Phenomenal Women Writing “Herstory”-Key Takeaways From The Create & Cultivate Conference in NYC

WOW. New York City. WHAT A DAY. Create & Cultivate took their platform for young women pursuing the career of their dreams to THE BIG CITY OF DREAMS and as divined, it was an unforgettable experience! True to the motto of “Big Apple, Big Mood”, I have never shared a space with so many PHENOMENAL WOMEN, an army of boss babes here to uplift, empower and inspire each other! What an ENERGY! Surrounded by a dreamlike scenery with countless Instagrammable moments, we became part of inspiring panel discussions with icons Martha Stewart & Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and cheered when Ashley Graham rocked the stage with powerful statements about self-love & diversity. In case you have ever asked yourself, that`s what a GIRL TRIBE looks like! From amazing mentorship to good laughs, making new friends at the Happy Hour, we were networking the hell out of this and I`m incredibly inspired by all the unicorn sisters that I have met, driven by passion & purpose to create the reality of their dreams! In case you missed this empowering event, here is a short recap of the NYC C&C conference with key takeaways for every creative female entrepreneur!

“Don`t be a Lady,

be a Legend.”

#1 Start with A Brand Strategy

“Starting with a brand strategy is the most important thing when starting a business.” Teressa Foglia (Hat Designer and CEO at Teressa Foglia)

“You do need a strategy, but it doesn’t always need to be a five-year plan. Agility and following our intuition has allowed us to deliver what our audience is looking for, going on new platforms that didn’t previously exist, and working with brands as well.” Piera Gelardi (Co-Founder, Refinery 29)

#2 Don`t Be Afraid To Take A Risk!

“If you feel a calling to write, start and the pressure will be off. Just write. Get it onto the page.” Gabby Bernstein (International speaker & #1 NYT bestselling author)

“Just do something—take that one set, do that one thing that you’re afraid of. You have to take a risk in small and big ways every single day.” Camilla Ruth Marcus (Founder of Westbourne)

#3 Find people who Believe in You!

“Find the people who believe in you from the start. They don’t necessarily have to be the same race, gender, etc. You want people who are in it to win it with you. Ask yourself: Do they align with my values?” Marah Lidey (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Shine)

“Find the people who believe

in you from the start.”

-Marah Lidey-

#4 Start saying “This is a Business!”

“You have to start saying, This is a business, and I’m going to take it seriously. It completely changed the trajectory of all things Create & Cultivate for me.” Jaclyn Johnson (Founder of Create & Cultivate)

#5 Ask for Capital!

“Coco and I had anxiety about raising capital. As black women, we were afraid to ask for money. When we started this company we didn’t know sh*t, and we made it work. Our goal is to take away the anxiety from asking from funding and share our knowledge with everybody else. Know that you are worth it, and it’s OK to ask for money. Brianna “Breezy” Dotson (Co-Founder, Coco and Breezy)

“The right investors are willing to wait, but you do have to show how you’re thinking about the return.” Jordana Kier (Co-founder of LOLA)

“Know that you are worth it, and it’s OK to ask for money.”

Brianna “Breezy”

#6 Your Vibe attracts your tribe!

“Energy is your greatest currency.” Suzy Batiz (Founder, Poo-Pourri)

“Don’t please everyone! You have to have a strong point of view. That’s how you attract your tribe.” Becca Tobin

#7 Learn to Say “No!”

“You can’t say yes to everything, but you can say no with compassion and kindness…Simplify to amplify. Growth for growth’s sake is a sickness. Learn to say no the the pressure to keep climbing if it’s not your direction.” Marie Forleo (Entrepreneur, Philanthropist and Host of MarieTV)

“Don’t be afraid to grow while saying no. As a leader in business, your no is more important than your yes. How you say no is more important than how you say yes. Yes is easy, no is hard.” Camilla Ruth Marcus (Founder of Westbourne)

“As a leader in business,

your no is more important than your yes.”

-Camilla Ruth-

#8 Perfection is Overrated

“People get paralyzed because they think an idea has to be perfect. Your first step is not going to be perfect, but you ideate from there.” Ginger Siegel (North America Small Business Lead at Mastercard International)

“Things are better done than perfect. Be comfortable with the good enough!” Babba Rivera (Founder & CEO of next-gen brand marketing agency bybabba)

Your first step

is not going to be perfect!”

(Ginger Siegel)

#9 Don`t be afraid to fail!

“Don’t be afraid to fail. Have that self-awareness so that when you do fail, you know how to do better next time.” Breezy

“Our rock bottom is the catalyst for our greatest purpose and change. If you’re in a moment in your life where you feel like this is the bottom—congratulations, because it’s only up from there.” Gabby Bernstein (International speaker & #1 NYT bestselling author)

“Our rock bottom is the catalyst for our greatest purpose and change!”

(Gabby Bernstein)

#10 On Making that $$

“The world needs that special gift that only you have. You have every right to put out the product or service with so much pride, and to make that money.” Marie Forleo

“Selling is not something bad!” Suzy Batiz (Founder, Poo-Pourri)

#11 Ask for Equal Pay

“Talk to your colleagues about how much you’re making. You need to know your worth in the workplace—there’s nothing wrong with building each other up, having these conversations, and taking it on together.” Ashley Graham

“You need to KNOW YOUR WORTH

in the workplace!”

-Ashley Graham-

#12 Stay hungry, stay foolish!

“Don’t let people put you into a f*cking box. Don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t do. Don`t let anyone define you. You define yourself. Marie Forleo, Entrepreneur (Philanthropist and Host of MarieTV)

#13 Confidence is Key!

“I’ll have moments when I leave the bathroom and look in the mirror and say to myself, “You are fine, you are beautiful, you are brilliant, and you are bold.” Ashley Graham

“Always champion your ideas. Having that confidence is really important to succeed. Pauline Lhote (Director of Winemaking, Chandon)

“I’m my biggest fan of my own brand. Nothing that anyone says will change that.” Holly Thaggard (Founder & CEO of Supergoop)

“I am my biggest fan…

Nothing that anyone says will change that!

Holly Thaggard

#14 Promote Diversity

“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 (Style Director, ELLE)

“When I grew up reading Teen Vogue, I didn’t see myself in its pages. My mom always says, Be what you needed when you were younger. If I do it, other companies and brands will be encouraged to follow as well.” Lindsay Peoples Wagner (Editor-In-Chief, Teen Vogue)

“Only the people who benefit from the status quo don’t want to change it.” Amber Heard

#15 Cultivate A Personal Brand

“Having a personal brand is necessary, whether you believe it or not. Even if you don’t want to be in the spotlight, you still need to think about the image you’re projecting into the world, and think about what you’re passionate about that’s making the world a better place.” Laura Minch (Digital Brand Manager, Biossance)

“What is your superpower? Why should people listen to what you have to say? The beauty of building a really powerful brand is that you can switch careers and industries while still building a really successful brand.” Laura Minch (Digital Brand Manager, Biossance)

“What is your SUPERPOWER?

Why should people listen to what you have to say?”

Laura Minch

#16 Collaboration over Competition

“If you’re in a space where there’s a lot of competition, that means you’re doing something right. Let’s grow the pie together—it’s about partnering. Robert Schaeffler (CEO Devacurl)

“If you know who you are as a brand at your core, no one can come for you, and competition will affect you less.” Carmen Tal (Co-Founder, Moroccanoil)

“Let’s grow the pie together—it’s about partnering.”

Robert Schaeffler

#17 Invest in Self-Care!

“If you say you don’t have time to meditate, you have time to feel like shit. If you’re not taking the time to align, even for five minutes, then you set yourself up to fail.”Gabby Bernstein (International speaker & #1 NYT bestselling author)

#18 THINK BIG

“My goal never changes: It’s to reach my highest evolution in this lifetime.” Suzy Batiz (Founder, Poo-Pourri)

“Dream bigger and let go of the little stuff. After meeting Oprah, I no longer had the luxury of worrying about the label being straight on bottles. I had to think big picture.”Lisa Price (Founder of Carol’s Daughter)

“My goal never changes: It’s to reach my highest evolution in this lifetime.”

Suzy Batiz

#19 “Enjoy the damn ride!”

Every person choosing to pursue the career of their dreams will find unexpected paths & doors to open up and hurdles to overcome. At the end of the day, it`s all about the journey, the search (also within ourselves) for personal growth and success as an extension of our highest self. In the words of Suzy Batiz: “Enjoy the damn ride!”

Inspired by this post? Connect with thousands of other amazing creative women & boss babes of the Create & Cultivate Community and be a part of the next conference in San Francisco on September 21st 2019! Get your tickets here to network with phenomenal women writing “herstory” – I`m sure to be back for this incredible experience. :)