#CreateCultivatePopUp in collaboration with Marriott Hotels

Last night at the Beverly Hills Marriott Hotel over a hundred female entrepreneurs, photographers, and bloggers joined under the setting sun to listen to panelists dish on best biz practices, traveling for work, and how to grow and maintain a following.

We heard from power women like Jacey Duprie of Damsel in Dior, Vanessa Simmons, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, who shared the BTS realities of their jobs and about the importance of uplifting and empowering other women.

Here are some of our favorite and *KEY* takeaways.

MAKE A CASE STUDY

Puno, founder of Made with Map (and creator of #finditliveit) and Drea Sobieski, founder of elsewhere, both told one audience member who asked how they get noticed, to "make a case study."

Drea told the audience about a trip to Morocco that she put on a credit card. It was 3k and she financed the entire trip herself, but what she got from that risk was invaluable. She returned home with a "case study I still use to this day. And those images are still circulating. I knew what I wanted and I went for it."

"Never tell a brand that you 'want to collaborate,'" added Puno. "Show them how you are going to bring awareness to their brand. Explain in detail what you can do for them." A case study is one of the best ways to do so.

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME

Jacey Duprie told the audience that they need to find what they’re good at and approach smaller brands. She explained that you don't need to approach someone with HUGE numbers to get noticed and often times it's about going after smaller people with 8-10k followers who really believe in your brand.

Puno echoed this sentiment, telling the crowd, "micro-influencers are where the conversation with brands are heading. You want people with high engagement and who convert." When she first launched Made with Map, she found and approached 60 new people who made sense for the brand-- per day. Not everyone responded, but not everyone needed to.

Jacey also mentioned how imperative it is to "get creative," when going after your dreams. She told the story of financing a trip to Africa by hosting a party at her house and asking her friends to donate to her cause. It worked. Because she asked.

IT’S OK IF YOU DON’T WANT TO HAVE A BUSINESS

There is a lot of pressure for everyone to be an entrepreneur. Especially with Instagram turning everyone into a brand. But if you don't want to have a business, you don't need to. You can be just as successful working for someone else.

Erica Domesek of P.S. I Made This told the audience, "You feel like you need to keep up with people closing brand deals, but your worth is not about a brand deal. Go for the claps not for the likes— you might not get the campaigns, but you will be true to your strengths."

"Go for the claps, not the likes."

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ASK YOURSELF: WHAT IS YOUR TALENT?

Erica also challenged the audience to focus on "what your talents are," not someone else's. She told told them, "It sounds cheesy but you can really do anything if you do that."

Adding, "You can’t be talent if you’re not talented.”

Piggybacking on that, there was a lot of talk about:

FINDING YOUR TAGLINE & NAILING DOWN YOUR VISION

Vision. It’s a word Vanessa Simmons brought up and it’s so important.

She said people assume that being on TV is going to make your brand “explosive.” It helps, sure, but she also explained that “all TV does is magnify what’s already going on.” If you're not clear about your vision, it will be evident.

She encouraged the audience to hand write their goals and take baby steps, every day, toward those goals.

"You can’t fail, until you quit,” she said.

"You can't fail, until you quit."

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Hilary Williams of DBA told the women in the audience they need to take their commitment to blogging seriously if they want to break into the "overcrowded" space. "Ask yourself, really ask yourself" she said, "is this a real business and am I devoting my entire life to it?"

"The talent I work with," she added, "their vision is super clear and they have a unique spin on it. What makes you different? How do you make noise and get a brand excited?"

LOVE A KICK OFF CALL

It’s not just about the money— it’s about the brand, the messaging, and what will go into the campaign. Hilary Williams told the audience that client and fellow panelist, Erica Domesek, "loves a kickoff call."

Simply because Erica wants to chat through ideas and how to best position her work with a brand. It's not just about a $ in front of number-- it's about the idea, the brainstorming, and the collaboration.

To see more from our collaboration with Marriott Hotels be sure to check out our Create & Innovate series, featuring female entrepreneurs in cities across the United States.