Lifestyle – How I Met (Your Brand) is designed to connect people and ideas.

Tannis Spencer

WRITER/DIRECTOR/FOUNDER OF THEMICOLE.COM

How does your craft reflect your personal aesthetic?

I think my personal aesthetic has actually influenced my craft more. I adopted a minimalist aesthetic early in my adult life and that comes across in my work relatively strongly. I’ve really tried to focus on noise reduction in everything I produce and hopefully that’s what sets my work apart.

How have the women in your life been instrumental in your life and career?

Women have been immeasurably instrumental to both my life and career. I’ve been surrounded by such excellent examples of strong women all my life. From my mother being my first role model and someone I attain to consistently make proud to the women I work with professionally who inspire me every day. I joined a sorority in college and have been fortunate enough to literally be surrounded by women that are excelling in every industry. They push me to do my best. My linesisters are a constant motivating factor in my life; we’re all very close. We push each other, we cheer for each other’s victories, and support one another in our downfalls. It’s a friendship I wouldn’t trade for the world. Women are among the strongest, smartest, and resilient people on earth, so I’m rarely surprised when we succeed. I just applaud and hope we keep doing it.

“Two” Trailer – Directed by Tannis Spencer

Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?

First off, I hope to be a participant in these cultural changes so for me it’s always about being authentic and present. Thanks to social media it is a bit easier to stay connected, but to stay ahead of the curve I have to surround myself with people that know more than me. I try to have a diverse group of people in my life that can offer me perspectives I wouldn’t normally think of myself. It’s those sometimes idle conversations that can lead to creating something really innovative and pushing the culture forward.

How do you keep track of your personal and business goals – and stay creative at the same time (even when you’re exhausted)?

My notebook is over flowing with ideas and projects, some of which will likely never see the light of day. I’ve learned to be selective with what I give energy to so that helps keep me on track. Staying creative can be super difficult! We all go through creative droughts but I get inspired when I see other people doing awesome things. That keeps me creative, other peoples success. It makes me try harder.

How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?

I think mentors are very important. Having someone that can help point you in the right direction when you’re at a crossroads can be invaluable. My mentors are generally for less professional needs but they’re people I speak with to find grounding in a lot of my decisions. They’re typically family or very close friends.

What is your advice for women entering creative fields or starting their own business?

No matter, do what you love. I’m still figuring things out myself but what keeps me going is that I’m working towards something I love. I’d also advise other women to really do their research in their craft, do your due diligence and really articulate how you plan on contributing to the culture of whatever it is you’re doing.

Place that inspires me the most… I love sitting on the subway! It’s so fun to imagine what everyone’s life is like, and I draw great inspiration from that. I come up with tons of stories and ideas based on what I think I saw or experienced on the train. You never know what to expect on the subway and I love what that uncertainty can create.

I feel most powerful when… When I’m with people that love me. Not in the authoritative sense but that I feel my most capable, smart, and confident when I’m with those people. That’s powerful to me.

I love what I do because… It makes my heart happy. A funny phrase I know, but it is genuinely true. I’m so fulfilled by my brand and the work I produce because they come from such a pure place. I’m always trying to make my heart happy.

Best advice I have ever received… People are watching even when you think they aren’t.

Connect with Tannis Spencer on the themicole.com!!

A Tale of Two Biddies

NIK ADAMS & EBONI MERRIMAN
NEW 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

ABOUT A TALE OF TWO BIDDIES

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.

Steph Adams

STEPH ADAMS | SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER & FASHION/LIFESTYLE BLOGGER
STEPH ADAMS CREATIVE + STEPHADAMS.COM

How did you get started with your career – and how does your current role reflect your personal aesthetic?

I studied graphic design and marketing for my Bachelor of Arts at Curtain University of Western Australia. I then started working in publishing as a Graphic Designer and Art Director over Vogue in Australia & London before starting my own business; Steph Adams Creative as well as my blog http://www.stephadams.com which is an inspirational blog on beauty, fashion & lifestyle. It’s also an outlet for other brands and clients to get noticed online.

Cultural trends constantly change. What do you do to stay relevant, connected, and ahead of the curve?

I am travelling quite a lot and I find this helps to stay on top of trends as well as providing inspiration for new projects.

How do you keep track of your personal and business goals – and stay creative at the same time (even when you’re exhausted)?

I try and live a balanced and healthy lifestyle to stay on top of everything. I definitely need my sleep if I want to keep up the creativity. Usually if I need inspiration, I will go for a run or walk just to clear my head.

How important are mentors? Who is your mentor?

My husband has been a great mentor to me and my best friend.

What is your advice for women entering creative fields or starting their own business?

That you really must love what you do before you go out and do it, because there are a lot of hard yards and nothing comes easy. Hard work definitely pays off.

Place that inspires me the most… Every new place you go to is inspiring in a different way, my favourite is the South of France.
I feel most powerful when… I’ve just had a boxing session.
I love what I do because… I help people build their brands and businesses and it’s what they are most passionate about and that makes me happy when I see others also achieving their goals.
My idea of success is… I think if you have your health and love what you do as well as having loving family and friends around you, then you are successful.
Best advice I have ever received… “You have a brain in your head and feet in your shoes, you can move yourself whichever way you choose.” – Dr Seuss

Follow Steph Adams on Instagram: @StephAdams2012 and Facebook: Beauty Fashion Lifestyle by Steph Adams!

About Steph Adams:

Steph Adams is a former-model-turned-art-director-and-designer who has been working in the fashion industry and collaborating with brands for over 20 years. She is the founder of Steph Adams Creative, a boutique design studio with a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle clientele -specializing in luxury and commercial branding. She also runs StephAdams.com, a lifestyle blog that documents her musings on beauty, fashion, photography and travel. Her works have been featured on British Vogue, Vogue Australia, Elle, Net-a-porter, Conde Nast Traveller, Harpers Bazaar (UK & AUS), Grazia, Vogue Living, Marie Claire (UK & AUS), House and Garden, Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Entertaining and Travel, Fox Sports, Channel Nine, Donna Hay, Stylerunner, Ausmode, Styledby, Miss Moncur, etc.