Kori Dyer & Kirsten Pincket, Founders of Dearest Creative
Read MoreAriel Lopez
Image of Ariel Lopez c/o Innov8tiv.com
Ariel Lopez is a career coach at General Assembly - and founder of 2020Shift, a social enterprise that is designed to educate black and latino millennials on careers in the technology space. I was most impressed by Ariel's work with 2020Shift - dedicated to setting students and recent graduates up for success, but most importantly filling the diversity gap with talent by providing resources and professional development. As an avid public speaker, Ariel enjoys sharing her expertise in digital media and technology and loves connecting people to opportunities. Luckily for Ariel, the things she loves the most is reflective of her day job, which allows her the freedom to cultivate her passion into profitable and innovative ideas to inspire others to pursue their career goals.
CAREER COACH AT GENERAL ASSEMBLY & FOUNDER OF 2020SHIFT
NEW YORK, NY
"I think it's just about putting yourself out there. A lot of business connections have happened because of a tweet or a LinkedIn message. You have to find what channels work best for you/your brand and be active in them."
How does your craft reflect your personal aesthetic?
My craft reflects the things that matter to me the most. I've always had a passion for helping people and as a coach I get to do that. 2020Shift is designed to help people elevate in their careers so I'm doing the same in that regard as well. I would also say I fell in love with tech as soon as I started working in the industry. It's extremely important for me to be a catalyst to help others find success as well.
How have the women in your life been instrumental in your life and career?
I would say my mom has been the most influential person in both my life and my career. My drive and work ethic are a reflection of how I was raised. My mom always said that you can be whatever you want to be and that your current circumstances don't define your future. I held on to those words and it helped shape the determination that has carried me through my career thus far.
"In terms of finding a mentor, network as much as you can and don't force any relationships; let them happen naturally. You'll have a gut feeling on who should be a mentor or not."
Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?
I think it's just about putting yourself out there. A lot of business connections have happened because of a tweet or a LinkedIn message. You have to find what channels work best for you/your brand and be active in them.
How do you keep track of your personal and business goals – and stay creative at the same time (even when you’re exhausted)?
I make a point to have vision boards for every year; you'd be surprised how things magically come into fruition. I also recently went Being Mary Jane-ish in my apartment - hanging up small affirmations. Success is definitely a mental battle; if you can stay positive and on track, you'll accomplish your goals much easier.
How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?
Mentors are super important and I have a few. I have advisors that are mentors, students and friends. I'm usually giving people advice, but learn the most about myself in those conversations. In terms of finding a mentor, network as much as you can and don't force any relationships; let them happen naturally. You'll have a gut feeling on who should be a mentor or not.
"I have a love-hate situation with NYC, but it's the most inspiring city in the world. When I wake up I automatically think: hustle. It's becomes a way of life."
What is your advice for women entering creative fields or starting their own business?
Go after what you want and negotiate what you deserve (for those entering creative fields). For women starting their own business, keep your purpose and mission top of mind; that helps with riding the crazy roller coaster that is entrepreneurship.
Place that inspires me the most...
I have a love-hate situation with NYC, but it's the most inspiring city in the world. When I wake up I automatically think: hustle. It's becomes a way of life.
I feel most powerful when...
I'm teaching or speaking in public. I love engaging with people and hearing their feedback; it's also an amazing feeling to hear, "You inspired me to do XYZ."I love what I do because...I live in my purpose and I make an impact at the same time
Best advice I have ever received...
"You attract what you believe you're worth." I make an effort to shift my mindset to things that I want and believe I'm capable of doing.Connect with Ariel Lopez on 2020Shift, General Assembly, Twitter, and LinkedIn!
Quiana Parks
QUIANA PARKSNEW YORK CITYDJ & FOUNDER OF DJ FOR A CURE
DJ Quiana (Quiana Parks) describes a day in her life as, “… a roller coaster of art, music, and expression, but focus is the essence.” Although Quiana never has a set schedule, she has her daily rituals: fitness routines and above all – prayer.
Music started at home for Quiana and it does not come as a surprise that she would eventually follow her path as a DJ, "Growing up everything in my household came with a personal playlist: cleaning, homework, family time, summer gatherings, and everything else in between. I owe it to my parents for my wide span awareness of different genres and the development of my love to DJ."
Quiana has been cancer-free for nine years, but when she was diagnosed with lymphoma – she remembers feeling completely numb, “I did not feel anything until I looked in the mirror. I would not look at it. But, when I did – that was when it really hit me… I hate chemo. Chemo was not my friend. I know it helped me, but it was more like a mean teacher there to help. I could not stand it.” It was a challenging time, but Quiana drew her strength and resilience from a higher source: God. She was not DJ’ing during her chemo sessions, but when Quiana overcame the battle in 2005 – it propelled her to start DJ For A Cure, a foundation that aligned her craft with a cause that she strongly believed in. DJ For a Cure aims to educate, support, and raise the awareness of cancer - by gathering DJs, visionaries, and survivors who use their creativity to empower patients and connect them through the power of music.
PUMA® and DJ Quiana Parks will kick off the summer with DJ For a Cure's 2nd event on June 26th in New York City (flyer below). There will be board games, prizes from Krink, music by DJs Austin Millz and Charles Browne, and hosted by DJ Kiss and Chef Roblé. Quiana will also be auctioning off one of her oil paintings as a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
As a cancer survivor, what advice would you give to women who are going through the same thing you went through? Put yourself in the mind frame that you are cured. No matter how things look, there are two ways you can come out of a situation: feeling ugly – with a veil of fear OR having faith – and the beauty of never giving up.
Where can we learn more about DJ For A Cure? How can we help out? www.djforacure.com and www.twitter.com/djforacure – for more info check out the website and please donate to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!
How have the women in your life been instrumental in your life and career? My mother introduced me to music. My sister supports me in everything I do. My mentors DJ Kiss and Sapphira M. HIll guide me along the way.
Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve? I just try to be myself and never worry about the trends.
How do you keep track of your personal and business goals – and stay creative at the same time (even when you’re exhausted)? My sister Qyera keeps me balanced with all that I do!
How important are mentors? Who is your mentor? DJ Kiss and Sapphira are amazing and influential women who have helped me when Google could not, haha.
What place inspires you the most? Art Basel for their amazing music and artists.
When do you feel most powerful? When I am behind the DJ booth and everyone is dancing – even that one person in the room that you never thought in a million years would bust out a move, haha – that is when I feel most powerful.
Why do you love what you do? I get to live for a living.
Define your idea of success. Happiness.
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Follow Quiana Parks on Instagram!
A Tale of Two Biddies
NIK ADAMS & EBONI MERRIMANNEW YORK CITY LIFESTYLE BLOGGERS, A TALE OF TWO BIDDIES
Describe a day in the life of Nik and Eboni of A Tale of Two Biddies.
Both of our days typically start really early. We try and get in some stretching or sun salutations and really reflect on what we're trying to accomplish. Words of encouragement to ourselves in the mirror or writing out our gratitude mantras are super important to us. It's a form of self-care to really prepare us to face this jungle of a city. During our commutes, we're clutching coffee, looking over emails and exchanging ideas to one another via text, really mapping out A Tale of Two Biddies for the day. After work, we have school! Both in degree programs, Nik has a class twice a week and Eboni is taking courses online so we give attention to that and then it's Biddie time. If we have an event, we refresh and head to that but if not we'll work on what's next for the blog and brand. Eboni's job allows for her to work on ATOTB things during the day while Nik is the night owl and tackles a lot, burning the midnight oil, with a pot of green tea by her side.
How did you get started with A Tale of Two Biddies? How does your lifestyle publication and brand reflect your personal aesthetic?
We started the blog as a platform for "the unknown"; we wanted to shed light on the talented people we came into contact with. The small businesses we support (Small Business Spotlight) and more personally, to have a space that is ours to publish with no restrictions – to be our own boss. Since then it's grown into so much more but the site and brand really reflect what we love or what we are into at any given time. It's a big hub for any creative person to find new things to try and places to go. Even the blog layout reflects our personal aesthetic; we're lovers of anything black and gold and that's engrained in our logo and site design.
Define "biddie".
"Biddie" is a slang word used mostly in the 90s. It describes a very feminine woman - sometimes sexual, often intoxicated. And like many slang words, we wanted to take back this word and use it for something positive.
YES, WE ARE VERY FEMININE. Yes, we've taken hold of our sexuality. Yes, sometimes, we're intoxicated. But, a "biddie" is much more than this.
We have tangible dreams and goals. We're all about pulling up our fellow (wo)man to help them achieve their goals as well. We love hard and we care about the world around us and its issues.
Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?
Cultural trends change so often that we think it's important to do your own thing. When you find the thing that you love, own it and don't stray just because society is moving a certain way. However, because of the blog we have, we know it's important to stay abreast of everything that's happening. We do that by being active users of our social media outlets, staying current with various blogs and being Tumblr enthusiasts.
How do you balance your personal and business goals and stay creative at the same time (even when you are exhausted)?
We feel like balance is super important to stay on track. We both keep daily to-do lists and utilize the notes and calendar app on our phones.
Nik uses her time at night before bed to meditate and reflect on her goals.
Eboni uses her early morning time to work on gratitude and putting goals into the Universe.
How important are mentors? Who are your mentors?
Mentors are essential to everyone! Find one if you don't have one.
Nik's mentors are her aunts. They taught her self-love, work ethic, pride, and the importance of education. Also Jodie Samson is a friend of hers, she was one of the first people who truly believed in her dreams and motivated her to work for them.
Eboni’s mentor is her mother. She's always been a businesswoman and so wise about life, being creative and pushing until you reach your goals. She was one of the first people that told her she didn't have to go the conventional route to be successful.
What is your advice for women entering creative fields or starting their own business?
Don't ever be afraid to take a chance. Your dreams should always scare you! Always remember that. You have to really just take that initial leap of faith and put fear in the backseat because the fear doesn't go away, you have to find a way to push past it and believe in what you're adding to the world. Don't let people put you in a box either. Go for yours.
Place that inspires us the most:
Nik is inspired by Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There's something about North 5th St Pier that reminds her that she has a major purpose to fulfill in life and never to let anything or anyone get in the way of that.
Eboni is inspired by the bookstore. It's one place where she can take her laptop, spend the whole day, and get more work done than she would anywhere else.
We feel most powerful when:
We feel most powerful when we click publish and another article is published in A Tale of Two Biddies. We know that with each article, we're supporting someone else's dreams in some way, expanding our reach, introducing people to new things, making folks think, and changing the status quo. It's a thrill.
We love what we do because:
We inspire people more than we think. Our drive, our consistency, professionalism, and our enthusiasm about what we do are uplifting to folks that rarely see two African-American girls in their 20's doing. Plus, we're breaking chains! We're letting young girls and women anywhere know that it is okay to love and BE themselves.
Define your idea of success:Our idea of success is happiness, peace, doing something you love, but also being able to give back to your community. Traveling, being free to be as creative as possible and bringing our friends along for the ride are also high on our list.
Best advice we have ever received:
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" - Mahatma Gandhi
A Tale of Two Biddies is a lifestyle publication and brand started by two young women on a quest for creative freedom and independence. We cover a variety of subjects such as art, culture, events, trends, food, music and much more. We aim to enrich our community by highlighting creatives within our reach, contributing to organizations dedicated to uplifting our environment and spotlighting all types of small businesses. We hope to spread positivity and a message that women can be multidimensional and the only thing stopping you from breaking from society's box is that initial leap of faith. We hope you come away with from Biddie experience with a new way of thinking, new connections and unlimited inspiration.
Shawna Strayhorn
Photo Credit: Amelia Alpaugh
SHAWNA STRAYHORN | NEW YORK CITYDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE AT REFINERY 29
How did you get started with your career? How does your current role as Director of Business Intelligence at Refinery29 reflect your personal aesthetic?
I graduated from Harvard in 2007. From there, I went into management consulting, a ripe business training ground. I quickly pivoted into e-commerce marketing and finally, just over 3 years ago, landed at Refinery29, coming onboard as the first marketing hire and the 13th employee. The ethos of Refinery29 is to cultivate personal style by mixing high and low and distilling down to only the very best. My personal style aesthetic draws on the same principals - mix designer with 125th street, vintage with so-this-season pieces. But, in the end, tie a look together with one eye-popping element, many times in black, and let the look sing.
Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?
I believe there are two types of people in the "world": those that use the Internet to connect, explore, and discover in a true and deep way and those that do not, simply. What do I mean by true and deep -- that is, a rejection of the rinse-and-repeat nature of social media that engages only with the ideas, people, music, style, and friends that one is already familiar with in the human world. What is the point? Why sit at a wellspring of information and culture only to redraw the lines of your locality time and again? I use a reader to comb through content voraciously, follow links liberally, and seek inspiration for essays to read and songs to listen, etc. In addition, my city and neighborhood are fully-formed pillars of inspiration; many New York men and women style with effortless cool and Harlemites embrace pattern and bold shapes. Lately, I have been drawn to album art for inspiration. The project of bringing music to visual life in a small square is lofty (i.e., seeing sounds) and limiting (i.e., fixed space).
How do you balance your personal and business goals and stay creative at the same time (even when you are exhausted)?
I let technology work for me and eliminate the white noise. I am laser-focused on what needs to be done now and, in doing so, free myself up to dream, to fellowship. I use an email app to keep my inbox at 0 messages as frequently as possible. I push email reminders to myself (i.e., drinks, dates, plays, networking events) and delay messages and to-do items until they are absolutely time-critical. I save music, files, inspiration images, and documents to the cloud. I consume my news from RSS feeds in one central place (Feedly). My approach is not to let how I do the work impede me from doing the work. Mitigate the friction, make it easy, and get to the good, creative stuff.
I do my best thinking in the mornings. I rise about 5:30 each morning and take an hour to read, answer emails, and do some of the big picture thinking that only a good night's sleep can afford.
In my transition to business school, I faced the seemingly daunting task of committing my business goals to essays - a cathartic experience. In hindsight, I'm thankful for the exercise - my goals in 500 words double-spaced. Do I expect to pursue them down to the letter? No. But, the path as it stands, is mapped out. I expect detours.
Photo Credit: Amelia Alpaugh
How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?
Mentors are mission-critical. The best mentors, personal or professional, have a point of view that they want to impress upon you. It is simply not enough for a mentor to be someone "who achieves." A mentor not only achieves, but also has a credo on how she gets the job done and the language and perspective to pass on her knowledge. My life mentor is Jennifer Nash, Assistant Professor of American Studies at The George Washington University. I met Jen at Harvard; she was pursuing her PhD and I was pursuing my Bachelor's degree in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
Define your idea of success.
Success is legacy - what positive thing will people remember you for and did it have impact beyond yourself.
What is your advice for women entering creative fields or starting their own business?My advice for those looking to get into fashion marketing is to have an editor’s eye for impeccable style and value, to sharpen your business acumen and analytical skills, and to be results driven.
Place that inspires me the most:
A specific place does not inspire me. However, I feel most inspired when I give myself time to think. It seems so intuitive. But, in the rush of life, time to "just think" is precious. If I have an hour, I'll spend nearly 45 minutes thinking about the problem -- what went wrong, what is up, what is down, and why. In a phrase, I like to put the problem back into problem-solving - don't rush the solution. Get intimate with the problem, get what the real rub is, and get it right.
I feel most powerful when:
I wear lipstick and arrive 20 minutes early.
I love what I do because:
I have the pleasure of gazing upon stunning, beautifully composed images daily. I derive such pleasure from being able to refine and focus my taste overtime and to appreciate and prop up things that are beautiful and special to me. My most rewarding career experience is leading Refinery29′s growth efforts. Through aggressive acquisition efforts, I lead Refinery29′s audience development growing the email database by 200% in one year.
Best advice I have ever received:
Your inner-circle should be filled with people who are willing, able, and esteemed enough to challenge you and tell you "no."
About Refinery29Refinery29, the largest independent fashion and style website in the United States, is a lifestyle platform that delivers nonstop inspiration to live a more stylish and creative life. In addition to its global and local newsletter editions and 24/7 original editorial content, Refinery29 connects over 10 million visitors every month and over 1.25 million subscribers with content, commerce, and community, giving them all the tips, tricks, and tools they need to live a more beautiful life – and share it with the world.
Marinell Montales
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Image c/o Marinell Montales
MARINELL MONTALES | JERSEY CITYPHOTOGRAPHER & FOUNDER OF DOWNTOWN, NATCH!
Describe a day in the life of Marinell Montales in one sentence.
I wake up, check Instagram and Twitter feeds, then my two go-to fashion blogs (manrepeller.com & whowhatwear.com before getting to The Warehouse Cafe -- once there, I drink coffee, read/send emails, start/finish graphic design jobs, update Facebook pages I manage as a freelance social media strategist, drink more coffee, check downtownnatch.com, have a late dinner with boyfriend, and watch HGTV until I fall asleep.
How did you get started with Downtownnatch.com – and how does it reflect your personal aesthetic?
Back in college, a friend of mine, Rachel, started her own personal style blog and I was her photographer. But it was tough to keep it going consistently because we were both busy in school and I didn't have my own camera (we were borrowing her dad's point and shoot digital one), so that blog only lasted a few months. I got the shutterbug from that whole experience, so I saved up some money and bought myself a nice Sony NEX-5 and created Downtown, Natch!
Running a streetstyle blog is an opportunity for me to find inspiration and clarity of thought with regard to my own aesthetics. I pick up tons of design cues by photographing so many people, each with diverse styles, and some with similar styles that they've reinterpreted in a unique way. This keeps my aesthetic fresh and helps me stay away from having a cookie-cutter approach to my graphic design work.
Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?
Man, oh man, it is not easy. Admittedly, I have yet to reach the top of this statistical bell curve, especially in the world of streetstyle blogging. You have your household names -- The Sartorialist, Street Peeper, Tommy Ton -- we're talking about heavy hitters here that I can't even dare to imagine being ahead of even if I take Downtown, Natch! outside the bounds of Jersey City and go international, which I don't plan on doing.
On a smaller, geographical scale, however, I think it's safe to say that more and more people are taking note of Downtown, Natch! But that makes staying relevant and ahead of the curve even more challenging. With overactive Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds, everyone is drowning in each other's enterprise, and trying to stay ahead of the curve ends up becoming counter-productive. Sometimes it's good to put the blinders on and have that tunnel vision to just keep doing what I do for as long as it feels right.
Downtown Natch
How do you keep track of your personal and business goals – and stay creative at the same time (even when you’re exhausted)?
I don't. Ha! I'm trying out this new thing where I set commitments instead of goals. A few months ago, I found this NYT interview with Hugh Martin where he talks about the concept of goals versus commitments. He made a lot of sense, and his advice really resonated with me. What I took away from it is that setting goals is like creating a bucket list of things that you wish you could achieve -- they mostly lie sometime in the hazy future and are very vague. Committing to something, on the other hand, is like "a firm handshake"--you hold yourself accountable and reap the consequences of failing to meet that commitment.
So now I often ask myself "which projects can I really commit to?" This has been a good exercise for staying wildly, creatively ambitious without being delusional. So far, it has allowed me to keep myself in check, measure my accomplishments, know my limits, and stay true to my passion of creating and making things happen.
How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?
Mentors are definitely important, especially for creative folks like me. It's so easy to talk yourself out of things and very difficult to police yourself as a freelancer, so having one or two people who can be your voice of reason and protective figures is one way to keep sane. I have three people whom I call mentors:
My former boss, Danae Ringelmann.
Danae is one of the founders of Indiegogo. During my time with Indiegogo, she instilled in me that being happy at work is fundamentally important. You have to like/feel connected to what you do everyday because your attitude towards what you do make your impact greater and your own personal happiness higher as well.
My boyfriend, John T. Trigonis.
I don't know anyone else in the world who's as determined as this man. If one of these days, he wakes up and tells me he's going to be a storm chaser because it's his new passion, I wouldn't doubt him for a second. His approach to life is so fucking admirable that I have to use profanity to talk about it. He is my voice of reason. He gives me the mental push I need whenever I feel reluctant about jumping into new adventures and making crucial decisions. This guy is a prize, and I'm lucky I won him over.
My parents (okay, technically this makes the number of people I call mentors four, but I consider them a tag-team).
My mom and dad put the hustle in my genes. I'm a hard-worker because I come from a hard-working family. My parents don't usually say much about my personal and professional choices, which doesn't mean that they don't care. I know that their quiet yet confident nod of approval is their way of telling me that I'm onto something meaningful. My mom and dad are precisely the pillars for which my self confidence is built on. They keep me going.
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What is your advice for women interested in getting into photography?
Commit to it! The initiative is not gonna come from anywhere but yourself, so just get up, go out, and start shooting photos. Even if you don't own a camera, you can still use your phone's camera and practice composition. Once you get the camera that you want and you're willing to spend more money, take classes. If you're an introvert like me, find tutorials on YouTube and teach yourself how to use it.
Every skill that I have now –– from graphic design and photography to social media marketing –– I learned by doing. It's not about the resources, it's about your resourcefulness.
Place that inspires me the most: Coffee shops.
Most cafes in Downtown Jersey City have that environment that is conducive to creativity and therefore attract creative minds. I love to eavesdrop and listen to what other people are dreaming up. I also enjoy meeting new people, and although I'm that person who wears a DND (Do Not Disturb) face to avoid small talk and other distractions because I'm usually a bit timid, I appreciate time spent talking to others and learning about his or her creative process, habits, plight, etc, because ultimately, it leaves me motivated and inspired.
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I feel most powerful when: I stick to my guns.
Sometimes I can be very accommodating as far as executing my ideas when collaborating with other people, mainly because I want to avoid friction. This attribute that I've always known to a be a good trait to have turned out to be hurting my personal growth. When I say "sticking to my guns," I mean having the power to say "no." I learned that it's okay to disagree with someone especially if it means refusing to compromise on something that speaks to your authentic self.
I love what I do because:I do what I love.
My idea of success is: personal gratification.
Since turning 28 this year, I was blinded by the idea of notoriety, so I made a personal goal to make it into some 30 under 30 list. (See what happens when you set goals?) And then I asked myself: "Self, why would you want anyone else to validate your achievements but you?" If everything we do is catered to appease others and solicit recognition, we'll never achieve happiness, would we?
Best advice I have ever received: Don't take anything personally.
Follow Marinell on Instagram and Twitter --- and check out Downtown, Natch!
About Downtown, Natch!Downtown, Natch! is currently Jersey City’s first and only streetstyle blog. In addition to photographing around town, Marinell is a freelance social media strategist and graphic designer. You can also spot her sipping on Intelligentsia coffee at The Warehouse Café.
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Chloe-Lynn Ordonez
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CHLOË-LYNN ORDOÑEZFounder & Designer of Clo Hair Bows + Clo Bow Ties
Describe a day in the life of Chloë-Lynn Ordoñez:
I wake up and snooze for 10 minutes. Before my alarm goes off again, either I'll sleep or I'll check Instagram, see what's new on Feedly, and lightly scan my emails. I get out of bed and immediately make it -- I feel that accomplishing something so small and insignificant first thing in the morning prepares me for whatever else the day will throw at me (which hopefully will be bigger and more significant things).
When it's time for me to begin my day, I put on some music and take a look at my to do list from the day before. I jot down whatever I wasn't able to complete (along with new tasks) onto a fresh sheet of grid paper. While doing this, I'm checking emails and scheduling my day in half-hour or hour blocks on Google Calendar. This helps me split my time between all my projects, since I tend to be the type of person who has to start and finish something immediately, which isn't always a good thing. A typical day for me in terms of my freelancing, office work and actual manual labor (sewing, cutting, gluing, etc.) for Clo Hair Bows can be from 9AM to 12AM, so my Google calendar will be pretty with lots of colors.However, if I am freelancing for an agency (read: day job), then my usual 12-15 hour days will be split up further between the weekdays, squeezed into the hours of 6PM to 1AM, and take up most of my weekends. I couldn't really get into the specifics of my day, as it would bore the hell out of you -- but you should definitely know that while I try to plan my time ahead and write everything down -- nothing, and I mean NOTHING goes by how I schedule it! Wearing many hats and doing it all on your own doesn't give way to the comfort of normalcy.
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What’s the history behind Clo Hair Bows – what propelled you to start it (how did you come up with the name) – and how does Clo Hair Bows reflect your personal aesthetic?Long story short, in the winter of 2010 when I lived in San Diego, California -- I had set out for my "IT" accessory for the upcoming new year. I played around with the thought of accent jewelry or an article of clothing that people could associate me with, but those just weren't things I was able to keep up with in terms of trends and funds. I woke up one morning and decided on hair bows. I went to the mall but the options were slim not to mention, poorly made! I inspected what the big name stores made and thought -- hey, I could make this. So I left the mall, bought a travel sewing kit and a spool of ribbon from a craft store. The rest, surprisingly became my current side hustle!Clo Hair Bows was actually not the first name I had conjured up (it's the third!). One evening, I mentioned this random thought of making and selling handmade hair bows to my friends, and someone had called me Clo Bow... If only other things came as easy as that.As a person, I am all over the place -- my thoughts, my ideas, my opinions -- I am an array of so many things which is why my hair bows are really my perfect accessory. I offer many options in styles and colors that I can literally pick a bow for any outfit, any mood, or any message I am trying to convey. What were fundamental steps you followed before starting your business?Experimenting with what I already had was my very first step. I measured, cut, sewed, and jotted down notes on everything I did until I had my bows looking exactly how I wanted them to look. You cannot build a business on something that you do not know the in's and out's of.The next step was seeing if people were even into hair bows anymore, because I know the last time I had worn one was in '86! I celebrated my birthday [in 2011] with a bunch of girlfriends and as a thank you, I mailed each of them a handmade hair bow. The response was so tremendous and my friends were so encouraging about my newfound venture that I created an Etsy account and began selling them.Looking back three years ago, it was easy to get caught up in the idea of "hey I'm gonna sell this and money is just gonna poooour in" -- but that was definitely not the case. I learned about photo styling, did research on how to write better product details, I read about how to promote your business in social media sites, all the while balancing an internship and going to school full-time. So it was important for me to know exactly how to make Clo Hair Bows work for me, rather than me work for it -- by using what I had available to me in the time I was able to devote to it.
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What challenges did you face when building Clo Hair Bows from scratch? How did you overcome such challenges?The first challenge I faced was that I had no idea how to use PayPal or even shop on Etsy, let alone make a store! But thankfully they were easy to learn and get accustomed to. My second challenge was overcoming the negative feedback I had received in terms of the pricing of my bows. While many people may think buying a $1.50 pair of bows from an accessory store at the mall is good enough -- My product not only is handmade but it is a symbol of my time, my effort, and the devotion I have for my brand. I would not sell you something that I thought wasn't good enough, as I am a perfectionist by nature. And the people that purchase my bows know this -- which is why I can overcome any feelings of defeat when someone chooses not to purchase from me.It’s empowering to see women making moves in the scene like you — how have the women in your life been instrumental in developing your hustle?I'm very thankful for the many women who I've come across who tell me they love Clo Hair Bows. Hearing their stories and their requests for new styles of bows, or even seeing their pictures and hearing how they use my product is what really motivates me to keep going.A huge part in what helps develop myself and Clo Hair Bows has been meeting other women who are making their marks into the world. To know there is someone else out there who is working hard at doing what they want (or in my case, something I didn't even know I wanted), in addition to going to school or tending to their families, along with rushing for that morning coffee to survive 8 hours in a cubicle, only to come home to work even more -- is sort of a superhero trait I admire. It's the fact that these women work literally 20+ hours a day with the desire to be discovered, that makes the struggles and failures all worthwhile.
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What do you think it takes to make it in this business, especially for women?Have faith in yourself and your message. Surround yourself with people who not only inspire you, but encourage you to do better and provide you with support. Stay grounded and in tune with why you began doing what you do in the first place.Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?Because your business is prone to expanding once people discover you, you need to multitask, keep organized, and above all... do research! And the way I like to research is by reading blogs! Bloggers are HUGE right now, no matter if your blog is about food, fashion, or your art... having a space for what you like and what you do will always be discovered and taken into consideration by someone like me. I live off RSS feeds!How has social media shaped Clo Hair Bows? What’s your favorite platform? Why?I've done them all -- Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram but my favorite (as of right now) is my blog (www.clohairbows.com) which is run on Wordpress. It seems to be the easiest way to get my message across all spectrums thanks to their 'publicize' option, and easy is always better when you're busy!
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How do you keep track of personal & business goals, prioritize projects, and stay creative at the same time – even when you're exhausted?I try to be as organized as I possibly can! I stay on top of my projects and goals by writing out lists (in multiple places). The three main things that have helped me prioritize and keep track of my daily to-do's are 1) my 5x8 inch three-ring binder (complete with grid paper), 2) scheduling my day in Google Calendar, and 3) writing down a single task on a Post-It, then sticking them on the nearest wall in order of priority.To stay creative, anything goes: an impromptu trip to NYC, perusing my RSS feeds or repinning things on Pinterest (this is probably the one thing I tend to do while laying in bed), creating mood boards from images I find on the internet, and flipping through the pages of a Japanese fashion magazines.What are your must-have tools or apps to run your day-to-day grind? What kind of gadgets would we find on your desk or in your bag?My must-have tools on my workspace are my iMac, sewing machine, scissors, sewing kit, P-Touch labeler (geek!), double-sided tape, and rotary cutter. In my bag, you'd find a pen pouch stuffed with fine point ball point pens, Staedtler pens and markers, a Moleskine expanding pocket portfolio (for collecting small, random items), and my iPhone charger. The apps that keep me going are Wordpress, Gmail, Feedly, Camera+, USPS Mobile, Pinterest, and iHeart Radio.
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In a fast-paced industry where last-minute-anything can happen, what's your fail-proof, go-to outfit that will last from morning meetings to evening events?I'd have to go with a pair of dark denim Uniqlo leggings, a pair of comfortable flats, a not-too-loose-fitting solid tee dressed up with a light cardigan (that I'd hopefully be lugging around in my Madewell Transport Tote). And a Clo Hair Bow!!!!How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?Mentors guide us in all aspects, I believe in one way or another we've all served as a mentor to someone and in turn, someone (unknowingly) has served as one for us. The number one mentors in my life are, of course, my parents. My father has been my strength and financial teacher, while my mother has been my nurturer and personal fashion icon (don't tell her that though!). Another mentor -- not really in terms of guidance but in terms of someone who I can learn with, is Hazel (of Sewbie). We have both jumped ship into the deep ocean of heading our own businesses. She keeps me motivated, encourages my ideas, is honest with me, and is always by my side when I need to go out and look for inspiration by either taking a class or just roaming the city.
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Clo Bow Pins will be available on May 27
Define your idea of success:I don't know what my idea of success is. I'm still trying to catch my big break in whatever creative outlet allows me to be myself and do what I do, how I want to do it. I'd imagine that "success" wouldn't be so much of a lifestyle I'd be attaining from all my hard work, but rather the sense of accomplishment from completing the goals I've set for myself, then grabbing a pen and paper so I can write down what goals to work on tomorrow. I guess in a sense, success is a destination to me... a pin on a map that I look at and say, "I'll go there some day". Destinations don't really mean shit -- it's about the journey you take to get there.
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Clo Hair Bows - Blue for Blue
What were Clo Hair Bow’s top achievements in 2012? What should we expect from Clo Hair Bows this year?Having started Clo Hair Bows in 2010 and finally making the move to make a name for myself in 2011 -- 2012 was incredible! I made new friends and connections with people who were discovering my bows. I began the hashtag #clohairbows on Instagram, which to this day still gives me goosebumps whenever a new picture shows up in the feed! I buckled down and got serious with more projects: offering bows as party favors, creating special orders, experimenting with fabric, and attempting to try getting my name out on social networks (which I'm still trying to do!).2013 is already more than I could have ever anticipated -- I've begun selling my bows in person at personally hosted brunches and birthday parties (Clo Bowtiques!). I'm coming out with more and more styles of Clo Bows to choose from, and finally will be introducing new products this coming Spring and Summer. This year also brings collaborations with other small businesses, so watch out for those!
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Marvel comics clip-on Clo Bow Tie will be available on May 20
What's your advice for other women entering creative fields or starting their own business?Do your research. Stay inspired. Know your competition. Grow with your business. Always keep learning and improving. Don't be hurt by those who don't support your brand, and always be thankful to those who do.
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Follow Clo Hair Bows on Twitter!Like Clo Hair Bows on Facebook!Hashtag: #CLOHAIRBOWS
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About the brand, Clo Hair Bows:Chloë, the designer and maker of Clo Hair Bows began making hair bows in the winter of 2010 out of the sheer need for them to be her IT accessory for the upcoming year.She searched high and low, but nothing was what she wanted: too expensive, glued together, and poorly made. After much thought and a little money in her pocket, she went to the local craft store and bought some ribbon. Needless to say, she made herself a hair bow — but what to do with all that extra ribbon?She used up the rest of the material, making more hair bows and giving them to her girlfriends who later encouraged her to sell them on Etsy.Clo Hair Bows has been a positive journey in her interest in crafts and sewing. In addition to selling on Etsy, she also sells on the awesome new marketplace, Sewbie.She loves sharing her bows with those who enjoy shopping handmade. To know that someone has spent time on something you own, and packaged it especially for you is a whole other experience than shopping at the mall!Please visit official blog for Clo Hair Bows — there you can subscribe/follow her on WordPress to find out what’s new, what she's up to, and see some things that give her inspiration to make more Clo Bows for you!
Lanie Alabanza-Barcena
Lanie Alabanza-Barcena, Designer
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