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Selfmade is designed to make the dreams of female founders a reality, and the 2023 fall pitch competition accomplished just that! The challenge called upon female entrepreneurs to showcase what they've been working on and compete to win prizes that will allow them to continue to put their ambitions in motion. The judging panel was made up of a group of inspiring, boss women — one of whom was Brit + Co's founder, Brit Morin!

Although a competition in nature, the entire day was filled with uplifting women and celebrating everyone's entrepreneurial spirit and journeys. The contestants highlighted their passion for making an impact in their own industry and beyond and were more than willing to share their trials and triumphs to inspire others.

Winners were judged on creativity, inspiration, authenticity, uniqueness, and evidence of impact. And, while every single one of the contestants was able to dominate in these categories, the judging panel made the tough decision of picking three stand-outs in the bunch. Without further ado, here are the winners of the Selfmade fall 2023 pitch competition!

Meet The Winners

The first-place winner of the pitch competition went to the extremely well-deserving Ashley Sutton! Sutton's company, Hustle and Hope Cards, is redefining the greeting card industry. Her products are created to celebrate life's biggest moments, while also giving you access to resources that will allow the recipient to better themself. Her energy throughout her pitch was undeniable, and she also possessed an admirable resilience. Sutton applied for the pitch competition 3 times and was not discouraged when it didn't work out prior!

It was a close race for second place, but Lauren Teague managed to snag the prize! She presented her company, FANWAGN, with extreme professionalism and detail, leaving the entire audience impressed. Her company connects fans with pre-loved authentic college and sports merchandise and is revolutionizing the fandom space.

Claiming the third place spot was Johnetra Bailey with Croyance Beauty! Her company is making strides to further education on PCOS and hormonal care and finds itself at the intersection of wellness and beauty. The passion and confidence with which she spoke about her brand and the clear impact it's already had on the beauty industry and women's health impressed the judges and landed her in the top 3!

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As women, it's so important to have a community behind us that supports us in our hustle and goal-chasing. After attending Selfmade Summit 2023, I learned that this community not only exists, but it's also even better than I could have imagined. The experience was truly transformative for me and my fellow attendees, as we were reminded of the power we each hold and gained invaluable knowledge and insights from successful women who truly have it all.

At the summit, we were given the opportunity to hear from Brit Morin, the driving force behind Selfmade and founder of Brit + Co! A mother of three and a true self-made entrepreneur, Morin spoke candidly about her journey to success. She shared that she fell in love with technology at just 9 years old (!) and carried that with her throughout her career.

Throughout her conversations with the group, she dropped a number of pieces of wisdom that really stuck with me. Two standout things that she shared were:

1. Self-made isn't about figuring it on your own.
2. Women supporting women makes the world a better place.

While being a "girl boss" and trying to climb the ladder of success can feel like an isolating and lonely experience, Morin made sure to remind her listeners that it doesn't have to be. Building your village and then leaning on it is actually one of the best things you can do for yourself and will pay off big time!

This idea is actually reflected through the very essence of Brit + Co, too. She briefly touched on her inspiration for the name, explaining that she wanted it to be a place where "a woman named Brit is teaching you things." but there's also an entire community of women who are there to share their experiences and life learnings as well.

We also had the chance to hear from a special guest, Danyel Surrency Jones. She's the Co-Founder and former CEO of a company called POWERHANDZ, which provides athletic gloves and sports training equipment. She shared her inspiring and remarkable journey and how she leverages technology for her and her company's success. One of my favorite Surrency Jones noted was that we are all "only as strong as the community and network we make," truly bringing everything from the event together.

An extremely impactful part of the day for me was hearing from the Selfmade Pitch Day winners. Their stories of how they applied the principles of business growth and learned from the women who came before them were inspiring to say the very least. They shared practical insights and strategies that felt applicable to my own life and journey and my fellow attendees shared the same sentiment.

Finally, we wrapped up the day with a mini-workshop from Verizon's Small Business Digital Ready program. It was very engaging and gave us all the opportunity to speak up and apply what we had learned that day.

Throughout all of the learnings from this summit, my key takeaway was that success is not a one-woman game. Being willing to put in the time to find a support system and be the support system for others is crucial. As women, we need to be our own biggest allies and build each other up, so that we can all accomplish our goals and pave the way for future generations.

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Header image via Selfmade

A 5K is a 3.12 mile race, and it's one of the most popular distances around the world for hobby joggers and elite athletes alike. Unlike a half marathon or full marathon, the 5K leaves you feeling tired, but able to actually walk afterwards — and with the same sense of accomplishment. Some seasoned runners may look down on the 5K, but I'm here to tell you that it's no small feat. In fact, in my 14 years of competitive running, the 5K was my main focus for 12 years.

If you're looking to run your first 5K and have no background in cardio or endurance sports, a simple google search for “beginner 5k workouts” will lead you to dozens of workout plans. While I have coached true beginners, my coaching specialty is with more intermedia runners, or runners trying to run their fastest 5K. You don't have to be a standout athlete or elite runner to set goals, and there are some simple steps everyone can take to get faster. Heres how to train for a 5K race, the Paxton way.

Photo by RF._.studio/PEXELS

The first step to bettering your 5K is to pick a race and sign up for it — most cities have a few 5K to choose from each weekend, so there should be plenty to choose from. Having a race on the calendar ensures you won’t skip out on your training. I recommend giving yourself 8-10 weeks to properly train.

The best 5K training plans, in my opinion, include 4-5 days of running a week. Every week should include:

• One or two speed workouts
• A few easy jogs
• A long run

You should never run hard or fast two days in a row — easy jogging and rest between speed workouts are both essential for rebuilding muscles damaged with hard workouts. Here's how each of the three main training workouts should go.

Photo by cottonbro studio/PEXELS

Speed Workouts

Every speed workout should begin with a 5-10 minute jogging warm up and a 5-10 minute jog/walk cooldown. This will help ensure you do not pull or strain any muscles.

The actual "speed" part of speed workouts can go one of two ways:

• Run 2-3 minutes at a harder 7 out of 10 effort, with a standing or walking rest of 2-3 minutes between each push.
• Run 6-8 repeats of a steep hill for 45-60 seconds in length with a walk back down, before repeating again.

Note: These are not sprint workouts, and you should never push yourself so hard that you're lying on the ground gasping for air afterwards.

Easy Jogs

Easy jogs should be kept at a conversational pace, so this would be a good time to grab your girlfriend or hop on the phone if you want some company. The best jogs should be about 2-3 miles in length, or 20-35 minutes in duration.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio/PEXELS

Long Runs

Long runs are arguably the most important workout of the week, and anyone trying to better their 5K time should make sure to include them in their training plan. Like the name suggests, a long run should be your longest run of the week. Your longest run can be anywhere from three miles at the beginning of the plan to 12 miles if you're an experienced and seasoned vet. I recommend starting with 3 miles at the beginning of your 8-10 week plan and working your way up to 5-8 miles by the end. You should do this by adding one half to a full mile each week. Although it may sound silly to run 8 miles in order to run a 3.1 mile race, this will help build your endurance more than any of your other weekly runs. Having endurance will make the race seem easier, and I can guarantee you'll pass people left and right in your final mile.

Note: You should also have at least 10 days between your longest long run and your 5k race so that you can feel as fresh as possible on race day.

Photo by Blue Bird/PEXELS

The most important thing to remember on race day is to not go out too fast. If you sprint the first mile, the rest of the race will be miserable. Race day adrenaline will make you jittery and willing to sprint at the start, but working on controlling that will ensure a better race experience. Try to make your second and third mile faster than your first and give it all in the last .1 mile. After you’re done, soak in the race day atmosphere and grab a free banana! Don’t forget that the post race pain is temporary and remember not to sign up for another race while on an endorphin high!

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