Dazey founder Dani shows her #dazeyeveryday

It's time again for the outfit round up! Real outfits shot that day worn by @danidazey. We're on a mission to take our graphic tees to the next level and show fun ways to elevate what would normally be a casual piece of clothing.

This months edition takes us from the beach, to the city, and then to the desert. Somewhere in between all that a haircut took place too! Per usual the looks include A LOT OF OVERALLS haha. What can we say, they pair perfectly with Dazey!

Get The Look:
Blind Eye Turtleneck
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Pretty Powerful Turtleneck
Velvet Sienna Headband by I'm With The Band

Get The Look:
Matriarchy Tee
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Overall Dress by Father's Daughter

Get The Look:
Matriarchy Tee
Scarf Tie by I'm With The Band 

Get The Look:
Can't Be Tamed Tee
Green Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Brave Babe Turtleneck
Stargazer Jumpsuit by Lukka

Get The Look:
Mustard Yellow Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Sunset Top by Flare Street
Sunset Bells by Flare Street 

Get The Look:
Bold is Beautiful Bell Sleeve
Black Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Bold is Beautiful Tee

Get The Look:
Matriarchy Tee
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Scarf Tie by I'm With The Band
Marmalade Sky Bells by Flare Street

 

 

 

Alexa talks about modeling, her non-profit, and self love

This gorgeous gal is Alexa Phelece. I met Alexa briefly at a self love event we hosted at Biz Babez! A month or so later I got a sweet message from her saying she loved Dazey and if we offered plus sizing she would buy everything. As luck would have it we had just began rolling out plus sizing! Alexa mentioned wanting to shoot at Biz Babez too so I figured this was the perfect opportunity to feature her! She is a model, blogger, and self love advocate who recently started a non-profit around that topic. We’re starting off with 2X in all our tees and are slowing adding new sizes and styles as soon as we are able. Being inclusive is so so important to us and adding more sizes has been a project we have been working on a for long time. As a small business adding additional sizes in all styles is very expensive and has a lot of moving parts, but we believe it’s well worth it!

Alexa is one of those positive and vibrant people that just light up a room! We had so much fun, it felt like we were little girls playing dress up. She brought the most adorable clothing to pair with the tees, so on brand for Dazey! She recorded some behind the scene videos for her YouTube channel and we ended up having an impromptu interview where we basically interviewed each other for her channel and my Instagram Live Story. Those are always the best kind!

On top of doing traditional modeling Alexa does fit modeling for plus brands so she was a huge help in describing fit to me. We get questions about the fit all the time so this was perfect to better help my curvy customers find the right size! Alexa is 5’8 and normally a 2X, but we tried on a variety of styles and sizes based on what we had in samples. In the turtlenecks she’s wearing the M/L sample. We are currently working on adding a L/XL size but luckily with the baby-rib fabric they have a lot of stretch and looked great. Alexa said it could be a little larger, but still felt very comfortable and actually took one home with her :) The Love More tee is shown in size XL, it looked really great semi-fitted with her high waisted pants! It was a much more tailored look.

Lastly we have her wearing the proper 2X in the Speak Up tee! This style looks really great slightly more relaxed with her adorable bell bottom jeans.

I hope this helps anyone on the fence about ordering or questioning what size to get. Always feel free to ask us questions!

Below we have Alexa’s stellar shoot along with full Q & A! 

We got to chatting and you opened up about your childhood and feeling the need to overcompensate. Why did you feel that way?

I felt the need to overcompensate because I was always trying to make up for the fact that I was fat. I felt like if I was the MVP of my basketball team, the president of ASB, the employee of the month, or basically excel in any aspect, it would make up for the fact that I was fat. I felt like I had to more because I wasn’t “good enough”, now I work hard and I have a lot on my plate because I truly want to succeed and help others through my success.

What did you go to college for and why? 

I went to college for an education in helping people, I know it sounds silly, but I always knew I wanted to get a degree in how to better the lives of others. When I went to Cal State Fullerton, I learned about a program called Human Services. Human Services caters to any community in need. In May 2018, I will walk to get my Bachelors of Science in Human Services with a specialty of Mental Health and a Minor in Psychology.

What was the turning point for you to stop self loathing and start self loving? 

The turning point for me is when I decided to become a model. Being in front of the camera was scary, but also fun and so empowering. From that moment, I saw myself as beautiful.

So after college how did you fall into the social media world? You mentioned helping managing other peoples media platforms early on and still now.

I currently work as a social media influencer on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I also have my own social media management business. I currently manage 3 social media brands and their Digital marketing. I truly have a passion for social media and the opportunity it gives us to have a positive voice in the world. 

What made you want to become a model and influencer and how did you get into that world? 

It kind of just happened! Opportunities kept presenting themselves. This year, I just want to focus on giving social media more attention and building my brand. I truly love my community and the support system I have online.

As an advocate what does self love mean to you? Why is it so important? 

Self love to me means taking my dog out for a walk every day and cuddling with him for an hour straight before I go to bed. Working out every morning, watching the sunrise, traveling….doing what I love. To me, self love is all about making yourself a priority.

You recently started an amazing non-profit @everybodydeserveslove_. What inspired you to start this and what work are you doing to spread awareness?

It all started with a hashtag. I knew I wanted to lead a movement and do good in the world. So I started using #everybodydeserveslove on my own INSTAGRAM and Facebook. I’ve always wanted to help people. From a hashtag in grew into so much more and now we have self love events for adults and youth. Visit the website.

As you're beginning to shift into working full time on your blog and non-profit what are some of the biggest obstacles you've faced from a business perspective?

Being a young entrepreneur has been the best decision I ever made but it comes with a lot of hard work and dedication to your craft. Finding balance is one of the most important things to focus on, but also the most challenging. There’re financial obstacles, emotional obstacles (having the confidence to believe in yourself and your abilities).

What are your plans for the future!? Business wise and personal! 

I want EBDL to be a self sustained self love machine LOL I also want to be educating myself more on emotional growth, career growth, and leveling up as a model and public figure.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Being a Dazey Lady means I get to express myself freely. I also love supporting small business, being a small business owner myself. I love knowing that I’m a part of a brand that believes in feminism and women empowerment.

 

Dani shows her daily outfits in Dazey 

I've had so much fun documenting all my Dazey Everyday looks for you all! These are the things I wear on a daily basis, just non-planned everyday life looks. When I committed to wearing Dazey every single day it made me start to find fun new ways to wear Dazey without it getting repetitive. This month on top of trying to find unique looks everyday I've gone out of my way to find new fun back drops all around LA. Creating constant content can be hard to keep fresh and creative!

I've loved sharing my real life outfits and hope it helps you find some Dazey inspo to elevate your Dazey style! Hope you enjoy it too :) 

 

Get The Look:
Blind Eye Turtleneck
Falling Star Earrings by Julz Junkie

Get The Look:
Won't Be Silenced Raglan
Scarf Tie by I'm With The Band
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Bold is Beautiful Tee
Scarf Tie by I'm With The Band 

Get The Look:
Normalize Nips Tee 
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Love More Bell Sleeve 

Get The Look:
Can't Be Tamed Tee

Get The Look:
Head in the Clouds Turtleneck
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Love More Turtleneck
Burgundy Peach Stacked Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Brave Babe Turtleneck
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Blind Eye Tee
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Normalize Nips Tee 
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Love More Tee
Mustard Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

 

Women's day photoshoot and thoughts on COLLABORATION:

Last week was International Women's Day and it was AMAZING. Dazey Ladies were posting left and right and the empowering vibes were everywhere. What a day to be a woman! On that same day I was lucky enough to collaborate on a photoshoot with three amazing blogger babes, @EmilyVartanian, @OfficiallyQuigley, & @FrankVinyl. We had so much fun working together and it just felt like the perfect thing to do on the perfect day. Emily was so inspired she went home and wrote an awesome article on how we can all focus more on collaboration over competition. In the blogger world the competition can be especially fierce, but in reality if they work together and help one another they would all come out ahead. She really captures that in her words from a bloggers perspective, and I think there's a strong takeaway for all of us in it.  

ARTICLE BY GUEST WRITER & BLOGGER @emilyvartanian (see post on her blog too HERE)

International Women’s Day is a day to celebrate ALL females no matter the age, ethnicity, size, shape, color and everything that’s in between! I spent the day hanging out and shooting with @OfficiallyQuigley, @FrankVinyl and @DaniDazey.

It was the perfect, on-the-whim way to spend Women’s Day…with three creative, beautiful, unique and inspiring women! The afternoon inspired this post, which was not a planned one, I might add. I just felt compelled to write my thoughts on the blogging space and how we can all be collaborative female bloggers and not competitive ones.

In this day and age we talk so much about female empowerment, supporting each other, raising each other up. But, are we really putting our 100% into it? I question that A LOT when it comes to the blogging space and that’s just my honest opinion. Sometimes, as much as we post kickass quotes, comment, like and share are we REALLY supporting each other or are we putting on a show for our own selfish reasons? Really think about it, if a blogger was to ask you how you gained 1000 followers in a day would you share your secret? If they were to ask you for the contact to the amazing hotel you stayed at last month would you send them the direct contact email? More often than not the answer is NO…you wouldn’t. And that you guys is NOT the example of female empowerment.

I get that this space is oversaturated and filled to the brim with girls trying to do the same thing. But if we all TRULY support each other, from an honest good-loving place then we all grow together, there is space for everyone! Below are some simple things I thought we could all do to collaborate rather than compete with each other.

1. Connect on a deeper level – We are all so consumed with getting the perfect shot, having the most dreamy feed, growing our numbers that we forget…OH HEY WE ARE ALL REAL PEOPLE. We are not our Instagram accounts, we are not the number attached to our handles, we are not our engagement rate. I think the first step in NOT being competitive is pretending that number does not exist. Erase it! At the end of the day we are all human. Connect on a deeper level with the blogger you are sitting next to at an awkward brunch, don’t ignore her because “UGH she only has 50k followers.” Build connections and foster those connections because they will last longer than the lifetime of your last Instagram post. Trust me.
2. Share the 411 – This is a tricky one because personally I have been in both situations. A. When I was asking for information and B. When I was giving information. I get that too much info may not be the most ideal scenario but if a blogger who you consider a friend asks for something then share it! Don’t you want to see your friends succeed too? Hoarding your growth tactics, editing secrets and things of that nature is not the definition of, “Women supporting women.”
3. Create Together – Once you have solid blogger friendships, you know, the girls you would invite to your wedding, baby shower and early retirement party, create cool shit together! I left yesterday’s shoot feeling so inspired and empowered. People love to see girl gangs…there’s a reason the Spice Girls were so popular. Girl power does exist, it’s out there in the universe with all it’s powerful energy!
4. Support via Stories and Tags – This is a new trend on Instagram and I have a love-hate relationship with it because I was doing it long before it became a “thing.” But, the main point of it is awesome and if you do it from an honest place then YAY! Share accounts you truly love and are inspired by. Share smaller accounts that you want to support because you are a nice person.
5. Give Credit where Credit is Due – Things are getting foggy on Instagram and a lot of girls' content is starting to look the same, mine included! Things can get weird, competitive and nasty if people feel you are “stealing” ideas, edits etc. So, if you are inspired by a specific photo then give credit to the person who inspired your shot! If you are using someone’s preset then tell your followers that. Giving credit to those who inspire you makes them feel good inside and doesn’t make you a photo stealing copycat! It’s a more positive collaborative approach rather than a negative one.

 

 

Mama Cax - Model, blogger, world traveler, public speaker, advocate, and amputee

I discovered Mama Cax through a podcast. She talked about all the amazing things she was doing despite her disability. Of course I had to stalk her Insta right after and was blown away by both her stunning feed, amazing style, and those drop dead gorgeous looks! She had grown quite a large following of over 135k people who just adore all she's doing in the fashion and female empowerment world. This gal survived cancer at a young age and lost one of her legs but she did not let that stop her from fulfilling her dreams. Mama Cax is a shining example of strength, elegance, and bold self expression. Through all this she has become a well known spokesperson for the intersectional feminist movement.

It was a long shot, but I figured I should reach out to see if she was interested in being featured on our Boss Blog. As luck would have it she was in LA speaking at Create & Cultivate, the ultimate girl boss conference! I was honored she took the time out of her busy schedule to stop by Biz Babez and shoot with me. We made the arrangements to shoot about a month in advance and I was anxiously awaiting for the day to arrive. I wanted to do something more special than our usual shoots at the office so that morning I ran to the fashion district and got some amazing vintage fabric for a backdrop. She arrived with a bag of awesome clothing and accessories, including this epic wig. She said, "I want to make this a fun and playful shoot!" I couldn't have agreed more! Mama Cax was such a cool and down to earth girl and we had an awesome time shooting and chatting. It's always the best when you meet a role model who is so nice and relatable.

Scroll around below to see the full shoot and read our interview! Mama Cax has some powerful words to share. 

Mama Cax! First off why don’t you tell us a little about yourself. Where are you originally from and what's your full name? 

I was born in Brooklyn but originally from Haiti. I spent most of my childhood in Haiti before moving back to New York in 2004. Mama Cax is my blogging name but most people call me Cax. I hold a B.A and M.A in International Studies but currently I'm a full time blogger and model.

You’re a lady of many talents and pursuits! How would you describe all you do?

It doesn’t quite fit in one box I guess. Aside from blogging and modeling, I often get to speak at events and conferences and the topic of discussion varies from intersectional feminism, body image and sex positivity. Ultimately I like to bring the perspective of a disabled woman to these platforms as we are often not present in those discussions.

I love hearing how you went from working in a government office to being a fashion icon and jet setting around the world. What prompted this change?What does fashion and self expression mean to you?

Totally unplanned. I always thought I’d end up working at a non profit organization. While I worked at the mayor’s office, outside of my 9-5 unbeknownst to me at the time, I was creating and nurturing a brand. From curating my Instagram feed to blogging about travels and body image, it all started paying off when I realized I could also get paid to create content for some of my favorite brands. I took a year off to get my masters, with the hope of getting a better paying position. Life doesn’t always workout the way we plan and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After getting the opportunity to model on a Wet n Wild campaign it made sense to get represented by a modeling agency. Although me being where I am is completely by chance I also can’t deny the work I’ve put into it. People tend to organically label me and those labels often come with negative assumption. Fashion is one of many ways I let the world know who I am; risk taker, confident and creative.

Where are some of the places you have traveled? Which place is your absolute favorite and why?

I’ve studied in Europe and embarked on a solo backpacking trip in south east Asia. I’ve probably been to 35 countries across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia. I’ve created great memories in every single one. If I absolutely have to pick one I’d say Iceland in the spring; Dreamy landscape, the weather is perfect and I love the 22 hour daylight. If I could pick more than one, I would have to add Haiti (because it will always be home), Ivory Coast, South Africa and Thailand. These countries have great food and vibrant cultures from the clothing to the music.

How would you say having survived cancer and an amputation at age 16 has shaped you as a person?

I think surviving cancer has pushed me to aim to enjoy the little victories in life and try to live it to the fullest. I always say that if I had a do-over there’s very little that I would change. These experiences have made me the person I am today, they have definitely made me appreciate my ability to adapt.

You have become a huge advocate in the body positivity movement. Why is this movement vital not only to you but all women?

I was unaware of the movement until I joined Instagram. For the longest time it had been a movement to get plus size women (mostly white) to accept their bodies but I’ve slowly watched it include other women (thankfully). I often use the term self-love, but to me it is meant to celebrate and elevate bodies that have been marginalized for so long; plus size, hairy, queer, trans, diverse skin shade and disabled. I think self perception has a strong link with self esteem therefore it affects so many aspects of our lives. 

You have not let your disability get in the way of a very able, full, and colorful life. What does the word “disability” mean to you? After posting on our Insta-stories we had a few girls reach out who also wear prosthetics and are struggling to embrace and show them off the way you do. What’s one important message you have for these girls?

Disability is essentially an impairment, often times it affects us because our environment is not designed with us in mind. Having a disability has allowed me to find a new community and look at our world through a different lens, one that constantly pushes me to think of ways of making opportunities and spaces accessible. As an amputee, there isn’t one way of embracing yourself, for me it meant showing off my prosthetic leg but I understand that our society is not very accepting. To other girls who wear prosthetics I say do what makes you feel comfortable and work on loving yourself at your own pace. 

As a blogger you’ve had a large following on Instagram for some time now, and are now signed with an agency as a model. You travel the world speaking at conferences like Create & Cultivate. What has all this attention and fame been like for you?! The good and bad.

Yes I’m currently represented by JAG Models. I’m always amazed by the messages from all over the world, especially from people whose stories are similar to mine. And always honored to get invited to speak at conferences and events, rubbing elbows with women who have inspired and continue to inspire me. From the likes and comments it’s easy to see the positive but it can be frightening and lonely. Once you’re considered a public figure, your picture can be shared on any platform where the comment sections are not always positive. Often times people equate popularity with “doing well” or “she’s made it” but my life is still very much like a roller coaster; I have great days, depressing ones, worries about not budgeting well and an almost non existent dating life. 

What’s in store for the future of Mama Caxx?! Tell us all your wildest dreams :)

I’lll be on yet another exciting panel at South by South West (so follow me on Instagram for a chance to see me talk). I shot an amazing campaign for Tommy Hilfiger and that will be out in the Spring. Since I never imagined I’d be a full time blogger, model and speaker, It’s hard to allow myself to dream but some things on my list are:

 - to help provide prosthetic limbs to children

- be featured in Vogue print magazine(I like the tangible stuff)

- and finally setting up a fund to provide scholarships for students with disabilities to study abroad

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Being confident, pursuing my dream, helping my community but most importantly encourage other young women to do the same.

 

Dani Show's her Daily Outfits in Dazey 

 

Here it is, the second installation of our Dazey Everyday posts! As you know I wear a Dazey tee every single day and show the outfits on Instagram stories. I've since decided to document my outfits here on the blog to provide some outfit inspo for all you fellow graphic tee gals! These are my real life looks shot that day wherever I may be, whether it's at Biz Babez, my house, around town, or even in Palm Springs for the day. In a world on pre-planned outfits and photo shoots it's so fun to share a real life outfit and real life setting. Practical looks to wear and add spunk in your everyday life!

If any of you Dazey ladies collect enough tees to join me don't forget to use the hashtag #DAZEYEVERYDAY :) 

Get The Look:
Courage Tee
Metallic Rust Headband by I'm With The Band

Get The Look:
Bold is Beautiful Bell Sleeve
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

 

Get The Look:
Love More Tee in White
Falling Star Earrings & Maya Kimono

 

Get The Look:
Bold is Beautiful Tee
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Velvet Sienna Headband by I'm With The Band

Get The Look:
Speak Up Raglan

Get The Look:
Courage Turtleneck
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Velvet Sunbeam Pinafore

Get The Look:
Blind Eye
Mustard Yellow Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Strong As Hell Tee
Green Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Brave Babe Turtleneck
Black Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

 

THE SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT COLLECTION IS LIVE

As you know each of our collections center around a theme having to do with female empowerment. This specific one is powerful and couldn’t be more relevant. The Speak Up Speak Out collection was designed to give women a voice in a society that often tries to silence them. Whether it’s empowering women to speak up for themselves or to speak out against sexual violence. Time’s up, it’s our turn to talk! 

SPEAK UP:

Every woman has experienced a situation where they were expected to act or speak a certain way because of their gender. We are told to be quiet and keep our thoughts to ourselves. Smile often and always look pretty. Wear this, don’t wear that. Be thin, but have curves in the right places. Find a husband and have kids, but not too early or too late. Be successful, but not too successful. We are done being told how to act and what to say. We won’t be held back any longer. Women are brave. Women are bold. Women are brilliant. We have a valid voice, real opinions, and are ready to change the world. 

SPEAK OUT:

For too long women have been labeled 'the weaker sex' and been taken advantage of. The statistics of sexual assault in the US are staggering. Right now there is a movement to shed light on the truth with incredible campaigns like #metoo and #timesup. This collection was partly inspired by giving power back to the victims of assault. We are celebrating the silence breakers. The courageous women coming forward to end the abuse. We stand by them and want to amplify their voices!

THE SHOOT:

As we were looking for a location for our big lookbook shoot we got an interesting email. One of my best friends Alden and I got invited to Modernism Week in Palm Springs. I’m a huge fan of this era, in both interiors and a graphic design perspective. Alden also happens to be an amazing full time model who I love to shoot for Dazey. I reached back out to Modernism Week to see if they would let us shoot in one of their epic locations. I was ecstatic when they said we could some the day before the event and create some content! The house that the party was to be held at was recently renovated and no photos were to be found until the big reveal the day of. So we really went into this with no idea of what to expect, a sort of guerrilla lookbook shoot! I was both exited and anxious. When we got to the location there appeared to be quite a bit going on with final touches on the renovation and we got a tad nervous. As you know Dazey is a very bright, colorful, and funky brand. While the Hidden Frey was no doubt gorgeous, it was quite clean and white looking and less quirky. We did a few looks there and began talking to Jackie and DeeAnne, the owners. They also happened to own another amazing property they were showing for modernism week! The called it The Moroccan and with a name like that we knew it has to be amazing. They were so kind to let us finish the shoot over there! We initially were going to shoot in the front and backyard area but when we walked into the house our jaws dropped. It was a funky bright little piece of mid-century modern paradise! With a little convincing (and sort of just going ahead and doing it haha) we got to shoot inside this mind blowing property. Jackie and DeeAnee are wives and the owners of Thomboy Properties, one of the best modern renovation companies in Palm Springs and these ladies KILL THE GAME in an industry not often ran by females! Everything about their story is unique, unexpected, and fabulous. So excited to have partnered with rad Dazey Ladies as always on this shoot!

 We took a chance and ended up with a shoot just as fun, colorful, and California as Dazey. We like to shine a light on serious subject matters, but also add that dose of positivity and lightness. I have been handing the camera over to Phillip a little more lately and stepping into a role as the face of the brand. This is the first lookbook shoot I’ve ever modeled in and to be honest it feels a little funny. Especially alongside an amazing successful model like Alden. I also just want to say I know were two blonde white girls and that doesn’t work towards my goal of showing more representation as a brand. I didn’t want to roll into these special locations with a large crew and Alden and I were both invited to come and shoot. We will certainly work had to get some more diverse shoots in the new stuff with all types of wonderful women! Despite all that I’m so happy with how everything turned out and SO EXCITED to finally share the SPEAK UP SPEAK OUT collection! Hope you enjoy :)

Models:
@AldenSteimle 
@DaniDazey

Locations:
@Modernism_Week
@ThomboyProperties

Photographer:
@PhillipButler

 

 

 

 

 

Valentines Day Special Release and Photoshoot!

We are all about spreading the LOVE here at Dazey and clearly you guys are too! Our OG mustard Love More tee is our all-time best seller (and most knocked off) by far! After many requests we’ve decided to offer more styles in this graphic. An amazing mustard bell sleeve, turtleneck, and basic white tee!

We were originally planning on releasing these exciting new styles alongside our new collection but decided doing a special Valentines Day launch couldn't be more appropriate! Today only we’re doing 15% off ALL love more products including our OG tee dress and mustard tee! Use the code “lovemore” at checkout. It’s the perfect time to pick up a tee whether you're spending time with someone special, doing Galentines, or celebrating self love. TREAT YO SELF LADIES!!!

Below we have a fun shoot with @danidazey and her boyfriend @phillipbutler! We originally shot the mustard love more tee in today's post with @merakinarrative & @larkcakeshop but had to add on all the new styles! We kept the fun going this past weekend doing a @bizbabez shoot for this special launch :)

Photos in mustard love more tee: @merakinarrative

Photos in other styles: @phillipbutler/@vegetaryn/@kaseydrier (team effort LOL!)

I first discovered Bossladies Magazine in a stationary shop. The soft pink cover and Bossladies title instantly got me! I had only recently started Dazey and was obsessed with learning more about entrepreneurship from a female perspective, and still am! I happily bought my first copy and haven’t stopped since. They are designed more like keepsake coffee table books and are now all proudly displayed at our Biz Babez office. Each magazine comes out quarterly and the Bossladies boss, Chelsea, curates the most inspiring group of women located in the city she’s highlighting. As a writer she really knows how to ask the right questions to get authentic and real stories behind the amazing women she features. Her and the Bossladies team shoot each woman and really spend the time to tell their story and do it justice. Everything about this brand is thoughtful and heartfelt, which is why I love it so much!  

I began following Bossladies on Instagram and that’s when I first saw Chelsea’s stories. She is very much the face of her brand and exudes the same warmth and authenticity as her magazine. I began to follow her journey and saw she kept talking about this Work Sesh, her monthly boss meet up held at new gorgeous locations around town. I was so curious and as soon as we began to put together our Biz Babez office I instantly thought to reach out to Chelsea. We chatted about collaborating since both of our brands are so in line. During our first few months of Biz Babez Chelsea said she had a few friends attend events at the space and told her she had to host a Work Sesh there. During the month of January we were so excited to actually make that happen! We met so many rad women and had a great time. I also took the opportunity to snap some photos and interview Chelsea while we were under the same roof! As a woman who has personally impacted my business I’m beyond stoked to feature her. Below is the full feature, Q & A, photoshoot, and some snaps taken at her Biz Babez Work Sesh! 

Before Bossladies was a twinkle in your eye what did you do?

I was an in-house editor for a novelist. I worked with her off and on for about five years, helping to bring her vision to life and get her stories out in the world. She was an incredible mentor to me.

What was your path to get there?

I studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Colby College, which is a small liberal arts school in Maine. There I studied creative non-fiction: travel writing, food writing, feature writing, the personal essay – and poetry. After school I moved to LA – spent some time working for a commercial real estate firm building communities on their properties, worked for the author, and started a small events business.

What inspired you to start Bossladies?

At some point it became clear to me that I’d like to start my own business, so I began studying other women entrepreneurs. I had no shortage of role models; Los Angeles is full of ambitious women. I followed their businesses closely on Instagram and came to realize two things:

1) The most successful creative women in LA all seemed to be best friends, and they all supported each other.  

2) They all got lots of press in lifestyle publications -- but not in business publications. They were revered for their style and their aesthetic, but no one was recognizing them for the businesswomen they were. I set out to do two things: create a community of entrepreneurs that any woman could join and design a business-focused publication that showcased the women I admired.

I know you had originally started with a Kickstarter. How did that go? Would you recommend it to someone interested in getting a project off of the ground?

Kickstarter was an incredible platform for us. It allowed us to test the market before we launched the magazine. (We discovered that women were hungry for a business-centric publication.) And it was a great tool for spreading the word about the project. I would certainly recommend it for anyone creating a tangible product that takes capital to produce.

How do you go about finding the right women to feature and getting them on board? What’s the process involved in a feature?

Curating the group of women we feature is one of my favorite parts of my job. It requires a lot of research, following my curiosities down the Instagram rabbit hole, and asking friends which women they find inspiring.  We have a series of guidelines that govern the types of businesses we feature; for example, we like to feature sustainable, ethical businesses that are rethinking their industry and using design to drive innovation. My team and I travel to our featured city and spend about two weeks interviewing and photographing each woman.

So on top of Bossladies being a gorgeous female-driven magazine, it’s also a monthly gathering called Work Sesh. Why don’t you tell us all about that!

Work Sesh is a weekly event series that we host here in LA. We gather with 30 other women entrepreneurs for a morning of relationship building, resource sharing, and support. It’s my favorite thing in the world. I love the way women share their hearts with one another and show up to support each other.

How do these two entities work together under the Bossladies umbrella? Was this a part of your original plan or something that came about after?

Bossladies as a company is focused on providing inspiration, education, and community for women entrepreneurs globally, so the magazine and Work Sesh nestle really nicely under that driving mission.

Bossladies recently underwent a big branding change, and you were very transparent about your thoughts and struggles with it. What was your thought process on the rebranding and future image of Bossladies?

The rebranding was such a fun process for me because it forced me to really interrogate what the brand represents, who it is for, and what I want it to feel like. I’m really happy with where we landed. I think our new visuals communicate the strength, elegance, maturity, vulnerability, and intimacy that are central to the brand.

 

Right now I’m exploring ways to allow the brand to continue evolving but to give it certain parameters, so it feels contained. I think that brands can (and maybe should) evolve as quickly as their founders and creative directors do; otherwise things can feel stale. But you also need certain elements of the brand to remain constant and create a visual home for the brand.

You are always active on Instagram Story and very much the face of your brand. How has this benefitted your business? Are there struggles that come with it?

Instagram Stories have been an incredible tool for sharing more of the behind the scenes moments of running the business and creating space for ongoing conversations with our community. One of the trickiest things about being so forward-facing in that space is that it requires being really open and vulnerable with thousands of people, and, of course, there are moments when you crave a bit more privacy and yearn to keep more of your life sacred. I tend to give 

myself permission to share everything or nothing depending on how I’m feeling in the moment.

What’s in store for Bossladies future? In both the not so distant future and beyond!

So many things! Our San Francisco issue will release May 2018. This will be the first issue that has full chapters on each of our featured women, and we’re doing some innovative and beautiful things with book design.

 

Events-wise, we’ll continue to strengthen and nourish our Work Sesh community. And we’ll host our first annual conference this autumn. The conference will look much different than any conference we’ve ever seen, and I think it is going to be a really special experience.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you? 

Learning from Dazey Lady Lavendaire 

I met Aileen, aka Lavendaire, through a mutual friend, Lynette. Lynette had a vision board event at our Biz Babez space. I not only got to meet and chat with Aileen but was gifted a copy of her amazing book. The year was coming to an end and I was anxiously planning for 2018 and I found it so incredibly helpful! After hearing more about her journey as a YouTube star come author I had to ask for a feature!

She's gone through the self discovery journey and now makes it her goal to help others with the skills and tips she's acquired along the way. Her mission is to equip and empower people to persue their dreams! Obviously something we can really get behind here at Dazey. :)

See the full shoot and deep dive into Aileen's inspiring journey below. We talk about all the odds jobs she had along the way, how she got started on YouYube, and how she went about creating her workbook!  

Let’s rewind back to the beginning! What was your personal experience in college? What was your major and why?

I went to USC and majored in Business Administration. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so business seemed like a general and practical major that could lead to a variety of career paths. It was a major I could count on to get me a job when I graduated, because my biggest fear was to graduate jobless and unsuccessful. I was really ambitious and wanted to feel like I was “doing well” compared to my peers.

On the side, I pursued my creative passions: I was making singing videos on YouTube, on the hip hop dance team, and played the lead in a school musical. Around junior year, I started to question my life existence, asking questions like “What’s the meaning of life?” “Why are we here?” and “What the heck am I doing with my life?” I started thinking differently about everything I knew - it was quite dramatic for me.

Then I got the opportunity to study abroad in Milan, which is where I embarked on a “soul search” and introduced myself to self help books about finding your life purpose. Traveling abroad opened my eyes to so much more. Away from the demands, stress and competition of school in my old bubble, I was able to learn more about myself and what I truly wanted out of life. I gained clarity and inspiration to take my life in a new direction, a direction that aligned with my true dreams, rather than the expectations of others.

The irony is that in the end, my biggest fear came true: I graduated jobless and “unsuccessful” in the eyes of my family and peers. It was a struggle. But it taught me to let go of what others thought of me, and it led me to create my best life.

Following college what did you decide to pursue? You mentioned having a lot of internships!

I had six or seven internships throughout college in entertainment, social media, marketing and advertising industries. I loved the idea of working in entertainment, because I love performing and the arts. But each internship taught me the reality of the business-side of these industries, how unglamorous it is and how it’s just regular work, like everything else. These internships taught me more about what I don’t like and what I don’t want with my life, which I’m grateful for. I got honest with myself and realized that deep down I had always wanted to be on the talent and creative end of the work, instead of the business end.

After college, I decided not to pursue the corporate route that I was expected to take, and instead set off to explore all the creative paths that interested me. I pursued music, making more YouTube videos, performing often, and producing an album. I pursued acting and hosting. I volunteered for a food festival startup, doing marketing, PR and video production, which later became a fun freelance job.

What were some of the highs and lows you had before deciding to work for yourself?

Some highs: Recorded and produced my own album and threw an amazing album release party. Some of my videos were shared by DJs Dash Berlin and Nicky Romero. I got to manage a video team for the food festival and produce my first short film, entered a singing competition on Chinese TV.

Some lows: Dealing with depression my last semester of college, getting fired from a couple internships, clashing with parents & family who didn’t understand me, working with other creators and getting burned/disrespected from people I thought were my friends, getting disqualified from the singing competition because of irresponsibly showing up late to rehearsals.

It’s funny to organize it this way because as you might suspect, there’s a story in each of those lines. Another observation I made right now: I listed my highs in past tense and my lows in present tense, maybe because my highs are “things I’m proud of accomplishing” and lows are “difficult times I had to go through.” Interesting!

What lead you to start producing content on youtube?

In those years of creative and self exploration, I realized that we can really shape our lives in any way that we want, and that was so exciting. Because I didn’t have a 9-5 job, I had the flexibility to say yes to all of these odd jobs and opportunities that made my life so much more interesting than it would have been otherwise. In those years, I learned how to be an artist of life.

I started Lavendaire to share this discovery and all the insights and lessons that came from my experience so far. I had gained so much knowledge in personal growth from reading books & studying people I admired online. I was totally a sponge during those years. Lavendaire was my outlet to share all that I was learning. At the time, it was hard to find people my age talking about self help on YouTube—I was like “Why isn’t anyone talking about this?” I knew that there must have been others my age going through the same struggles, so I decided to start sharing.

What are the best tips you have on building a following on YouTube?

Find your voice, your message and your style. You really have to know who you are and what you want to say. Then, commit to creating and posting consistently. Stick to a schedule and treat it like a real job! Always create the highest quality videos you can with what you have, but don’t worry about the technical aspect, because you can learn along the way. Start with the gear you have and just create something and put it out there. Ask for feedback on your videos, and make efforts to learn and improve so that each new video is better than the last. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I love your brand name, Lavendaire, what does mean?

Thanks! It’s just a word I made up because I liked the sound of it. I wanted to create an original word that didn’t exist online yet, so that if you searched it up, I would be the only result that shows up! I brainstormed some other options but Lavendaire stuck, because I love lavender and the multiple meanings behind it—it’s a light, dreamy color, a flower, and a calming scent—all qualities I liked for my brand. And my hair was purple at the time. My friends at the time joked that it was just “lavender + hair” put together. But I added “aire” because I like an airy feel and wanted the word to sound a bit French. 

You really focus your videos on teaching people and trying to spread a positive message! What is your main focus for your videos and why?

My mission is to empower people to realize and embrace their truest self, and set forth to create the life of their dreams. That’s the meaning of being an “artist of life.” I truly believe that we all have gifts and strengths to share, that make us incredibly unique. We’re meant to bring our uniqueness to the world, to light it up in some way. If everybody lives according to others’ expectations (like I did in my youth), the world would be made up of a lot of mediocre copycats, and our gifts would be wasted. The world benefits when you are being yourself and you share your unique light. You’ll also be infinitely happier. It’s a win-win situation for all parties.

So after building a popular fan base on YouTube and Instagram you decided to launch a book! Tell us a little about Artist of Life?

The Artist of Life Workbook is a book of questions and exercises to help you plan your best year. It’s essentially all the questions and exercises that I’ve personally done, that have helped me in my journey. Within are questions to help you reflect on the past year, clarify what you want for the new year, set your goals in all areas of your life, and help keep you accountable for your goals throughout the year.

You can learn more and see photos of the Artist of Life Workbook on my website here.

How does one go about creating a book!? Walk us through the process of idea to final product!

First comes the idea. I’ve actually had the idea of creating a life guide type of book five years ago, but the idea came back to me in 2016 with more clarity. I had so much inspiration to make the idea come to life, so I committed to setting aside time to get it done. I made the first version (the 2017 Artist of Life Workbook PDF) on Pages and launched it as a digital workbook. My audience asked if there would be a print version of the workbook, since a lot of people like using pen and paper. So, I started researching printers and emailing for quotes to get my digital workbook printed. In the end, my boyfriend connected me with a manufacturer in China who could help us with production. I collected photo examples of what I wanted and sent over samples for color and material for the workbook cover as well as samples for the paper I wanted to use. I also sent over the dimensions and design for the workbook and cover. Then, it’s up to them to source the right materials that are similar to my vision, send me photos of their findings and (if time permits) create samples to send over for me to review.

Because we were on a time constraint last year, we skipped the step of creating samples, so the workbook I sold was the first workbook they created. This year, I had more time to create the workbook. I took a class to learn Adobe InDesign and created the new workbook design on that. In production, we went through 2 rounds of samples before landing on the third and final design.

Tell us a little bit about your podcast! How long has it been going on? What are you trying to accomplish with it?

My podcast, The Lavendaire Lifestyle, has been going on for almost two years. It’s an extension of my channel so I chat about the same topics of lifestyle design and personal growth, but more in depth. I bring in a variety of guests in the self help, wellness and creativity spaces to share about different aspects of how to create your dream life. My guests embody what it means to be an artist of life, so they always have nuggets of wisdom to share on in our interviews. I actually learn a lot from interviewing guests on the podcast. My YouTube channel is generally me sharing my experiences and what I’ve learned. But my podcast is a chance for me to learn from someone else, an expert in a certain area, and share that experience with my audience.

You are a lady of so many talents and pursuits! What’s next for Aileen and Lavendaire?!

This year I’m focusing on laying the foundation for new beginnings. I’m looking to hire a couple people to help with video editing and production. I want to elevate the brand of Lavendaire and create content that’s high quality. I’m realizing that I can’t do it all myself at the quality level I want it to be. I have to collaborate and work with others, others who are better than me in areas where I am lacking. That’s the next step! Learning to build a small team, create new systems and learn to manage it all.

Another reason for wanting to get help is to free up my time for writing a book! Publishing a book has always been a dream of mine, so I’m just getting ready to tackle that.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

It means being a woman who feels empowered to express herself confidently and go after her biggest dreams, regardless of what anyone else thinks.