Be inspired by fabulous women who have CREATED

"It all started back when I was about 2 years old. My mom loved to bake and I loved to watch, well, in all honesty, I liked to sneak little tastes when she wasn’t looking. My favorite place was on a tall stool so I could watch everything that was happening. At around eight years old I had several of my favorite recipes memorized and would bake all summer long...I loved how the smell wafted through our home and made your mouth water...As I grew older my passion for baking didn’t fade. I started baking up a storm when I was in college. One time I stayed up till 2 am making a 9 layer cake for one of my friend’s birthdays. I absolutely love it and love the joy it brings to people. After working full time in a digital marketing agency for several years, I decided to follow my passion and in 2013, I moved to Paris for a year to study French pastry at Le Cordon Bleu...After I graduated I did a 3 month stage at La Fabrique á Gateaux in the Republique area. It was just me and two incredible women chefs in the kitchen. I stayed until 4 days before my visa was up, not wanting to leave the city I had started calling home. After spending a year back in Texas working for an incredible French pastry shop...I returned to Paris on a Jeune Professional visa to work at a cooking school. About a year later, I moved on to freelance pastry work, teaching classes, catering, and working for my biggest client, Chateau de Gudanes, a restoration project in the South of France. My work has now expanded to offering pastry workshops all over France and by request, at my apartment in Versailles.” @mollyjwilk 

Alexandria started her passion for fashion at age ten, when she persuaded her mother to let her be an assistant at her Fashion Design Studio everyday after school. At that young age she learned a lot about design and running a fashion business. At thirteen, her family moved from Nigeria to Atlanta, Georgia where she started modeling. As her modeling career advanced, she fell in love with the beauty and glamour of the industry. She fell in love with the well crafted luxurious Items, specifically handbags, that she got to wear as a model. But soon she realized that most women, including herself, could not afford the luxurious accessories and clothing that she modeled in magazines and on the runway. After earning her Masters Degree in Business Administration in 2008, she decided to put her educational background with her years of experience in the fashion industry and create a luxurious brand for the busy woman on the go. With the support of her husband Alfred Alli, F&W Style was born. F&W Style handbags are now in over 40 boutiques including select Ritz Carlton Gift shops nationwide, and featured in several publications including Modern Luxury, Black Enterprise, Jezebel Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, CBS, Atlanta Plugged-In and more. Alexandria also gives back to help those in need with her “Purse for Philanthropy” where she generously donates a percentage of sales to children’s charities. “Style is beautiful and easy, never forced. Get noticed for being just who you are.” Alexandria. W. Alli @fwstyle 

 “I'm Sylvia, a downtown Toronto girl who loves her city as much as Drake does. When I'm not working at my day job as a Lead Digital Marketing Strategist, I'm moonlighting as a Modern Calligrapher. I started teaching myself calligraphy (and practicing 2-4 hours daily) on a mission to paint my favourite leather jacket for my wedding in 2016. After that, I didn't have much use for a jacket with "Just married" written on the back of it so I posted it on a local Toronto trading site. There was so much demand for it that I ended up keeping the jacket to rent out every weekend for just a bottle of wine. Read more about #thejustmarriedjacket project and how it's expanding worldwide with my team of badass calligraphy babes. Now I offer my calligraphy services for brand events and I host workshops teaching others how to learn calligraphy too! I'm obsessed with pop culture and would be an asset to your trivia team. I have that on my resume for realsies. I enjoy eating ridiculously spicy food and love drinking a nice hoppy IPA. My go-to conversation starters are ‘what are you watching on Netflix?’ and ‘what food could you eat everyday for the rest of your life?’ xo Syl” @viacalligraphy  

Macy Pryor applied her passion for sculpture and eye for structural design to crafting custom leather bags and accessories for folks who wanted to be apart of the design process, and create a product that caters to their unique specifications and style. As she developed and cultivated her skillset on each custom piece, she became more passionate about teaching and sharing her knowledge with others. In 2017, Macy teamed up with BeadWORKS, and traveled to Kenya to teach an entire leather curriculum to add high end beaded leather goods to their already established line of products. Macy continues to work with a talented team of Kenyan artisans who create beautiful, colorful beaded accents to the custom leather pieces. In her hometown of Telluride, Colorado, Macy has a beautiful storefront showcasing her leather goods for purchase as well as her workroom where she designs and makes her unique, custom leather creations and teaches classes. “A bag acts as your sidekick on-the-go. It safely holds your most important belongings that are crucial for everyday life. Our objective is to make this bag special. For you to know the story behind the vintage or authentic textile, or to know it is the only one that exists in the entire world!” @crossbowleather @beadworkskenya 

"I got into knitting because my mom had shown me [how to knit] in the past but at the time, I did not have the patience to really learn. When my husband and I started working as nurses and my sleep schedule was off, I wanted something to do with my time, not just watch mindless TV. A friend at work was teaching herself to knit so I wanted to learn as well! It kind of flourished from there. I taught myself through videos on YouTube, and connected with a lot of great people from the community and they have been amazing resources!" Now, Cathryn not only knits and sells her amazing, creative knitted items, she sells KittysKnittyCreation original easy-to-follow patterns to create your own unique knitted  hat, scarf, beanie, etc. Once purchased, you can get instant PDF downloads to start your project immediately. She includes step-by-step directions, and recommendations for yarn selection and needle size. Photos and tutorial clips are also included with purchase. Cathryn is a wonderful example of a woman who serves her community by working as a night nurse, while running her own creative business. Follow Cathryn @kittysknittycreation

 "I’m Des, Founder of Oh So Delicioso. I’m a wife and mama with 4 wild kids, and a puppy named Poppy.  I love food and recipe development, but my passion is  photography. I live in Corona – a town in Southern California where my  family enjoys lots of pool days, sports, and tacos!"  Oh So Delicioso has fantastic easy-to-make timeless recipes, perfect for your next meal or special event. Each recipe has gorgeous photos and amazing easy recipes, some featured with creative culinary "how to" videos. Des has an inspiring story about standing strong and fighting the odds. "Something people don’t know about me is that I have LUPUS – an  autoimmune disease that affects my internal organs and joints.  As a  teenager my second home was the hospital where I spent years doing  chemotherapy to fight my disease. Going thru that experience made me resilient and compassionate for others." Visit her amazing website where she and partner Kadee have created delicioso recipes and online pantry shop. @ohsodelicioso 

I grew up on a corn and soybean farm in Bremen, Indiana. While I’m incredibly grateful to have grown up there, mostly for the foundation it provided, I always knew it wasn’t where I’d end up. It wasn’t until I moved to a larger city (NYC first and then San Francisco with a few others in between) that I felt like I was home. That's how Farmgirl got it's name though, although my Mom is the real farm girl! One of the things I’m most grateful for in life is that I learned how to work hard, think critically, and keep it real – and I was fortunate enough to learn those attributes on our tiny farm in that tiny town in rural Indiana. Starting a company has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It's brutal, and I’m not exaggerating. You'll feel like a complete failure a lot - which is probably new for all those type A’s used to superstar status in previous careers. You'll probably shed some tears (no matter how tough you are) - especially given how sleep deprived you’ll be from the 20+ hour days you're working. But if you trudge through it all, and work really, really hard, it’ll all be worth it (at least I’m banking on that). In my opinion, it mostly just boils down to perseverance, resilience, and good ol’ fashioned hard work. That’s it. Oh, and try not to worry about the people in the stands. Keep a copy of Theodore Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech close. I hope it helps you as much as it's helped me.  @farmgirlflowers  

Meet sisters, Agathe and Arielle of New York City as they share their inspiration for their bake at home kits delivered to your doorstep: "Red Velvet grew out of a love of baking and entertaining. In a city like New York, baking is no easy task. Ovens are more often filled with sweaters than desserts! We knew there had to be a better way. We believe dessert is about sharing and celebrating with people you care about. We love bringing people together and know you will too. Our kitchen is right in the heart of New York City, so our desserts are inspired by the cosmopolitan culture around us. We hand-pack each and  every Red Velvet baking kit from start to finish, bringing our kitchen to yours. We ship all over the U.S." They also ship gourmet gift sets and have an online Boutique to purchase baking tools, as well! These sisters are also active in supporting other women who are suffering with cancer. "We are proud to support Bright Pink, a nonprofit working to save women's lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering them to live proactively at a young age." An inspiring duo! @redvelvet

"Plants make people happy." This simple idea was the seed for what would become The Sill: a modern plant destination for the modern plant lover. Plants make us happier, healthier, more efficient and boost our  creativity. They even clean the air we breathe. But all our modern  city-living has us indoors a lot. So Eliza Blank thought: why not bring the  outdoors in? She thinks everyone deserves to have their own personal plant oasis. Eliza Blank was determined to start her own company, as she watched her brother run his company he started in college. “My brother told me from the beginning if you don’t give up, you will succeed.” This is exactly what Eliza did, she didn't give up. She worked tirelessly and was determined to succeed and now owns a successful company making people happy everyday!  You can visit one of her storefront locations, but no worries if  you can’t...the Sill will have your luscious greenery sent right to your  doorstep!  @thesill 

Isabel is a beautiful fine artist. She works in an Expressionistic style that straddles both abstraction and figuration. Her brushwork is both strong and  fluid – qualities that echo the nature of water, itself. Isabel captures the ‘special effects’ water presents to the eye: chaotic refractions in multi-planar space, sparkling light effects, distorted  shadows, rippled reflections, etc. – much of it in thick impasto paint, contrasted by passages of smooth vitality. She forged her connection to the water growing up in Southern California.  She loved the feeling of the cold salty ocean, and being under its big  waves. Isabel offers a special debt of gratitude to her grandmother, who often took her up on the cliffs overlooking the water to plein-air  paint. “Just paint what you see,” her grandmother would tell her,  taking after the French Impressionists of yore. In 2013, Isabel moved  to San Francisco, fulfilling her dreams of studying at The Academy of  Art University and receiving a BFA in Fine Art Painting and Drawing  2016. She even played on the women's volleball team!  @isabelemrich

With a unique culinary ethos centered around eclectic, vibrant dishes that are rooted in her Venezuelan heritage; Adriana is an exciting and fresh new culinary voice. "Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you."  Adriana was born in Caracas, Venezuela into a family of architects and artists. Combining her natural eye for design and personal passion for all things food, she decided to pursue a culinary career. She refined her talents at top international culinary programs including L'Ecole de Cuisine Alain Ducasse in France and Sumito Estévez’s Instituto Culinario Caracas in Venezuela, before serving as an apprentice at Spain’s Michelin 3-star restaurant, Martín Berasategui. Adriana moved to NYC in 2011, where she's since launched her successful pop-up and private dining company, Tepuy Dining, as well as held the title of executive chef at the James Beard-award winning Nolita eatery, De Maria. Additionally, Adriana is a three-time winner of the Food Network’s Chopped; her most recent victory was on the highly competitive "Chopped Grand Championship" – she is the only Latin-American female chef to have won the title. Beyond her work in the kitchen, Urbina is also a passionate activist. Her ongoing mission is to use her unique culinary expertise as a voice to shine a light on meaningful causes that support immigration reform, women’s rights, and aid to those in need in her home country of Venezuela. @adrianaurbinap

Beck Feiner is an illustrator, designer and author living in Sydney, Australia. She graduated with honours in Visual Communications from UTS Sydney.  Beck’s creative style has evolved from her years working as a graphic designer and art-director in the advertising industry in Sydney and overseas. Her concepts, characters, scenes and motifs illustrate a sense of fun and a colourful love of life. Becky left the world of advertising to produce her two most rewarding creations: Levi and Esme. While doing so Becky has decided to focus on her true passion: illustration. She created the original Mum’s Milestones cards plus the first ever Yiddish Emojis. In 2017 she was approached by Harper Collins to turn a project ‘Aussie Legends Alphabet’ into a book. This turned into a 4 book deal, with her husband Robin Feiner as writer/co creator. Their second book ‘If I was Prime Minister’ has just been published. Beck hopes to have a long career creating books that kids love. @beckfeiner_illustrations @alphabetlegends

"Hey Sweets! My name is Bree, I live in Los Angeles & I LOVE CAKE!
My  desire for baking started in 2009 when I began to teach myself various baking and decorating techniques with the tips that I saw online & on TV. It has since turned into one  of my greatest passions! Goes to show you that if you work hard (I mean extremely hard) and are passionate about something you CAN do it with heart and dedication! We ALL start somewhere!! I hope this inspires you to never give up on your dream! All of my cakes & desserts are custom designed. I specialize in helping you make your vision a reality...in EDIBLE form. Thanks for stopping by to preview my work, its people like you that make my treats a little more Sweet!
xoxo Bree" @breescakes

"I am a ranch wife, mom, silversmith and engraver. My life is crazy and busy but, I love what I do and I do it best when my family is with me. I have two wild boys who rope and show cattle. My husband is a fifth generation rancher on his family ranch in Helix, Oregon. Together we love the life we lead.  We try to balance cows, kids, horses, dogs, fence, 4-H, roping and learning. I have been working as a maker since 2004. I don't believe you can ever stop learning.  I am an engraver and love more than anything to engrave." Follow Amy @amy_raymond and see her amzing talent! She has beautiful pieces and does custom work, as well.

Sandra Harvey is an American fashion designer. Her design sensibility was born from her beach lifestyle, around the surf and skateboard culture in Laguna Beach California. In 2009, Harvey moved with her two sons, Sam and Colin, to Asheville North Carolina, known for its highly acclaimed Culinary Culture. There she was inspired to design a Chef Jacket that is elegant and functional. She attended Culinary School to gain a full knowledge of the working chef. “I wanted a design that would match the artistic flair the chefs put into their food..." The Jacket is designed for a hourglass figure so the waist is nipped in with fuller hips, with deep side pockets for a high fashion look. "I use organic cotton poplin and twill with added Lycra for comfort, the sleeve is cut slender with a tall mock french cuff to pull up rather then roll. It is quite lovely and does get lots of attention when worn.” Designer Fitted Chef Coats, Aprons, Pants, and Apparel. Made in the USA , Manufactured in North Carolina and Southern California.  Sandra Harvey products are Durable, Functional, lightweight, and designed for Women. Follow Sandra @sandraharveydesign 

"My cookie-decorating journey began in  December 2016 when I started planning my son's first birthday. I was unsure of the theme at that time so I got on Pinterest and started  searching! I kept seeing all of these amazing decorated cookies and knew  I had to have them at the party. My first cookies were for a friend’s  birthday. After that it was Christmas cookies for my family, and then my  first “order” came from my sister in January. They were cow cookies for my nephew’s 2nd birthday! I was enjoying my new hobby so much. As a  stay-at-home mom this was the perfect opportunity to start something  that allowed me to work from home while raising our son! After  discovering a whole new and inspiring world of cookies on Instagram I decided that I wanted to make things official with a business name and  my first post on January 6, 2017."  Follow Morgan and her beautiful cookie creations @cowtowncookieco 

 Folio's Top Woman Entrepreneur in Media in 2018, alongside Martha Stewart who was given the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jeanette is a media powerhouse! Jeanette and her husband launched their media business, Bennett Communications in 1998 with a simple newsletter. Now, 21 years later, Jeanette is being honored with Martha Stewart! Jeanette's media creations include, of which she is also the editor-in-chief; Utah Valley Magazine, Utah Valley Bride, BusinessQ, Prosper Magazine and a custom publishing division specializing in academics, network marketing, and homebuilding. Jeanette was named Business Leader of the Year by Utah Valley University in 2018. Jeanette is also a mother to 5 children while running her media company, public speaking and attending other events. The ultimate creating woman! Follow her @jeanettebennett

Samantha Hammond is a professional luxury travel agent and the CEO/ Founder of 'Jus Adventures' travel agency. She started as a 'Destination Weddings' and group specialist doing 40+ weddings and groups per year. In 2017, Samantha launched 'Jus Adventures', a travel host agency, where she currently trains and mentors agents. Besides having a flourishing travel business, Hammond continuously travels the world partnering with countless resorts and tourism boards to get first hand experiences of the destinations and properties that she recommends to her clients. (This sounds amazing!).
Currently, Hammond is an avid yogi who resides in New York with husband Phillip and their 2 dogs and 3 cats. Follow Samantha @samtravelchick and click on her photo to visit her beautiful website.

"As a survivor of abuse, painting is an excavation of everything I hid in  my mind and body for survival during childhood. It is an act of  reclaiming my voice, as well as my way of establishing agency over my  own body and the messages told about it and its worth. Painting is also  how I process and heal from trauma and understand its impact on my life  as a woman and mother raising my own children. I examine pain and  investigate it's impact within the body & psyche while also  celebrating the resiliency, joy, and transformation that can occur in  spite of it in my paintings."  Follow Addy @addyeb_art and visit her website. 

"We are the Cu sisters. Chrystle, the dentist, is an extreme,  pro-flosser. Cat, the artist, is a little lazier on the flossing  frontier. We started Cocofloss to make flossing – an essential  yet often neglected daily routine – more fun, motivating, and rewarding  for everyone. We deliver  superior floss – the softest and most-cleansing dental floss – to  protect smiles. We infuse coconut oil, a natural antimicrobial, which soothes your gums while Cocofloss fibers scrub all that irritating plaque away. For the love of your smile, come Cocofloss with us!" Find Cocofloss on Instagram @getcocofloss

" My idea to create REVLY stemmed from my own personal journey of self-acceptance. I grew up in Southern California constantly surrounded by beach bodies and standards that shattered my confidence. Instead of flaunting my body at the beach with friends, weekend water activities ended up becoming the most anxiety-ridden parts of my life. I started dieting and did anything I could to lose weight, putting all of my happiness in a number on a scale. Finally, I realized that my worth was not dependent on set media standards and I knew that I needed to help inspire other people to fight back. Because bikinis used to bring me so much anxiety, I wanted to create a line of active swimwear that inspired others to be just as happy with themselves." Find REVLY Sport on Instagram @revlysport

   Everyone needs a "Thought Coach" so meet Stin! "Life will give you opportunities over and over to deal with all sorts of emotions. Take advantage of every chance you get to work through the feelings that come!" Visit Stin's website, Instagram page and YouTube Channel to watch and listen to her incredible insight into a healthy mind. Find Stin on Instagram @mythoughtcoach

"We are four sisters, Adriana,  Natalia, Liliana and Juliana Acevedo, second-generation shoe makers who grew up running around our mother’s shoe factory in Columbia, helping our father in his shoe  stores, begging to attend trade shows, and happily diving into  suitcases of samples after our parent’s sourcing trips. Now, KAANAS is a family doing what we love  most and do best; produce high quality and socially responsible products  that marry playful, feminine design with classic silhouettes. Bold  prints and quality craftsmanship define our collections." Visit their incredible website and follow them on Instagram (@kaanasshoes)  to see all their latest designs.

Simply Sylvia is the eponymous style diary of a former Parisian who brings that effortless, “je ne sais quoi” touch  to life and style. Sylvia pursued her childhood  dream to move to Paris to work in fashion, and  the experience changed her forever. She learned not only about style and  edge, but about what the French call l’art de vivre…the art of life. A fashion chameleon, Sylvia is a  frequent world traveler, a fitness enthusiast, and an avid style seeker. She founded her blog to share the fashion, places, people and experiences that inspire her. She hopes they will inspire  you too. Find Sylvia on Instagram @simplysylvia in her stylish posts!

Julie Bednarski is the founder and president of Healthy Crunch; totally nut free, gluten free and dairy free healthy snacks. It was her dismal discovery, several years ago, that there wasn’t a single tasty kale chip on the market that led her to this endeavor of developing her own line of chips. Julie, who is a  Registered Dietitian as well as a trained chef, created her tasty kale chips, and now has an entire array of other crunchy, healthy, allergen free snacks you can find on her website! You can also follow Julie's yummy posts on Instagram @healthycruch.

Designer Heather Fish brings you Pearl Swimwear based in the beautiful seaside community, San Clemente, California. Heather is a mother of three wild, wonderful surfer boys, and when not designing, she's paddling out to the line-up with them! Pearl reflects Heather's lifestyle and love for the ocean, with a collection of beautiful resort dresses, unique beach wraps, and swimwear of the highest quality cottons, linens, and Lycra.

"I am a wife and a mother of six who loves all things culinary. When I got married I did not know how to cook and I set out to learn how. I have not stopped learning since. My website is my ode to food; where to eat it and how to make it. To me food brings people together, especially good food." Visit Jenny's beautiful website and read her delicious blog! And don't forget to follow her on Instagram, because she is an avid traveler, as well

"I always painted, drew... and created. To me, it was the best way to  express myself and enjoy life's best things. I grew up in Toulouse  (France) and as a child I used to be a model that my mother painted. To  tell the truth, I was more interested by seeing her work than staying  static! Visual arts were my favorite subject at school, and growing up I  made it a hobby. It finally became my profession!" Follow  Marie-Laure on Instagram @liligraffiti and visit her amazing website!