“Some studio people may not believe a woman editor can do an action film as well as a man,” she explains of obstacles she faces. “It’s silly, but I have come across it.”

In 2017, only 18% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 domestic grossing films were women. That’s an increase of only one percentage point, from 17% in 2016, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film by San Diego State University.

“Like in all professions, one may need to prove themselves more as a woman because we don’t fit an expected stereotype,” she says. “It can be difficult and competitive.”

While the percentages of female writers and editors have actually declined, Riegel continues to shine in the industry.

She added several awards to her name for her work on “I, Tonya,” the darkly comedic biopic starring Margot Robbie. In fact, she was the only female nominated for Best Editing for this year’s Independent Spirit Award, Academy Award, and American Cinema Editors Award, for the film that follows Tonya Harding’s story from her abusive childhood to her shocking figure-skating career. She won both the ACE Eddie Award for Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy), and the Independent Spirit Award.

“The role of an editor has a huge impact on a film,” says Riegel.

The film “I, Tonya” maintains a tone that strikes a careful balance between pitch-black comedy and real-life tragedy. “The most challenging aspect of this particular film is by far the tone,” she says. “It’s a difficult mix of emotion, tragedy, and humor.”

She teamed up with “I, Tonya” director Craig Gillespie for the fifth time, having also worked with him on “Lars and the Real Girl,” “Fright Night,” and “The Finest Hour.” Together, they set a pace for the ambitious story while giving both the drama and the humor room to shine.

HER ROLE AS AN EDITOR

Riegel always knew she wanted a career in film, but at first, had no idea what she wanted to do. Through the process of elimination, she settled on post-production.

“Editing, as it turns out, is the perfect combination of both sides of my brain…creative and technical,” says Riegel, who enjoys the creative space afforded while working on independent films.

Although she doesn’t spend much time on the set, her work as an editor begins as soon as the shooting starts. She watches scenes over and over again, paying attention to every detail, the pace, the sound, the music — or a way to improve it.

“While in production (usually between 2-4 months depending on the project), I watch everything they shoot and begin the assembly by choosing performances, setting the initial tone as well as the pace of the film,” Riegel says.

She spends the next 6-10 months working side by side with the director refining the edit and also working with sound, music and visual effects.

Her advice for anyone wanting to get started in this field? Start.

“If you want to edit, edit. Cut everything you can get your hands on,” she recommends.

Forget whether the field is dominated by men — it’s up to you to begin.

The post The Editor of “I, Tonya” Talks Working in a Male Dominated Industry appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Dreaming of that new job? New car or more money? Say it enough, and according to Zenkina, it will come true.

“In the last two years, I’ve manifested the following: my soul mate, a 7-figure business, my dream car, being able to travel to any city or country in the world whenever I want, and other endless opportunities,” she says. “Magic happens when you open yourself to the power of your mind.”

The Master Mindset Coach, author, and founder of ManifestationBabe.com has a thriving business of courses and coaching programs. She is a firm believer in transparency and honesty and, as of this posting, has published her monthly revenue reports on her website through April 2018. Earlier this year, she hosted a Manifestation luxury retreat in Bali for women looking for their life purpose.

As a mindset coach and success strategist, she works for women who know they were always meant for more.

“I’ve had 490 students enroll in the very first round of Manifestation Babe Academy. I’ve also helped over 500 women transform their money mindsets via my signature money mindset mastery program, Rich Babe Academy,” she says.

Known for sharing her manifestation secrets and principles with her nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram, Zenkina believes anyone can and should achieve their highest potential. While you can see she’s manifested her dream life, it didn’t start so picture perfect.

HER LOWEST POINT HELPED LAUNCH HER DREAM CAREER

In 2016, she hit what she calls her lowest point. She was $25,000 in debt and living on her grandma’s couch, because she couldn’t afford rent in Los Angeles. At the time, Zenkina was trying to launch an online business — but wasn’t getting anywhere.

“I had always been obsessed with the human mind and its role in creating our realities since the film “The Secret” first premiered. Even though I knew how to change my life on an intellectual level, I didn’t actually apply the information. I would preach mindset, but I wasn’t walking my walk. I was afraid of taking risks at this time in my life,” she tells HER Magazine.

So how did she get out of her funk? She manifested her way out — and started to believe she could actually achieve her wildest dreams. Now she travels around the world while continuing to invest in herself and her business.

That’s why she started Manifestation Babe — so she could prove to herself that manifestation works. She began sharing tips on how to manifest on Instagram and two years later, turned that idea into a 7-figure personal development company.

“When people ask me how I came up with the name, Manifestation Babe, I always giggle. It was such a random download from the Universe, and I have no idea where it came from. A little bit earlier, I had an Instagram account called @fitrussianbabe. I changed the name because I never wanted others to think that I’m some conceited fitness model who calls herself a ‘babe.’ A few friends mentioned to me that they LOVED the “babe” in the handle and so I kept that in mind when creating my new Instagram handle,” says Zenkina.

MAKING YOUR BRAND SUCCEED

In the beginning, Zenkina says she had zero support from friends and family. At the time, they thought she was insane for thinking she could create a successful career online.

“It doesn’t matter if the world is against you. If you are on a mission, fully believe in where you are going, and the entire Universe will be on your side to help you manifest it,” she says.

Always a believer in herself, Zenkina focused on learning new skills every day to get her business running. By investing in personal development, marketing courses, seminars, books, and coaches, she was able to achieve her business goals. Let’s not forget she also continued to manifest success, which apparently continues to work for her to this day.

“I am always learning, experimenting, testing, and trying what I think will work. The difference maker for me really has been that I am NOT afraid to take risks. In fact, I love it. You never know what will work or won’t work unless you try it. I think that business owners should experiment more. They play it safe, and so they get safe results,” she says.

Another secret to her success: her business is not just work. It’s her obsession.

“I made it a part of my life. I called it life-business integration. This is where I don’t see my life and business as separate, but rather one entity existing together. This was the only way I could build it while working a 9-5 job, and then while traveling the world full-time,” she says.

Create a team that believes and trusts your vision. The people you surround yourself within your business matters. Find the right mentors who can help steer you in the right direction.

“A business is like a baby — it requires a ton of care in its early stages. You will find yourself giving all your energy to get it off the ground. However, once it grows up? It’s like witnessing the child that you birthed fully come to life. The more love you give it, the better it turns out,” she says.

HOW TO START MANIFESTING YOUR DREAMS

The “Law of Attraction” is the ability to attract into your life whatever you are focusing on. Zenkina claims anything you put your mind to, you can manifest into your life. According to her, it’s helped her achieve success both in life and finances. She even wrote a book about it, Unleash Your Inner Money Babe, a workbook designed to help you let go of limiting beliefs about money and unlock the mindset of abundance and wealth.

“It’s perfect for beginners who want to manifest their first $1,000 while up-leveling their money mindsets for even more money attraction,” she says.

How will you start manifesting your dreams? Let us know in the comments.

Follow Kathrin Zenkina on Instagram @ManifestationBabe.

The post Kathrin Zenkina: The Master Manifestor appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

I wasn’t always excited about problems. I used to dream of the day when I would finally “arrive,” and all problems would magically disappear. Sounds silly, but unless you have already reprogrammed your brain to love problems, you too may think that people you look up to never face them at all.

Social media, which I live, breathe and bleed professionally, is much to blame. Even the most transparent of entrepreneurs and public figures don’t put all their problems on social media — nor should they. However, this selective sharing suggests to onlookers that once they reach this level of success, problems disappear. When they realize that the problems only get bigger, a feeling of panic or failure often arises.

Understanding Your Brain

Before we can retrain the brain to love problems, we must first understand why the brain fears them. It’s not just society that teaches us to avoid problems. It’s already programmed in our brain; the amygdala, to be exact. This small, almond-shaped part of the brain is responsible for the fear we experience when, say, a client expresses that they don’t like our work.

Even a mildly worded dislike to the tune of “I don’t like the colors you used” puts us in a “fight or flight” response. We either want to battle them on the subject — or run away and never see that client again. That can snowball into being deathly afraid of opening your emails, or dealing with clients ever again. Both responses are as unreasonable as the initial fear they cause. But the amygdala doesn’t know that an email from an unhappy client is not a roaring lion chasing after us. To this ancient lizard brain, the two incidents are equal.

Keep in mind that the amygdala plays a crucial part in our survival. It helps us never put our hands on the hot stove — because we did it once and we know it hurts a lot. It helps us stay away from toothy, aggressive animals — because Betty the dog bit us when we were five, and we know it hurts a lot. While those are useful, the amygdala also “remembers” the sting of rejection, the discomfort of confrontation, etc. And it doesn’t categorize the level of danger. Therefore, a confrontation with your boss or client is the same to the amygdala as the confrontation with Betty, the toothy dog.

This unreasonable fear makes problems seem undesirable. But by retraining your brain, you can turn problems into progress.

The Brain Doesn’t Know It All

Left to its own devices, the brain is a reactive machine. You give it a stimulus and it reacts to it. Hot stove — jerk hand back. Angry client — must fight (or run away). But as intelligent business babes, we know that responding to stimuli is significantly more effective than reacting to them. We must manually reprogram our brains to respond, which we will start to do in the next section.

One of the hardest aspects to reprogram is the practice of welcoming problems rather than fearing them. This is largely because we will always be surrounded by prophetic apocalyptics. The news will continue to tell us that another economic crash is coming, and how scary that is. Your friends and family will continue to tell you how risky your business idea is, and that you should get a “stable” job.

You can’t change them. You can only control yourself.

Ironically, the fear that we create by spreading these types of news stories is, in part, what makes the economic crashes worse than they have to be. This fear makes people react; it makes them panic, sell their shares and the market tanks. Ultimately, it creates opportunities for people who respond, rather than react. The level-headed investor waits for these moments to buy shares, real estate and any market-effected assets at dirt cheap prices.

On a bigger scale, market crashes (a problem) also create opportunities for new economies, like the laptop entrepreneur movement, to arise (progress). Problems, big or small, present an opportunity for us to evolve. And evolution, or progress, makes us happy. Therefore: mo’ problems, mo’ happiness.

Problems are best tackled when we are excited about solving them, rather than fearing their impending doom. To get excited about our problems, we must first retrain our brains.

How to Retrain Your Brain

While we cannot go back in time and change those life-defining experiences, we can retrain the amygdala. Like a mother showing her child that airplanes are nothing to be afraid of — even when she dislikes flying — we must be brave and show the amygdala that the client won’t bite.

1. Get comfortable with F.E.A.R.

One of my favorite acronyms for fear is “False Emotions Appearing Real.” Unless your life is in physical danger, the fear you feel is just your lizard brain thinking you’re being chased by a lion. Anytime I feel that way, I like to thank my amygdala for trying to protect me and ask myself: what am I really afraid of? Pinpointing a past experience and its outcome allows us to realize two things: (1) Something similar happened before and I lived to tell the tale and (2) I am older, wiser and I can now resolve this better than before.

2. Learn to breathe.

Another thing our bodies do automatically is breathe — but they don’t always do it optimally! Many of us are shallow breathers. Mix that with a dash of anxiety and a splash of overthinking, and you have yourself a recipe for a panic attack. I am a shallow breather myself, so I’ve learned to breathe through my problems. As soon as I feel any anxiety or fear coming on, I breathe in on a slow count of 6 and exhale fully on a slow count of 8. I like to think of the exhale as expelling any fear I have over the problem at hand. In with the good, out with the bad.

As you are breathing, remember to relax into circumstances. Even though you may not want to be in that situation, you are in it and you are faced with a problem or an opportunity — it all depends how you approach it!

3. Get excited about your problems.

There is no trick to this one and it will feel awkward at first. But trust me: it will change your life. Any time a problem comes up, our natural reaction is something to the tune of, “Oh fudge! What now? Why me?” We need to change it to, “Heck yeah! This is my opportunity to learn and move up in life. Let’s get this solved!”

Making this transformation requires deliberate choices. Every time you face a problem and are about to have your natural reaction, you must deliberately switch it to the one you’re learning — excitement about the problem at hand! As I said, it will be awkward, but you must persist. It’s important that you do this every time as it requires compound effect to really work. The ‘compound effect’ dictates that if you do a small step consistently, it will equal big results. For instance, if you work out every day for 90 days, you will see much better results than going once a week for 90 days.

4. Be patient with yourself.

Your brain has been in “freak out” mode for however many years you have been alive. You will not retrain it in one day. You will slip up, you will get scared, and most importantly — you will succeed. But the latter will only happen if you keep working on it and give yourself a pat on the back every time you try.

Now get out there and face your problems with joy. You’ve got this.

The post Retrain Your Brain To Face Problems WithOUT Stress appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Before co-founding Phone2Action, Hartsock was national director of grassroots for an education organization, and prior to that, she was a member of the Executive Cabinet of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, serving as the director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, and later as chief of staff of the City Administration.

When Hartsock managed membership and outreach as national director of grassroots, she ran hundreds of campaigns across the country and learned that many people didn’t know who their lawmakers were or how to contact them. “Having previously served as a high-level government official, I know first-hand how important it is to engage with constituents,” she says. “My twofold experience as a government official, and later, as a grassroots organizer, provided a unique perspective, and in 2012, I realized technology could bridge the gap between people and government.”

While civic engagement was not a catch phrase back then, Hartsock knew that it would eventually become a mainstream concept because people tend to be passionate about the issues that they care about.

Phone2Action actually launched in 2013, and the same year, it won the Best New Tech award at SXSW. By August 2013, Phone2Action raised $600K in seed funding. By June 2016, it raised $4.6 million in Series A Funding. In 2017, the company hosted the 1st Annual Good Tech Summit, and launched Social Pulse, a social media advocacy management feature.

So what does Phone2Action entail? “We build a comprehensive suite of digital grassroots tools that can connect people with lawmakers via email, phone, and social media,” Hartsock says. “We were pioneers in the design of social media advocacy tools and voice recognition advocacy — we also built a platform that in minutes enables patch through calls.”

She believes that one-size-fits-all campaigns are dead. “The new tools for civic engagement meet the advocates where they are, and today’s advocates want to personalize their communications to elected officials using pictures, gifs and by sharing their personal stories.”

Some of Phone2Action’s areas of involvement and clients include the following:

• Human Rights: Doctors Without Borders
• Civil Rights: Women’s March on Washington
• Education: National Humanities Alliance
• Environment: League of Conservation Voters
• Healthcare: American Heart Association
• Technology: AT&T

“Civic technology is growing fast and it’s exciting that our industry is still in diapers, so we have a great opportunity to build innovative tools,” Hartsock explains.

Challenges of being a woman in tech — especially trying to raise VC capital

It’s no secret that we need more women in technology, and Hartsock believes that one of the challenges of being a woman in tech is that it can sometimes be lonely. “Another major challenge is that too often we get the wrong advice and this makes us too cautious and skeptical,” she says. “In addition, there are not enough open networks for women entrepreneurs — you need to have good connections to enter elite entrepreneur circles and this contributes to the segregation of entrepreneurs of color (Hartsock is from Chile) and the limited perspective of investors.”

She advises women to be prepared when trying to raise capital. “You need to know your market size, your business model, your P&L — don’t forget your cap table.” Hartsock says she hears women say that they’re bad at math and use this as an excuse for not knowing the numbers. “That’s inexcusable — if you want to be taken seriously, take yourself seriously and learn.”

Hartsock says the lack of a record of success is a big hindrance. “Most successful companies in the U.S. are run by men, and investors don’t often get to meet or ‘spot’ promising women who eventually turn into successful serial entrepreneurs,” she explains. “We owe it to the next generation to beat that track record, so we need to keep working hard in our companies, get funded, grow the companies, take them to success, and have the opportunity to exit them.”

As the midterms approach, Phone2Action is a powerful reminder that your passion can make a difference in your community. What do you love — and what does your world need? As the saying goes, where those two meet is where your greatest success lies.

It certainly worked for Dr. Hartsock.

The post Dr. Ximena Hartsock: Using Tech to Advance Civic Engagement appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Smith’s “clean food” epiphany changed more than just her health.  “After I saw the benefits of a whole foods diet, I scrapped the pasta shop idea and decided I needed to find a way to help other people who needed to eat clean, either by choice or because of health issues.” Motivated by that desire, Smith founded Simple Mills in 2012, and a year later was selling her first three baking mixes on Amazon.

“I decided to start with baking mixes, because none of the mixes I found on grocery shelves had the kind of clean label I was looking for — that is, with ingredients I could pronounce, and without gluten, grains, soy, GMOs, excessive sugar or anything artificial.”  Soon after she started selling her mixes on Amazon, Smith got her first Whole Foods store placement. And today?

“Today, Simple Mills products are sold in more than 14,000 natural and conventional grocery stores,” she says.

But Simple Mills has expanded well past the original three mixes. “We sell baking mixes, crackers, cookies and frostings — all made out of nutrient-dense ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour and sunflower seeds, and completely free of gluten, grains, soy, GMOs, excessive sugar, gums, emulsifiers or anything else artificial,” Smith explains. And it’s plain to see that consumers agree with the company’s approach. After all, sales don’t lie.

“We provide the number one best-selling natural baking mix, the number one best-selling natural cracker, and the number two best-selling natural cookie, and we offer a wide variety,” Smith tells us. From Artisan Bread and Pizza Dough Mixes to Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Almond Flour Crackers, the company has more than 28 different products.

In addition to skyrocketing popularity among consumers, Simple Mills has also acquired several awards from publications like Good Housekeeping, Prevention, Self, Clean Eating, Delicious Living, Paleo Magazine and Yoga Journal.  The company has also received a Chicago Innovation Award, and a “Fab Five” ranking as one of Instacart’s top trending foods in 2017.

On an individual level, Smith has been included in Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30, Inc. magazine’s 30 Under 30, and the Progressive Grocer Top Woman in Grocery list for two consecutive years, but she’s quick to shrug off such accolades. “We obviously are in the right place at the right time in terms of consumers’ interest in healthy eating,” she says, “and all the work we’ve done to provide clean food that also tastes good has paid off.”

Luck = Preparation, Passion, and Sweat

How did Katlin Smith manage to create such an effective and successful company? It’s easy to look at the outside and think she just got lucky; that — like she says herself — their product was simply in the right place at the right time. But that’s only part of the story. Like any ‘overnight success,’ the reality is Smith’s success involved a lot of hard work and planning.

Consider the fact that she is a former Deloitte Consulting management consultant who worked in the food industry before starting Simple Mills. When she opened her company, she was strategic about her team — and hired veterans of Fortune 500 food companies. They all, with Smith, saw the need for healthier packaged foods, and committed to helping drive the change. What’s more, Smith didn’t just ‘happen’ to be in the right place at the right time — she had the savvy to see the opportunity before her. She has tapped into a consumer backlash against Big Food, driven by factors ranging from increasing food sensitivities in both adults and children to concerns about GMOs, sugar intake and unrecognizable ingredients in manufactured foods.

Smith says she learns something new every day, and it’s clear she applies it to her business.  As the CEO of Simple Mills, there are five keys in particular that she says makes all the difference when building a business — and becoming a not-so-overnight ‘overnight success.’

#1: Hire people who share your passion. “That’s what’s going to build your business and get you through the stressful times,” Smith says. “Every person on the Simple Mills team has a personal interest in health and wellness, and joined the company to help others interested in clean eating.” She believes their commitment has been crucial to the company’s success; they’re not just in it for the paycheck. If you care about what you’re doing, it’s important your team cares, too.

#2: Sweat the small stuff a little less. “Details are important, but learn what you need to worry about yourself and what belongs on someone else’s plate,” Smith says. “That’s the only way you’re going to be able to grow your business and stay sane at the same time.” Delegation is essential for great leadership; you simply can’t do everything yourself, so don’t let yourself stress over it. You hired a great team; now trust them.

#3: Find mentors. A great mentor can make a powerful difference in your growth. “Their guidance and encouragement can not only keep you going, but also make you think bigger than you might have otherwise.” Smith knew she wanted to start a company that would change the way people eat, but didn’t have a specific vision — until a mentor told her the company had the potential to become the next Betty Crocker. “That helped me get where I am today,” Smith says. A mentor can help you see those possibilities — and teach you how to reach them.

#4: Don’t compromise your principles. These days, audiences care a lot about integrity — don’t sell yours short. “That can undercut your success, especially if you’re leading a purpose-driven company like mine,” Smith says. “Every concession undermines the original mission and creates a ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ scenario likely to eliminate any differentiation or competitive advantage you might have had.” Give your customers something to support and believe in; not just a product to purchase.

#5: Enjoy the journey. Don’t get so caught up in your goals and growth that you forget to appreciate your victories. “That includes the little moments along the way,” Smith says. “The first time you tell someone what you do and they actually recognize your brand name, hearing from one of your consumers about how she teared up in her grocery store because her son could eat bread for the first time, your latest market share report or revenue milestone — whatever it is, remember that you made it happen. Celebrate!”

If you want to build a powerful business, follow the example of Katlin Smith: combine passion and integrity with dedication and strategy. That’s the basic recipe for what everyone else calls ‘luck.’

The post Capitalizing on Clean Food: Katlin Smith Saw A Need And Took A Leap appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

But celebrating milestones — no matter how big or small — is important, especially in business. It’s what builds excitement and culture in a company; it’s a chance to transform the way you’re doing things. It’s a checkpoint — a place we stop and assess how far we’ve come, what we’re proud of, and what we’re not so proud of. And the things we need to work on? In business, we work on improving them. Imagine if we applied this same philosophy to all areas of our life!

September 2018 marks an important date for HER Magazine. We were founded in this very month in 2014 and have gone through a lot together. A rebirth (rebrand) and an expansion of the team. We (or I) began as one person — now we have an incredible team of women and men from contributors, writers, photographers, videographers, editors, our Editorial Manager and Brand Marketing Manager, and web experts helping us excel in our mission to Unmake Tradition. This kind of growth is hard. It involves MONEY. And have you noticed how one of the things we shy away from talking about in business — and quite frankly, throughout our lives — is money?

How to make and grow it. We don’t like talking about it because the cold hard truth is most of us are not making or growing it.

It takes feeling comfortable about having a relationship with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Hamilton, Andrew Jackson…and Benjamin Franklin. (Whoa — that’s a lot of men!). We’re talking about paper bills, here — and our emotional attachment, or how we feel about money, can dictate every decision we make in business.

That’s why we are dedicating our anniversary issue to money — how to make it and how to grow it. Because talking about money is hard — but for YOU to be successful, it’s got to happen. We’re thrilled that we found just the right cover woman to help us understand what it takes to build an empire: Elena Cardone is a wife, business mogul, and self-described kick a$$ mom (we agree). One thing she knows really well is MONEY (the Cardones are reportedly worth half a billion dollars. Yep — billion. With a ‘b’.).

They are the epitome of what many of us daydream about as entrepreneurs: a high-rise penthouse home with an oceanfront view, a butler who greets you at the door with bottled water and Perrier, a dedicated housekeeper, a closet full of Chanel and Valentino, fancy cars and wait for it …a PRIVATE JET.

And they worked for every cent of that wealth. Now THAT is someone we can take advice from when it comes to money! Whether or not that’s your ideal, we can all learn from the strategies Elena’s used. She and Grant are unconventional and in today’s world.

That’s why this issue has some classic conventional tips — like how to start investing now — mixed in with a lot of unconventional advice — like how to monetize your Instagram! Because the truth is: you need both to grow your money in business today.

If there’s anything we don’t like, it’s stories about people who paint a pretty picture of their business journey with no depth, or offer unrealistic tips on how to get rich quick — or, better yet, are making money on teaching you how to make money, when they’ve never really made any money themselves! The Cardones tell it how it is, and paint a very direct picture about what it takes to GET RICH — realistically.

Grow your business. Grow your empire. Gain wealth. Ambition isn’t a dirty word, ladies, so let’s start talking about this!

We hope you enjoy our interview with Elena (don’t forget to check out our video series with her on our YouTube Channel — they can also be found on our website and Instagram). A special thanks to the Cardones for inviting us into their home in Miami and their place of business. I point this out because there’s the noition in mainstream society that rich people aren’t nice — and that couldn’t be further from the truth. At least, that’s been my experience — and in the case of the Cardones, exponentially so.

The post Growing a Business Takes Something No One Likes to Talk About: Money appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

In The G&E Show, the power couple tells us how it is when it comes to the “business of marriage.”

“We’re not perfect, but we’re figuring it out. We have a very good thing, and we’ve been very successful. If I can fast-track somebody else’s success or help another couple get on the same page, then it’s worth it,” says Elena. “I want other people to experience victories — real victories.”

For her, balancing love and business comes easy when you are part of a dependable team. After more than a decade of being married, Elena and Grant have learned to validate each other and review their goals together; they always want to make sure they’re in alignment. According to them, success in this arena is about showing up for your partner.

“It’s holding myself to a higher standard, actively assuming a more responsible role, and holding myself accountable — not just in my marriage, but for others,” she says. “It means showing up 100% in my marriage.”

Early on in their relationship, Elena was responsible for pushing her husband to become a billionaire. She maintained that it was an attainable target and a goal she pushed him to achieve. “Everything should be about chasing down the money. Where’s it coming from? Go get it. Don’t waste any time. Bank it once you have enough of it. Put it into a real estate investment, because it’s a real hard asset that’s not like a 401k,” she says.

As you can tell, Elena Cardone is chock-full of advice on everything you need to know to up-level your business and your life. Don’t believe me? Read on for her key insights.

Just be ready to take notes, because you’re going to want to remember this.

1. ELENA CARDONE ON HOW TO BUILD AN EMPIRE

Cardone is also a businesswoman in her own right. Born in Madrid, Spain and raised in New Orleans, she started modeling when she moved to Los Angeles at 17.  She appeared in numerous high fashion print editorials and national commercials. The former actress also starred on the NBC series USA High, and appeared on guest starring roles on C.S.I., George Lopez, N.C.I.S., LAS VEGAS and Two and a Half Men. Now, Elena plans to add another title to her resume: Author.

She is currently working on the release of her new book, Build an Empire – How to Have It All, where she plans to inspire and equip others find the path of success in their careers and their relationships. “I’ll just tell you exactly what you need, just as if you started at ground zero,” she says. “You need a purpose.”

In the book, she plans to discuss what you need to know, and who you need to become — but the focus won’t be on money or marketing.

“You’re either building an empire, or you’re destroying one. If you are trying to build an empire, every single decision you make and every action you take should be from that viewpoint,” she explains. Using this strategy, “you will start to eliminate wasteful, even harmful, actions — and increase positive, beneficial moves that actually will advance you down the playing field.”

She adds another essentially Cardone tip: Don’t try to build your empire alone. Surround yourself with a team of like-minded people who will support your success. Find your tribe, and never stop learning.

“When you rise to the top, you need to take certain responsibilities and sacrifices and wear your hat as that role,” she says. “Knowing your roles is also very valuable in the empire.”

To achieve success, Cardone believes you have to stay close to the people who have your best interests at heart, and distance yourself from those who don’t. Stay away from anyone trying to hold you down.

“You MUST eliminate the people in your life who are liabilities. Liabilities are people who are determined to keep you the same. They don’t want to see you change or better yourself, so they will let you off the hook, give you sympathy (different from compassion), or worse, try to convince you to party instead of focusing on work.”

Download our Fall 2019 issue for FREE, featuring Elena Cardone

2. ON WORKING AS A TEAM

The G&E Show, available on iTunes at the Cardone Zone, gives the Florida-based couple a chance to collaborate and spend time working on a project they are both passionate about.

“In our relationship, we don’t bring 50/50. I bring 100; he brings 100, and we freaking rock it. We’re 200%,” says Elena. Topics range from “Be the Solution, Not the Problem,” to “Surviving the Slump,” and are chosen to spark conversations among their listeners.

“We’re always looking for new challenges and new friends. She’s always pushing me to do more, to be more, and I do the same for her,” Grant, named one of Forbes’ 25 Marketing Influencers to Watch in 2017, tells HER Magazine. “She’s grown in her ability to communicate effectively, and she’s grown in her financial awareness!”

By working to solve problems together, the couple knows they won’t take each other for granted.  The Cardones work together to reach their goals — a trait both her and Grant believe is essential in making every relationship succeed.

“We know what our purpose is as individuals and as a team — always,” she says. “When you fight wars and battle side by side, no matter the outcome, it builds not only the love but the trust in each other as partners.”

There is never a moment when they don’t support each other, which they credit as key to making their relationship work. A good tip: Before you can get on the same page as your partner, you need to figure out what you want to accomplish first — today, tomorrow, and every day.  Write down goals and understand the importance of why you are doing it.

“As a mother, she runs our house great. As a wife, I couldn’t ask for a better spouse. She lets me be me and doesn’t step on my toes when it comes to letting me run my five businesses. She runs the house, I run the companies — and it works! We aren’t doing a marriage or a job, we’re just doing our lives,” says Grant.

“I am genuinely his biggest fan, so I do whatever it takes to get him and our brand known,” she says. “I love when I see an idea that we thought of manifest in the real world and turn out to be a successful venture. It makes all the blood, sweat and tears moments worth it. It makes us more fortified as a couple when we celebrate real accomplishments and have victories.”

Although she has a great system with her husband, she holds value in finding time for personal development. “You’ve got to do your own thing,” she says. “Learn something new that challenges you.”

3. ON LIFE (& MONEY) LESSONS LEARNED

Cardone explains that focusing on being ethical, and surrounding herself with moral people, has been a key part of her growth.

“Work on bettering yourself,” she says. “Become an asset to yourself and others. All your spare time should go into self- improvement or training that will help you be more knowledgeable and prepared in your business and life.”

Her husband emphasizes that this woman is about integrity. “Ethical people — like Elena — achieve the results they desire and create success for themselves and their family,” he says. “She does what she has told others she would do.”

It’s a lesson that Cardone learned the hard way. Everything is always evident in hindsight, and she believes partying in her past was a major setback to her real potential.

Drugs and excessive drinking “had horrible side effects of depression, insecurities, self-doubt, lack of motivation and such an overall sense of self-invalidation,” she says, “that caused further bad decisions and prevented me from actually pouncing on a good opportunity when it was in front of my face. I never confronted that these effects were real, and even justified using drugs as a means to enhance my ‘creativity,’ when truthfully it did the opposite.”

A lot of lessons and tools she credits as invaluable to her success came later in her career, delayed because of her party lifestyle. Basic things she regards as essential now took a while to become a part of her strategy. For example, she wishes she would have known earlier how important it is to multiply your money; i.e., find a way to have your money working and earning income. She also used to believe that buying a home was a good investment, a common idea she now discredits heartily.

“That is a lie and a rare exception. Homes are liabilities that don’t pay you every month. In fact, they are pigs that need constant money thrown at them to maintain and keep up. I wish I would have known to invest in multi-family real estate assets, where you get paid every month from tenants,” she explains.

“Being a woman in power is not as easy as it might seem,” says Alla Mazurenko, one of Elena’s closest friends. Alla was a fan of Grant, and a friendship flourished after she became inspired by Elena’s determination.

“Elena gives the first impression of being unstoppable, that she will break all the barriers toward her goal — but behind that army-strong determination lies a wise weighing of priorities. Every person has her vision and wants to fulfill her potential. Elena has taught me to wisely evaluate the benefit of any action.”

4. ON THE DAILY HUSTLE

To manage all her roles as a mother, wife, host, and author, Elena doesn’t have time to make excuses for not getting things done.

“Cut out all the loaf time that doesn’t contribute to the forward motion,” she says. “As your empire grows and you become busier and busier, you will eventually have to hire people. This is a good thing. You will need people to do the things that you don’t HAVE to do. I utilize the valued people of my empire to get things done while I spend time with family — but this develops as you expand.”

In an average day for Elena Cardone, she’ll take her children to school, work out with a trainer, and then have another training session with a martial arts instructor. In the afternoons, she works on her book and brainstorms topics for the podcast, before picking up her kids from school, helping them with homework and making dinner.

“I usually read a bedtime story, and then I’m back with Grant catching up on social media, watching a movie, or plotting futures,” she explains of her routine.

5. ON FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE

Elena is in the final stages of writing her book, which will be available for sale at grantcardone.com — and she promises to include the necessary items for creating an empire-building toolbox. She’s also heading on a global world tour to expand her brand, all while striving to be an incredible mother who uplifts and inspires her two young daughters on their path to adulthood. “I am excited about our real estate portfolio and the opportunity we are providing for others to be a partner with us on that,” she says.

Although she maintains a lot on her plate, she always has something to look forward to. Her strategy is to focus on the future, and keep her attention on one simple thing: that which can you win together, with your partner — and with yourself.

“Learn how to be your own best friend,” she says. “Push yourself, be honest, forgive yourself and encourage yourself to gut up and do what’s right!”

Photos by Lyman Winn

The post Elena Cardone Wants YOU to Build an Empire appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

Last month, the Oprah Winfrey Network announced a new, unscripted series staring Dellinger, “Mind Your Business with Mahisha,” in which Dellinger will help female entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level.

“I was inspired to become an entrepreneur as a result of my experience in corporate America,” Dellinger tells HER Magazine.  “My manager was trying to get rid of me and I was a single mother; this man had my financial destiny in his hands, and it was extremely stressful.” While Dellinger was initially discouraged, she credits this event as the catalyst for change. It wasn’t the first time that she needed to take a negative situation and produce a positive outcome.

Dellinger grew up in the mean streets of Sacramento, CA, surrounded by poverty, drugs, and crime, where she says gunshots and police helicopters were familiar sounds. However, Dellinger resisted the pull of the streets. Her mother worked often, and at the young age of seven, Dellinger was already preparing herself for school, making her own meals, and exercising the discipline required to complete her homework with no prompting. “I think that going through tough times strengthened my resiliency,” Dellinger says.

That drive pushed her to complete her education and land her first job at a major corporation.

In 2002, Dellinger decided to stop using harmful chemicals on her hair and opted for a natural hair style. However, she found that maintenance was a problem, since most of the natural hair care products were oily, or contained unpronounceable ingredients. And, since she was looking for a business idea that would allow her to leave corporate America, Dellinger thought about the potential of starting a natural hair care line.

Thankfully, Dellinger avoided some of the mistakes that many new entrepreneurs make. She prepared extensively before launching her business, and took $25,000 from her savings to hire a cosmetic chemist. Dellinger worked with the chemist to create hair care formulas that did not contain sulfate, parabens, silicones, and other ingredients that could damage chemical-free hair.

Another key to Dellinger’s success was knowing when to spend money and when to cut corners to save on expenses. She set up her own e-commerce site and initially sold products out of her garage. “I’m a big believer in living below your means — I wasn’t always like that, but I’ve learned to adopt this philosophy over the course of my adult life,” she says. “I didn’t go out and get an office right away, because you should get your bearings before you incur additional expenses.”

She admits that there are some costs that can’t be removed, like imaging and branding. “However, cut corners when you can,” she says. “I saved on overhead and put everything into the packaging and image of the brand, because this is how you come across to your customers.”

These days, there’s no shortage of other natural hair care products on the market — so how did CURLS makes its way to the top of the pack?

By staying focused on the product.

“There’s a lot going on in this space — lots of competition, more than ever before,” Dellinger says. “But our focus is on the product, making sure that it is wholesome and performs well, and also making sure that consumers know the benefits of the brand, the performance of the products, and our great ingredient story.”

CURLS products — for women, children, and babies — are currently sold in every major retail outlet, including Target, CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and Sally’s Beauty Supply. “We have new products coming out all of the time,” Dellinger says. “Target is launching our Cashmere and Caviar Collection, and we’re going into the snack industry with Vitapoint popcorn.” Dellinger explains the new snack is infused with over 15 essential vitamins, 10 grams of protein, and available in 5 flavors.

For other women considering entrepreneurship, she stresses the importance of preparation. “Always do your due diligence and research before investing time and money,” Dellinger says. “Have someone help you through the process. For example, SCORE.org will connect you with a mentor in your industry for free,” she explains, and adds that’s where she started.

However, this is a task that might prove difficult for Dellinger herself, considering the impressive level of savvy she brings to every project and business she begins. Even with a new product, a network television show, and a growing business empire, Dellinger has no plans of slowing down any time soon — and we can’t wait to see what she builds next.

Watch the premiere of “Mind Your Business With Mahisha” on Saturday, August 11 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

The post Mahisha Dellinger, CEO of CURLS: From the Projects to the Penthouse appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

“I have never been this fulfilled,” says Sugianto, founder of Dream Chatter.

The former television reporter turned business owner describes Dream Chatter as a hand up, not a hand out. The project provides employment for female artisans living on the small Indonesian island of Sumba. Using a loom made out of sticks and pieces of wood, the women weave unique fabric designs. It takes about a week to complete the fabric, which is then sent to small businesses to be turned into various products, like handbags and clothing.

“Everyone has a different design, different technique, different mindset of what they want their fabric to look like,” she says.

Sugianto, who lives in Northern California, is working with 20 female Indonesian artists from Sumba as she prepares for Dream Chatter’s official launch at the end of this month. Normally, the women have to purchase the material to make the fabric, then travel to markets to sell their products. With Dream Chatter, Sugianto makes the process easier and more affordable. “I’m paying them better [and] giving them supplies, so they don’t have to pay for the threads,” she explains.

Sugianto’s motivation is to help end poverty in her home country. She spent her childhood in Indonesia before moving to the United States, and her first visit to Sumba was last summer. That’s when she saw not only the beauty of the island, but also the lack of basic necessities. She tells me: “They really don’t have anything. The kids have to come home and drop out of school because they need to fetch water or farm. It’s survival mode.”

Dream Chatter’s website says the women are “guaranteed a fair trade [and] guaranteed an income—something they cannot get on their own.” Sugianto pays the female artisans 50 percent upfront; once their designs are completed, she pays the remainder. She also pays the small businesses she works with.

“I believe that handouts can create some dependency,” she says. “I want to give [the women] the tools so they can empower their children.”

This employment gives these women a livelihood — and the power to feed their children. In a video posted on Dream Chatter’s website, one of the women explains the money she makes through the project is “for everyday living so I can buy rice for the children and I can buy soap for the children.”

The final products made in Indonesia will be sold through the website. Sugianto plans to use the profits from the sold products to reinvest in the business and ultimately hire more women. Five percent of the profits also go back to nonprofits focused on children’s education.

As the launch quickly approaches, Sugianto admits she’s “anxious and nervous,” but believes in her project — and for good reason. They’ve already sold out of their prototypes! Still, “it’s not necessarily about the money at all,” she tells HER Magazine. “Could [Dream Chatter] be a seed to their children’s future? It’s their livelihood that weighs on my shoulders.”

Sugianto often makes her business calls in the middle of the night due to the time difference. For her, this is not only a passion project, but an adventure in starting a new business. “I’ve got all this stuff. I have a lot of things running through my head. What’s the most important thing to do this week?” she asks aloud, always looking forward and processing how she can make Dream Chatter successful.

Despite sleepless nights (Dream Chatter gets its name from the fact that she talks in her sleep), Sugianto is in this for the long haul. Her family, friends, and fiancé have provided her with the emotional and financial support to make this project happen, and knowing she’s helping provide jobs for other women means everything to her.

“Someone else needs me,” she says. “I’m not going to make a huge impact right away, but if it helps one family, it’s totally worth it.”

The post How One Woman Is Building Dreams With Jobs In Indonesia appeared first on HER Magazine ™.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you probably won’t be expecting it. You might be at the doctor’s office, happily holding your partner’s hand, when the technician tells you they can’t find a heartbeat. And now you’ll have to take a pill to make sure your body does the rest.

Or maybe, if the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you might not even have a doctor yet, because it’s too early now for anything but wonder. And then you might wake up to the creeping, quiet stillness of blood on your bedsheets.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you might have been planning on telling your mother that very day, and you might wonder frantically what you should say, whether you should wait, and whether you should explain.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you might be walking with your family and ask to take a break, to sit on that stump over there, because — no, it’s nothing — it’s not a big deal — it’s just these cramps — I just need a quick rest…no, it doesn’t hurt too much…

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you will probably scour the internet for some other answer — any other answer — that explains it. You might be assured by your sister that she had her period twice when she was pregnant, and now her happy five-month-old daughter bounces on her knee. It’s alright; it happens. And it does, so you will tell yourself not to think about it too much.

You will learn that implantation bleeding at four weeks is totally normal, and how many weeks along were you, anyway? How much blood was there, do you think? Was there a lot of pain? Did you have to use a tampon? How many tampons? Was it normal, or lumpy, or clear?

You might not really want to answer those questions.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you might not want to go to the doctor, because at this point there’s nothing they can do anyway — right? But your dad might plead with you to go, just to get a test, just to make sure everything’s okay. Isn’t it better to know for sure? he’ll ask. And you’ll say yes, but silently you won’t agree. Maybe, you’ll think, it would be better to pretend for a little while longer. Because you might already know the answer. You might already feel your body changing, going back to what it was before. Things that were sore are no longer sore. Things that were strange and new and wonderful are back to familiar and old and plain. There might be a tiny whisper in the back of your mind that notices all this. It’s happened, she says, it’s happened and there’s nothing you can do.

And when the doctor calls you back to tell you the test was negative, you’ll feel a compulsion to assure them that you took five tests last month, and they were all positive, you swear, all of them, they were — because you’ll worry they might think you’re crazy. You’ll wonder if you just — imagined it all in the first place?

But you did have someone with you, someone only you could know, someone who is now gone — and you never even got to learn their name. You knew them more intimately than anyone else in the whole wide world could know them, and now you’re wondering where they went, and whether they will miss you.

Then again, if the thing that no one talks about happens to you, you might feel none of that. If you are lucky, a good friend will tell you: Anything you feel right now is okay. You are not obligated to feel sad. You are still a good mother if you feel a breath of relief sneak waspishly into your heart. You are still a good mother if you feel numb, and confused, and don’t know whether to laugh or shrug or sob with grief. And when you grieve, that is okay, too — even if you feel strange crying for someone you ‘never met.’

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, it is okay if you don’t feel sad at all — it is okay if you don’t consider yourself a mother yet — it is okay if you weep alone for days. That whole spectrum, I want you to know, is perfectly alright. Anything you feel right now is okay. It is okay to feel it all, and it is okay to feel numb.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, some people will smile and say, “It just wasn’t the right time,” as though that makes it easier. They don’t realize they sound cruel; they are confused, and words fall out of our mouths when we’re confused. Some people won’t know what to say at all, because they won’t know how you feel. Some people will share their own stories, and you will feel connected to them and that will feel beautiful. Some people who never knew might pester you about kids; try not to smack them with a frying pan. Some friends with newborns or pregnant bellies might not know what to say to you, might ask you if you mind if they talk about their lives, and you must be honest when you answer.

They don’t teach us how to talk about this, they don’t teach us how to mourn for this, they don’t even teach us how things are supposed to go now that everything is over. Should we give her a name? Should I bury something? Should we go to the doctor again? Will I be okay? Should I be worried if I get hives? Why the hell am I getting hives? (You probably won’t get hives.)

Tell a doctor. Tell a friend. It is good to ask for help, even if you don’t feel like you need it.

As time passes, you might find yourself wanting to do all the things that were so temporarily forbidden to you. You can’t get piercings while you’re pregnant, did you know that? But now you might hold a friend’s hand while the hoop goes in, and you might say, “This is for her.”

Or you might drink extra margaritas at night, and extra coffee in the morning — or perhaps the other way around. Maybe you’ll tell everybody, and maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll hold your partner, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll mourn for it, maybe you’ll celebrate it, maybe you’ll silently ponder the weight of it. But you will realize through it all that you are strong.

If the thing that no one talks about happens to you, perhaps you’ll sit down and write something about it, because more than anything, you might want the 1 in 4 women out there to know they’re not alone — and maybe we should talk about this more.

The post The Thing That No One Talks About appeared first on HER Magazine ™.