Were You at Coachella Last Weekend?🌵
Updated: Jul 9, 2019
We're always on the lookout for rad lady-boss events so when I heard Create & Cultivate was hosting a pop-up in Palm Springs, I was STOKED because:
1. I love Create & Cultivate events
2. I wouldn't have to book a flight or hotel
3. The event was was absolutely FREE
This was too good of an opportunity to pass up!!
Doors opened at 10am so that meant we had a 6am wake-up call in my LA apartment in order to arrive in line an hour before. The first 150 people in line would be receiving goodie bags and we love our free swag. Unfortunately, despite our dawn departure, we just barely missed the 150 bag cutoff (some of these serious betches were in line at 8am). However, we stayed positive and went straight to the beauty bar to get our hair and makeup done because you know we didn’t do that at 6am.
The event was held at the Ace Hotel where many people were staying for Coachella Weekend 1. Quite a few Coachella goers stopped by before heading to the festival. I have to say, seeing some of the outfits quelled my chella fomo as I’m not sure I’m quite cut out for that level of vibe. Anyway, the pop-up was considerably smaller than the Miami Vision Summit we attended a few months ago which made sense because this one was free. The signature C&C aesthetics were still there however, inciting our photo excitement. As promised, the event provided free and refreshingly alcoholic drinks which were crucial in the 95° weather.
As fun as taking advantage of both the beauty bar and open bar was💄🍹, what we really came all the way to the desert for was to be inspired by badass babes. In typical C&C fashion, we got to hear from some of the top women in industries ranging from fashion & beauty, to fitness and entertainment.
Rocky Barnes Model, Fashion Designer, Blogger
Compared to the C&C Vision Summit, this event seemed to feature a lot more influencer/model type panelists. Although I respect any woman following her dream and making that money, I was wondering what made Rocky Barnes so special that she was chosen to be one of the keynote speakers? Why wasn’t she on one of the group panels like the other models? Well, obviously I’m not in the fashion world or else I would have known the answers to these questions. Furthermore, her strengths extend to her mind (yes, this woman has it all) as she captivated us with her unique story of achievement, highlighting her work ethic, resilience and passion.
Speaker Takeaways 🎤:
“An overnight success is 10 years in the making.”
“I don’t want anyone to think there’s a quick easy shortcut to success — It may look like there is, but it’s all about hard work.”
“The best advice I’ve ever received is to never take anything personally.”
“Instead of focusing just on that dream job, focus on the way you want to feel. That’s where you should put your focus.”
Karena Dawn & Katrina Scott Founders of Tone It Up!
We couldn’t believe that Katrina Scott and Karena Dawn were going to be two of the keynote speakers for this event. We’ve been following these Tone It Up! ladies for 10 years and are huge fans. In fact, I’m currently enjoying their protein powder to firm up a little ahead of summer, and Leanne regularly follows their home workout routines. Over the past decade, they have built their company into a community of millions of beautiful and strong women that support and empower one another. We made sure to grab prime seats so that we wouldn’t miss what our health & fitness idols had to say.
Speaker Takeaways 🎤:
“The secret to being business partners is to allow each other to be who you are and find your strengths.”
“There’s never enough time in the day—don’t try to do everything. If you can choose to do one big thing once a day, think of how much you can achieve in a month, or a year, or 10 years.”
“Be in tune with the community you have, even when you think you know what’s best for your business.”
“Live in the moment and learn. When we’re younger, we’re so concerned about what other people are thinking about you. Just live.”
Prized selfie with Karena Dawn 🤩
Jameela Jamil Actress, Model, Feminist, Activist
What’s great about C&C’s events is that they provide a truly diverse set of female speakers that inspire us in different ways. Of all the panelists, Jameela Jamil empowered me the most in terms of being a woman in general. As someone who indubitably identifies as a feminist and who had spent many years of her life really struggling with body image issues and what it means to “fit in,” I deeply connected with Jameela’s words. She passionately gave us her take on modern day feminism, breaking the mold, and body inclusion.
Speaker Takeaways 🎤:
“If you’re going to be an activist or feminist, you have to be willing to take an L and know that we don’t know everything. We have to be willing to shut up, listen, and learn, and not be too proud about it.”
“The next generation is f*cking done being excluded and looking up to a white straight thin version of what we are supposed to be. We’re done with the dinosaurs…and I’m here to kill the last of them.”
“I weigh the sum of all my motherf*cking parts.”
“This is now a time of sisterhood. Seeing how high my activism has risen, seeing how I’ve been embraced for being so outspoken, so rude—-by even the media and men—-is a sign that
change is here.”
After the panels wrapped, it was time for Happy Hour. However, it was hard to focus on schmoozing and boozing once Karena and Katrina appeared onto the patio. We shot into full paparazzi mode, taking pictures of them as they posed for the legit event photographers. We stalked them enough until finally Karena fulfilled our long-held dream and took a selfie with us (see above). We felt no shame in doing a quick mini photoshoot by the pool before deciding to call it a day. Overall, it was well-worth the day trip out to the desert. We successfully mingled with some goal-digging women, absorbed words of wisdom from thought-provoking panelists, and captured solid content. Another successful event in the books for the Gem girls!
💋💋💋Jenise