping people tune out the noise and tune in to their bodies. For the most part, our bodies do an excellent job of letting us know what we need without us having to micromanage our food intake. We love to help people bring satisfaction and joy back into the eating experience. Our podcast is our favorite platform teaching people concrete tools for becoming more connected with themselves. If someone wants to get started with tuning out diet culture, one place to start is unfollowing any social media accounts that make you feel bad about yourself or provide a one-dimensional portrayal of health and wellness that isn't realistic for you.
You have seen incredible success so far—what advice do you have for other entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey? How can they achieve the same success you've experienced?
As entrepreneurs, I think it's easy to fall into the comparison trap because there are so many examples of success on display. I have found it useful to disconnect a bit from what everyone else is doing. It's important to create a path to success that reflects your own passions and goals. Taking on this approach has allowed for my own creativity to flourish. I also think that as entrepreneurs, we strive for perfection when starting out because so much is on the line. In my experience, the perfectionist mentality has been very paralyzing because it limits the amount of growth you can have with your business. Once I embraced progress over perfection, I adapted much better to the ever-evolving nature of our business and as a result, we've been able to take our business to the next level.
With success comes opportunity but that also means you have your hands full—what keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
Our community keeps us motivated and inspired. They're constantly sending us words of affirmation and gratitude for the work we're doing, and that really helps us continue creating and grinding. We want all people to feel seen and represented in wellness, and our platform has been able to provide a space where all bodies are celebrated.
The wellness industry has seen a massive boom in recent years. How are able to stay unique in such a saturated industry? How do you cut through the noise and ensure your voices are heard and you access the audience you're targeting?
We're registered dietitians, and so all of the information we provide is evidenced-based. Unfortunately, the wellness industry has become saturated with people giving out recommendations that are not based on any science or research. Oftentimes these recommendations are based on personal experience and don't take into account an individual's health history, socio-economic status, culture, and personal preferences. We take on an individualized approach to health. Everyone's wellness journey is different, and that should be celebrated. Instead of trying to look like someone else or live their lifestyle, we should support people in creating a lifestyle that works for them.
“Having a business partner is legit like being in a relationship. Add being BFFs to the equation and, to quote ‘Basketball Wives,’ it can go ‘real right or real wrong.”
What is your best nutrition advice for those of us who want to eat better and take care of ourselves? How can we be healthier on a busy schedule?
Same advice for entrepreneurs applies here! Progress over perfection. Identify 2-3 things you want to work on, and create practical steps that you can do consistently over time to help get you there. Perhaps you add 2 cups of vegetables to your daily intake, get 8 hours of sleep, drink at least 5 cups of water a day, or move your body in the morning. These things may not sound like much, but it's really the small habits that add up over time. Doing a complete overhaul with your meals or fitness routine may not be realistic for you long term. This doesn't mean that you should ditch it all completely. Focus on what you're able to do at this very moment.
What's a mistake you made and what did you learn from it? How did you turn it into an opportunity?
There have been so many mistakes. I think one of the biggest ones was thinking that I could do it all myself because I was afraid of delegating tasks. I quickly learned that this was a fast path to burnout. I've been much better now at releasing control, and trusting that other people can handle things within our business. They may even be able to do it way better than I can! Since taking on this approach, I feel much more at ease and have been able to direct my energy to growing the business.
What is the #1 book you always recommend? Why?
Health at Every Size by Linda Bacon is a great starting guide to understanding our approach to food, nutrition, and wellness! Linda dives deep into the research surrounding weight science and addresses the history behind some of the prevalent wellness trends we see now.
VIEW THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE 100 FOOD LIST HERE.