Start Or Grow Your Business In 10 Weeks — Here’s How

Alison Ives
May 27, 2021
Selfmade Business Course Grant

Pssst. Did you hear? Brit + Co's 10-week business program for women, Selfmade, is back for the summer! And that also means our scholarship program is back in action thanks to our amazing partner, Office Depot. Keep reading for more about the life-changing program and how to join the thriving, entrepreneurial community that's helped mentor over 5,700 women to date.

What's Selfmade?

Designed to help you create a new business or grow your existing one, this course is personally led by Brit + Co founder Brit Morin, and supported by more than a dozen of the top female entrepreneurs, creatives, and investors in the country. Students receive personalized coaching on everything from how to get out of your comfort zone to how to scale your business, and everything in between. And now, thanks to our founding sponsor Office Depot, even more of you can join the course!

When is the program?

The summer session of Selfmade kicks off Monday, June 28 and runs for 10 weeks through Friday, September 3, 2021.

How much does it cost to enroll?

The enrollment price is $2,000, but for the summer session, we're thrilled to team up with Office Depot to grant 200 FREE scholarship seats to the course. Scholarships are open to US residents, focusing on women of color, women from underserved and underrepresented communities, and women in need of support to help them trail-blaze. After all, we firmly believe that your support system is a huge part of how you achieve greatness, and we are here to cheer all of you on.

To nominate yourself or someone you know for a scholarship, head to our application form right here. The deadline for scholarship applications is June 8 — it's time to take the leap!

Once scholarship recipients are chosen in June, prospective students will have 48 hours to accept their seats, so keep an eye on your inbox starting June 8! For those who don't receive a full-ride scholarship, you'll be eligible to receive a special discount and perks just for applying!

So what are you waiting for? Take a chance on yourself and get yourself one step closer to truly being selfmade. Learn more about the Selfmade program, apply for a scholarship and prepare to be inspired :)

Discover what valuable lessons these small business owners and entrepreneurs took away from the spring session of the Selfmade 10-week course at Selfmade Success Stories.

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


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Hold Up, Did Rebecca Yarros' First 'Onxy Storm' Excerpt Just Tease Violet Sorrengail's True Identity?

Fans of Fourth Wing are on pins and needles because Rebecca Yarros just announced she's finished writing the third book in the Empyrean series! It's us, we're fans — along with over half of BookTok.

We can't believe we're getting closer to reading more about Violet Sorrengail's journey, but we know you have a ton of burning questions about the release date for Book No. 3.

We may not have all the answers, but we've done a little digging to share as much as we can because who doesn't want to know what Rebecca Yarros has been up to?

I'm new to the Empyrean series. Are "Fourth Wing" and "Iron Flame" really worth reading?

Amazon

I'm not going to lie to you. The editorial team, including myself, are extremely biased about Fourth Wingand Iron Flame. From my perspective, I think these are great books for anyone who had the pleasure of growing up during the great Harry Potter era and moved on to watchingGame of Thrones and House of Dragons.

Did she announce the name of book no. 3?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

YES! Book No. 3 is titled Oynx Storm.

Knowing what we do about the manifestation of Violet's powers, I think this could hint she's going to play an even larger role in the series. According to a fan theory shared on TikTok(via Empyrean Riders), it's believed that Violet and Xaden Riorson are actually gods. Stay with me here.

Empyrean Riders noted that Violet's last name means heavenly and that she's able to control time thanks to her connection to the young dragon Andarna (I love her so much!). That sounds pretty god-like to me.

And when asked which two Taylor Swift songs describe Onyx Storm, Rebecca Yarros chose "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" from The Tortured Poets Department and "So It Goes..." from Reputation. "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" is one of Taylor's most powerful songs and definitely translates the idea that Violet's powers are going to be stronger than ever, while "So It Goes..." is equal parts suspense and seduction, and is TOTALLY about "all the pieces fall right into place" to get together with the right person.

There's so much more to unpack so I suggest grabbing a yummy snack while you fall down the rabbit hole. All I'm sure of is that Onyx Storm is going to leave our emotions in shambles just like Fourth Wing and Iron Flame did.

When did Rebecca Yarros announce she's done writing book no. 3 in the series?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

On June 17, Rebecca Yarros shared this image of her laptop to indicate she'd finished the third book in the Empyrean series.

She wrote, "(Pic from one of the very many locations in which this book was written)," towards the end of the caption before adding a few relevant hashtags to it.

When will Onxy Storm be available for purchase?

Rebecca Yarros/Instagram

Rebecca Yarros exclusively told Good Morning America that fans can expect the book to hit shelves January 21, 2025! That gives us a little over six months to prepare our emotions for what's sure to be a storm of a book.

She said, "There will be politics, new adventures, old enemies and of course, dragons." There's no way she could forget the dragons because I'd willingly riot over them. They deserve to have their stories told forever.

As luck would have it, Cosmopolitan received an exciting first look at what's to come in Onyx Storm. The excerpt begins with Violet realizing the Venin have found their way into Basgiath War College and are wreaking havoc. Alongside Rhiannon, Sawyer, and Ridoc, she races to stop the Venin from releasing Jack Barlowe from his prison cell.

However, Violet's shocked when she discovered one of the "dark wielders" has a long silver braid that closely resembles her own. Before she can fully react, the woman disappears. According to Screen Rant, there are possible theories about why Violet saw her and what this means for her growing power.

Towards the end of the excerpt, Violet discovers the Venin want to capture her too. Also, Xaden makes his long-awaited appearance and it's clear their playful banter in the face of danger hasn't changed. That he hasn't fully changed into the Venin Violet's used to seeing.

I officially can't wait to read the rest of the book in January!

Has Rebecca Yarros revealed the cover for Onyx Storm?

Today/Bree Archer, Elizabeth Turner Stokes for Entangled Publishing

Onyx Storm

Yes!

TODAY received an exclusive look at the cover for Onyx Storm and it doesn't disappoint! Unlike its predecessors, it appears Rebecca Yarros is hinting that darker events will take place.

Fans of the Empyrean series aren't the only ones who are excited to see what fate has in store for our favorite characters though. In a statement to TODAY, Rebecca revealed how elated she is to be working on the series again. "It's amazing to be back with these characters again. She also said, ""I can't wait for readers to see what Violet, Xaden, and the rest of the quadrant have in store for them in Onyx Storm!"

Are you excited for the release of Onyx Storm? Follow us on Facebook for more entertainment news!

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

This post has been updated.

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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

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WHICH Movie Had Kate Winslet "Sh—ing" Herself?!

Kate Winslet is THE Hollywood actress to me. Not only has she starred in box office smashes like Titanic and Avatar: Way of Water, but she's proven her acting chops in breakout indie flicks and provided mothers and daughters everywhere with eternal Christmas movie nights thanks to The Holiday. But the actress' consistently viral kindness, her dedication to embracing her natural beauty, and her sophistication don't mean she always feels confident. Kate Winslet just spilled on the one movie from her career that had her "sh—ing" herself, and I just had to dive in.

Here's what Kate Winslet had to say about her scariest movie experience ever.

  • Kate Winslet made a name for herself with Titanic, Sense & Sensibility, and The Holiday.
  • However those movies aren't the film she wants fans to ask about!
  • The actress spills on the movies she's proud of, and the one job that had her "sh—ing myself."

Talking to Vanity Fair for her newest film Lee, Kate Winslet revealed one project she wishes fans asked about more is Iris. The 2001 film stars Kate as a young Iris Murdoch against Judi Dench's older counterpart. And for Kate, nothing was more terrifying than working with such a wonderful actress.

"People don’t really ask me about Iris. It’s such a delicate film," she says. "It was the first thing I had done after having my daughter. Going to work with a baby, I’m playing Iris Murdoch, looking to Judi Dench’s older Iris Murdoch — I was sh—ting myself."

Considering how nervous I get when I meet my heroes, I can only imagine what it was like to meet Dame Judi Dench. Talk about a dream! Another film Kate loves is Revolutionary Road, and not just because she got to reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio.

"The thing that people say is, 'You got to work with Leo again.' Then they go off on the whole Leo tangent, which I totally understand," she says of the film, which follows an ambitious couple who find themselves trapped in the reality of 1950s suburbia. "But Revolutionary Road — f—king hell, it just knocked us all sideways. Unbelievably difficult material. I was very proud of that film and what Leo and I were able to create as Frank and April. It was so brutal."

The process for getting Lee into the world sounds equally brutal, considering Kate started working on it over a decade ago. As producer, Kate tells Vanity Fair she doesn't mind the fact she's done more for the film than if she only had an acting credit. "That has felt very necessary for this film. But it’s also just really important to me," she says. "It’s important to me that people know that it’s out there and might feel compelled to go and see it."

Because it turns out, commercial success or stardom on its own doesn't actually help your movie get made! "It doesn’t matter who you are," she says. "No one’s going to go, 'Oh, I’ll just back that pony because she was in Titanic.' It doesn’t happen that way, and I never expected that. That’s really important to say."

"I've gotten older and I’ve learned more and felt more confident in myself about whether or not I could actually do it," she adds. "It’s not something I would’ve done had I not felt so passionately about the subject, and Lee was just—she wouldn’t let me go."

Let us know your favorite Kate Winslet movies in the comments, and since we've officially entered cozy season, check out Why The Holiday Movie Ending Is The Most Important Scene while you're at it!

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Here's A New Look At Florence Pugh's Return As Yelena Belova

Marvel movies are known for their heroes and their hopeful outlook on the world. But in 2025, we're getting a brand new team: the Thunderbolts. This team is made up of antiheroes and former villains, and it's sure to be the wackiest and strangest, as well as one of the most memorable, superhero movies we've seen in recent years.

Keep reading for the latest news on Thunderbolts* before it hits theaters in 2025.

Marvel Studios/YouTube

Thunderbolts* comes out this May, and the cast just showed off some brand new footage at the D23 convention — and thanks to the new 'Celebrating 85 Years' spot, we have the first look too!

We get a look at Bucky Barnes, The Red Guardian, John Walker, and Ghost. Plus, Yelena Belova, of course. This heartbreaking detail about Yelena's new look connects Florence Pugh's Yelena to Scarlett Johansson's Natashaand I'm WEEPING.

Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios

And at D23 Brazil, we got a brand new look at my new favorite team. "There’s something in this film, in terms of superpowers and superheroes, that shows that our superpowers lie in how ‘broken’ we are," David Harbour said at the event. "As if our superpowers came from our relationships.”

What is the plot of Thunderbolts?

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

Thunderbolts* Plot

Consider Thunderbolts* to be The Avengers' edgy younger sibling. The movie follows Yelena Belova (who we know off the bat is a "depressed assassin" thanks to a Marvel Studios press release). She's joined by Bucky Barnes, The Red Guardian, and John Walker. Based on a leak, it looks like we'll see this group of misfits team up against Valentina Allegra de Fontaine after she sends them on a deadly mission.

Thunderbolts* Release Date

Jesse Grant/Disney

Thunderbolts* Release Date

Thunderbolts* hits theaters May 2, 2025.

Who's on the Thunderbolts team?

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

Thunderbolts* Cast

Thunderbolts* stars Florence Pugh, Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, and David Harbour.

This is a huge cast, and Viswanathan just revealed how crazy the first day of filming was. “My first day didn’t feel real," she tells Vanity Fair. "I felt this extra pressure of, ‘Know your lines, babe. You can’t really play around like you usually do.’"

Historically, sci-fi fans haven't been kind to actresses in their favorite projects (remember when Star Wars fans bullied Kelly Marie Tran off social media?). But Viswanathan is already thinking ahead. “If it’s overwhelming, I’ll log off. But I like discourse around pop culture,” she says. “[Thunderbolts*] felt a little bit edgier and fresher, more existential and dark.”

Jesse Grant/Disney

The rest of the cast also enjoyed working together. “Everyone is going to f—kin’ love me! It’s really, really, really fun to be with a group of actors that you have a good time with," Wyatt Russell says at Comic Con (via Variety), while David Harbour adds, “Florence Pugh [is] just electric to work with. There’s warmth and humor, but there’s also a lot of pathos.”

“This is why we can't stop laughing together, because we genuinely just had such a wonderful time with each other and we've loved working with one another," Pugh tells People. “I feel like this is something that we've never seen before from Marvel...it's a very open and honest and truthful idea. And I'm just really excited for people to watch it.”

Are you excited for this brand new chapter in the MCU? I really feel like Thunderbolts* will usher in a whole new generation of fans and I, for one, CANNOT WAIT! Let us know your thoughts on Facebook.

Lead images via Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

This post has been updated.

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