Billboard Activism – Afrovisibilty
Lekia Lee, the mother of an 11-year-old girl in the UK, has produced a billboard to celebrate natural Black hair because she does not want her daughter to think she has to use extensions, wigs or chemical straighteners. Lee is the driving force behind a billboard campaign in London encouraging black women of all ages to rock their natural hair with pride.
The 49-year-old said UK Billboards let her have the space in West Kensington for two weeks for free.
“The billboard challenges the narrative of beauty and promotes diversity and counters underrepresentation,” Lée says she constantly praises natural hair at home but doesn’t see this happening in the outside world, which she feels is damaging for young black girls like her daughter.
She added: “It’s not just a trend – natural hair is here to stay.”
Cover image of Esperanza Spalding, the jazz singer and bassist, has had natural hair her entire life and has even been quoted saying that she never has and never will relax it.
Learn more about the lies about ‘lye’ and other cosmetics marketed to black women
Run To Win
RUN TO WIN
EMILY’s List is launching Run to Win, a national recruitment campaign aimed at recruiting and helping thousands of pro-choice Democratic women around the country run for office and win.
We’ve been working to recruit and elect women to office for over 30 years because we know that women bring unique and diverse experiences that matter for policies that will impact our families.
Forty percent of the candidates EMILY’s List has helped elect to Congress have been women of color and more young women are stepping up to run. Diverse representation at every level of government means we’ll all have a voice.
That’s where YOU come in. We are asking you to step up and run for office, especially at the state and local level. And men, you can help by encouraging your wife, daughter, colleague, and friends to run too.
You don’t have to have years of political experience, a Ph.D. in the issues that matter to you, or a law degree (although those women are welcome too). You know when policies work for you and your family and when they don’t. We think it’s long overdue that you have a seat at the decision-making table.
EMILY’s List is doubling our forces across the country to train and recruit new candidates. We can help give you the tools to be a strong and strategic candidate. In-person trainings, webinars, and other resources will introduce you to the basic tools needed to run and win.
If you want to run, join us!
If you know a woman who should run, join us!
If you want to help a woman run, join us!
Take the next step. Join us today!
Peaceful Activism
A woman, her dog, and three wild horses are planning on journeying 4,000 miles to help protect the greatest remaining wilderness in North America: The Sacred Headwaters.
Riding Wild Trailer from Aniela Gottwald on Vimeo.
Riding Wild is an adventure and documentary film project by Aniela Gottwald with the goal of riding 4,000 miles from the U.S. – Mexican Border to the Sacred Headwaters of Canada. With this ride Aniela hopes to bring awareness to the tsunami of coal mining development destined for North Western British Columbia and inspire a movement to explore and protect the remote frontiers of the natural world that support our life on the planet.
This story has a unique and pivotal timeliness. More than ever before we have a responsibility as human beings to move toward a path of sustainability and away from a path that threatens our global survival. Our wild horses face a dire situation, as the Bureau of Land Management recently voted for the euthenization of 45,000 horses. There is a common thread between First Nations Rights, their traditional rights to their land and resources that have not been respected or supported by the governmental system. Our greatest goal is to raise awareness and in turn enough support to help the Tahltan and Gitxsan First Nations legally protect the Sacred Headwaters from mining development. This ride will give Gottwald the leverage to bring attention to finding solutions for wild horses and advocating for the protection of our natural world from inappropriate industrial development.
To donate: https://www.crowdrise.com/riding-wild/fundraiser/anielagottwald
The Giving Season
There are so many ways you can contribute to the well-being of your community and the world as a whole. One of those ways is by donating money to a cause you believe in. If your budget prohibits you from freely donating money, a surprising source of funds could be a Giving Jar. Keep one in your kitchen, and fill it with your spare change. At the end of the month, donate the total to a local shelter, a soup kitchen, or to a cause you care about.
A good resource to learn about causes to support is The Life You Can Save.org, who’s mission is to improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty and to promote the concept of effective giving. They believe that everyone should live free from preventable diseases such as malaria or parasitic infections and have access to adequate health care and to the elements of a healthy life such as clean water and nutrition.
Find out here which charities they recommend.
Winona LaDuke
Winona LaDuke is an American activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development. A Native American with Ojibwe ancestry, she is the executive director of Honor the Earth and is active in Anishinaabe issues, helping found the Indigenous Women’s Network in 1985.
“Honor the Earth was created to raise awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities. Honor the Earth develops these resources by using music, the arts, the media, and Indigenous wisdom to ask people to recognize our joint dependency on the Earth and be a voice for those not heard.”
A mini documentary titled FOOD AND WATER | EARTH, directed by Suez Taylor, was shown at the United Nations where it was featured during the Commission of the Status of Women. Just recently, Winona received the wonderful news that it will be in the permanent collection of the Mille Lacs Native American History Museum.
“Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you can activist, and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn’t make a corporation a terrorist”-Winona LaDuke
Kids4Coral
Komal Ahmad
LOLA loves this inspiring woman: Komal Ahmad. She is a 25 year-old entrepreneur who is paying it forward! She has fed over 570,000 homeless people in San Francisco with excess food from corporate events.
I was fortunate enough to hear Komal speak at the Women In The World event last week in Los Angeles. She is so inspiring and the work that she does is so important. She shared with us some wonderful news: non-profits in Germany and Austria have been in touch with her, asking for help so that they too can use the platform she has established, so that they can take better care of the refugees pouring into Europe.
How did Komal do this?
Three years ago – when she was a student at the University of California, Berkeley, was walking near campus when a homeless man approached her and asked her for money to buy food. Komal, instead, invited the man to lunch and, as they ate, he told how he was a soldier – recently returned from Iraq – and that he had run into a rough patch.
After that experience, which, she says, “blew my mind,” so she began an initiative at the university, which allowed the dining hall to donate any excess food to local homeless shelters.
Now CEO of a not-for-profit service called gocopia (formerly Feeding Forward), Komal Ahmad told New York’s Daily News how excess food-wastage “is literally the world’s dumbest problem.”
She added: “Hunger is bad – it’s terrible everywhere – but in America, in the most prosperous, industrialized country in the world, this just shouldn’t exist.”
Putting the problem into perspective, she said: “Imagine a football stadium filled to its brim. That’s how much food goes wasted every single day in America.”
The gocopia app is technology that enables businesses to receive a tax write-off and a reduction in disposal costs for providing meals to communities in need.
This is How It Works
Give Food
Receive Food
- Post Your Donation
Request a pickup of your surplus food through our platform.
- Track Our Driver
A food hero will rescue and deliver the food to a nearby shelter in need.
- See Your Impact
Receive profiles of the people fed and see the impact made on the community and your bottom line.
Save Time and Money
We use technology to streamline the process of food donation and distribution, enabling you to receive enhanced tax deductions and reduce disposal costs, while effortlessly feeding those in need.
Strengthen Your Community
We empower you to become a local food hero by sharing your surplus food with shelters, churches, and other nonprofits in need.
Protect the Environment
We create an efficient food waste management system that decreases methane emission and reduces your carbon footprint.
Interested in becoming a food hero driver? (San Francisco area) Sign up here: https://gocopia.com/driver
Faking Public Confidence
There is such a thing as public confidence and private confidence.
I am a Peaceful Activist…
Melanie Oliva
On Sat. Aug. 22, 2015, Miami environmental artist Melanie Oliva launched Inspiration Pollination, an online community of artists and creators who have the power to influence others through their work. This effort was in response to the White House’s announcement in May that pollinators’ numbers are rapidly decreasing, putting them at serious risk for extinction. “I was surprised at how little many I talked to knew about the matter and how apathetic some were. I thought, ‘If they don’t know just how critical pollinators are, how much does the general public understand?’ Familiar with the work of Josh Keyes, John Sabraw and Mary Iverson, I know that art can elevate important issues. I decided to theme a series of artwork, but I felt I could do more.” After brainstorming ideas with her husband – some potentially dangerous like installing and manning billboard-like beehives – a simpler idea came to mind. She could encourage other creators to incorporate the message into their next project, gaining what is essentially free advertising for pollinators’ plight. Using the Ice Bucket Challenge as her model, Oliva challenged the original 200 members of Inspiration Pollination (including Nashville’s Herb Williams and Miami’s Oliver Sanchez) to post a pollinator- focused project on Facebook and pass the challenge on to four more to keep it “pollinating” throughout the online world. As the group gains a larger following, the artist hopes to turn it into a non-profit that will foster community efforts and help other artists with similar environmental aspirations. For more information, visit the Inspiration Pollination group page on Facebook, follow on Instagram @inspirationpollination and Twitter @inspr8npollin8n 
{Week of 14 September 2015}
The Five Interns
Royals, pop divas and politicians alike all have to start their careers somewhere. The latest issue of Porter magazine profiles 5 fabulous women: 
Source: http://www.net-a-
Women Can Build
Modern day Rosies on the meaning of respect: Women Can Build Slideshow from LAANE on Vimeo.
LOLA is seeking a creative intern!
The LOLA team is looking for a creative intern with skills in video making. There are so many filming opportunities at LOLA HQ! Be part of sharing LOLA‘s beautiful and empowering messages! Please send your resume to: Lola@priscillawoolworth.com 
#ProjectPaperBag
Los Angeles hair stylist Sandra Garcia started #ProjectPaperBag on November 27th 2014. In Sandra’s words:
Instagram: ProjectPaperBag | Facebook: ProjectPaperBag
Animals Big and Small Need Our Help
To learn more about the work of the Aspinall Foundation: http://www.
FAIRCLOTH & Supply
LOLA loves Phoebe Dahl (we’ve featured her in Chapter 19 Inspiring Women) at FAIRCLOTH & Supply so much in fact we have to share this: 
Every purchase benefits a girl in Nepel. How’s that for #peacefulactivism? 
Ends 11/5/2014.
International Day of the Girl
October 11, 2014 is the International Day of the Girl!
“Empowerment of and investment in girls are key in breaking the cycle of discrimination and violence and in promoting and protecting the full and effective enjoyment of their human rights.”-United Nations Resolution 66/170
Just two years ago, the UN declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to raise awareness about all issues concerning gender inequality around the world. It’s a day when activist groups come together under the same goal to highlight, discuss, and take action to advance rights and opportunities for girls everywhere.
October 11 is not just a day; it’s a movement. A worldwide revolution. We want ourselves, and girls everywhere, to be seen as equals, in the eyes of others and in our own eyes. According to UNESCO, 793 million adults worldwide cannot read, and of them, 64% of them are women. But if the team at LitWorld — a U.S.-based nonprofit that facilitates on-the-ground mentoring campaigns to fight illiteracy around the world — has a say, that number will disappear — no matter how long it takes. But the United Nations, through its International Day of the Girl this Saturday, October 11, and other groups like LitWorld are slowly working to eradicate the issue. Pam Allyn, a literacy expert and founding director of LitWorld, helped launch the 10,000 Girls Initiative earlier in the year. The campaign aims to reach girls around the world through mentoring programs, while providing them with basic needs — like sanitary supplies and cell phones — to ensure that they can stay in school. 
Use Your Power To Vote
“Even though we are lucky enough to have the right to vote here in the US, perhaps the most frustrating thing is having to wait until you turn eighteen in order to do so. While there is no doubt that being able to cast a vote for issues that you are passionate about is the best way to make your voice heard, always remember that there is so much more to a vote than actually just casting it! For all of you Smart Girls who want to make a difference but aren’t quite old enough to head to the polls yet, here are some suggestions for things you can do while you wait to cast those votes.”
VOLUNTEER! Campaigns, both candidate based and issue based, are always looking for people to lend a helping hand. A lot of what we see or hear, on television or the radio, only scratches the surface of what needs to be done in order to have a successful campaign. Especially now, during the height of campaign and election season, there are a huge number of opportunities to dip your feet into the political process pool. Stuffing envelopes, making phone calls to voters, and knocking on doors are but a few ways you can help rock the vote, without actually having the vote. ATTEND TOWN HALL MEETINGS! Town hall meetings are open to everyone in the community, and are a good place to both learn about the pressing issues in your community, and even bring up some topics of your own. From there, you might be able to connect with similar-minded people, and find an issue you are passionate about. RUN FOR OFFICE AT SCHOOL! We all know that the federal government gets the bulk of the publicity, but the real work is done at the lowest levels of government. What better way to effect change in the community than to starting in the place you spend so much time in, your school. Many student bodies hold elections and operate much like other government bodies. Running for office could give you the skills needed to rock the vote once you have it!
Are you ready?
Join the U.S. National Youth Leadership Council! Applications just opened today and will be till November 10th, 2014.
Go to http://www.rootsandshoots.org to get involved.
LOLA Woman of the Week (9/24/2014): Alicia Keys
ALICIA KEYS was asked a provocative question about the meaning of our existence: Why are you here? “Nobody had asked me that question before,” Keys recalled. It got her thinking about her mission in life, her legacy. She is one of the world’s best-known singers, but many of her songs have been about love or heartbreak. She has 35 million fans on Facebook and almost 20 million followers on Twitter, but she wasn’t leveraging that audience for some broader purpose. So she is now starting a We Are Here movement to channel her music and her fans to social justice causes, from stricter gun laws to criminal justice reform, from gay rights to global girls’ education. “I want to gather an army,” Keys told me. She wants to galvanize that infantry of fans from feeling frustrated about the world to improving it. Keys is expecting her second child in December — the movement arises partly from her concern about the world that the child will inherit — so she decided to be photographed nude with a peace sign on her belly as an image of amity to kick off the effort. “It’s time to get people’s attention,” she said. “People won’t be able to ignore this visual.” She plans to kick off the We Are Here Movement on Sunday at the Social Good Summit, a grass-roots version of the annual United Nations General Assembly. Keys says she will encourage her fans to support 12 specific groups: All Out, a gay rights organization; CARE, the aid group; Equal Justice Initiative, which combats racial inequity in the criminal justice system; the Future Project, which empowers high school students in America; Girl Rising, which supports girls’ education around the world; Keep a Child Alive, which helps children affected by H.I.V. and AIDS; Moms Rising, which supports universal prekindergarten, maternal leaves and tighter gun laws; Oxfam, which fights global poverty; Partners in Health, which tackles disease worldwide; the Trevor Project, which prevents suicide among gay and lesbian youths; the Trayvon Martin Foundation, which fights racial profiling; and War Child, which supports children in conflict areas. To get the effort started, Keys is donating $1 million of her own money, to be divided among the 12 groups, and she hopes that her fans will make their own donations directly to the charities. A website,WeAreHereMovement.com, provides information.
UN Women Goodwill Ambassador: Emma Watson
Emma Watson flew to Uruguay as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. A Goodwill Ambassador generally delivers goodwill or promotes ideals from one entity to another, or to a population. Goodwill Ambassadors have been an official (or unofficial) part of governments and cultures for as long as diplomacy has existed; to exchange gifts and presents; humanitarian relief; or development aid, using well known celebrities, scientists, authors, known activists, and other high society figures. While she is known to million of fans for lighting up the big screen, Emma Watson is also making her mark as an advocate for ending inequalities for women around the world. On Wednesday, the 24-year-old actress took some time out from her glamorous career to step into her role as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador as she travelled to Uruguay. The Paris-born beauty flew over to the South American nation for a presentation of the HeForShe campaign at Uruguay’s Parliament in Montevideo. Emma was also seen diligently taking notes as she listened to others at the presentation share their thoughts. The event was organised by women’s groups, which are pushing the country’s lawmaking body to increase its numbers of elected female senators and deputies. On seeing the crowds that had turned out to hear her speak, Emma later said: ‘I was immensely touched to see so many young people outside the parliament here in Uruguay. ‘At the back of the room there were five young women, probably under the age of 17, who were holding a banner that said, “Say yes to more women in politics”. ‘To see this kind of participation is why I’m here. It’s why I’ve come to Uruguay and why I want to work with UN Women… ‘Thankfully, I have this platform and I’m able to shine a light on these issues, which are really important to me and this is what I want to continue to do and what I believe in passionately.’ Resource: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2760128/Emma-Watson-heads-Uruguay-UN-Women-Goodwill-Ambassador-duties-campaigns-females-politics.html Resource: Wikipedia/Goodwill Ambassador
What Is Plastic Free Campuses?
School and college campuses are often the source of enormous amounts of plastic pollution. “Plastic Free Campuses” is a global community of university and school campuses working towards reducing their plastic footprint. Join the community now! The goal of the project is to measurably reduce plastic pollution on campuses around the world, with a special focus on the reduction and ultimately the elimination of plastic bottles, plastic straws and utensils, and plastic food packaging. Plastic Free Campuses are students and schools that have identified plastic pollution as a key concern, and are taking action to confront the issue. This means different things for different schools, from hosting a plastic free sporting event, to ending bottled water sales across the campus. Any school or student group with the intention of fighting plastic pollution is eligible to join, and will be featured on the Plastic Free Campuses Global Map.
Girl Boss
Looking for a good read about a girl who started from nothing and eventually launched her own business? You’ll learn that the first thing Sophia Amoruso sold online wasn’t fashion—it was a stolen book. She spent her teens just trying to survive by hitchhiking just to get places, committing petty theft, and dumpster diving. By twenty-two, she took the initiative of getting a mediocre day job just so she would have health insurance. It was there that she decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay. Eight years later, she is the founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Nasty Gal. #GIRLBOSS is her includes Sophia’s story, yet is infinitely bigger than Sophia. Her message: ” Work hard and don’t compromise”
Seven Things To Do After Your Internship
Internships are the secret ingredient to kickstarting your career. But a few miscalculated steps after your internship ends could dampen your image for years to come. Whether you loved or hated your internship, burning bridges isn’t going to do your career any favors. Take Anthony Weiner’s former intern Olivia Nuzzi, for example. While she certainly got a lot of media attention for providing an inside look into his campaign, people have mixed views on whether that helped or harmed her career. Here are seven ways to keep your professional image intact after your internship ends:
1. Don’t forget to say thank you
As your internship comes to end — or even if you’re already gone — it’s your duty to personally thank everyone you worked with during that period. Recognition is important, even if you didn’t thoroughly enjoy the working experience. Verbal thank yous aren’t enough, either. Go with the handwritten thank you note. For each person you write, provide specifics about what you appreciated. Maybe they showed you the ropes on a new project or made your lunch break more bearable by sharing a table with you. Whatever it is, avoid a canned response.
2. Don’t badmouth anyone
Unfortunately, some internship experiences aren’t positive. You may have had a less-than-impressive manager or duties that lacked educational value, but it’s best not to share your opinions publicly. Don’t tweet or Facebook your distaste for an employer, ever. Instead, keep it constructive. If you didn’t get the chance to share your opinions about your experience in a one-on-one meeting with your internship or human resources manager, consider reaching out to them in an email. Just remember not to be overly negative — you never know when you’ll need a reference.
3. Don’t lie about your experience
The aftermath of a bad internship may feel disheartening, but don’t blow it out of proportion when sharing it with friends and family. Lying about your experience could get around fast and ruin yourprofessional reputation. If you want to share your professional opinions to warn potential interns, consider posting on an internship rating website, but keep it tactful. Never lie about what took place because it’ll only come back to hurt you in the end.
4. Don’t share confidential information
You may have signed a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) or confidentiality agreement (CA) when you filled out your internship paperwork. If so, you agreed not to disclose private information related to your work. Sharing confidential information pertaining to your internship, such as client- or customer-related details, could place you in serious legal trouble. You’d face hefty legal fees and being branded as untrustworthy — something no employer is looking for.
5. Don’t lose touch
Building your network is essential to the future of your career. Everyone you came in contact with during your internship is a potentially valuable connection for another internship, job opening or professional development opportunity. Stay in touch with your fellows interns, coworkers and manager by connecting with them on social media sites. For instance, you can shoot your previous internship manager an email if you see the company has won an award, or check in with a former coworker to see how things are going since you left.
6. Don’t ask to be hired without having a plan
Maybe you’re looking to be rehired as an intern or you’re seeking an entry-level role. The worst possible thing you can do is ask for a job without having the appropriate planning in place. It’s the equivalent of shouting “Please hire me!” into a crowded room. Build a personal presentation. Compile all the outstanding work you’ve done for the company and from other endeavors. Schedule a time to speak with your previous manager and pitch this opportunity. Even if they’re not sold on bringing you back or they don’t have the resources, they may know of another employer seeking an intern or entry-level employee.
7. Don’t engage unprofessionally
While judgment is subjective, you should set some engagement boundaries for yourself after your internship. Don’t go to the bar and get drunk with your previous internship manager or coworkers or engage in unprofessional public conversation on social media. Just because your internship is over, that doesn’t mean you don’t reflect on the company — that gig will be on your resume for years to come. And burning bridges isn’t the best way to jumpstart your career. Remember to keep your professional reputation in mind even after you finish an internship.
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Inspiring Change One Week At A Time
In 2011, a family from Fort Wayne, Indiana launched Impact 52, a family project in which they set out to do one volunteer project every week for a year. The two daughters in the family, Kelsi and Makenna, and together with their parents have in the past three years collaborated with more than 120 different organizations, doing a variety of tasks from working at animal adopt-a-thons to painting the exterior of an elderly neighbor’s house. Their volunteering has enriched their own lives as well. “Every week we become students, and learn something new about ourselves and others.” impact52.org
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Teens turning Green
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Make it Earth Day everyday!
It’s Earth Day on April 22nd! Plant a tree in your community or donate to the Canopy Project. For every dollar, a tree is planted. The Canopy Project has many tree planting projects happening around the world. To find out where and to get involved in one in your community:
It’s a Girl Rising call to action!
Girls around the world need our help in getting an education. Why don’t you host a screening at your local theater? A group of high school girls in Los Angeles did just that! After seeing Girl Rising they wanted to host a screening at their local theater. They raised the funds by doing bake sales and got lots of support from their community. The money they made from ticket sales all went to the Girl Rising movement.
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Make a modern-day resume with Sumry!
To jazz things up–and to make future employers take notice–we recommend Sumry, a new website for creating gorgeous, easy-to-navigate digital résumés that tell your story rather than list your skills. To get started on your own, upload a headshot and enter basic information like your education and job history. Sumry then prompts you to add personal details designed to set you apart from other candidates. Maybe you’re passionate about French cinema, for instance. Or maybe a former colleague wants to contribute a quote about your cheery disposition. You can even link directly to any relevant blogs, online portfolios or social media accounts. The basic digital service is free. But if you want to download and print your Sumry (and trust us, it’s even more gorgeous on paper), you’ll need to upgrade to a premium account for $3 a month–a small price to pay in the move toward landing your dream job. (Shared from PureWow)
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LILY COLE
Lily Cole is an outstanding humanitarian and environmentalist! Did you know that she is an ambassador for children’s charity Global Angels and that she supports the charity WaterAid, speaking for the organization’s “End Water Poverty” campaign, and the Environmental Justice Foundation? She also modeled a T-shirt with the slogan “Save the Future” to fight child labor in the fashion industry for the Environmental Justice Foundation, and helped launch the World Land Trust’s Emerald for Elephant Exhibition, which was designed to create awareness and raise important funds for the protection of the critically endangered Asian elephant. Lily Cole is an ally as well of Western Shoshone, an environmental group that specializes in work to halt gold and diamond mining, which is alleged to not only displace indigenous peoples worldwide but also creates excessive amounts of mining waste and toxins. She’s been seen wearing the eco-friendly Anya Hindmarch handbag bearing the slogan “I’m Not A Plastic Bag”, and is involved in creating an environmentally friendly knitwear company, the North Circular, whose products are made from the wool of rescued sheep, from which 5% of all profits, and all of Cole’s, are donated to the Environmental Justice Foundation. 
Two years ago, Lily Cole founded Impossible.com, a social network that encourages users to exchange skills and services for free in the hope of encouraging a peer-to-peer gift economy. In 2013, PETA cited her efforts to make consumers aware of animal products in cosmetics and declared her to be one of the “Sexiest Vegetarians” of the year! She also received the Doctor of Letters for her “outstanding contribution to humanitarian and environmental causes” from the chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, Professor Muhammad Yunus. Global Angels: http://www.globalangels.org WaterAid: http://www.wateraid.org/us Environmental Justice Foundation: http://ejfoundation.org World Land Trust: http://www.worldlandtrust.org Western Shoshone: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Shoshone North Circular: http://www.thenorthcircular.com We Are What We Do: http://wearewhatwedo.org/portfolio/im-not-a-plastic-bag/ Impossible: http://www.impossible.com 
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My Life Rules as featured in Porter
Jenna Lyons, creative director of J.Crew
- I work on my instincts. At the end of the day, it’s all you have. If you don’t trust yourself, no one else is going to, either.
- You can’t fix yesterday. And don’t beat yourself up over it-the only reason to beat yourself up is if you don’t learn from it.
- Respect honesty and transparency. There is no room for people who can’t give a clear and honest opinion.
- I feel like I’m learning-and making mistakes-all the time! But if I wasn’t and suddenly felt stagnant, that would be the thing that would make me not want to work.
- When I was younger, I always wanted things to be easier-but I learned that here are always some things in flux and always changing. Then I realized that makes things far more interesting.
- Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. There is no question. It’s a cliché’, but it’s true.
- Never assume that just because we did it one way means that we can do it again the same next time.
- I realized early on that no matter what I am feeling and no matter what is happening to me, either personally or professionally, there is no place for that (in the workplace). I am really good at compartmentalizing, probably to a fault! When you force yourself to do it, you realize that it’s not as hard as you think.
- I don’t want to stay looking the same. Someone once said that they didn’t recognize me because I wasn’t wearing a red lip, so I thought, “Oh, I won’t wear a red lip for a while.”
- Giving feedback in the creative world is so delicate. I spend a lot of time picking my words carefully.
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Excerpt from Adapt or Wait Tables, a Freelancer’s Guide by Carol Wolper: KA…CHING! Money is often the bête noire for freelancers even when they have a job. Let’s say you write an article for a magazine in June. You do the research, the interviews, transcribe the interviews (which takes forever), write it all up and do a second, possibly a third, draft or more. This sometimes means re-writing the entire piece because the editor who signed off on the original angle had a mercurial change of heart. Suddenly the piece about a celebrity’s English rose garden becomes a piece about their collection of mid-century modern American furniture. Already the ratio of time spent versus fee to be paid means you’re working for lower than minimum wage and the editor never offers to kick in a few more bucks for her incessant second thoughts. Yet, without complaining, you do all the work required and meet your deadline-which the magazine treats as so crucial it’s as if the consequences of not doing so will be cataclysmic for the entire planet. Then you send in an invoice, and you wait. And wait. Days, weeks pass. Finally, you email and you’re informed that they don’t pay invoices for articles until the issue you wrote for is on the newsstand, which generally means a two-to-three month lag time. That’s their policy-no exceptions. So you grumble about it to a couple of friends and let it go. Right after Labor Day, you start checking your mailbox. Weeks pass, no check. You email the business office of the magazine and they get back to you a week later to tell you the check is in the system. They say this as if there’s nothing any mere mortal can do to hurry the process along. More waiting ensures and more disappointment. Often what’s going on here is that the magazine has cash flow problems and are waiting for advertising dollars to flow in, but that shouldn’t be your problem. You don’t go into a restaurant, order a meal,then tell them you’ll pay the bill when your cash flow situation improves. The magazine ate the verbal souffle’ you prepared, and now they need to pay up. Of course that argument will only guarantee you’ll never get hired again. To read more: http://www.priscillawoolworth.com/store/adapt-or-wait-tables-freelancers-guide 
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