The Create & Cultivate team flew across the country from our L.A. HQ to bring the heat to Miami for our Vision Summit held at the inspiring Brickell City Center. Attendees experienced a jam-packed day of panel conversations and workshops from leading businesswomen, content creators, and visionaries who are changing the game and redefining success for generations to come.
This was an event to remember. But if you couldn’t make it then keep scrolling for all the major soundbites from the day including career advice from model turned entrepreneur, Karolina Kurkova.
The Euphoria Effect: A conversation on the new diverse landscape changing the beauty game
Panelists:
Breanna Chevolleau | Content Creator, Mini Marley
Sarah Kieny | Senior Director of Marketing, DeMert Brands
Dianna Hughes | Content Creator, Follow Dee
Myisha Procter | Regional Director & Personal Business Development Coach, Rodan + Fields
Clementine Desseaux | Activist, Entrepreneur, Model, Bonjour Clem
Stephane Colleu | President and CEO, Dr. Brandt
Moderator:
Kelly Saks | On-Air Style Expert and Content Creator, Kellysaks.com
On copycats:
Breanna Chevolleau: “Whenever you are a creative, putting something out there, it’s always a risk. That is something you do have to deal with but I do love that creators are holding each other accountable.”
On growing a community online:
Clementine Desseaux: “It starts with authenticity, with yourself. I don’t think you can attract a real community of people who care about you if you’re not real online too. When they meet me (in person) they see I am the same girl you see online. I am trying to replicate that with my charity—authenticity, diversity, representation—real bodies, real women stories.”
On authenticity on Instagram:
Clementine Desseaux: “I think it can be both. I think it (Instagram) can be inspiring, relatable, and raw all at the same time— it doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Dianna Hughes: “I try to take my Instagram family with me through things that I go through. I do the same thing when I am working with brands.”
Clementine Desseaux: “People want more real and relatable. It is growing and I see more people going that way online. I want inspiration but I want to tell myself I can look like that, I can achieve that because it’s real.”
On Growing Instagram:
Clementine Desseaux: “I think the connection can be lost quite easily if you don’t really grow it. It is like a relationship. If you don’t put in your best effort or spend time on it, it is going to die.”
On working with influencers:
Sarah Kieny: “Our influencers are like brand ambassadors because if people know they love the products they see them as experts as well. We have leveraged amazing partners of girls who are another extension of our brand.”
On minimizing risk:
Stephane Colleau: “At the end of the day there is always a risk but over the years you learn from your mistakes, you get better, so you’re staying on the path but evolving at the same time.“
On advice for entrepreneurs:
Stephane Colleau: “Never be worried about anything and challenge the status quo all the time, every day. Be super knowledgeable about competition and trends. The more you know, the better you will be at what you do.”
On establishing brand trust:
Sarah Kieny: “We have a true north as a brand. We think of our customers all the time and what they are really asking for. Three of the four items we are coming out with next are requests by our followers. We are in the comments all the time, we are seeing what they are asking for, what they are missing from their routine. It’s not what our colleagues think doesn’t exist—it’s about listening to customers and your audience.”
On starting a movement:
Breanna Chevolleau: “I did not expect the impact that my channel has had at all. I’m happy to be a part of that space where people are proud of their curls and who they are. In the last 6 years, we have seen a big change when it comes to the mainstream. I hope more brands start to show texture and not just one texture—I hope to see all textures represented.”
The Business of Fashion: From Blogging to Buying to Building a Brand
Panelists:
Amanda Diaz | Beauty and Lifestyle Influencer
Carolina Lindo | Content Creator, I’m Not Sorry Darling
Jenny Lopez | Content Creator
Racquel Natasha | Content Creator
Claudia Vergara | Fashion Influencer
Pam Arias | Founder, The Girl From Panama
Moderator:
Brenda Schamy | Co-founder, Dischino and Shamy PLLC
On turning content into profit:
Carolina Lindo: “When I started I didn’t start because I wanted money, I was really passionate about it. When I began brands started reaching out, they liked my content, and what I was producing and my work. There I realized I could start charging, then sending rates to rent. Then I could be more selective with who I work with.”
Amanda Diaz: “Money plays a role but I don’t think it should be the main focus.”
On growing a community online:
Jenny Lopez: “You need to bring a new brand proposal to the table. Come out with something that nobody is talking about. Work on a strategy that everyone is going to talk about.”
On partnering with brands:
Racquel Natasha: “I always work with brands I would genuinely wear myself and purchase. Purchase the brands and advertise it for free on social media to get your name out there and be visible.”
Racquel Natasha: “Being relatable to that average girl is what I really stand for. What I am doing or portraying online relates to the average girl—mixing high and low fashion.”
On having the courage to pivot careers:
Pam Arias: “Plan, set deadlines, check-in with yourself, make sure that you are keeping track of your goals, and have a business meeting with yourself.”
On taking the leap to start her own business:
Pam Arias: “It was a long journey, a lot of planning and setting deadlines, making sure I wasn’t staying comfortable, doing a lot of research and having realistic expectations.”
On the responsibility of influence:
Claudia Vergara: “I don’t feel like I am an influencer in real life. I have always tried to do the same thing in real life as I do on Instagram. It’s not just about the numbers. Only you know your audience, only you know the DMs you get and how people talk to you, so for me, it’s more about that.”
On the 3 traits for success:
Panama: “Be driven, creative, and determined.”
Racquel: “Consistency is super key, hustling nonstop, being driven, and always pushing yourself to be what you want to be.”
Carolina: “Being kind—this world needs more kind people.”
Claudia: “Don’t stop pushing, ever.”
Amanda: “Passion is a very big factor in anything you do. Don’t set a limit for yourself. Be limitless—always set out to achieve more than you can because you will surprise yourself.”
Jenny: “Be yourself, but know yourself, and that takes time but work hard to get to know yourself. Then you can pass along the message you feel strongly about.”
On what she would tell herself when starting out:
Jenny Lopez: “Just do it, get it done, and you will evolve over time. It’s better done than perfect.”
Claudia Vergara: “Everything happens for a reason and maybe the way you wanted it to be isn’t what you needed in your life. Don’t wait to start something, don’t have excuses, just start. Nobody has everything figured out just do it.”
Scroll Call: How to Harness Your Creativity Through Technology
Panelists:
Patricia Bauer | Director, Consumer Marketing, Lenovo
Valeria Barrientos | Fashion Influencer and Content Creator, The Urban Gal
Steffi Tsai | Artist and Founder, Have a Nice Day
Donna Adi | Creative Director, Donna Addi
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | Founder and CEO, Create & Cultivate
On copycats:
Steffi Tsai: “I worry about that but you can’t help it. There is nothing you can do when someone takes your ideas or is inspired by your ideas. I’m just going to keep doing what I love to do.”
Donna Adi: “It’s inevitable, this is the world we live in—the IG age—we are all going to take from each other. Keep generating new content, keep innovating, but know who you are, keep in your lane, keep innovating, and creating amazing content, and people will notice.”
On productivity hacks:
Valeria Barrientos: “There are always ways to get distracted. It is important to just schedule some time for yourself. I love to put my phone down for a few hours on a daily basis. I love to use an app called Planoly so I can relax for a couple of minutes and let it do all the work.”
On the importance of creativity in technology:
Patricia Bauer: “We look at technology with purpose. Technology for the sake of technology doesn’t mean anything. Millennials make up most of the workforce but Gen Z is coming and they want mobility and flexibility—they express themselves on their own terms and we have to adapt to that.”
The 3 traits for success:
Patricia Bauer: “The courage to do whatever it takes, to be authentic, to be yourself no matter what and have passion.”
Valeria Barrientos: “Have patience. It is really hard to start a business. Don’t expect everything to come easy and fast—it doesn’t.”
Donna Adi: “Discipline is so important. Have a structure to your day, be goal-oriented, focus on yourself.”
Steffi Tsai: “Being flexible. Learn to think on your feet.”
On advice for themselves when starting out:
Patricia: “At the end of the day just be you.”
Valeria: “Be patient, relax, calm down, you will get there.”
Donna: “It will save you a lot of grief if you stay true to you and what you love.”
Steffi: “Take care of yourself. You can’t burn yourself out if you’re not healthy or on it 100%—you can’t make good stuff, great work.”
Moms Making Moves: Meet the Women Building Businesses and Bringing Up Baby
Panelists:
Daniela Ramirez | Lifestyle Blogger, Nany’s Clozet
Martha Graeff | Social Entrepreneur and Founder, The Bazaar for Good
Christa Dabkowski | Vice President of Marketing, Swire Properties
Giselle Schreiner | Wellness Coach and Entrepreneur, La Vida Organica
Moderator:
Amanda Perna | Fashion Designer, Author, Entrepreneur, AmandaPerna.com
On the reality of starting her own business:
Giselle Schreiner: “It took three years for me to make money and to make a living from it.”
On just starting:
Martha Graeff: “Forget about your plan. We waste a lot of time planning things when things will go their own way.”
On getting your dream job:
Christa Dabkowski: “Seek out someone you really admire that has a career path that looks like what your career path might be. Introduce yourself. Be bossy. Don’t be shy about it. Go out to lunch with them, learn their story and then at the end of lunch, ask them to introduce you to someone that inspires them. Reach out and form those relationships and find like-minded people who can help you along your path. Be scrappy, be smart, innovative, and creative—it’s less about a specific plan you have to follow. Life takes a lot of different turns and you need to learn to pivot and be agile with those turns.”
On being real about motherhood online:
Daniela Ramirez: “The Instagram you see on social is the curated side but that doesn’t mean I don’t open up. If you read the captions you see my struggles. I have been very honest from the beginning.”
On how you navigate Mom shaming:
Daniela Ramirez: “I put them on blast. It’s not okay to make a mom feel bad. We are all doing the best we can.”
On gender equality starting at home:
Martha Graeff: “There is a lot of work to be done but I always think this starts at home with your children. That conversation at home is very important. It’s important to encourage girls to go for an education and let them know they can achieve anything, show them examples, show them the people that are out there doing things and inspire them, give them all the support.”
On the pressure of motherhood:
Christa Dabkowski: “Sometimes you don’t feel okay—it’s messy. Reaching out to other women can be really helpful in moving forward.”
On balance:
Giselle Schreiner: “It is so hard to define balance. Balance changes every day.”
On tips to streamline workflow:
Martha Graeff: “I used to be a people pleaser, I could not say no. Say no, don't try to please everyone. I am still in the process of understanding that. Try to put the priorities in front of each other.”
On asking for help as a new mom:
Christa Dabkowski: “I had a hard time asking for help as a woman previous to being a mother. You don’t know until you’re in it and then it’s like that moment of “I do need help.” You have to follow your gut instinct of what that looks like for you. You have to figure it out as you go. The word that I’ve learned is presence. Be present. Which I have a hard time with. Learning to stop and pause and be present is the only way you can figure it out.”
The Visionaries: Meet the Women Making Waves Across Industries
Panelists:
Adrienne Bosh | Entrepreneur and Dreamweaver, Sparkle and Shine
Megan Roup | Creator, The Sculpt Society, Ketel One Botanicals Ambassador
Iskra Lawrence | Model, Body Image Activist, Entrepreneur
Moderator:
Sofia Morgan | Content Creator
On knowing your worth:
Iskra Lawrence: “No matter where you are in life, the number one thing is to end that comparison. We all have the ability to decide what our foundation, worth, and value is based on.”
On her biggest business lessons:
Megan Roup: “I needed to take a step back and assess where my strengths lied, and what I needed to focus on. Assessing what my skill sets are where I am most valued and bringing in other people who are smarter than me in those other areas. Investing money in employees who can help you invest in your business and scale. I didn’t take any investment so it’s coming out of my pocket.”
On being a multihyphenate:
Adrienne Bosh: “Women have the diving ability to be everything at one time. Women can take a vision and make it grow and manifest it into something.”
On taking the leap to start a new career path:
Adrienne Bosh: “Don’t be scared to be a beginner, take big jumps, take big risks. It’s the last year of the decade if you aren’t going to take that jump now when are you? It’s all about creating art and you are creating your own masterpiece every time you show up for yourself.”
On having financial independence:
Iskra Lawrence: “It’s important for us to have financial freedom and literacy. I forecast my cash flow. I have a base monthly expense of $23,000 and I know I have to be bringing in more than that. Always save 20% of everything you earn. If you are spending what you have in your bank account, how can you plan for the future? I encourage you, even if you’re not sure what you’re doing in the future, build that nest egg.”
On where a small business should focus their financial energy:
Megan Roup: “It’s so important to know where your money is coming in and out of. I made a lot of mistakes. I didn’t open a separate business bank account. It made all my personal expenses really difficult because it wasn’t separated. I just hired someone to do my books which has been a lifesaver for me.”
On not taking Instagram at face value:
Adrienne Bosh: “You never know what someone is going through. Just because it didn’t make it to the gram, it doesn’t mean I didn’t go through it.”
On stepping into your power and purpose:
Iskra Lawrence: “Social media could be such a beautiful powerful place if we just are ourselves. You don’t owe anyone to post those “real” moments.”
On partnering with brands:
Megan Roup: “I really have to like the brand and use the brand to authentically talk about it with my community. The partnership has been really natural and organic because I use them, I love the product and I can talk about it.”
Keynote Conversation With Karolina Kurkova, model, and co-founder, Gryph & IvyRose
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
On being the youngest person ever to have a Vogue cover at just 16 and celebrating 20 years in the business:
“I’m still here, I’m healthy, I’m some sort of normal, I have my feet on the ground and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
On never getting too comfortable in any one position:
“The minute you relax and you feel like I think I got this, I know what I’m doing is the minute the universe hits you and you’re saying wow I don’t know what I’m doing. Don’t ever get too comfortable—the minute you get too comfortable, that’s when the lesson is coming”
On living a holistic lifestyle:
“To maintain the glow and beautiful skin I know it’s not just the cream you put on your face, it’s a lifestyle”
On her inspiration behind Gryph & IvyRose:
“Bath and body were a good entryway into the market because everyone needs those products and [Gryph & IvyRose] products are clean. Chinese medicine has been around for 500 years so we took that and made it more modern and fun.”
On what success means to her:
“Success to me means when you’re just content with where you’re at and who you are, and that you are surrounded by people, family that you love, admire and respect and they love and respect you and you haven’t lost who you are—you’re still you, the best you but still learning and evolving”
On her father’s career as a professional basketball player and what he instilled in her:
“I learned from sports very early on that if you want to be the best, it takes time”
