Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Brit Morin
THE MILLENNIAL'S MARTHA.
She might not have a show with Snoop Dogg, but Brit Morin, the founder and CEO of Brit + CO, has become the Martha Stewart for Millennials. In 2011 when she launched the Brit + Co platform, she wanted to work, but she also wanted to create. Now with an engaged community of over 130 million user, the media platform produces hundreds of pieces of content every month to grow up with their rapidly growing base.
Brit started in tech, first at Apple, which transitioned to a job a Google. But the more she found herself staring at a screen she looked deeper into her own soul. She wanted to create. That she did.
“I don’t think women brag about themselves enough,” Morin told us at last year's Create & Cultivate SXSW. That’s a habit we should all embrace more."
It's why she put her name in the company title. "I want people know I'm real about this. I'm a real person. When you Tweet me, I'm gonna Tweet you back. When you Instagram I'm gonna Instagram you back. It's not a brand just trying to be a brand."
But boy, has she built a brand. And one to brag about at that.
More from Brit below.
You really brought DIY digital. Why’d you go down that path and why was it important to you?
When I was first considering the type of company I wanted to start, I was doing a lot of DIYs for my upcoming wedding. At the same time, Pinterest was gaining popularity and I noticed that my friends who were pinning projects were also the ones saying, “I don’t know how you’re making all of these things, I’m not creative.” I realized there’s a gap between the creative confidence we have as kids as compared to what we have as adults, and I wanted to help bridge that. While younger generations are deeply immersed in the digital, they also crave experiences and want to “do”. I wanted to create a company that connects digital and analog, and acts as a 360 degree creative brand for women.
What have you found to be some of the hardest parts of entrepreneurship?
Learning to not take things personally is the biggest lesson I have learned. This can be particularly difficult when you attach your name and face to your company like I have. Initially it’s something I really struggled with, but I’ve learned to focus on the positive and take each failure as a learning. By focusing on our mission of inspiring and empowering women via creativity, I’m able to keep growing Brit + Co, even through the chaos.
How do you deal with feeling of imposter syndrome... How did I get to this table or in this meeting?
Imposter syndrome is something that women in particular really struggle with. Steve Jobs once said, “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” I started Brit + Co at 25 years old and I’m still learning every day, but I try not to get caught up in the fact that I am a young leader and focus on the fact that I have a fresh perspective.
"I am a young leader and I have a fresh perspective."
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We both have audiences that we encourage to go and create their own. Sometimes that means they are creating a competitive product. Can we talk about that and what it means to support other women and support female business owners?
I’m a big believer of the idea that “empowered women empower women.” At Brit + Co our entire mission is focused around helping our audience live their best lives. In addition to empowering our audience, we support and are supported by so many amazing women. For example, Mila Kunis is an advisor to Brit + Co, and our #CreateGood event hosted speakers like Allison Williams and Randi Zuckerberg. I also personally try to pay it forward by providing advice and support to as many women as possible. There is power in numbers and if we work together, we can achieve so much more.
There is power in numbers and if we work together, we can achieve so much more.
SF tech space is notoriously male-dominated. Do you see yourself as a woman in tech? You’re in that world, in SF… have you ever felt like you were treated differently as a woman?
I see myself as a person in tech, but I would like to be recognized more for my success in business than my gender. I’ve definitely faced challenges as a woman in the industry but I think that’s mostly because venture capital is so male-dominated, and many investors fundamentally don’t understand and can’t relate to the company I am building. In instances like these, I try to focus on something all investors can understand, which is data. Figures like revenue growth, audience expansion, and increased engagement are universal.
When you find yourself come up against a roadblock or a bump in the road, how do you find new roads?
I come up against roadblocks every day, so my mantra is just to keep moving. We’re lucky to be at a point where we have a ton of inbound interest and no shortage of opportunities, but I think it’s important to create your own path, not just go down the road you are led. I try to stay informed on what’s happening outside of the Brit + Co bubble and to continue to keep my vision for the company fresh and inspired.
What would you call your superpower?
This is unconventional, but I’d have to say switching gears! I have literally gone from talking about entertaining tips on the Today Show to IPOs on Fox Business, and from meetings on the creative concept around our next immersive, experiential event, to our strategy around growing the engineering team. And of course, there’s the ultimate switch of CEO to mom as soon as I get home everyday. With so few free hours, I have no time to waste!