Strategy & self-care with Kasey Drier 

Amidst the craziness of running a business a lot of things can fall by the wayside. Self care is usually the first thing to go along with your sanity haha. This year started off strong for Dazey which is amazing, but took a toll on me in other ways. I had a to-do list miles long and didn’t know how to handle it. I started to feel major anxiety but kept brushing it aside to get stuff done. I was starting to feel the beginnings signs of burn out, something had to be done.

Luckily Kasey Drier came to the rescue! Kasey was our very first Biz Babez member and became so involved in the community straight from the beginning. Taryn, my Biz Babez business partner, and I quickly began to rely on her and made her our Community Manager. She’s part genius, part camp counselor, and a F/T self help coach for boss babes. Kasey was literally made to do this job. She’s helped shape Biz Babez so much that Taryn and I basically consider her our third founder! We are now working with her on a new Biz Babez project, Bizzy, and she’s become an irreplaceable member of our team. 

Kasey graduated from Stanford with a degree in engineering and worked doing project management for a fortune 500 company for many years. She herself went through burnout and realized while she was very accomplished, she wasn’t happy. She dramatically changed her life and is now a self care and strategy coach for female entrepreneurs!

Kasey has been working with Taryn and a few of our members on coaching and it has been helping so much. I thought it was so cool, but had been skeptical it would do anything for me. I was still deeply in denial that I needed any help until I word vomited all over her when we were getting coffee one day. The advice she had was incredible. She takes a very practical engineering approach mixed with some new age practices. It’s great for me as someone who isn’t super 'woo woo' but could use a little more meditation in my life! The very next day I told her I needed to actually hire her to help me manage and plan for Dazey as well as myself! We had two coaching sessions, one with just her and I and then one with my little team. I told her all I had on my mind and on my plate and she was able to write it all down and make a game plan on what my priorities are and how to get them done. Sometimes as a self employed person you really just need someone else to tell you what to do for a change! With her experience managing large teams for big companies she’s well versed in business planning. On the other end of the spectrum is learning when to relax and take time out for yourself. She taught me some great ways to prioritize my self care and make a lifestyle that’s sustainable over time. They were transformational and such a huge help to my business, schedule, and sanity. 

As you know Dazey is all about transparency so I decided to share with you guys exactly what Kasey and I worked on and talked about during our coaching session. I hope by sharing this it can give you guys some insight on how you can better prioritize self care and manage your to-do list! We hope to do these “Private Goes Public” sessions on a monthly basis as I learn with Kasey! Also everyone in the world should hire her haha ;)

Below read Kasey’s notes and stories from our sessions along with some photos of her around Biz Babez. We also got some group shots of the 'Head Babez' I thought would be fun to throw in! 

Kasey tells ALL:

Ladies, I LOVE Dazey LA! I love what it stands for; I love how it started; I love how it’s operated, and I love its founder. I found Dani, or rather Dani found me, through one of her famous Insta-story advertisements. She smiled at me through her big glasses and said something along the lines of, “You’ve just been targeted for this ad, because you believe in female empowerment and I think you’ll like my brand, Dazey LA.”

I followed her account, and it’s been love ever since. About two months later I became the very first member of Biz Babez, a Pinterest perfect workspace for girls who gram and female business owners who want to work for themselves, but not by themselves. I’ve become so obsessed with Biz Babez that I’m now the Community Manager and Strategy Babe. (BTW, we have BIG plans for Biz Babez, more details coming soon!).

One day Dani and I went out to a casual coffee at Verve, right around the corner of Biz Babez. As fate would have it, it turned into a mini-coaching session. Which makes sense, because I’m a self-care coach and business strategist who helps boss influencers, like Dani, set outrageously audacious goals; meet them, and IMPROVE their well-being along the way. One thing led to another, and the next thing we knew, we were working together to help Dani feel more energized; carve out more room in her day to do the creative and content work that she breathes for, and set DazeyLA and Biz Babez on awesome growth trajectories.

 Sounds impossible, huh?

I promise you; it’s not. But, I understand why it seems that way. We’re great, especially in the U.S., at selling the idea that excellent business achievement has to come at the cost of sleep, sanity, health, and relationships. The funny thing is, and the thing that I help my boss clients reframe, we often have to narrow our focus; say no more often, and do less to make a big impact and big bucks! And that’s precisely what I’m helping Dani and Dazey do. It’s a privilege, and I count it as a blessing every night before I go to bed. (For real: every night I say 108 things I’m grateful for on my mala beads and Dani and Dazey are always two of them!).

As a coach, it’s a good practice to keep my client's information and sessions private. But one of the things that makes Dani so authentic, accessible, and lovable is her vulnerability. So when she asked me to write a guest blog about our work together, I felt comfortable lifting the veil for a very rare and candid look at what it’s like to prioritize your self-care while building two empires. At Dani’s request and with her permission, here are some of her self-care challenges and highlights.

First, Dani is genuinely one of the most confident people I have ever met. It is contagious and inspiring. She has an eye for design, detail, and marketing and the sister know it!

She is also a perfectionist. This personality trait has served her very well and turned her side hustle into the solid foundation of an empire. But, it also makes it difficult to let go of low-priority tasks that someone else can and should do.

That’s why the first thing we did together was discussed her goals for DazeyLA, Biz Babez, and her personal goals AND looked at her To-Do List. It’s a lot easier to let go of control, delegate To-Dos, and just straight up say “NO!” when we look at our To-Do List in the context of our audacious, amazing goals.

Dani and Dazey have HUGE goals. And I have no doubt they will crush them. Together, we prioritized the To-Dos and focused areas most likely to help her successfully achieve these goals. We reduced her To-Do List by about 25% through that exercise alone. But, there were still more To-Do’s than any one person, even someone as badass as Dani could accomplish in one year. So we started delegating.

Dani and Dazey thrive when Dani is spending her time being creative, big picture, and activating her Dazey Ladies across the globe. That made it pretty easy to figure out what needed to stay on her To-Do List vs. what things were ripe for delegation.

Once we got a sense for what we needed to get off Dani’s plate and onto someone else’s, we met with her DazeyLA teammates. One of the many things Dani has done well over the last year is to build a kick butt team. When we took a collective look at the things that still needed to get done and needed a new, non-Dani owner, as magic would have it, the activities aligned with strengths and growth opportunities for her team. Not only did Dani shrink her To-Do List, but she also increased her employee engagement. That is what GREAT LEADERS DO! Way to go, Dani!

Okay, so we slayed her To-Do List, what next? We added a new To-Do to the top of her list: sleep! Luckily, Dani is a pro-sleeper, so we didn’t have to make any drastic changes to her sleep routine.

However, despite getting enough sleep, and loving what she does, she didn’t always feel a spring in her step when it came to waking up. There’s nothing wrong with not being a morning person. But Dani wanted to feel more energized and excited about getting up in the morning. She admitted that she dreaded getting ready for her Dazey Everyday Instagram Stories. She also felt guilty that even though she loves Biz Babez, sometimes she still just wanted to work in a local coffee shop.

You wouldn’t believe the number of influencers and goal-crushers I work with who love being ready in the morning but don’t love the act of getting ready! Dani is in good company. Fortunately or unfortunately, getting dressed; doing her hair, and putting on makeup is part of Dani’s job. So rather than resenting that, I encouraged Dani to start owning that. I suggested that she think of getting ready as “clocking-in” it's part of her job….she’s getting paid for it! It didn’t reduce the amount of time she needed to spend on the activity. But it made her feel better about it, which is more than half the battle!

Finally, we addressed the guilt. I wish I got a dime every time one of my sweet clients said, “I feel guilty,” “I have to,” “I should,” or “I need to.” I’d be a wealthy woman if I did. Guilt is the nastiest energy vampire in the human feelings spectrum. It makes us feel bad and overcompensate for the silliest, most ridiculous things. Don’t get me wrong; I’m as guilty of experiencing unnecessarily guilty as the next boss babe. I am consistently working on it with my coach and therapist. That's why I am so passionate about helping my clients banish it!

It turns out Dani is allowed to love working quietly at a coffee shop and at the bustling Biz Babez. In fact, she prefers working at a coffee shop in the morning to help her clear her head and start her morning on a creative note. Then she loves getting an energy injection at Biz Babez in the afternoon when it’s time to collaborate and create content. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. She doesn’t have to be at Biz Babez all day, every day. It doesn’t mean she loves the community or the concept any less. The relief she felt when we determined this was instantaneous and very palpable. It was such a fun and rewarding coaching moment for me!

I’m so proud of and inspired by Dani. She is such a courageous woman. She is living her brand and carving a name for herself. It is a treat to be a part of her journey.

There are so many other things that Dani and I are working on together. This will not be my last post. But, it is the end of this one.

In the meantime, if you’d like to work on your self-care, here are three options:

1. Follow me on Instagram for actionable tips and tricks @kaseydreier
2. Take a deep breath
3. Sign-up for free 30-minute self-care check-in with me (offering specially for friends of Dazey!) 

Until the next blog, be well lovelies!

Love, Kasey Dreier

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.

Dazey Getawayz Nashville Edition

As part of our New Years Resolutions, my boyfriend Phillip and I decided we want to travel more. Especially trips we can dub "work trips!" Before I started Dazey I worked full time for larger companies and inconveniently always either quit or was fired just about the time where you get that weeks paid vacation. So I literally spent a good 3-4 years not traveling AT ALL. Guess you can say I’m making up for lost time this year! 

1. Urban Cowboy BNB - A Boutique Hotel Dreamscape

2. Pinewood Social - Nashville’s Ultimate Hang Spot

3. Date Night: Rolf and Daughter

4. Barista Parlor: Nashville’s Official Coffee Shop

5. Five Daughters Bakery: Donuts With a Twist

6. Lunch at Pharmacy - Big Ass Burgers (Veggie Included!)

7. Butcher and Bee - A Sweet & Savory Masterpiece 

8. Atta Boy - Curated Cocktails

9. Crema - Sweet Coffee and Clean Space

10. Gift Horse - Quirky Gifts with a Nashville Twist

11. Wheat & Co - For Ya Dazey Dudez

12. Two Sons - Shipping made Simple and Spectacular 

This store was recommended to us by a lot of you! It’s a giant space filled with only a few racks of very curated clothing from awesome designers like Ace & Jig. The whole store was expansive and white, but their rack was rainbow color coordinated, I loved that. 

Women's March 2018 - Still Marching

As some of you may remember last year I designed a whole collection inspired by my empowering experience at the 2017 Women's March. One year later and we still have a reason to march. Some may argue that protesting doesn't really change anything, but I beg to differ. It shows the world that there are hundreds of thousands of people who care enough to show up early on a Saturday morning and march for their beliefs. It shows the attendees they are not alone as they stand in solidarity with their sisters. It brings light to not only the issue of gender inequality but so many more injustices people face.

My boyfriend and I got back from a week long exhausting work trip and then I had a sudden realization that the Women's March was in ONE DAY! The hype about the march this year was substantially less than the previous, yet our issues have not improved. I knew I had to get Dazey involved. Luckily I have a gorgeous space downtown, Biz Babez, that's always ready to host people! We decided to do a pre-march prep party, complete with sign making, coffee, and snacks. I announced literally the morning before the March via Instagram and so many babes showed up! This was a great way to get a group of gals together and march as one, and we all had an amazing time getting to know each other and really feeling like a community. I asked gals to show up wearing their Dazey and so many did, it was awesome! 

One of my favorite parts of the march is seeing all the powerful, funny, and inspiring signs. It's actually what inspired my collection last year! This year I noticed too many talking about intersectional issues such as DACA, racism, transphobia, ageism, body positivity, and so much more. It was a great reminder that feminism is more than just a fight against sexism, it's about standing up for all marginalized people. Feminism stands for equality for ALL and needs to address these intersectional issues. As a brand we need to do a better job of spotlighting the people who have multiple marginalizations and give them a loud and proud voice in this movement. 

Below we have photos from the full day along with a few posts we did on Instagram about the march. Huge shout out to these amazing Dazey Ladies who showed up and stood with us! So proud of all of you amazing, kind, and strong women. We also saw so many of you  marching in Dazey in other cities and states. It was so cool to see and we have included some of the photos from around the globe! 

👊YOU CAN MARCH WITH US 👯 Had an incredible day standing alongside my sisters in the DTLA Women's March ❤️ We had a pre-march party at @bizbabez where we made signs and formed our Dazey Lady girl-gang ✨ There's NOTHING like gathering in solidarity to stand for something you believe in 💪 Swipe right to see some of these inspiring and empowered women 👉 #dazeyladiesunite #girlgang #womensmarchLA #womensmarch #empoweredwomen #timesup

A post shared by Dazey LA - Brand & Boss Blog (@dazey_la) on Jan 20, 2018 at 6:07pm PST

💗 Let's talk about INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM 💗 If you were at the women's march yesterday no doubt you saw many signs talking about intersectionality. This is a lot more than the feminist movement's most recent "buzz word". It's at the core of what we're fighting for, equality for ALL. Intersectional feminism recognizes that many women face prejudice far beyond just their gender. Weather it be their race, orientation, body type, socioeconomic class, or ability. Intersectional feminism does not dismiss their experience and wants to give them a voice and position of power in this movement. Everyone deserves the same rights and treatment. Period. As a brand we want to do a better job of shining a spotlight on these strong inspiring women with multiple marginalizations. What does intersectionality mean to you? How can I as a white feminist better include you? Let's all talk about this important topic below in the comment convos 👇 #dazeydialogue #commentconvos #intersectionality #intersectionalfeminism #womensmarch #dazeyladiesunite

A post shared by Dazey LA - Brand & Boss Blog (@dazey_la) on Jan 21, 2018 at 11:39am PST

Women's March Austin TX - Via @allychavezzz

San Diego March - Via @merzydotes & @timmelideo

Women's March Reno - Via @jessicabannister, @lorawagener/@lorawagenerco

Take the Tour - Grand Opening Party & Story Behind the Space

The grand tour post of Biz Babez has been a long time coming! For those who don't know Biz Babez is the second business I co-founded and launched in October. It's an all-female co-working & creative space in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. In December we had our official grand opening party complete with food, drinks, member pop-up shop, and member speaking panel. The turn out was incredible and everyone had an amazing time. 

Dazey's mission is female empowerment, specifically in the female entrepreneur space, so naturally I work with and collaborate with fellow female business owners on a regular basis. I noticed many of them talked about the same issue, feeling isolated when working from home. I would go from coffee shop to coffee shop just trying to get out and feel inspired. Then I spent some time working from WeWork, a large co-working space, but struggled to find creative female entrepreneurs I could connect with. It was also hard to take photos and create content as the decor was very "office feeling." I knew I couldn't be alone in wanting a space filled with inspiration, collaboration, and community. 

I posted on Instagram about the idea of a shared office to see if there was any interest. One of my freelance clients, Taryn of Vegetaryn, instantly messaged me saying she was looking for the same thing and may have a lead on a space. We met up and explored the space she had in mind. It didn't end up panning out but we could tell we were both excited about the idea and I loved the thought of not doing it alone. With someone going in on it 50/50 we we're really able to take a bigger risk on the right spot. 

As we explored commercial properties the little idea I had of a small shared office began to grow into a co-working space. After a long hunt we settled on the perfect spot. It was large, well lit, and in a walkable area. When we first went to look at the location it was filled with fluorescent lights and bulky outdated office furniture, but we saw what it was and imagined what was possible. The day we got our keys it was a beautiful blank slate and we were so excited! 

Taryn and I chose to fund Biz Babez fully from our personal savings as opposed to looking for investment, so we we're on a tight budget. We wanted a beautiful and Instagram-friendly space so we had to get creative! We reached out to our favorite furniture and decor companies and offered a collaboration. Many of them have stock sitting around their warehouses waiting to be bought, and we figured why not display the goods while getting free content and promotion at the same time!? Almost everyone we reached out to was game! We got to handpick gorgeous vintage rugs, furniture, and more. I am a sucker for mid century modern meets 70s bohemian and really went for it when designing the space. Interior design is hands down what I would have picked as a career aside from fashion so it was amazing to get a taste of it. Within a few weeks it seemed we had the place done and open for business! 

Members have been slowing joining and our community is just beginning! We have been connecting with some of our favorite publications and hosting amazing events including the Boss Ladies Mag work sesh happening all this month! We even got featured on my favorite design blog, The Jungalow. This has been an exciting big step as an entrepreneur and I can't wait to see how it grows. Below I have a tour along with photos from our opening event!

For more information on the space and to apply for membership you can fill out an application HERE!

Su of Father's Daughter Denim - Generations of Denim Done Right

If you follow along with our blog and Instagram you know slow fashion has been a big topic of conversation around here! We made it one of our goals in 2018 to be a powerful leader in the slow fashion movement for both the environment and humankind. We have been working overtime to find brands that are both female-owned and sustainably sourced to carry in our Dazey Lady Shop. And we're not talking smock dresses made of burlap, we're looking to curate only the cutest of course! 

In the post below below I talk about my #SHOPSLOW2018 new year resolution! It's not going to be easy because I am far from perfect, but I'm so excited to give it a go and be a voice for such an important topic. 

HEY 👋 Cute dog photo to capture your attention 😜 I've decided to make 2018 a bit more difficult for myself 😱 My resolution is to #shopslow2018 ❤️ I will only shop the three S's: 1) Small 2) Sustainable or 3) Second hand 👊 So why is this difficult you ask?! Because almost every piece of clothing and company out there these days is hurting both people and our planet. Fast fashion is the second biggest source of pollution next to big oil. On top of that people work for pennies in horrendous sweatshop conditions. And guess what?! You're likely fueling this vicious cycle 🙃 It's easy to ignore the facts, I tried to for so long. But enough is enough! We are the same ones who demanded more and cheaper clothes, why can't we be the ones to reverse it?! At @dazey_la we've been working hard to find gorgeous goods that are sustainably made by female entrepreneurs 👊 This whole look you see is guaranteed guilt-free and on our site ❤️ Who's with me for #SLOWFASHION2018?! Comment below and tag other slow fashion brands you know👇Let's do this 👯👊🙌 #shopsmall #slowfashion #sustainablefashion #dazeyladyshop #danidazey

A post shared by Danielle Roxanne Nagel (@danidazey) on Dec 28, 2017 at 12:07pm PST

This is why we are so excited to have discovered Father's Daughter Denim and the incredible boss babe behind the brand, Su. I have been hard pressed to find a small female-owned jean brand that truly does denim right! Without extensive industry knowledge on washes, fits, and production, denim just doesn't feel the same as you find in the store. Many small companies I find producing jeans have stiff, thin fabrics, terrible fits, and cheap construction. Father's Daughter is the complete opposite, they make the DREAM JEANS! Su has some serious experience in the denim industry with heavy-hitter brands and this truly shows in her handcrafted products. 

I discovered Father's Daughter as I was wondering around The Row in DTLA and stumbled upon their sample sale. I loved what I saw and Su and I got to chatting. I knew I found something special and asked right away if she was down to be carried in the Dazey Lady Shop. Turns out her office was just a few blocks from mine! We planned her full feature photoshoot then and there for the following week. It was thrilling to conduct serious business so off the cuff! 

What's even better is the heartwarming story behind the brand. Denim is literally in her DNA. Father's Daughter was aptly named after the partnership of her and her father, a long time denim pattern-maker and specialist! She followed in his footsteps and then he took the leap alongside her when she was ready to start her own label. They proudly design and hand make everything from start to finish in their studio blocks from Biz Babez. Read all about her journey below and see photos from a-day-in-the-life as I shoot her in her studio and about town.

First off tell us a bit about your family’s background in denim!

I grew up around denim. My father was a denim pattern maker and there was a lot of protos in our house. He would bring his work home, or moonlight over the weekends. I met several designers during this time when premium denim was having its heyday. 

Your story is amazing. I would love to hear about your experience in the denim world at a young age. What you saw and felt. What drew you to following in your fathers footsteps? What does denim mean to you?

During that time, denim was just something that was around, I had no idea I would get into it myself as a career. I was just this college girl who got to wear premium jeans. It was a luxury.  When I was just about to graduate as a sociology major, and the economy tanked in 2008, my father suggested going to fashion school abroad. 

So you attended a school in Paris. What school was it and what brought you there? What was your major?

It was ESMOD, and I did an accelerated program for international students. It was for nouvelle couture, so I made like these crazy architectural costumes. So far from denim and sportswear. It was fun to let my imagination go wild. But it's more interesting interacting with the public, making wearable pieces. 

_

Girls considering college often ask me if I think it’s necessary, but I know everyone has their personal experience and opinions on it. Do you considering going to school an important step in your journey?

Hmmm, you know I'm kinda on the fence about that. I mean it's definitely helped me to get my foot in the door and having the confidence to flex my opinion, but I feel like everything else is what you learn on the job, a lot of just maturity to work as a team, and doing things efficiently. 

So you worked at the very popular denim brand, AG jeans, for quite some time, six years right ? How did you go about landing such an epic gig?! Do you think your time working for another company gave you the experience you needed to start your own brand?

My father knows the family that owns and runs it. I met with the son of the owner, who became my creative director. Over the six years I had various positions at AG, which gave me experience developing my own brand. I think the nitty gritty details you learn on the job is essential. It almost has to be like second nature so that you can devote time to thinking bigger. 

_

How long have you wanted to start a company of your own? What made you finally take the leap to do it?

Actually I'm not naturally a big dreamer, but I have an insatiable hunger for projects. I'd work on sketching ideas after work to satisfy that drive. One day, I realized I kinda hit the ceiling in terms of learning what I can from my regular job. Everything else would have been climbing the politics of work, which I didn't really have an appetite for.

What is Father’s Daughter and your mission behind the brand?

Initially it started as this humble project to make things I want to wear. It turns out that I was on the other side of a wave of big brands going overseas. That wave put a lot of contractors out of business this year. So the fact that we're here on the corner of 9th and Spring, became part of our identity as a local manufacturer. It's not easy, but the resources are here.

_

We loved touring your production facility and office. It’s amazing you do everything in-house! Tell us about your careful production process, we want to know all the love that goes into a pair of your jeans!

We get fabric from Japan, and my dad does the pattern on his computer, prints out the marker, spreads the fabric and cuts it. From there my mom organizes it and prepares the cuts for our sample maker. Our sample maker, overlocks and sews and bartacks the denim. Then I'll take it to a wash house, along with our wash standard. When we get this back, we trim and press, label and hangtag, pack and ship from our workshop. 

When I think about the different processes, its crazy how we get it all done. We're hoping to grow so that we can hire a few more people that would make this process easier. Perhaps outgrow our office and work with other contractors.

What are all the responsibilities you have along with designing? How do you balance it all?

I'm responsible for all communication with customers, showroom, our team. I'm responsible also for the cash flow aspect of it, which can we a bit of a tight rope situation. 

I work with multiple people with various talents, it's definitely a challenge to try to juggle my own work as well as directing people. I'm not a micromanager, but I could probably work on delegation. 

I know you’ve been running your social media in order to grow your brand and foster direct sales. Would you say your company focus is on wholesale or direct to consumer? What are your tips for each?

Our company focuses on wholesale. I'd say until we can find someone with the same spirit and put a lot of effort into social media, direct to consumer will alway be secondary.  

Ideally it's great for a company to have both, wholesale is less risky, and builds a client list for predicting future sales numbers. Direct sales is more profitable but requires constantly fostering community. I.E. a lot of time.

At the moment our priority is in the product, but would love to eventually give attention to our story.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Dazey Lady means not settling for a half-assed type of life. It means knowing your value, and the reality is that we are all conduits of how life happens. It also means being curious, and using the resources you have, and recognizing a path that's opened, have been opened, and you're ready. 

Also, you guys are super awesome, and just generally top shelf type women. 

Dazey Lady Feature on Alden Steimle 

So excited to feature one of my best friends, Alden! You may recognize her from one of my Dazey lookbooks, or on her popular Instagram page, or one of the thousands of photoshoots she's been in for countless companies. This gal is not only gorgeous but has a heart of gold. Amidst her successful modeling career she wanted to give back and find more meaning, so she launched Soul Shapers. 

I met this babe back in college. We lost touch but reconnected again a few years back when she was living in LA through, surprise suprise, Instagram! Since then we have become super close and both help each other out in our businesses as well. She's always been a huge help in promoting Dazey and doing shoots with me. When she first told me about her business idea I was so excited to help her out too! We even designed her logo together :) 

Soul Shapers just launched this year and she's already worked on countless collabs and has even thrown a few events I was able to attend. So I bet you're asking yourself what is Soul Shapers!? I have a full interview below with all the details! I also shot Alden in Dazey all around town, including her adorable bungalow, at her most recent pop up shop event, and at Biz Babez! 

I know there is so much to Soul Shapers, but what’s a quick description?

Soul Shapers is good people doing good things — it is collaborations with artists, entrepreneurs and philanthropists who are making a difference in this world and inspiring others to do the same. 

Most of your adult life you have spent modeling and have found a lot of success in that. What has your journey been?

Modeling has brought some of the most up and down experiences of my life. I feel so blessed to have been given amazing opportunities to travel and live all over the world, learn about myself, work for myself, and challenge myself, yet I have also seen my lowest lows from being in the fashion industry. Constantly getting judged almost entirely on my appearance, and constantly getting rejected from various jobs and castings really takes a toll on you. It's hard to always feel good enough and loved. Sometimes I also get a sense of emptiness, like all I'm doing is selling more product so there is more stuff in the world, and I'm selling/representing what beauty should look like. Those are not things that I believe in and stand by, which makes it difficult when I also appreciate the positives of my career. I want to use the doors and connections that I'm presented in this life to do good in this world.

What are some of the highest points and lowest points you have experienced along the way as a full time model?

The lowest point has been during moments of depression and anxiety when I don't feel fulfilled or good enough. The highest points are when I'm entirely in the moment experiencing connection and what is for me, ultimate happiness; ie when I am having fun on set and connecting with people, traveling and working in a beautiful place like Tahiti for 10 days, and most recently, when I am using my connections and audience from modeling/social media to fuel Soul Shapers and help others in need. 

What inspired you to start this new venture, Soul Shapers?

I started to realize that since I work with so many different people at my jobs, I was meeting so many individuals who are doing amazing and inspiring things. Around this time, my blog was completely uninspiring to me and it became meaningless. Don't get me wrong I still love fashion and have fun with it, but I had this epiphany that I wanted to bring awareness to these amazing people doing amazing things! 

What is a Soul Shaper?

A Soul Shaper is anyone who has helped someone in a way that has brought happiness or positivity to another's life... Everyone, in some way, is a Soul Shaper. The Soul Shapers that I feature are making waves by pushing to be their best selves, encouraging others to do the same, and help others in need.

Why do you think inspiring and giving back is so important?

I think that a huge reason we are here is to help each other and lift each other up. There is just too much hurt and suffering in this world to not do anything about it and make an effort to make a difference. Some of us are extremely blessed to not experience extreme trauma or poverty etc. but that doesn't mean we can just ignore other innocent people who can really use our help. Even the tinniest efforts can make big changes. 

Who are some of the makers and shakers you have collaborated? What are some of the projects?

One of the first Soul Shapers I featured was Dazey LA of course! Each feature is a profile on that Soul Shaper with interview questions, photos and sometimes video. Some of the collaborations have a limited edition product that gives back to the featured Soul Shapers favorite organization. I've had two events so far that acted as a Soul Shapers collaboration— one was a unique retreat collab with Nicolette, Founder of Expansive Voice, and another was a Pop-Up Shop with Andrea, owner of Van De Vort Boutique. Both events combined raised around $5,500 for Hidden Treasures Foundation, and The Her Initiative.. that was insanely gratifying for me!

A few other products: 
- A wood piece by Aleksandra Zee that gives back to Planned Parenthood.
- An print by Marissa Quinn that raises awareness for the endangered Vaquita Dolphins (illustrated in the print) giving back to Sea Shepherd Nonprofit to help save these Dolphins.
- The Soul Shapers T-shirt that I call the OG Give-Back Tee — 100% of the proceeds go straight into fueling my company and enable me to continue these features, tools, fundraisers, collaborations, etc. 
- Unique leather bags that Rachel & Josh from Voyages of Agape brought back from their travels in Guatemala (on the site soon).
- And more are in the works!

What’s planning an event like, will this continue to be apart of your brand?

Planning an event is A LOT of work. But it's something that I've realized I love doing. Both of my recent events were very different, one being about shopping for clothes that gave back 100% of the proceeds, and another that was a retreat with crystal and meditation workshops where a portion of the ticket sales was donated. It's hard to say if events will continue to be a part of my company, but doors are continuing to open in that space and since I feel pretty good about it, I will keep following that light.
That's been a lot of the fun in Soul Shapers, it's a completely made up concept and I don't have many rules or guidelines holding me back. :) 

Soul Shapers has been something you have wanted to do for so long and now it’s finally here! What has been the process so far?

The process was so long for me, because I couldn't get past the fact that I just didn't know where to start. Being that there aren't any other companies (at least that I've heard of) that are doing what I had in my mind for Soul Shapers, there was no example or guide for me to follow. After two years of feeling paralyzed and craving to start, I really pushed myself to figure out WHAT it was, what is Soul Shapers?? As soon as I figured that out, the ball started rolling from there!

Tell us about what you and your family have recently gone through and how that has effected your new business? How can people help?

On October 9, 2017, the Sonoma County fires burned down my Dad's home which is the home I grew up in, along with 6,900 other homes. Just take a moment to think about that number. It's just unfathomable what has happened, and the fact that this is my home and my hometown will forever bring knots to my stomach. This fire has been recorded as the worst fire in California's history— it's pretty surreal to be a part of that. Helping my dad has been extremely devastating, but I try to stay strong and have hope. Unfortunately they're estimating 4-5 years until people will get their homes rebuilt because the devastation is so extreme. There are also very difficult political and financial aspects involved in the aftermath of this natural disaster.
Although blatantly asking for money is one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever done, I set up a GoFundMe for my dad. I also just placed an order for a new Soul Shapers Tee that I hand drew, and I'm donating 100% of the proceeds to victims of the fires— stay tuned!

 What do you see for the future of Soul Shapers as you move forward and further define your brand and what you do?

At this point, I see Soul Shapers continuing to feature people who are doing amazing things for this world, along with expanding the shop page to have more philanthropic products that gives back. I can say events will definitely be around for a while longer as well. I'm trying to have fun with it and not hold myself back from anything!

 What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Being a Dazey Lady means being your true self and your best self. I think that at the end of the day, if you are working hard to be a good and honest person while helping people along the way, you're killing it at being a Dazey Lady!

#dreamertodoer stories

Today a few exciting things happened in the world of Dazey! We just launched a new contest called the #dreamertodoer challenge. Dani was also featured on her first podcast! Let's chat all about it :)

The Challenge

As you know our new collection is all about going from a dreamer to a doer. Taking a leap of faith to pursue your dreams. We want to hear your story and give some free tees away in the process! To enter post a photo of yourself and tell us the steps you took or are taking to make your dreams a reality! Then hashtag #dreamertodoer and add @dazey_la in the caption. Not only do you get to share your super cool story to the community but you are also in the running to win a free tee every month left in 2017!

The Podcast:

Recently I was asked to go on The Laptop Lifestyle podcast hosted by Alexis Teichmiller. I'm a huge podcast junkie and have always wanted to be on one so I jumped on the opportunity! I was super anxious before, but Alexis was an awesome interviewer and asked some great questions. I talk all about my journey before Dazey and the process I had to go through to get where I'm at. I thought this would go along perfectly with the #dreamertodoer challenge. I seriously share ALL in this including times I've been fired or found amazing jobs through Craigslist! You can listen to the podcast below. I've also included some photos from the past few days hanging out in the new Biz Babez office and shooting some of the new collection :)

Show Highlights:

-Sometimes “dream jobs” aren’t actually the job you’ve been dreaming of.
-It’s easy to get bored when you don’t feel challenged.
-When your creativity is suppressed and micromanaged, it creates the urgency to want to start your own business.
-Creating boundaries in your creative process can help you stay focused and be clear on what you want to create.
-Think of what would you want to see as a struggling creator. That’s the kind of content you build to help serve your community.
-Empowerment begins from within. You must first love yourself before you can truly love the world around you.
-You don’t have to base your worth on what everyone else thinks. You can be proud of who you are and what you do, without the approval of others.

"I didn’t even know graphic design was a career option. My degree is in fashion design. I ended up getting an internship for an apparel graphics company and it was like something clicked, a union of my two favorite things, fashion and art." - Dani on The Laptop Lifestyle

"For so long so my creativity was being suppressed and micromanaged. Some people have trouble with creative freedom. But for me it was so pent up. I was ready to explode creative freedom everywhere!"- Dani on The Laptop Lifestyle

"Being able to connect with my customers has become everything to me. I like to keep my business interactive. I don’t want it to be one-sided where I’m just talking at people. I want to ask questions, I want to start conversations, I want them to feel like they are apart of my brand." - Dani on the Laptop Lifestyle

"Instead of trying to shove your product into peoples faces you should tell a story. Being open and including people is a marketing tactic, you can be authentic about it yes, but it is a way of marketing." -Dani on the Laptop Lifestyle

Last month I had the honor of attending Yellow Conference, an amazing two day event focused on female entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact on the world. It was seriously so incredible to be surrounded by like minded women for two whole days talking about our hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. They go above and beyond not only to teach you, but to foster a community. I left Yellow feeling inspired, refreshed, and with a ton of new friends! 

The speakers they lined up we're literally all my dream Dazey Ladies! One of the speakers, Moorea Seal, invited me via Instagram to the speakers dinner because she had been following Dazey. I had always wanted to go to Yellow and thought it would amazing to meet some of the women involved. I ended up having the best time and met Joanna, the boss babe behind the conference. I talked to her a bit about Dazey and told her I would love to come and shoot everything for the Zine. 

Below are some photos I snapped at the conference and of Joanna! Be sure to read about her incredible journey and event she has poured her life into. 

Walk us through your early career before Yellow. School, first jobs, basically your path!

My first two years of college I was a fine art major. I learned all about drawing and painting, I studied abroad in Italy learning about art history and about the great artists who came before us. My junior year of college I transferred schools and changed my major to graphic design and digital media. I got a job doing design at an agency in Newport Beach my senior year, was hired full-time after I graduated, and worked there for about a year.

After about a year at the agency, I moved to LA, got a part-time job doing graphic design at a small boutique studio in Echo Park, and worked on building up my blog and freelance work the other half of my time. The studio I worked for eventually switched gears and I got let go, but with that, I had the opportunity to take some clients from there with me. Through that, I was able to build up my freelance work enough for me to go full-time with it!

I worked on building up my graphic design business, Waterfall Creative, for the next few years, had an idea one day to start a conference, and boom- Yellow was born!

Tell us about the graphic design business you had prior. What made you decide to stop doing that?

It was a really slow progression. I didn't decide one day to stop doing it, and I still to this day take on a few clients here and there if it's a good fit. After the very first Yellow Conference, I knew this was something I wanted to be my full-time job, but I had to figure out the business side of it all. It took awhile and being that I worked for myself in the first place, I could slowly start taking on less and fewer clients, and slowly move more and more  into Yellow. It really wasn't until this year, 2017, that I was able to own the fact that I worked on Yellow full time and not put any effort into getting new clients for Waterfall Creative. 

What gave you the idea to start Yellow? What's the main mission behind Yellow and why do you think it's important?

It was an idea that came to me in the shower - a place where our brains can finally slow down for a moment, allowing us to pay attention to our ideas. I had recently met some amazing women who were working hard, running businesses and doing it all for a positive purpose. I started thinking about how special these women were, and what a great example they are to me. I started to think- do other women have these kinds of examples in their lives? They should! How great would it be to get a group of women like this together to talk about and teach others how to use their gifts to spread good. To elevate the world around them instead of focusing simply on ourselves. I have a lot of ideas on a day to day basis (too many!!) but this was one I knew I had to follow through with. It was one of those things that made my heart beat fast, made me feel extremely scared, yet totally excited at the same time. I knew it had to happen!

Our main mission is to empower creative women to become agents of good. An agent of good is someone who invests in herself, her relationships, and the world. We believe that when a woman is living as an agent of good, she is then able to make an impact on the world, simply by being herself. There's big power in the ripple effect!

This is important because as women, we have an inherent desire to nurture. We want to change the world, but often we end up forgetting that first and foremost, that starts with showing ourself care. Once we learn to do that, and we can lean into quality relationships and encouraging friendships, then we naturally change the world. The world needs us to come alive, to be our best selves, and to work for something greater than ourselves. This is important because the world needs us.

Walk us through the process of doing your very first conference! The fears and feelings you may have had.

The very first conference was me completely stepping into the unknown. I had literally no idea what I was doing. Never had run an event before, had no experience with events, and had only attended one conference in my life. I remember talking to my friend the day before the conference telling her how I felt like we lied to everyone and this isn't really happening. We had all of these people buy tickets to this thing that we didn't even feel was real! 

I was so overwhelmed the night before. Completely freaking out. I had no idea what to expect or what would go wrong or what it would be like- the unknown is so scary! 

It ended up being a magical event that everyone loved. We had a great time and enjoyed every minute of it! 

How many years have you held the conference? Would love to hear about it's evolution! 

2017 was our fourth conference. We've grown in many ways. Our first conference was about 150 people, nowadays we're around 500. We've added a marketplace for our attendees to shop goods that we stand behind and are doing good in the world. We also added a third day with just workshops. We found that people were craving more practical content, so we added in the workshop day to really allow them to dive into the tangible take home stuff. It's evolved a lot over the past four conferences, but the heart has always remained the same.

You host panels, speak, and work with some huge speakers and accomplished women. Does this ever intimidate you?

Why is it called The Yellow Conference?

When I was thinking about what I wanted this conference to be, I started thinking how I wanted to encourage women to be like bees. Bees are hardworking, they live and work in community, they do nothing but what they were created to do. And in doing what they were created to do, they make flowers bloom, plants grow and give us fruit to eat. They make the world a more beautiful, nourished place just by being themselves.

This is what I wanted to encourage our community to do. Be themselves, work hard, work together, and see the blooms spread. Bees are yellow! Also, being a graphic designer, I loved the idea because I could see the entire brand in my head. Everything yellow. I knew it would stand out, it's happy, positive and bright. Everything fell together! Aaaand the domain name was available. Always a good sign.

Tell us about your newer project, The Yellow Collective.

The Yellow Collective is our membership platform. We noticed that our community who was coming to the conference wanted to connect year round, but our conference was only annually. We decided to create a membership that brings similar inspiration, content, and community to our audience year round. That's where the Yellow Collective comes in! Members receive monthly Empowerment Packets (that come with a periodical, do-good challenge, discount or download for a product we love and other goodies), online access to our speaker videos, tools and resources and online community, and monthly gatherings either in person or online. We currently have 17 chapters (including a new one in Kenya!) and we're just getting started. It's been so awesome to see a new, deeper community form and come together. It truly feels like we're at the beginning stages of connecting and empowering the women of the world - and that's such an exciting feeling!

How do you see your brand evolving over the next five years? What is your longterm goals for Yellow and yourself?

I have a dream of having a Yellow Conference on every continent. Not sure if that will happen in five years or ten, but that's what I'm working towards! We're going on tour next year and will be really working on expanding our membership platform, connecting and empowering as many women as we can to become agents of good!

 What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

It means joyfully embracing who you are. Imperfections, quirks and all. It means being unafraid to let your true colors show. It means living your best life in your own skin. I'm a total fan of the Dazey Lady!