The Low Down: So Scottsdale! Magazine

Exciting Feature! 💫

I’m so thrilled to be featured in So Scottsdale Magazine’s November Issue. 🙏✨

In this article, I share a glimpse into my personal style journey and the philosophy that drives my wardrobe choices: “You can never be overdressed.” From my go-to high-end pieces from Chanel and Oscar de la Renta to my love for headbands (a childhood favorite!), my style is all about timeless elegance and authenticity.

Fashion isn’t just about clothes to me; it's a form of self-expression, a way to bring joy, and a reflection of my true self. I’m proud to instill this same love of style in my children, and I’m excited to continue sharing my passion for fashion with all of you.

Thank you to the talented Beverly Shumway for the beautiful photos and to Mandy Holmes for this lovely feature! 💖

Check out the full article here.

The Low Down: Featuring Jennifer Sumko, A Creative Genius Merging Fashion, Interiors and Authenticity

I am excited to bring back the second season of The Low Down and am beyond delighted to present Jennifer Sumko. When I think of the ultimate example of inner and outer beauty, I think of Jennifer. When we first met I was taken back at how incredibly warm and genuine she is towards everyone and her statuesque beauty radiates through everything she does! With an early love of fashion, it is easy to see how she has navigated the production of not one, but two incredible capsule collections for Dillards with Antonio Melani. The best part is that her accolades do not stop there. She is truly a creative visionary who also is an interior design genius. The most impressive thing in my opinion is that she is so authentic and her greatest passion is her family. Not only is she a present mother and wife, but she does it all gracefully while juggling an incredible career. I also would love to highlight that she is a champion of lifting up other women. I have found her advice to not only be inspiring, but you feel like she is one of your biggest cheerleaders. She is truly one of the kindest people I have ever met and I feel honored to call her a friend. Welcome, Jennifer!

1.     Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

 My name is Jennifer Sumko.  I grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born and raised I attended the University of Utah with and studied communications and marketing.  When I was younger I had many different interests…still do.   I think it is a blessing and a curse.  I have always loved fashion.  I grew up in a home that valued faith, family, friendships, and beauty.  This has impacted many of my decisions in my life and career.  A dream of mine would have always included a combination of anything creative with a sound voice of being true to who I am.   I love design in any form.  I have dabbled in photography. taught myself to sew in my late twenties, and love to dabble in interiors with a focus on wallpapers and textiles.  

My background in interiors really started young as I was surrounded by a Mother who had a deep love of design and a beautiful layered aesthetic.   I have always been drawn to interiors partly because of a deep sense of loving home.  I think fashion and interiors really marry well.  I have always had  a deep passion for clothing/style.

2.    How did you come up with idea of Jennifer Sumko Interiors? Did you always want to branch into fashion and how did the collaboration with Dillards happen? Where do you see your brand in another 5 years?

My collaboration with Dillard’s was an incredibly and organic journey that found me….and I found a couple of years ago.    It started from social media with a conversation that led to an incredible opportunity to create two collections with the amazing Antonio Melani team.  Truly it has been a dream collaborationscome true.  I love the Dillard’s brand and everything about the quality that they are focused keenly on.  I have met the most incredible people through this experience as well which has been such a highlight. 

3.    Who has inspired you most and why?

 I think my parents.  Both of them actually.  They were both committed to faith and family anreally taught and loved each of their children beautifully.  They were both involved in community and found joy in just being really kind people.  They were successful in every thing they did….because of how they measured success.  It was always about people…not things for them.  

4.    What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

The best piece of advice is…..small and simple.  Take small and simple steps every day to make your dreams come true.  Dream big….but it’s all the little things that make the big ones happen.  Every failure is a learning and not actually  failure.

5.    What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

Offer yourself grace.  Be as kind to yourself as you would be to others.  Life is unexpectedespecially with children.  Learning to be flexible is helpful and important.   Listen to your inner voice and put your blinders on.  

6.    Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

 I think people always tell you life goes really fast.  But you don’t always believe them because the days can seem long at times especially with little children.  BUT….the time goes really fast.  

7.     What does work/life balance look like for you?

 Work and balance is definitely a tricky balance.  I really try to get a lot of work done when my kids are not home and at school….or late at nights when they are sleeping.  I think setting boundaries is important.  Whether its setting a timer on your phone, or sticking to set goals with family……both I have found to be helpful.  But again…knowing that there is no such thing as the perfect balance is most helpful.   Letting go of perfectionist views helps me the most when it comes to many things.

8.    What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

 A favorite tradition recently I have started over the past few years….is taking trips one on one or different outings with individual children.  It is amazing to have that special one on one time with each of your children.   You really get to know them in a different way and create some really special memories.  It doesn’t have to be a big trip…but just some time away individually with each child.  

9.    How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

 I definitely try to find something I can do to be active every single day.  And I definitely taketime for meditation/prayer every single day.  I don’t know what I would do without either of those things actually.  I also love a bit of Vitamin D ……I guess that is partly why I live here in Arizona.  

10. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

 I feel like we all have adversity.  Supporting my husband through medical school starting at age 29 while having four children simultaneously was definitely a time when I/we faced adversity.  Not enough hours in the day….exhaustion, financial burdens….etc. really pushed us.  I would never have traded the experiences…because when we do hard things our muscles really do become stronger in every way.

11.  You meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

There are so many ways we can support other women beautifully.  I think it starts with understanding that everyone has something to offer and genuinely appreciating other women.  We can support by being genuinely kind, interested, and more thoughtful.  Even just a simple text, or a smile, or thought of goodness can spread to others.  Be kind and support others without an expectation of return.  I have had beautiful women examples of this in my life….and it’s a favorite quality you can almost sense immediately in someone. 

12.  How would you describe your sense of style?

 My sense of style….if feminine, classic, and bit of whimsical/eclectic in nature.  I love things not quite perfect…because its freeing to me.  I can’t feel “too buttoned up” or I feel it thwarts my creative.   I always love to feel feminine ….and I love to dress up.  

13.  What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

 My favorite splurge item would be probably a pair of Fendi boots I splurged on a few years back.  It was an impulsive and somewhat impractical purchase at the time…they are my favorite.  I bought them on a special trip…and I am a very nostalgic person…so that might be part of it as well.

14.  What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

 My favorite side bar and affordable pieces are honestly from my fall collection this year.  If I could be a jacket…..I really think I would be the Isabella Jacket.  A beautiful tweed, quilted, puff sleeve jacket with ties.  It is comfortable…so well made….and such a great value piece.  

15.  What is one thing on your wish list for 2025?

Organizing my “closets” at home and finishing a few house projects I have been plotting and planning for what seems like years.: )

The Low Down: Featuring the Ladies Behind Charlotte Sy Dimby

When I think about quintessential little girls smocked dresses, the first thing I think of is Charlotte Sy Dimby. I was most fortunate to learn of the brand back in 2019 from Emily Hertz of Born on Fifth. I instantly fell in love with the quality of the dresses, but maybe even more impressive was the extreme attentiveness of communication and delivery of the spectacular dresses. It was at that time that I struck up a friendship with “Charlotte,” and am beyond grateful to feature both the designer Monique on The Low Down as well as Charlotte.. These two ladies have created the most incredible company and I am thrilled to say that they have helped design another fabulous birthday dress for Madison that we will share more about next week. For now, I am so humbled to bring you their delightful story, please welcome Monique and Charlotte of Charlotte Sy Dimby.

1. Please tell me a little bit about your brand. When was the brand created and what inspired you to create beautiful girls dresses?

Our brand Charlotte sy Dimby is a hymn to the beauty of childhood. Through French style handmade traditional smocked and embroidered dresses, our wish is to make little girls feel utterly unique and special.

All our collections, created in highly limited edition, are designed by our founder and stylist. Aged 76 and fondly nicknamed “Queen of Smocks”, Monique Ramahay is behind each and every piece which is then lovingly crafted with the help of our skilled team members who are like family to us!

Sybille, known as Charlotte, takes care of the Parisian boutique L’Île aux Fées, the e-shop and handles communication. Some relationships are written in the stars : ours is clearly one of those! We are closely linked and share some much in common, we truly believe it was meant to be : “There are no coincidences, only encounters,” said Paul Éluard.

2. Did you have a career in Fashion before launching Charlotte Sy Dimby?

In spite of her artistic talents from an early age on, Monique’s parents strongly encouraged her to take up scientific studies. She graduated with success as an engineer and began her career as an electronic engineer. Yet the company where she was employed faced difficulties and she was made redundant. Five decades ago women in the sector were so rare that she was considered a complete alien. Struggling to find work in the field, feeling that she had studied for nothing, she became very depressed. To fight against this feeling of uselessness and rejection, she turned towards creativity. Using all the tools and objects she could find, she let her imagination flow freely. As her dad said, she soon became successful with her “rags”. This creative experimentation phase was very gratifying and comforted her choice of an artistic career. It brought her renewed joy and encouraged her to take the big leap into the fashion world.

For the funny story, she worked for the American NASA as an intern! An experience she thoroughly enjoyed!

Charlotte studied economics then fashion at the Parisian school ESMOD. However she soon realized her calling was not to create fashion but to highlight it! She began as an intern at the boutique and never left! It was truly love at first sight with both the dresses and most of all with Monique who taught her everything!

3. Where do you see your business 5 years from now? Would you ever branch into other areas of fashion?

In five years, we hope to bring ever greater joy to families all over the world through our dresses and to continue to pass down the secrets of traditional smocks making.

We have created a partnership with HipHip Hooray in Dallas and one in Japan with San Sakae Petit. Whilst wishing to remain unique and exclusive, we would love to develop more of these fun collaborations in which we create limited editions for other boutiques! We’d love to continue making our dresses travel!

One of our projects would also be to create a mummy, daughter and dolly capsule!

And our all time dream would be to host a tea party with all our Charlotte sy Dimby princesses and their families in Paris! Imagine the fancy twirls, the smiles as the little girls meet one another and play in their pretty gowns...

4. Who has inspired you most along the way?

More than a person, 4 quotes constantly guide and inspire us!

“It is truly useful since it is beautiful.” - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry

Creating dresses is our way of bringing beauty and joy to the world. Elegance is our door to a dream world of innocence and bliss! Through our designs, we wish to celebrate the magic of childhood, add a sparkle to these precious fast fleeting years and create happy memories.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” - Poems of Sentiment: IV by John Keats

By creating timeless designs which never go out of style, we imagine our dresses as heirloom pieces to be cherished and passed down from one generation to another. We wish them to be treasured as tokens of love! May they become symbols of happy childhood souvenirs.

“The only wealth is man” - Jean Bodin.

Respecting each and every person entering our universe is our utmost priority. Having our very own atelier, each team member is valued and considered : we are a big family. Our dresses are all handmade and behind each one lies a heart and soul. Caring for each child wearing our dresses and building bonds with families also means a lot to us. Taking part in special moments and making dreams come true, brings us great joy.

“ What is essential is invisible to the eye. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly”- The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry

This quote is at the core of our philosophy and guides all our actions. Beyond beautiful dresses, we like to think that we can convey a little more. Keeping traditions alive, passing down the precious know-how of smocks and embroideries in our atelier, supporting families, spreading positivity and optimism are our ways of making the world a better place at our humble level!

5. What is the story behind the name Charlotte Sy Dimby?

Charlotte sy Dimby is our brand name whilst L’Île aux Fées is our boutique name.

Each word had a meaning.

Charlotte :

Classic French girl’s name, popular in France since the fifteenth century, Charlotte holds a special place in our hearts. Indeed, Monique has had the honour of dressing two princesses named Charlotte.

First Charlotte of Monaco. For several years, Monique collaborated with Bonpoint, one of the most elegant French children’s brands. One of the dresses made for Bonpoint which featured little boats was worn by the princess who was 2y at the time. The picture was published in the magazine Point de Vue and met with huge success! Charlotte is also linked to Princess Charlotte of Cambridge. Whilst collaborating with a Spanish brand based in the UK, we were asked to create a collection of smocked dresses. One of them, a lavender blue classic Peter Pan collar and puffed sleeves dress with coral smocks was gifted by our partner to Princess Charlotte of Wales, member of the British royal family. To our utter amazement and delight, the dress which we had lovingly imagined and made from the very first to last stitch, was worn by the princess during an official trip to Canada as part of a royal tour in. We could not have been more honored.

Last but not least, Charlotte has become the nickname of Sybille, in charge of the Parisian boutique and online store. Frequently being called so by mothers and children alike, it is now her second name! She is fond of it!

Sy :

Sy is a symbol of union as it means "and" in Madagascan, mother tongue of our atelier and birth island of Monique. We like to consider Charlotte sy Dimby as a big family, in which all are united to celebrate childhood! Our wish is to create bonds through our collections : trustworthy relationships between the atelier and families, links between generations with dresses passed down as precious heirlooms, ties with children by taking part in their special moments and many more...

Dimby :

Dimby is part of our designer's full last name "Ramahay Mandimby". It means “she/he who is able to pass down and to come after. It is linked to the notion of heritage, this term perfectly matches our values. Keeping the art of smocking and traditional couture alive is at the heart of our brand philosophy.

6. When did you open the store in Paris and do you foresee opening any other locations?

The boutique has been a children’s one for decades. In 2009, when the previous manager decided to retire, Monique, whose dresses were already available among other brands, decided to keep the magic alive and pursue the adventure. It is thus particularly sweet as we now have grandparents who dressed their children at the store, coming back to shop for their grandchildren!

We love our little quaint and authentic boutique nestled in the heart of Paris. We see it a home for friends and families and are therefore happy to keep our location unique! So no new boutique openings planned!

7. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

The four quotes mentioned previously are our best advice! Like a mantra or motto, we have engraved them in our hearts and minds. We strive to live by them!

8. What advice would you give to other women?

Dare to believe in your very own dreams and projects! Strive to be autonomous and independent! The journey may not always be straight forward but after the darkest hour always comes the sunshine. Each day offers a fresh start and new opportunity, we always have a second chance. If you fail, never give up because FAIL means “first attempt in learning” and NO means move on to the “next opportunity”.

9. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

It is through experience that we learn the most! Don’t wait for someone else to gift you flowers but plant your own garden and decorate your own soul.

10. What does work/life balance look like for you?

We are truly passionate about our “work”. To the point that we don’t consider it as work, the brand is intricately intertwined with our daily life! They say “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” : That's exactly us.

It doesn’t mean it’s all pink and rosy but to quote Mary Poppins this time “In every job that must be done there is an element of fun”.

11. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

In the 90s, Madagascar, home country of our designer and team, faced a huge crisis and the entire island went on strike for over 10 months. This put an end to all overseas partnerships. Monique, who had her children’s clothing company employing 1200 people creating smocked dresses for the best European children’s brands such as Bonpoint, Cyrillus and Jacadi at that time, was forced to close.

However she did not wish to give up her dream! During thirteen years, she sold her dresses on the markets of Paris, Versailles and its surroundings. Working outdoors all day long, constantly driving from one place to another whilst raising three children was tough. In spite of the difficulties, she was happy for she had “the treasure of the heart’ : the ability to make others happy. Through her dresses, she brought joy to mums and little girls. Seeing the dresses worn with bright smiles and then being passed down from sister to sister filled her heart!

Her perseverance gradually paid off and she was able to fulfill the dream of her life and open her very own boutique L’Île aux Fées in the heart of Paris. The challenging circumstances definitely made her a stronger woman.

12. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

Our team is almost entirely composed of women. Valuing their talents and skills, allowing them to be finally independent is a way of empowering them! Our atelier being in Madagascar, birth country of our designer, this takes all its importance. It’s much more than just employees, we are like a family and truly feel responsible for each member’s well being! It’s giving each woman the opportunity to obtain a proper status, to raise and educate their children in good conditions who in turn will be able to allow the island to progress. At our very humble scale, we like to think we can make a difference.

Collaborating on creative projects like yours with the Madison dress is also a way to support women! It allows mums to express their creativity and imagination, to awaken the artist lying deep within the hearts of many.

13. How would you describe your sense of style? If there was one designer who has inspired you most, who would that be?

Monique’s one would be either soft or colorful! Depending on her mood, she will wear dreamy calming soothing pastel as a way to wrap herself in tenderness. When she needs energy, she will gravitate towards very bright, joyful, happy and sometimes rather unexpected shades!

As for Charlotte, she has the immense privilege of being mainly dressed by the team! She loved her beautifully hand smocked and embroidered outfits which fit right in with the boutique ambiance!

Yves Saint Laurent is a deep source of inspiration for the two of us. We look up to the incredible bond he built with Pierre Bergé, uniting their different talents, they were able to bring to life the most fascinating designs! We admire his creations, his incredible fashion shows, his whole universe!

14. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

For Monique, Hermès scarfs! Nothing quite like elegant silk tied around the neck to elevate a look and give that effortless chic Parisian look.

Charlotte is fond of My Chatelles slippers with interchangeable tassels! The most perfect flats for a chic look.

15. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

For Monique, earrings! She loves to change them often according to the trends of the moment! She collects them as a fun accessory.

For Sybille, it would be hair bows! Undoubtedly influenced by our Charlotte sy Dimby princesses, she is very fond of them lately!

16. What is one thing on your wish list for 2024?

To have well prepared the future of the company and those dear to our hearts and thus find even greater serenity allowing us to create even prettier dresses and spread greater joy!

I am truly inspired by these tremendous women and what they continue to accomplish through their beautiful fashion and their dreamy Parisian boutique. It is my wish that I can take Madison there this year to twirl in one of their smocked dresses beneath the Eiffel Tower and to meet both Monique and Charlotte in person. Many many thanks for your incredible words of wisdom and Madison and I look forward to continue seeing all of your beautiful gowns including the grand reveal of Madison’s birthday dress this year! Cheers!

The Low Down: Featuring Caitlin Geier Fisher, Tastemaker

On the first edition of The Low Down for 2024, I am beyond delighted to present Caitlin Geier Fisher! Caitlin is a tastemaker with a refined aesthetic for all things classic. With an early career in the Fashion Industry, Caitlin was one of the original influencers on social media. Her highly followed blog, Daily Cup of Couture, was not only perfectly polished, but had the best curation of items that was truly ahead of the times. Caitlin and I first met in San Francisco back in 2010 as members of the Junior League and I was immediately captivated with her style and charm. Now as a busy mother of three, Caitlin’s perfect aesthetic for both herself and her darling children has inspired many with her launch of her namesake lifestyle website: CaitlinGeierFisher. I am truly grateful that she took the time out of her incredibly busy life to share with us so many pearls of wisdom! I have always felt a great synergy with Caitlin with her ultimate goal being to “Delight and Inspire!” Welcome, Caitlin!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

I grew up in Rancho Santa Fe, California and attended Stanford University for college. I am truly a California girl as I have lived here for most of my life (apart from a brief stint studying abroad and a Summer in NYC). As a young child I always dreamed of being the First Lady of the United States.  It is funny because I have never heard anyone else say that was their goal as a young child. But, it must have come with my fascination with so many incredible women like Jackie Kennedy and Eleanor Roosevelt. But, fast forward to Stanford and I was a Communications major. I have always loved to write and at that time thought I would work in a traditional form of mainstream media like a magazine or television having had Summer Internships at CNN and Town & Country Magazine. 

2. I would love for you to share your road to becoming one of the original Influencers and creating Daily Cup of Couture to now managing your beautiful Curation of items on CGF? 

Starting my blog came quite organically very soon after graduating from college. At the time I was living in San Francisco and working in merchandising for GAP. It was almost 15 years ago and blogs like the Sartorialist and the like were just becoming very big and we often looked to them for inspiration at work. My now husband said to me then, “you read so many blogs … why don’t you start your own?!” If it weren’t for him suggesting it, I don’t think I would have had the courage to start my blog, Daily Cup of Couture. It became a wonderful creative outlet for me and served as an evolving inspiration board for what was delighting me at the moment. I had always loved editing (particularly after my fashion internship at Town & Country) and I always saw the blog as almost my own mini magazine. I edited Daily Cup of Couture for 10+ years. And as I went through major life changes such as getting married, having children, and changing jobs … it was always my constant that brought me so much joy. 

After I had my second child, I stopped working full time and was able to spend more time on my blog. This is also when Instagram was changing the landscape of blogging and that worked really well with where I was with my life as a stay at home mom. I used to write my blog posts daily during nap time, but also started sharing more of my personal life on instagram and found a nice fluidity between the two. Last year, after almost 13 years of blogging I decided to rebrand and re-do my website to be more reflective of my life and style now. I still truly enjoy sharing my latest finds! 

3. How would you say your career in fashion played a role in what you still do today?

Fashion has been a passion of mine for quite some time and because I had always worked in different facets of it for my career it truly was a jumping off point for starting my blog as explained above. 

4. Where do you see your business 5 years from now? Do you have any collaborations in mind?

This is the question I ask myself daily …. “what do I want?!” Now that all three of my children are in school full time I have more time to focus on myself and my career. I have actually started working in creative and marketing part time for a children’s store I adore, Poppy as well as continuing my own business. 

I have always loved working on collaborations and would love to find ways to do more of those in partnerships with brand. Working directly with product and product development is truly what I miss about my old career and I would love to get to have more of that in my daily life. I have always dreamed of starting my own brand (not exactly sure what!) but I am not ready to take the leap just yet. 

5. Who has inspired you most along the way? 

SO many of the incredible mothers who have built their own brands while raising children. It is awe inspiring to see their drive, determination, and courage as I know it is not easy! For example, watching Morgan from minnow swim build her brand from the ground up is a perfect example. Truly amazing. 

6. How did your college experience play into your role today? 

Going to Stanford has truly been one of my life’s greatest privileges. Particularly, because of the amazing people I met there. Everyone is so interesting and passionate. It has always inspired me to follow my dreams and be the best I can be. 

7. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

When I was trying to make the very hard decision of whether or not to stop working full time after having my second child who had a health issue … my wonderful boss at the time (who had been extremely successful in her career and was also a mother) said to me, “you will never regret spending time with your children”. She was absolutely right. She helped me make that decision with such confidence and I will always be so grateful to her for that. 

8. What advice would you give to other women who are working and raising children?

I would not have been as sane if I did not have this creative work to do alongside raising children. For me, it has truly been a saving Grace although it does make things slightly more complex. But. if you have something you are personally passionate about it can be so fulfilling and it is so wonderful for children to see their mother have that. It is truly worth it. 

9. What does work/life balance look like for you?

Now that all my children are in school for the majority of the day, it has been much easier for me to compartmentalize work and family time.  I try to get anything work related done during school hours so that I can be fully present and in mom mode when they are home from school. Something I am always striving to be better at is to put my phone away when I am with my children. 

10. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

A treat that always lifts my mood each day is stopping for an iced latte after dropping the kids off at school. It is such a little thing but makes such a difference in my day. I always make it a priority. Another thing I try to squeeze in each week is tennis and/or pickleball. It is my favorite way to exercise and have fun with friends. Checking two boxes! It always makes me feel great! 

11. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

I alluded to this earlier, but my daughter was born with a health condition that we found out about while I was pregnant. She had to have a significant surgery at 9 months old and dealing with that has taught me so much about perspective. I remember people saying to me, “wow you are so strong” and I remember thinking you are strong because you have to be not necessarily because you want to be. It has forever impacted my life and the woman I am.  

12. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

I think sharing and celebrating each other’s successes is the greatest thing we can do! Also, being open and honest with how we got there can be so helpful to others. My favorite part about this industry has been the incredible women I have been able to connect with that I never would have met otherwise. 

13. How would you describe your sense of style?

Classic and refined with a twist on the traditional. 

14. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

My Chanel ballet flats. 

15. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

My Massimo Dutti “celine inspired” sweaters! 

16. What is one thing on your wish list for 2024? 

A new Eres one piece swimsuit to wear on our trip to Italy this Summer! But, to be honest the trip itself is the main thing on my wishlist!

Thank you, Caitlin! I know there are so many wonderful things on the horizon for you as you expand your brand and I will continue to be one of your biggest cheerleaders along the way! If you haven’t already, I highly suggest perusing her beautiful website www.caitlingeierfisher.com. Thank you for continuing to inspire and uplift other women and wishing you great success in 2024! Cheers!

The Low Down: Featuring Meghan Guffey, Founder of Bea Colette

On our final Low Down of the year, I’m beyond grateful to present Meghan Guffey, Founder of Bea Colette. Although Meghan and I have never met in person, I feel as though we’ve know each other for years. I have had the great pleasure of working with her as my mentor/advisor for Brittany Anna Rose all while she was launching this incredible platform of well curated selection of boys and girls clothing over at Bea Colette. What I love about Meghan is that despite all of her amazing successes in the business world, she is so down to earth and easy to talk to! She is also insanely knowledgeable about everything social media and her taste in clothing sets a very High Bar! We are now entering the busiest time of year for retail, she is expecting her third baby not to mention juggling family and the holidays and yet she has made time to share her powerful story with us and I am forever grateful! Welcome Meghan!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and very grateful for my Midwestern upbringing! I went to SMU in Dallas where I played tennis the first year. Following college, I moved to New York where I lived for almost ten years before settling down in Dallas to raise a family. Growing up, I knew I'd do something in fashion and sales. I've always been a natural salesperson -- I don't think (sure hope not!) in a cringey way, but when I'm passionate about something I can't stop talking about it and this led me to a long career in ad sales + brand partnerships before moving into consulting and launching my own business.  

2. I would love for you to share your road to launching Bea Colette? 

Once I became a mom, I channeled my passion for fashion into childrenswear and often found myself shopping across countless websites to find chic, European-inspired styles to match my own personal style. I felt there was no single destination that offered the specific European aesthetic of polished and practical pieces that transition throughout seasons and take your child from playtime to dinner. I found herself seeking out under-the-radar European brands on my travels and via Instagram, but wanted to shop them all in one place. This led me to dream up a European-inspired, highly curated destination built for a discerning female shopper who wants complete outfits, an intuitive and modern user experience, and a seamless checkout. This woman does not want to be inundated with endless new arrivals and brands; rather, she wants a thoughtfully curated assortment, a pleasant experience, and to walk away with pieces that her children can wear on a daily basis. The Bea Colette customer wants her children's style to complement her own. Over the past 1.5 years, I have worked tirelessly to source and refine the right selection of brands, price points, and styles that make Bea Colette what it is today. 

3. Do you plan to go beyond children’s clothing and if so, what would be some of your dream pieces to procure? 

Right now I am really focused on perfecting the childrens category and the brands I carry that evoke the specific European style many of us love. I am constantly sourcing new brands and refining the ones I carry. I am also dead set on ensuring my customer service is top notch. I like to perfect things before taking on too much more -- from a consumer perspective, I see too many businesses out there trying to do too much at once. I want to avoid that and am all about the slow growth approach. 

4. Where do you see your business in another 5 years?

I am hoping it will be a mix of private label designs that I develop under the Bea Colette brand along with lesser known small European family brands that you cannot buy elsewhere in the states. My intention is to always be a vehicle for a select mix of high quality generational family-run brands in Europe.  I have a lot of other ideas, but that's a good glimpse for now! 

5. Part of what you do is working with and consulting female founders, with that in mind who has inspired you most along the way and what do you like most about working with other like-minded women?

Kim Kreuzberger has been a longtime mentor for me and is who encouraged me to embark on the consulting journey. She originally grew Goop's business from 0 to 100 and now runs her own incredible consulting firm Pivot Projects. She is the definition of a business woman and is every woman's cheerleader. She is kind, humble, brilliant and always looking out for others - I hope to emulate even a measure of her greatness! 

6. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

If you work really hard, be kind, and wish others well, amazing things will happen. I live and breathe by this, and have found it to be true. This quote came from Kim! 

7. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

Go at your own pace and put your blinders on! If you want to call it a day at 4pm to spend time with your kids, do it. The business can wait. A slow growth mentality is usually best for both your sanity and ensuring you do spend that quality, precious time with your children! 

8. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

No, but I will say, starting, funding, and operating your own business isn't for everyone. It takes a lot of patience, stamina, and most importantly, curiosity. If you don't want to know how the ins and outs of running a business works, then it's not the right path to go down. I'm talking taxes, accounting, importing goods, all the things. It's a lot and I've loved every minute of it, but I do know it's not for everyone. 

9. What does work/life balance look like for you?

This is tough to answer right now as it is ever-changing, but ultimately I always listen to my gut. When I need to call it a day on the business front to prioritize my family, I do. I make sure to spend at least 1-2 quality hours with my kids a day. For me, I know I need that in order to not feel regret. I also know I am a workhorse and enjoy working, building, and collaborating more than anything, but every day truly looks different. Weekends are absolutely sacred to me - we rarely get sitters and push pause on work (unless it's during nap time). This is when I really go hard on being a mom and invest in quality family time! What I always say to others in my position is, do what works for you -- if that means spending more time with your family during the weekdays do that. You have to test, learn and optimize. What program produces max productivity work-wise and fulfillment family-wise? We are constantly editing what this program looks like for us, but we know that weekends are where we really shine with our kids. 

10. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

I don't necessarily consider this adversity, but putting my and my husband's own money without any outside capital into building my business from scratch has been both stressful and overwhelming. I am wildy grateful for his steadfast belief in me and my abilities - he has never once doubted me. That said, it's simply overwhelming to think about the money we've poured into my business and will continue to. For the foreseeable future, every dollar earned will go back into the business; this is a stark difference to the very stable New York executive income I am used to making! So far, I am seeing it's worth it, but that doesn't make it any less scary, especially when I have kids to raise, feed, and educate. 

11. How would you describe your sense of style?

Very feminine and classic French girl. I love a pop of red or navy, tweeds, and stripes. I am always in my Chanel flats or slingbacks. Generally speaking, I avoid trends! 

15. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

Chanel ballet flats in as many colors as possible. I have owned several pairs for over a decade and they've endured thousands of New York city miles walked, yet somehow still look fresh and polished. These will never go out of style and go with everything. Also, a classic Oscar dress that makes you feel on top of the world. 

16. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

Zara makes great trendy denim and tops. I am not particularly into fast fashion and would much prefer to invest in fewer, better pieces, but I love their wide leg Marine denim. I know it will only last a season or two, but that's okay due to the price.

Thank you, Meghan! I know there are tremendous things on the horizon for you and I will continue to be one of your biggest cheerleaders! If you haven’t already, Bea Colette is a must stop shop for all of your elevated children’s wear needs. Meghan, you continue to uplift and inspire so many women to go after their dreams including myself, and for that I am forever grateful! Wishing great success in 2024 and wishing everyone a very Happy New Year! Cheers!!!

The Low Down: Featuring Hayden Lasher, Handbag Designer

I’m delighted to be bringing back The Low Down just in time for the Holidays and to kick it off by introducing the designer behind my number one pick on this year's Women’s Gift Guide, Hayden Lasher. Hayden is the great-grandniece of fashion icon Henri Bendel and is one of the chicest people I have ever met. Hayden embodies everything in the Fashion realm and exudes style in everything that she does. Her couture brand of handbags are designed in collaboration with Belgian shoes and feature the same Italian leather, structured silhouette and signature bow detailing. I, for one, was immediately taken by their beauty and have been enamored ever since. I first met Hayden at the University of Southern California where we were sorority sisters in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Now as a busy mother of three and living in Houston, Texas, Hayden does an impeccable job of balancing work/home life and I am beyond delighted to have her share her incredible and timeless pearls of wisdom with us today. Please welcome, Hayden Lasher!

 1.    Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.I am a proud fifth generation Texan.

  I went to USC for undergrad and Parson’s New School in New York and Paris for graduate school.  I always wanted to be in fashion; fashion and art were always a big part of the landscape of conversation in our house, but I really began to focus and invest in pursuing it as a career when I was in high school.

2.    I would love for you to share your road to becoming a handbag designer and producing some of the most coveted bags.

I started out interning at Michael Kors HQ at sixteen and then at Marc by Marc Jacobs in my early twenties.  When I moved to New York for school, I began interning at Oscar de la Renta and they hired me two weeks before graduation.  I worked in sales and design for shoes and handbags and was able to design my wedding shoes while I was there.  I went on to launch my own company ten years ago. 

3.    Do you plan to go beyond handbags and if so, what would be some of your dream pieces to produce?

I LOVE the handbag business and don’t have any plans at this point to expand beyond, but I never say never…I am very interested in interior decorating and design and may be interested in designing a few home products so maybe I can manifest that for 2024. 

4.    Where do you see your business in another 5 years?

Thriving!  My company is amid a glow up and I see my business expanding significantly in the next five years. 

5.    Who has inspired you most along the way?

My family has always been a huge inspiration to me.  I come from a long line of entrepreneurs and creatives.  My great grand uncle was Henri Bendel, whose designs I have studied since I was a little girl.  He designed my great grandmother’s wedding dress.  My grandmother was the epitome of chic and I have her voice echoing in my brain – “make it so that it lasts forever.”  The first bag that I made was named the “Elene” in her honor. My mother has an incredible sense of style and color, and she has always inspired me to take risks with color combinations and dare to be bold.

6.    What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

The work/life balance is always a constant juggling act, and it doesn’t mean you will keep all the balls in the air at the same time- you just have to identify which ball you can let go of to keep the rhythm.

Also, blondes should wear red. – Henri Bendel

7.     What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

Trust your instincts…they have gotten you this far.  You will always be surrounded by people who have an opinion of how things “should” be done whether it pertains to your business or your children…only you know what works for your business and your family.

8.    Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

There are plenty of things I wish I knew along the way, but my honest opinion is that it’s a blessing to start off unknowing because it’s tough to start anything if you know how hard it is going to be.

9.    What does work/life balance look like for you?

I started my business even long before I had children with the idea that I would want flexibility once we started a family.  I typically drop my kids off at school and begin the grind but when carpool rolls around, I become less available until they have gone to bed.  Of course, there are times that the schedule can be more demanding and that when I enlist the help of my kids.  Their involvement in the task at hand, I hope, will leave a lasting imprint about what it takes to run a business and inspire in them a love of entrepreneurship.  My husband is only mildly disappointed that my four-year-old son has changed his dream job from doctor to “selling purses with mom.”

10. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

My favorite family tradition is every year on our anniversary, my husband and I take a photo of him dipping me like he did for our wedding dance.  It always gives a glimpse of the stage of life we are in from our first years of traveling to our more recent years of kids hanging onto our legs.  I love to see how we are growing together through the years. 

11.  How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

I regret to inform you that exercising in the morning before my children wake is the best way to get my day going.  It gives me mental clarity and lets me catch my breath before I am everyone’s everything for the rest of the day.

12.  What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

I have faced plenty of adversity and I think a lot of people, because of social media, only see people’s blessings.  The challenges that I have faced have all taught me one thing – we persevere, time heals, and most troubles are temporary.

13.  I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

I think it is in the dailyness of life that women can support women.  Be a part of someone’s “village” whether it is supporting their work or their family life.  If you are are able, buy from a local woman owned business, help spread the word about a product or company you love, carpool, drop off dinner just because.  Women can do anything and everything, but we shouldn’t always have to.

14.  How would you describe your sense of style?

Classic, feminine, and timeless.

15.  What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

An Hermes scarf: all you need to look chic anywhere you go is a great bag (i.e. Hayden Lasher handbag) great shoes, and a great scarf.

16.  What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

A pave cuff earring

17.  What is one thing on your wish list for the Holidays?

Do I have to choose just one?

 DTLA Custom painting on one of my handbags

 Khaite Leather Shearling Jacket

Petra Palumbo handpainted water carafe

Thank you, Hayden! I am truly thankful to learn from you and am so grateful that you have shared your journey thus far in the Fashion World! I will never forget the Henri Bendel quote you shared “Blondes should wear red!” I wish you the best as your Fashion empire continues to grow and I have no doubt that the Hayden Lasher brand will be a household name in no time. Cheers!

The Low Down: Featuring Linda, Mother of Brittany Anna Rose

Well, today is my birthday and it didn’t take long to decide who to invite to join me for the sixth edition of The Low Down. Who more significant to interview today than the woman who brought me into this world and has served me nothing but unconditional love since?! I am truly so grateful for her very powerful words of wisdom. I remember being quite young when my mother would tell me to extract one pearl of wisdom from everyone you speak with. She has always been a proponent of having high self esteem and focusing only on positive things. Her analogy of life resembling a heart beat has resonated with so many people and can always turn someones frown upside down. She is unapologetically authentic and has always had the best advice. I am beyond grateful that she taught me how to entertain and that life is short so throw the party and take the trip! I am beyond grateful to welcome my mother, Linda.

1.Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

I was born and raised in Southern California and upon graduation from Western High School, I went to Cypress College and majored in business.  I was asked to join a new program that they were offering called the Stewardess Hostess Program.  I always knew I wanted to travel the world and thought this would be a good add on to my business degree.  We actually wore uniforms to school and we studied every aspect of travel from weather, to time zones, tourism, first aid and emergency procedures.  Upon graduation they actually brought in 12 major airlines to interview us.  I thought it would be a good experience and I actually was offered a job from 11 of the 12. That started my 17 year career as a flight attendant with Continental Airlines.

2. You have always said, just try to take away one pearl of wisdom from everyone you meet. What are some of the best pearls you have received?

I love the term “people reading,” which I learned from a brilliant Self Esteem Coach. He said you should always ask people questions, because “people don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care.” You can learn so much from people from all walks of life.

I also always say that “in life there are two kinds of people: the givers and the takers and the givers are the winners.” This coach recommended that I read you the book The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.  In addition he recommended at least ten affirmations a day.  I always made you repeat after me: I am smart, I am happy, I am kind, I believe in myself, I practice patience, I choose to smile and enjoy life to the fullest etc etc..

3. Can you please share your analogy of life and a heart beat?

After you were born I decided to stop flying.  I decided to join your father in a new business venture that required (as I would say most start up business require) blood, sweat and tears.  We had four very difficult years of start up type growth. I was talking to a friend that was a pastor of a church and he asked how things were going. I told him that it had been a difficult four years of ups and downs.  He said “Your life should resemble a heartbeat, full of constant highs and lows. If you have a straight line, you have a problem.”

4. You have always had a few unofficial “rules of being a lady.” Do you mind sharing what some of those are?

Many of these I learned from my Flight Attendant training.

1) You must always be punctual

2) If you make a commitment, you always follow through

3) Be gracious  and always say please and thank you

4) Always look your best for the situation

5) Always have your nails manicured, with nail polish on your toes

5. You are an amazing world traveler! What are some of your best tips and what is one thing you never leave home without? What do you wear on the airplane? Where does your effort to dress up stem from?’

To this day I love traveling and seeing the world. I will always be able to watch movies and say I have been there.  We set our bucket list early on in life and there are very few places we have not been.  It will say it is always best to have fun and easy going traveling companions.

In the early days when I started flying it was a privilege to fly and Flight Attendants as well as passengers dressed in their Sunday best. Sadly not anymore. Black is my color of choice. Slacks and a nice jacket are my travel uniform and I always have a black cashmere wrap in my bag for those flights that they just cannot get the temperature right.  Today the important item to always have on hand is the correct chargers for your devices. 

6. Who has inspired you most along the way?'

It would definitely be my mother that was born in Germany and fell in love with an American soldier while he was serving in the Air Force in Germany. They were married in Germany and she came through Ellis Island in December and I was born in February in California.  She learned English after she arrived she immediately got her US citizenship.  She instilled so many qualities in me as well as my younger sister and brother.  The one thing she always prioritized was to start your day with goals and your first goal is to wake up and make your bed which I still do to this day. We lost my mother this last year at the age of 98 and I am looking forward to celebrating her life in her home town with all of our family this summer.

7. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

This would also come from my mother.  She always said “You can do and become whatever you want.  Just never quit.”

8. What advice would you give to other women who are working and raising children?

It takes a village.  Never hesitate to bring other people into your life to help with keeping your family safe and sane.  There are many single moms that are working to support their family, but also are very hands on moms.  I heard a message on Mother’s day about a job that requires 24/7, it is being a Mom. I was blessed to have strong women in my life with my grandmother and my mother.  They instilled a strong character in me at a young age.

9. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

Always take the trip! You will not regret it!

10. What did work/life balance look like for you?

My favorite word is BALANCE  I always say work hard play hard.  I love the quote:

“Work while you work, Play while you Play

One thing at a time that is the way.

All that you do, do with your might

Things done in halves are not done right.”

Your family should always come first and try to surround yourself with positive minded, encouraging and supportive people.  Do they energize and inspire you?  Are they there for you through thick and thin?  IF you want to be healthy and remain healthy, surround yourself with happy positive people. 

10. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

Traditions are all about family and making memories.  Ours include: vacations to various parts of the world, USC Football games, Christmas card photos and Christmas morning matching pajamas. Also celebrating milestone birthdays with family and friends. 

11. How do you prioritize your wellbeing?

My day starts with a cup of my Bio Coffee and playing my Wordle and then doing my Duo Lingo to learn Spanish.  I love to go to Yoga and Pilates classes.  I love golf and pickle ball, or as I say we do more “Giggle Ball.”  I love walking with friends or as we call it “walking and talking.”  I highly recommend walking with friends as great therapy! 

12. How do you think we can best support the motto of “women helping women?”

Women truly should and quietly do run the world. As they say “behind every successful man there is a strong woman.” There is no doubt about this. The best part of my life was raising a beautiful, smart and loving daughter that has only brought me happiness. A mother/daughter bond is so special. It is someone to laugh with, dream with and love with all your heart for the rest of your life.  I love that we talk daily, and I learn from you daily.

13. How would you describe your sense of style?

I would say my style is very classic: a little black dress, cute designer shoes, a fabulous purse and never forget your pearls. 

14. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

I love my black J McLaughlin  Becca pants, a designer belt and Valentino Garavani Rockstud pumps for winter and sandals for summer My golf favorite is Louis Castel. 

15. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

My casual wardrobe is always going to be Lululemon. We love traveling to our new home in Cabo San Lucas, and I have several happy places, but first place goes to either my yoga mat or the golf course. My happiest place though is being a grandma to our six grandchildren, and my grandma name is Lulu, so it all feels very appropriate .     

Mom, I can’t thank you enough for joining me on The Low Down to share some of your pearls of wisdom. There is a reason so many of my friends have always loved being around you and getting advice from you! You have always been wise beyond your years and I am so grateful for everything you have instilled in me. I’m also forever grateful for your unconditional love and that you showed me what a magical childhood should entail. I hope to continue to emulate that for my children. XOXO

The Low Down: Featuring Mindy Weiss, Event Planner Extraordinaire

Today I am so unbelievably overjoyed to welcome Mindy Weiss to the fifth edition of The Low Down! Mindy is one of the most sought-after event planners in the world. She is also the author of three best-selling books: “The Wedding Book,” “The Wedding Planner,” and “The Baby Keepsake Book and Planner.” It feels so appropriate to have her as my guest today as it is Matt’s and my fourteenth wedding anniversary and Mindy made our dream wedding come to life. My husband’s tag line whenever we talk about her is “You don’t roll the dice with Mindy Weiss.” And it is so true! Her attention to detail and beyond creative mind inspires me to this day. What I will truly never forget is her cool as a cucumber demeanor even when it was 98 degrees outside. I remember starting to feel faint as I stepped out of the antique car with no air conditioning just down the road from where Coachella takes place and without having to say anything, Mindy calmly held a straw up to my lips and told me to take a few sips of water. I instantly felt better, and I think about how calm she remained whenever I start to feel overwhelmed with anything in life. Mindy is one of the kindest. human beings you will ever meet with an innate classic style that transcends generations. I will forever be grateful to her for everything she did to create our dream wedding, but also all the fun we had with her in the year leading up to our wedding. From her genius concept of the “Glamelia” bouquet to complement our Camellia theme, to the incredibly clever “iDo” iPod party favors, and everything in between. Mindy never ceases to amaze with the things she can dream about, but most impressively bring to life. I feel most fortunate that I continue to see Mindy from time to time at the weddings of other friends that she has so beautifully orchestrated and despite the years in between, she always makes it feel like no time has passed. I am so excited for you to get to know a little bit more about the incredible woman who always brings the magic! Please welcome, Mindy Weiss!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

   Hi! Im born and raised in Los Angeles and I still love my city to this day!. I always thought I’d be in TV production or the fashion world…Kinda a bit of both that i'm experiencing in my job today! 

2. I would love for you to share your road to becoming the world’s most sought-after event planner and dream creator.

   This all happen by chance… after I graduated I walked into a darling stationery store and realized my love for personalized stationery. I asked if they had any job openings and at that moment i realized I was a paper-holic and I met my best friend Janis who was the manager and who to this day is like my sister. We eventually started our own invitation/ stationery business and then the clients started asking me to do the parties ….janis stuck with just our invite company called JAM and I went on to the party/wedding world

3. You have an innate ability to remain calm in the most stressful of situations. I remember on my wedding day that you were always the face and voice of calm. You are truly incredible! What is your secret?

   Thank you! Well I found early on that the more uptight or nervous I would be that energy spread like wildfire! And…you realize what is truly the important moments I respect the fact that i’m responsible for the memories but I introduce a sense of humor and calm and love….

4. You have so many memorable moments, I’m sure! Could you describe one experience where you overcame the impossible to make something happen? 

   One wedding the officiant did not show up. I was lucky enough that in another ballroom there was another wedding. It happened to be Jewish as was ours and that Rabbi was kind enough to marry my couple! From that moment on I became ordained and never worried again!

5. Everyone is inspired by you, but is there anyone who has inspired you along the way?

   Thank you! …oh so many people but most of all my mother who passed away young. She gave the most creative wonderful parties throughout her life and I can remember all of them! They had every ingredient: beautiful, heartfelt, memorable, a bit of a sense of humor and boy I admit a bit over the top!

6. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

   Don’t miss important family life memories for someone else's life memories. I missed alot and I regret it. Now I’’m upfront and honest and let my clients know if I cannot miss a family event. Charge what you are worth. It makes you feel appreciated, respected and excited to make those dreams come true! 

7. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and who have a family of their own?

   My kids adore and respect me. They watched me work hard and they all too work hard. I worried for years about the late nights and missing some sport games…and now they talk about all their memories and my stories.

8. What does work/life balance look like for you?

   I’d like to give you a formula but I take it day to day….

9. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

   Sunday night family dinner. I wait all week for it.

10. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

    A manicure once a week, I feel great after a weekly blowdry, pilates twice a week and grandkid fix twice a week! Sleepovers are the best!

11. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

    Some clients are quite aggressive… and learning to tell them that “I don’t think our personalities are working” and walk away from a dreadful situation has been the best move. Something that keeps you up all night is not worth any amount of money.

12. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

    Sharing solutions to interesting situations. How to…… 

13. How would you describe your sense of style?

    I love fashion and I do partake in shopping a little too much…I’d say my style is classic with really beautiful shoes!!!!!

14. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    A new beautiful winter coat every year…I shop seasonally and remember I have to get dressed up for my job on the weekends! Great excuse!

15. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    Mixing Zara with a pair of Gucci Slides 

16. What is one thing on your wish list for 2023? 

    Good Health!!!!!!!!!

I am beyond honored for your time, Mindy! I highly recommend everyone look into Mindy’s new “Plan Your Dream Wedding” session on Master Class and if you haven’t already read one of her three amazing and helpful books, it’s a must do! In honor of our anniversary I thought I would share some of my favorite memories that Mindy created for my husband and me! I truly will be forever grateful for my dream wedding! xoxo

The Low Down: Featuring Kathy Fang, Chef and Restaurateur

When it comes to brains and beauty, Kathy Fang takes the cake! I am beyond thrilled to introduce the woman behind the fourth ediiton of The Low Down and the star of “Chef Dynasty: House of Fang.” Kat is not only a critically acclaimed San Francisco-based chef and restaurateur, but also a mom to two little ones under the age of five. Her incredible work ethic is visible if you step foot into her highly sought after Fang Restaurant and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Her father, Peter Fang, opened the traditional Chinese mainstay, House of Nanking, in 1988 which has a cult-following and always sports long lines to get in. Kat is also a two-time “Chopped” champion and has appeared on multiple cooking competitions/series throughout her career including: Beat Bobby Flay, Guy’s Grocery Games, and Alex vs. America. I can tell you first hand after weathering out a hurricane together in the British Virgin Islands many years ago that Kat can take a look at random ingredients in a refrigerator and put together a delicious meal like no one else! She is a visionary, an entrepreneur, an incredibly hard worker, a fellow University of Southern California graduate and someone I’m grateful to call my friend! Please welcome, Kat Fang!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.  

   I’m a San Francisco native, born and raised in the city. I was 7 yrs old when my parents opened House of Nanking. I grew up in their restaurant and watched them work day and night. I saw our business grow from a small mom and pop shop into the iconic place it is today. At a very young age I got to experience a chef’s life, from accompanying my Dad on trips to the market to finding produce for his dishes, to staying out late and eating at all the best restaurants in the city. While these perks were fun for a kid, I also found it to be frustrating at times as well. There were times I wanted a normal life, one where I would go home with my parents after school and get to sit around a dinner table and have dinner in the early evening. Perhaps an evening where we could play board games and watch tv together. That never happened for me and thus I grew up convinced that the restaurant life was not for me. My parents also never pushed me to take over the business. In fact they wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. For most of my youth, I thought I was going to be a pediatrician. When I moved down to LA to attend USC, I went with the intention of becoming a Science major. And within months, I switched majors and went into business. I realized quickly the medical field was not my passion,

2. When did you know you wanted to be a part of the family business? Did you always dream of starting Fang from the beginning? What did that process look like?

   I didn’t realize I wanted to get into the family business until I worked in corporate America. I worked in wealth management at Merrill Lynch and then moved into operations at Neutrogena. I was incredibly bored at both these companies and found myself uninspired and stifled. As soon as I would get home from work, I would cook for my room-mates or plot out all the new restaurant openings and hit the town with my friends. When I started to think about a career change, I couldn’t help but think about getting into the family business. Food was the only thing that excited me and so I made the decision to quit my job at Neutrogena and move back to SF, move back to my parents place, back to where it all began for me, House of Nanking.

3. Congratulations on your fabulous new Food Network Show! Please tell me a little bit about how Chef Dynasty came to be and what it was like filming the show? The world is ready for more episodes! Are you willing to do more?

   Within the first year of opening Fang, I started to get approached by people from the TV world, telling me I should consider being on TV or on the Food Network. And when I explored that idea, I came up with the dream of having my own cooking show, where I teach people how to make Easy Asian Recipes. After multiple pitches and meetings in a span of 5-7 years, nothing stuck. I was rejected and turned away. Cooking competitions were becoming the “it shows” and thus I decided to go that route and started to compete and ended up winning Chopped twice . It wasn’t until 2020, deep into the pandemic when a producer emailed me about wanting to do a reality show, with me being the star of the show. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I could do a reality show. I did not think my life was interesting enough for one. I hopped on zoom and it ended up being one of the best 1 hour conversations I’ve ever had with a stranger.  I don’t know if it was because I was stuck at home for so long but I opened up to him and shared my life story and something just clicked. He took that footage and my past footage from the internet, pieced it together into a 2 minute sizzle and sold the show! I couldn’t believe it. 

   We filmed the show over a span of 6 weeks with additional weeks thrown in afterwards. Those 6 weeks were intense, I was basically working two jobs while balancing mom life. Restaurant life is tough, let’s just throw production life in there too. I would have to be in 4-6 different locations throughout the day and then come back to work a dinner shift. When I look back at it now, I miss it. We spent so much time with the crew that they all felt like family to me. There was this emptiness when we wrapped the show and everyone had left. Those six weeks were some of the most incredible and most memorable weeks of my life. 

4. Who inspired you to be a leader and why? 

   I grew up with the dream of becoming somebody that my parents can be proud of. I always wanted to do something notable and for the longest time my parents were my inspiration. My dad always pushed me to be better, to grow and when I realized I could do something great with my passion for food, I honed in on that. I have always pushed myself to do more. It’s not enough to just run a successful restaurant, you have to get yourself out there. I would write for various publications, create a blog, and compete on television. I’ve been doing that for over a decade now, and it’s finally paid off. What’s interesting is, now that I have kids of my own, my inspiration has actually shifted. I look at my daughter and she drives me to do more.  I want to set a good example for her and other younger girls who can see themselves in me and hopefully I can spark their desire to dream big. 

5. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.? 

   The best of advice I’ve had so far is from my Dad. When we opened Fang, he taught me to be flexible. In life, things don’t always pan out the way you want them to. You can do everything perfect and the end result may not be what you expected. And that’s ok, you treat it as a lesson or an opportunity to learn and pivot so that you can continue to move forward towards your goals. This applies to work life, personal life, parenting…This is a piece of advice that has really helped me get through the last 14 years of running Fang and I now apply it to how I raise my kids. 

6. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

   Don’t give up on your dreams and don’t be so hard on yourself! Running your own business is essentially raising another baby. When you have two priorities in life that cannot be sidelined, you have to find a way to do both. It does not have to be one or the other. As I mentioned before, my kids motivate me to do more because I realized the importance of setting a good example for them. And while there are nights I feel guilty for not being able to stay home to have dinner with my kids or say goodnight, I always make it a point to make the time we do spend together, one of quality. And for those nights I’m not there, I plan for the days I will be there and make the most of it. 

7. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

   Yes!!! Get mentors and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. The journey as a mom and a business woman can be a lonely one if you are afraid to share your struggles. And while I am lucky enough to have great girlfriends in my life to vent and decompress with, I never took the time to foster relationships with female friends on a more professional level. When we talk about women supporting women, this is how it gets started. If you reach out to someone for help, you will be at a point where you will pay it forward and want to do the same for another. We don’t have to do everything on our own.

8. What does work/life balance look like for you? 

   I work Monday- Friday (lunch and dinner service). I keep my weekends free for my family unless there are major events happening at my restaurant. Every other Friday, I will do date night with my husband. And we always make sure we travel at least 1-3 times a year. On a day to day basis, I make time for coffee in the mornings, a short workout and then it’s work work work. And lastly, I try to make time for nights out with friends, it’s not super consistent but I make a big effort to make it happen and when it does it can be a huge stress reliever.

9. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things? 

   Lunar New Year is one of my favorite and most important holiday of the year. It’s deeply rooted in tradition and I grew up with it. I now practice all the superstitious habits my grandparents practiced with my kids and I make sure we eat all the traditional dishes on Lunar New Year’s Eve. It helps me feel connected to my heritage and also allows me to share a part of our culture with my kids in a fun way. 

   Christmas is our favorite tradition as a family. Because we love decorating our home for Christmas, we started the tradition of buying our Christmas tree 3 days after Thanksgiving. We also keep the tree at least 2 weeks past new year’s eve to prolong the wintery festive feel in our space. Our kids love it and as adults we love it too. 

   Sunday Movie Night with kids! - Because I’m not home in the evening on weeknights, I make it a point to do sunday movie night on the couch with my kids and husband. My husband makes popcorn and we cuddle on the couch and watch a family friendly movie. It’s these small special moments that make my heart full and satisfied. It’s one of my favorite traditions at home.

10. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

    I actually prioritize my well-being a lot because I find it helps me with managing stress on a day to day basis.  I’m a creature of habit and love doing certain things on repeat. There is something very therapeutic about that for me. The first thing I do for myself is make a nice cup of cappuccino in the morning. My jura coffee machine is one of my favorite appliances in my kitchen. The smell, the first sip starts my morning off on the right foot because it’s the first few quiet minutes I get to myself in the kitchen. Then the chaos ensues, as I prep breakfast and the kids start to run around. After I drop off my kids, I work out. No matter how short or long of a workout I can squeeze in, I do it. Working out relaxes me and gives me energy. The last thing I do on repeat which gives me a sense of comfort and relaxation is my dinner at home. From Monday-Thursday I eat the same healthy meal (a bowl of bone broth, a side of green vegetables sauteed in garlic and ginger, and 2 ounce of protein). Being able to eat this way week after week for years makes me happy. My body craves it when I travel and it gives me a sense of comfort. I come back from dinner shift, take a shower and sit down to a quiet meal, a clean home-cooked meal.

11. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

    The pandemic has been the most challenging experience I’ve had to date. While the restaurant industry is a very competitive and tough space to be in and be successful at, it’s not an industry that could disappear overnight. For the first year of the pandemic, that’s essentially what happened. We were not allowed to open our restaurant for service. We were given the option of doing takeout and we knew that was not going to cut it and keep us afloat. It was better for us to just stay closed. We were essentially out of a job for 1 full year. To make matters worse, there was an uptick in anti-Asian sentiment during this time frame as well. Not only were we not able to open our businesses due to government restrictions, we began feeling fearful and apprehensive to even leave our home. The experience has definitely made me stronger.

12. What are you most excited about on the horizon? Do you have any collaborations coming up that you can share about?

    I’m really excited about a new cookbook/memoir I want to write with my father. This has been a dream of mine and I think it’s the perfect follow up to our new show Chef Dynasty: House of Fang. Aside from that, I’ve been asked to do many guest chef appearances for notable female run businesses and social clubs. This process has allowed me to meet so many incredible female entrepreneurs and it’s been so uplifting to work with other women in different industries. There’s one collab coming up that I’m particularly thrilled about that involves jewelry! The women behind Cast Jewelry are amazing and I’m so grateful for all the opportunities that have come along the way since the show. 

13. You meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?” 

    The best way to support the motto is to reach out to other women and help find ways to support what they do. When someone makes it a point to reach out and provide help or recognition, it creates a sense of community and gratitude and because of this, the recipient will want to pay it forward and do the same for other women. It has a ripple effect so just remember, you can be the one to start that ripple. 

14. How would you describe your sense of style?

    My sense of style veers towards classic chic with a touch of modern 80% of the time. I’m a huge fan of high waisted jeans and a tightly fitted bright colored quarter length cashmere sweater. It’s my go to uniform for work because it’s timeless. For date nights however, I LOVE dressing up. I love form fitting dresses and flirty necklines, bold rings, and earrings and almost never leave the house on a date night without a cashmere coat. So it’s 80% classic effortless chic and 20% glam!

15. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    Bags and Jewelry are my favorite splurges. My Hermes Birkin 30 Craie is one of my favorite splurges because it’s a high bar piece that is timeless. I can dress it up or down and it always elevates my outfit. 

16. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    Fendi tights!! The logo patterned tights is a trendy winter look that I’ve been obsessed with. I plan a lot of my date night outfits around these tights. A pair can set you back close to $400 which is not bad if you get good mileage out of it and can pair it with many different looks during the winter. Plus it’s been a cold year in the Bay, the tights have kept me warm on those nights I want to wear a dress, so it’s fashionable but practical too. 

17. What is one thing on your wish list for Spring 2023?

    The Fearless Muse ring from Cast Jewelry. I’m currently obsessed with their different collections and capsules. Their designs are bold, beautifully crafted and stunning. I’m looking to add a  few new pieces to dress up my Spring and Summer outfits.

I am beyond grateful for the time, Kat, and for everyone reading I highly recommend that you tune into “Chef Dynasty: House of Fang” if you haven’t already and that next time you find yourself in San Francisco that you make a point to visit both House of Nanking and Fang! Cheers and Bon Appétit!

The Low Down: Featuring Sade Strehlke, Journalist

On today’s edition of The Low Down, I’m so honored to have an esteemed journalist who has worked for the likes of The Wall Street Journal, Teen Vogue, TIME, Shape, Refinery 29 and most recently was the editor-in-chief of Pop Sugar. She is a mom to three children under the age of five and attended the University of Southern California for her undergraduate degree where we met as sorority sisters and continued her studies at Colombia’s Graduate School of Journalism. Sade has always been incredibly fashion forward and humbly describes herself as a storyteller. Her editorial experience spans nearly a decade and ranges from fashion, beauty and wellness to celebrity and women’s lifestyle spaces. I’m so delighted to have you take away some of her pearls of wisdom of her life in journalism and being a mom all while continuing to nourish her own interests. Welcome, Sade!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.
   
   I’m from The Bronx in New York City and I went to school — basically my whole life (5-17) — on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. After a middle school talent show, I wanted to become an actor, became “the” Theatre kid and went to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles to pursue a degree in Theatre.
   
   The very first thing I wanted to become when I was really little, however, was a neurosurgeon. After a couple of science classes that dream faded quickly. 

2. I would love for you to share your road to becoming a journalist.
   
   Soon after starting at USC, I realized I didn’t want to be an actor anymore, but I did finish the degree. After graduation, I dabbled in tech, but ultimately started my own fashion blog. After a few years I decided to apply to Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. When I graduated, I had internships with The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, the latter turned into a full time job after three weeks. From there, I kept looking for interesting and cool positions that would challenge me but ultimately just allow me to tell really cool and important stories. After WSJ, I worked at Teen Vogue, TIME, Refinery29, SHAPE and then up until recently, Popsugar, where I was the editor in chief.  

3. At what point did you see a road into fashion?
   
   I’ve always loved fashion and shopping. My mom just has the best sense of style and shopping is easily one of my favorite activities — it’s why I started the fashion blog and why I love reading and reporting on the topic. 

4. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now? What is your dream position? 
   
   Oof, this is a hard one and I really don’t have a clean answer. But, I guess, just telling cool stories still.

5. Who has inspired you most along the way?
   
   So many people, but ultimately my mother, grandmothers and great grandmother. They always told me I could be anything and are fabulous storytellers.

6. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?
   
   Always raise your hand for the hardest assignments and always respect your peers, subordinates and superiors. Respecting others can go a long way in forging meaningful relationships, even if you don’t see eye to eye. 

7. What advice would you give to other women who are working and raising children?
   
   I don’t have a neat answer for this either — it’s very hard. I once read an article in The Atlantic about a group of sorority sisters from Northwestern, and the author followed their life trajectories into career and parenthood… the happiest ones were the ones who picked one lane or another. I always remember that as I struggle with deadlines and diapers. So, my advice to other people in similar situations is to just do the best you can and don’t be afraid to fail. All that matters is that you pick yourself up in the end and keep on going the best you can. 

8. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?
   
   I know now, but wish someone had told me sooner: “An opportunity that’s meant for you will not miss you.”

9. What does work/life balance look like for you?
   
   There isn’t really a balance, it’s just about trying to do as much as you can do and also carving out time to nurture yourself and your interests, even if that’s just an episode or two of Housewives. 

10. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?
    
    Traveling with my mom. It’s something we did a lot when I was a kid, growing up and even well into my 20s, but with kids and a house that all slowed down… we recently went on a trip with my middle child, however, and it was magical. Definitely want to carve more time out for those types of experiences. Otherwise, no, I don’t place a lot of value on traditions. With work and three kids, it’s really just go, go, go and, again, do the best you can! 

11. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?
    
    Working out and cooking or eating at home. I’m still pretty bad at a regular routine, but sometimes I’ll get a sprint of a month or two of cooking and regular workouts and it’s so therapeutic. It’s amazing actually.
    
    And, I never skip blowouts or manicures… lol, they’re just my things thanks to Frances (my mother). 

12. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?
    
    Oof, so many. When my husband and I moved back to the East Coast from Los Angeles for graduate school, he was at Yale Law, but left after a year to finish his graduate work in mathematics at MIT. As a result, we lived apart for five-plus years. It was hard, but him pursuing his passions and dreams, made me work harder than ever to reach my own.

13. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”
    
    Just always make time for each other. Whether it’s a friend, sibling, parent or someone who’s just looking for some advice and guidance, taking five minutes to chat can really make a difference.

14. How would you describe your sense of style?
    
    Minimal maximalist. I love oversized, comfort clothes in neutral colors: navy, black, forest green, etc. But I also love color — pinks and yellows in particular — and I love over-the-top accessories. I’m all about the mix. 

15. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?
    
    I’m obsessed with handbags. I always have been… I don’t know why! But I just love handbags… small ones, big ones, totes, everything. Bags are my person. I’m a big fan of Celine, Chanel and Bottega Veneta. 

    I tend to focus on the big pieces, or that’s where I invest the most… so bags, shoes and coats. I scored this tan, Givenchy coat from MyTheresa on mega sale and it’s my favorite, go-to. I also have this amazing, navy Chanel that I shopped from a neighbor’s closet and this gold Stella McCartney from my mom’s… right after I had my first child, Harry, I gifted myself this Erdem, embroidered trench… I just love a good coat!

    
    Another area of investment for me are jeans, sweaters and blazers. Again, the big pieces! Regardless of what you’re wearing, a blazer will just pull it all together and nothing feels better than the perfect pair of jeans! I love Frame and Moussy Vintage. Underwear, t-shirts, tanks, etc. I tend to buy from Amazon or Uniqlo. It’s all about the high-low mix for me. 

16. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?
    
    I love a good, simple sneaker under $100 from Nike or New Balance. I also sported this bright pink dress from H&M through much of my most recent postpartum experience, and it was amazing! I’d get so many compliments! Ditto for a blue, checked-style dress from Old Navy. 

17. What is one thing on your wish list for 2023?
    
    More jewelry! It’s time to start investing in some forever pieces that I can eventually hand down to my daughters and son.

Thank you, Sade! Best of luck with all of your future endeavors and thank you so very much for sharing your inspiring journey! Cheers!

The Low Down: Featuring Erin Donahue Tice, Abstract Artist and Entrepreneur

It is my distinct honor to welcome Erin Donahue Tice on the second edition of The Low Down. Erin is an abstract artist based in Austin, Texas who creates original paintings for collectors across the country and has recently expanded her business into tabletop and home decor. Her artwork has yielded a strong demand and has been featured in House Beautiful, Better Homes and Gardens, Traditional Home, Southern Home and Luxe Magazine. Erin has three darling young boys and embodies the term working mother. I was first introduced to Erin a few years ago through a dear friend who had moved to Austin. After following her artwork for quite some time on Social Media, I was fortunate enough to go through the commission process with her and currently have two of her original pieces in my home in Arizona. Her incredible up-beat personality coupled with her extreme talent makes her the total package in the art world. When you add on her entrepreneurial spirt and business acumen you have a woman, that in my opinion, has the world as her oyster. I am beyond grateful that Erin has carved aside the time to let you delve into the mind of an artist/entrepreneur and can’t wait for you to walk away with her pearls of wisdom. Welcome, Erin!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

   I grew up first in the Chicago suburbs (until I was eight years old), then we moved to Columbus, Ohio where I lived until I graduated high school. I went to college in Lexington, Kentucky at the University of Kentucky (Go Cats!). As a child, I waffled between wanting to be an actress, a broadcast journalist, a writer and a psychologist. I ended up becoming none of those things, but I can see where those sparks were headed, and how they later translated into my careers as both a PR Executive, and later, an artist. 

2. I would love for you to share your road to becoming an artist and producing some of the most coveted pieces in the art world.

   After graduating college with a degree in PR, I started my career in Chicago working for one of the world’s most well-known ad agencies, Leo Burnett. I fell into a niche of doing PR for ad agencies themselves and went on to work within high-profile ad agencies in Chicago and NYC, and then eventually for a PR firm that specializes in representing clients in the advertising/media/entertainment spaces. 

   I had a thriving career in PR, and even when my husband  and I moved from New York to Austin, I kept working remotely for my firm in NYC. We soon had two sons back to back, and after the birth of my second son George, I knew I needed to pull back from my career. I took some time off, but suffered from a lot of postpartum baby blues. My son was very colicky and it triggered a lot of anxiety in me.

   I began painting in my guest house as an outlet for stress relief. It soon became an obsession, and six months after painting for fun/stress relief, some girlfriends encouraged me to sell my work.

   I had never painted in my life, so this turn of events was quite surprising for everyone, including myself! I had always thought I’d eventually go back to work in the PR world. But I decided to build a website, launch an Instagram page and have a go at the art world. Pretty soon I was off to the races. I still can’t believe it sometimes.

3. At what point did you see an opening into your new Tabletop venture? What other products would you like to procure and/or produce?

   I have always loved to entertain, to throw together pretty tables. I got this trait from my mom, who threw a lot of dinner parties while I was growing up. Once we moved into our new home in 2019. I finally had a formal dining room of my own and really began playing around with creating tablescapes, and would share them on Instagram. To me, it was another creative outlet. A way to mix materials and patterns. The Covid hit. We were eating at home ALL THE TIME! But I still wanted it to feel pretty and festive. So I created A LOT of tables for my family during that time. It was so fun and I began amassing a large collection of vintage china! In late 2022 I decided to finally expand my art business into the tabletop world and am now curating a small collection of beautiful, handmade plates, vases, candlesticks and centerpieces that are sold on my website. It seemed like a natural extension and a way to push my business in new directions. 

4. Do you plan to go beyond tabletop and if so, what would be some of your dream pieces to produce?

   I am currently working with a manufacturer to translate some of my new botanical paintings onto textiles and plates. I’m hoping to launch a small collection of products with my own designs within the next couple of months. Think china, throw pillows, fabric, wallpaper. I’m so excited to bring my artwork to life in new ways! I hope people like the way my art translates onto home products. 

1. Where do you see your business in another 5 years?

   My dream would be to have a thriving art/design/lifestyle business, with an array of home and entertaining products. I never want to stop painting, though, so I’ll always keep original artwork as part of my offering.

2. Who has inspired you most along the way?

   I would have to say my mom. She’s the first person I show my art and designs to, and she gives great feedback. She also had a thriving career in the insurance world and then later after she retired, struck up a second career and started a catering/charcuterie board business. She is so inspiring and supportive, and is such a hard worker. I think I realize how similar we are the older I get.

3. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

   My old boss at my PR firm, Samantha Digennaro, always stressed the importance of saying thank you. We were instructed to send thank you emails and in some cases notes, immediately after client meetings. Within an hour, if possible. I’ve never forgotten how important it is to show gratitude and I try to take that with me in my art business. Sometimes it can be hard to respond to every message I get on Instagram, but I try really hard to! And I like to send hand-written notes to clients who have invested in my artwork. Saying thank you is so simple, yet so powerful.

4. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

   Pick when to lean in, and when to lean out. You can’t always do it all at once. And that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Sometimes your children will need you more, and you’ll need to make that hard decision to lean back from work a little bit. Sometimes you’ll have an opening to really hustle at work. It’s not a perfect science. I do hope that my kids will eventually realize how hard I work and respect my work ethic. I have the best of both worlds because my studio is at home, so I’m able to see them a lot. I feel very blessed and realize that not everyone has that luxury.

5. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

   I didn’t realize that an artist wears many more hats than just “painter.” I am also CEO, CMO, IT, accountant, logistics, framer, photographer, and so much more. But I like it this way! It makes it more interesting and keeps me moving from one task to another every day.

6. What does work/life balance look like for you?

   I try to do most of my work Monday through Friday, while the kids are at school, and reserve the evenings and weekends for my kids. That said, sometimes I have deadlines to meet, and need to take a couple hours here and there to get some work done when my kids are around. But balance is a concept I’m always chasing, to be completely honest! Life with three little kids, a husband and a busy career does not provide a whole lot of free time. But I love the hustle bustle, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

1. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

   We have little traditions around my house. We got a pizza oven a couple years ago and usually do Pizza Night on Fridays. My husband, Bill, is our pizza chef and makes everyone their own personal pizza with whatever toppings we like! We also love Christmas, and like to dress up and go out to a fancy steak dinner on Christmas Eve every year. Our “happy place” as a family is East Hampton, and each summer when we get there my husband takes the kids right to the beach. I am not the biggest beach person, but I swear my husband and my boys were fish in another life! 

2. How, if ever, do you prioritize your well-being? What are some things that you try to squeeze in on a normal busy day that you feel has impacted your day-to-day life?

   I find that exercise is a vital part to having “balance,” and if I can get 4-5 workouts in a week I feel like my mind and body are in harmony, and I’m a happier person to be around! When I’m in the zone, I also make a healthy smoothie for breakfast every morning. Sometimes I just sit on my bed alone for 20 minutes and do a quick reset and that gives me a sense of harmony

3. I know you meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

   I love this question. Shining a light on other women is so important to my overall mission. I feel like there’s so much competition in the art world, and it doesn’t need to be that way. I believe that if  you are a woman with any kind of a platform (on social media, in your community, in your workplace, etc.), then it’s incumbent on you to lift other women up and support them both privately and publicly. I have worked in corporate environments where female support was hard to come by, and I’ve also worked in environments where it was showered upon me in droves. I was more confident and successful in my job the more support I received from other women. I’ve actually read research about the “power of the pack,” and how we are stronger together than apart. Women win when we help each other, not harm each other. Now that I’m in business for myself, it’s even more critical for me to seek out other women whom I can help, and also women who can help me.

1. How would you describe your sense of style?

   Classic, colorful, and a tad eclectic. 

2. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

   My Manolo Blahnik Hangisi heels in both black and emerald green. They are the most classic shoe that elevates any outfit and I always feel special when I wear them. They are also comfier than they look and come in different heel heights. You can’t go wrong. 

3. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe?

   Maybe not so trendy, but definitely affordable: I love my Birdies. I have them in probably 12 colors/styles. They are my go-to slip on shoe that is SO comfortable it feels like a slipper. They go with jeans and dresses alike and I wear them almost every day.

4. What is one thing on your wish list for 2023?

   A trip to Morocco with my husband to celebrate my 40th!

Thank you, Erin, and best of luck with all of your exciting endeavors!! I encourage everyone to sign up for Erin’s newsletters here. She has a brand new collection launching online January 26th and if you live in Austin you can view the collection in person on January 27th. Cheers!

The Low Down: Featuring Jill Koziol, CEO of Motherly

It is with great pleasure that I introduce the inaugural Low Down featuring one of my dear friends and the incredible Co-Founder and CEO of Motherly, Jill Koziol. When I think about women who embody doing it all, Jill is the first one to come to mind. Jill is one of the most impressive entrepreneurs you will ever meet and is also an incredible wife, mother, and friend! Jill has overcome the startup odds and navigates running an Inc 5000 Fastest growing private company, being very active in YPO, managing several boards all while having two young daughters and making it look easy. Though she will be the first to tell you that she has an incredible behind-the-scenes team and relies heavily on delegating. I am so grateful that she took the time to share some of her experiences as a mother and a CEO and how she manages a work/life balance or as she calls it “work life integration.” Jill is truly wonder woman in my mind and I can’t wait for you to get to hear her story and hopefully extract some of the incredible pearls of wisdom she has given us below. Thank you and welcome, Jill!

1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you go to college and what did you see yourself becoming when you were younger.

   I’m from a small town in Southern Maryland about 45 minutes southeast of Washington, DC. As a first generation college student I went to a state school in Maryland for undergrad and then Georgetown for my Master’s degree. When I was younger I dreamed of being an international lawyer and one day working for the United Nations or being an ambassador.

2. How did you come up with the idea of Motherly and where do you see your company in another 5 years?

   Prior to Motherly I invented, patented, and brought to market a baby goods product so I had already cut my teeth on entrepreneurship when I received a call from my now cofounder who was interested in launching a new brand for modern mothers. I jumped at the ideas because as a Millennial mother I felt motherhood was portrayed in a really outdated manner back in 2015 and knew we could do better. We built Motherly to be woman-centered, expert-driven, and empowering.
   
   We’ve grown a ton over the last 7 years and this year are an Inc. 5000 fastest growing private company in the US. Five years from now I believe we will be the most valuable parenting platform – most valuable to our audience and our media clients.

3. Who inspired you to be a leader and why?

   My father is a small business entrepreneur and leader in our community and I’ve always been inspired by him not just to be a business owner but to give back to my community. I saw how he impacted our community as an employer and as a philanthropist and he encouraged me to do the same. I’ve also always been very inspired by my great-grandmother who in the early 1900s ran our family’s publicly traded business in the background after her husband died because women couldn’t be officers in public companies. I like to think she’d be proud if she could see me now.

4. What is the best piece of advice you were given? Regarding anything from business to parenting to personal development, etc.?

   The best advice I’ve received is, “feedback is a gift, not a mandate for change.” As a start-up entrepreneur and as a mother I’m frequently given advice and feedback. Once I internalized feedback as a gift and not something I’m required to act on, I was able to view it more objectively and determine for myself what worked best for me authentically. 

5. What advice would you give to other women who are running a business and raising children?

   I’d offer that self-care is not selfish and that it is important as a mother and a business owner to prioritize your own health and wellbeing. Your family and business won’t thrive if you aren’t thriving so finding ways to fill your cup, even before others, is critical.

6. Is there anything you wish someone had told you along the way?

   I wish someone had told me that successful companies almost die a dozen times before they become successful. It’s a roller coaster for all companies and just because something is hard doesn’t mean you aren’t doing it right. 

7. What does work/life balance look like for you?

   For me it’s more like work life integration. I don’t think of it as a balance because it’s never fully at an equilibrium balance. And it’s important to note that I don’t do it all – I have an amazing support structure of paid household help who enable me to thrive at work and at home. At home, and at work, I prioritize the things only I can do and outsource or delegate the others so that I have time to workout, be present with my children, spend time with my husband, etc.

8. What are some of your favorite traditions and do you place a priority on certain things?

   Mothers are the magic makers and I’ve created so many traditions that my family prioritizes from special birthday breakfasts to spending Thanksgiving in Hawaii to our night Christmas book tradition during Advent. I believe that these are the moments my children will recall when thinking about their childhood and it fills me with such joy.

9. I know you are extremely mindful of well-being. How has that impacted your life?

   I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis nearly seven years ago and it changed my perspective on health and well-being significantly. Too often mothers don’t prioritize their health and my diagnosis gave me permission to prioritize my health from eating well to exercising regularly, and recently a meditation practice. These practices help me show up as my best self for my family and my company.

10. What adversity has challenged you the most, yet made you a stronger person?

    No one leaves this life unscathed and like everyone I’ve faced many adversities. My MS diagnosis was one of the most challenging because it impacted every aspect of my life so profoundly including my children, who were very young, my husband, and Motherly. I’m 10x as strong – mentally, physically, and emotionally – as I was when I was diagnosed and in many ways I now see MS as a gift.

11. You meet so many inspiring women every day, how do you feel we can better support the motto of “Women helping Women?”

    The most important thing I believe women can do to support other women is to pay it forward – so many people have supported me over the years and I pay it forward by taking calls from women who are trying to launch a new business, grappling with an MS diagnosis, or figuring out how they can better integrate their work and personal lives. Women need more support and less judgment and paying it forward, sharing our experiences, is a critical way to support each other.

12. How would you describe your sense of style?

    I prefer classic over trendy and tend to be more minimalist enjoying texture over pattern and a more neutral color palette. Since moving to Park City in 2020 I’ve started to gravitate more to mountain inspired fashion. So I’d say my style is California meets mountain, maybe?

13. What is your favorite splurge or investment “High Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    My various Valentino rock stud shoes are probably my favorite splurge – I tend to buy a new pair each season and still love my older pairs so I consider them an investment, too. But, my diamond pieces from Katie Anderson Diamonds are definitely my favorite investment items – my rings, bracelets, and earrings designed by Katie are classic while on trend and items I know my daughters will one day treasure, too.

14. What is your favorite trendy yet affordable “Side Bar” piece in your wardrobe? 

    I’ve lately been loving the fun, trendy earrings from MIGNONNE GAVIGAN – they make great statement pieces and I love the Madeline collection.

15. What is one thing on your wish list for the holidays? What is something on your children’s wish list? Something on your husband’s wish list?

    I’m going to give classic cross country skiing a try this season so a set of Atomic cross country skis and boots are on my wish list. My youngest daughter has all things American Girl on her wish list, while my oldest daughter is hoping Santa brings her a pair of air pods. For my husband, he doesn’t know it yet but a Therabody Theragun is on his list!

The Case for Social Distancing

Right now we are in an unprecedented time in our world. I am sure this will be documented in history books as we are in uncharted territory. The most important thing we can do at the moment is to have Social Distance! I see a lot of people talking about why they are #socialdistancing and a lot of it has to do with the elderly. Well I am here to tell you that for us it goes way beyond this as no one is “safe” from this, but we are especially concerned for the immune-supressed or those with underlying conditions. As of today, March 25th, the CDC has highlighted the following category for people who are high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19: People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma. We are all too familiar with this as our oldest son was diagnosed with asthma at age 4. The photo above was the day he was discharged from the hospital after a battle of asthma and a complication of pneumonia nearly two years ago. The following story highlights why this is so serious and why we have been “quarantining” for 3 weeks already and we implore you and your family to continue to stay at home and help flatten the curve.

What started as an average school night almost two years ago, turned into one of the scariest nights of our lives. While M.J. had been officially diagnosed with asthma at age four, he had respiratory issues starting around age 2. Nebulizers and inhalers were constants in our home and we learned a lot of terminology like Flovent and Albuterol. Our family lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and we were dealing with horrible air quality as a repercussion of the wild fires that were rampant across California. While getting ready for bed that evening, M.J. complained of a “tummy ache.” That was a common theme that kept reappearing and the week before I had bought a Pulse Oximeter that measures Oxygen levels after seeing one advertised on Amazon. Out of an abundance of caution I decided to get it out for the first time to see what his levels were. His Oxygen level was 91 and so I decided to give him his inhalers and see how he fared. His levels went up to 93 so after consulting with my husband I put him to bed as he was exhausted and acting normal otherwise and went back to cleaning up the house and getting ready for bed myself. 

Right before bed each night I check in on the children one last time and decided to take M.J.’s oxygen level again. His breathing didn’t look alarming to me (heavy retracting of the neck), but I wanted to see if it had stabilized. His oxygen level was 89! This was so surprising and my husband was even convinced that the pulse oximeter was just not working properly. Mothers intuition made me immediately change into sweats and insist we take him to the ER. Our two-year-old was also asleep and my husband was not sure we should go as M.J. was sleeping soundly and his breathing didn’t seem that labored. 

But once again my motherly instinct kicked in and I just knew we had to take him immediately! So my husband and I each grabbed a sleeping child and buckled them in their car seats and raced to the ER. I decided when we arrived that my husband should wait in the car with our two-year-old so he could continue sleeping and I would just run M.J. in to have him looked at and most likely a quick breathing treatment and then be on our way home. Shouldn’t take more than an hour I thought! Boy was I wrong!!

When I got in there the triage nurses knew the situation was dire and got M.J. on oxygen and back into a room immediately! Everything moved so quickly that my head was spinning! It was 11 o’clock in the evening, I was 5 months pregnant with our baby girl, and I was alone in an ER with our son who was having an asthma attack for the first time, but never once voiced that he couldn’t breathe! It was such a scary and out of body experience being told that if we hadn’t brought him in he wouldn’t have had enough oxygen! That motherly instinct is pretty incredible!! In my mind though, I had always envisioned an asthma attack much differently…gasps for air and the look of distress! That was not the case for us, however!

The doctors were fantastic and immediately had steroid treatments and oxygen to open up his lungs and his numbers went up so I still thought we would be heading home sometime within the next few hours! But, the doctors quickly realized his numbers were not stabilizing and he needed to remain on oxygen until his O2 level could settle around 95. 

I sent my husband home to put Max back to bed and I sat up with M.J. all night long staring at his vitals. M.J. and I had some interesting experiences including listening to a Stanford Freshman who had come via ambulance for drinking too much. Even though M.J. was in a pediatric unit of the ER, this 18-year-old was next to us and cried like a baby for his mom while throwing up non-stop. My six year old learned two things from frightfully listening to that (these are his words I might add) : 1) You will always want your mama and 2) I will never drink alcohol! (Hopefully that never changes!) After listening to that debacle he was finally moved into a private room around three o’clock in the morning and I was still convinced he would be heading home soon!

Wrong again!! When his numbers would not improve they realized that something was compromising his lungs and that he was not able to get the necessary oxygen levels without being on oxygen. That meant he was to be admitted to the Children’s Hospital. I was still in disbelief that this child is the same one that my husband questioned eight hours earlier if he really needed to go to the ER. It was such a crazy and surreal experience!

He was hospitalized for four days. Those long days consisted of breathing treatments, steroids and oxygen to get him to an acceptable level… and then we found out he had developed pneumonia. His precious little lungs were just not getting a break! Living at the hospital while having one child at home is not an easy feat! Both children need you and so my husband and I would divide and conquer to be sure that both children had a parent with them. We would take turns sleeping at the hospital and trying to not let M.J.’s little muscles fatigue from lying in a bed all day all while trying to keep him entertained with legos and special treats from his favorite place: Starbucks!

Now I might remind you that all of this was triggered by the smoke from the California fires that ravaged our state. The air quality was not good and that was what put him in a tailspin. Unfortunately, the same exact thing can happen should he get a virus, especially one that targets the respiratory track. M.J.’s lungs are still susceptible to this day and that is why we have chosen to quarantine our whole family for the last 21 days and will continue to quarantine for the next two weeks of Shelter in Place in the Bay Area. When they talk about “flattening the curve” just know it is for more than just the elderly! While it protects them as well, it is also protecting those with weakened immune systems and other underlying conditions.

We are doing everything in our power to protect our family and we implore you to do the same! If not for you and your family, please do it for the people who are at risk of complications! There has been less emphasis on protecting children, due to initial reports that they were not at risk from COVID-19, but new research is showing that children (even healthy children) can get this virus and thus we must take it more seriously! The sooner we can socially distance the sooner we can hopefully get back to life as we know it.

Full disclosure that I am not a doctor and am not giving any medical advice, but I would like to share what I keep in our “toolbox” to help deal with these types of situations. Everything from my favorite locking travel medicine bag and no-contact thermometer, to my children’s favorite “night-light” humidifier and the pulse oximeter I use to check my asthmatic son’s 02 levels. The most important step is to be ahead of the curve, so if you suspect you have a chid with asthma, talk to your pediatrician to see if a Pulmonologist would be the next best step. From there they usually create an Asthma Action Plan to help you know what to do in a multitude of situations. I might add that all of the items below work for health issues well beyond asthma and help us navigate many different illnesses. It’s all about being prepared and well informed.

1. Travel Locking Medicine Bag, Medicine Safe 2. Otoscope, Dr. Mom 3. Pulse Oximeter, Santamedical 4. Humidifier, Tendomi 5. Remote Health Exam, Tyto Health 6. Fever Patches, Be Kool 7. Digital Thermometer, Withings

The one thing our family is focusing on during these crazy and confusing times is that LOVE and HEALTH are all that matter! We are wishing you both!

The Adventures of a Pumping Mama

I love breastfeeding, but it is certainly not for everyone! I, for one, pass zero judgement as a fed baby is a happy baby! It did take this third time Mama some time to grow to like/appreciate pumping. With my first two, I viewed it as a tether…almost like jail. The sounds, the exposure, the upright position I had to be in…nothing spelled F-U-N! 

This time around I have a whole new perspective, with much of that thanks to my incredible cord free Willow pump. When my mom got me the Willow pump for my babyshower, I had no idea what a gamechanger it would be! One of the best things is that you are fully covered and with no cords can walk around and be present with your family while pumping. The reality for me, however, is that I am usually pumping while everyone is asleep. The best part of the Willow is that you can lay down while you pump (my favorite thing to do at 3:00 am.) I use to sit on the edge of my bath tub as my old pump would spill milk everywhere if you were not straight up and down. This was extremely liberating for me! 

My “formula” that has worked quite well, is to start pumping around the 1-2 week mark in the evenings usually after feeding and continuing at night even once my baby starts doing longer stretches. That schedule would look something like pumping around 10:00 pm before I would go to sleep and then waking again between 2:00-4:00 am to pump and build a freezer supply to allow me flexibility. That flexibility allows me to work, go on date nights and volunteer at my boys school…it is extremely important to me to build that stash in the first six months.

I am extremely passionate about this mainly due to my severe dairy allergy that prompted warning against all formula for all three of our children. I am allergic to the protein in milk and I was terrified to risk one of our children having the same allergy. Therefore, I decided early on that I would try to exclusively breastfeed or bottle feed pumped milk for one year with all three children. It is a BIG commitment, but one that I have grown to love and treasure! I have two more months left for my third baby, and trust me when I say I am savoring every moment!

Now I am the first to admit that every baby is different and you have to do what works for you and your little one! All three of my babies have varied with the most different being my little caboose! She is the only one that does not like the bottle! I have an entire freezer full of milk and she does not like it in bottle format. We had to be adaptable and as she has gotten older we add it daily to her food (which she loves)!

I will tell you that I have pumped in some pretty funny places! On a golf course during a round of 18, on the freeway headed to Disneyland, in a powder room at a wedding, in a fitting room at Neiman Marcus and most recently in the bathroom at halftime during the 49ers Playoff game. The one thing I have realized is to never be embarrassed or apologize! You have to do what is best for you and your baby! Most places, even with strict regulations for entry like a football stadium, are very flexible when it comes to nursing mothers and if you show them your breast pump you shouldn’t have any problems getting in, even if it requires a larger clear bag :) Most people are compassionate and have empathy towards a nursing mother, and if they don’t they might one day and look back and feel differently. What matters most is you and your baby!

I do have a few favorite products that I attribute to my positive view towards pumping. I am not a doctor and these are solely products that I purchased on my own accord that I really love. This list has changed over the course of three different babies, and I feel as though the products are just getting better and better. 

Wishing you all the best on your journey!

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- Love List -

1. Hands Free Pump, Willow 2. New Mom Smoothie Blend, Seedlyfe 3. Organic Nipple Butter, Earth Mama 4. French Terry Racerback Nursing and Sleep Bra, Kindred Bravely. 5. Travel Pump Case, Milue 6. Marvella Classic Maternity & Nursing T-Shirt Bra, Kindred Bravely 7. Post Natal Lactation Plus, The Honest Company 8. Vegan and Gluten Free Lactation Bites, Majka

Life on the Tall Side

Dear darling daughter,

I was once that girl! The one who was taller than everyone in her class! The one who stood at the end of the line in height order and the back-row center of all school pictures. Trust me when I say it is the greatest blessing, but I know it won’t always be easy to see it that way!

Remember when people say “look how big you are” to immediately take it as a compliment and forgive their wording if it doesn’t sound flattering. You see, people don’t mean to sound insensitive, they just don’t even consider their words before they say them. My mom was truly the most incredible influence as she was so quick to program my brain that tall=beautiful! They were interchangeable words in her world and thus mine. I never had a chance to be self-conscious about my height as my mom did daily affirmations that made me lead with positivity. When someone was to say anything to me (you are so tall, you are so cute, you are a big girl, etc.) I was to immediately respond with a “thank you!” The affirmations were daily and I had to repeat them three times. First, she would say it, then I would repeat three times. I am strong, I am strong, I am strong! I am smart, I am smart, I am smart! I am beautiful, I am beautiful, I am beautiful!

The constant repetition made me believe it and created a very confident little girl. Now don’t get me wrong, I went through an awkward stage where I look back now surprised at the confidence I had for the way that I looked. But that is the very root of the issue, it didn’t matter what I looked like on the outside. My mom made me so strong on the inside and we always discussed that it’s what on the inside that truly matters!

I don’t know at what point it became culturally acceptable to be a “tall girl” and frankly it doesn’t even matter. What does matter is raising strong women that don’t care if they are the shortest or tallest, that they view their individuality as a blessing and they become thankful for that blessing daily.

When people would say that I had big feet, my mom would quickly respond that I would fall over if my feet were any smaller. If people asked if I played volleyball or basketball upon seeing me, my mom would be quick to point out that I was a cheerleader and golfer (two things not usually associated with height).

One of my dear friends has taught me that she tells her daughters “you are strong, you are brave and you can do anything!” anytime they are nervous for something! To be honest, I also tell my boys that on a daily basis. As parents we want healthy, happy confident children who are also kind to others! If we focus on that as opposed to “who is academically gifted” or an “exceptional athlete” we can make tremendous strides in making children feel accepted.

So, to you my fellow girls, stand up tall and walk with pride. For being tall is a gift that should be cherished and it is up to you what you will do with it! And for all the haters out there, my favorite response to any negative comment is “I am sorry you feel that way!”

Know that pants might be hard to find, but that doesn’t matter! Know that you can love someone shorter or taller than you, it doesn’t matter! Like age, height is just a number! You do you! I am proud of you and will always be here for you!