Introducing The Selfmade Summit: A Creative Conference To Jumpstart Your Calling

Sophie Meharenna
Oct 06, 2022
womens conference selfmade summit brit morin

The spirit of Brit + Co has always been focused on unlocking women's creativity and courage. That same ethos translates to Selfmade, Brit + Co's flagship membership community for women looking to realize their full business potential as founders, small biz owners, freelancers, side hustlers, and dreamers looking to make their mark on the world.

On October 25th, 2022, we're thrilled to announce we're hosting our first annual Selfmade Summit — powered by Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready program and Office Depot OfficeMax. This free and immersive virtual event will bring together women like you at all stages of their journey for an empowering day of programming. We couldn't be more excited to share an opportunity for you to connect with and learn from some of the most inspiring, successful women entrepreneurs around, featuring the Founder of Brit + Co and Selfmade (Brit Morin), the Founder and Executive Chairman of Spanx (Sara Blakely), and many more.

As women, we are often our own worst critics, and it’s easy to get in our own way when it comes to taking risks and going after our goals. That's why we designed the Selfmade Summit: to provide the dose of inspiration and strategies you need to get out of your own way and get started. This is your chance to get real-world advice, learn from pioneers in their field, and connect with a community of like-minded women who will support you on your journey.

As one of the most inspiring self-made women in the world, our keynote speaker, Sara Blakely, is living proof that with a bit of creativity, tenacity, and courage, you can turn your big idea into a world-changing business. As the Founder of Spanx, she's transformed the way women get dressed every day and built a billion-dollar brand in the process.

So whether you're just starting out or you've been working on your dream for years, our goal with this experience is to give you the resources and community support you need to make it happen.

We hope to see you at the Selfmade Summit! Register now for free and join us for our women's conference 2022 on October 25th.

Feeling inspired to help fuel your business? Visit Selfmadeto find your calling. Join our growing community of amazing female founders to DIY the business of your dreams!

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

Target’s Adorable Christmas Decorations Make Me Want To Deck The Halls ASAP

Target is full of hidden gems, but around this time of year, you don’t have to look too hard to find the cutest Christmas decorations. They have everything from holiday tableware to Christmas lights, and I’m especially stoked about their adorable ornament selection. If you need to up your Christmas decor game, you came to the right place. Scroll on for the best Target Christmas decorations of 2024 that provide an instant happiness boost.

Our fave Target Christmas decorations you can snag this season:

Target

Wondershop LED Neon-Style Waving Gingerbread Man Light

This jolly lil' guy ($35) is perfect for setting up in your entry way for a holly-jolly welcome every time you come home.

Target

Threshold x Studio McGee Mixed Plaid Woven Stocking

This super-soft $15 linen stocking defies designs of years past with a cozy colorway and some contrasting patterns, so it'll undoubtedly be a stylish upgrade for your mantle.

Target

Wondershop 3-Piece Metal Nativity Scene

The simplicity of this $15 gold nativity scene make it such a seamless match with all of your existing Christmas decorations.

Target

Wondershop Battery-Operated Lit Ceramic Christmas Tree

This vintage-inspired Christmas tree light ($15) will look so cozy when you add it to your Christmas set-up. Plus, the bulbs add unparalleled levels of cheer and color for the season!

Target

Stanley Water Bottle Keychain & Ornament

Stanley lovers, rise up! This toy-sized ornament will let everyone know your affection for the beloved tumbler. The lid actually screws off so you could stow away little candies, a tube of lip gloss, or even slide in a sly $20 bill to make for a nice stocking stuffer. This $10 piece also doubles as a keychain, so you can use it year-round!

Target

Threshold Plaid Tablecloth

Plaid is timeless for the holiday season, so if you've got some potlucks and dinner parties planned to celebrate with loved ones and friends, this chic $20 tablecloth will instantly elevate your hosting game!

Target

Featherly Friends Christmas Bird Figurine

I can't get enough of this series of cute little bird figurines Target tends to debut around the holidays! This one is 'fitted up with earmuffs, a jacket, and scarf, all while holding out a perfectly-wrapped gift to usher in the giving spirit of Christmas.

Subscribe to our newsletter to shop more Christmas + holiday decor!

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

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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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Get A Head Start On Thanksgiving With This Make-Ahead Mashed Potato Recipe

When it comes to prepping Thanksgiving dinner, we'll take any make-ahead ideas we can get. That's why we are *obsessed* with this insanely yummy mashed potato recipe from Half Baked Harvest. Easy to make, delicious to eat, and even better to check off your to-do-list, these mashed potatoes are rich and full of garlicky goodness. We'll let Tieghan Gerard take it from here!

Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, the best holiday mashed potatoes. Made simply with sweet roasted garlic, fresh herbs, and salted butter. Each bite is perfectly smooth, creamy, and so delicious. The secret? Cooking the potatoes together with the milk and cream, then adding in roasted garlic cloves for a delicious garlic flavor that isn't overpowering. This method makes for the creamiest and most flavorful mashed potatoes. They're perfect for making ahead of time for easy entertaining!

What's the secret to these potatoes?

Half Baked Harvest

Two things… first, the roasted garlic. Roasting the garlic adds just the right amount of garlic flavor that's delicious but not over powering.

Second, cook the potatoes together with the milk and herbs. This means no boiling the potatoes, no extra steps, nothing fancy. It turns out that creating almost perfect mashed potatoes is actually really easy.

The Steps — Roast The Garlic

Half Baked Harvest

Start with the garlic since it takes time to roast in the oven. If you've never done it before it really adds a layer of deliciousness to your recipes.

Simply slice the top portion of the garlic head off to reveal the cloves. Then place the garlic on a small piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap the garlic up. Roast for about forty minutes, until the garlic is deeply golden and soft.

Then simply squeeze the cloves out of the garlic skin.

Meanwhile, Make The Potatoes 

Half Baked Harvest

Combine the potatoes with the milk and cream in a large pot on the stove. Add the herbs, then cook until the potatoes are tender. This will take about twenty-five minutes or so. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them, BUT, be sure to save the cream – you'll need it!

Now, the potato ricer…it's key to making ultra-smooth mashed potatoes. Do you have to have a potato ricer? No, a good ole masher works too. But if you want the smoothest mashed potatoes, a ricer works really well.

Half Baked Harvest

Take the mashed potatoes and those roasted garlic cloves and put them right back into the pot. Then add back the cream and also add some butter. Cook until the butter is melted…and that's it…the most perfectly flavored creamy mashed potatoes!

Honest these are the BEST – classic, but with amazing flavor and texture.

The added bonus is just how easy these are to make…and that you can make them ahead of time. Steps for warming in the oven, slow cooker, or on the stove are listed in the directions!

Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
  2. Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up, and bake for 40-55 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.
  3. Let the garlic cool, then squeeze out the cloves.
  4. Meanwhile, In a large dutch oven, combine the potatoes, heavy cream, milk, sage, and thyme. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  5. Drain the potatoes, reserving all of the cream. Discard the thyme and sage. Press the potatoes and roasted garlic cloves through a potato ricer. Then add them back to the warm pot. Alternately, you can add the potatoes back to the pot and mash with a potato masher.
  6. Over low heat, add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved cream and the butter. Continue to add more of the cream until your desired consistency is reached. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
  7. If desired, brown a little butter with sage or thyme and swirl into the potatoes before serving. Serve warm and creamy.

To Make Ahead:

  • In the Oven: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Spoon the potatoes into a large baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat in the oven, preheat the oven to 325° F. Pour 1/2 cup milk or cream over the potatoes and add 2 tablespoons butter, do not stir. Cover the potatoes tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are warmed through. Stir before serving.
  • Slow Cooker: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Spoon the potatoes into the slower cooker, cover, and keep on low for up to 4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, turn the heat to low or high, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons butter, do not stir. Cover and let the cream warm and the butter melt. Stir before serving.
  • On the Stove: Prepare the mashed potatoes as directed through step 6. Add 1/2 cup cream and 2 tablespoons butter. Place the potatoes over low heat, gently stirring until warmed throughout.

Want more mashed potato recipes? Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter!

This post has been updated.

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The Real Ages Of The ‘Outer Banks’ Cast Will Shock You

If there's one thing that unites all teen TV shows, it's consistently casting people who are way too old to play high schoolers. Riverdale, One Tree Hill, and even Stranger Things have all fallen victim to this trend, boasting a lineup of beefy, chiseled actors who are supposed to be 15 years old. And Outer Banks is no exception.

OBX season 4 part 2 drops on Netflix November 7, and if you're like me, you're going down every rabbit hole to find out as much as possible about your favorite Pogues, which is why I scoured the internet to figure out the actors' ages — and how they compare to their character ages (including the cast member that's almost TWICE their character's age). Keep reading for the full scoop!

The 'Outer Banks' Cast Ages Vs. Their Characters

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Madelyn Cline as Sarah Cameron

Sarah Cameron is 19 years old in Outer Banks season 4, while Madelyn Cline turns 27 on December 21.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Rudy Pankow as JJ Maybank (or is it JJ Groff now?)

JJ Maybank is around 19 years old when Wes Genrette asks the Pogues to find Blackbeard's treasure. Actor Rudy Pankow is 26.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Chase Stokes as John B. Routledge

While fearless leader John B. Routledge is also around 19, Chase Stokes is actually 32 years old. That makes him 13 years older than John B.!

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Madison Bailey as Kiara Carrera

In Outer Banks season 4 Kie Carrera's 19 years old. In real life, Madison Bailey is 25.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Carlacia Grant as Cleo Anderson

Cleo Anderson seems to be around the same age as the rest of the Pogues, which would make her 19. Actress Carlacia Grant is 33 years old.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Jonathan Daviss as Pope Heyward

Pope Heyward is in the same grade as JJ, Kie, and John B., which would mean he's also 19 during Outer Banks season 4. Jonathan Daviss turned 24 in February.

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Drew Starkey as Rafe Cameron

Rafe Cameron started the series at 19, which would make him 22 now. Drew Starkey just turned 31 on November 4. (Happy late birthday Drew!)

Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix

Austin North as Topper Thornton

Topper Thornton is probably 19 years old in OBX 4, while Austin North is 28 in real life.

Check out How Old The Bridgerton Cast Is for more shocking celeb revelations ;).

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