Following her Bliss: Essa O'Shea, Actor








December 13 2019
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - December 13 2019
December 04 2019
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - December 04 2019
Meet Dani Egna, the 26-year-old Founder & CEO of Inked by Dani! Dani launched her line of cruelty-free temporary tattoos in her college dorm room and is now sold in more than 10,000 retail locations including Target, Ulta, and Forever 21. She is also featured recipient of Forbes 2019 30 under 30 list for Art & Style!
Dani's story is super inspiring as she took her passion for art and channeled it into a unique and thriving business while in college. Read on to learn how Dani followed her bliss in creating her dream career!
Tell us about yourself!
I have always been in love with all things art- I was obsessed with drawing and painting before I was even walking. In grew up in Long Island, where I started a career selling art through various gallery art shows and on Etsy. I then went on to study fine arts at the University of Southern California, with an emphasis in painting, but took classes in ceramics, printmaking, cinema and architecture to get a really well-rounded education on all sorts of art. I started my brand, INKED by Dani, during my senior year of college. Since graduating, I have been living in NYC in Greenwich Village!
What inspired Inked by Dani? What were your first steps in getting started?
During my senior year of college, my career path went through huge transition; I started INKED by Dani, which is a brand of temporary tattoos based on my hand-drawn fine art designs.
The idea for the brand came one night after a themed party at college. My friends, knowing how much I loved drawing, asked me to cover them in hand-drawn doodles using eyeliner. The feedback from that night was overwhelming- everyone my friends saw that night was obsessed with the designs. In that moment, a light bulb went off in my head… I could do some completely unique here and create chic temporary tattoos with an art-driven aesthetic, unlike anything else on the market. Other temporary tattoo brands were targeted to kids or lacked a sleek and millennial-driven look. It was a perfect pivot- I could utilize my fine arts training and tattoos as a new art medium to create a completely innovative brand.
Using the money I made from selling my artwork throughout high school and college, I funded the launch of INKED by Dani. I had always loved the look of dainty tattoos, but knew I could never commit to the real thing, and I knew my parents would kill me if I got a tattoo (I also knew that so many girls must have that same conflict). Starting INKED by Dani was a no-brainer.
What's a day in the life like? What inspires your creative process?
I usually work at least 12 hours a day, and most weeks I work at least one day of the weekend. I am constantly traveling for retail appointments and to our production facilities, and I work on weekends at tradeshows across the country. I also have my hands in all areas of the business, including design, merchandising, production, sales, and marketing. I am inspired by so many things- designs I want as real tattoos, trends I see in the art/fashion/and beauty world, and by tattoos in the celebrity/pop culture world.
What's been your biggest milestone/accomplishment to date?
My greatest achievement is building a fast-growing, profitable brand that has allowed me to leverage my artistic expertise and passion in an unprecedented way. In a competitive and crowded art world, I’ve been able to carve out a niche for my fine art designs, utilizing a non-traditional medium, temporary tattoos.
Was starting your own business something you always wanted to do? What did you want to be when you were younger?
Starting a business wasn’t always the game plan, but I did always know I wanted to be doing something artistic and creative. When I was younger, I wanted to be painter!
What are some of the biggest challenges you've had in starting your business? Was there ever a moment you thought about giving up?
Packaging used to be a challenge for us! When we were starting off, we had high demand to jump into the retail space, and I definitely jumped the gun a bit on packaging so we could deliver product to the retailers when they wanted it. Our packaging started off with a label that just said INKED by Dani — no mention of temporary tattoos, and no depiction of what was even inside…. I look back and definitely laugh at that! Since then, we’ve completely revamped the packaging into something upscale and unique that reflects what the brand is all about. Our product packaging is always called out as being one of our retailers’ and customers’ favorite parts of our product! It’s so important to invest time in customer experience- and in how customers view and interact with your product. The packaging is just as important as the actual product inside!
I haven’t thought about giving up because I am constantly inspired by creating a way for people to express themselves, commitment-free.
Do you have a daily ritual or system for staying organized? Are there any apps or task management tools you swear by?
Our ERP system is vital to staying organized! In addition to that, we use google docs/spreadsheets, and a task management tool monday.com! It’s amazing to keep all of our projections organized.
What are your favorite spots to eat, shop, explore in NYC?
Eat: So many! Lil Frankies, 12 Chairs, Yuba Sushi, Sauce,
Shop: Soho - since it’s closest to my apartment!
Explore: I absolutely love strolling around central park!
In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up? What keeps you grounded?
I love remembering my favorite quote, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” — Oprah Winfrey. I’ve always been passionate about art; and this passion keeps me grounded for sure!
What were your initial marketing strategies for getting your business off the ground? What tactics have you found most successful in growing your brand?
It started off with word-of-mouth. There was a lot of positive feedback from my college friends on INKED by Dani and I did as much as I could to get the brand’s name out there. I went to other sororities and dorms, door to door. The next step was setting up our website and our Instagram page, which received a lot of traction, and after getting picked up by our first major retailers, we achieved a multitude of press mentions and recognition. We also partner with influencers to spread the word about our brand and showcase it digitally. I’d recommend a mix of marketing tactics along with pertinent trade shows to get a brand out into the spotlight!
What podcasts/books are you loving right now?
How I Built This! It so fascinating to hear from other founders on their journey through building their brand.
Which tattoo design is your favorite? Is there one that is especially meaningful to you?
I could never pick a favorite, BUT - one that has a special meaning would be our butterfly design. I created it from a huge oil painting I made during my senior year of college!
What does "following your bliss" mean to you?
Turning a passion and a dream into a reality. For me, that meant turning my love for art into a creative business that could become a career for me!
What's the best piece of advice you would give to someone looking to start their own business?
What's next for Inked by Dani? Where do you see your company in the next 5 years?
We’re constantly evolving INKED by Dani with the varying trends in tattoos, beauty and fashion. We’re always collaborating with new brands and bringing our tattoo designs to new experiential platforms. In the same vein of the collaborations we’ve launched in the past (we’ve developed home decor with Dormify, activewear with Terez, etc.), we are continuing to explore how our designs resonate on varying products!
What are your favorite pieces by f.y.b?
The Gold Astrid Studs & the Pearl Kaia Hoop Earrings!
Connect with Dani!
November 15 2019
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - November 15 2019
Meet Cait Khosla, the 26-year-old gal behind Botany Box. Her NYC based business curates beautiful succulent assortments and delivers them right to your doorstep! She also offers workshops and events where participants learn plant care 101 and receive their very own succulent to pot and take home. She launched her business just a year ago and has already hosted workshops with the likes of West Elm, Thrillist and Buffy to name a few! Cait has also built an incredible community around her passion for plants, with 17.8k followers on her instagram (@botanybox).
I met Cait during her plant workshop with Moxxiemade this past Spring and we quickly became friends over our shared passion for entrepreneurship. Read on to learn more about her business, what keeps her head held high, and the advice she would give to her younger self in this week's Following her Bliss Friday Q&A!
xo Alyssa, Founder of f.y.b jewelry
Tell us about yourself!
I grew up outside of D.C., I had an incredible childhood home filled with tons of outdoor and indoor plants (hence Botany Box) and my mom was an avid gardener. I went to Roanoke College for psychology & communications (actually I have no background in business at all!) I'm definitely learning as I go. I moved to the city in 2017 and am absolutely in love with every piece of it. I think I've only grown personally & professionally since taking a leap of faith and moving here.
What inspired Botany Box? What were your first steps in getting started?
My mom was a big inspiration for Botany Box, she is so patient and creative, and growing up with plants and outdoor beds filled with different shrubs, flowers and more sparked my interest at a young age for loving plants. When I moved to NYC, I realized it was extremely pricey to buy ANY type of succulent or plant at a local store. I'm definitely big on "shopping small" but the prices were just outrageous. I thought there had to be a more affordable way to buy what you love. When I first started, I had no idea what I was doing, I created a *really lame* website and pulled photos I found of plants on google, and then I started testing different cardboard boxes from Amazon to see what plants could fit in them.
What's your long term vision for Botany Box?
My long term vision is to make Botany Box a long term income source and full-time job!
How did you grow your social media presence and community? What advice would you give to someone looking to grow theirs?
People actually ask me this all the time, I work in social media so I knew some of the tips and tricks to growing a following and getting people interested in talking to you. My best advice is to talk to EVERYONE on your platform, don't be shy in commenting or DMing cool companies you look up to, it could turn into a collaboration in the future, or someone you can go to for advice/help.
What's a day in the life like?
Ah, honestly it really depends. Some days I have 7+ orders to get out the door and some days I'm working on my content calendar for the month, and some days I forget to get on Instagram to post, it's definitely a wild mix, but I'm excited to see how holiday takes off (this will be my first one!)
What role models do you look up to / who inspires you the most?
My brother is a huge role model for me. He's taught me almost any street-smart skill you could need. He's quite frankly a genius. Love that guy.
What are some of the biggest challenges you've had in starting your business? And what have been the most rewarding?
Some of the biggest challenges have been resources. I didn't have a background in business, finance, tech, horticulture, web development, anything. I literally only knew how to talk to people, and talk to them well. I learned almost every skill along the way and had soooo much help from friends and family (including my kick-ass business partner Vonn).
In moments of self-doubt, how do you build yourself back up? What keeps you grounded?
Oh I'm honestly a work in progress with this, I get discouraged VERY easily and do that whole "the world might end" thing. I usually try to take everything one day at a time in business. Nothing is guaranteed and things will come up that seem like massive roadblocks. I think what keeps me level is knowing I can always try again, if a shipment gets messed up, if a customer is unhappy, if my website crashes, it's all "fixable".
What's a personal motto / quote you live by?
I just learned this one and it's really sticking: "heavy is the head that wears the crown". It's actually a Shakespeare quote, but super powerful. My coworker said it to me last week when I was overwhelmed with all my projects that I personally ASKED for.
What podcasts/books / or tv series are you loving lately?
Ok I'm still not on the podcast train but I'm working on it. My FAVORITE TV series right now is Jack Ryan, and I loveee reading self-help books. I just finished "You're Not That Great" and "Make Your Bed".
What are your favorite spots to eat, shop, explore in NYC?
I'm huge on breakfast, I'll sit down and eat a full breakfast meal any day of the week and be so satisfied. I love Dudley's in the LES (my roommates introduced me), I also love Irvington (in USQ) and ANY fancy donut shop can take all my money.
What's on your bucket list for 2020?
I really want to travel more (so cliche), but I actually didn't leave the country for the first time until 2017, and I have a MILLION places I want to see. I also want to launch 3 new products for Botany Box in 2020.
What does "following your bliss" mean to you?
Ah, I love the saying so much. For me as a female entrepreneur, it's less about listening to "what makes you happy" per say - and more about following that gut-wrenching passion that you always wanted to try.
If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?
Oh, god. I'd tell myself to calm DOWN. You can't predict the future, and you can't play the "what if" game.
What are your favorite pieces by f.y.b?
I'm OBSESSED with the Gold Coin Kiri Threader Earrings and the Suki Statement Coin Gold Necklace!!
Connect with Cait!
September 04 2018
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - September 04 2018
Meet the girl who is “eating for the insta” one restaurant at a time. Jess Iacullo is the grl behind the wildly popular foodie instagram @hungrygrl_bigcity, you probably are already following her for tips on the most instagramable food in the tri-state area. Inspired by her own camera roll of food pics, Jess launched her insta in 2015 as a way to share dishes she had eaten and also cooked herself. With now 30.5k followers and growing, her insta has led to amazing opportunities including an internship at Insider, freelancing at Forbes, and writing for Cosmopolitan. We are super proud of Jess as an eff.y.bee girl alum (she was our UPitt Brand Ambassador!) and all she’s accomplished, and excited to feature her in this weeks heart to heart series!
Tell us about yourself!
I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh April 2017 with a dual degree in Communications & English Non-Fiction Writing. I am from a small town in North Jersey which is conveniently about 40 minutes outside of the city, which opened so many doors for me with internships. I spent quite a few summers at BBDO, an advertising agency dabbling in account management and copy-writing, as well as spending a summer at Food Network Magazine as a sales and marketing intern.
After graduating, I took on an internship at INSIDER as a food video producer and am now freelancing as a Production Assistant at Women@Forbes and Social Media Strategist at a local marketing company called Red Root. I have also turned Hungry Grl into an LLC and freelance write for publications like Forbes and Cosmopolitan!
What inspired you to start @hungrygrl_bigcity?
I was inspired by my camera roll at the time: I was a sophomore at the time and realized I had a lot of pictures in my camera roll of dishes that I had eaten and cooked myself. Not wanting to post them to my “personal Instagram,” I decided creating a separate channel would be the best fit for my food pictures.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love that I have met so many amazing people along this journey. I have collaborated with restaurants, different brands across the board (including this one!), and have attended so many interesting events because of it. I love learning about why people are passionate about what they do, whether it’s owning and operating an Italian restaurant in NYC to creating their own clothing line. The opportunities are endless and it’s great to be a part of a community where collaboration is so feasible.
What have been some of the biggest milestones and opportunities brought to you through @hungrygrl_bigcity? What have been the biggest challenges?
There are truly so many milestones, I can’t name just one! It’s been truly amazing to see my Instagram weave into my writing passions, whether it’s publishing to Cosmopolitan or Forbes which are both two new features in my life, to having experienced working for INSIDER and creating viral social videos around amazing dishes in the world.
With these amazing and multiple milestones also comes challenges. Often I find myself putting Hungry Grl on the back burner because it isn’t my full time job, or sometimes finding a lack of inspiration and wondering why I keep up with this in the first place. But then someone comes up to me in a bar, or a restaurant, or DMs me on Instagram and thanks me for inspiring them, and I remember that I really do have an influence and relationship to my followers.
How did you grow your following? What advice would you give someone trying to achieve a social media presence?
People ask me if I pay for my followers, which makes me laugh because why would I pay for followers when I could be spending that money on food? I grew my following organically and authentically; being in a sorority helped at a medium-sized school because the word of mouth really helped grow my local following at the time. Living in the tri-state area also allowed me to connect to those in the same area that I lived in. My biggest piece of advice: connect with your followers, and never follow people in order to gain followers if you have intentions of just unfollowing them in the future. I have followers that have been following me since i started three years ago, and we support each other’s missions and goals.
What are your tips for taking the perfect food insta?
Lighting, lighting, lighting! I always use my iPhone to take my photos, and my best shots come from a lot of natural lighting and colorful dishes. I use VSCO to edit my shots and I always make sure to edit with filters that compliment the shot, not overpower it. Getting the right angle is also important, which comes in time after experience.
What are some of your favorite food places in NJ/NYC?
In NJ — my local bagel shop! Bagels are so important to me, and anyone that follows me knows that. I also love trying new cafes and coffee shops, and am currently obsessed with Jola Coffee in North Caldwell, which I will definitely meet you for coffee there if you are ever around. In NYC, I love Sunday in Brooklyn for brunch and Olio e Piu for Italian. I value great food and ambiance; dining out should be an experience!
You were an eff.y.bee girl during your time at college! How did joining our brand ambassador team inspire/help you?
Yes, I was! It really helped me connect to a mission similar to mine in a way: eff.y.bee also connects with college women to inspire them to take their next step and passions and prioritize themselves. With Hungry Grl, I wanted other college women to know that it is OKAY to eat pizza after a night of drinking, and self-confidence is so important. I also loved being connected with the other ambassadors and learning how the brand helped or inspired themselves.
Best advice you've ever received:
“For others to believe in you, you need to believe in yourself first.”
Putting yourself out into the world in capacity is in no way easy. When I started writing, I didn’t have a developed audience and had to promote my writing because I was confident in what I was writing, which was not easy when I first started out. Confidence in my abilities didn’t come overnight, but I can say today I know I am a good writer and am so humbled by how many people reach out to me about how my writing has helped them in some way.
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently when you were starting out?
I think I would have started earlier on promoting myself to businesses for collaborations, for almost the first two years, I waited for others to reach out to me to work together, but now I realize that this can be a two-way street.
What's your vision for your future with @hungrygrlbigcity? (What do you hope for it to grow into?) or where do you see yourself in 5 years.
I would love to have my own video segment or show! I truly think “Hungry Grl, Big City” could be the next Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it? I also hope to develop even more (possibly paid) partnerships and a mission and gear towards more of a lifestyle page instead of solely food. I also hope to up the anti of my photos and invest in a camera for even better shots.
Favorite pieces by eff.y.bee?
I am currently OBSESSED with the “Girl Power” collection and cannot wait to buy pieces for my friends and family (and maybe even myself!).
Connect with Jess!
August 07 2018
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - August 07 2018
When I first met Cameron at our get together at The Wing, it was total girl crush at first site. We were introduced through a mutual friend and instantly clicked over our passions for branding and empowering other women. Cameron Armstrong is the 24 year old Founder of Kitty and Vibe, a swimwear line with a mission to change the way women feel about trying on bathing suits while promoting self-love and kindness to each other and to ourselves. She just launched her line in May 2018 and is already crushing it with a growing social media following, styles that are already on back order, and even a celebrity fan - Lena Dunham. Read on to learn more about this girl boss, what inspired her to start her brand, her favorite spots in NYC, and the biggest lesson she's learned so far in her 20s. xo Alyssa
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I'm 24 years old, originally from Atlanta and currently living n Manhattan - I'm "a little bit yankee, a little bit y'all."I moved to NYC when I was 22. They tell you graduating college and entering the real world is tough, but they don't tell you it's THAT tough. Doctor's called it "the perfect storm." Moving to the unfamiliar, my closest friends no longer by my side. Having a severe reaction to a birth control hormone that made me quite literally psychotic, transforming me from feeling "normal" to feeling severely anxious and depressed. My days consisted of ruminating on crippling thoughts like, "What's the point of life?" / "Do I even want to be here." And the worst part was having anxiety over having anxiety. I went through 1 year of psychiatric therapy and started on an SSRI, and little by little, I learned how to create new pathways in my brain, so I didn't have to go down the dark rabbit hole of despair everyday. BUT, what helped me the most during that time was being able to acknowledge the little wins, and show myself some sort of celebration, whether that be celebrating with a deep inhale and exhale, a smile, or a dance around my bedroom. Getting out of bed in the morning. Getting dressed. Putting on some mascara. Walking to work. Breathing. These are all things we don't celebrate enough.
How is Kitty and Vibe unique?
Kitty bottoms are a complete game changer. They take into account your hip AND inseam size. Small waist, small booty? No problem you would be an S1 which would fit your hips like a small and have just the right amount of fabric on the inseam and back rise to prevent any sort of diaper but. Small hips, large booty? We gotcha covered, you would be an S2 which would fit your hips like a small but then give you some extra fabric on the inseam and back rise to accommodate the larger butt so your crack doesn’t show.
Plus, all kitty swimsuits have a vibe. When you order a Kitty the suit comes to your doorstep to meet you on the dance floor of your bedroom. Scan the Spotify code to hear the music of your suit. Allow yourself to dance around your bedroom, wink in the mirror, smile a lot. Tell yourself something positive about the way you look. THEN try on your Kitty. Allowing your body to have this positive physical experience will help trigger a positive mental state that will remind you how beautiful you look in the skin you’re in. You already have the confidence we just bring the vibe.
June 05 2018
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - June 05 2018
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by strong, graceful women. I am inspired by people who pave their own way. Currently I adore Dominique Crenn: a French chef who was adopted at 18 months by an exceptional family. She moved from France to San Francisco to open a restaurant. She treats her work as I do; a way to connect with people and in that create joyful, pinch worthy moments. I really look up to the Katherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn (not related) because they were original and spicy, the two best combinations because everyone's comes out differently!
May 07 2018
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - May 07 2018
Meet the girl curating the vibe behind College Fashionista's instagram @cfashionista, Jen Mulrow! We have a girl crush on Jen's dreamy whimsical style and creative talent (follow her on insta to see what we mean!), and have loved following her career journey since she modeled for our look book back in 2013 - which has included attending numerous fashion weeks and having editorial features published in Glamour! Read on to learn the advice she’d give to college girls looking to follow a similar career path, her fave beauty products, and one of the biggest lessons she’s learned so far in her 20s.
Tell us a bit about yourself!
I grew up in Bronxville, New York and moved to the West Village after graduating from Yale in 2014, where I studied photography. Right after college, I had a fashion PR internship at Wildfox, then got a job in the beauty department at Glamour that fall. I was a beauty editor at Glamour for three and a half years, where I tested out new beauty products, interviewed hair and makeup artists, and spotted trends backstage at fashion week. Now I’m currently the Community Engagement Manager at College Fashionista at Clique Brands, where I run CF’s Instagram account, manage our photography fellows, and plan our social video strategy.
Describe your personal style in three words
Sixties Sailor Moon.
I might attend a beauty event in the morning, where I’ll hear about new product launches and cover it on our Snapchat. Then I’ll get to the office, post content to our Instagram, and check in on our daily social media stats. The rest of the day I’ll have meetings with various team members, brainstorm social coverage around upcoming events, and do any necessary reach out for long term projects. After work, I’ll get catch up drinks or dinner with friends, watch The Office with my roommate and edit videos in bed before going to sleep.
What’s one of the biggest career lessons you’ve learned so far in your 20s?
That sometimes it’s more important to simply get the job done than it is to get the job done perfectly. I don’t like handing over work that doesn’t feel like my best, but usually that just means I end up stressing out over a project right up until the deadline, or I never feel satisfied with it so I don’t end up finishing it at all. Time management and being able to cross something off your list and move onto the next thing is underratedly important.
Seeing my byline and photography in print for the first time—surrealness times ten! I’m extremely lucky to have already had some incredible managers and mentors so far in my career, and I’m so thankful to them for all the opportunities they’ve allowed me.
When not working, where can we find you?
When I’m not working, you can find me trying on clothes at Beacon's Closet, attending events at The Wing, or dancing ’til late at La Milagrosa.
My three favorite beauty products at the moment are Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner, Nars x Erdem Lipstick in Moon Orchid, and Marc Jacobs Tan-Tastic O!mega Coconut Bronzer. Pat’s liquid eyeliner goes on so wet and smooth, but the second it dries it doesn’t budge. Nars’ new collection with Erdem is so sheer, soft and pretty, and Moon Orchid is my dream lilac-pink shade. Marc Jacobs’ new coconut bronzer is the perfect neutral, cool-toned tan, so I never end up looking orange when I inevitably end up overdoing the application.
What are your favorite social media accounts or websites to follow for inspiration?
On Instagram, I love following The Raw Book (@therawbook) for all things aesthetically pleasing and makeup artist Violette (@violette_fr) for beauty looks and color moods. On YouTube, I like following Jenn Im and Tim Kellner for video inspiration.
Favorite pieces by eff.y.bee?
As a Susan Miller devotee, I’m obsessed with the zodiac charm necklaces. (Hello, fellow Aquarians!) I’m also really into all the different chokers. I love necklaces, so I’m always looking for new ways to style and layer them.
Favorite places to shop, eat, drink, and be inspired in NYC?
Whenever I have a free night, I like to sneak out and go see a movie by myself at the Metrograph. It always feels like this very special, stolen time just for myself. My favorite place in New York is the Hudson River Parkway, preferably at sunset on a CitiBike. (AKA, my old commute home from work.) I love trying on clothing, but more often than not I just end up posting it to my Instagram rather than actually buying it. (Yes, unfortunately, I am that girl in the dressing
Keep an open mind when you’re starting out, and don’t get too caught up in one role that’s your be-all-end-all. You never know where one job will take you, and usually just taking a step forward in any direction is the most important thing. All of your experiences help build a stronger foundation for your career in the long run. Also, make sure to nurture your relationships over time in a genuine way, not just when you’re looking for a job.
Best advice you’ve ever received
Take notice of the things that you genuinely love to do, and follow those things. Also, remember to be kind to yourself. I definitely struggle with imposter syndrome and often have this feeling that it’s only a matter of time until people realize I’m not actually good at This, or that someone else would’ve done a better job at That. There are articles I’ve written that I still don’t like looking back at because all I see is flawed work. It’s not a fun feeling! But when I feel like that, I try to take a step back and remind myself to be grateful for where I’m at, trust how I’ve gotten there, and just keep moving forward. That, and call my mom.
April 04 2018
Alyssa Kuchta
Written By Alyssa Kuchta - April 04 2018
Bloom Co-Founders Michelle (left) and Kaylyn (right)
Meet Michelle Trincia and Kaylyn Minix, the Co-Founders of Bloom Daily Planners! These young entrepreneurs are following their bliss by doing what they love: creating beautiful planners that inspire women to bloom into their best selves and stay stylishly organized along the way. With their mission to empower women, their aspirations, and their go-getter drive - they are total eff.Y.bee girls!
Tell us the story behind creating your company!
Kaylyn and I have both been planner loves and users all of our lives! We met as college interns at our company, Student Media Group. Back then, Student Media Group solely created custom planners for colleges and universities across the US. Part of our job was putting together the planner covers, which always had to be university related (buildings, statues, mascots.) We were bold enough to ask the President of the company if we could make our own planners, specifically designed for women. We didn't want to be limited by gender-neutral college themes, and wanted to make something fun and motivating for young girls to plan with. Luckily for us, SMG's President encourages "Intrepreneurship" - the idea of being entrepreneurial, even if you're not the boss. He let us run with the idea, and we started out by putting a few fashionable planners up on eBay. They started to sell, and over the course of a crazy roller coaster of six years later, bloom daily planners is now it's own division of Student Media Group that Kaylyn and I run! We have expanded the line beyond our basic planners and now create specialty planners, desk calendars, planning pads, binders, file folders, card sets and so much more! We are brainstorming new organizational products every day!
What does it mean to "bloom"?
Blooming is a life long process! It is a continuous journey, with no end point. We always say that every year (even every day!) is a blank slate, and a fresh chance to bloom into the best version of you. To us, blooming means continual growth, learning, and self-improvement. It's challenging yourself to be better, but forgiving yourself if you fail. The goal is growth, never perfection. We try to infuse our products with this message of blooming. Anyone can put a cute pattern on a planner, but we like to think our products have brains and beauty. The differentiator of bloom is the heart and thoughtfulness that goes into every single product. We obsess over details because we understand that the little things end up making the biggest difference. We agonize over the placement of every single quote, spend days perfecting the exact wording of every monthly challenge... we want our planners to truly speak to our customers, be their cheerleader throughout the year, and pick them up whenever they may be feeling down!
Walk us through a day in the life.
I think our favorite day of the week is Wednesdays! Wednesdays we have our creative meetings with the whole bloom team, and it's so refreshing! We start every single meeting with the same question: "What is bloom?" We ask this question and go around in a circle until everyone has had at least three turns saying what bloom means to them. We ask this same question every single week, and I don't think we've had one repeat answer yet! It's amazing. We've found that this is a really cool way to get everyone into the creative zone before our meeting, and remind ourselves of the bigger picture, and overall voice and mission of bloom. From there we discuss what we've all been working on, any challenges we've been facing, what’s on the horizon, and our deliverables for the next week. At the end of the meeting we have a "synergy session" where we brainstorm on one topic per week (ex: new to do pad styles for our planning pad line.) It's so fun! Outside our meetings, I would describe our daily lives as wonderful, organized chaos. We're at a really exciting time of growth in our company, and in a small company everyone helps out wherever they can. We're constantly focused on customer service, tradeshow planning, market research, new product development, quality control, proofing...the list goes on and on!
What's the best advice you've ever received?
We have an entire library of quotes and advice we (try to!) live by, so can we answer in a few of our favorite one liners?
“If you never ask, the answer is always no”
Who or what is your biggest inspiration?
Our biggest inspiration is our #bloomgirls (what we call the lovely women who use our products)! Hearing from them ALWAYS makes our day, and reminds us why we are doing what we do. When someone tells you how your products have helped them make deans list, pass their boards, manage life with a job and multiple children, or simply 'bloom' and feel less stressed in any way, it melts your heart. Helping empowering women to take control of their days is such a gift, and we're so lucky to get to do that every day. We truly love all of our amazing customers!
What are some of your goals for 2016?
2016 is already shaping up to be our busiest year ever! We have so many tradeshows planned so a big goal of ours is to maximize our reach there and meet lots of new customers/business to partner with. We're always focused on new product development, and one of our big projects for 2016 is our WEDDING PLANNER! We have so much in the works for next year, but I don't want to give too much away ;) Stay tuned for big things from bloom! We're gearing up for our best year ever!
How do you follow your bliss?
We follow our bliss by helping women bloom! Life can get crazy busy and pretty stressful, but it's gotten to the point where bloom is simply is part of our daily life and identity. We don't leave work at 5pm, we're constantly instagramming and tweeting for bloom and texting each other ideas and inspiration at all hours of the night. You know when you're choosing to 'work' in your personal time you truly love what you do! I think the amount we both truly care is why bloom has grown so quickly so fast. We wouldn't trade what we've created for any other typical 9-5. I truly believe we are both following our bliss by helping others find/follow theirs :)
What eff.Y.bee piece(s) would be at the top of your gift list?
Well we rock our Blush & Purple Bliss Stacks daily! We would LOVE to eventually order some bracelets with custom bloom charms, and ALL of eff.Y.bee’s amethyst drusy necklaces are to die for. I mean how can you pick? It's all beautiful!