There’s nothing more powerful than the power you feel when you’re wearing clothing that makes you feel phenomenal. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to feel good in what you’re wearing. I’m always on a budget as a young founder, so I’ve gotten pretty good at buying and wearing clothing that isn’t super expensive but still gives me the boss babe energy I want to have. I see the value in also investing in pieces that I’ll keep in my closet through every career phase of my life too!
A staple blazer
Every girl needs a power blazer. I got mine a few years ago from Zara and I’ve had it ever since! For $100, I’ve gotten over 100 wears out of that piece. You want to try a blazer on in-store if you can to ensure the blazer is the right fit since every one is different. I like a black blazer with a satin lining, but no shame in going for a pink or a brown blazer. Play with color and sizing. A boyfriend style blazer may be the one for you.
When I moved to LA and ended up landing a manager, my manager told me to go into Bloomingdale’s and buy some clothing that would be an investment into my business. I didn’t have $1,000 to go into a department store and buy new clothing, but I did go in and buy a few items of quality that I put on my credit card. No shame! I bought 2 pairs of Vince trousers and 3 silk tops that I could wear with jeans or trousers. Though on the pricier side, those wardrobe pieces have gotten so much wear over the past years. You can save or splurge according to your budget, but some brands I like buying workwear staples from are Vince, Theory and Rebecca Taylor. I’ll log on to Poshmark and look for those brands for less all of the time!
A staple for every young women is a dress shirt. You can dress yours up with trousers and heels, or wear it with a a skirt and sneakers. I have a silk black and silk green dress shirt from J.Crew, but both were a bit pricy.
You can find this kind of top at most department stores, so don’t spend money on the first one you see. Shop around and then choose. I’ve bought dress shirts from H&M and New Look in the past that were cheap and they all fell apart, so I would suggest you invest in this piece IF you can.
Last year I walked into Nordstrom and spent a few thousand dollars on a designer bag. I did this as part of a Fearless Fridays post because I wanted to treat myself to something big that I never had before. It’s not the kind of bag I would advise anyone my age to buy because there are a ton of staple bags out there you can find for cheaper! This can be the bag you put your laptop in or the bag you wear out with friends. Like…
There’s nothing more powerful than the power you feel when you’re wearing clothing that makes you feel phenomenal, as a look at Paisley Grace Women’s Boutique will confirm. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to feel good in what you’re wearing. I’m always on a budget as a young founder, so I’ve gotten pretty good at buying and wearing clothing that isn’t super expensive but still gives me the boss babe energy I want to have. I see the value in also investing in pieces that I’ll keep in my closet through every career phase of my life too!
Just a little reminder after the unfortunate passing of a hero yesterday to live every moment to the fullest. The world takes away so many good people for no good reason.
Wearing BCBGMAXAZRIA, ShoeDazzle heels
Hair + Makeup by Zink Salon in Menlo, California
On Saturday I had the honor of presenting a keynote at the Stanford Women in Business conference. It was a truly surreal moment for me. I’ve spoken at colleges across the country but I’m not often in a room with this amount of young women in the audience so the day was one for the books!
I had a lot to say in the hour that I had to speak. Since I figured there would be a lot of questions at the end, I wanted to keep my speech short and focus on the Q&A. Usually I’d present a powerpoint but I started this presentation with a deep dive into my background. From never doing well in school, to what happened with my father when I was little, to writing my first blog post and never giving up…I was eager for every young person in the room to feel the energy behind having a strong drive like I do. As many of them will go on to apply to their dream colleges and eventually their dream jobs, it’s important for them to remember that resilience is a key part is finding success. You can’t take no for an answer!
Other takeaways from the Stanford summit:
Don’t be afraid to talk about your mental health. I was asked a great question about how I decided to talk so openly about my personal mental health on social media, and I answered by saying that I talk about everything I suffer with. It’s not hard for me to be myself or authentic regardless of whether I’m talking to someone online or talking to someone in real life. I steer clear of talking about topics that I haven’t dealt with, and if I think the topic is important, I’ll bring in an expert who has experience on the topic.
To overcome rejection, think of the people you’re emailing as if they’re all gummy bears. I say this because to overcome rejection, you have to overcome the fear of the unknown. When you’re emailing someone, you’re talking to someone that you’ve never met. Why be scared of them not replying when you don’t know them? Think of them like gummy bears!
Be the 1%. I compare entrepreneur’s and unique thinkers to the 1%. 99% of people will follow the traditional path because it’s easier, but 1% of people will create their own path. Everyone in the audience (and everyone reading this post) has the power to be the 1%. You can follow in my footsteps or you can follow in someone else who inspire’s you footsteps, as long as you’re pursuing something that makes YOU feel fulfilled.
For years Audrey McLoghlin obsessed over button-up shirts. How could one shirt be such a staple in a wardrobe for men but not for women? So she grew up with a mom in an abusive relationship, and parent’s who told her to go to college. She was supposed to get a degree, to do something that had a substantial ROI. Audrey studied engineering at Georgia Tech where she left with an engineering degree and still no clue what to do for a career. Until she had the idea to make a shirt for women who were dressing for no one and nothing besides themselves.
Frank & Eileen was born, and then Grayson (named after her 4-year-old daughter, and nope- she’s not married!) and both have been spotted on celebs like Kamala Harris, Ellen, and Reese Witherspoon. I’d say that are dressing for themselves and not proving themselves to anyone, wouldn’t you say so?
This is by far one of my favorite interviews and I hope you love Audrey as much as I do. She’s the kind of person I want to be when I’m older.
Last week I interviewed Audrey, the founder of Grayson and Frank & Eileen. During our interview she mentioned I pick up a book by the founder of Nike, Shoe Dog. I bought the book on Saturday from Barnes and Noble and I’m almost finished with it.
I like to read, but I don’t love reading. Depending on the book, I feel like reading can be more of a chore than an enjoyable activity. I guess I’ve been reading the wrong books.
Here are the BEST books I’ve read over the past years that satisfied my hunger as an entrepreneur, and will likely inspire you as well. I’ve personally read all of the below books and highly suggest them, which is why I kept this list short!
TOP BOOK TO BUY! Aspiring founders, I suggest this book:
Kent & Ryan launched NEURO after meeting in college at the University of California San Diego. Kent was a creative genius- a filmmaker and athlete, while Ryan was also an athlete, competing professionally with a black belt in martial arts. Around the time they met in college, Ryan was involved in a snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him from competing. Both of them started to spend hours upon hours in their dorm room, trying to come up with a product that would energize them and make them stronger in and out of the gym. This would end up being a gum and a mint that would revolutionize the supplement industry. In 2015, within 3 days of launching an Indiegogo campaign, they received 500+ backers and double what they wanted to crowdfund. I was more than inspired by their story of resilience, determination and grit. To be an entrepreneur you need all 3 traits. Plus a dash (more like a serving) of passion 😉 I hope you loved it as much as I loved directing & producing it, which is one of the reasons I wanted to make my own series. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone by trying something that I never expected to do which is directing. Stay tuned for more 🙂
Thank you for watching this series! I hope you loved it as much as I loved directing & producing it, which is one of the reasons I wanted to make my own series. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone by trying something that I never expected to do.
Thank you to all of the entrepreneurs who I interviewed: Chandler Chang, Natasha Case, Milan Costich, Sara Happ & Kent + Ryan. Plus my incredible team for putting these episodes together! It takes a village.
I’m always talking about how bad I am at skincare. It’s probably because I’m a little busy trying to handle way too many tasks at once, so I avoid putting too much time into my skin! The few products I’ve found that I love, I will use for forever. Natural beauty is the best kind of beauty: the less makeup you wear, the cleaner your skin will feel. Many of you are young, so I want you to know that you don’t need to wear ANY makeup to feel beautiful. You’re perfect with or without makeup on.
The picture above is some of the products I always keep in my bag. I never wear makeup on an airplane, but I prep my skin with my moisturizer (I use Klur and Skoah) before I get ready to fly. When I land, I like to refresh with the Leoor Skincare serum. Between their mask and serum, my skin feels clean and healthy during the day. The serum is my favorite at the moment because it’s filled with vitamins and hyaluronic acid – two ingredients that are necessary for your skin to be clean and clear. I’d rather carry a serum in my purse than lipstick because my skin is ALWAYS dry, so the Leeor serum is a nice pick me up in the morning and throughout my busy day.
Aside from those brands, I love my YSL Black Opium spray perfume (I buy the travel size one) and Chantecaille lip gloss. I tried to find a good gloss for years and upon randomly walking into BlueMercury (which is a disturbingly expensive beauty store) I tried on Chantecaille and instantly bought the gloss. It’s not sticky and it lasts for a long time.
If you get a chance to try any of these products, let me know what you think.
I went to film a podcast episode today and my microphone is completely wonked up so I figured if I can’t film the episode today, I’ll write this post and do a long episode on the podcast next week! I was on the East Coast for most of December through New Year’s, which was a long time. I’ve lived on my own since I was 17, so going back home for so long to live under someone else’s roof (hi Mom) is never easy for me! After 2 weeks I pretty much go stir crazy and I begin to miss California. Oddly enough, I thrive here because I’m uncomfortable. That’s why I always advise you to be uncomfortable because that’s how you grow.
A few weeks ago I wrote about why I never make resolutions for a new year. I probably won’t ever make a resolution (I still have many goals!) but one aspect of my life I really wanted to focus on in 2020 was my mindset.
A few weeks ago I was at the Apple store in West Hollywood and I ended up meeting a fan which was a surreal experience for me. A few weeks ago I was next to Reese Witherspoon at the Grove and I’m just here trying to get my laptop fixed while in sweatpants! I thought about the experience (it’s not the first time I’ve been recognized but it’s definitely the first time I have been at such a famous spot) and I realized that for so many years I’ve just put my head down and worked. That’s all I do to this day, but being recognized for my work is awesome because I forget that success comes along with being noticed!
Since I’ve never loved living in LA, I made a goal to stop hating it as much as I did last year. I will never feel like I’m at home here, but the past few weeks have been a bit of a transformation for me. I stopped letting myself hate the traffic and the little things (a lot of narcissistic people!) because I realized that I am right where I’m meant to be. Wherever you are in your life or career, I think we all need to remember that we’re right where we are meant to be. It’s easy to forget that you’re doing whatever the world has planned for you because you might get so caught up in the journey that you forget to look around.
If you refuse to let yourself think of being a “failure” you won’t be. For example, I’m so adamant and set on getting another show that I stop letting my mind trail off into the possibility of never getting another big “yes” because I already got one with my first show. I wasn’t expecting to land Fearless Everyday when I pitched that show, so the fact it happened was exciting and unexpected. Now I’m more prepared and determined for the next show I want.
Anything that occurs once can occur twice. You change your mindset, you change your life.
The next time your mind goes down a negative path, stop yourself. You may not end up with what you’re expecting…you’ll end up with better.
I’m back with a new episode of This is Life Unfiltered, the first of 2020! I sat down with Julie Greenbaum of Fuck Cancer who launched this incredible nonprofit after losing her mom to cancer when she was younger. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own nonprofit, Julie takes me through all of the steps you need to make yours successful!
Listen on all streaming platforms starting today. #LiveLifeUnfiltered
Sara Happ was in her late twenties, working at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut when she began making lip scrub in her kitchen after work. With little money in her savings account, she flew to California to attempt to sell a product that had never been on the market. After landing a few boutiqes across Los Angeles, Sara continued to perfect her lip scrub in her tiny Connecticut kitchen. Within 1 year she left ESPN, took out all of her life savings (under $10k) and launched Sara Happ.
Reese Witherspoon was Sara’s first buy at a small boutique in Brentwood, and People Magazine featured Sara’s girly scrub in their next issue. The rest is history.
Are you willing to risk everything to be successful? At one point you’ll have to choose between security and success as an entrepreneur: how long are you willing to wait?
I’ve been asked a lot of questions since I started blogging in 2011, but the most popular one is how I managed to make this into a full-time career with the competition in the social media industry. Just like any entrepreneur, I’ve learned more from the failures that brought me to where I am today.
How did I get myself on the TODAY show when I was no one?
What about front row at New York Fashion Week when I was 14?
During this 50 minute online course, I’m sitting down with a few of you to take you through the steps of how I made money while I was just starting out, how I got myself into events and on TV, and how I began to approach brands like T-Mobile and British Airways to get myself sponsored.
I get paid to speak at universities, and I didn’t even go!
