Calling All Entrepreneurs – Apply For A Selfmade Scholarship Today!

Brit + Co
Feb 14, 2023
women in business

Excited about a new business idea but not sure where to start? Or looking to take your existing business to the next level? Selfmade has led more than 3,500 women in their business journeys through on-demand courses, weekly workshops, 1:1 mentorship sessions, fireside chats with leading moguls, and localized meet-ups around the world. Now Selfmade’s founding sponsor, Office Depot OfficeMax, is funding 400 scholarships this year to a free Selfmade membership.

What Is Selfmade?

Led by Brit + Co’s founder, Brit Morin, Selfmade brings together women at every startup stage to help them succeed and reach their work + life goals. Past speakers and instructors included Sara Blakely (Founder, SPANX), Shiza Shahid (Founder, Our Place), Jennifer Hyman (Founder, Rent The Runway), Beatrice Dixon (Co-Founder, The Honey Pot), and many more.

Features and benefits of the Selfmade membership include:

  • On-demand instruction in all facets of how to launch, grow, and scale a company
  • 1:1 mentoring with leading industry experts
  • Weekly workshops led by seasoned business coaches
  • Q+A’s with A-list female founders, CEOs, and venture capitalists
  • Customizable templates for P&Ls, pitch decks, marketing assets, and more
  • Access to world-class experts in tech, finance, marketing, sales, and investing
  • A custom-built virtual community
  • Digital and IRL member-matching initiatives
  • Access to the world’s top female entrepreneurs and coaches

Office Depot OfficeMax provides 400 scholarships to Selfmade to focus on underserved female entrepreneurs, primarily women of color. These scholarships provide access to top-tier resources to help up-and-coming entrepreneurs tackle everything from choosing an idea to growing a business and more, year-round.

What Selfmade Alum Are Saying

Selfmade alum Kelly Williamson, founder of True Scoops make-at-home ice cream, participated in Selfmade to help her network, grow her business, and learn how to pitch to investors. In this video, she shares her journey from how it started to how it’s going.

When asked about the life-changing opportunity Selfmade and Office Depot provided, Kelly’s energy was contagious. "My advice to entrepreneurs thinking about joining Selfmade is to just go for it. Life is too short to not try what you really want to do. It’s the most rewarding experience running your own business, especially when it’s your passion,” she says.

Learn more about what our Selfmade alums are saying about this life-changing course at Selfmade Success Stories.

How to Apply

Selfmade scholarship registration is currently open for 2023. We will be accepting applicants from February 14 to March 14. For more information on Selfmade, visit TrySelfmade.com and to nominate yourself or someone you know for a scholarship, visit officedepot.com/scholarship.

Collaboration Hacks Every Small Business Owner Should Know

Verizon
verizon

In our Take 5 series, sponsored by Verizon, we ask women in business about unexpected challenges, their inspirations, recent wins, and how the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program has helped propel their business forward. Here, we meet Therise Edwards, founder/CEO of Teshley Solutions, an education consultancy firm that helps students and families navigate the complexities of the education system K through 12.

What is an unexpected business challenge that you faced and how did you overcome it?

I wouldn't call myself a FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) expert, but I ended up having to know a lot more about it than I ever anticipated. FAFSA is what administers Pell Grants, which is what a lot of colleges base their financial aid on. I knew about the application changes, and some were excellent, but they made a series of critical errors and a lot of parents were scrambling. It was not my intent to have this as my area of focus; it just became a necessity.

What's a recent small win for your business?

Recent small wins are my collaborations. I formed partnerships with one organization that focuses on students with special needs. I hosted a webinar with the executive director of that organization. I formed a partnership with members from an insurance company on planning and paying for college. That was my first corporate sponsorship. And I've got a series of events coming out because others actually reached out to me. One of them I met through another networking platform, but I got to that platform from one of the sessions that I did with Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program.

How did you start to collaborate with external partners?

Just changing my strategies and my approach, and just being more secure and more emphatic in making connections. It ends up being this continual cycle.

Is there a woman in business that you admire or that you look up to?

I have two. Leontyne Anglin, who runs a nonprofit called Beyond Expectations. She works with a small pool of students, but she just gives them enormous exposure and opportunity. She's brilliant with collaborating with individuals and businesses and really bringing the students what they need. And then the other on a bigger scale is Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary, who taught her Business Plan Bootcamp through the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. She is just a dynamo. She is just so supportive of women entrepreneurs. She's awesome.

How did the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program help propel your business forward?

All of the collaborations and partnerships with the exception of one all came from joining the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program. I’ve taken all of the free classes and the one on projections and pricing, something every entrepreneur struggles with, was very helpful. There have been so many of them. Sometimes you're completely ignorant in a category so you take the class and it's like, okay, that's good to have. But then sometimes you sign up for it and it's like, oh, yeah, I did know 90 percent of that, but this other 10 percent is going to be very, very helpful.

Learn more about the free Verizon Small Business Digital Ready Program and Teshley Solutions.

Illustration by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces


business advicebusiness coursebusiness programbusiness tipscareercollaborationsdigital ready programsmall businesssmall business tipsunexpected challengesverizon sponsorshipwomen in businesssponsoredentrepreneurship

8 "Outdated" Makeup Trends It's Time To Officially Retire In 2025

I knew beauty trends were officially headed in a different direction when latte makeup dominated social media last year. Everything about it gave the appearance of soft features, making this millennial appreciate the ‘no makeup’ look more and more. And while I'm working on staying up-to-date on all the latest makeup trends, it also reminded me there are outdated trends that unintentionally age people...and definitelyneedto go.

Wanna look younger and more on-trend, too? From super metallic eyeshadow to contour that dominates your face, here are the 8 outdate makeup trends to leave in the early ‘90s to mid-2000s.

The 8 outdated makeup trends you need to stop ASAP!

1. Full Coverage Foundation

KoolShooters

There was a time where wearing full-coverage foundation was all the rage. From drugstore to high-end brands, it seems like they were consistently shoved in consumers’ faces to help us achieve a ‘full beat’ without sitting in a makeup artist’s chair. Also, those of us with dark spots or hyperpigmentation may have relied on them when we were in the thick of our skincare woes.

But these days, wearing too much foundation isn’t as popular as natural and skincare makeup are prioritized. If anything, more people are interested in wearing light-to-medium coverage foundation, skin tints, or tinted moisturizers.

2. Too Much Concealer

George Milton

It wasn’t until I watched this video by makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes that I realized some of us have been too heavy-handed with our concealers. There’s no reason we should be slapping products under the thinnest parts of our face, but we didn’t know any better!

Now that you know you can still get the desired effect with a minimal amount of concealer, don’t revert back to painting your under eyes!

3. 'Baking' Your Setting Powder

Chidi Young

Before you throw away your setting powders, step away from your makeup drawer and have a sit-down chat with me. There isn’t anything wrong with applying them to your face to help ‘set’ your foundation and concealer. However, spending over 10 minutes ‘baking’ your powder (AKA letting it sit untouched) doesn’t work for everyone.

It can lead to creased makeup which can derail your look, plus it’s a pain to correct when you’re halfway through your routine!

4. Overlining Lips

Kaboompics.com

I love a good lip liner, especially if it mirrors my favorite ‘90s makeup look. But, there’s such a thing as overdoing it. The key to lining your lips is following the natural flow of them. Going out of your way to draw above and under your lips’ lines comes off as comical and exaggerated. If anything, use a lip plumping gloss to help your lips look fuller.

5. Overtweezing Your Eyebrows

Getty Images

I don’t even have the words for this outdated makeup look besides wanting to say “no” 20 times in a row. But, I’ll bite and say why this shouldn’t be on your 2025 beauty moodboard.

Some people naturally have thinner eyebrows which is A-okay! However, purposely tweezing your eyebrows to smithereens is cringey. If you truly want to wear this look, here’s what you can do instead of tweezing:

  • Create a faux bleached look by applying a skin tone colored setting powder all over your brows.
  • Once they’ve ‘disappeared,’ take an eyebrow pencil or eyeliner to draw a thin line over them.

I’m…wondering what the ramifications of telling you how to do this will be, but only use go for this look if it’s a part of a themed party…like Halloween.

6. Exaggerated Highlighter On Cheeks

Milad Farhani

The shimmery look is in since it’s winter, but please don’t make it look like you dipped your cheeks into a vat of glitter. You can lightly dust highlighter onto your cheeks for a more natural glow that flows with the rest of your look. Otherwise you’ll look like a walking disco ball which could be the opposite of what you were going for.

7. Heavy Contour Or Bronzer

Laura Garcia

I know the ‘sculpted’ look is popular, but too much contour or bronzer can overpower the rest of your makeup and face. While it’s not impossible to fix if you do it by mistake, using the wrong shade of contour or bronzer may still peep through no matter how much you try to buff it out.

When in doubt, be gentle with your contour or bronzer application!

8. Incredibly Matte Makeup

Nataliia Yatsiuk

Matte makeup that didn’t budge was the ‘It Girl’ look for oily and combination skin girls! We thought it was the answer to our skin’s incessant need to hydrate our faces instead of actually using skincare products that focused on combatting that issue (psst…Vitamin C serums help!).

But now’s the time to break up with this look for good for one reason: dewy skin looks healthier.

While we have you here, learn about the outdated shoe trends you shouldn't be wearing in 2025 either.

beautymakeup trendsbeauty trendsmakeup

Meet The Top 3 Founders In Our Selfmade Pitch Competition!

When you launch a business, you have to know how to sell it: to customers, to potential investors, and to the people you bring on board. In the Selfmade Fall 2024 Pitch competition, we challenged our female entrepreneurs to sell us their big idea and compete to win over $10K in prizes to build and grow their business. The judging panel was made up of a group of inspiring women in business, including Emily Merrell, founder of Second Degree Society and Ready Set Coach; Niki Shamdasani, CEO of Sani Lifestyle Brand; and Joanne Oparu Ayebo Eriaku, business transformation strategist and founder of SOAR AI School of Readiness.

Selfmade is a unique, hands-on business membership for female founders. Our coaches support our mission to help make the dreams of female founders a reality. "Our mission is to even out the odds and offer a clear route to success for business owners who've been marginalized," Emily said during the competition.

Pitch day was filled with uplifting, celebratory moments as all members cheered on the 10 finalists. Winners were judged on creativity, inspiration, authenticity, uniqueness, and evidence of impact. The finalists were phenomenal in their pitches, but the judging panel had to make the tough decision of picking three women who really stood out. Here are the winners of the Selfmade Fall 2024 pitch competition, plus our amazing finalists below!

Meet the Selfmade PItch Winners

Hyacinth Tucker

1st Place Winner

Hyacinth Tucker | The Laundry Basket

A US Army veteran and wife, Hyacinth owns and operates The Laundry Basket, a laundry subscription service that provides expert, laundry-on-demand and dry cleaning services in Maryland, DC, Northern Virginia, Northeast Ohio, and Toronto Canada. The company is committed to sustainability, offering zero-waste practices in partnership with non-profits like Impact Zero. They are also paving the way for minorities and veterans to build careers and businesses through their workforce development program. Hyacinthhas a masters of business administration and is a mom of two. When she’s not running the show, she loves traveling, reading, and playing games with her family.

Monica Casillas

2nd Place Winner

Monica Casillas | Amor Movement

Founder Monica Casillas recognized that many young Latinas faced the same challenges she did in high school, experiencing the weight of generational traumas and their impact on growth and potential. Driven by her own experiences and determination, she set out to create a transformative movement with love as its guiding force. The mission behind Amor Movement is to ignite the passion and leadership potential in young Latinas in high school. The nonprofit is dedicated to equipping these future leaders with essential life skills, professional development, and civic engagement opportunities, empowering them to break barriers and create the lives of their dreams.

Yolanda McCray

3rd Place Winner

Yolanda McCray | Skyler M Style & Wellness

Yolanda's passion for clothing, accessories, and custom products inspired the creation of Skyler M Style & Wellness, named after her Cocker Spaniel who passed away from cancer in 2019. Skyler M Style & Wellness is an online boutique and pop-up shop in South Carolina that offers clothing, accessories, and custom gifts. They are also launching gift and subscription boxes that empower women to embrace their unique style while prioritizing wellness. Their carefully curated products offer a blend of fashion and self-care, solving the common struggle women face in balancing both.

Selfmade

Meet Our Other Amazing Finalists!

Thinking about becoming a member of Selfmade? Founders can join Selfmade for just $39 per month and have a chance to pitch your business at our next pitch competition! Here's how our Selfmade community is breaking barriers and connecting you with like-minded founders:
  • On-demand courses
  • Live coaching
  • 1:1 mentorship with leading industry experts
  • Opportunities for pitching your business (such as this pitch comp!)
  • Digital events
  • AND of course, our community of 4,000+ women founders, just like you!

Learn more about the Selfmade Founder Fund and join us!

Be sure to sign up for our weekly email newsletter for more tips and news!

Header image via Meghan Lamle on Unsplash

female entrepreneursfemale foundersinspirational womensmall businessselfmadeselfmade pitch competitionwomen in businessstartupsbusiness courseentrepreneurship

12 Abercrombie & Fitch Party Dresses That Are Literally Perfect For NYE

As much as I love the wholesome parts of the holidays (like decorating Christmas cookies and opening gifts in the morning), one of my absolute favorite parts about the end of the year is ringing in a new one. 2025 is on its way, baby, and if you’re anything like me, you’re already scheming up a New Year's party plan. The key to a good time is definitely having a great outfit – and these 12 Abercrombie & Fitch party dresses are actually perfect for the occasion. I’m talkin’ sequins, mesh, and even leopard print.

Get ready to stand out this season in these drop-dead gorgeous Abercrombie & Fitch party dresses!

Abercrombie & Fitch

Strapless Drop-Waist Maxi Dress

Drop waists will always get me. Plus, they're so flattering! This flowy maxi can be conveniently worn with or without straps to suit your personal style.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Long-Sleeve Sheer Hem Mini Dress

The scooped neckline on this stunning mini dress is mirrored along the back, which dips a bit lower for a sultry vibe. Pair with some basic heels, and your 'fit is complete.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Collared Zip-Up Midi Dress

The ruching along the front of this zip-up dress is super flattering, drawing eyes to your waistline. The high leg slit feels flirtatious as ever, which could be just the vibe you're needing for your New Year's plans.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Satin Slip Maxi Dress

Slip dresses are simply timeless and so easy to style. Lean more '90s with this foxy leopard print. I'd def wear it with some black boots and a black faux fur jacket for the drama (and more importantly, the warmth).

Abercrombie & Fitch

Long-Sleeve Mesh Maxi Dress

This meshy maxi comes with a mini-length slip along the inside so you won't have to constantly worry about coverage. The material still shows your skin in all the right places!

Abercrombie & Fitch

Strapless Pleated Skort Dress

This preppy piece can easily be played up for a party – if anything, I think the tailored look gives the impression that you're super polished. Slip into this strapless skort dress (yep, there's built-ini shorts!), step into some cute kitten heels, throw on a shaggy coat, and you're set!

Abercrombie & Fitch

Long-Sleeve Off-The-Shoulder Satin Mini Dress

I could see this one working just as well for a Christmas dinner as it would for a rather lit New Year's get-together. The off-the-shoulder look is simply so sweet!

Abercrombie & Fitch

Straight Neck Sequin Midi Dress

Sequins. Need I say more?! You'll immediately stand out among the crazy New Year's crowds in this fancy, disco ball-esque frock.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Off-The-Shoulder Rhinestone Maxi Dress

If full-on sequins aren't quite your thing, you can still put on a bit of shimmer with this dress that's dotted in tiny rhinestones. It comes in this amazing nude color or black to best suit your style!

Abercrombie & Fitch

High-Neck Satin Sculpt Midi Dress

While the front of this sleek midi is more modest, the back features an open design that lets you show some more skin. It's definitely on the elegant side, so I'd advise wearing it to a fancy cocktail hour or more low-key NYE party this year.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Emerson Off-The-Shoulder Skort Dress

Polka dots always feel super energetic to me, so if you want to be the one to get the party started, this is the dress for you! Plus, it'll make for some super cute Instagram pics. The design includes some built-in shorts, so coverage won't be an issue throughout the night.

Abercrombie & Fitch

Satin Embellished Strapless Mini Dress

Oh, this one is perfect. The tiny rhinestone embellishments will certainly have heads tuning your way.

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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16 Gifts Under $15 That Will Still Impress Your Bougie Friends

Who says thoughtful gifts have to come with a hefty price tag? With a little creativity (and even more searching online), you can find some pretty neat gifts under $15 that are sure to impress. These budget-friendly finds pack a big personality into a small price.

Check out the 16 best gifts under $15:

These are our top favorite gifts under $15!

Anthropologie

Anthropologie Bistro Tile Monogram Mug

Nothing beats a personalized gift. Even if it's just their initial on a stylish mug like this one, they're gonna love it. Morning coffees will never be the same!

Anthropologie

Daily Practice Athletic Icon Socks

These socks will allow your giftee to truly start their day off with a smile. They're perfect for workouts, walks, or even just lazy days spent at home.

Flewd

Flewd Ache-Erasing Bath Soak

This bath soak is specially designed to work out and relieve tight knots in muscles and achy joints – the perfect gift under $15 for your pals who are always nagging about their back pain.

Amazon

Compendium ThoughtFulls Pop-Open Cards

This deck of thoughtful pop-open cards delivers 30 different inspiring messages that are sure to brighten anyone's day.

Amazon

Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate Bar Variety Pack

This sustainably-made chocolate that comes in cheery rainbow packaging is an instant boost (sugar rush included) for anyone's holiday season. You could even divide up this 6-pack among different family members and friends for a tasty stocking stuffer.

Anthropologie

Capri Blue Mini Volcano Hand Cream

This stuff smells like heaven. Now, with this travel-size tube, they can take Capri Blue's iconic Volcano scent anywhere.

Urban Outfitters

Craighill Wilson Brass Keyring

For the always put-together and design forward, this brass keyring pushes the boundaries of what you thought you knew about carabiners.

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Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

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