Big city, bright lights! We made the trek from one coast to the other this fall for our first-ever Small Business Summit in partnership with Mastercard. NYC greeted us with incomparable energy and we were so excited to hit the ground running with endless opportunities for networking, knowledge dropping, and so much more.
At C&C, we make a point of supporting small businesses and their founders—as does Mastercard. So, it only made sense that we would join forces with the best-in-the-game to create a new summit for our community. We set the stage for attendees by offering some incredible awe-inspiring panels, workshops, and photo moments—but don’t jump the gun just yet if you’re feeling that wave of FOMO.
Not only did we talk hustle, but we got to see it IRL. We were excited to partner with Mastercard and spotlight a few boss-ladies who set up shop in the Mastercard Small Business Marketplace for attendees to shop, talk and network with—talk about shopping with purpose!
But we will say, if there was one thing to have total FOMO over, it was the Bumble Bizz Headshot Studio. We were honored to carve out a special place for attendees to have professional headshots were taken (not to mention it was a killer Instagrammable moment, too). Be sure to download the app for a chance to try the best networking tool at your fingertips.
Follow along for some snapshots and key learnings that will make you feel like you were there in the Big Apple with us. Don’t forget—if you’re an Insider—you too can access the live recordings of these business-savvy panels from the comfort of your own home (or smartphone).
Take a look below for the best of our Saturday in the city.
Keynote: Sophia Bush and Stacy London
Panelists:
Sophia Bush | Actress, Activist, and Host of Work in Progress podcast
Stacy London | Style Expert and New York Times Best-Selling Author
Stacey London
On pivotal points and realizations...
“All the things that I thought were failures were what propelled me to the next thing.”
“I never use the words win or failure anymore—they are just ‘value judgements’.”
“Expectation is the enemy of forward movement—it is the enemy of progress. “
“Age is no longer an indicator of giving good advice—experience is no longer how we measure advice.”
“Being clear on what your goals are, saying ‘no’ when something doesn’t serve you or your company is essential.”
On getting through hardship and disappointments in your career...
“I'm going to look at whatever that roadblock was, I'm going to figure out how to get around it or I’m going to build a different road.”
“For people in your generation, the more options you have— being a multi-hyphenate—it’s looked at as such a positive thing. In my generation, not only did you have to stay in your lane, you don’t check any boxes.”
”We’ve all been met with dead ends. You never think you are going to meet the problems you’re going to be met with. You have to believe that everything happens for a reason. You have to become a problem solver in your own life.”
On saying ‘no’...
“Once I named what it is that really motivates me, it made it easy to say ‘no’ when it didn't fall under that umbrella.”
Sophia:
On words of wisdom...
“If the world isn't ready for your good idea, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good idea.”
“Don’t compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”
“Humans need eight hugs a day to survive in their bodies—twelve hugs a day for optimal performance.”
On connection:
“You must connect with your people in real-time, in real life. Whether it’s your company, your clan, it’s not enough to just connect through social.”
“It is not okay, ever, to feel less than.”
On self-worth:
“Don’t compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.”
On setting goals:
“We set goals, great but we achieve that goal and set new goals so, we’re always chasing something on the horizon—we need to be able to look at the life we’re living today and say that it's pretty cool.”
“The idea is to not be so hard on yourself but to stay motivated. You are always going to be moving. The idea is to think of there is no finish line until your ashes are in the ground.”
“The point of living is to keep going.”
“Instead of that high and that low, see it as one more step.”
On saying no:
“Once I named what it is that really motivates me, it made it easy to say no when it didn't fall under that umbrella.”
“Get clear what the pillar is that all your verticals fall in. Say no if it doesn’t fall under that pillar.”
“I really want for all of us to figure out what serves us and lets us serve the world.”
Venture Forth: Building, bootstrapping or bringing on capital for your business
Panelists:
Vanessa Dew | Co-Founder and Chief Sales Officer, Heath-Ade
Molly Hayward | Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Cora
Hilary McCain | Founder and CEO, Sweet Reason CBD
Arielle Loren | Funding Expert for Women and Founder, 100K Incubator
Jaclyn Johnson | Founder and CEO, Create & Cultivate
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
Jaclyn Johnson
On the big picture...
“A lot of these big companies that you love don’t make any money, but they make a lot of the headlines.”
“Fall in love with the numbers.”
Vanessa Dew
“When we were raising our first round, let me paint the picture of eating ramen every day—we were beaten down, we were getting up early in the morning to go to the farmers market—so we eventually needed money to supplement the business.”
On the money conversation...
“As females, we often don't negotiate or bring up taboo topics. For example, founder pay, founder liquidity. These topics were never brought up because we were afraid.”
On how to raise money...
“We called in a whole village: a finance professor, brought lawyers on deck—we had a whole group to gain their insights. You get insights from people, but at the end of the day you need to follow your gut and do what is right for your business.”
On raising money or bootstrapping it:
“We are responsible for our teams lives. There is an emotional side to it.”
“As a founder and leader your job is a fiduciary responsibility to increase holder value—we are not robots. You are a human leading the company. At some point your agendas don’t match. It is always good to align with your executive team and your investors around what the plan is for the next three to five years.”
Molly Hayward
On the why behind Cora...
“You know for me it started from a place of pure inspiration. I was travelling in Kenya and found out that all the girls were missing school during the month of their period because they couldn’t afford period products. How fucked up is that?”
“When I looked into the industry I was shocked at how unconscious we were when it came to the impact of the products we were using.”
On creating and growing her business...
“For me, the disruptive piece came from not knowing any better. Not feeling like there was a rule I had to follow, not feeling like there was something I had to differently.”
“It was clear to me that I wanted to create a brand that represented the values of the modern woman. It’s sad that that is considered disruptive, but it is.”
“It is taking the attitude of: ‘I’m going to let who I am lead this process’ and following your gut.”
“Best Advice: Make more than you spend. At the end of the day if you can you do that in as lean of a way as possible, you put yourself in the strongest position.”
On raising money...
“In the first 18 months from idea to raising money, I have gone through every type of funding—self-funded at first and from there I did a crowdfunding campaign.”
“There’s no wrong way to do this.”
“Be conscious of your cash flow.”
“I was by no means an expert and I leaned on other investors and other entrepreneurs I know and asking what I need to do next.”
“Finance and investing is still a male-dominated industry—women are still breaking in.”
“You're not alone, let it be a learning experience. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don't feel like you're not worthy of that answer and that money in the end.”
Hilary McCain
On the importance of working with others...
“Sell the dream. Convince the people around you to build something with you.”
“One way we have found to get good people involved is giving equity to every person involved in the company, from the top down to the bottom.”
On raising money...
“The second you raise money, the clock starts ticking. There is enormous pressure, but I might not have completely appreciated how much you are held to those numbers.”
Arielle Loren
On raising funds...
“There are so many options and for us, it's about educating people about their options. Know where you fall in the process, then you can set yourself up for success.”
“How can you show proof of concept as early in your business as possible? What can you do in the meantime to position yourself and your company as something with potential?”
“Raising money doesn’t mean you have a profitable and viable business yet.”
Mastering the Three C's: Content, community, and commerce
Panelists:
Marie Forleo | Marie Forleo, author of the instant #1 NY Times Bestseller, Everything is Figureotuable
Courtney Quinn | Founder, Color Me Courtney
Leann Livingston | Brand Manager, Square
Ginger Siegel | North America Small Business Lead, Mastercard
Claire O’Connor | Editorial Director, Bumble
Mallory Blair | CEO, Small Girls PR
Moderator:
Reesa Lake | Partner, EVP of Brand Partnerships, Digital Brand Architects
Marie Forleo
On content...
“Content, when you create it right, gives you the opportunity to create trust and confidence long before you ask anyone for a sale.”
“Consumers understandably have a lot of skepticism—content is the most important signal for us to show what we stand for.”
On community...
“It's about paying attention to people and making them feel seen, heard, acknowledged.”
On social media followers…
“If you go holy shit, 300 people care about what I say and you treat those people like gold, you make them feel loved seen heard, that's what matters.”
“People’s bullshit-meters are so high, so you have to be rooted in your heart and a genuine caring.”
On commerce…
“No matter what business you're in, you have got to become masterful in marketing and sales—it is the lifeblood of your business— understand the people you’re serving.”
Courtney Quinn
On community...
“If you’re focusing on people who don't follow you, it's a waste of time. You have people who are already here, focus on them. My community is the reason I grow.”
“I create content for the people who are following me. I invest in them.”
On commerce...
“People want to promote what I stand for.”
“I think if people care about you as a creator, they will want to buy what you're selling.”
“I have to fall in love with the story before I fall in love with the product.”
“Have people fall in love with you and what you do, the money will follow and it is an easy way to bridge the gap between content and commerce.”
“When you create a clear brand, it helps you differentiate early on.”
On being authentic in what you show...
“You can't fake the things that are you.”
“I picked five things that were me to a tee. I put my top five everywhere and looked at those five things whenever I was producing any content and if it didn’t check the box, then it doesn’t get seen.”
Leann Livingston
On content…
“60% of consumers are looking for brands that have values and use that to make purchase decisions.”
On community...
“If we want to be about small business owners, we need to be about the community.”
“Find out how you can partner with the communities that are already built and thriving.”
On women-owned businesses that are crushing it...
“Your business can represent so much more than just what you sell.”
Ginger Siegel
On content...
“Planning everything out isn’t going to work in this real-time marketing environment. What you need is agility.”
On community…
“Particularly with female entrepreneurs, we are much more apt to be drawn into a community.”
Mallory Blair
On content...
“Rise above the clutter—How do you stand for more?”
On community...
“Make a list of brands you feel are in the same universe and reach out, offer to cross promote their brand.”
Re-Imagined Retail: From brick & mortar to DTC we explore how the future of the shop is being shaped
Panelists:
Lisa Price | Founder, Carol’s Daughter Inc.
Ali Kriegsman | Co-Founder and COO, Bulletin
Dianna Cohen | Founder, Levitate
Jessica Kahan Dvorett | SVP at CaaStle and General Manager, Haverdash and Gwynnie Bee
Lisa Mastela | CEO, Bumpin Blends
Moderator:
Christine Michel Carter | Writer and Global Marketing Strategist
Lisa Price
On holding your own self back...
“I had to stop blaming me, and get out of my own way.”
On conversation with the customer…
“The thing that is most important is your storytelling and your authenticity. When I started I didn't need to worry about what am I going to post about today, I could just create products. Today, you have to have a dialogue.”
Lisa Mastela
On guilt...
“Letting go of the guilt of failure has been the hardest for me. I would be overwhelmed by those feelings and want to quit. When you experience failure over and over and over again, which you do, be able to bounce back and learn from it.”
Maker Economy: A Conversation With Madewell’s Hometown Heroes and Nest on Building Your Handmade Biz From the Ground Up
Panelists:
Lacie RZ Porta, Founder, Framed Florals
Natalie Borton, Founder, Natalie Borton Jewelry
Virginia Sin, Founder, SIN
Amanda Lee, Director of Brand Strategy & Sourcing at Nest
Moderator:
Sacha Strebe | Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
Lacie RZ Porta
On press impacting the business...
“If you know you're going to have more traffic to your site, plan for it, prep for it. Even if you don't, learn from it.“
On life learnings...
“I learn the most from the things I wasn't prepared for.”
“If it's not a ‘hell yes’ it's a no.”
Natalie Borton
On Hometown Goods with Madewell...
“There was legitimacy that came with Madewell being willing to sell my goods.”
Virginia Sin
On goals…
“For any goal, you have to have detailed steps on how you get there and look back at your values and make sure you're not compromising as you get there.”
On best advice...
“Authenticity. Being able to tell a story that's differentiating. There is only one you—if you can share your story and make it compelling, it will go a long way. Never give up.”
Amanda Lee
Best advice for women...
“Key in on your values and brand values. In a quickly changing world, things change but if you hone in on who you are and your values that will always stay true.”
Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork: How to scale your business and take it to the next level [POWERED BY MASTERCARD]
Panelists:
Morgan DeBaun | Founder and CEO, Blavity (WSBAC)
Sonja Rasula | CEO and Founder, Unique Markets (WSBAC)
Katie Rosen | Co-Founder, FabFitFun (WSBAC)
Jordan Jones | Founder and CEO, Packed Party
Cheryl Guerin | EVP North America Marketing & Communications, Mastercard
Moderator:
Jaclyn Johnson | Founder and CEO, Create & Cultivate
Cheryl Guerin
On best advice...
“I think you have to be scrappy with all of the tools at your disposal”
Sonja Rasula
On money...
“I took all of my savings, every penny that I had, and I started the business.”
“I’ve never lost a penny. I never took a loan. I’ve never needed investment in 11 years.”
On best advice...
“Female entrepreneurship is now being given the light that it deserves.”
“If you believe that you have a good idea and you believe in yourself, and you have the confidence, there is no reason why you shouldn’t invest in yourself.”
“If you believe in yourself, why the fuck wouldn’t you put everything you have into it?”
“If you believe in yourself, do it. Risk it. Time is not a luxury we have.”
On what the world wants…
“People are craving human, in-person connection again.”
Katie Rosen
On nothing is perfect…
“We have re-written our mission 6000 times.”
“Invest in what works and throw away what doesn’t.”
Jordan Jones
On strengths...
“I knew my strengths and I played to them”
Morgan DeBaun
On investing...
“The point of investment is to grow the business. You have to maintain what you’re doing and also get return 10x.”
On diversifying…
“Content is the cheapest way to build a business—we leveraged content.”
“The black community is so underserved, so we were creating content for them.”
