If you haven’t had the chance to attend a show at New York Fashion Week — or venture backstage to see the hustle and bustle before the big reveal— Instagram is about to make your dreams come true by putting you right in the action, virtually. Starting Friday, the social media site will launch a special section called The Best of Fashion Week Updated Daily by @Instagram to give us daily curated content from NYFW Spring/Summer 2016, making the *new* front row your cubicle at work, the corner of your couch you cuddle up in for binge watching sessions and your seat on the train.
There’s no need to surf through endless #NYFW hashtags to find your next OOTD inspo, because Instagram has done all the work for you. According to WDD, users will be able to click on Instagram’s Explore page to see all the creative content pulled from the shows, behind the scenes, street style and after-parties. It’s the first time Instagram is offering play-by-play curated content from specific events, although WDD says the social media site has done previous collections from events including the Video Music Awards and Comic Con.
And this isn’t the only hot topic swirling around Instagram and Fashion Week right now. Science Daily just published an interesting read about a team of researchers at Indiana University who used Instagram to predict the most popular models of the season. For Fall/Winter 2015, they were Sofia Tesmenitskaya, Arina Levchenko, Renata Scheffer, Sasha Antonowskaia, Melanie Culley and Phillipa Hemphrey.
It’s safe to say we love Instagram even more now.
Will you be checking out Instagram’s new NYFW section? Let us know in the comments.
(h/t WWD, photos via Noam Galai Stringer/Getty + Jemal Countess/Getty)
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.
