The best time to send out an email campaign... an update.

Last year I covered the best time to send out an email campaign. I’m not going to go over what google tells you again but I will give you an update on what’s been working for me and what hasn’t been since that post.

What has been working

My top open rate was on a Thursday evening with my top click rate being Wednesday morning. Despite my success on weekend in 2017 I stuck to weekdays.

What hasn’t been working

Tuesdays. I said at the end of my post last year that I was going to experiment with Tuesdays, and I’m going back to the weekends thank you very much.

Want more of this online marketing goodness? Need to start sending out a consistent email campaign or newsletter? I've got you! Check out my e-course dedicated to setting you up for email marketing success. I go over the more technical details as well as how to brainstorm your unique content in my Newsletters For Creatives e-course.

Would love to hear consistent times that have worked for you and times that haven't. Have you seen any overall trends? Are Tuesday mornings your jam? Tell me below!

FEMINEST BOOK CLUB: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Wanna join the Feminest book club? Of course you do. ;) See this post to learn more on how to join and check the events page on when the next book club is going to be!

The first Tuesday of every month, I'm selecting a feminist, business, or self-help book to review for that month. And, rest assured — if I'm featuring it — there’s something you oughta know! 

Last time I covered FEMINEST BOOK CLUB: THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE BY BETTY FRIEDAN. I gave it a 5/5, and feel it should be required reading for all humans who are in developed countries.

This month I'm covering Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. I chose this book because there was quite a lot of buzz around it and Nike has always been a leader in the industry. But I will say, I came away super disappointed. I’m a minority it has 4.8 stars out of 2,716 reviews. So you may not want to take my word for it.

Here’s my review in 4 takeaways:

Takeaway #1 - I smell a ghost writer

Maybe, maaayyyybe this is Knight voice in real life. But the writing sounded so contrived that 1 page into it I googled, “shoe dog ghost writer” and was oddly enough quickly able to find that J. R. Moehringer was the actual writer behind the words.

Sure, ghost writing is very common and I don’t really care, but the fact that I could sniff it out so quickly was bothersome.

Takeaway #2 - Should I stop wearing Nike?

I’ve never read a memoir and ended up not liking the person. Isn’t that kind of the point of story telling is that we understand the persons point of view, empathize, and leave better by having a broader understanding of the human experience?

In 2011, I had a conscious conflict after reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. Thinking to myself, “should get rid of all my Apple products?” He was such a manipulative human, hurt, and screwed over a lot of people, that using his products and praising him felt like supporting that behavior.

I woke up one morning to put on my black Nikes hesitated and thought, “should I stop wearing these?” Here are some of the things that I just rubbed me the wrong way about Knight:

• obsession with “war” and being a “warrior”

• forces “play” as his “why” but is stressed and uptight most of the time, and even in the moments he is running it’s more about winning and ego than playing

• his admitted lack of attention and encouragement to his employees

• his preference for people with ivy league education, lawyers and accountants because they “could pass hard tests”

• the team meetings they would refer to as “the buttheads” (this is a real thing, cue the chauvinism, and in recent news about Allyson Felix, still exists today)

• his regret for his lack of time with his sons but doesn’t make any real lasting change to fix it

• unethical business practices by American standards but rationalized in Japan with ‘it’s just the way they do things there’ (he hired an internal spy, yes, a spy)

Takeaway #3 - What did Knight do?

All the things that are so inspiring about Nike have nothing to do with Knight, the sleek logo, the tag line, the gorgeous and innovative design. Logo - an accident, he didn’t even really like it, they were just on a deadline. The famous “just do it” tagline - not even mentioned in the book, maybe I missed it? The innovative design of the shoe - that was all thanks to his cofounder Bill Bowerman.

Rating: 2/5

Recommendation: Maybe good for men in their 60’s who care about winning over everything else.

Next month:

The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine Your Life and Succeed on Your Own Terms by Vishen Lakhiani 

Read it with me! And sign up to come to the Book Club!

Have a book suggestion? Let us know in the comments below!

#FEMINESTCHATS INTERVIEW WITH LAURA GARDNER

Here's the ninth interview in the #feminestchats series with the ambitious Laura Gardner. Laura is a wedding planner in New York City who recently left her 9-to-5 and shares with us how she did it and a bit more about herself.

How long have you lived in NYC?

This year marks 10 years!  I moved here after going to school in Boston.  I visited a few times with my college roommate and instantly fell in love with the city’s energy.  It was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

Fun fact we were both raised Mormon but no longer practice, what sunday school song comes to your mind first?

The baptism song! “I like to look for rainbows, whenever there is rain. And ponder of the beauty of the earth made clean again”.

I sang it at sacrament meeting a few times. It’s funny how I still know most of those songs, even though I stopped going to church regularity at 16!

What’s your favorite thing to do with your free time?

Free time....

I’m trying to be better about taking a day off. It usually Sunday’s. I like to pamper myself: massages, facials, nails. Events are physical work, so I try and treat my body.

One thing I do try and do every day is a workout. It’s like therapy for me. Getting off my screens, breathing, and getting my brain in touch with my body is really important. Lately I’ve been really into reformer Pilates.

I also have a standing Friday night date with my husband. We love to explore all of the amazing food in New York.

When you’re indulging, what do you eat?

Cookies for sure. I love to bake and find it to be really relaxing. I’m not a big drinker, but I do love to indulge in a glass of mezcal or nice glass of red wine on Fridays.

What’s one thing you’re confident you’re better than me at? For example I can growl like a cougar and made my daughter cry from how fierce I sounded the other night.

Parallel parking!  I can get my car into a spot with 1 inch on either side!

Remember how you quit your job so quickly? How did you do that?

Haha! Yes that happened quicker than I had planned. I had originally planned to wait one more year and have a larger amount of money in my savings before making the move to focus on Love, Laura full time. A few months into that plan I was getting really frustrated not having more time to focus on what I really wanted to be doing. So I decided to leave my full time job and basically just started working nights and on the weekends so they when I made the transition I would have a good amount of clients lined up.

Tell me 3 reasons why should someone go to you to plan their event over someone else?

1. I was a project manager for years so I’m very organized and like to move things forward and help people make decisions.  

2. I grew up in the wedding industry (my grandma owned a wedding venue growing up that I worked at) and I have been to hundreds of weddings.  I’ve seen it all and know how to deal with anything and everything that might come up!

3. I love being a part of such a special and fun part in a couple’s life.  Some of the couples I have worked with have now become dear friends.

You’ve traveled so much in your life! What’s one place you’ve traveled to that you felt was under-rated? What about a place that’s over-rated?

Under-rated = Southwestern France.  I once rented a villa with friends for a week in a town of about 100.  We went to the local bar every night, played boules, filled our water bottles with vine at the local cavue, and toured vineyards that don’t usually show tourists around.  I loved feeling a part of the community.

Over-rated = Mexico City!  Don’t get me wrong, I loved it!  The food was amazing, the architecture, but I felt like I could have been in Brooklyn, Berlin or even parts of London.  When I travel I much prefer more quaint locales.

Fill in the blank, “I’m a feminist but_____” like any guilty feminist moments. Like I love to watch the bachelor once in a way even though it’s the most superficial and patriarchal show on the planet.

I also love The Bachelor! And I LOVE to watch Sex and the City. I’ve seen every episode at least 4 times. Some of the situations and characters make me cringe though. If it was on TV for the first time today wit the same story lines, I don’t think it would be as popular.

What’s one thing you’re super proud of in your work currently?

I’m currently planning my biggest wedding yet: 400 people and the design is going to be gorgeous. It’s a lot of work, but I’m so excited to see it all come together.

What’s your #1 fear?

Believe it or not, flying! I’ve been to over 30 countries but I still am so scared of flying. If the flight is smooth then I enjoy it, but the littlest bit of turbulence gets my heart racing and if it gets too bad I’ll start panicking. I have been better recently and have incorporated a meditation practice with essential oils on the plane, but it’s something I have to work at.

Do you listen to podcasts? Have a favorite one right now?

Yes!  I love GirlBoss Radio and How I Built This.  I basically love any podcast that gives a behind the scenes look on how companies were created.

What Instagram account should I be following?

I follow a lot of florists and event producers.  Some of my favorites are: @putnamflowers @selvafloral @stefcoveco

What business inspires you?

I have loved watching Emily Weiss build Glossier. I was an avid reader of her blog Into The Gloss and it’s been incredible to watch her make such a mark on the beauty industry in such a short amount of time. Every little touch from the branding, to their pop ups, and even the florals in their stores, are so well done.

Who is your icon?

This one is fictional but I die for Olivia Pope in Scandal. She is such a badass, always knows how to get sh*t done, can maneuver just about any situation, and is always impeccably dressed. And just like me, most nights she’s tired from her long, but amazing day, and just wants to curl up on the couch with popcorn.

Laura, thank you for giving us an inside into your work!

Past #feminestchats interview:

1. Jamie Nugent, money mindset.

2. Graphic designer Lidia Varesco Racoma

3. On closing a yoga practice and starting a podcast with Andrea Klunder

4. Brand therapist Leisse Wilcox

5. Domini Marshall of Her Words

6. Elle Steele on giving yourself permission to do what you want

7. Whitney Lundeen of Sonnet James who recently got a deal on Shark Tank!

8. Amanda Jane Jones of Kinfolk and all her creative glory

Know of anyone that I should interview? I’m looking for strong feminist business owners that have a story to share!

Entrepreneur Money Transparency: Wedding Planner in Chicago

***these numbers were submitted Oct of 2018***

Name: Jennifer Henderson

@edandaileenphotography

Age: 36

Location: Chicago

Type of business: Service

Industry: Wedding Planner

Business name: A Fresh Event

Number of years in business full-time? 1

Are you in a relationship that's financially supportive of you? Yes

If so, partner's annual income? $63,000

List all of the years you've been in business and your revenue (this is money in before expenses are taken out):

2017 - $64,770.00

2018 (YTD) - $81,711.00 (as of October 2018)

@colinlyonsphoto

Average monthly revenue? $6,809

On average, what percentage of your revenue goes to expenses yearly? 30%

Average monthly expenses breakdown:

Advertising - $250

Food/Drink/Networking - $500

Assistants - $600

Transportation - $300

Webhosting - $10

Coaching - $200

Total: $1,860, 27% of average monthly revenue

@sparkandglowphoto

What's been the best investment in your business? Networking

What's been the worst investment? Advertising

What percentage of your profit do you keep? 35%

Any other financial insights you would like to share? The saying that you adjust to your income is true -- just filling this out this survey made me realize that I should have a better handle on what is going out and being careful not to adjust to what the business brings in (be more wise in my decisions on what I invest into).

Thank you so much Jennifer for shedding some light on the money trajectory of a wedding planner in Chicago!

---

See the original post that sparked the money transparency revolution

Graphic illustrated by the amazing Elloise Mae Foster of Budget Bae, a talented muralist that has a passion for female financial literacy and we’re channelling our raging feminism in this series, just for you.

Want to join the revolution? Fill out this form and/or contact me - hey@feminest.co

Currently seeking tech and product based businesses. If you’re service, would still love to hear from you! And if you’re a 9-5 but have a side hustle? Would love to have you too!

Prep for maternity leave as an entrepreneur: have long talks with your partner

I asked my lovely instagram friends what type of content they were interested in hearing me write about. I received one from @frankiezek who asked “Prep for maternity & paternity leave. When & how as a business owner or employee.” And boy oh boy did this lead me down an emotional rabbit hole. Why? Well, because in general I have a lot of opinions, and more specifically, childcare duties are something that systematically and emotionally hold women back more than anything else in our lives. There, I said it. (and I’ve said it before)

The following conversation is just a hypothetical one, not with Frankie:

“Wait, Nikki, are you saying that having children holds a woman back?”

Professionally, yea, I am.

“But life is more than my professional work.”

I didn’t say it wasn’t.

“But I want to have kids and have a family”

Great! I have two daughters of my own but that doesn’t mean that having them doesn’t hold me back.

“So what are you saying?”

I’m saying that when you have children you’re at a disadvantage and this is shown statistically. Reading The Feminine Mystique (read book review here) taught me that women are still dealing with the same expectations, and opting out of their career ambitions way too early in their lives.

I don't like research that asks working mothers “why are you stressed?” And messaging around empowering women to give them work that’s flexible so you can “still pick up your kids after school”, and remote, so “you can be at home to take care of them when they’re sick”. To me, it's the domestic equivalent of giving women washing machines in the 50's. Sure, it may make it easier to get the job done, but it doesn't address the issue that we're still telling women it's their fucking job to do, and more stressed because of it.

“So whose job is it?”

Well, who did you have the kids with?

“My partner”

Well, it’s yours and your partner’s job then.

Getting back to your question around how to prep for maternity leave, I’m going to give you a very simple answer, but the one that’s going to make the biggest difference in your career ambition, marriage, and even the future pay and career of your daughters.

Have frequent and long talks with your partner about how egalitarian your relationship is.

I again reached out to my instagram friends (and included FB this time) and asked them if they felt their marriage was egalitarian, but before I get into their responses, which are so good btw. I want to share with you a podcast I listened to recently on The Cut with Rakmini Callimachi. Callimachi said something that I don’t think a lot of women would say or want to say about their friends:

"Who you choose as a partner is almost more important than what you do as a job. So many women end up compromising on their dreams based on the partners they end up with, it's just what I see around me. I remember these vibrant and ambitious women that I was in college with. We meet up now and I see how their wings have been clipped."

Here are some questions I asked my partner, Brandon Crockett, and his responses. We’ve been marriage 9 years and have two kids:

Do you feel that before you were married it was important to you that your partner supported your career ambitions, do you think that has been held up into your marriage? Do you feel you support your partner in their career ambition?

Before I was married, I assumed my career was the default career in our marriage. Both my partner and I were brought up in very religious households where it was openly taught that the men were the providers and the women were primarily the caretakers of the children. Before we had kids, I knew my partner wanted to pursue an education and potentially work in that field of study, but my (largely unspoken) assumption was that once we had kids, she would lose the desire to work and my career would be the priority. 

We’re now ten years into our marriage and things are very different. My partner and I are no longer part of the faith we grew up with and we have shed many of the beliefs surrounding it (both subtle and overt). Through countless hours of discussion and behavioral changes, my mindset has evolved and I see how my assumptions, built largely from our upbringing, were in many ways, unkind and unfair to her. 

Time-wise, there is much more equal weight placed on our careers, but the fact remains that my career had a head start by the nature of me being four years older than my partner and the impact of the time we spent married while still in the faith. My career, in some ways, still gets priorities, but to have a massive shift to go entirely egalitarian is not a fair proposition to make unless we wanted to experience a massive degree of uncertainty regarding income and lifestyle maintenance, especially since we are now living abroad and I have our visas tied to my work. 

Why do you feel like your marriage is egalitarian?
I wouldn't say our marriage is entirely egalitarian. That's a tough thing to define. What I feel is more important is that we have more of a fluid relationship built upon more open communication. Egalitarian weight to feelings, thoughts and emotions is a higher goal than egalitarian with time and money, in my opinion. And I think we've made great progress in that area since we've been married. 

If you divided the time on childcare duties, how much do you take on vs your partner? (is a 20/80 split - you 20 and them 80)
I have 100% childcare duties from the time the kids wake up to when I go to work. During the day, the older child goes to school. Once or twice a week, I leave work to pick her up and take her home. Our younger child has daycare two times a week and my partner watches her three times a week. When I am home in the evenings, childcare duties are about 65/35, me being 65. I realize this is an over-explanation for the question, so to put it succinctly, I believe our childcare duties are about 60/40, me being 40.

If you divided the time on household duties, washing dishes, calling repair-people, changing linens, how much do you take on vs your partner?
I would say this is fairly close to 50/50.

I know it was probably different for each child, but do you mind explaining the hours a week you were working before you had your baby and after you had your baby?
I don't think my work hours have changed too much as a result of having kids. Well, maybe that's not entirely true. I have prioritized being home much more and whenever possible, since the birth of our six-year-old, I have tried to leave work by 6:00 even when there are reasons to stay longer. I am very lucky to currently be working at a place where I leave by 5:30 every day. 

How long afterwards did you start working again?
I had basic paternity leave with both our kids, which amounted to ten days, I believe. I went to work immediately following my time off.

Do you mind sharing the support you feel from your partner?
My partner is very supportive of my career. What can be hard is when things are going really well (especially when I'm traveling), I tend to downplay them because I don't like it when things are going well for me when I know my partner can be struggling with points in her career. That's tough. Really tough, actually.

Any advice for women who are having a child on communication with their partner around post-birth baby duties?
There are likely going to be all sorts of emotional things going on after the baby with both parents. It's important to communicate (that's obvious) even when the communication is sloppy and emotional. There are all sorts of biological things going on from hormonal adjustments to sleep deprivation and also shifts in how you can spend your time, especially an almost immediate absence of an ability to spend time by yourself. These are all hard! Super hard! People don't tend to talk about these with the public and there can be a lot of loneliness about it. But it's important, in the least, to talk to your partner about them. And whenever possible, withhold judgment when things aren't going well or communicated well. It's cliche, but it gets better. And, with time, you forget about the difficulties that inevitably arise shortly after child birth. If you didn't, there is no way anyone would consciously choose to have a second child. I'm only 40% joking.

Elaine Frei of Luft Balloons

Why do you feel like your marriage is egalitarian?

Because I don’t even define it as egalitarian. The expectation between us both is to just do as much as we can based on our abilities. 

If you divided the time on childcare duties how much do you take on vs your partner? (is a 20/80 split -  it you 20 and them 80?) 

About 55/45. 

If you divided the time on household duties, washing dishes, calling repair-people, changing linens, how much do you take on vs your partner? (same split as above) 

About 60/40 but that’s by preference because I have better knowledge on certain things and more flexibility in my work schedule to run an errand on the way to work.  Actually 5% of it is annoying in that I have to do all the cooking. He just doesn’t know how to cook. But that’s not necessarily his fault. His mother did everything for him. Now it’s my duty to teach my son how to cook so that he can be a partner in the kitchen as well.

I know it was probably different for each child, but do you mind explaining the hours a week you were working before you had your baby and after you had your baby. 

1st baby - 10-15 hours ramping up to 30 hours

2nd baby - 30-40 hours 

3rd baby - 25 hours 

Also, how long afterwards did you start working again? 

Because I was trying to build my own thing I never got a proper maternity leave so I was technically working and answering emails right after they were born but didn’t really get into the swing of things until 6 weeks. 

Do you mind sharing the support you feel from your partner? (if you haven't already)

Because I am in the events world, I have to work on the weekends.  In the beginning, I had to say yes to every job from a financial perspective and from a building experience perspective.  Having two little ones at home, weekends were not necessarily bliss. The littles ones were lots of work from a parenting perspective. Sometimes working was a gift. Ha! As such, I would cringe and mention that I had to do an install. Not once then and not once now has my husband ever devalued what I was building. He never remarked begrudgingly on taking care of the kids “again.”  Or asked in a belittling manner how long would it take me. Or passive aggressively questioned why I scheduled another install on the weekend. To me, that was the hallmark act of support. 

Do you feel that before you were married it was important to you that your partner supported your career ambitions, do you think that has been held up into your marriage?

 100% yes. 

Any advice for women who are having a child on communication with their partner around post-birth baby duties? 

Have the discussion BEFORE kids. To me it comes down to basic respect and communication for the other and the relationship so that starts at the beginning. However, if that is not a luxury, I think it’s important to know that there are times when it’s going to be lopsided in effort. And that’s ok. That it's about supporting each other.  Plus, I always keep the times he helped me in in the back of my head so I can pay it forward to him be it a random day off from morning routine or whatever.  The simple act of saying thanks or you’re really good at xyz goes a long way and makes you feel like you are a team.

Absolutely. Thank you so much Brandon and Elaine for your insights! I really really appreciate it!

So what do you think? What aspect of marriage and childcare is challenging for you? Tell me all about it in the comments.

FEMINEST BOOK CLUB: The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Wanna join the Feminest book club? Of course you do. ;) See this post to learn more on how to join and check the events page on when the next book club is going to be!

The first Tuesday of every month, I'm selecting a feminist, business, or self-help book to review for that month. And, rest assured — if I'm featuring it — there’s something you oughta know! 

Last time I covered How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan. I gave it a 4.5/5, not a full 5 because I thought it was unnecessarily long.

This month I'm covering The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan. I chose this book because it’s always referenced in feminist writings on history, culture and progress and I figured I should go to the source.

Although it was written in 1963, it’s incredibly relevant today. I thought reading this book it was going to be more of a period piece but it’s made me reflect so much on feminism today, it’s scary.

Here’s my review in 4 takeaways:

Takeaway #1 - This book is mandatory reading for all feminists and/or living humans

Or as Arianna Huffington puts it, “If you’ve never read it, read it now.”

Takeaway #2 - We have progressed in so many ways but one

Today, women are outnumbering men at a record high in universities worldwide, there are more women doctors and lawyers than ever before, and boy-oh-boy we can get credit cards without a man!

But there’s one, category (if we want to call it that?) that we’re still systematically held back on and have made little to no progress and that is… childcare. Women are still considered the primary caregiver. And it was depressing to read the excuses, reasoning, and rationale that was used back then, is used today.

It made me reflect, uncomfortably so, on how traditional my marriage and family decisions have been. Because of that my career ambitions have suffered and I make significantly less money than my partner, which feeds into the cycle of us prioritizing his career over mine.

Last year I wrote this post, WORKING MOTHERS: 5 SCENES, WHY I'M TIRED OF THE CONVERSATION, WHY IT'S HAPPENING, AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT, and quoted Kerr, "'It is logical for couples to decide that the person who earns less, usually a woman, does more of the household chores and child care,' Ms. Kerr said. 'But it’s also a reason women earn less in the first place. That reinforces the pay gap in the labor market, and we’re trapped in this self-reinforcing cycle,' she said." (Quote from NYT)

Takeaway #3 - It’s a long hard fight

Seeing that this was in 1963 makes me realize that this fight is going to be a long one. We’re 51% of the population so to get on the same page about feminist issues is tough, shit, Trump got elected for god’s sake. And speaking of god, with Christian ideologies like complementarianism (first time I heard of this was on Gimlet’s Start Up show, the Church Planting Season, Episode “The Woman At The Pulpit”) we’re going in the opposite direction, think: Handmaids Tale.

Takeaway #4 - Intersectionality

One of the stickiest points is the lack of white women including and considering women of all races, and backgrounds. I recently watched a documentary called “White Like Me.” Where a white woman was talking to a black woman, and said “well, we’re both women” and the black woman responded with “no, when you look in the mirror you’re a woman, when I look in the mirror, I’m a black woman.” There it is. We have, I have, a lot of work to do, I’m trying my best. So no longer can nor should the conversation be a bunch of white women strategizing about what’s best for women. Because white women don’t have all the answers for all women everywhere. But I’m hopeful for the future of feminism and the progress we’re making, even if it does feel like we’re stepping back in time - I’m looking at you Alabama.

Rating: 5/5

Recommendation:

For all living humans.

Next month:

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Read it with me! And sign up to come to the Book Club!

Have a book suggestion? Let us know in the comments below!

On Working with Women of Color as a White Woman

Do you read Cup of Jo? I’ve been obsessed for 10 years. Joanna does this fantastic style series “A Week of Outfits.” One of them featured April Kae and I loved her approachable, effortlessly cool, layered style so I headed over to her instagram and clicked the follow button. I'm so glad I did as I have been inspired by not just her style but her activist voice and powerful presence. ⁣
⁣
Last year, in August, she posted this:⁣

Confession: When people hire me to model, they're almost always white. Why? Because the people who have the resources to do so are almost all white. Of course, there's not a lot I can do about that. But what I can do is make an effort to work with more women of color, and make it cost-free and easy for them to work with me. In the first of what I hope are many such collaborations, I shot an entire look made BY US, FOR US. . The shirt was hand-made and designed by queer Black couple @the.gold.ones for their line @mindedcollection_. They were one of the first big accounts to follow me, and have inspired me to be loud and proud about who I am and what I believe in. . The pants were sourced by queer Black woman @KeikoEl, founder of @KnooksVintage. She's one of my newest friends, and is taking a unique and long-overdue Black-centric approach to vintage retailing. (Also, she's now selling her clothing at @jinxedstore in Philadelphia!) . The ring I'm wearing is by the most amazing Isabella Santos, creator of @little.rituals. All of her pieces are handmade and full of joy, and she donates a portion of each sale to international women's development organization @iwdaorg. . And, of course my hair was cut by @themonacut, a non-Black woman of color who cares so much about us and our curls. She doesn't see nappy hair as a challenge, but rather an opportunity. She loves how every head is different and beautiful its own way. . If you're interested in collaborating email me at april@imanigold.com (please don't DM). I'd love to hear about your project. . Photo by @heykatekelly ❤️

It inspired me and I wanted to reach out to her, but I was nervous, not really knowing if I would say something wrong, or maybe the whole point of her post was to collaborate with women of color and not white people, and was I missing the point? ⁣
⁣
I decided to email anyway. I told her how I worked with women businesses and that I wanted to work with more women of color and asked if she knew anyone that needed help. ⁣
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I’m so glad I did.⁣
⁣
She responded enthusiastically which sparked ongoing conversations that stretched, challenged, and made me cry - in the best way possible. ⁣We talked about how I could help more women of color, what that could look like, how to talk about it, what to say, what not to say, I read a lot, reached out to people, and joined FB groups. ⁣
⁣
I know there are plenty of women of color that can afford my services, money is not really the point. The point is that POC have been systematically held back and continue to be, and I want to do my part in acknowledging that, creating a safe place, helping people feel seen, and giving a boost of encouragement.⁣ I’m also not trying to be a white savior or charitable, but be an advocate for justice. ⁣

This isn’t a pretty conversation, I know I don’t have the right words. But if you are a woman of color or someone you know is and needs help, please reach out. Let’s chat, and see what we can make work. ⁣

Email me - hey@feminest.com

---

Sources I read:

The Case for Reparations by Ta-Nehisi Coates (if you don’t read any of these, read this one)

Your Dictionary Definition of Racism Is Outdated Trash by OnlyBlackGirl

Racial Equality Tools

Racial Equality Tools Glossary

7 reasons why reverse racism doesn’t exist by S.E. Smith

Here's why 'reverse racism' doesn't actually exist in the US by Phillip Lewis, Mic

My Blackness Is Not the Problem, America’s Rampant White Supremacy Is by Toni Bell

On The Code Switch Podcast: 'I'm Not Black, I'm O.J.!' by Gene Demby

Dear White Feminists, We Can Do Better by Britni de la Cretaz

Reparations: Requests & Offerings FB Group

Entrepreneur Money Transparency: Photographer in Columbus, OHio

Name: Grace E. Jones

Age: 25

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Type of business: Service

Industry: Wedding/Photography

Number of years in business full-time? 8

Are you in a relationship that's financially supportive of you? Yes

If so, partner's annual income? $25,000

Home Rent: $700

List all of the years you've been in business and your revenue (this is money in before expenses are taken out):

2010 - $5,000
2011 - $5,000
2012 - $10,000 (I was still in high school for these years, so I couldn’t do full time work)
2013 - $10,000 (in school in another state)
2014 - $20,000
2015 - $25,000
2016 - $40,000 (year I got married)
2017 - $70,000
2018 - $70,000

You had a huge jump from 2016 to 2017, what do you attribute that to?

The huge jump was due to me raising my prices + booking more weddings! I went from 5 weddings in 2016 to 15 in 2017 + each year it keeps growing. And I got my butt in gear and started to blog more and make my website more SEO friendly!

Average monthly revenue?? $5,000

On average, what percentage of your revenue goes to expenses yearly? 15%

Average monthly expenses breakdown:

Photoshop/Lightroom - $10
PPA membership - $50
Gear insurance - $80
Cell phone - $90
Car insurance - $100
Apps - $5
Website - $10
Narrative - $9

Total: $354, 7% of average monthly revenue

What's been the best investment in your business? Learning about SEO

What's been the worst investment? Getting online guides from an Instagram famous photographer. Learned nothing and spent $200.

What percentage of your profit do you keep? 30% Avg. of $21,000

Money is so emotional. Scale of 10 being really positive, how you feel about your money overall? And why?
8 for sure. I feel really good about it! From a young age my mom taught me how to care for money and not to see it as an overwhelming thing (she’s also a small business owner) So since the age of 10 I have always had a savings account and have not put a big emphasis on money itself, I know that I am capable to bring in what I need when I need it, and fretting over it is only going to take up brain power that I can use to do my work. 

What are your money goals for 2019? In 2019 I would like to get to $85,000-$90,000 

How much longer do you see yourself being a photographer? Do you picture (pun intended) yourself pivoting? I want to keep doing it until it doesn’t bring me joy and becomes just another task to cross off the list. When that happens, I would love to go to school to become a Naturopathic Doctor. 

Thank you so much Grace for shedding some light on the money trajectory of a photographer!

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Graphic illustrated by the amazing Elloise Mae Foster of Budget Bae, a talented muralist that has a passion for female financial literacy and we’re channelling our raging feminism in this series, just for you.

Want to join the money transparency revolution? Fill out this form and/or contact me - hey@feminest.co

Currently seeking tech and product based businesses. If you’re service, would still love to hear from you! And if you’re a 9-5 but have a side hustle? Would love to have you too!

Finding a survey form that has an upload file feature for squarespace

Squarespace Forms vs. Wufoo vs. Typeform vs. Google Forms

Squarespace

I’m launching a platform called Sunday Founders, it’s a tech founder matching site with a gender lens. My co-founder Gretchen Scott and I, were needing to do some simple information gathering about our users through a form and for whatever reason something that seemed really easy turned into 4 weeks of road blocks and research! I wanted to share my discoveries with others in case

We’re currently hosting the site on Squarespace but we really valued having the image upload feature and logic jump so that immediately eliminated using Squarespace.

Squarespace form

Wufoo

When you google “image upload form field on squarespace” Squarespace articles suggest using Wufoo. But as we started investigating, design wise, it looks pretty terrible, which cause us to continue searching.

Wufoo in AUD

Typeform

I really love Typeform and it covered all of the bases we were needing but at $500 AUD it was a hard pill to swallow for just testing a basic MVP. I actually had my credit card out ready to pay $350/yr for it and then the exchange rate changed it to $500 and I just couldn’t do it. Even though Wufoo is significantly cheaper than Typeform, the design is so terrible it's really hard to consider Wufoo a serious option.

Typeform pricing in USD

Google Forms

So the search continued. I have created a lot of surveys with Google Forms but I didn’t realize that it allowed an upload file field. However, upon further research I discovered you sacrifice being able to embed it on your site. Google Forms is also not as visually appealing as Squarespace and Typeform and but wasn’t as bad as Wufoo.

Google forms

In Conclusion

We ultimately ended up going with Google Forms because of the functionality was there that we needed (logic jumps and file upload) and price point was right (free) but if money wasn’t an issue, hands down I would go with Typeform.

Book review: 6 Books in 3 months

Quick reviews of the 6 books on my night stand in the last 3 months. In order of the highest rating first to lowest rating last:

Women & Power: A Manifesto, Mary Beard - goes back 3000 years into recorded history of men telling women to shut-up. I love her incredible knowledge around feminist history and applying it to today's Hilary Clinton and Teresa May's. It's a quick read. And as a woman trying to have a voice in today's world, will validate you that, no, you're not a crazy person. 5/5

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy Schumer - I don’t know why I didn’t pick this up immediately when it was published in 2016. Maybe it’s because so many of the female comedians I love came out with books and I was still catching up, Tina (2011), Poehler (2014), Mindy (2015)… who knows. In any case, there was something so comforting reading it. Schumer covers sexual and physical abuse, complicated family dynamics, being poor, being rich, and all the grit it takes to work your way up as a comedian. I highly recommend it, with the caveat that it doesn’t read like a memoir or coming of age, more like short stories which is great, but surveying my friends is the reason it hasn’t received the traction that say, Bossy Pants has. 4.5/5

Fight Like a Girl, Clementine Ford - is an Aussie born feminist. She’s smart and funny but honestly the repeated rehashing of twitter/social media controversies left me not finishing the book. 4/5

Says Who?: The Struggle for Authority in a Market-Based Society, Paul Verhaeghe - I really liked this book initially, the topic is fascinating to me, but I just couldn't get into it. A tad too academic perhaps? 3/5

Women Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, Genee Roth - Roth is a great story-teller (a bit indulgent at times) but maybe I have too many issues with food to make me continue to read it. The woo felt dated, even though I fully believe that all of these topics can overlap. 2.5/5

Radical Candor, Kim Scott - I'm into radical and candor, but this felt like it's more for corporate teams than, well, me. I don't really have an issue with being direct, nor do I think it's that radical. But I the title peaked my interest. I'm sure it's great for people at places like PwC/KPMG, or any large corporation. 2/5

#FEMINESTCHATS INTERVIEW WITH AMANDA JANE JONES

Here's the eighth interview in the #feminestchats series with the talented and kind Amanda Jane Jones, graphic designer and the founding art director of Kinfolk. Amanda and I knew one another from Chicago where I reached out to her when she was producing Define Magazine and got to work a bit with her on it. Which was delightful.

How are you feeling right now, 10 being the most incredible?

A 10! Playing the glad game a lot lately and it really helps you feel your best.

Glad game? I need more info….

Oh! It's from Pollyanna the movie. Just looking on the bright side of things, finding things to be glad for. Basically counting your blessings. Once you start thinking about all the things that make you glad, it's pretty hard to be unhappy about things.

Of course, Pollyanna! Oh man, flashbacks. I need the glad game in my life.

What's the fam doing right now? Is cree hiding out with them in the back?

Cree is picking up Jane from school with Miles! I think they are going to get some hot chocolate so I can have an extra 30 minutes of work time. ;)

I would love to know what it was like to be a part of Kinfolk as it grew and scaled massively Scary, exciting? All of it?

It felt like a big scramble, but it taught me that you don't have to know how to do something to try it. We were just making it up as we went!

Did you find yourself designing differently when you were getting bigger? if so, how?

No and yes - I've always been a simple designer, but I've toned down a bit. Right out of college I was very into letterpress and vintage style design and my work has become more modern - more classic. I also think that's just part of the changing styles.

I have a friend who likes to eat desserts alone and for whatever reason I get it, what's your "I'm alone I'm going to have THIS dessert"

Oh man - a stan's donuts just was built close enough for post-mates to deliver! If I order by 7pm, they get to me before 8 - right after the kids go to bed. Ha!

Dangerous.

You do so many amazing collabs! How do you decide when to do one and when not to? 

I've felt so lucky! It's been SO much fun. I tend to say yes to companies that have similar styles and companies that are open to letting me be me while designing.

Your insta following is cult-level, what's your criteria for what to post? 

I guess the insta-stories are more casual and "instant" - my actual feed is more curated and polished. 

You seem like you curate everything in your life - have you always been this way? I'm just really curious to know what the AJJ teen room was like. I know you're a Hanson fan but I'm assuming no Hanson posters on the wall?

Haha, I did actually have a complete hanson wall - floor to ceiling! But then my mom said she would pay 50% of a room make-over and I painted my walls lime green and bought inflatable furniture. I LOVED it.

Um, this sounds like Delias/Alloy catalogue, AKA drool worthy for a teen in the late 90's, right?

Oh! I'd forgotten about Delias - I devoured that magazine - couldn't wait until it came. I never purchased anything from there, but my mom found fabric that matched a dress I liked and asked a friend to help make it for me.

So crafty!

Who should I be following on insta?

Anna Kovaces! She is so good! I have her year in the life print on my mantle which shows the stages of pregnancy and postpartum - I bought it for myself for mothers day. ha!

What's your biggest takeaway from the Define Magazine project?

I loved so much about it! but it took so much time away from my family. In the end, it made me grateful for my current job and it's flexibility. 

I know Lake Michigan is a huge source of inspiration for you, any others?

I love books! I have a book wall at home that is a wonderful source of inspiration. I also love going to concerts and movies and listening to jazz. 

Do you have a system for how to handle mean comments?

Haha, I've learned the hard way just not to engage - or just kill them with kindness. It's not really worth it to engage. 

Smart.

I know you got a lot of push back on your McDonald's sponsored post. It's been a couple of years now since that happened, any retrospective thoughts?

Oh man, well - it was a mistake to take on that job in the first place. It was the first actual "sponsored" post I'd ever done and I was like, "WHAT? I can make this much money by posting one photo of my daughter with a clementine??!" Cree had a crazy stressful schedule with school and I was a new mom in a new city trying to support my husband and family financially on top of it all - so I was really excited to make some quick cash. It was a great learning experience though because, some brands just aren't a good fit and not worth the grief no matter how hight the price or how much you need the money. 

Yes to all of that. I can’t even imagine the grief. I think that was when McDonald’s was pushing a campaign to help their reputation with Moms and I’ve never spent more time in a comments section as I did when DesignMom had a McDonalds sponsored post, and started with, “I felt hypocritical — I felt like I was pretending I’m never a McDonald’s customer, when actually, from time-to-time, I am.” I guess there are people who never eat at McDonalds’s, I’m not one of them, and I don’t think you either. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be so hard on yourself.

You're so nice - I loved McDonalds growing up. It was such a treat! And when they had those mini-beanie babies in the happy meals?! THE BEST. Usually it's one of the few options when you're on a road trip, and we road trip a lot - so in my mind it was a great step in the right direction that they were adding healthier options to their meals. I think McDonalds is just fine in moderation - just like most things in life. I forget all the crazy comments people made - but one woman compared me to the devil or something random like that which was just ridiculous.

THE DEVIL. HAHA.

Let's say you have all the flexibility, time with family and balance in the world, what are your career goals?

I'd really love to start up Define Magazine again when my kids are older and I can afford more hands on deck. It was received so well and was growing so fast, but I just didn't have the manpower. We also have our first children's book coming out next fall and I'd love to do some more  in the series. I've also been working on some other book concepts that I'm keeping my fingers crossed too!

That’s incredible! Congrats on the children’s book and do you have a link to pre-order or should we just follow you on Insta to know how we can buy it and all your other books coming out? :)

Thank you! We're so excited. It's a dream of mine and it's even more exciting to get to do it with my BFF, Cree. We don't have pre-order links yet, but I'll post the minute they are up!

Amanda you’re a dream. Thanks for sharing and being a source of inspiration for so many people!

Past #feminestchats interview:

1. Jamie Nugent, all about money mindset?? Check it out! 

2. Or the second with graphic designer Lidia Varesco Racoma? Here it is!

3. Or maybe the one on closing a yoga practice and starting podcasts with Andrea Klunder? Go watch!

4. Or brand therapist Leisse Wilcox - have a watch.

5. Domini of Her Words! Click here.

6. Elle Steele on giving yourself permission to do what you want. One step away.

7. Whitney Lundeen who recently got a deal on Shark Tank! Here.

Know of anyone that I should interview? I’m looking for strong feminist business owners that have a story to share!

A Year Recap Through Instagram INSIGHTS - 2018

THE INSIGHTS

Last year I did my first blog post on Instagram Business year in review. Although I’ve taken a break from Instagram the last two months it’s still kind of fun no? The backend has changed dramatically. See last years post to compare the insane amount of options and navigation there are now!

Impressions - The total number of times all of your posts have been seen. (One person can view it multiple times.)

• Let's Camp 2017 content was the winner last year and is the winner again this year in 2018.

• 3 quotes made the cut.

• Also feel flattered that my creative business cards got a lot of impressions

• That “Thinking of You” illustration by Mari Andrew on Mother’s Day was timely, I said I would try to do more of that after the popularity of the glossier post but I didn’t. Honestly it feels too hard.

Reach - The number of unique accounts that have seen any of your posts (only counting the account, not the views).

• Again, the winning post was from the retreat weekend (read posts on that here and here).

• Pretty much the same as above except for 4 quotes instead of 3 and a shakeface video :).

Engagement - The number of times your post was linked, saved, and commented on.

• The day we moved from Chicago makes sense that it has the most engagement.

• I love that “Fight the patriarchy. Start a business.” is ranked so high. It resonates with me on a high level. I think the caption brought the most engagement though

  • I believe the fastest way we're going to take down the patriarchy is by empowering ourselves through entrepreneurship. Let's reclaim how we spend our time, our growth potential, our pay. For now and the foreseeable future, we live in a society where "money is power" and "money talks" and it's the only voice the patriarchy listens to. #IMHO So start your business, grow your business, and let's take down the patriarchy together.

• That “women” pie is amazing.

Likes (You know this.)

• One new quote here and that hat!

Comments (You know this, too.)

• New one here - post about my dad’s death (it’s weird to “like” sad posts), feminest movies recommendations, video from 2008 (because it’s hilarious)

Saved - The number of unique accounts that saved your posts.

• This was the first full year that they had the saved function. I rarely ever use it and even if I do I rarely go back to it, but apparently other people use it all the time. Especially for quotes!

• I find it fascinating that people will save a post but not like it or comment on it. This function almost feels like the most “telling” to me on what people value and want to remember from your content.

New Categories! Profile Visits, Follows, Website Clicks

• This is really interesting information but I don’t quite know what to make of it yet.

• Profile Visits vs Website Clicks are really interesting. All those website clicks are when I had a very clear CTA to sign up for something or read a blog post.

• Follows I don’t quite know what to make of. What’s the path? They got to my page from my post somehow and then followed me? Or they scrolled through my page clicked on some posts and then followed me and whatever post they were on that they hit “followed” was how the insight was calculated? Unsure.

Overall, lessons learned:

• Retreat was a hit again

• Post timing, like the Glossier #bodyhero campaign and Mother’s Day is great, but I can’t promise myself I’ll actually be good at doing anything about it.

• Keep doing the quotes!

• Ultimately I want people going to my website, so even if a post doesn’t have high engagement, if it has a high website click, that’s all I care about.

What's working for you in your insights? Anything that surprises you? Would love to hear!

MONEY MONEY MONEY: TRANSPARENCY IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

One of the biggest black boxes in entrepreneurship is money. How do you make it? What are realistic milestones? What should you be charging? Are there different profit margins depending on the industry? How do you predict the future with financial projections which can feel ridiculous (and a lot of times are).

In my 1:1 consulting a financial audit is high priority - in fact, it’s the second session. If I’ve learned anything from my business so far is that you never know what people are making from the outside. Some people look like they’re rolling in the dough and then when I’ve taken a peak behind the curtain, they’re in the red. Some people look like they have fairly modest businesses and again, when you lift the hood - they’re making 7 figures. It never ceases to amaze me.

When I talked to Whitney of Sonnet James last month and she shared her revenue (!) and that the industry standard in fashion is a 10% profit margin (10%!) it got me thinking that we all need this. We need this so bad.

Everlane has been a leader in transparency pricing for their products but this pricing doesn’t include internal operations, marketing, office costs etc. Speaking of transparency, Glassdoor has an interesting review of the company, "Company business growing, but lack of transparency, and growth in leadership and maturity." Wouldn’t it be great to see how much revenue they’re making? If they’re in the red? How much people are getting paid?

And then there was Buffer. Who is really just taking this whole thing to another level, it publishes their equity, revenue, salaries and more! It’s insane and fascinating. (I’m shocked the founder is only making $225k).

Someone asked me to share my revenue the last 3 years on instagram and I did (the horror!). I asked if others would too and had 34 people message me saying they would like to participate. I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised. I feel like there’s so much to learn from all of these different businesses that I need to create a platform to allow all of these people to share.

And because Instagram can be magical sometimes I was introduced to Elloise Mae Foster of Budget Bae, a talented muralist that has a passion for female financial literacy. She’s also Melbourne based and we’ve teamed up. She’s going to be producing the fab graphics and I’ll be handling the copy and we’re channelling our raging feminism in this series, just for you.

Want to join the money transparency revolution? Fill out this form and/or contact me - hey@feminest.co

Currently seeking tech and product based businesses. If you’re service, would still love to hear from you! And if you’re a 9-5 but have a side hustle? Would love to hear from you too!

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Here are some money references that people have been sending to me with all the money talk. Maybe they’ll help you!

The Owler - A “glassdoor” for the start-up world. I found this incredibly helpful. You can see their revenue, investment money, competitors, even a CEO score! I’m spreading the word on it like crazy because I think it’s an amazing tool to see the potential of a business idea and what’s currently happening in the market.

Suze Orman at the Apollo on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversation - Gives me life. Suze is incredibly charismatic, has the american dream coming of age story. Financial advice? Long story short - pay off your debts, max out your retirement savings, live beneath your means.

Money Diaries by Refinery 29 - I spent a good 2 hours on this site after it was sent to me. Loved looking at the $315k/year New York entry. There’s a ton of 5 figure and entry level salaries which are great for your mid to late 20’s but it would be nice to see more 6 figures! Also, these are mostly corporate 9-5’s so that’s where I come in on wanting to see a more entrepreneurial spin.

ZigZag - a podcast exploring capitalism, journalism and women. Affiliated with Civil.co but I can’t quite figure out the relationship yet (and don’t have time to research it for this post).

The Financial Diet - has an amazing following on instagram to just be talking about money to women had their highest youtube video has 1.6 M views - 11 Things I Cut from My Budget and Don't Miss at All. Great for women in their early to mid 20’s.

The Broke Generation - Melbourne based - she and I are trying to figure out a time to collaborate!

The 18 Books I Read in 2018

In 2017, instead of publishing a book club review in December, I decided to wrap up the year with quick and dirty reviews for each book I read (including the top three books I refer to clients), I’ll be doing it again for 2018. I won't be fully explaining what each book is about — you can click the hyperlinks to find that out for yourself — instead, I'm giving you my biggest takeaways.

Top Referred Books of 2018

These three books came up time and time again with my clients this past year, and I highly recommend reading each of them:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson - This was probably my top referred book of the year. Mansons “tell it like it is” approach obviously has a mass appeal. He brings a modern voice to self help that isn’t ultra masculine (coughDarren Hardycough) but also not new age glamour either (ahem, Gabrielle Bernstein). When fear has you crippled from moving forward, starting with not giving a f*ck will break down some serious mental barriers.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan - I was sitting on the tram finishing the last chapter, a 60 something year old woman sat next to me and I found myself restraining to tap her shoulder and ask “have you read this? how are you? what do you think? do you feel like we’ve progressed? do you have daughters? do you work? have you wanted to work?….” This book is life changing. Important. Essential for every living woman. Unless you grew up with a mother who had an egalitarian marriage, a fulfilling career, zero mental health issues, and the ability to communicate all of her thoughts and feelings in a culture context, it’s essential for life.

How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan - Maybe not my most referred, but the one that I’ve probably brought up the most to people. If you want to bring up the topic of psychedelics with someone and not feel like you’re going to come off as a total weirdo, How to Change Your Mind is a great place to start.

And all the other books

I've listed the rest of the books I read in 2018 in order of most liked to least liked (left to right, top to bottom). You're obviously welcome to read through each one, OR you can go to the top of the post, look at the book covers, and ⌘F the titles you're interested in reading my quick thoughts on.

*How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan - ^

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan - ^

Educated by Tara Westover - It’s not just because I grew up Mormon, went to Brigham Young University (the same years as Westover), and my bff went on study abroad with her that I think this may be the best memoir I’ve ever read. It’s because her story is out of a wild west film and she has suffered and redeemed herself in every way possible, physically, spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually. And well, maybe it is personal because while jogging my memory to write this paragraph I watched this video and bawled when she sang at the end.

Jerusalem: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi and Yotam Ottolenghi - I realize you may think it’s not appropriate to list a cookbook but this isn’t just any cookbook. Before every recipe Tamimi and Ottolenghi write their personal experience and why it’s included. It’s so intimate it makes you feel like you know them and you know more about Jerusalem culture. I visited Jerusalem in 2010 and it was a powerful experience. While we were there we ate fattoush for breakfast and it was surprisingly refreshing and delicious. It really made me question the American full-carb offering I had my entire life.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg - I know people have a lot of mixed feelings about Sandberg, but I just have one single feeling, love. Option B navigates her experience and emotions after the death of her partner, Dave Goldberg. She spellsour ability to deal with setbacks is largely determined by three P’s: personalization, pervasiveness, and permanence. My dad passed 2 years ago and a lot of this resonated with me and helped me feel more compassion for those suffering around me.

*White Hot Truth: Clarity for Keeping It by Danielle LaPorte - New age wisdom. Refreshing and fun. She’s like your cool aunt on a hot summer day giving you life advice and telling you stories.

*We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Important.

*Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown - So relevant in sorting through or divisive harmful political climate. Ahem, liberals need to learn here too.

*The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson - ^

*The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy - Although Hardy has a very masculine take on self-help it helped kick start my 21 day challenge series.

Shamanism : awaken and develop the shamanic force within by Christa Mackinnon - Very woo - but motivated me to finally create a meditation space to wake up to everyday.

*Start with Why by Simon Sinek - Don’t read the book. Just watch the TEDtalk (with 41 million views). He goes on and on about how important it is to have a “why” but doesn’t explain how to actually find one for your company.

*Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - Boring to me but people love it.

50 capitalism ideas you really need to know by Jonathan Portes - I think capitalism is fascinating, but this book was more of a reference book and hard to cozy up to.

The 1‑Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib - Dib’s assistant emailed me and asked if they could send me a copy. I thought it was okay but nothing revolutionary here.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - It’s fiction, I read half of it and stopped. People who like to read fiction love this book, but I don’t like fiction don’t ask me why I don’t know.

*The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein - New Age Glam to the max. Bernstein’s voice drives me nuts.

12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson - I kept seeing this cover at book stores, and then a young girl I met recently referenced a video in which he “takes down two feminists”. I was so confused by it all. I checked the book out from the library but then read this Vox article. I read the first chapter and because of the context I had, I couldn’t get myself to read the rest of book. Also, this title “dismantles feminism” cracks me up, as if t’s like “dismantles the patriarchy”! I’m still scratching my head.

*I reviewed this book, the hyperlink will take you to my book club post as oppose to Amazon.

What are some of your most recommended books of 2018? I'd love to know which books you have on your must-read list for 2019, I’m currently reading Sapiens!

FEMINEST BOOK CLUB: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan

Wanna join the Feminest book club? Of course you do. ;) See this post to learn more on how to join and check the events page on when the next book club is going to be!

The first Tuesday of every month, I'm selecting a feminist, business, or self-help book to review for that month. And, rest assured — if I'm featuring it — there’s something you oughta know! 

Last month I covered We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I gave it a 4/5 and I think everyone should read it for some quick insights into feminism.

This month I'm covering How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan (USA + AUS). I was nervous to choose this book because well, it’s about psychedelics, and to promote it publicly may feel, unprofessional? I also feel like there’s such a stigma around psychedelics, but it’s a topic that has interested my partner and I (more on that in the future maybe) for a while so I wanted to give it a go.

Another reason why I chose it was due to reading this quote from the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson (in 2011) “Taking LSD was a profound experience, one of the most important things in my life. LSD shows you that there’s another side to the coin, and you can’t remember it when it wears off, but you know it. It reinforced my sense of what was important—creating great things instead of making money, putting things back into the stream of history and of human consciousness as much as I could.”

Here’s my review in 3 takeaways:

Takeaway #1 - Psychedelics have a profound effect on mental health

Study after study showed the amazing anecdotal effects that psychedelics had on mental health. You can read the book obviously to learn about the specifics more but here’s his New Yorker article that started him on the journey, specifically a study to help ease anxiety for patients at the end of their lives.

Takeaway #2 - Drugs are not all the same

As a millennial I was raised with the D.A.R.E. program screaming “NO” as loud as I could for the police officer that came around every so often giving away small t-shirt wearing teddy bears. The program, needless to say didn’t educate (if it did, I can’t remember) on the differences in drugs and effects. Essentially from marijuana to crack cocaine they just all fried your brain:

I was also raised Mormon and lived the teaching very closely - down to not drinking coffee, so alcohol? No way. Weed? Never! LSD? Absolutely not.

I think from a public perspective there’s not a lot of education either. For example, even though LSD is a “schedule 1 drug” along with heroin! It’s not even listed on the #1 google ranked site searching “different drugs and their effects.” It’s impossible to get addicted to LSD btw, if you were to consume it the effect wears off and stops working, so all of this is a mystery.

But not really, Pollan takes the reader through the fascinating history of the different drugs and how it all got really political really fast.

Takeaway #3 - I wanted less and more

Pollan is a talented writer. I group him with Michal Lewis where they’re able to take a lot of seemingly boring information and turn it into a captivating story.

The end started to get repetitive with the clinical trials and I found myself skimming the last 40 pages. But his experience with Paul Stamets (see his TedTalk 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save The World), the shamans, and all the conversations he had, I ate up. I wanted more about his personal experiences and how he processed them. So fascinating reading an atheist grappling with any existence of a “god”. Ultimately I wanted more about the betterment of well people as I think it can be amazing for creativity and entrepreneurship and less about the mental health benefits.

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommendation:

The reason this would be a 5 is subject matter alone, but it’s a 4.5 because of length!

Next month:

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (AUS + USA)

“If you’ve never read it, read it now.”―Arianna Huffington

Read it with me! And sign up to come to the Book Club!

Have a book suggestion? Let us know in the comments below!