I first discovered Bossladies Magazine in a stationary shop. The soft pink cover and Bossladies title instantly got me! I had only recently started Dazey and was obsessed with learning more about entrepreneurship from a female perspective, and still am! I happily bought my first copy and haven’t stopped since. They are designed more like keepsake coffee table books and are now all proudly displayed at our Biz Babez office. Each magazine comes out quarterly and the Bossladies boss, Chelsea, curates the most inspiring group of women located in the city she’s highlighting. As a writer she really knows how to ask the right questions to get authentic and real stories behind the amazing women she features. Her and the Bossladies team shoot each woman and really spend the time to tell their story and do it justice. Everything about this brand is thoughtful and heartfelt, which is why I love it so much!  

I began following Bossladies on Instagram and that’s when I first saw Chelsea’s stories. She is very much the face of her brand and exudes the same warmth and authenticity as her magazine. I began to follow her journey and saw she kept talking about this Work Sesh, her monthly boss meet up held at new gorgeous locations around town. I was so curious and as soon as we began to put together our Biz Babez office I instantly thought to reach out to Chelsea. We chatted about collaborating since both of our brands are so in line. During our first few months of Biz Babez Chelsea said she had a few friends attend events at the space and told her she had to host a Work Sesh there. During the month of January we were so excited to actually make that happen! We met so many rad women and had a great time. I also took the opportunity to snap some photos and interview Chelsea while we were under the same roof! As a woman who has personally impacted my business I’m beyond stoked to feature her. Below is the full feature, Q & A, photoshoot, and some snaps taken at her Biz Babez Work Sesh! 

Before Bossladies was a twinkle in your eye what did you do?

I was an in-house editor for a novelist. I worked with her off and on for about five years, helping to bring her vision to life and get her stories out in the world. She was an incredible mentor to me.

What was your path to get there?

I studied English Literature and Creative Writing at Colby College, which is a small liberal arts school in Maine. There I studied creative non-fiction: travel writing, food writing, feature writing, the personal essay – and poetry. After school I moved to LA – spent some time working for a commercial real estate firm building communities on their properties, worked for the author, and started a small events business.

What inspired you to start Bossladies?

At some point it became clear to me that I’d like to start my own business, so I began studying other women entrepreneurs. I had no shortage of role models; Los Angeles is full of ambitious women. I followed their businesses closely on Instagram and came to realize two things:

1) The most successful creative women in LA all seemed to be best friends, and they all supported each other.  

2) They all got lots of press in lifestyle publications -- but not in business publications. They were revered for their style and their aesthetic, but no one was recognizing them for the businesswomen they were. I set out to do two things: create a community of entrepreneurs that any woman could join and design a business-focused publication that showcased the women I admired.

I know you had originally started with a Kickstarter. How did that go? Would you recommend it to someone interested in getting a project off of the ground?

Kickstarter was an incredible platform for us. It allowed us to test the market before we launched the magazine. (We discovered that women were hungry for a business-centric publication.) And it was a great tool for spreading the word about the project. I would certainly recommend it for anyone creating a tangible product that takes capital to produce.

How do you go about finding the right women to feature and getting them on board? What’s the process involved in a feature?

Curating the group of women we feature is one of my favorite parts of my job. It requires a lot of research, following my curiosities down the Instagram rabbit hole, and asking friends which women they find inspiring.  We have a series of guidelines that govern the types of businesses we feature; for example, we like to feature sustainable, ethical businesses that are rethinking their industry and using design to drive innovation. My team and I travel to our featured city and spend about two weeks interviewing and photographing each woman.

So on top of Bossladies being a gorgeous female-driven magazine, it’s also a monthly gathering called Work Sesh. Why don’t you tell us all about that!

Work Sesh is a weekly event series that we host here in LA. We gather with 30 other women entrepreneurs for a morning of relationship building, resource sharing, and support. It’s my favorite thing in the world. I love the way women share their hearts with one another and show up to support each other.

How do these two entities work together under the Bossladies umbrella? Was this a part of your original plan or something that came about after?

Bossladies as a company is focused on providing inspiration, education, and community for women entrepreneurs globally, so the magazine and Work Sesh nestle really nicely under that driving mission.

Bossladies recently underwent a big branding change, and you were very transparent about your thoughts and struggles with it. What was your thought process on the rebranding and future image of Bossladies?

The rebranding was such a fun process for me because it forced me to really interrogate what the brand represents, who it is for, and what I want it to feel like. I’m really happy with where we landed. I think our new visuals communicate the strength, elegance, maturity, vulnerability, and intimacy that are central to the brand.

Right now I’m exploring ways to allow the brand to continue evolving but to give it certain parameters, so it feels contained. I think that brands can (and maybe should) evolve as quickly as their founders and creative directors do; otherwise things can feel stale. But you also need certain elements of the brand to remain constant and create a visual home for the brand.

You are always active on Instagram Story and very much the face of your brand. How has this benefitted your business? Are there struggles that come with it?

Instagram Stories have been an incredible tool for sharing more of the behind the scenes moments of running the business and creating space for ongoing conversations with our community. One of the trickiest things about being so forward-facing in that space is that it requires being really open and vulnerable with thousands of people, and, of course, there are moments when you crave a bit more privacy and yearn to keep more of your life sacred. I tend to give 

myself permission to share everything or nothing depending on how I’m feeling in the moment.

What’s in store for Bossladies future? In both the not so distant future and beyond!

So many things! Our San Francisco issue will release May 2018. This will be the first issue that has full chapters on each of our featured women, and we’re doing some innovative and beautiful things with book design.

Events-wise, we’ll continue to strengthen and nourish our Work Sesh community. And we’ll host our first annual conference this autumn. The conference will look much different than any conference we’ve ever seen, and I think it is going to be a really special experience.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you? 

Dazey Everyday with Dani - New Bi-monthly post

New year new things happening here at Dazey LA! For all you Dazey Insta followers you know I committed to wearing Dazey everyday last year and never looked back. It's so fun to be creative with my Dazey and Dazey Lady Shop items and think up new looks. Getting to wear Dazey everyday have really given me some unique ideas on how you can style a graphic tee in many unexpected and fun ways! 

I've loved sharing all these looks via Instagram Stories so much that we decided to bring it on over to the Boss Blog! Bi-monthly we will be bringing you round ups of my everyday looks with clickable links for you to shop right from the post! Scroll below to see our first looks to this awesome new series! 

Get The Look:
Flower Power Overalls by Nooworks
Pink Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Love More Clutch by Marloe x Dazey

Get The Look:
Fall or Fly Tee 
Dipster Necklace by Bohindie

Get The Look:
Velvet Headband by I'm With The Band
Brave Babe Turtleneck
Mustard Yellow Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Fall or Fly Tee
Risk Taker Tee
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Alpha Female Tee

Get The Look:
Pretty Powerful Tee
Midnight Black Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Brown Dot Overalls by Nooworks
Champagne Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Alpha Female Raglan
Stone Grey Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Risk Taker 3/4 Sleeve
Joan High Rise Straight Leg Jeans by Father's Daughter
Burnt Rust Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado

Get The Look:
Fall or Fly Tee
Midnight Black Pom Earrings by The Little Avocado
Havana Wide Leg Pants by Sololu

Learning from Dazey Lady Lavendaire 

I met Aileen, aka Lavendaire, through a mutual friend, Lynette. Lynette had a vision board event at our Biz Babez space. I not only got to meet and chat with Aileen but was gifted a copy of her amazing book. The year was coming to an end and I was anxiously planning for 2018 and I found it so incredibly helpful! After hearing more about her journey as a YouTube star come author I had to ask for a feature!

She's gone through the self discovery journey and now makes it her goal to help others with the skills and tips she's acquired along the way. Her mission is to equip and empower people to persue their dreams! Obviously something we can really get behind here at Dazey. :)

See the full shoot and deep dive into Aileen's inspiring journey below. We talk about all the odds jobs she had along the way, how she got started on YouYube, and how she went about creating her workbook!  

Let’s rewind back to the beginning! What was your personal experience in college? What was your major and why?

I went to USC and majored in Business Administration. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, so business seemed like a general and practical major that could lead to a variety of career paths. It was a major I could count on to get me a job when I graduated, because my biggest fear was to graduate jobless and unsuccessful. I was really ambitious and wanted to feel like I was “doing well” compared to my peers.

On the side, I pursued my creative passions: I was making singing videos on YouTube, on the hip hop dance team, and played the lead in a school musical. Around junior year, I started to question my life existence, asking questions like “What’s the meaning of life?” “Why are we here?” and “What the heck am I doing with my life?” I started thinking differently about everything I knew - it was quite dramatic for me.

Then I got the opportunity to study abroad in Milan, which is where I embarked on a “soul search” and introduced myself to self help books about finding your life purpose. Traveling abroad opened my eyes to so much more. Away from the demands, stress and competition of school in my old bubble, I was able to learn more about myself and what I truly wanted out of life. I gained clarity and inspiration to take my life in a new direction, a direction that aligned with my true dreams, rather than the expectations of others.

The irony is that in the end, my biggest fear came true: I graduated jobless and “unsuccessful” in the eyes of my family and peers. It was a struggle. But it taught me to let go of what others thought of me, and it led me to create my best life.

Following college what did you decide to pursue? You mentioned having a lot of internships!

I had six or seven internships throughout college in entertainment, social media, marketing and advertising industries. I loved the idea of working in entertainment, because I love performing and the arts. But each internship taught me the reality of the business-side of these industries, how unglamorous it is and how it’s just regular work, like everything else. These internships taught me more about what I don’t like and what I don’t want with my life, which I’m grateful for. I got honest with myself and realized that deep down I had always wanted to be on the talent and creative end of the work, instead of the business end.

After college, I decided not to pursue the corporate route that I was expected to take, and instead set off to explore all the creative paths that interested me. I pursued music, making more YouTube videos, performing often, and producing an album. I pursued acting and hosting. I volunteered for a food festival startup, doing marketing, PR and video production, which later became a fun freelance job.

What were some of the highs and lows you had before deciding to work for yourself?

Some highs: Recorded and produced my own album and threw an amazing album release party. Some of my videos were shared by DJs Dash Berlin and Nicky Romero. I got to manage a video team for the food festival and produce my first short film, entered a singing competition on Chinese TV.

Some lows: Dealing with depression my last semester of college, getting fired from a couple internships, clashing with parents & family who didn’t understand me, working with other creators and getting burned/disrespected from people I thought were my friends, getting disqualified from the singing competition because of irresponsibly showing up late to rehearsals.

It’s funny to organize it this way because as you might suspect, there’s a story in each of those lines. Another observation I made right now: I listed my highs in past tense and my lows in present tense, maybe because my highs are “things I’m proud of accomplishing” and lows are “difficult times I had to go through.” Interesting!

What lead you to start producing content on youtube?

In those years of creative and self exploration, I realized that we can really shape our lives in any way that we want, and that was so exciting. Because I didn’t have a 9-5 job, I had the flexibility to say yes to all of these odd jobs and opportunities that made my life so much more interesting than it would have been otherwise. In those years, I learned how to be an artist of life.

I started Lavendaire to share this discovery and all the insights and lessons that came from my experience so far. I had gained so much knowledge in personal growth from reading books & studying people I admired online. I was totally a sponge during those years. Lavendaire was my outlet to share all that I was learning. At the time, it was hard to find people my age talking about self help on YouTube—I was like “Why isn’t anyone talking about this?” I knew that there must have been others my age going through the same struggles, so I decided to start sharing.

What are the best tips you have on building a following on YouTube?

Find your voice, your message and your style. You really have to know who you are and what you want to say. Then, commit to creating and posting consistently. Stick to a schedule and treat it like a real job! Always create the highest quality videos you can with what you have, but don’t worry about the technical aspect, because you can learn along the way. Start with the gear you have and just create something and put it out there. Ask for feedback on your videos, and make efforts to learn and improve so that each new video is better than the last. Wash, rinse, repeat.

I love your brand name, Lavendaire, what does mean?

Thanks! It’s just a word I made up because I liked the sound of it. I wanted to create an original word that didn’t exist online yet, so that if you searched it up, I would be the only result that shows up! I brainstormed some other options but Lavendaire stuck, because I love lavender and the multiple meanings behind it—it’s a light, dreamy color, a flower, and a calming scent—all qualities I liked for my brand. And my hair was purple at the time. My friends at the time joked that it was just “lavender + hair” put together. But I added “aire” because I like an airy feel and wanted the word to sound a bit French. 

You really focus your videos on teaching people and trying to spread a positive message! What is your main focus for your videos and why?

My mission is to empower people to realize and embrace their truest self, and set forth to create the life of their dreams. That’s the meaning of being an “artist of life.” I truly believe that we all have gifts and strengths to share, that make us incredibly unique. We’re meant to bring our uniqueness to the world, to light it up in some way. If everybody lives according to others’ expectations (like I did in my youth), the world would be made up of a lot of mediocre copycats, and our gifts would be wasted. The world benefits when you are being yourself and you share your unique light. You’ll also be infinitely happier. It’s a win-win situation for all parties.

So after building a popular fan base on YouTube and Instagram you decided to launch a book! Tell us a little about Artist of Life?

The Artist of Life Workbook is a book of questions and exercises to help you plan your best year. It’s essentially all the questions and exercises that I’ve personally done, that have helped me in my journey. Within are questions to help you reflect on the past year, clarify what you want for the new year, set your goals in all areas of your life, and help keep you accountable for your goals throughout the year.

You can learn more and see photos of the Artist of Life Workbook on my website here.

How does one go about creating a book!? Walk us through the process of idea to final product!

First comes the idea. I’ve actually had the idea of creating a life guide type of book five years ago, but the idea came back to me in 2016 with more clarity. I had so much inspiration to make the idea come to life, so I committed to setting aside time to get it done. I made the first version (the 2017 Artist of Life Workbook PDF) on Pages and launched it as a digital workbook. My audience asked if there would be a print version of the workbook, since a lot of people like using pen and paper. So, I started researching printers and emailing for quotes to get my digital workbook printed. In the end, my boyfriend connected me with a manufacturer in China who could help us with production. I collected photo examples of what I wanted and sent over samples for color and material for the workbook cover as well as samples for the paper I wanted to use. I also sent over the dimensions and design for the workbook and cover. Then, it’s up to them to source the right materials that are similar to my vision, send me photos of their findings and (if time permits) create samples to send over for me to review.

Because we were on a time constraint last year, we skipped the step of creating samples, so the workbook I sold was the first workbook they created. This year, I had more time to create the workbook. I took a class to learn Adobe InDesign and created the new workbook design on that. In production, we went through 2 rounds of samples before landing on the third and final design.

Tell us a little bit about your podcast! How long has it been going on? What are you trying to accomplish with it?

My podcast, The Lavendaire Lifestyle, has been going on for almost two years. It’s an extension of my channel so I chat about the same topics of lifestyle design and personal growth, but more in depth. I bring in a variety of guests in the self help, wellness and creativity spaces to share about different aspects of how to create your dream life. My guests embody what it means to be an artist of life, so they always have nuggets of wisdom to share on in our interviews. I actually learn a lot from interviewing guests on the podcast. My YouTube channel is generally me sharing my experiences and what I’ve learned. But my podcast is a chance for me to learn from someone else, an expert in a certain area, and share that experience with my audience.

You are a lady of so many talents and pursuits! What’s next for Aileen and Lavendaire?!

This year I’m focusing on laying the foundation for new beginnings. I’m looking to hire a couple people to help with video editing and production. I want to elevate the brand of Lavendaire and create content that’s high quality. I’m realizing that I can’t do it all myself at the quality level I want it to be. I have to collaborate and work with others, others who are better than me in areas where I am lacking. That’s the next step! Learning to build a small team, create new systems and learn to manage it all.

Another reason for wanting to get help is to free up my time for writing a book! Publishing a book has always been a dream of mine, so I’m just getting ready to tackle that.

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

It means being a woman who feels empowered to express herself confidently and go after her biggest dreams, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

What's New in the Dazey Lady Shop

Always excited to discover and add new goods to the Dazey Lady Shop, a section of our site dedicated to selling goods by other female entrepreneurs. This time around I am beyond stoked to add one of my personal favorite brands, Nooworks! I had been admiring their quirky and unique overalls from afar for quite some time now. Originally started in San Francisco, they recently opened up an LA location and I drive by it on my way to work everyday. One day I decided to dig a little further and find their origin story. The mission behind their brand is to team up with amazing artists and do unique and colorful prints for each collection. They use a super unique printing process very similar to screen printing to create their gorgeous textile fabric. After searching their site I had trouble finding anything about the actual owners, so I sent over an email! To my delight they are an awesome female owned brand and were down to meet up and see how we can work together. I stopped by their Echo Park store and met 1/2 of the team, Nicole, and we chatted for well over an hour. She's SO COOL and SO NICE. AKA the best kind of person! We discussed all sorts of ways to cross promote our brands starting with the Dazey Lady Shop and hopefully a design collaboration is on the horizon!

Last week we did a pre-sale of one of the pieces and it actually SOLD OUT within a few hours! I had to go back to the Nooworks store and pick out some new pieces. At the same time Nicole was shooting with a beautiful model, Reece. She immediately recognized me from the Dazey Insta and we got to chatting. Then the very next day I shoot this lookbook with her haha, funny how things work sometimes. All that being said don't wait to snag these pieces, they go FAST!

We also have a few new pieces below from a rad female-owned Canadian brand, Sololu. They focus on masking ethical fashion with seasonless styles. The owner, Rosanne, sent me an email talking about their mission along with a pretty little catalog. A perfect fit for the Dazey Lady Shop sent right to my inbox! I'm always looking for great bottoms to pair with my Dazey tees and her paisley wide lleg pants and pink slit skirt were too cute to pass up! 

Shop the new new HERE!

Model: @reeceforddesign

Photographer: @danidazey

Dazey Getawayz Nashville Edition

As part of our New Years Resolutions, my boyfriend Phillip and I decided we want to travel more. Especially trips we can dub "work trips!" Before I started Dazey I worked full time for larger companies and inconveniently always either quit or was fired just about the time where you get that weeks paid vacation. So I literally spent a good 3-4 years not traveling AT ALL. Guess you can say I’m making up for lost time this year! 

1. Urban Cowboy BNB - A Boutique Hotel Dreamscape

2. Pinewood Social - Nashville’s Ultimate Hang Spot

3. Date Night: Rolf and Daughter

4. Barista Parlor: Nashville’s Official Coffee Shop

5. Five Daughters Bakery: Donuts With a Twist

6. Lunch at Pharmacy - Big Ass Burgers (Veggie Included!)

7. Butcher and Bee - A Sweet & Savory Masterpiece 

8. Atta Boy - Curated Cocktails

9. Crema - Sweet Coffee and Clean Space

10. Gift Horse - Quirky Gifts with a Nashville Twist

11. Wheat & Co - For Ya Dazey Dudez

12. Two Sons - Shipping made Simple and Spectacular 

This store was recommended to us by a lot of you! It’s a giant space filled with only a few racks of very curated clothing from awesome designers like Ace & Jig. The whole store was expansive and white, but their rack was rainbow color coordinated, I loved that. 

Women's March 2018 - Still Marching

As some of you may remember last year I designed a whole collection inspired by my empowering experience at the 2017 Women's March. One year later and we still have a reason to march. Some may argue that protesting doesn't really change anything, but I beg to differ. It shows the world that there are hundreds of thousands of people who care enough to show up early on a Saturday morning and march for their beliefs. It shows the attendees they are not alone as they stand in solidarity with their sisters. It brings light to not only the issue of gender inequality but so many more injustices people face.

My boyfriend and I got back from a week long exhausting work trip and then I had a sudden realization that the Women's March was in ONE DAY! The hype about the march this year was substantially less than the previous, yet our issues have not improved. I knew I had to get Dazey involved. Luckily I have a gorgeous space downtown, Biz Babez, that's always ready to host people! We decided to do a pre-march prep party, complete with sign making, coffee, and snacks. I announced literally the morning before the March via Instagram and so many babes showed up! This was a great way to get a group of gals together and march as one, and we all had an amazing time getting to know each other and really feeling like a community. I asked gals to show up wearing their Dazey and so many did, it was awesome! 

One of my favorite parts of the march is seeing all the powerful, funny, and inspiring signs. It's actually what inspired my collection last year! This year I noticed too many talking about intersectional issues such as DACA, racism, transphobia, ageism, body positivity, and so much more. It was a great reminder that feminism is more than just a fight against sexism, it's about standing up for all marginalized people. Feminism stands for equality for ALL and needs to address these intersectional issues. As a brand we need to do a better job of spotlighting the people who have multiple marginalizations and give them a loud and proud voice in this movement. 

Below we have photos from the full day along with a few posts we did on Instagram about the march. Huge shout out to these amazing Dazey Ladies who showed up and stood with us! So proud of all of you amazing, kind, and strong women. We also saw so many of you  marching in Dazey in other cities and states. It was so cool to see and we have included some of the photos from around the globe! 

👊YOU CAN MARCH WITH US 👯 Had an incredible day standing alongside my sisters in the DTLA Women's March ❤️ We had a pre-march party at @bizbabez where we made signs and formed our Dazey Lady girl-gang ✨ There's NOTHING like gathering in solidarity to stand for something you believe in 💪 Swipe right to see some of these inspiring and empowered women 👉 #dazeyladiesunite #girlgang #womensmarchLA #womensmarch #empoweredwomen #timesup

A post shared by Dazey LA - Brand & Boss Blog (@dazey_la) on Jan 20, 2018 at 6:07pm PST

💗 Let's talk about INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM 💗 If you were at the women's march yesterday no doubt you saw many signs talking about intersectionality. This is a lot more than the feminist movement's most recent "buzz word". It's at the core of what we're fighting for, equality for ALL. Intersectional feminism recognizes that many women face prejudice far beyond just their gender. Weather it be their race, orientation, body type, socioeconomic class, or ability. Intersectional feminism does not dismiss their experience and wants to give them a voice and position of power in this movement. Everyone deserves the same rights and treatment. Period. As a brand we want to do a better job of shining a spotlight on these strong inspiring women with multiple marginalizations. What does intersectionality mean to you? How can I as a white feminist better include you? Let's all talk about this important topic below in the comment convos 👇 #dazeydialogue #commentconvos #intersectionality #intersectionalfeminism #womensmarch #dazeyladiesunite

A post shared by Dazey LA - Brand & Boss Blog (@dazey_la) on Jan 21, 2018 at 11:39am PST

Women's March Austin TX - Via @allychavezzz

San Diego March - Via @merzydotes & @timmelideo

Women's March Reno - Via @jessicabannister, @lorawagener/@lorawagenerco

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Arielle Estoria - Poet, Speaker, and Creative of Many Talents

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I met the beautiful soul that is Arielle at Yellow Conference. This gal beams sunshine and brightness. She was the emcee for the whole event and hosted with amazing style and grace. The conference kicked off with a spoken word poem she wrote and performed. It basically had the whole room in tears including myself. We chatted there and I started following her journey on social.

She has started to do some modeling so we planned a photoshoot. Then I decided we may as well do a full Dazey Lady feature! She's always doing creative things, speaking at events, and just being an overall inspiring human being. Quintessential Dazey Lady right there! THEN an hour before she got to the shoot I asked her if she would be down to recite the whole poem she did at Yellow on video, and lucky for us she was down! Then I asked her to come in again a week later to film some b-roll, and she was still game, such a trooper. I'm not a videographer or sound technician so please bear with the not so perfect visual & audio :). The message and gorgeous soul make up for it!  I also have a full Q & A with Arielle about all sorts of things from being a poet to how she prepares for public speaking. 

This poem went perfectly along with the theme of our new collection, "Dreamer & Doer." She perfectly captures all the different emotions you go through while following your dreams, and how you choose to keep doing so despite setbacks. Because you know it's where you're supposed to be. 

Q & A Plus Full Photoshoot with Arielle:

We love that when people ask what you do you use the label “creative” since you do so many things! Why don’t you list all the many creative pursuits you do?

I am a Spoken Word Poet both in performance and written, speaker, emcee, I am a blogger, writer, social media and brand enthusiast, I model sometimes, and a dash of acting (trying to).

Of all of these things what is your main passion and why?

Honestly, if I could just live a life and pay the bills from just creating if that could be Speaking: poetry, emceeing, motivational conversations and acting would be a dream! I’ve always been a super theatrical child and loved being on stage and I think I got older and really pushed those things away as not being parts of me or practical pursuits but
they’ve always been apart of me, now I’ve just decided not to run from them.

Your poem really hit home to me and so many women who were at this conference. So many Dazey Ladies are still struggling to support themselves while doing what they love. What are some tips on surviving these struggles and not getting burnt out?

Rest- turn the phone off, leave it in the car and go to yoga for an hour. Surround yourself with people who aren't creatives- the friends who keep you balanced and remind you that despite how it feels, you’re not drowning. I have a creative mentor who I meet with two times a month to dream, plan and create action steps for moving forward and she has been such a saving grace-- -i think so often we want to do everything on our own, figure it out on
our own but we really need each other. So that would be another thing i would say, be and stay in community with both non creative and creative friends, find the people who will be the fuel under your fire but also the people who remind you when it's time to come down from the clouds for sometime also.

We love that you do poetry, such a lost art in this day and age! What got you into this?

I have a background in theater but I’ve always written poetry, it was how i processed life and everything around me. I’ve always been a very internally processing type of individual. I went to an arts high school and delved into the art of acting and theater and really fell in love with it. I wrote monologues and scripts for fringe festivals and directed plays. When I got to college i continued theater for my first two years and then dropped it because having a double major was hard and honestly I didn’t want to take tech classes. The semester after I dropped my theater minor officially, spoken word fell into my lap and I competed in college on a competitive poetry team for two years, took over the poetry club and it just spiraled from there!

What is the inspiration behind your poetry and your process of writing one?

I am always inspired by what's around me, people, conversations, kids, the things I am feeling. I always write to music and that’s usually like a creative trigger for me. I don't really have a process, usually there’s always music playing but sometimes I could be on a run or a walk and the poem will spill, I say spill instead of write because that's what the
process feels like most times, as if the words are just pouring out of me like a stream of consciousness. My goal/mission in my work is, “Words not for the ears but for the soul.” If I can get people to connect deeply and more honestly with their emotions and elicit a reaction to feel then I’ve done my job.

You killed it being the host speaker at the Yellow Conference! Public speaking is one of the biggest fears people have. How did you realize you were good at it and how does one become a professional speaker?

Aw shux, thank you! Honestly I really avoided all on stage/spotlight professions. I thought it was shallow and not for me, and that’s a lot of the reason why I quit doing theater. But then poetry showed up and Yellow asked me to emcee the conference and I said yes, but I had never emceed or anything before that! So this is all very new and also attributes of myself and my gifts that I was good at but didn't even realize I was! The more I got involved with poetry and conferences the more I realized I had a lot to share through poetry but also just through how I communicate in general. I enjoy connecting with people and being a part of storytelling in any capacity so that's how I stumbled into it more than I necessarily pursued it.

I honestly couldn’t tell you what the process is for becoming a professional speaker because like I said I stumbled into it. But a lot of what I do stemmed from creating a website and business cards that advocated how I wanted to be hired and seen professionally. Poetry was just a starting point for that but then voice overs, motivational speaking and emceeing as well. I googled rates and how to get myself out there, built my social media and connected and networked with people. Find your “thing” that only you have and promote and advocate that!

What are some tips on claiming your nerves and learning to be a better public speaker?

Fun fact, I get nervous every single time. I have to breathe really deep and remind myself that it's not about me, that I am on that stage only because I have a gift and words to share with someone out there who might really need it. Once I’m past the first line or two, I usually settle. You remind yourself that this is your space, to take up as much as you need, to do what you were called to do in that very moment. It’s always going to be nerve wracking and terrifying, but it's just about fighting through it and placing the fear in the backseat and not the front.

So you are also an actress and now starting to model! Would love to hear about your journey in these two very competitive fields!

LOL. Okay well I started going to acting classes again in May because I was teaching theater to fourth and fifth graders and felt like a hypocrite because I hadn’t worked on my craft in a long time. I have always loved theater and acting but didn’t think to pursue it because I wasn’t competitive enough or I, “Didn't want it the way everyone else
wanted it.” When I was approached by a modeling agency in June I thought it was a scam but to my surprise it wasn't! I booked my first real shoot with them in August and it was so fun! I’ve always loved being in front the camera, trying out different characters. I was the child with the alter egos who was always on whatever I considered a stage in family
videos. I am easing into it, seeing what opportunities pop up and trying to be intentional and smart about what I want to accomplish while I’m in it! I’m not trying to apply this make it or break it pressure to it and instead enjoy what does come my way!

What does being a Dazey Lady mean to you?

Authentic, beautifully true to yourself, trendy AF and powerful. I feel like Dazey Lady is a term coined for empowering women seeking to build a community of empowering women.

When your friends text you late at night seeing if you want to do an impromptu photoshoot early the next morning at a laundromat you say YES. We quickly began planning outfits, fun props, and pulling inspo! My girls @officiallyquilgey & @madmavenstyle are both models, bloggers, and creative directors so they are my girl boss dream team to shoot with. We all met up at a local laundromat and made some magic! 

There's nothing I love more than doing 'for fun' creative projects with awesome Dazey Ladies. I think it's really important as a creative to do projects just for the hell of it to get your juices flowing. Especially when you're collaborating with fellow artists who have awesome ideas and vision like these ladies. I know creating content is apart of our jobs, but often times shoots are planned around a feature, promotion, or a new product. This was purely to create some fun art together and have a good time doing it.  

Tour of Dani's Hometown of Lake Arrowhead CA

I was born in Los Angeles but spent most of my childhood growing up in the beautiful small town of Lake Arrowhead. It's a mountain community nestled in the San Bernardino Mountains, a few hours from LA and right next to Big Bear. It's known for it's quaint cottages, thick pine tree forests, and of course the gorgeous lake! One thing it's not particularly known for is it's culture. There are very few places to eat or drink, grab a coffee, or even shop. Even the tiny town of Joshua Tree has way more things to do and places to see as you may have noticed from our previous travel post. 

Though I consider myself a city gal these days, Lake Arrowhead is a gorgeous getaway to escape it all, take things slow, and visit my family. Looking back I'm so thankful for growing up there, but back then there wasn't a whole lot to do as a kid! It seemed like teenagers either got into partying or nerdy tech things, I fell into latter category haha. In a way I'm thankful because I ended up spending a lot of time on the computer learning coding and graphic design which later helped me in my career and as I was starting Dazey!

If you were watching my insta-story you know I was on a mission over the holidays to promote Lake Arrowhead and make it COOL haha. Being a beautiful destination just hours away for LA, it has all the right ingredients to become a hip vacation spot. And with house prices literally 1/4 the price of LA maybe even a great spot for those burnt out on the city to escape to. We just need a little more creative culture in the area! Luckily this is beginning to change. There are a few little spots popping up started by former Angelenos' looking to take a break from big city living. Below are a couple recommendations, along with photos descriptions, shown throughout the post. We also took some around town, in the forrest, and by the lake! 

Photo Op Alert - HWY 18

This highway is as gorgeous as it is treacherous. When it gets snowy it's sadly been known to claim many lives. So on the way up while all you flatlanders (that's what we called the non-mountain folks LOL) are driving slowly up the hill, be sure to safely pull over on one of the larger pull-offs for a photo. There's a ton of them on the way up, all equally amazing. Here are some snaps from where we stopped! Pro tip, if you stop more near the bottom you can get more hills in the backdrop before you're too high! 

Lake Life - How to trick the system

So Lake Arrowhead is technically a private lake reserved only for it's residents. But I'll let ya in on a little secret, it's hardly enforced. There are a ton of ALA entrances throughout the lake where you can walk right down from the road. I recommend heading down to the north bay for a more secluded and fun part of the lake. There's an entrance near the corner of Northbay road and Alpen drive. They are marked with little wooden posts that say "ALA" on the side. Now Lake Arrowhead is a big town for vacation homes, and around the lake most of them aren't occupied by full time residents, nor are there docks. Growing up we would walk down to the lake and just choose a dock and post up all day, rarely do people say anything. YES the dock shown in these photos were borrowed as well. ;)

Road Trip - @shoproadtrip

This adorable little shop with all sorts of goodies from vintage clothing, artwork, cards, patches, and more! Located in a cute A-frame, it has that mountain feel but still curated to an LA clientele looking for a special souvenir. Owned by a good boss and crafter herself, I discovered Savannah in an LA Times article (she's since ditched the dude and is a bad ass solo-lady-boss!) and I remember instantly reposting it saying something along the lines of, "OH MY GOSH SOMETHING COOL OPENED IN LAKE ARROWHEAD." Certainly in all caps. Not to trash talk the hometown, but it definitely needs more awesome spots like this. I got some vintage books for my dad and amazing holiday cards. Now time for you to take a road trip to Road Trip!

Lou Eddie's Pizza

Located in a quaint area of willow woods, right off the the main highway, this spot has only been around a few years but I make sure to stop by whenever I'm in town. Like I said, the foodie scene isn't quite like LA, but this is a solid spot with a great pie! There's also a tavern on the bottom and a forested outdoor seating area. The inside is super cute as well! 

Lake Arrowhead Village

Literally the only place we had to shop and go to growing up. It's our version of a downtown and a total tourist trap. But if you're in Arrowhead you are basically obligated to check it out. Though it's filled mostly with outlet stores (I do like the Pendleton one) or weird bear/fish shops, it is still a very cute area that does feel like an alpine village. It's also a great place to see the lake and feed ducks! Most of the stores around the lake will sell duck food for a buck, and the ducks do go pretty crazy. Franklin loved it! 

What's Edible in the Village - Belgian Waffle

Belgian waffle is THE JAM, literally they have great jam. But in all seriousness this is an amazing long time local spot! I've been coming here since I was a kid and am obsessed. They kill the savory-sweet breakfast game and the Brussels Belgian Waffle is heaven sent. They also have super reasonable drink prices, so naturally it's a great place for boozy brunch. The inside has all your mountain cottage vibes, or you can sit on their lakeside patio. 

Hearth & Sage - Top Town Crestline

When growing up Crestline was basically the ugly step sister of Lake Arrowhead, but man it's starting to come up! It's gotten some cute stores as well as a highly recommended (for the mountain) coffee shop called Higher Elevation. Per Savannah of Road Trip's recommendation we stopped by another previous LA (Angeles) resident become LA (Arrowhead) shop owner. Hearth & Sage looked like it was picked up right out of Silverlake and dropped down on the mountain. It's the perfect place to get that gift for the friend who already has everything, but still NEEDS all these cute things. We got Franklin a beautiful leather matching color and leash set he LOVES. It's true, he told me.

Random Patch of Forest

They're everywhere haha. We just pulled off of the road to snap these quick pics! But if you're up there you have to take advantage of all the beautiful hiking trails Lake Arrowhead has to offer. We didn't have time this trip but a really great one is Deep Creek Hot Springs! Just be careful of the nudists haha. 

Take the Tour - Grand Opening Party & Story Behind the Space

The grand tour post of Biz Babez has been a long time coming! For those who don't know Biz Babez is the second business I co-founded and launched in October. It's an all-female co-working & creative space in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. In December we had our official grand opening party complete with food, drinks, member pop-up shop, and member speaking panel. The turn out was incredible and everyone had an amazing time. 

Dazey's mission is female empowerment, specifically in the female entrepreneur space, so naturally I work with and collaborate with fellow female business owners on a regular basis. I noticed many of them talked about the same issue, feeling isolated when working from home. I would go from coffee shop to coffee shop just trying to get out and feel inspired. Then I spent some time working from WeWork, a large co-working space, but struggled to find creative female entrepreneurs I could connect with. It was also hard to take photos and create content as the decor was very "office feeling." I knew I couldn't be alone in wanting a space filled with inspiration, collaboration, and community. 

I posted on Instagram about the idea of a shared office to see if there was any interest. One of my freelance clients, Taryn of Vegetaryn, instantly messaged me saying she was looking for the same thing and may have a lead on a space. We met up and explored the space she had in mind. It didn't end up panning out but we could tell we were both excited about the idea and I loved the thought of not doing it alone. With someone going in on it 50/50 we we're really able to take a bigger risk on the right spot. 

As we explored commercial properties the little idea I had of a small shared office began to grow into a co-working space. After a long hunt we settled on the perfect spot. It was large, well lit, and in a walkable area. When we first went to look at the location it was filled with fluorescent lights and bulky outdated office furniture, but we saw what it was and imagined what was possible. The day we got our keys it was a beautiful blank slate and we were so excited! 

Taryn and I chose to fund Biz Babez fully from our personal savings as opposed to looking for investment, so we we're on a tight budget. We wanted a beautiful and Instagram-friendly space so we had to get creative! We reached out to our favorite furniture and decor companies and offered a collaboration. Many of them have stock sitting around their warehouses waiting to be bought, and we figured why not display the goods while getting free content and promotion at the same time!? Almost everyone we reached out to was game! We got to handpick gorgeous vintage rugs, furniture, and more. I am a sucker for mid century modern meets 70s bohemian and really went for it when designing the space. Interior design is hands down what I would have picked as a career aside from fashion so it was amazing to get a taste of it. Within a few weeks it seemed we had the place done and open for business! 

Members have been slowing joining and our community is just beginning! We have been connecting with some of our favorite publications and hosting amazing events including the Boss Ladies Mag work sesh happening all this month! We even got featured on my favorite design blog, The Jungalow. This has been an exciting big step as an entrepreneur and I can't wait to see how it grows. Below I have a tour along with photos from our opening event!

For more information on the space and to apply for membership you can fill out an application HERE!