After spending the last two days there, we know first-hand that Las Vegas is home to so much more than slots and cocktails. It’s also the proud destination of our country’s largest fashion trade show. Held twice a year, WWDMAGIC is filled with rows upon rows of fashionable booths filled with the next season’s must-have clothing and trends before they hit the boutiques. Project Women’s is one of the events held within the show and we were thrilled to partner with them this August to host four eye-opening panels with boundary-pushing founders and leaders in the space.
Our fearless leader, Jacyln Johnson kicked off the two-day event to discuss our mission at Create & Cultivate along with industry insights and key takeaways she’s learned while building a multi-million dollar company. This was followed by a diverse panel of influencers, content creators, and flat-out badass women to chat about brand partnerships and creative collaboration. To close the event on its second and final day, Jaclyn sat down with two major personalities in the biz, Catt Sadler and Marni Senofonte—the audience hung off their every word.
Follow along for some insane mic-drop moments, inspirational mantras, and overall entertaining responses from some of our generation’s best.
Creative Collaboration—How to Team Up for a Successful Collab That Is a Win Win
Danika Brysha | Self-Care Coach, Founder/CEO at Model Meals, and IMG Curve Model
Katie Austin | Fitness and Sports Personality
Aysha Harun | Beauty and Lifestyle Content Creator, Ayshaabdul.com
Shalice Noel | Digital Creator, Entrepreneur, and Founder, Shalicenoel.com
Katie Austin
On authenticity in brand partnerships...
“It’s really important to think about what brand partnerships are authentic to your lifestyle already.”
“Do what's practical to your lifestyle.”
“Collaborate with other girls in the industry.”
“When you’re transparent, you create that loyalty and that following.”
“Be more of a peer to your followers.”
On collaboration over competition...
“It’s about lighting someone else’s candle while not dimming yours.”
“Remember that there’s space for everyone.”
Danika Brysha
On authenticity in brand partnerships...
“I’m very vulnerable and raw with my community and there’s been a trust built with that—I take that with the highest regard.”
“Tuning into your body is a big part of what I do for work. If im not doing that and expressing that in my work then I'm not being authentic.”
On unpaid partnerships...
“Sometimes, if you’re not paying someone, it's hard to have specific guidelines.”
“Look for women out there who are looking to support you.”
Aysha Harun
On seeking out representation online...
“I was really into the beauty community on YouTube. I noticed there weren't many women of color or Muslim women of color so I took it upon myself to change that.”
“People will relate to your message whether they look like you or not.”
“I didn't think people who looked like me could build a sustainable career online.”
“Keep posting content and hope someone will believe in that.”
“There is definitely a lot of bandwagon diversity happening.”
“Everyone wants you to fit into a mold no matter what community you belong to.”
On partnering with the right brands...
“We are our own brands and we want to partner with brands that align with our own values.”
“Ask yourself, ‘Is the brand a perfect fit? Will my audience be receptive to it?’
“Research the brands and make sure it’s going to fit in with what you already do.”
On being authentic with your audience...
“There's a lot of time and effort that goes on behind the scenes.”
“Before accepting contracts, I want to test the products for a minimum of two weeks.”
“Trust is a huge thing with our audiences and we don’t want to damage that trust.”
“I want them to walk away from my channel and still be entertained.”
On trusted partnerships on either end...
“Choose who you believe in and don’t be afraid to set boundaries.”
“We’re all creatives and we want to be able to feel creative in what we’re doing.”
“When the pressure is off and we are trusted by the brand, that leads to long-term partnerships.”
Shalice Noel
On balancing motherhood and content creation...
“I’ll admit, it’s really hard. It’s about being intentional.”
“I have to do the hard things on my to-do list that I don’t want to do and I do them in the morning before the kids wake up.”
On how her children have affected her partnership decisions...
“They [my children] have added so much because I can be so real with my audience.”
“It’s allowed me to do more lifestyle partnerships and tell more stories. It’s not just fashion anymore.”
On fostering trust with brands…
“I love when brands trust you and what you’re doing. When they give you some leeway and it leads to a successful partnership.”
“We are creatives and we are brands. Let’s just do what we do well.”
Keynote: Catt Sadler
Panelists:
Catt Sadler | TV Host, Podcast Host, and Journalist
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | CEO, Create & Cultivate
On equal pay and quitting after her male counterpart earned double...
“It was glaringly obvious what I had to do.”
“I've had zero regrets for standing up for myself and taking that leap.”
“Since then, I’ve been using my voice and my reach as much as possible.”
On representation and behind-the-scenes of entertainment...
“I think there's an awareness now that wasn't there before.”
“I think companies are making changes, whether it’s inherently from a good intention or from a PR standpoint.”
“I’ve always been a proponent of moving women forward.”
“There is this new space in media where anybody and everybody can have a stage to discuss.”
On the purpose behind her podcast titled “Naked”...
“It’s about exploring women's real stories and letting it all hang out. We are all here for fashion… But the flip side to that is, who are we?”
“We record in my bedroom. I think the setting evokes a certain energy.”
“I think I have to be a little open and vulnerable.”
“People need to purge. We all need to feel less alone... ‘maybe I’m not suffering in silence’.”
Starting a new career journey…
“Things take time. It takes time to plant seeds, you need to be patient.”
“The menusha to getting what you want isn’t sexy.”
On transparency on money and equal pay…
“I think it’s okay to ask in an interview, “Can I be assured you are paying men and women equally?”
“It is well within your rights to ask. If you don’t know, you can’t ask. It starts on you taking ownership.”
“Not every case is the same. There are a lot of variables. Make sure it’s an apples to apples situation.”
“Record your wins before you can go in and ask for a promotion.”
“Do that research. See what the market rate is for your job.”
On describing her personal style
“I’m a minimalist, I don't over accessorize. A little chic, a little edgy but less is more.”
“I think my personal style is rather relaxed. Functionality is important.”
On her digital presence…
“Cattwalk was really about being a live organism. It’s an extension of my brand.”
“I want to share the cornerstone of what the Cattwalk is. For me it’s women empowerment. It’s a space for everyone who comes to feel sexy, to feel vulnerable, and there’s strength in that.”
“Declaring what you want is manifesting your future. Go there [the Cattwalk] and feel inspired.”
Being inspired by other women...
“I learn every day from other women.”
“What a privilege it is to be female. I am so turned on by what everyone is doing right now.”
“Oprah is the reason I got into journalism.”
“There is such a gift in just doing you.”
Being a working mom and balancing family with business…
“When you’re with them, be with them.”
“Balance is an interesting word. We all have so much on our plate, especially as a parent.”
“Self-care is paramount. It’s okay to put yourself first in a lot of those situations. Meditating, working out…”
“If I did not take care of myself, I would be no one to anyone.”
“Check in with yourself. That's okay. Don't make apologies for yourself.”
“Literally step outside, it’s free. Look at a tree. There is peace in that, there is a calm in that.”
“Be where you are.”
“Say no. You don't have to do everything. Make sure the things you are doing, you want to do.”
Rapid-fire questions:
My life motto is...
“Be in the now. Be in the present.”
Success is…
“Living on my own terms. When you can fully and freely call the shots in your life.”
True equality is...
“A fundamental basic human right. It is what is fair and what is right. We all deserve to be treated exactly the same.”
Keynote: Marni Senofonte
Panelists:
Marni Senofonte | Celebrity Stylist
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | CEO, Create & Cultivate
On getting started as a stylist...
“I kind of learned it on the road. I didn't even know this was a job. I just knew I wanted to do something in fashion and film.”
“Lauren Hill saw something that I did with another artist. I never had a book, it was all word-of-mouth.”
“You don’t have to be a global stylist, but there are so many eyes on you and styling is so accessible now. It’s kind of amazing.”
“I think it's so much easier to create your own job now more than ever before. Even on local levels. It’s not as accessible as people think.”
“Someone who wants to be a stylist is already in it. You have to already have that inside you.”
On her different clients as a stylist…
“Depends on the project I’m working on. If there's a Beyoncé project, there's no sleep.
“When I work with Kendall [Jenner], we’ll share a Pinterest board.”
“Clients need to be inspired by me just as much as I’m inspired by my clients.”
On not wearing black…
“It forces me to be creative every morning.”
On Instagram portfolios…
“It's a blessing and a curse. Everyone’s a stylist now. Everyone can put looks together. It's amazing.”
On the storytelling of styling…
“For Beyoncé, she has well thought out ideas and concepts. There is so much story behind her music. So, the wardrobe kind of comes into play with that.”
“With Kendall, it’s more trend forecasting.”
“With Beyoncé, she’s setting the trend. With her, you have to hear the music.”
On how much of herself goes into her styling…
“A lot of me goes into it. There's a lot of different parts of me.”
“Everything I put on my clients, I would wear myself.”
“My aesthetic is a little bit tomboy and I try to be sexy here and there. I only have one lane and it’s rockstar.”
On fashion accessibility through social media…
“I think it's really great now that everyone has their own magazine, everyone's Instagram is their own Vogue. I think it's amazing.”
“I don't think fashion should be about elitism.”
On Instagram affecting her styling…
“There are no real rules—the only rule I follow is lighting.”
On where she finds inspiration…
“I find inspiration through other people. At my apartment in New York, I sit on my stoop and watch people go by.”
“If I’m at a museum and I see colors, I think ‘oh, i gotta use this’.”
“That’s what styling is. You gotta steal from here, here, here, and here.”
On her Emmy nomination…
“It was a beast. Coachella was a beast. It was eight months of just insane preparation. It was really important. Everything I do with Beyoncé is so well thought-out.”
“The simplest things usually take the most amount of time, the most amount of work, and are the most expensive.”
Rapid-fire questions:
The definition of style is...
“Being honest and true to yourself. If you believe it I'm going to believe it.”
Success is...
“Being able to smile.”
My greatest lesson is...
“Anything is possible. I’m from Pennsylvania, I’m not supposed to be here.”
